Null & Deflection Type Instruments

Pressure Gauge is a

Deflection Type
Instrument
Value of quantity
measured displayed
in terms of
movement of pointer
Accuracy depends
upon Bourdon tube
and spring
EE220 Instrumentation & Measurement

Null & Deflection Type Instruments

Calibration of

Bourdon tube and

spring is difficult
therefore Deflection
type instrument is
less accurate
More convenient to
use

EE220 Instrumentation & Measurement

Null & Deflection Type Instruments

Dead Weight

Pressure Gauge is a
Null Type Instrument,
works on the
principle that P= F/A
Weights are put on
top of piston until the
downward force
balances the fluid
pressure
EE220 Instrumentation & Measurement

Null & Deflection Type Instruments

Weights are added

until the piston

reaches a datum level
known as the null point
Accuracy depends
upon calibration of
weights
Calibration of weights
is easier therefore null
type instruments are
more accurate
EE220 Instrumentation & Measurement

Null & Deflection Type Instruments

Inconvenient to use,

for calibration
purposes only

EE220 Instrumentation & Measurement

Analogue and Digital Instruments

Analogue Instruments

give a continuously
varying output as the
quantity being
measured changes
Deflection Type

pressure Gauge

Digital Instruments

give output that varies

in discrete quantities
EE220 Instrumentation & Measurement

Static & Dynamic Characteristics

Static Characteristics deal with steady state

or slowly varying inputs

Dynamic Characteristics refers to the
performance of the instrument when the input
variable is changing rapidly with time

EE220 Instrumentation & Measurement

Static Characteristics
Characteristics of an instrument at Steady

State
Accuracy
Precision (Repeatability and Reproducibility)
Range or Span
Linearity
Sensitivity
Threshold
Resolution
EE220 Instrumentation & Measurement

Accuracy (Measurement
Uncertainty)
Accuracy of an instrument is a measure of

how close the output reading of an instrument

is to the actual value
In practice the inaccuracy figure is quoted
Inaccuracy quoted as percentage of the full
scale (f.s.) reading of an instrument
Pressure gauge of range 0 10 bar has
quoted inaccuracy of 1.0% f.s.
Maximum error to be expected in any reading
is 0.1 bar
EE220 Instrumentation & Measurement

Accuracy (Measurement
Uncertainty)
When instrumentation is reading 1.0 bar the

maximum error which is 0.1 bar gives an error

of 10%
Important Instrument Design Rule
Instrument Range should be appropriate to the

spread of values to be measured

Never use an instrument having 0 10 bar

range to measure values between 0 and 1 bar

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Precision (Repeatability/
Reproducibility)
Precision of an instrument describes its

degree of freedom from random errors

If large number of readings are taken of the
same quantity then the spread of readings
should be very small
A high precision instrument may have low
accuracy

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Accuracy Vs. Precision

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Repeatability vs. Reproducibility

Repeatability
Closeness of output readings when same

input is applied repeatability over a short

period of time
With the same measurement conditions
Same instrument and observer
Same location
Same conditions of use maintained
throughout
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Repeatability vs. Reproducibility

Reproducibility
Closeness of output readings for same input

when there are changes in

Method of measurement
Observer
Measuring instrument
Location
Conditions of use and time of measurement

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Accuracy vs.
Repeatability

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Range or Span
Maximum and Minimum values of a quantity

that the instrument is designed to measure

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Linearity
It is desirable that the output reading of an instrument

is linearly proportional to the quantity being measured

Non-Linearity defined as the maximum deviation of
any of the output readings from the best-fit straight
line output

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Linearity
Non-linearity is expressed as a percentage of

full scale reading

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Sensitivity
It is a measure of the change in instrument

output that occurs when the quantity being

measured changes by a given amount
Scale Deflection/Value of measurand
producing deflection
1 V/

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Threshold
The minimum input to an instrument at which

the output is detectable

Car speedometer typically has a threshold of
15 kmph
Manufacturers vary in which they specify
threshold
Threshold quoted as an Absolute Value
Threshold quoted as a percentage of full-scale

reading

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