ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the subject of instrumentation, as related to control engineering. It considers the “instrumenting” of a control system with sensors, transducers, actuators, and associated hardware. The components have to be properly chosen and interconnected in order to achieve a specified level of performance. Relevant issues are addressed. A representative set of analog and digital sensors are presented. Stepper motor and dc motor are presented as popular actuators in control systems. Procedures of motor selection and control are addressed. The use of the computer software tool LabVIEW® for data acquisition and control, particularly in laboratory experimentation, is illustrated.
