Characteristic of Instrument: Static and Dynamic [With

PDF]
learnmechanical.com/static-and-dynamic-characteristic-of-instrument/

January 19,
2020

Measuring instruments are the device which indicates the measured quantity into a
broadly displayed information.

A measuring instrument can directly show the measured value or it can show the
equivalent value to known measure value of the same quantity.

To do the perfect performance, an instrument should have some quality, here in this
article we will discuss that.

1/9
 At the end of this article you will find your PDF downloadable link

In this article we broadly classified the characteristic of an instrument in two

types:

1. Static Characteristic
2. Dynamic Characteristic

So let me give you an overview of each one of these characteristics.

Today's Topics:

Static Characteristic:
Types of Static Characteristic:
Linearity:
Dynamic Characteristic:
Types of Dynamic Characteristic:

Static Characteristic:
So let’s start with static characteristics, this type of characteristic generally not change so
much with the time, you can say this static characteristic most probably constant with
the time.

Types of Static Characteristic:

These are some of the standards goes under static characteristic:

Sensitivity
Magnification
Scale Interval
Readability
Calibration
Repeatability
Discrimination
Precision
Accuracy
Reproducibility
Hysteresis
Linearity

Sensitivity:
Sensitivity is defined as the displacement of indicating device of the instrument with
respect o the measured quantity.

2/9
Mathematically Sensitivity is equal to Scale Spacing/Scale Division.

Magnification:
Magnification means the increase of the magnitude of the output signal of the
measuring devices to many times to make the output reading more visible or readable.

Generally greater the magnification smaller the range of the instrument.

Scale Interval:
Scale interval is the difference between two successive scale marks in units if the
measured quantity.

Due to this factor, we can say how the instrument is accurate to show the value of the
measured quantity.

Readability:
Readability means how we can take the measurement quite easily, this is also an
important factor of the instrument.

Calibration:
Calibration of any instrument is necessary to measure the quantity in terms of the
standard unit. It is the pre-measurement process, where we need to calibrate the
particular instrument with the stranded value, however generally this is carried out by
the manufacturer of that particular instrument so that the instrument should give the
zero output for zero input and similarly the maximum output for the maximum input
nearly in a linear scale (Y=mx).

Repeatability:
It is the ability of the measuring instrument to show the same value or nearly about the
same value for the same quantity when the measurements are carried out by the same
observer, same instrument, same environmental condition, same method and same
interval of time.

Precision is also associated with this.

Discrimination:
Discrimination is the ability of an instrument to show very smaller changes in the
measured quantity.

Precision:
3/9
Precision is generally the repeatability of the measuring process that means when we
kept constant the other variable factor if we repeat the measurement process the
instrument should give us nearly about the same result continuously.

Mathematically or quantitatively the precision can be expressed as:

Accuracy:
When the measured value is very much closer than true value then that is called
accuracy, If the difference between the measured value and true value is less then we
can say the instrument is much accurate but if the difference between true value and the
measured value is more then we can say the instrument is less accurate.

Reproducibility:
Reproducibility is a degree of closeness within a time period.

Hysteresis:
Hysteresis can be expressed as the difference between the indication of a measuring
instrument when the value of the measured quantity is reached by increasing or
decreasing of that quantity.

Mathematically it can be expressed by:

Linearity:
Linearity is the ratio of maximum deviation from the linear characteristic as a % of full-
scale output.

4/9
So these are some static characteristics of an instrument, now let see what are the
dynamic characteristic of instruments?

Dynamic Characteristic:
Dynamic characteristic means that the input variable changes rapidly with time.

Types of Dynamic Characteristic:

In dynamic characteristic the factor we should consider are:

Responses Time
Dynamic Error
Lag
Step Response
Ramp Response
Standard Signals
Overshoot
Dynamic Error
Fidelity

Response Time:
It can be defined as the time which passes after a sudden change in the measured
quantity until the instrument gives us different reading from the true value.

Dynamic Error:
A dynamic error is a difference between the true value changing with the time to the
actual value shown by the instruments over time. It is also called a measurement error.

Lag:
5/9
It is time to respond to that particular instrument when we change the input. This time is
called Lag.

Lags are Two- Types:

Retardation Lags:

That means when we change the measured quantity the instrument also changes its
value in the faster way.

Time delay lag:

Time delay lag means the instrument changes its value after some time even when the
measured quantity changes.

Step Response:
When the measuring instrument measures the one steady step value to another steady
step value, the in-between response time between these two values is called Step
Response.

Ramp Response:
In ramp response, the value of response time in-between two response changes very
slowly with time.

6/9
Standard Signals:
It is very hard for us to know the types of signals easily as the signal is in random nature.

So for study, the dynamic characteristic of signal there some signal equation is developed
and those are:

Ramp input
Step input
Parabolic input
Impulse input

Overshoot:
In an instrument, the moving indicator also has some mass due to having mass it has
some inertia too, so when we give the input to the instrument it deflects from its zero
position to some sort of reading position however due to the inertia initially the pointer
moves beyond of the reading. This is called overshoot.

However, the galvanometer type instrument has some minimal overshoot.

Dynamic Error:
It is the difference between the train value to the indicated value given by the instrument
if we don’t consider any static error.

Fidelity:
Fidelity means it is the ability of the system to reproduce the output the same as the
input.

7/9
Here is a guide by NPTEL where you can find the dynamic Characteristic in other ways
like:

Potentiometer
Thermocouple
Seismic Sensor
Step response performance
Frequency Response Performance
Bandwidth and Natural Frequency

So feel free to check out their resource too!

Some FAQ:
What are the Characteristics of Instrument?
Broadly the Characteristics of the Instruments are classified into two categories:
1. Static Characteristic
2. Dynamic Characteristic

What are the Dynamic Characteristics of Instrument?

The Dynamic Characteristic of Instruments are:
1. Responses Time
2. Dynamic Error
3. Lag
4. Step Response
5. Ramp Response
6. Standard Signals

What are the Static Characteristics of Instrument?

The Static Characteristics of Instrument are:
1. Magnification
2. Scale Interval
3. Readability
4. Calibration
5. Repeatability
6. Discrimination
7. Precision
8. Accuracy
9. Reproducibility

Here are Some more Hand-Picked Articles for You:

January 19, 2020

Difference Between Pump and Compressor [With PDF]

8/9
January 17, 2020

Gear Trains: Definition and Types [With PDF]

January 15, 2020

Electronic Ignition System: Definition, Parts, Working, Applications,

Advantages, and Disadvantages [With PDF]
January 10, 2020

References (External Link):

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/static-characteristic

9/9