15EE662

SENSORS & TRANSDUCERS

Module-3

Prepared by
Vineeth Kumar P K
Asst. Prof, EEE dept.
SDMIT, Ujire.

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 DC Signal Conditioning System

• Transducer output is given to Bridge. For example strain gauge output is to be given
to bridge
• No dc excitation is needed for passive transducers.
• Low level signal can be given to amplifier
• Amplifier output pass through LPF to avoid noises & high frequency signals.

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DC Signal Conditioning System
Drawbacks: Problem of drift

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AC Signal Conditioning System
In order to overcome the drawbacks of DC signal
conditioning system AC signal conditioning
system can be used.

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AC Signal Conditioning System
• The output of a transducer is applied to the bridge
circuit, whose output is an amplitude modulated
carrier signal.
• This waveform is amplified by an ac amplifier. This
amplified modulated output is then applied to a phase
sensitive demodulator, the carrier signal.
• This produces a dc output that indicates the direction
of the parameter change in the bridge output.

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 Summery on AC & DC signal
conditioning system
• To summaries, dc systems are generally used for
common resistance transducers (such as
potentiometers and resistance strain gauges).
• AC systems are used for variable reactance
transducers and for systems where signals have
to be transmitted via long cables to connect the
transducers to Signal Conditioning System.

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Amplifiers
• Amplifier is an electronic device that increase the
power of a signal.
• It does not take energy from power supply &
controlling the output to match the input signal
shape.
• Makes output signal stronger than input signal.
• Ratio of output signal (I0) to input signal (Ii) is
called gain (G) or amplification or magnification.
• G= I0/ Ii

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 Types of Amplifier

Amplifiers

Mechanical Amplifier Fluid Amplifier Optical Amplifier Electrical & Electronic

Amplifier

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Types of Amplifier
1. Mechanical Amplifiers
• A mechanical amplifier, amplifies the magnitude
of mechanical quantities such as force,
displacement, velocity, acceleration and torque in
linear and rotational systems.
• No additional energy can be created from any
given mechanical amplifier.
• Examples: Simple & compound leaver, simple &
compound gears, Gear trains

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Types of Amplifier
1. Mechanical Amplifiers
Gear trains
Two meshing gears transmit rotational
motion. With different number of teeth
between the input and output gears,
torque and velocity can be either
amplified or reduced.

Leaver

A lever can amplify either displacement or

force.
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Types of Amplifier
1. Mechanical Amplifiers
Drawbacks:
• Internal loading
• Friction loss
• Elastic deformation
• Backlash

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Types of Amplifier
Fluid Amplifiers
• Amplifiers operates based on fluid power.
• Interaction with fluid
• Follows movement of fluid.
• No moving parts
• Fluid amplifiers operates based on ‘fluidics’
• Fluidics is nothing but fluid + logic.

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Types of Amplifier
Fluid Amplifiers

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Types of Amplifier
Fluid Amplifiers
Types
[Link] Amplifiers
2. Pneumatic Amplifier

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Types of Amplifier
1. Hydraulic amplifiers
When a small displacement is applied to a piston operating inside a cylinder containing
Some liquid , there are large displacement of the liquid in the output which has a smaller
Diameter.

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Types of Amplifier
2. Pneumatic amplifier

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Types of Amplifier
iii)Optical Amplifiers
• An optical amplifier is a device that amplifies
an optical signal directly, without the need to first
convert it to an electrical signal.
• Optical amplifiers are important in optical
communication and laser physics.
• No feedback in optical amplifiers. Ie LASER without
feedback is called optical amplifier.
• Gain depends on wave length, light intensity &
amplifier medium.
• In optical amplifiers change in angle of incidence &
angle of reflection takes place.
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Types of Amplifier
iii)Optical Amplifiers

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Types of Amplifier
iii)Optical Amplifiers
Examples: Optical levers, LASER, UV
Galvanometers, Mechanical Pointer
Galvanometer.

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Types of Amplifier
iv)Electrical & Electronic Amplifiers
• AC amplifiers
• DC amplifiers
• Integrated circuits (ICs)

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Types of Amplifier
iv)Electrical & Electronic Amplifiers
AC amplifiers
• Capable of dealing with rapid, repetitive
signals
• Simpler & cheaper
DC amplifiers
• Capable of amplifying static, slowly changing
or rapid repetitive input signals.
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Types of Amplifier
iv)Electrical & Electronic Amplifiers
Integrated circuit
• Group of circuit elements combined to perform
specific purposes.
• Most of the components in ICs are transistors,
diodes, resistors, capacitors etc.
• ICs used construct: Differential amplifiers, Mixers,
Timers, Filters, Audio power amplifiers,
Regulators, Comparators etc..

