Module Identifier
PH24520
Module Title
INSTRUMENTATION SYSTEMS
Academic Year
2008/2009
Co-ordinator
Dr Tudor E Jenkins
Semester
Semester 2
Co-Requisite
None
Mutually Exclusive
None
Pre-Requisite
PH15720
Pre-Requisite
PH15510
Other Staff
 

Course Delivery

Delivery Type Delivery length / details
Practical 10 Hours
Lecture 15 Hours. 15 Lectures
Seminars / Tutorials 2 Exercise Classes, 3 Seminars
 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Exam 2 Hours   30%
Semester Assessment Labview report  50%
Semester Assessment Example sheets  20%

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module the student should be able to:

1 describe the basic characteristics of signal
2 describe the origins of noise
3 describe the operation and limitation of some transducers
4 appreciate the limitations of amplifier circuits
5 describe the operation of simple filters and differentiate between active and passive filters
6 describe some simple signal processing techniques, such as signal averaging and phase sensitive techniques
7 describe the basic principles of computer interfacing
8 appreciate the problems associated with converting analogue to digital signals
9 describe and apply the basic principles of digital signal processing
10 interface a simple experiment using the LabView system

Brief description

Measurement is an essential part of the scientific process. Instrumentation is the technology of measurement. In this module, students are taught the fundamental principles of instrumentation, to design a measurement system which takes due regard of problems such as accuracy, time response and noise of the overall system and its suitability for a particular measurement

Content

What is an electronic instrumentation system? A top-down approach to system design.
Types of signal encountered by instrumentation systems.
Important terms assocaited with instrumentation systems.
Comparison of digital and analogue instruments.
Noise in instrumentation systems and its characterisation.
Physical origins of fundamental noise.
Examples of sensors used in instrumentation systems.
Review of Ohm's Law and Kirchoff's laws in circuit electricity.
Development of equivalent circuits (voltage and current).
Effects of loading.
Review of AC circuits and detailed analysis of simple RC circuit.
Electronic amplifiers and their equivalent circuit.
Input and output resistance, frequency response, noise and cascading of amplifiers.
General characteristics of filters including comparison of passive and active filters.
What is a digital system? How digital systems handle numbers.
Analogue to digital conversion - sampling and quantisation.
Types of converters and the errors associated with them.
Electronic counting devices (systems approach only).

A ten hour practical session will take place throughout the semester to introduce LabView.

Reading List

Essential Reading
A. deSa Principles of Electronic Instrumentation Edward Arnold Primo search Recommended Text
P.P.L. Regtien Instrumentation Electronics Prentice/Hall Primo search
T E Jenkins Optical Sensing and Signal Processing Techniques Prentice-Hall Primo search

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 5