MECHATRONICS

Module 1
 Introduction to Mechatronics
• The term Mechatronics was invented by a
Japanese engineer in 1969, as a combination of
‘Mecha’ from mechanisms and ‘tronics’ from
electronics

• Mechatronics is an integration of sensors,

measurement systems, drives, actuation systems
and microprocessor systems

• It also involves the analysis of behaviour of

systems and control systems
Structure of Mechatronics System
 SENSORS & TRANSDUCERS
• The term ‘sensor’ is used for an element
which produces a signal relating to the
quantity being measured

• Transducers are defined as elements that

when subject to some physical change
experience a related change

• Thus, sensors are transducers

 TEMPERATURE SENSORS
• Changes that are commonly used to monitor
temperature are the expansion or contraction of solids,
liquids or gases, change in electrical resistance of conductors
and semi conductors and thermo electric emf

• Some common temperature sensors are

– Bimetallic strips
– Resistance temperature detectors (RTDs)
– Thermistors
– Thermocouples
 BIMETALLIC STRIPS
• This device consists of two different metal strips
bonded together

• The metals have different coefficient of expansion

and when the temperature changes the composite
strip bends into a curved strip, with the higher
coefficient metal on the outside of the curve

• This deformation be used as a temperature

controlled switch
BIMETALLIC STRIP
 Resistance Temperature Detectors
(RTD)

• Resistance of most metals increases, over a

limited temperature range, in a reasonably linear
way with temperature

• RTDs are simple resistive elements in the form

of coils of wire of metals like platinum, nickel or
nickel copper alloys

• RTDs are highly stable and give reproducible

responses over long period of time
 THERMISTORS
• Thermistors are small pieces of material
made from mixtures of metal oxides, such as
those of chromium, cobalt, iron, manganese
and nickel

• These oxides are semiconductors

• The material is formed into various forms of

element, such as beads, discs and rods
 THERMOCOUPLES
• If two different metals are joined together, a potential
difference occurs across the junction

• The potential difference depends on the metals used

and the temperature of the junction

• A thermocouple is a complete circuit involving two

such junctions

• If both junctions are at the same temperature there is

no net emf. The value of emf depends on the two
metals concerned and temperatures of both the
junctions
 PRESSURE SENSORS
• Many of the devices used to monitor fluid
pressure in industrial processes involve the
monitoring of the elastic deformation of
diaphragms, capsules, bellows and tubes

• The types of pressure measurements that can

be required are: absolute pressure, vacuum
pressure and differential pressure
 DIAPHRAGM PRESSURE GAUGE

When there is a difference in pressure between two sides

then the centre of diaphragm becomes displaced. This
movement can be monitored by some form of displacement
sensor (strain gauge)
 CAPSULES & BELLOWS
• Capsules can be considered to be just two corrugated
diaphragms combined with greater sensitivity

• A stack of capsules is the bellows with much more sensitivity

 OPTICAL ENCODERS
• An encoder is a device that provides a digital
output as a result of a linear or angular
displacement

• Incremental encoders detect changes in

rotation from some datum position

• Absolute encoders give the actual angular

position
 INCREMENTAL ENCODER
• A beam of light passes through slots in a disc and is
detected by suitable light sensor

• When the disc is rotated, a pulsed output is produced

by the sensor with the number of pulses being
proportional to the angle through which the disc
rotates

• Thus the angular position of the disc, and hence the

shaft rotating it, can be determined by the number of
pulses produced since some datum position
 Incremental Encoder

The pulse tracks (A and B) have a series of equally spaced holes

that go completely round the disc, but has an offset by one half
the width of a hole. This offset enables the direction of rotation
to be determined
 ABSOLUTE ENCODER
• Absolute encoder gives an output in the form of a binary number
of several digits , each such number representing a particular
angular position

• The rotating disc has 3 concentric circles of slots and 3 sensors to

detect light pulses

• The slots are arranged in such a way that the sequential output
from the sensors is a number in the binary code

• The number of bits in the binary number will be equal to the

number of tracks

• Thus with 10 tracks, there will be 10 bits, so the number of

positions that can be detected is 210 , that is 1024, a resolution of
360/1024 = 0.35 degrees
 GRAY CODE ENCODERS
• The normal form of binary code is generally not used
because changing from one binary number to the next can
result in more than one bit changing

• For example, in changing from 001 to 110 we have two bits

changing and if through some misalignment, one of the bits
changes fractionally before the others then an intermediate
binary number is momentarily indicated and so can lead to
false counting

• To overcome this, Gray code is generally used

• With this code, only one bit changes in moving from one
number to the ext
 RESOLVERS & SYNCHROS
A device with a two-phase stator is known as a resolver. A
resolver produces sine and cosine outputs which indicate
shaft position.

