SESM 3030: Delivery in 2021

• The course is in 2 sections: Instrumentation followed by

Control. 课程包含仪表和控制两部分

• Section 1. Instrumentation, (JMcB). Continues from

material delivered in the first year of module FEEG1004.
– 10 (45 min) lectures. Presented as 30 (15 min) online
recording.
• Section 2. Control, (PW). Continues from material delivered
in the second year of Control module.
– Normally 20 (45 min Lectures). Presented as on-line
recordings
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 2021 Delivery of Instrumentation
• 30 (approx. 15 min) short videos. (CORE CONTENT). 1
Lecture = 3 on-line recording. You must go through this
material from the BB site. It is expected that you will cover
3 Lectures or 9 videos per week.

• There is a weekly timetabled small group for each tutorial

group, where:
– We will run through example questions.
– answer any questions you may have
– provide more background on the CORE CONTENT,
including the key points and applications.
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Face to Face sessions
• There are 3 timetabled session per week.

• Week 1, just follow the online video recordings, as in

previous slide. We suggest you do that as timetabled.

• Tutorials. Week 2 on-wards. Each student will attended one

of the timetabled sessions, as below.
– Tuesday 11am. Group 1, (family names A-K)
– Wednesday 11am, Group 2, (family names L-R)
– Wednesday 12am, Group 3, (family names S-Z)

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L1. Instrumentation (Introduction &
definition of terms used)

SESM3030 Mechanical Engineering

Prof. J.W.McBride
jwm@soton.ac.uk
 Instrumentation
Aims
• To develop an understanding of instrumentation and
measurement systems as inputs to complex systems.

• To understand the components that are used to build up a

complex instrumentation system.

• To enable the design of both sensors and instrumentation

systems.

• To enhance an understanding of industrial applications.

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 Instrumentation systems

Transducer
Record
Display
Analogue to Analysis
Sensing Signal D/A
digital Control
Element Conditioning Actuator
conversion Communication

• Primary Sensing Element:

– Receives energy from the measured medium, and produces an output
depending in some way on the measurand e.g. diaphragm, spring,
float, turbine, etc.

• The Transducer:
– converts the measurand energy into electrical energy. For example a
strain gauge converts strain into a resistance change which can then
be detected as a voltage change. 6
 Course Structure
• Introduction (generic systems, calibration). Revision.

• Sensors and Transducers

– Position, Strain, Acceleration, MEMS, Optical, Temperature…
• Signal Conditioning
– Bridge circuits, amplifiers, analogue filters.
• A to D conversion

• Signal Analysis (Time Domain, Frequency Domain)

• Metrology Applications.
？传感器和传感器

－位置，应变，加速度，ＭＥＭＳ，光学，温度…

？信号调节
－桥式电路，放大器，模拟滤波器。
？Ａ到Ｄ转换
？信号分析（时域、频域） 7
？计量应用程序
Types of Sensor
• Passive Sensors are based on the passive circuit
components of R,C,L. These sensors all require a power
supply, and are normally used as part of an active bridge
circuit to provide a voltage out (normally mV). They are
normally connected to an op amp to boost the mV out to
(V), for input to an ADC. (analogue to digital converter)

• Active Sensors, do-not require a power supply. Examples

are, thermoelectric effect (thermocouples), electromagnetic
effect, and piezo-electric effects.

• Optical Sensors. These require a power supply to the

light source and detector but not to the measured object.
Definition of Terms
• Repeatability. The closeness of a group of measurements taken
under the same conditions.

• Drift. The variation in o/p not caused by a change in i/p.

• Error. The difference between the result of the measurement

and the true value.

• Uncertainty. The range of values within which the true value

lies. In metrology, measurement uncertainty is the expression of
the statistical dispersion of the values attributed to a measured
quantity. All measurements are subject to uncertainty and a
measurement result is complete only when it is accompanied by
a statement of the associated uncertainty, such as the standard
deviation.

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Definition of Terms
• Sensitivity or Responsivity.
– The gain or scale factor of the instrumentation system.
– Microprocessor ADCs measure volts, so transducer sensitivities are
generally expressed as Volts per unit of measurement,
– For example: 2.03 V/kPa, 1.04 V/m/s, 5 mV/oC,
• Resolution.
– The smallest increment of the measurand which can be detected.
• Linearity.
– The degree to which the Sensitivity remains constant, for all values
of the measurand.
• Accuracy.
– The sum of Uncertainty, Non-linearity, Hysteresis etc. Accuracy is
the closeness of measurements to a specific value, while precision is
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the closeness of the measurements to each other.
 Transducer Characteristics
Linearity
LINEAR DEVICE NON-LINEAR DEVICE

Output Output
∆qout
∆qout ∆qin
qout qout ∆qout
∆qin ∆qin

qin Input qin Input

∆qout
Sensitivity =
∆qin
Linearity: degree to which the Sensitivity remains constant
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Precision vs Accuracy
frequency frequency frequency frequency

bias bias

measurement measurement measurement measurement

X
X X
X
X X
X
X X X XXXXX X X
X
X X
X X X XXXXX
X
X X X X
X

Imprecise Precise Imprecise Precise

Inaccurate Inaccurate Accurate Accurate

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Resolution and Accuracy

• The three most important terms here are Uncertainty, Resolution and
Accuracy. Uncertainty is linked to the standard deviation of the data.

• Resolution is important, but often misunderstood. For example the

resolution of a 16 bit A to D conversion, when the full scale voltage is 10
Volts is;
– Resolution = 10 / 216 = 0.15mV.

• The accuracy of the system is more important. This will include

the noise and other factors in the data. For the example given, the noise
floor of the data input, assume this to be 10mV; the resolution in the
example above is then rather meaning-less.

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Normal Distribution
The normal (Gaussian)
distribution is a fundamental
characteristic of random event or
processes. It is the cornerstone of
statistical analysis, and in
measurement is a key
characteristics of all measured
parameters.

Examples.

1. The roughness of a normally

flat surface
2. Pizza delivery times.
3. Examination pass rates
Example. Au coated CNT surface
Area is 40 x 40 µm with 256 x 256 data