EXPERIMENT NO.

1
BASIC TERMINOLOGIES IN
INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL
Objectives:
 To understand the basic terminologies using in Instrumentation and Control
Lab.

Theoretical Background:
Instrumentation and Control:
It is defined as art and science of measurement and control of process variable
with in production and manufacturing area.

Why Instrumentation and Control:

Instrumentation and control is carried out due to following reason,
 It reduces variability.
 It increases efficiency.
 It ensures safety.
Following are the basic terminologies of this lab:

 Process Variable:
Instruments are used to monitor and control a process to keep the process
within a correct limit. The parameters or quantities that we wish to control at
the correct limit are called Process Variables.
Pressure, Temperature, Flow are the main three process variables.

 Accuracy:
The closeness of agreement between the measured value and the true value
is called Accuracy.

 Repeatability:
The ability of a measurement system to indicate the same value on repeated
but independent application of the same input provides a measure of the
instrument repeatability.
 Measurement:
A measurement is an act of assigning a specific value to a physical variable.

 Measured Value:
Physical property that is being measured such as pressure, temperature and flow
rate is called measure value.

 Actual Value:
True value of physical object regardless of value being generated by Instrument.

 Error:
We define an error, e, as the difference between the measured value and the
true value.

 Uncertainty:
The uncertainty is a numerical estimate of the possible range of the error in a
measurement.

 Calibration:
A calibration applies a known input value to a measurement system for the
purpose of observing the system output value. It establishes the relationship
between the input and output values.

 Sensitivity:
The smallest absolute amount of change that can be detected by a measurement.
The slope of a static calibration curve provides the static sensitivity of the
measurement system.

 Linearity:
Degree to which instrument follows the straight-line relationship b/w input and
output of given range.

 Range:
A calibration applies known inputs ranging from the minimum to the
maximum values for which the measurement system is to be used. These
limits define the operating range of the system.
 Span:
It is difference b/w upper and lower limit.
Span = upper limit – lower limit.

 Controller:
It is responsible for the performance of the control system. It is a device or an
algorithm that works to maintain the value of the controlled variable at set
point.

 Sensor:
A sensor is a device that receives and responds to a signal. This signal must
be produced by some type of energy, such as heat, light, motion, or chemical
reaction. Once a sensor detects one or more of these signals (an input), it
converts it into an analog or digital representation of the input signal.

 Transducer:
A transducer is defined as a substance or a device that converts (or transfers)
an input energy into a different output energy.

 Actuator:
An actuator is something that actuates or moves something. More specifically,
an actuator is a device that coverts energy into motion or mechanical energy.

 Signal Processing Unit:

It performs operation on input Signal to convert them according to our
requirement, analog to digital convertor or digital to analog convertor.

 Signal Processing Unit:

That cause some changes in their properties with change in process fluid
condition, which then can be measured.

 Types of Instruments:
Basically, there are two types of system which are briefly discussed below:
1) Passive Instruments:
Those instruments which don’t require an external energy source for its
operation such as bourdon gauge, thermometer.
 2) Active Instruments:
These instruments require an external source for measurement like multi-
meter.

 Types of Control System:

1) Open Loop Control System:
Systems in which the output quantity has no effect upon the input to the
control process are called open-loop control systems
2) Closed Loop Control System:
The quantity of the output being measured is called the “feedback signal”,
and the type of control system which uses feedback signals to both control
and adjust itself is called a Close-loop System.