BEng Electronic Engineering with Industrial Experience / Course details

Year of entry: 2023

Course unit details:
Sensors & Instrumentation

Course unit fact file
Unit code	EEEN30242
Credit rating	10
Unit level	Level 3
Teaching period(s)	Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit?	No

Introduction: Overview of sensors, overview of instrumentation.
Fundamental Sensor Concepts: Sensor characteristics: transfer function, range and sensitivity, errors and calibration, accuracy and precision, linearity, hysteresis.
Sensors for position, displacement, level and flow, occupancy.
Sensors for velocity, acceleration, force and strain.
Sensors for radiation: sources, detectors, optical circuit components.
Sensors for temperature: reference points, thermoresistive and thermoelectric sensors.
Sensor interfaces: bridge circuits, capacitance–to-voltage and light-to-voltage converters
Sensing electronic circuits: input characteristics, excitation circuits, overview of amplifiers, amplifier noise (mechanisms, noise figure, noise model).
Signal conditioning: instrumentation amplifier, phase-sensitive modulation/demodulation, signal averaging, ratiometric detection.
System architecture and performance: voltage- and current-transmission systems, noise generation mechanisms and characteristics, external noise coupling and suppression.
System design: quantization error, sampling frequency, aliasing frequency.

The course unit aims to:

Introduce the various types of sensors and their applications and to discuss the methods of interfacing sensors to electronic systems.
Expose students to practical design issues relating to the selection of the suitable sensors for a specific sensing application.
Introduce electronic instrumentation systems and components.
Enable students to apply fundamental design rules to achieve required performance instrumentation devices and systems.

On the successful completion of the course, students will be able to:		Developed	Assessed
ILO 1	Describe the principles of operation of the main types of sensors	x	x
ILO 2	Analyse the specifications and main characteristics of various types of sensors	x	x
ILO 3	Utilise the merits of various types of sensors for a wide range of application systems	x	x
ILO 4	Select components for instrumentation systems	x	x
ILO 5	Select appropriate designs for simple electronic sensor interface systems	x	x
ILO6	Critically evaluate the state of the art in sensors and instrumentation and communicate a technical understanding of modern sensor and instrumentation systems	x	x

Method	Weight
Other	20%
Written exam	80%

Coursework. Sensor Design Study

Length: 5 pages technical writing

How and when feedback is provided: 2 weeks after extended deadline

Weighting: 20%

MbClick. Multiple choice questions quiz

Length: 3 mbclick sessions of 15 min each

How and when feedback is provided: Immediately, online with comments on the correct answers

Coursework. Sensor Design Study

How and when feedback is provided: 2 weeks after extended deadline

MbClick. Multiple choice questions quiz

How and when feedback is provided: Immediately, online with comments on the correct answers

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures	20
Tutorials	4

Independent study hours
Independent study	76

Staff member	Role
Wuqiang Yang	Unit coordinator
Jayawan Hasanka Bandara Wijekoon Herath Mudiyanselage	Unit coordinator