CHAPTER 2

STATIC PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTIC

OF INSTRUMENT

Objective
• Be able to quantify the positive and the
negative points of various commercially
available instruments
• Be able to select the optimum type of
instrument for a given application
INSTRUMENT PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTIC

 1. Static – the desired input to the

instrument is constant or varying slowly with
respect to time
 2. Dynamic – the desired input is not
constant but varies rapidly with the time
ERRORS AND UNCERTAINTIES IN
PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS

 Type of errors and uncertainties associated

with measurement system
 Systematic or cumulative errors
 Instrument error

 Environmental errors

 Loading errors
 Accidential or random error
 Inconsistencies associated with accurate
measurement of small quantities
 Presence of certain system defects

 Effect of unrestrained and randomly varying

parameter
 Miscellaneous Type of Gross Errors
 Personal or human errors
 Error due to faulty components/adjustment

 Improper application of the instrument.

 NO MEASUREMENT CAN BE MADE WITH
PERFECT ACCURACY AND PRECISION
UNCERTAINTIES

 Measurement uncertainty is a non-negative

parameter characterizing the dispersion of the
values attributed to a measured quantity. The
uncertainty has a probabilistic basis and
reflects incomplete knowledge of the quantity.
All measurements are subject to uncertainty
and a measured value is only complete if it is
accompanied by a statement of the associated
uncertainty.
TYPES OF UNCERTAINTIES
 External estimate of uncertainty, UE
 Theresolution of the instrument which is the
smallest confidently measurable input
 Internal estimate uncertainty, UI
 Is inherent in the data itself
 Large number of data
 Broke in small portion
 Means and standard deviations of each sample
 Best estimate of the mean value
 Overall estimate of uncertainty.
 PROPAGATION OF UNCERTAINTIES IN
COMPOUND QUANTITIES
 To compute the overall uncertainty due to the
combined effect of the uncertainties of
different variables.
IN GENERAL,
MEASUREMENT UNCERTAINTY
Internal estimate of uncertainty
represents the precision error
𝜎
𝑈𝐼 =
overall
𝑛

For any apparatus,

𝑥 = 𝑋ത ∓ 𝑈𝐼
STATIC PERFORMANCE PARAMETER

 Static performance parameters of the

instruments are:-
 1. Accuracy- the closeness of the instrument
output to the true value of the measured
quantity.
 2. Precision- the ability of the instrument to
produce a certain set of reading within a given
accuracy.
ACCURACY VS PRECISION
RESOLUTION (DISCRIMINATION)

 The smallest increment in the measured value

that can be detected with certainty by the
instrument.

THRESHOLD
 The minimum value of input below which no
output can be detected.
STATIC SENSITIVITY

 The ratio of the magnitude of response(output

signal) to the magnitude of the quantity being
measured (input signal).

𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑙

 Static sensitivity, K=
𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑙
∆𝑞0
=
∆𝑞𝑖
Example,

The sensitivity of a typical linear spring, whose

extension is directly proportional to the applied
force can be defined as, 450N/mm
LINEARITY

 The output is a linear function of the input

 Never completely achieved

 Linearity specification:-

i. Independent of the input

ii. Proportional of input

iii. Combined independent and proportional to

the input
RANGE AND SPAN

 The range of the instrument is specified by the

lower and upper limits in which it is designed to
operate for measuring.
HYSTERESIS
 The magnitude of error caused in the output for given value of
input, when this value approached from opposite direction, i.e
from ascending order and then descending order.

(𝑞0 )1+(𝑞0 )2
Arithmetic mean , 𝑞𝑜 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛= 2
DEAD BAND

 The largest change of the measurand to which

the instrument does not response.

BACKLASH

 The maximum distance or angle through which

any part of the mechanical system may be
moved in one direction without causing motion
of the next part.
DRIFT

 The variation of output for a given input caused

due to change in the sensitivity of the
instrument due to certain interfering inputs like
temperature change, component instabilities,
etc.
IMPEDANCE LOADING AND MATCHING
 Loading : an input signal suffers a change by
virtue that it is being measured.
 Loading error – can be zero but minimize as
possible.
 Maximum power may be transmitted from a
device if the impedance of the external load
just matches its internal impedance