INSTRUMENTATION AND

CONTROL
(MCT 3224)
CONCEPT OF SIGNAL
CONDITIONING, DIVIDER
CIRCUIT AND BRIDGE CIRCUIT
Nadzril Sulaiman
Department of Mechatronics Engineering,
International Islamic University Malaysia

Content

Concept of signal conditioning

Divider circuit
Wheatstone Bridge
Bridge sensitivity
Bridge resolution
Current balance bridge
Wheatstone bridge for potential
measurement

Objectives of topic

Explain the principles of signal

conditioning
Identify different elements used for signal
conditioning
Identify different types of Wheatstone
bridge
circuit
Derive equations related to Wheatstone
bridge

Principles of signal
conditioning

Convert signal to a form suitable for interface

with other elements
Signal level and bias changes

Signal
conditioni
ng

Linearizatio
n
Conversions
Filtering
Concept of loading

Signal level and bias

changes

The method to adjust the level (magnitude)

and bias (zero value) of voltage signal

conditioning
0.2 V 0.6Signal
V
circuit

0V5V

Amplification 0 V 5 V
0.2 V 0.6 VZero shift0 V 0.4 V
(G=12.5)

Signal level and bias

changes

Amplification
Sensor output is made larger
Gain greater than unity

Attenuation
Sensor output is made smaller
Gain is less than unity

Linearization

Often, the characteristic of a sensor is

non-linear
Special circuits were devised to linearize
signals
Modern approach is to use computer
software to linearize

Conversions

Signal transmission
Converting resistance or voltage to current
(4- to 20mA)
Voltage-to-current and current-to-voltage
converter is essential

Digital Interface
- The use of computers in process control
requires the
conversion of analog to digital signal and
vice versa
- ADC and DAC is needed

Filtering

Eliminating unwanted signal from the

loop using filters

Concept of loading

Loading of one circuit by another circuit produces

uncertainties in the amplitude of the voltage of
the overall system.
Example, when a sensor is connected to a circuit
(hence, becoming a load), this will introduce
additional voltage across the sensor that affects
the amplitude of the total circuit voltage.

Concept of loading

Consider:
Open circuit = NO
Load connected to the
circuit
Voltage is Vx
Loading occur when
something is connected
across the output.
Causing output voltage
of the circuit to drop to
some value

Concept of loading

The output voltage is calculated using

voltage division as

Output voltage is reduced by the voltage

drop
RL Rx
To reduce the uncertainty,

Concept of loading
Example 1:
An amplifier outputs a voltage that is 10 times the
voltage on its input terminals. It has an input
resistance of 10 k. A sensor outputs a voltage
proportional to temperature with a transfer function
of 20 mV/ C. The sensor has an output resistance
of 5.0 k. If the temperature is 50C, find the
amplifier output;
(a) without considering the effect of loading
(b) by considering the effect of loading
50 C

Sensor
(20mV/oC)

Amplification

?V

Signal conditioning circuit

Elements used for signal

conditioning:
1)
2)
3)
4)

Divider circuit
Wheatstone Bridge
Filters
Amplifiers

Divider circuit

Useful to convert resistance into voltage

Divider circuit
R2
VD Vs
R1 R2

Vs

R1
VD
R2

Vs supply voltage
R1 , R2 divider resistors

Divider Circuit
It is important to consider the following issues
1.

2.

3.

The variation of VD with either R1 or R2 is

non-linear (ie. if resistance varies linearly with
measured variable, divider voltage [V D ] will
not vary linearly)
The effective output impedance of the
divider is the parallel combination of R 1 and R2.
The current flows to both R1 and R2. So, the
power rating of both resistors should be
considered.

Divider circuit
Example 2:
The divider shown has R1 = 10.0 k and Vs =
5.00 V. Suppose R2 is a sensor whose
resistance varies from 4.00k to 12.0 k as
Vs
some dynamic variables varies over a range.
Then find
(a) the minimum and maximum of VD R1
(b) the range of output impedance
(c) the range of power dissipated by R 2R2

VD

Bridge circuit

Convert resistance variation into voltage

variation

Bridge circuit
Advantages:
1) Accurate and reliable
2) Widely used in industry
3) Higher accuracy (of 0.1%) than ordinary
ohmmeter for resistance measurement.

