ME-327 Instrumentation and

Measurement
Lecture 4
Static Characteristics of
Instruments – Part A

Instructor: Prof. Ibraheem Haneef

[email protected] +92-51-9085-5980 SINES, 4th Floor, Block A

Acknowledgement

I would like to acknowledge the help and contributions

made by the following colleagues and students in
preparation of the lectures / slides/ animations/
assignments/ lab manuals being used for this course:
• Dr Usman Bhutta (SMME, NUST)
• Prof Riaz Mufti (SMME, NUST)
• Prof Fida Khan (DEE, Air Univ)
• Dr Saqib Nazir (SMME, NUST)
• Lab Engr Ehsan Ali (SMME, NUST)
• Engr Sharjeel Farzad (SMME, NUST)
 Contents

1. Static characteristics of instruments

 1. Static Characteristics

Relationship
1. Static characteristics of instruments
between output
Related with and input when
steady state input is not
response changed or
changing at slow
rate

Mentioned in
STATIC datasheet of
CHARACTERISTIC instruments
S
 1. Static Characteristics

1. Static characteristics of instruments Sensitivity

Accuracy

Threshold
Precision

Resolution
Range

Sensitivity to
Linearity Disturbance
STATIC
CHARACTERISTIC Dead space
Hysteresis effects
S
 Accuracy

• 1. Static Characteristics
Measure of how close the output reading of the
instrument is to the correct value is called accuracy.

•1. Static
It is characteristics
more usual ofto instruments
quote the inaccuracy or
measurement uncertainity value rather than the
accuracy value for an instrument.

• Quoted as percentage of the full-scale (f.s.) reading of

an instrument

• Term measurement uncertainity is frequently used in

place of inaccuracy
 Accuracy
EXAMPLE
Pressure gauge with a range of 0 – 10 bar has a quoted inaccuracy of ±1% f.s.
1. Static Characteristics
(±1% of full-scale reading (a) What is the maximum measurement error
expected for this instrument? (b) What is the likely measurement error
expressed as a percentage of the output reading if this pressure gauge is
measuring a pressure of 1 bar?

1. Static
SOLUTION characteristics of instruments
Full-scale reading = 10 bar
(a) The maximum error expected in any measurement reading is 1.0% of the full scale
reading, which is 10 bar for this particular instrument. Hence, the maximum likely error
is: -
±1% of full-scale reading = × 10
bar
±1% of full-scale reading = ±0.1
bar
Absolute Inaccuracy = ±0.1
bar

(b) The maximum measurement error is a constant value related to the full-
scale reading of the instrument, irrespective of the magnitude of the quantity
 Accuracy

EXAMPLE
1. Static Characteristics
Pressure gauge with a range of 0 – 10 bar has a quoted inaccuracy of
±0.1 bar. It is deployed to measure pressure of a fluid which varies
between 0 – 1 bar. If the actual reading of pressure gauge is 0.7 bar,
find the percentage of error in the reading.
1. StaticSOLUTION
characteristics of instruments
Absolute Inaccuracy = ±0.1
bar
Output Reading = 0.7
bar
Actual Reading = 0.7
± 0.1 bar
Actual Reading = 0.6
to 0.8 bar
Percentage Error =
× 100%
Percentage Error =
 Accuracy
EXAMPLE
Pressure gauge with a range of 0 – 10 bar has a quoted inaccuracy of ±1% f.s.
1. Static Characteristics
(±1% of full-scale reading). Find absolute inaccuracy. If output of pressure gauge
is 5.2 bar, what will be the actual reading ?
SOLUTION
Full-scale reading = 10 bar
1. Static characteristics of instruments
±1% of full-scale reading = × 10 bar
±1% of full-scale reading = ±0.1 bar
Absolute Inaccuracy = ±0.1 bar
Output Reading = 5.2 bar
Actual Reading = 5.2 ± 0.1 bar
Actual Reading = 5.1 to 5.3 bar
 Accuracy
EXAMPLE
Pressure gauge with a range of 0 – 10 bar has a quoted inaccuracy of ±0.1 bar. It
1. Static Characteristics
is deployed to measure pressure of a fluid which varies between 0 – 1 bar. If the
actual reading of pressure gauge is 0.7 bar, find the percentage of error in the
reading.
SOLUTION
1. Static
Absolute characteristics
Inaccuracy of instruments
= ±0.1 bar
Output Reading = 0.7 bar
Actual Reading = 0.7 ± 0.1 bar
Actual Reading = 0.6 to 0.8 bar

Percentage Error = ×
100%
Percentage Error =
28.57%
 Precision/ Repeatability/ Reproducibility

PRECISION
1. Static Characteristics
• Precision is instrument’s degree of freedom from random errors:
1. Random
Static characteristics of instruments
Error = Inherently unpredictable fluctuations

• Large number of readings of the same quantity by high

precision instrument results in small spread of readings.

