Instrumentation for Engineers and Scientists

Book excerpt: This book was developed from material prepared for a course in instrumentation for final year mechanical engineering undergraduates. The approach used is to present instrumentation from the viewpoints of both electronics and signal analysis. The sensors and electronic circuits likely to be needed by a final year student project and for postgraduate research, are comprehensively covered. It forms a suitable degree-level text for students of engineering, science or medicine seeking a practical guide to instrumentation. It is also hoped that the book will be of use to practising engineers in general. The authors' aim throughout has been to write a book which guides the reader through the intricacies of specifying and selecting an instrumentation system, acquiring data without corrupting or distorting it in the process, and applying sensible signal analysis techniques. Examples and case studies are used to illustrate the techniques discussed, including many drawn from real-life instrumentation problems encountered by the authors in engineering, physics and medicine. The sequence of chapters follows the flow of data from the primary sensing element, through transduction, signal processing and digital conversion to digital signal analysis techniques. This logical sequence ensures that the design process is undertaken in the correct order, and provides continuity for the reader.