Practical Use of Straight line Theory

Prepared by
Bernie Lafferty Bsc(Hons) GIMA
Mathematical Sciences
 Typical Reservoir Site
The Industrial standard output
for an Instrument’s
low - high range is
4mA - 20 mA DC (Direct Current )
Display Reading
0m 5m
4mA 20mA
An ultrasonic level probe measures the
level of the reservoir and displays it on 0.020
4mA - 20mA verus Instrument Range
0.02
an instrument panel at site. Valid range for
0.018
( Range typically 0 - 5 metres ) instrument
DC mA Output ( Fixed Industry Standard)

0.016

0.014

0.012
.0032x 0.004
0.01

0.008

0.006

0.004

0.002
0
5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5
5 x 5
Range Instrument dependent
 Interface to Telemetry
Telemetry Unit
The Industrial Conversion
standard output is 4mA 20mA
819 4095
4mA - 20 mA DC
< 819 means bad value
instrument fault

4mA-20mA DC verus Counts ( 0-4095 )

The output from the Instrument 0.020 0.02

(4mA-20mA DC) is fed into the Telemetry 0.018

Unit and then converted using Analogue

DC mA Output (Fixed Industrial Standard)
0.016
Valid Instrument
to Digital conversion into a count value 0.014
Range 4mA-20mA
between 0 - 4095. 0.012
.0000048842x
0.01
Telemetry Unit
0.008
Conversion Bad value
0.006 Instrument
DC current value 0mA 4mA 20mA Faulty !
Count value 0 819 4095 0.004

0.002
under 819 i.e. under 4mA 0

means bad value 0 819 1638 2457 3276 4095

0 x 4095
Counts ( from 0 - 4095 )

Fixed for all analogues no matter the Instrument scaling

 Scanner Radio Communications
The Count value ( between 0 - 4095 ) which
represents the DC current value ( 0 - 20 mA ) Communications
which in turn represents the value on the
instrument at site is then transmitted to
types are
Scottish Water Control Centre.
0 - 4095
• Satellite
• Scanning Radio
• Private Wire (BT)
Telemetry Unit
Conversion • PSTN (dial-up BT)
DC current value 0mA 4mA 20mA
Count value 0 819 4095
under 819 i.e. under 4mA
means bad value
 Scottish Water Control Centre
The count value (between 0 - 4095)
is received at Master Station at the Water
Control Centre and using Digital to
Analogue conversion is converted
back into the original analogue value
and then displayed on computer screens.

Instrument Range verus Counts

5 5

3
Instrument Range

2
0.001525x 1.25

0 819 1638 2457 3276 4095

2
2

0 x 4095
Counts ( from 0 - 4095 )
 Overview Multi-Analogues
Instrument Telemetry Outstation Control Centre

Range Range

Computer Screen
0- 5 m 0- 5 m
Level meter 12 bit word 212  4096  1  4095
(since 0 is counted as a value)
Probes

PH meter
0 - 14 PH 4mA-20mA Value between 0-4095 0 - 14 PH
Flow meter 4mA-20mA Value between 0-4095
0 - 100 l/s 0 - 100 l/s
4mA-20mA Value between 0-4095
l/s = litres per second

m= metres
Graph 1 Graph 2 Graph 3
 Mathematical Overview
Level meter PH meter Flow meter
Range Range Range
0- 5 m 0 - 14 PH 0 - 100 l/s
Typical value on Instrument 3.75 7 25

Graph 1 / equation 1 y=0.0032x + 0.04 y=0.001143x + 0.04 y=0.00016x + 0.04

DC current value on Graph y=16mA y=12mA y=8mA

Graph 2 / equation 2 y=0.0000048842x y=0.0000048842x y=0.0000048842x

Count value on Graph y=3276 y=2457 y=1638

Graph 3 / equation 3 y=0.001526x - 1.25 y=0.004274x - 3.5 y=0.031x - 25

Analogue value on Graph y=3.75 y=7 y=25

Notes

• Gradients are less than 1 ( this will stop errors being compounded )
• Equation 2 is FIXED no matter the instrument scaling due to the
Industrial Standard Output for instruments ( 4mA-20mA )
 Graphical Example
4mA - 20mA verus Instrument Range 4mA-20mA DC verus Counts ( 0-4095 )
0.020 0.02 0.020 0.02

0.018 0.018

Level meter
DC mA Output ( Fixed Industry Standard)

0.016 0.016

DC mA Output (Fixed Industrial Standard)

Range 0 - 5 m 0.014 0.014

present value 3.75 0.012 0.012

.0032x 0.004 .0000048842x
0.01 0.01

0.008 0.008

0.006 0.006

0.004 0.004

0.002 0.002
0 0

5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 819 1638 2457 3276 4095

5 x 5 0 x 4095
Range Instrument dependent Counts ( from 0 - 4095 )

Instrument Range verus Counts

5 5

Value on Computer Screen Instrument Range 3

3.75 m 0.001525x 1.25

2

0 819 1638 2457 3276 4095

2
2

0 x 4095
Counts ( from 0 - 4095 )