Lecture 3

Performance characteristics for

measurement and
instrumentation system
3 classifications to define the performance
of measurement system: operational,
static, dynamic

Operational characteristic
• Range
• Span
• Sensitivity
• Resolution
• Dead band/threshold
Range
-will give the minimum and maximum range

Span
-the difference between the maximum and minimum
range

Eg: A specification of a thermometer reads as

follows:
Range and subdivision oC - -0.5 to +40.5 0.1
 Min is –0.50C and max is 40.50C
 Span = 410C
Sensitivity
-ratio of a change in output to the change in
input which causes it at steady-states
condition
-Eg. A galvanometer has a sensitivity of
17mm/A
-for a 1A input display, a light spot moving
across the scale shows a movement of an
index of 17 mm
Resolution

 The least incremental value of input or output that

can be detected

Dead band / Threshold

 The largest range of values of a measured variable

to which the instrument does not respond
 RULERS

Normal - straight Folding ruler

VERNIER CALIPERS
Digital vernier caliper
 HOW TO READ A VERNIER

Scale reading = 3.70cm

Vernier reading = (0.1/10) x 4 = 0.04
Caliper reading = 3.74cm
SCREW GAUGE
Static characteristic:
 Error
 Accuracy
 Precision
 Repeatability
 Linearity
 Hysteresis
 calibration
Error

-Error is the difference between the true value Yn and

instrument reading Xn
e = Yn – Xn

-Types of errors: systematic error (bias error) and

random error (precision error)

-Bias (systemic) error-consistent and repeatable error

Bias error = average readings – true value
-Random error-the lack of repeatability in the output
of the measuring system
Random error = reading – average reading
Accuracy

-Ability of the system to respond to a true value

-Limit of error of a measuring device under certain operating
conditions and can appear is several forms:

1. Measured variable: the accuracy is 0.2 of the measurement

-If the temperature reading = 30.10C, the actual temperature
lies between 29.90C and 30.30C

2. Percentage of full scale (FS), accuracy 1% f.s

-If the full scale is 10 A, accuracy = 0.1 A
3. Percentage of instrument span, accuracy 3% span
-If the span for pressure measurement is 20-50 psi,
accuracy = 0.03 (50-20) = 0.9 psi

4. Given as percentage of actual reading, e.g. for a 2%

-If the true value of the voltmeter is 2 V, accuracy = (2
0.02) = 0.04 V
 Example 1.1
 A temperature sensor has a span of 200C –
2500C. A measurement results in a value of
550C for temperature. Specify the error if the
accuracy is:
 a) 0.5%FS
 b) 0.75% of span
 c) 0.8% of reading
 What is the possible temperature in each case
 Example 1.2
 A temperature sensor has a transfer function
of 5 mV/0C with an accuracy of 1%. Find
the possible range of the transfer function?
 Example 1.3
 Suppose a reading of 27.5 mV results from
the sensor used in previous example. Find
the temperature that could provide this
reading.
 System accuracy
 Overall accuracy of many elements in a
process-control loop to represent a process
variable
 V V = (K K) (G G)C
 V = output voltage
 V = uncertainty in output voltage
 K,G = nominal transfer functions
 K, G = uncertainty in transfer functions
 C = dynamic variable
C
K K G G V V

 The overall system accuracy as the root-

mean-square (rms):

 V   K   G 
2 2

 V     K    G 
  rms    
 Example 1.4
 Find the system accuracy of a flow process
if the transducer transfer function is 10
mV/(m3/s) ±1.5% and the signal-
conditioning system-transfer function is
1mA/mV ±0.05%
Precision

-The degree of exactness of which an

instrument is designed or intended to
performed
-Significant figures convey actual information
regarding the magnitude and the
measurement precision of a quantity
-The more the significant the figure, the
greater the precision of measurement
Repeatability
-The ability of the system to display the same
output for a series of applications of the
same input signal, under the same operating
conditions

Linearity
-The output reading of the measurement is
linearly proportional to the quantity being
measured
Hysteresis

-different reading may be obtained if the

variable was increasing prior to taking the
reading if the variable was decreasing

-causes: friction, mechanical flexure of

internal part, electrical capacitance
Calibration
-process of checking a measuring system
against a standard reading
-purposes:
1. To ensure readings from an instrument are
consistent with other measurements
2. To determine the accuracy of the
instrument readings
3. To establish the reliability of the
instrument i.e. that it can be trusted