ABSTRACT
Sensors and actuators are two critical components of every closed loop control system. Such a system is also called a
mechatronics system
. A typical mechatronics system as shown in Fig. 16.1 consists of a sensing unit, a controller, and an actuating unit. A sensing unit can be as simple as a single sensor or can consist of additional components such as filters, amplifiers, modulators, and other signal conditioners. The controller accepts the information from the sensing unit, makes decisions based on the control algorithm, and outputs commands to the actuating unit. The actuating unit consists of an actuator and optionally a power supply and a coupling mechanism.
