MEASUREMENT

AND
INSTRUMENTATIO
N

Dr. Pervez Hameed

Associate Professor
Department of Electrical Engineering
Mehran University of Engineering and
Technology Jamshoro

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 Introduction
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 The measurement of any quantity plays significant

role in engineering, science, medicine and almost
all day to day activities.
 The advancement in intricate technologies, design
of novel equipment, its process, operation, control,
maintenance and management based on
measurement and it data acquisition.
 The activities performed are through the
appropriate measurement and recording of
physical, chemical, mechanical, optical etc.
quantities/parameters.
 What is Measurement??
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 The measurement means, to monitor a process or

operation and using an instrument, express the
parameter, quantity or variable in terms of
meaningful numbers.

 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.
 What is Measurement??
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 Thus, the measurement offers a means of expressing

a phenomenon or process in quantitative terms.
 The measuring instrument therefore may be defined
as a device for determining the value or
magnitude of a quantity or variable.

Three ways to make measurements:

 Mechanical means

 Electrical means

 Electronics means
 What is Instrumentation??
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 Instrumentation is a branch of engineering,

related to study of various instruments and
their control.
 An instrumentation system is a physical system
which is collection of physical objects
connected in such a way to give desired output
response.
 An instrument is a device that measures a
physical or electrical quantity such as flow,
temperature, current, voltage, level, distance,
angle, or pressure.
 Why Electrical and Electronics Instrumentation ??
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An electrical or electronic instrument is based on

electronic or electrical principles for it
measurement function. Therefore, it may be
termed as electronic measurement.

Because
1.Different physical quantities can be converted into

electrical signal by transducers.

2.Electrical signals can be amplified, multiplexed,

filtered and measured easily.
 Why Electrical and Electronics Instrumentation ??
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1. Electrical signal can be converted from A/D or D/A

signal.

2. Electrical signals can be transmitted over long

distances by wire or radio link etc.

5. Many measurements can be carried simultaneously.

6. Digital signals are compatible with computers.

7. High Sensitivity, low power consumption, high

reliability.
 Classification of Instruments
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Instruments can be 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
 Classification of Instruments
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1. Active/Passive

Instruments are divided into active or passive ones

according to whether the instrument output is
entirely produced by the quantity being
measured or whether the quantity being
measured simply modulates the magnitude
of some external power source.
 Classification of Instruments
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Passive Instruments: (Easy design, cheap)

In which the output produced depends entirely on quantity

being measured.

Example: Analogue ammeter, Pressure gauge

The pressure of the fluid is translated

into a movement of a pointer against
a scale. The energy expended in
moving the pointer is derived entirely
from the change in pressure
measured: there are no other
energy inputs to the system. Pressure Gauge
 Classification of Instruments
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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.

The change in petrol level moves a

potentiometer arm, and the output
signal consists of a proportion of the
external voltage source applied across
the two ends of the potentiometer. The
energy in the output signal comes
from the external power source:
the primary transducer float system is
merely modulating the value of the
voltage from this external power
source. Petrol Tank Level
 Classification of Instruments
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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.
Deadweight pressure gauge
Example: DC potentiometer

Weights are put on top of the piston until the downward force
balances the fluid pressure. Weights are added until the piston
reaches a datum level, known as the null point. Pressure
measurement is made in terms of the value of the weights needed
to reach this null position.
 Classification of Instruments
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2. Null/Deflection

Deflection type instrument:

In which the quantity being measured produces some effect
due to which pointer deflects.

Example: PMMC instrument.

Pressure Gauge
 Classification of Instruments
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3.Monitoring /Control
Monitoring type instruments:
In which some indication or condition of parameter
value under study is obtained.

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.
 Classification of Instruments
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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 good

examples of analogue instruments.

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

 Classification of Instruments
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5. Absolute/ Secondary

Secondary type instruments:

In which the reading shown by the instrument gives directly the measurement of the quantity being
measured.

Example: Voltmeter, ammeter,

Wattmeter.

 There are 3 types of these instruments.

1. Indicating
2. Recording
3. Integrating
 Methods of measurement
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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.

 Methods of measurement
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1. Direct Measurement:
In direct measurement the quantity being measured
produce certain effect which gives the indication on
meter.

This is a simple method of measurement, in which the

value of the quantity to be measured is obtained
directly without any calculations and is most widely
used in production. This method is not very accurate
because it depends on human insensitiveness in
making judgment.

Example: Measurement of current by ammeter,

measurements by using scales, vernier callipers,
micrometers, bevel protector etc.
 Methods of measurement
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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.
 Methods of measurement
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2. Indirect measurement:
In which the quantity to be measured is not measured
directly, but other parameter related to the quantity
are measured.
In indirect method the value of quantity to be
measured is obtained by measuring other quantities
which are functionally related to the required value.

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
 Methods of measurement
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3. Absolute or Fundamental method:

It is based on the measurement of the base quantities

used to define the quantity.
For example, measuring a quantity directly in
accordance with the definition of that quantity, or
measuring a quantity indirectly by direct
measurement of the quantities linked with the
definition of the quantity to be measured.
 Methods of measurement
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4. Comparative method:

In this method the value of the quantity to be

measured is compared with known value of the same
quantity or other quantity practically related to it. So,
in this method only the deviations from a master
gauge are determined, e.g., dial indicators, or other
comparators.
 Methods of measurement
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5. Transposition method:
It is a method of measurement by direct comparison
in which the value of the quantity measured is first
balanced by an initial known value A of the same
quantity, and then the value of the quantity measured
is put in place of this known value and is balanced
again by another known value B. If the position of the
element indicating equilibrium is the same in both
cases, the value of the quantity to be measured is AB.
For example, determination of a mass by means of a
balance and known weights, using the Gauss double
weighing.
 Methods of measurement
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6. Coincidence method:

It is a differential method of measurement in which a

very small difference between the value of the
quantity to be measured and the reference is
determined by the observation of the coincidence of
certain lines or signals. For example, measurement by
vernier calliper micrometer.
 Methods of measurement
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7. Deflection method:

In this method the value of the quantity to be

measured is directly indicated by a deflection of a
pointer on a calibrated scale.
 Methods of measurement
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8. Complementary method:

In this method the value of the quantity to be

measured is combined with a known value of the
same quantity. The combination is so adjusted that
the sum of these two values is equal to predetermined
comparison value. For example, determination of the
volume of a solid by liquid displacement.
 Methods of measurement
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9. Method of measurement by substitution:

It is a method of direct comparison in which the value

of a quantity to be measured is replaced by a known
value of the same quantity, so selected that the
effects produced in the indicating device by these two
values are the same.
 Methods of measurement
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10. Method of null measurement:

It is a method of differential measurement. In this

method the difference between the value of the
quantity to be measured and the known value of the
same quantity with which it is compared is brought to
zero.
 Q & A,
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