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Types of Amplifier
iv)Electrical & Electronic Amplifiers
Operational amplifiers (Op-amp)
• It is a linear integrated circuit that has a very
high voltage gain, a high input impedance &
low output impedance.
• Mathematical operations such as addition,
subtraction, multiplication, division,
differentiation , Integration etc can be
performed using op-amp.
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Types of Amplifier
iv)Electrical & Electronic Amplifiers
Operational amplifiers (Op-amp)
• Op-amp operates relatively low supply
voltage.
• Reliable & inexpensive
• An ideal operational amplifier is a device of
infinite voltage gain, infinite bandwidth,
infinite input impedance & zero output
impedance.
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Types of Amplifier
iv)Electrical & Electronic Amplifiers
Operational amplifiers (Op-amp)

Refer LIC text book

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Types of Amplifier
iv)Electrical & Electronic Amplifiers
Operational amplifiers (Op-amp)

Refer LIC text book

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Types of Amplifier
iv)Electrical & Electronic Amplifiers
Operational amplifiers (Op-amp)
Ideal characteristics

Refer LIC text book

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Types of Amplifier
iv)Electrical & Electronic Amplifiers
Operational amplifiers (Op-amp)
Ideal characteristics

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Types of Amplifier
iv)Electrical & Electronic Amplifiers
Operational amplifiers (Op-amp)
Applications

Refer the text book

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Data Acquisition Systems & Conversion
• Data acquisition systems may be defined as a
system for data processing, data conversion,
data transmission and data storage
Block diagram of data acquisition systems

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Data Acquisition Systems & Conversion
• Data acquisition system consists of individual
sensors, signal conditioning unit, multiplexing
,data conversion, data processing, data handling
& associated transmission, storage and display
system.
• Analog data is converted to into digital data using
ADC.
• Data can be transmitted over long distance or
short distance.
• Data can be displayed to CRT or it can be stored
temporarly.
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Data Acquisition Systems & Conversion
Elements of data acquisition systems:
• Transducers
• Signal Conditioners
• Calibrating equipment
• Integrating equipment
• Visual devices
• Graphic recording instruments
• Magnetic tape instrumentation
• Analog computers
• High speed camera & TV equipments.
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Data Acquisition Systems & Conversion
Digital data acquisition system consists of:
• Transducers
• Signal conditioner
• Scanner & multiplexer
• Signal converter
• ADC
• Auxiliary equipment & system programmer
• Digital recorder
• Digital printer

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Data Acquisition Systems & Conversion

Both the analog and digital signal can be used for Data acquisition system.
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Data Acquisition Systems & Conversion
Need (Objectives) of data acquisition system:
• To acquire the necessary data at correct speed &
correct time.
• To be able to compute performance using on-line &
real time data.
• To make use of all data efficiently & systematically.
• To summaries datas.
• To store the datas.
• To provide effective human communication system.
• To identify & rectify problems.

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Data Acquisition Systems & Conversion
Configuration of Data Acquisition Systems:
1. Single channel possibilities:
• Direct conversion
• pre-amplification & direct conversion
• sample & hold & conversion
• Pre-amplification, sample & hold & conversion
• Pre-amplification, signal conditioning & any of
the above.

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Data Acquisition Systems & Conversion
Configuration of Data Acquisition Systems:
2. Multi channel possibilities:
• Multiplexing the output of single channel
converters
• Multiplexing the output of sample & hold circuits
• Multiplexing the inputs of the sample-hold circuit
• Multiplexing low level data.

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Data Acquisition Systems & Conversion
Configuration of Data Acquisition Systems:
3. Noise Reduction Options:
• Filtering
• Integrating converters & digital processing

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Data Acquisition Systems & Conversion

Types of data acquisition systems:

1. Analog Data Acquisition System
2. Automated data acquisition system
3. Single Channel Data Acquisition System
4. Multichannel Analog Multiplexed System
5. Multichannel data acquisition system using
digital multiplexing.

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Data Acquisition Systems & Conversion
1. Analog data acquisition system

• DAC board: Multiplexer, Amplifier, ADC register & control circuits

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Data Acquisition Systems & Conversion
2. Automated data acquisition system
• Automated data acquisition can be done by using
i)Data loggers ii)Computer with plug-in boards.
• Data loggers monitors input from large transducers.
• Use suitable signal conditioning device.
• Feed to multiplexer.
• Select desirable signal (any one).
• Pass through ADC & perform Arithmetic & logical
operation using microprocessor.
• Output will be stored.
• Printing can be done.

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Data Acquisition Systems & Conversion
2. Automated data acquisition system
ii)Computer with plug-in boards.
• Using plug-in boards with a computer

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Data Acquisition Systems & Conversion
3. Single Channel Data acquisition system

• System consists of a signal conditioner followed

by ADC
• ADC provides repetitive conversion.
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Data Acquisition Systems & Conversion
3. Single Channel Data acquisition system
• Digital output from the buffer are further fed
to a storage or printout device or to a digital
computer for analysis.

