Module Identifier PH24510  
Module Title INSTRUMENTATION SYSTEMS  
Academic Year 2000/2001  
Co-ordinator Dr Tudor Jenkins  
Semester Semester 2  
Other staff Dr Geraint Thomas, Dr Andrew Evans  
Pre-Requisite PH15010 , PH15510 , PH12510  
Course delivery Lecture   20 lectures  
  Seminars / Tutorials   4 seminars/workshops/exercise classes; 6 tutorials  
Assessment Exam   End of Semester Examinations   70%  
  Course work   Examples Sheets Deadlines: Sheets 11,12,15,16,17 & 19 weeks 2,3,6,7,8 &10   20%  

Module description
Measurement is an essential part of the scientific process. Instrumentation is the technology of measurement. In this course, 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 of its suitability for particular measurement.

Learning outcomes
After taking this module students should be able to:

Additional learning activities
Problem solving sessions.
Some group experimental work if time allows.

Outline syllabus
What is an electronic instrumentation system? A top-down approach to system design.
Types of signal encountered by instrumentation systems.
Important terms associated with instrumentation systems.
Comparison of digital and analogue instruments.
Noise in instrumentation systems and its characterisation.
Physical origins of fundamental noise.
Some 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 a.c. circuits. 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. 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).

Reading Lists
Books
** Recommended Text
P.P.L. Regtien. Instrumentation Electronics. Prentice/Hall
** Supplementary Text
A. deSa. Principles of Electronic Instrumentation. Edward Arnold
T.E. Jenkins. Optical Sensing and Signal Processing Techniques. Prentice/Hall
W.L. Fassler. An Introduction to Modern Electronics. J. Wiley
R. Vears. Microprocessor Interfacing. Newnes