• No relation between Accuracy and Precision.

• Low accuracy measurements from a high precision instrument

are normally caused by a bias in the measurements, which is
removable by recalibration.
 Precision/ Repeatability/ Reproducibility

REPEATABILITY
1. StaticofCharacteristics
Closeness output readings when the same
physical quantity is applied repetitively over a short
period of time, with the same measurement conditions,
1. Static characteristics
same instrument andof instruments
observer, same location and
same conditions of use maintained throughout.

REPRODUCIBILITY
Closeness of output readings for the same input
when there are changes in the method of
measurement, observer, measuring instrument,
location, conditions of use and time of measurement.

Spread = Repeatability =
Constant Measurement Conditions
Spread = Reproducibility = Varying
Measurement Conditions
 Precision/Repeatability/Reproducibility
EXAMPLE

• 3 Industrial Robots

• Programmed to place
components at the center of
the concentric circles

• Orange dots represent the

points where robot placed
components
Precision/Repeatability/Reproducibility

Highly Accurate Highly Inaccurate

Highly Precise Highly Imprecise

Precision/ Repeatability/ Reproducibility

Highly Accurate Highly Inaccurate

Highly Precise Highly Imprecise

Precision/ Repeatability/ Reproducibility

Highly Accurate Highly Inaccurate

Highly Precise Highly Imprecise

Precision/ Repeatability/ Reproducibility

Highly Accurate Highly Inaccurate

Highly Precise Highly Imprecise

Precision/ Repeatability/ Reproducibility

Highly Accurate Highly Inaccurate

Highly Precise Highly Imprecise

Precision/ Repeatability/ Reproducibility

Highly Accurate Highly Inaccurate

Highly Precise Highly Imprecise

 Example Problem

The width of a room is measured 10 times by an ultrasonic

rule and the following measurements are obtained (in
meters): 5.381, 5.379, 5.378, 5.382, 5.380, 5.383, 5.379,
5.377, 5.380, and 5.381.

The width of the same room is then measured by a

calibrated steel tape that gives a reading of 5.374 m, which
can be taken as the correct value for the width of the room.

You are required to find:

(a) What is the measurement precision of the ultrasonic

rule?

(b) What is the maximum measurement inaccuracy of the

ultrasonic rule?
 Example Problem

Solution:

(a) The mean (average) value of the 10 measurements

made with the ultrasonic rule is 5.380 m: -

Mean/ Avg. = = 5.380 m

The maximum deviation below this mean value is and the

maximum deviation above the mean value is . Thus, the precision
of the ultrasonic rule can be expressed as

(b) The correct value of the room width has been measured
as by the calibrated steel rule. All ultrasonic rule
measurements are above this, with the largest value being . This
last measurement is the one that exhibits the largest measurement
error. This maximum measurement error can be calculated as Thus,
the maximum measurement inaccuracy can be expressed as
 Tolerance
• It is the maximum error expected in the output of an
instrument.
1. Static Characteristics
• Although, strictly speaking, it is not a static
characteristic of measuring instruments, it is
1. mentioned
Static characteristics
here becauseof instruments
the accuracy of some
instruments is sometimes quoted as a tolerance value.

• Tolerance describes the maximum deviation of a

manufactured component from some specified value.

Examples:

• Crankshafts are machined with a diameter tolerance

quoted in microns (10-6 m).
• Resistor of 1000 Ω with ±5% tolerance might have an
actual value between 950 Ω and 1050 Ω.
 Range or Span
• The range or span of an instrument defines the minimum and
maximum values of a quantity that the instrument is designed to
1. Static Characteristics
measure.

EXAMPLE 1
1. Mitutoyo Vernier Calliper
Range = 0 - 300 mm
1. Static characteristics
Graduation =
of instruments
0.02 mm
Inaccuracy = ±0.04 mm

EXAMPLE 2
2. Thomas Digital Thermometer
Range = -50ºC to 260ºC
Resolution = 0.1ºC
Inaccuracy = ±1ºC
 Example Problem

A particular micrometer is designed to measure

dimensions between . What is its measurement
range?

SOLUTION: -

The measurement range is simply the difference between the

maximum and minimum measurements. Thus, in this case the
range is .