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Data Acquisition Systems & Conversion
4. Multi channel Analog Multiplexing System
• Individual signals are applied after signal
conditioning.
• These analog signals are converted into digital
signal using ADC.
• For the best utilization of time, multiplexer is
made to seek the next channel to be converted
while the previous data stored in S/H
• After completion of conversion, S/H switched to
hold mode.

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Data Acquisition Systems & Conversion
4. Multi channel Analog Multiplexing System

Application:
Radar & fire control system
Wind tunnel measurements

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Data Acquisition Systems & Conversion
5. Multi Channel data acquisition system using
digital multiplexing

Impedance transformation

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Data Acquisition Systems & Conversion
5. Multi Channel data acquisition system using
digital multiplexing
• Parallel conversion stage.
• High speed of operation
• This scheme will be useful where many strain
gauges, thermocouples, LVDT etc are distributed
in a large area of plant.
• Logic and arithmetic operations will be
performed in processor & taking decisions as
well.

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Data Acquisition Systems & Conversion
Application
• Aerospace
• Biomedical
• Telemetry: Automated communication system
using radio signals, ultrasonic signals etc.

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Data Conversion
Why data conversion? Need for ADC?
• Majority of sensors gives analog output.
• It can’t be connected to
microprocessors/microcontrollers.
• Analog output from the sensor has to convert
into digital form before it can be used as input
to microprocessor.
• Most actuator operates with analog input
which has to be converted to Digital form.
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Data Conversion
ADC process
• Quantizing: It is defined as the transformation
of a continuous analog input into a set of
discrete output states.
• Coding: It is an assignment of a digital code
word or number to each output state.

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Data Conversion
Basic elements of A/D conversion

Hold each sampled value until the

Next pulse occur.

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Data Conversion
Procedure of Analog to Digital Conversion

Clock supplies regular time interval

to ADC

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 Data Conversion
Components of ADC

• Buffer amplifier provide full input range . It act as

voltage follower and convert all input data into output.
• LPF removes any undesirable high frequency signal.
• Cut off frequency of LPF should not greater than
sampling frequency.
• S/H circuit maintain fixed input value.
• A/D converter has a resolution & analog quantization size
• Computer must be properly interfaced to ADC.
• Analog to Digital Converter is an electronic device that converts
an analog voltage to a digital code.
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Data Conversion
Components of ADC
– Resolution: Resolution of an A/D converter is the
number of bits used to digitally approximate the
analog value of the input.
– The number of possible state N is equal to the
number of bit combinations that can be output
from the converter : N= 2^n, where ‘n’ is the
number of bits.

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Data Conversion
Design Principles of Analog to Digital Converter
1. Successive Approximations
2. Flash or Parallel Encoding
3. Single-slope and dual slope integration
4. Switched capacitors
5. Delta sigma

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Data Conversion
1. Successive Approximations

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Data Conversion
1. Successive Approximation

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Data Conversion
1. Successive Approximation
• The successive approximation analog-to-digital
converter circuit typically consists of four chief
sub circuits:
a. A sample and hold circuit to acquire the
input voltage (Vin).
b. An analog voltage comparator that
compares Vin to the output of the
internal DAC and outputs the result of the
comparison to the successive
approximation register (SAR).
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Data Conversion
1. Successive Approximation
c. A successive approximation register subcircuit
designed to supply an approximate digital
code of Vin to the internal DAC.
d. An internal reference DAC that, for
comparison with VREF, supplies
the comparator with an analog voltage equal
to the digital code output of the SAR.
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Data Conversion
1. Successive Approximation
• In successive approximation ADC the normal
counter is replaced with successive
approximation register.
• Successive approximation ADC is the
advanced version of Digital ramp type ADC
which is designed to reduce the conversion
and to increase speed of operation.

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Data Conversion
1. Successive Approximation

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Data Conversion
1. Successive Approximation
Advantages:
• Speed is high compared to counter type ADC.
• Good ratio of speed to power.
• Compact design compared to Flash Type and it
is inexpensive.
• High resolution

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Data Conversion
1. Successive Approximation
Disadvantages:
• Cost is high because of SAR
• Complexity in design.

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Data Conversion
2. Flash A/D converter
• Flash analog-to-digital converters, also known as
parallel ADCs.
• It uses linear voltage ladder with a comparator.
• Often these reference ladders are constructed of
many resistors.
• Flash ADCs are ideal for applications requiring very
large bandwidth, but they consume more power and
much bigger in size than other ADC architectures.
• A Flash converter requires a huge number of
comparators compared to other ADCs.

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Data Conversion
2. Flash A/D converter
• A Flash converter requires 2n-1 comparators
for an n-bit conversion.

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Data Conversion
2. Flash A/D converter

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Data Conversion
2. Flash A/D converter

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Data Conversion
3. Single slope or ramp ADC & Dual slope ramp
ADC

Refer page number 1053

Already explained in the class

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Data Conversion
Digital to Analog Data Conversion
1. Weighted Resistor Digital to Analog
Converter
2. R-2R ladder network

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