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Some important terms in

instrumentation field
5/12/2014 Engr. Fida Hussain 1
5
th
term BE (Electrical)
There are some important terms in
instrumentation for which it is necessary to be
familiar with,

1. Accuracy:
It is degree of closeness to the actual
value of measurand It is the ability of
instrument to measure actual or true
value.

2. Precision:
It is consistency or repeatability of
measurement.

It depends on conformity and significant figures.
Example of accuracy & precision


3. Conformity:
The ability instrument to show every
fractional part of the quantity being
measured.

Example:
We have a resistor of 2385692 ohms, we are
measuring it with a ohmmeter it is measuring
true value but observer is taking that value
consistently as 2.4 M due to limitation of scale


4. Significant Figures

Significant figures convey the actual
information about the magnitude and
measurement precision of the quantity.

Example:

Resistance of 50 may be closer to 51 or
49 if there are 2 significant figures but, if it
is specified as 50.0 then it may be closer to
50.1 or 49.9 .

More the significant figure greater will be the
precision.
5. Sensitivity

The smallest change in measuring quantity
to which instrument will respond

It is expressed as;







Problem from book example # 1.3 (U.A Bakshi)
input in Change
output in Change
y Sensitivit
6. Threshold:

If the measuring quantity is slowly varied
form zero & onwards the output does not
change until some minimum value of input is
exceeded, that minimum value is called
threshold.

Below threshold value instrument will be in
dead space.

Range of an instrument means max & min
values in which it operate or measure.



7. Resolution:

It is smallest increment of the quantity being
measured which can be detected by the
instrument with certainty.
Resolution is the fineness to which an
instrument can be read

Problem from book, example # 1.4 (U.A Bakshi)

8. Bandwidth:

The bandwidth of an instrument relates to the
maximum range of frequency over which it is
suitable for use.

9. Linearity:
Means behavior of output is linear with
input.

9. Stability:
Ability of an instrument to retain its
performance throughout its useful life.

10.Zero drift:

Drift is the gradual shift in the instrument
indication over an extended period during
which the value of the input variable does not
change.

Zero drift means deviation in instrument
output with time from its zero value, when
measurand is constant.

Solved example # 1.1 from book (U.A Bakshi)
Errors in measurement
5/12/2014 Engr. Fida Hussain 10
5
th
term BE (Electrical)
Error:

Accuracy is the most important characteristic
of an instrument and it is measured in terms
of error.

The algebraic difference between measured
value of the quantity and its true value is
called absolute static error.


Where A
t
is the true value & Am is the
measured value.



t m
A A e

This absolute error does not provide useful
information about accuracy.

For example an error of is negligible
when the true value is 1000V, but it will be
very significant when the true value is 5V.

Hence the term relative or percentage error
is specified and is given as




V 1
% 100 e %
value true
value true - value measured
value true
error absolute
e
r
r


t
t m
t
t m
A
A A
A
A A
Percentage error
The relative percentage error and the
accuracy can be mathematically related as.






Static Correction:
The algebraic difference between true value
and the measured value.

accuracy percentage % 100 A a
accuracy relative A
1 1


t
t m
r
A
A A
e A
m t
m t
A SC A
e SC
A A SC



Solved problem example no. 1.2

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