Main application is to determine an

unknown resistor.

Vary one of the remaining resistors until the

current through the null detector is zero.
This indicates that the bridge is in balanced
condition.

Bridge circuit

Bridge circuit

- Voltage across galvanometer offset voltage OR voltage

condition OR voltage at null condition
- is given by:

V VD VB
Where,
VD = voltage
across
R3
V
= voltage
B
across R4
The voltage across galvanometer:
VR3
VR4
R3 R2 R1 R4
V

V
R1 R3 R2 R4
( R1 R3 )( R2 R4 )

Bridge circuit
Example 3:
A Wheatstone bridge has a ratio arm of 1/100
(R2/ R1). At first balance, R3 is adjusted to 1000.3.
The value of Rx is then changed by the temperature
change. The new value of R3 to achieve balance
condition again is 1021.1. Find the change of Rx
before and after the temperature change.

Sensitivity of Galvanometer

A galvanometer is used to detect

unbalance condition Wheatstone bridge

Sensitivity of Galvanometer

Galvanometer sensitivity is governed by

1) current sensitivity (current per
deflection)
2) internal resistance
VCD = VCB VDB = I3R3 I4R4
I3
I3

I4

I4
R3

R4

Sensitivity of Galvanometer

RTH = [R1R3 / R1+R3] + [R2R4 / R2+R4]

Sensitivity of Galvanometer
Problem 4 (2.10):
A Wheatstone bridge has R1 = 250, R3
= 500,
R4 = 340, and V = 1.5V. The detector is
a
galvanometer with RG = 150.
Find the value of R2 that will null the
bridge.
(b) Find the offset current that will result if
(a)

Bridge resolution

The resolution of the bridge circuit is a

function of the resolution of the detector
used to determine the bridge offset.

If a detector can measure a change of

100V, this sets a limit on the minimum
measurable resistance change in a
bridge using this detector.

Bridge resolution
Example 5 (2.8) :
A sensor with a nominal resistance of 50 is
used in a bridge with R1=R2= 100, V=10V,
and R3=100 potentiometer. It is necessary
to resolve 0.1 changes of the sensor
resistance.
(a)
(b)

At what value of R3 will the bridge null?

What voltage resolution must the null
detector possess?

Current balance bridge

Sometimes, obtaining a
null by varying resistance
is not efficient
Thus, the bridge is nulled
by changing current, I

If R4 >> R5 or (R2 + R4) >> R5 then V ( R R )

4
5
Vb
IR5
R2 R4 R5

V = Va - Vb
VR3
V ( R4 R5 )
V

IR5
R1 R3 R2 R4 R5

Current balance bridge

Example 6 (2.11) :
A current balance bridge, has resistance of
R1 = R2 = 1k, R4 = 590, R5 = 10, and V
= 10V.
Find the value of R3 that nulls the bridge
with no
current.
(b) Find the value of R3 that balances the
bridge with a current of 0.25mA.
(a)

Bridge for potential

measurement

A bridge can also measure small

potential at a very high
impedance, using either
conventional or current bridge.
The potential to be measured is
connected in series with the
Vc Vx Va
detector.

V Vc Vb Vx Va Vb

If current balance bridge is used

At null condition:

VR3
VR4
Vx

0
R1 R3 R2 R4

Vx

VR3
V ( R4 R5 )

IR5 0
R1 R3 R2 R4 R5

Bridge for potential

measurement
Example 7

(2.12)

A potential measurement bridge has V =

10V,
R1 = R2 = R3 = 10k. Find the unknown
potential if
the bridge nulls with R4 = 9.73k.

Bridge characteristic

Null voltage is non-linear for large changes in

resistance
Null voltage is nearly linear for small changes
in resistance

Bridge ends