Analytical Instrumentation Control

Recommended Prerequisites

1. Introductory Physics course on Electricity and  Magnetism;

2. Computer Programming.

Teaching Methods

1. Theoretical classes to allow for the development of a solid scientific and technical background in telematic technologies that are the basis of modern Instrumentation systems;

2. Practical classes and analysis of paradigmatic examples in order to learn best practices and develop skills on decision making, critical analysis and construction of solutions.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understanding the challenges and opportunities in Instrumentation, especially those arising from the integration of multiple, scattered data acquisition and control devices in complex Laboratory Automation systems;

3. Training on Electronics (analogue and digital) fundamentals, involving technologies of a number of both sensors and actuators, analogue interfacing, and analogue-to-digital/digital-to-analogue conversion, as much as criteria to best describe variables in time series, in both amplitude precision and suitable frequency;

3. Training on Microsystems technologies and basic architectures, including fundamentals of data communication, both local and remote;

4. Development of the skills on embedded systems planning, through the analysis of study cases or small projects, thereby stimulating the creativity in the conception and the critical comparative analysis of solutions

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Principles of linear electric circuits.

2. Analogue Electronics: operational amplifier and negative feedback.. Amplifiers. Frequency filtering. Non-linear circuits and applications.

3. Transducers - sensors and actuators.Sensor response and calibration. Common sensors for temperature, force, light, and position. Light intensity and positioning actuators. Transducer interfacing with operational amplifiers.

4. Digital Electronics: handling binary information. Analogue-to-digital  and digital-to-analogue conversion. Performance criteria for A/D and D/A converters. Multiplexers. Sampling theorem and time-series.

5. Microsystems technilogy: CPU and bus structures; I/O devices ; memory types; timer/counters. Microcontrollers. Basics of computer networking.

6. PID and PWM control mechanisms. Integrated solutions for the supervision of systems and processes: Laboratory Automation.

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Laboratory work or Field work: 30.0%
Exam: 70.0%

Bibliography

1. Colin Lunn, The Essence of Analog Electronics, Prentice Hall Europe, 1997.

2. Neil Storey, Electronics - A systems approach, Pearson Education Ltd., 2009.

3. Wayne Wolfe, Computers as Components - Principles of Embedded Computing Systems Design, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, 2005.