Mechatronics Question Bank

EE 3rd Year, 6th SEM

Modules covered:

Questions:

INTRODUCTION

1. What is mechatronic system? What are the basic elements of mechatronic systems?
2. Draw block diagram of an open loop & closed loop system and describe function of each block in brief.
3. Discuss the significance of feedback control system.
4. What are different applications of mechatronic systems?
5. Write down the advantages of closed loop control systems over open loop control systems.
6. Write a short note on (i) sequential control (ii) automatic water level control system (iii) Room
heater control system (iv) DC motor speed control system (v) Microprocessor based washing
machine control system.
7. What do you mean by measurement system? What are the basic elements of measurement system?

REVIEW OF BASIC ELECTRONICS

1. What is analog & digital control system?
2. Draw block diagram of a digital control system and discuss function of each component in brief.
3. Discuss analog to digital signal conversion process in brief.
4. Why are ADC and DAC required?
5. Write a short note on Data Acquisition system.
6. Discuss 2 input OR, AND, NOR, NAND, XOR gate. Also write down truth table and draw timing
diagram.
7. Write a short note on J-K flip flop.
8. Write a short note on 7 segment display.
9. Realize the following Boolean expressions using logic gates:

Y = A𝐵𝐶 + 𝐶𝐴 + 𝐵𝐴𝐶

SENSORS & TRANSDUCERS

1. What do you mean by sensors? Name few different sensors for displacement, velocity, pressure, flow,
temperature measurement.
2. What do you mean by transducer?
3. Why is signal conditioning required?
4. Write a short note on Proximity sensors.
5. How can you measure angular displacement using potentiometer?
6. Explain the working principle of LVDT.
7. Write a short note on optical encoder.
8. Write a short note on tachogenerator.
9. How is temperature measured using RTD?
10. Explain the working of thermocouple.
11. Explain the working of thermistor.
12. Discuss how an LDR senses light.
13. Discuss the factors of selection of sensors?
14. Discuss operating principle of strain gauge. How can you measure pressure using strain gauge?
15. A thermocouple is to be used to measure a temperature of the range between 0º C to 400º C. What will
be the non linearity error as a percentage of full scale reading at 100º C if linear relationship is assumed
 between e.m.f and temperature. Provided that: EMF at 100ºC = 5.268 mV & EMF at 400ºC =21.846
mV.
16. Platinum RTD has a resistance of 100 ohm at 0ºC, 138.5 ohm at 100ºC and 175.83 ohm at 200ºC. What
will be non linearity error in ºC at 100 ºC, if the detector is assumed to have linear relationship between
0ºC & 200ºC.
17. A shaft encoder is to be used with a 50 mm radius tracking wheel to monitor linear displacement. If the
encoder produces 256 pulses per revolution, what will be the number of pulses produced by a linear
displacement of 200 mm?
18. What will be the change in resistance of an electrical resistance strain gauge with a gauge factor of 2.1
and resistance of 50 ohm if it is subjected to a strain of 0.001?
19. What is the non linearity error, as a percentage of full range, produced when a 1 kΩ potentiometer has a
load of 10 kΩ and is at one third of maximum displacement?
20. A measurement system is required which will set off an alarm when the temperature of a liquid is
raised above 40 ºC. The liquid is normally at 30 ºC. If output of 1V is required to operate the alarm,
then design a differential amplifier to perform the task. Assume that nickel (Temperature co efficient =
0.0067/ ºC) based RTD is used to measure temperature in Wheatstone bridge configuration with 4 volts
supply. Assume resistance of the element is 100 ohm at 0 degree.

ACTUATION SYSTEM
1. Write a short note on directional control valves.
2. Write a short note on gear trains.
3. What is ratchet and pawl?
4. Discuss the operation of belt and chain drives.
5. Discuss the working principle of DC motor.
6. Explain the control method of a brushless dc motor.
7. Explain the control method of a stepper motor.
8. Write a short note on AC servomotor.
9. Write a short note on stepper motor.
10. Explain speed – torque and speed – armature current curve of separately excited dc motor.
11. A separately excited dc motor has the following specifications:
KΦ = 4 volt second; Vt = 12V; Ra = 2 ohm; Ia =5Amp (full load current).
Determine: (i) rated torque (ii) starting torque (iii) starting current at full voltage
(iv) starting speed and (v) speed at rated torque.
12. A shunt dc motor has the following specifications:
KΦ = 4 volt second; Vt = 12V; Ra = 2 ohm; Rsh = 150 ohm; Ia =5Amp (full
load current).
Determine: (i) rated torque (ii) starting torque (iii) starting current at full voltage
(iv) starting speed and (v) speed at rated torque.
13. A 50 V, d.c. shunt motor drives a constant-torque load at a speed of 1200 rpm. The armature and
field resistances are 2 ohm and 100 ohm , respectively. The motor draws a line current of 15 A at
the given load.
(a) Calculate the resistance that should be added to the armature circuit to reduce the speed by
25 percent. (b) Assume the rotational losses to be 80 W. Calculate the efficiency of the motor
without and with the added resistance. (c) Calculate the resistance that must be added to the
armature circuit to open the motor at the holding condition.
14. A shunt dc motor has the following specifications:
KΦ = 4 volt second; Vt = 12V; Ra = 2 ohm; Rsh = 150 ohm; Ia =5Amp (full
load current).
 For a 30 percent increase in the armature voltage, calculate the percentage change in the no-load
speed. Assume that the load torque is unchanged.

CONTROLLERS

1. Explain two step mode, proportional mode, integral mode and derivative mode of controller operation in
brief.
2. Write short note on PI, PD and PID controller.
3. What is proportional band?
4. What do you mean by offset?
5. What is meant by reset control?
6. Write a short note on adaptive control.
7. Write a short note on microprocessor based temperature control system.
8. Write a short note on digital control system.
9. A P-I controller has a proportional band of 50% and integration time of 2sec. Find the transfer function of
the controller.
2
10. The transfer function of a first order plant is G(s) = 1+2𝑠
. It is used in a unity feedback system as shown in
Fig. below with a proportional controller of proportional band 100%. Find the steady state error for a unit
step input, and the time constant of the closed loop system.

PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLER

1. Write a short note on PLC.

2. Draw basic block diagram of PLC hardware and discuss function of each component in brief.
3. What is the function of opto coupler? How does it works?
4. What are the different input and output levels of PLC signals?
5. What is a mechanical switch?
6. What is sourcing and sinking?
7. Explain timer and counter of PLC.
8. Write down the selection criteria of PLC.
9. Realize OR, AND, NAND, NOR, XOR gate using ladder logic.
10. What is meant by latching?
11. Realize the following Boolean expression using ladder logic:
Q = (A.B+C) 𝐷 . 𝐸 𝐹
12. Write a short note on data handling.
13.

APPLICATION OF ROBOTS & OTHER MECHATRONIC APPLICATIONS

1. Discuss loading, unloading, handling, welding, assembling, inspection operation of robots.

2. Write a short note on mobile robot.
3. Write a short note on air fuel ratio control in automobiles.
4. Write a short note on automatic camera.