Sensors and Control Systems

Tutorial Sheet RG2

1. A potentiometer is used as part of a linear position sensor as shown in the diagram below. The
potentiometer

Rod fixed at
radius R

arrangement means that the angle through which the pot wiper rotates is related to the distance D
R D
travelled by the slider, by the expression = cos 1
. The device is intended to work over a range of
R
about 0 degrees to 90 degrees.
Assuming that R is 2cm and that D = 0 for = 0 degrees and is 2 cm for = 90 degrees, write down the
following:
(a) the distance travelled, D, as a function of angle,
(b) the value of D when is 30 degrees
(c) the value of D when is 60 degrees.

[ D = R(1 cos
)]
[2.68 mm]
[10 mm]

2. In Question 1, the potentiometer law is being used to linearise the measurement of distance D. If a
linear potentiometer is used instead, a lookup table can be used to perform the linearisation function.
Generate 5 entries for such a lookup table , with one at D = 0, one at D = 2cm and with the other three
spaced regularly between. Assume that the pot. has precisely 270-degree maximum rotation and has 9 Volts
applied.
[Input values: 0; 1.38V; 2V; 2.5V, 3V; Output values: 0; 0.5; 1; 1.5; 2.]
3. A tachogenerator used in a speed control system has brush noise which tests reveal is predominantly a
single frequency, related to rotational speed as follows: f noise (Hz) = 5 (rad/sec).
If the minimum speed expected is 1000 rpm, and it is desired to reduce this noise amplitude by a factor of 10
under worst-case conditions, what time constant must the electronic filter have?
[3 ms]
What is the transfer function of the combined tachogenerator+filter when these values are incorporated?
V
1
[ o = Kb
]

1 + 0 .003s
4. A system using motor back-emf to monitor speed has an armature resistance of 5 ohms and an armature
inductance of 10 mH. Assuming no commutation or other noise is present, for what minimum time must the
drive voltage be switched off to enable motor speed reading to be obtained within 1% accuracy?
[ 9.2 ms]
5. A pressure transducer silicon strain gauge has four resistive elements, two active and two passive.
The elements, all initially the same value, are arranged in a Wheatstone Bridge configuration, with one active
element in the top part of one arm and the other active element in the bottom part of the other arm. If the
gauge factor of the material is 10 and the pressure changes by 1kPa, what voltage difference is generated
by the transducer when 1Volt excitation is applied? Assume atmospheric pressure is 100kPa.
[47 mV]
6. If the transducer in Q5 is coupled, via a differential amplifier with differential gain of 50, to a 12 bit A/D
converter which uses a reference voltage of 2.55V, what count output is generated for an input pressure of
1kPa?
[3774]
7. A solid-state acceleration transducer with on chip processing and amplifier is designed to give an output
of 1Volt per g in each of two orthogonal axes. If the device is subjected to an acceleration of 9.81ms -2 in
RG Oct 2002

the same plane as the orthogonal axes, but at an angle of 45O to each of them, what voltage will appear at
each of the acceleration output pins?
[0.707V]
8. A solid-state gyro with a single degree of freedom and on-chip processing and amplification is
subjected to angular rotation of 0. 5 rads -1 , about its sensitive axis. The device is specified as giving an
output of 1 Volt per rads -1 . How many volts output does it generate?
[0.5Volts]
9. A gyro intended for inertial navigation use, and using a spring restrained spinning mass, has a rated
output of 0.5Volts per rad/min. The device is mounted into an aircraft. During flight, the aircraft makes a
turn to the right at a rate of 0.9 rad/min, the turn lasting for exactly 20 seconds before straight ahead flight is
resumed. A short time later, the aircraft makes another turn to the right, at a rate of 1 rad/min; however, this
time the turn lasts for 30 seconds. The system into which the device is fitted integrates the output
continuously in order to give an electronic indication of heading. If the initial heading is 090 degrees,
calculate:
(a) the new heading relative to the original heading
(c) the output voltage during the second turn

(b) the output voltage during the first turn

(d) the integrated output voltage at the end of the
manoeuvre
[044.2 deg; 0.45 V; 0.5V; 0.8V ]

