Transducers and Instrumentation

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The Transducers and Instrumentation Trainer introduces students to input sensors, output actuators, signal conditioning circuits and display devices through a wide range of hands-on practical activities. This self contained trainer has all the necessary power supplies, light sources and compressed air supplies to carry out a wide range of hands on experimental work. It is possible to build and test complete closed loop control systems for rotary speed and position making the trainer ideal for use in a control engineering teaching.

The trainer is supplied with a detailed curriculum manual that provides background theory, practical activities and student assessment questions.

A student workbook is also provided, allowing students to create a personalised record of their work together with practical results as they work through the curriculum materials. Finally, an instructor’s guide is provided offering solutions to all of the questions and practical activities contained in the curriculum manual and student workbook.

The bench-mounted trainer features the following devices and circuits:

Input Transducers:

• Carbon track, wirewound and precision rotary potentiometers
• Slide potentiometers
• NTC thermistors
• Type 'K' thermocouples
• I.C. temperature sensor
• Photoconductive cell
• Photovoltaic cell
• Phototransistor
• PIN diode
• Linear variable differential transformer
• Linear variable capacitor
• Strain gauge
• Air-flow sensor
• Air pressure sensor
• Slotted opto-sensor
• Reflective opto-sensor
• Inductive Proximity Sensor
• Hall Effect sensor
• Precision servo-potentiometer
• Tachogenerator
• Humidity sensor
• Dynamic microphone
• Ultrasonic receiver

Output Devices:

• Heater
• Filament Lamp
• DC Motor
• Solenoid Air Valve
• Ultrasonic transmitter
• Buzzer
• Loudspeaker
• Relay
• Solenoid
• Counter/timer unit with LED display
• Bargraph voltage indicator
• Analog 10V center-zero meter

Signal Conditioning

• Buffers
• Inverters
• Comparator with switchable hysteresis
• Amplifiers with gain and offset control
• Current amplifier
• Summing amplifier
• Differential amplifier
• Instrumentation amplifiers
• AC amplifier
• Oscillator 40kHz
• Filter 40kHz
• Low-pass filter with switchable time constant
• Precision full-wave rectifier
• Sample and hold circuit
• Integrator with switchable time-constant
• Differentiator with switchable time constant
• V/F and F/V converters
• V/I and I/V converters
• Alarm oscillator with switchable latching
• Power amplifier
• Electronic switch

External Power Supplies

• -5V, +5V 1A precision supply
• -12V, +12V 1A regulated supply

Pneumatic Supply

• Internal Pneumatic pump

The system also features a shaft assembly that carries a d.c. motor, tachogenerator, slotted and reflective opto-sensors for incremental and absolute position and a 360 degree precision potentiometer with indicator dial for closed-loop position control experiments.