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
o
C - -0.5 to +40.5 0.1
Min is 0.5
0
C and max is 40.5
0
C
Span = 41
0
C
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 Y
n
and
instrument reading X
n

e = Y
n
X
n

-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 = 30.1
0
C, the actual temperature
lies between 29.9
0
C and 30.3
0
C

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 20
0
C
250
0
C. A measurement results in a value of
55
0
C 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/
0
C 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 AV = (K AK) (G AG)C
V = output voltage
AV = uncertainty in output voltage
K,G = nominal transfer functions
AK, AG = uncertainty in transfer functions
C = dynamic variable
The overall system accuracy as the root-
mean-square (rms):
K AK
G AG V AV
C
2 2
|
.
|

\
|
A
+ +
|
.
|

\
|
A
=
(

A
G
G
K
K
V
V
rms
Example 1.4
Find the system accuracy of a flow process
if the transducer transfer function is 10
mV/(m
3
/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