• A resolver is a type of rotary electrical transformer used for

measuring degrees of rotation

• It is considered as an analog device

• Synchro is a variable rotary transformer

 TYPES OF RESOLVERS
• Two pole resolvers: Basic resolvers are 2 pole
resolvers whose angular information is the
mechanical angle of the stator. These devices
can deliver absolute angle position

• Multiple resolvers: Multiple resolvers have 2p

poles (p pole pairs) and thus can deliver p
cycles in one rotation of the rotor
Representation of Resolver & Synchros
 SYNCHROS
• The synchro is a variable coupling transformer with a stator
and rotor

• The magnitude of its output voltage depends on the

magnetic coupling between its primary and secondary,
which varies according to the position of the rotor

• Synchros are used as a pair

• SYNCHRO TRANSFORMER & SYNCHRO

TRANSMITTER
 Schematic of Synchro
• The complete circle represents the rotor. The solid bars represent the
cores of the windings next to them. Power to the rotor is connected by slip
rings and brushes, represented by the circles at the ends of the rotor
winding. As shown, the rotor induces equal voltages in the 120° and 240°
windings, and no voltage in the 0° winding. [Vex] does not necessarily
need to be connected to the common lead of the stator star windings.
 PIEZOELECTRIC SENSORS
• Piezo electric materials when stretched or
compressed generate electric charges with one face of
the material becoming positively charged and the
opposite face negatively charged. As a result, a voltage
is produced

• Piezoelectric materials are iconic crystals which when

stretched or compressed result in charge distribution in
the crystal changing so that there is a net displacement
of charge with one face of the material becoming
positively charged and the other negatively charged
Q = kx = SF, where Q= net charge, k= constant, F =
applied force, S = charge sensitivity
 Piezo electric sensors (continued..)

• The output voltage is proportional to the

applied pressure

• Piezoelectric sensors are used for

measurement of pressure, force and
acceleration
ACOUSTIC EMISSION SENSORS
Acoustic Emission sensor:
Measurement
 VIBRATION SENSORS
• Vibration sensors are sensors for measuring, displaying and
analyzing linear velocity, displacement, proximity and
acceleration

• Vibration sensors are classified into two

– Contact vibration sensors

• LVDT
• Seismometer
• Piezoelectric sensor

– Non contact vibration sensors

• Eddy current sensor
• Hall effect sensor
• Optical sensor
Commonly used vibration sensors
• Piezoelectric accelerometers
• Velocity probes
• Eddy current sensor
• Laser displacement sensor
 Displacement, Position and Proximity sensing by
magnetic, capacitive, inductive and eddy current
methods
• Eddy current sensor

• Reed switch (magnetic method for proximity

sensing)

• Hall effect sensor (magnetic method)

• Capacitive proximity sensor

• Inductive proximity switch

 EDDY CURRENT SENSOR
• If a coil is supplied with an alternating current, an alternating
magnetic field is produced

• If there is metal object in close proximity to this alternating

magnetic field, then eddy currents are induced in it

• The eddy currents themselves produce a magnetic field. This

distorts the magnetic field responsible for their production

• As a result, impedance of the coil changes and amplitude of

alternating current also changes

• At some preset level, this change can be used to trigger a switch

• This sensor is used for detection of non magnetic, but conductive

materials
EDDY CURRENT SENSOR DIAGRAM
 INDUCTIVE PROXIMITY SWITCH
• This consists of a coil wound round a core

• When the end of the coil is close to a metal

object its inductance changes

• This change can be monitored by its effect on a

resonant circuit and the change used to trigger a
switch

• It can only be used for the detection of metal

objects and is best with ferrous metals
 REED SWITCH
• It consists of two magnetic switch contacts sealed
in a glass tube

• When a magnet is brought close to the switch,

the magnetic reeds are attracted to each other
and close the switch contacts

• It is a non contact proximity switch

• It is used with devices like tachometers, closure

of doors etc
REED SWITCH CONCEPT
HALL EFFECT SENSOR
 HALL EFFECT PRINCIPLE
• When a beam of charged particles passes
through a magnetic field, forces act on the
particles and the beam is deflected from
straight line path

• A current flowing in a conductor is like a beam

of moving charges and thus can be deflected
by a magnetic field. This effect is known as
Hall effect