Instrumentation & Measurement Magazine 26-1 - 17

instrumentationand
measurementsystems
Davorin Ambruš and Vedran Bilas
From Traditional to Contemporary
T
he paper brings a view on the evolution of instrumentation
and measurement (I&M) systems and their
applications. We start from I&M systems arising from
traditional application domains such as laboratory test and
measurement (T&M) equipment and industrial process instrumentation
and discuss key aspects of
such systems from the application and technological
point of view. We then move to
contemporary I&M systems and analyze
mechanisms driving their development,
including those coming from fast evolving
applications such as Industry 4.0, as
well as technology-based drivers related
to new sensors, materials, networking, and
data processing capabilities. We show how
those drivers shape the design and usage
of modern I&M systems for acoustic emission
analysis.
Traditional I&M Systems
Brief Background on Terminology
When discussing the terms " instrumentation "
and " measurement " among the
scientific and engineering community,
one often encounters differing views,
opinions, and interpretations, usually depending
on a person's educational and
professional background, current field of
interests, etc. Intuitively, it is clear the two terms are closely
related and to some extent overlapping. In line with a widely
accepted understanding, (electronic) instrumentation is considered
as design, realization, and use of (electronic) systems
for measurement of electrical and non-electrical quantities [1].
Measurement on the other hand is a process of quantifying the
attributes of an object or event which can be used to compare
with other objects or events [2]. In other words, instrumentation
is about measurement technology, while measurement is
more about methodology.
If we look at the term " I&M system, " it usually refers to any
kind of technical system (electronic, optical, mechanical, etc.)
used to perform measurements. Following on the discussions,
we may generally think of " I " in " I&M " as the part related to
February 2023
the technological aspects of the system, e.g., sensors, signal
processing, power, communication, etc., and " M " for the metrological
concepts, such as calibration, traceability, uncertainty
quantification, etc. In this paper, our focus shall be more on the
" I " part, as it is to a greater extent affected by technology and
applications.
I&M Systems and Traditional Application Domains
The use of the term instrumentation in a context of measurements
has its origins in the field of scientific instruments. This
has been one of the focal areas for the development of traditional
I&M concepts and a creation of fundamental knowledge
in both electronic systems technology and measurement
science. Nowadays, modern T&M equipment, including
benchtop instruments and modular measurement platforms,
are usually the first association that comes to one's mind in the
context of I&M systems.
Another important I&M field has been the industrial process
instrumentation. Unlike T&M equipment which revolves
primarily around measurement in its basic sense, the end
purpose of process instrumentation is to provide feedback information
for control and monitoring of industrial processes.
This somewhat changes the perspective in terms of I&M system
design, technical requirements, and practical usage (Table 1).
Electronic System-A Key Technological Enabler
of I&M
Despite the apparent differences between the two traditional
I&M application domains, they both share the underlying
technology. Besides the world of fully-mechanical or hydraulic
measurement apparatuses (which do still play a vital role
in safety-critical industrial environments), one can easily find
that present-day I&M applications rely dominantly on electronic
systems (Fig. 1).
A traditional I&M system is composed of one or more
electronic systems with clearly defined input/output interfaces,
block functionalities, and strong hierarchy. In general,
electronic signal chains of such systems usually follow some
well-established design principles that combine I&M theory,
best engineering practices and application-specific knowledge.
An illustrative example is the analog input channel of
an industrial programmable logic controller (PLC): the signal
chain accommodates standardized voltage/current input
IEEE Instrumentation & Measurement Magazine
1094-6969/23/$25.00©2023IEEE
17

Instrumentation & Measurement Magazine 26-1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Instrumentation & Measurement Magazine 26-1

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