RG Oct 2002

Solutions Tutorial sheet RG2

RD
1. (a) Since = cos 1
,
R

R D
we can say that
= cos
R

Hence D = R Rcos = R(1- cos

)
(b) cos30 = 0.867 so 1 cos30 = 0.134. Hence D = 2cm x 0.134 = 0.268 cm
(c) cos60 = 0.5 so 1 cos 60 = 0.5 Hence D = 1 cm = 10 mm
2. Values of D : 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2.0 cm
First find from cos -1 formula above. Then (/270)*9V gives the pot output voltage. This must be the input
to an A/D. Lookup table output values must then be the values of D selected.
D
Pot output (V)
Lookup value

0
0
0

0.5
1.38V
0.5

1
2V
1

1.5
2.5V
1.5

2
3V
2

3. Minimum speed tells us minimum noise frequency. 1000rpm = 1000*2/60 rad/sec = 104.7 rad/sec.
Hence min frequency of noise = 5 x 104.7 = 523.5Hz.
(a) Filter output is given by

Vin
. So amplitude is
1 + jCR

2 C2 R2 must equal 99 (since sqrt is 10).

Vin
1+ C R
2

. If this is 1/10 original value, then

But = 2*523.5 = 3287.58 and 2 = 10.81 x 106 .

So, C2 R2 = 99/10.81 x 106 and CR = Sqrt 99/3287.58 = 0.003 seconds

(b) TF on its own is

Vo
V
1
= K b . When the filter is added this becomes o = K b

1 + 0 .003s

4. Time constant of inductor is given by L/R. For values given, T = 10 x 10-3 / 5 = 2 ms.
1 time constant gets to 63% of final value; 2 TCs get to .63 +.63*.36 = 0.857 etc.
To get to 1%, (1-e-t/T) = .99 so e-t/T = 0.01 hence t/T = 4.6 time constants.
Hence drive must be switched off for at least 4.6 x 2 ms = 9.2 ms min.
5. Pressure change is 1% (1kPa/100kPa). Hence resistance change of each element is 10% (since gauge
factor is 10.)
Since Voltage out is Vin R1/R1 + R2, if this now becomes Vin R1/R1+1.1R2 = Vin (R/2.1R) = 0.476 when R1
= R2.
Similarly, V2 = Vin R3/R3+R4, which becomes Vin 1.1R3/1.1R3 + R4 = Vin 1.1R/2.1R = 0.523.
So voltage difference = 1 Volt x 0.523 - .476 = 0.047Volts
6. For 1 kPa change, voltage is 47 mV. Hence amplified output is 2.35 Volts.
Max count for 12 bit converter is 4095. Count out = 2.35V/2.55V x max_count = 0.922 x 4095 = 3774
RG Oct 2002

7. Since the acceleration is at an angle of 45O to each axis, the component along each axis is equal to g cos45,
which is g x 0.707. Since g is 9.81 m/s2 , the component in each axis is 0.707 x 9.81 = 6.93 m/s2 .
But, since output is 1 Volt per g, and since g is 9.81 m/sec2 , output voltage at each output is 0.707 Volts.
8. Trivial = 0.5Volts!
9 (a) 0.9 rad/min for 20 seconds gives 0.3 rad total turn. Added to this is 1 rad/min for 0.5 min which gives
0.5 rad., so a total of 0.8 rad, or 45.8 degrees.
Since initial heading was 090, new heading is 044.2 degrees. (ie NE)
(b) Vout during first turn is 0.5V x 0.9 rad/min = 0.45 Volts
(c) Vout during second turn = 0.5V x 1 = 0.5Volts
(d) The output voltage is first integrated over the period 0 0.3 minutes, with input rate 0.9, giving 0.3 Volts.
This integration is held until the next turn when the value 1 is integrated over 0.5 minute, giving an increase
in integrator output of 0.5Volts.
Hence total output voltage at the end of the manoeuvre is 0.3 V + 0.5 V = 0.8Volts.

RG Oct 2002