MEC 3310 - Instrumentation and Measurements

• Demonstrate the operation of fundamental measuring instruments and lab equipment
• Describe the physical operating principles of common sensor technologies and measurement instruments
• Interpret the dynamic characteristics and specifications of transducers/sensors
• Identify common measurement applications and be able to specify appropriate test equipment
• Perform data acquisition for the collection of experimental data using appropriate sampling and resolution
• Communicate their experimental results, conclusions, and the significance of the conclusions to technical and non-technical audiences
• Plan an experiment and select the equipment by considering realistic constraints

• Basic circuits
• Programming with MATLAB
• Thermodynamics I

• Measurement system concepts
  • Measurement errors and error propagation
  • Accuracy and precision
  • Significant figures and rounding per ASTM-E29 standard
  • Calibration and least-squares regression
  • Introduction to fundamental measurement instruments and laboratory equipment (scope, function generator, DAQ, power supply, DMM, scales, and calipers)
  • Loading errors (how an instrument may affect the physical system being studied)
• Data acquisition, quantization and sampling errors
  • A/D conversion
  • Single-ended and differential inputs
• Transducer technologies
  • Mechanical, resistive, thermoelectric, piezoelectric, capacitive, optical, etc.
  • Measurement: current, voltage, temperature, position, velocity, acceleration, strain, force, pressure, and flow
• Instrument characteristics (sensitivity, range, accuracy, linearity, repeatability, hysteresis, etc.)
• Signal characteristics
  • Static and transient signals
  • Continuous, discrete, and digital signals
  • Aperiodic and periodic signals
• Signal conditioning (filtering, scaling, and buffering)
  • Analog and digital filters (low-pass filters and anti-aliasing filters)
• Time and frequency response of measurement systems, and transducers
  • Sensitivity, time constant, damping, natural frequency, cut-off frequency, bandwidth
• Data presentation and analysis
  • Fitting deterministic system models (determination of time constant, natural frequency, resonance, bandwidth and damping)
  • Fast Fourier analysis to determine fundamental system frequencies
  • Creating professional engineering plots, theoretical vs experimental plots, log plots, scatter plots with error bars, and trendlines
• Introduction to planning an experiment that involves measurement, data acquisition, and data analysis
  • Determine test objective
  • Select equipment to meet realistic error constraints
  • Data collection requirement and data reduction plan

• Density determination of a metal and propagation of error
• Introduction to instrumentation equipment [multiple devices over weeks]
• Effects of sampling, A/D conversion, analog and digital filters (low-pass and anti-aliasing filters)
• Op-amps and signal conditioning (implementation and frequency response)
• Measurement of temperature (thermocouples, RTDs)
• Acceleration measurement (capacitive and piezoelectric accelerometers)
• FFT and the vibration of a marimba bar
• Encoders and angular velocity measurement
• Measurement of strain and force
• Measurement of pressure and flow