Scribd
Upload
129 views17 pages

Instrumentation and Measurements

The document discusses different types of instruments and their static characteristics. It describes instruments as being active/passive, null-type/deflection-type, analogue/digital, indicating/non-indicating, and smart/non-smart. Key static characteristics discussed include accuracy, precision, tolerance, range, sensitivity, threshold, resolution, hysteresis, and dead space. Hysteresis refers to the non-coincidence between loading and unloading output curves of an instrument, which also results in dead space.

Uploaded by

Ali
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
129 views17 pages

Instrumentation and Measurements

The document discusses different types of instruments and their static characteristics. It describes instruments as being active/passive, null-type/deflection-type, analogue/digital, indicating/non-indicating, and smart/non-smart. Key static characteristics discussed include accuracy, precision, tolerance, range, sensitivity, threshold, resolution, hysteresis, and dead space. Hysteresis refers to the non-coincidence between loading and unloading output curves of an instrument, which also results in dead space.

Uploaded by

Ali
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 17

Instrumentation

and measurements
Instrument Types
&
Static
Characteristics of
Instruments
Types of
instruments
• Instruments are subdivided into following
classes
i. Active and Passive Instruments
ii. Null-type and Deflection-type Instruments
iii. Analogue and Digital Instruments
iv. Indicating and with a signal output
Instruments
v. Smart and non-smart Instruments
Indicating and NON-Indicating
instruments
• Those that give an audio or visual indication of the magnitude of the
physical quantity measured. (non-indicating)
• those that give an output in the form of a measurement signal whose
magnitude is proportional to the measured quantity. (indicating)
• The class of indicating instruments normally includes all null-type instruments
and
most passive ones.
• Instruments that have a signal-type output are commonly used as part
of automatic control systems.
• they can also be found in measurement systems where the output
measurement
signal is recorded in some way for later use.
Smart and non-smart
instruments
• The advent of the microprocessor has created a new division in instruments
between
those that do incorporate a microprocessor. (smart)
• Those with no microprocessor are non-smart instruments.
Static characteristics of
instruments
• Accuracy (measurement • Dead
uncertainty) space
• Precision (repeatability)
• Tolerance
• Range or Span
• Sensitivity of measurement
• Threshold
• Resolution
• Hysteresis effect
Accuracy (measurement
uncertainty)
• The accuracy of an instrument is a measure of how close the output
reading of the instrument is to the correct value.
• Inaccuracy is the extent to which a reading might be wrong, and is often
quoted as a percentage of the full-scale (f.s.) reading of an instrument.
• The term measurement uncertainty is frequently used in place of inaccuracy.
• For example, a pressure gauge of range 0–10 bar has a quoted inaccuracy of
±1.0%
f.s. (±1% of full-scale reading), then the maximum error to be expected in
any reading is 0.1 bar. This means that when the instrument is reading 1.0
bar, the possible error is 10% of this value.
Precision
(repeatability)
• The degree of repeatability or reproducibility in measurements from an
instrument is
an alternative way of expressing its precision.
• Precision is a term that describes an instrument’s degree of freedom from
random errors.
• Difference between reproducibility and repeatability.
Tolerance
• Tolerance is a term that is closely related to accuracy and defines the maximum
error
that is to be expected in some value.
• This is also known as Limiting error.
• For example, as resistors have tolerances of perhaps 5%. One resistor chosen at
random from a batch having a nominal value 1000 W and tolerance 5% might
have an actual value anywhere between 950 W and 1050 W.
Range (Span) & Sensitivity of
measurement
• The range or span of an instrument defines the minimum and maximum
values of a quantity that the instrument is designed to measure.
• The sensitivity of measurement is a measure of the change in instrument
output that occurs when the quantity being measured changes by a given
amount.
• Thus, sensitivity is the ratio:
Threshold
• The minimum level of input that produces a change in the instrument output
reading large enough to be detectable is known as threshold of the
instrument.
• Some manufacturers quote absolute values, whereas others quote threshold
as a percentage of full-scale readings.
• As an illustration, a car speedometer typically has a threshold of about 15
km/h. This means that, if the vehicle starts from rest and accelerates, no
output reading is observed on the speedometer until the speed reaches 15
km/h.
Resolution
• When an instrument is showing a particular output reading, there is a lower
limit on the magnitude of the change in the input measured quantity that
produces an observable change in the instrument output.
• Like threshold, resolution is sometimes specified as an absolute value
and sometimes as a percentage of f.s. deflection.
• One of the major factors influencing the resolution of an instrument is
how finely
its output scale is divided into subdivisions.
Resolution
• Using a car speedometer as an example again, this has subdivisions of typically
20 km/h. This means that when the needle is between the scale markings, we
cannot estimate speed more accurately than to the nearest 5 km/h. This
figure of 5 km/h thus represents the resolution of the instrument.
Hysteresis
effect
Hysteresis
• Figure illustrates the output characteristic of an instrument that exhibits hysteresis.
effect
• If the input measured quantity to the instrument is steadily increased from a negative
• value, the output reading varies in the manner shown in curve (a).
• If the input variable is then steadily decreased, the output varies in the manner
shown in curve (b).
• The non-coincidence between these loading and unloading curves is known as
hysteresis.
• Two quantities are defined, maximum input hysteresis and maximum output
hysteresis,
• as shown in Figure.
Hysteresis
effect
• These are normally expressed as a percentage of the full-scale input or
output
reading respectively.
• Hysteresis is most commonly found in instruments that contain springs.
• Hysteresis can also occur in instruments that contain electrical windings
formed round an iron core, due to magnetic hysteresis in the iron.
• This occurs in devices like the variable inductance displacement transducer,
the LVDT and the rotary differential transformer.
Dead
space
• Dead space is defined as the range of different input values over which there
is no
change in output value.
• Any instrument that exhibits hysteresis also displays dead space.

You might also like