MUTHURAJA.

1
 Objective of the Lecture
Define Measurement,
Understand the basic principles of
measurement
Functional Block Diagram of Measurement
System
Information about Measuring Instrument,
Various Scales used in Measurement process.
 Tom DeMarco (1982)

“You cannot control what you

cannot measure”
 BASIC PRINCIPLES OF
MEASUREMENTS
Definition of measurement:
Measurement is the acquisition of information about a state or
phenomenon (object of measurement) in the world around us.

This means that a measurement must be descriptive with regard to

that state or object we are measuring: there must be a relationship
between the object of measurement and the measurement result.

The descriptiveness is necessary but not sufficient aspect of

measurement: when one reads a book, one gathers information, but
does not perform a measurement.
 BASIC PRINCIPLES OF
MEASUREMENTS
A second aspect of measurement is that it must be selective: It may
only provide information about what we wish to measure (the
measurand) and not about any other of the many states or phenomena
around us.

A third and sufficient aspect of measurement is that it must be

objective. The outcome of measurement must be independent of an
arbitrary observer.
 Why do we Measure?
To characterize
To evaluate
To predict
To improve
Purposes of Measurement
in Engineering
Understand
Control
Improve
Functional Block
Diagram of a
Measurement
System

MUTHURAJA.S 8
Basic Functional Block
Diagram of A
Measurement System
 Functional Block Diagram
of A Measurement System
Input Primary Secondary Variable
Sensing Sensing Conversion
Element Element Element

Variable
Receiver Transmitter Manipulation
Element

Display
Analog to
Data Storage Digital
Converter
Direct and Indirect Measures
Direct Measures – direct
quantification as in measuring the
height of a person.
Indirect Measure – calculations
involving multiple measures.
Example: Digital Thermometer –
Temperature to Resistance to Current
 Instrument
 The word instrument can mean different things to
different professionals.
 For a musician it may mean a guitar, violin etc.;
for a banker, a demand draft is an instrument.
 In your school days, a box containing a scale,
compass, set squares etc was an instrument box.
But our interest is basically instruments that
measure some physical quantity in terms of
electrical parameters like current and voltage.
 Instrument in Measurement
 Instrument is a device for determining the value
or magnitude of a quantity or variable.
 Scientific and technical instruments are defined as
devices used in observing, measuring, controlling,
computing and communication.
 Instruments and instrument systems refine, extend
or supplement human facilities to sense, perceive,
communicate, remember, calculate or reason.