Scribd
Upload
101 views21 pages

SUBTOPIC 1 - Definition and Principle of Instrumentation

Instrumentation refers to devices used for measurement and control in processes. The main functions of instruments are indicating, recording, and controlling process variables. Digital instruments display measurements digitally, while analog instruments use a movable pointer on a scale. Accurate instrumentation improves worker safety and process consistency by constantly monitoring processes. Data acquisition systems convert physical measurements into digital values through sensors, signal conditioning, and analog-to-digital conversion.

Uploaded by

JASPER PAYAPAYA
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
101 views21 pages

SUBTOPIC 1 - Definition and Principle of Instrumentation

Instrumentation refers to devices used for measurement and control in processes. The main functions of instruments are indicating, recording, and controlling process variables. Digital instruments display measurements digitally, while analog instruments use a movable pointer on a scale. Accurate instrumentation improves worker safety and process consistency by constantly monitoring processes. Data acquisition systems convert physical measurements into digital values through sensors, signal conditioning, and analog-to-digital conversion.

Uploaded by

JASPER PAYAPAYA
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 21

INSTRUMENTATION BASIC

PRINCIPLES AND TERMINOLOGIES


During most period the principal effort was aimed at
perfecting a deflection-type instrument with a scale and
movable pointer. The term analog instrument was coined
to identify deflection type instruments and to distinguish
this from totally different instruments which display in
decimal (digital) form value of the quantity being
measured. These newer instruments are called digital
instruments
Many instruments serve common purpose in supplying
information about some variable quantity that is to be
measured, the instrument sometimes furnishes
permanent record. In addition, some instruments are
utilized to control, manipulate a quantity. Therefore we
can say that instruments serve three basic functions:
Indicating, Recording and Controlling. Take note that a
particular instrument may serve any one or all three
functions simultaneously.
Because electrical and electronic instruments measure electrical
quantities. Below are common units being measured:

Source: Larry Jones and Foster Chin, Electronic Instruments and Measurements
The increased automation in the workplace has led to
significant technological advances. And with this
changes and advancement in automation has come
an increased concern for worker safety. In the early
days of industry, machinery was relatively simple and
easy to operate. Over time, however, the process has
become much more complicated. This is why
instrumentation is so important.
Accurate instrumentation ensures that all of the
processes in workplace are being monitored constantly
and consistently. Not only does this improve worker
safety but it improves the consistency of your business as
well by ensuring that the processes are always the same
on any day of the year. That way, your clients know that
your company is trustworthy, dependable, and above all,
safe.
1. To acquire data or information (hence data
acquisition) about parameters, in terms of:
• putting the numerical values to the physical quantities
• making measurements otherwise inaccessible.
• producing data agreeable to analysis (mostly in electrical form)

2. Data Acquisition Software (DAS) –data is acquired


by the instrumentation system.
Instrument is a device capable of detecting change, physical or
otherwise, in a particular process. It then converts these physical
changes into some form of information understandable by the user.

https://control.com/technical-articles/industrial-instrumentation-and-control-an-introduction-
to-the-basic-principles/
Subtopic 1
Definition and Principle of
instrumentation
Subtopic 1
Intended Learning
Outcomes
At the end of this discussion the student are expected to:

➢ Identify the different terminologies in Instrumentation related to electrical


apparatuses.
➢ Explain the basic principle of instrumentation
➢ List Three function of instruments
Before we further proceed here are some common terms that
we may hear or use in connection with the instrumentation.
Instrumentation - Devices used in measurement system

Physical quantity - variable such as pressure, temperature, mass,


length, etc.

Data - Information obtained from the instrumentation/measurement


system as a result of the measurements made of the physical
quantities
Indication - This is the simplest form of measurement; it allows us to
know the current state of the variable.

Recorder - A device that can store data allows us to observe the


current state of the variable and how it behaved in the past. A
recorder provides us with the history of the variable.

Information - Data that has a calibrated numeric relationship to the


physical quantity.

Parameter - Physical quantity within defined (numeric) limits.


CALIBRATION: - Calibration is the comparison of measurement values delivered by
a device under test with those of a calibration standard of known accuracy.

CONTROLLER: - A device in control loop which regulates the error signals to the
zero or devices which regulate the behaviour of other devices or process variable.

TRANSMISSION: - A method of sending data between various instruments of a plant


in a standardized form.

TRANSMITTER: - A device which converts measurement value into a standard


signal.
PROCESS VARIABLE: - The process variable is the measured value of
ongoing part of a process being monitored or controlled.

SET-POINT: - The desired value required by the operator of an essential


variable of a system.

ACCURACY: - Accuracy is the conformity of an indicated value to an accepted


standard value or it is the limit of error can be made by an instrument in normal
operating conditions.

SPAN: - Algebraic difference between the possible upper range value and
lower range value
There are different classifications for measurement
instruments. We can classify them, for example, as in-field
instruments or panel instruments. The in-field instrument is
installed close to the process or measuring point. It must be
physically robust if it will be exposed to harsh environmental
conditions. Panel instruments are in a controlled-
environment room (often a clean space with air conditioning
and controlled humidity).
Another classification is pneumatic instruments vs.
electrical/electronic instruments.
These are devices that are powered by air. One of the
advantages of these instruments is that they do not
consume electricity, so they can be used in areas where
it would be dangerous or inconvenient to use electrical
power. They work with a single variable, are imprecise
instruments, are affected by vibrations and temperature
changes, and have high maintenance requirements.
Data acquisition, or DAQ as it is often referred, is the process of
digitizing data from the world around us so it can be displayed,
analyzed, and stored in a computer. A simple example is the
process of measuring the temperature in a room as a digital value
using a sensor such as a thermocouple. Modern data acquisition
systems can include the addition of data analysis and reporting
software, network connectivity, and remote control and monitoring
options.
All data acquisition systems consist of three essential elements –
Sensor, Signal Conditioning, and Analog-to-Digital Converter
(ADC).
At the core of all data acquisition systems is an Analog to Digital Converter
(ADC). As the name implies, this chip takes data from the environment and
converts it to discrete levels that can be interpreted by a processor. These
discrete levels correspond to the smallest detectable change in the signal
being measured. The higher the number of “bits” of an ADC (12-bit, 16-bit,
18-bit etc.), the greater the number of discrete levels that can represent an
analog signal and the greater the resolution of the ADC. The resolution of an
ADC is essentially analogous to the ticks on a measuring stick. A measuring
stick with mm tick marks has more resolution than a measuring stick with
only cm tick marks. Whether you need mm or cm tick marks depends on
what you are measuring – the same is true for ADC resolution.
Electronic instruments can be divided into three general
categories: analog, smart analog, and digital.
• Larry Jones and Foster Chin, Electronic Instruments and Measurements.

• sivaranjith. (2017, October 2). Basic terms commonly used in instrumentation and its
definition. Retrieved from Automation Forum: https://automationforum.in/t/basic-terms-
commonly-used-in-instrumentation-and-its-definition/2483

• https://www.srpcontrol.com/the-importance-of-good-instrumentation/

You might also like