INSTRUMENTATION &

MEASUREMENTS
Introduction, advantages of
electronic instrumentation,
instrument classification, types
of measurement

5th term BE (Electrical)

12/19/16

What is Instrumentation?
Instrumentation is a branch of engineering, related
to study of various instruments and their control.

An instrument is a device that measures a physical

or electrical quantity such as flow, temperature,
current, voltage, level, distance, angle, or pressure.

What is measurement?
The measurement of a given parameter or quantity
is the act of a quantitative comparison between a
predefined standard and an unknown quantity to be
measured.

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ADVANTAGES OF ELECTRONIC
INSTRUMENTS
Following are the advantages of electrical or
electronic instrumentation.
1. Different physical quantities can be converted
into electrical signal by transducers.

2.

Electrical signal can amplified, multiplexed,

filtered and measured easily.

3.

Electrical signal can be converted from A/D or

D/A signal.

4.

Electrical signals can be transmitted over long

distances by wire or radio link etc.
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5.

Many
measurements
simultaneously.

can

6.

Digital
signal
computers.

compatible

are

be

carried

with

7. High Sensitivity, low power consumption,

high reliability.

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FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF AN INSTRUMENT

Any instrument or measuring can be

represented by a block diagram, that indicates
necessary elements and its functions.

The entire operation of a measuring system

can be understand from the following block
diagram.

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1.

Primary Sensing Element

2.

Variable Conversion Element

3.

Variable Manipulation Element

4.

Data Transmission Element

5.

Data Storage Element (Not necessary)

6.

Data presentation element

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Just take an example of analogue meter used

to measure current (Ammeter), all necessary
elements are shown in block diagram.

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CLASSIFICATION OF INSTRUMENTS

Instruments
can
classified
into
many
categories, one classification is given as under.

1.

Active/Passive instruments

2.

Null or deflection type

3.

Monitoring or control type

4.

Analogue or digital

5.

Absolute or secondary
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Active/Passive
Passive Instruments: (Easy design, cheap)
In which the output produced depends
entirely on quantity being measured.
Example: Analogue ammeter, Pressure gauge
1.

Active Instruments: (Difficult to design, costly)

In which the quantity being measured
activates the magnitude of some external
power input, which in turn produces the
measurement.
Example: Liquid Level Indicator, LUX meter
using LDR.

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2.

Null/Deflection

Null type instruments:

In which a zero or null indication leads to the
determination of magnitude of the quantity
being measured.
Example: DC potentiometer
Deflection type instrument:
In which the quantity being measured
produces some effect due to which pointer
deflects.
Example: PMMC instrument.
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3.

Monitoring /Control

Monitoring type instruments:

In which some indication or condition
parameter value under study is obtained.

of

Example: All deflection type or digital instruments

Control type instruments:
These are used in automatic control systems in
the feedback path, to send a feedback signal
from the output of a process to its input.
Example: Automatic air- conditioning system, AVR.
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4.

Analogue/digital

Analogue type instruments:

In which output varies in continuous fashion
as quantity being measured, having infinite
values in a given range.
Example: Deflecting Instruments are
examples of analogue instruments.

good

Digital Instruments:
In which output varies in discrete step and
thus give finite values in a given range.
Example: Digital Multi-meter
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5.

Absolute/ Secondary

Absolute Instruments:
In which magnitude of quantity is measured in
terms of physical constants of the instrument.
Example: tangent galvanometer
Secondary type instruments:
In which the reading shown by the instrument
gives directly the measurement of the
quantity being measured.
Example: Voltmeter, ammeter, wattmeter.
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METHODS OF MEASUREMENT
There are two methods of measurement.
1. Direct measurement
2. Indirect Measurement
Direct Measurement:
In direct measurement the quantity being
measured produce certain effect which gives
the indication on meter.
Example: Measurement of current by ammeter.

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Direct methods are classified as

1. Deflection methods
2. Comparison methods
Deflection method includes the deflection of
pointer on a scale due to the quantity to be
measured.
Example: Wattmeter, ammeter voltmeter
Comparison method include the comparison of
the quantity under measurement with a pre-defined
standard quantity which gives measurement.
Example: potentiometer.
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Indirect measurement:
In which the quantity to be measured is not
measured directly, but other parameter related to
the quantity are measured.
Example 1:
For measurement of power (P) we measure voltage
(V) and current (I) then P = V*I
Example 2:
For measurement of resistance (R) we measure (V)
and current (I) then R=V/I
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