MAE334 - Introduction to Instrumentation and Computers

Midterm Examination

October 25, 2006

o Closed Book and Notes

o No Calculators

1. Fill in your name on side 2 of the

scoring sheet (Last name first!)

2. Fill in your 8-digit person

number on your scoring sheet.

3. Fill in circle 1 under GRADE

OR EDUCATION on your scoring
sheet. This is your test number!
You will receive a ZERO if you do
not indicate your test number.

o For each question, choose THE BEST ANSWER and mark the
corresponding answer on the scoring sheet.

The terms lab 1 and lab 2 refer to: Lab 1 Basics of A to D

Conversion and Lab 2 Thermocouple, Static and Dynamic
Calibration

The last page of the exam has the “Student-t Distribution Table” and the
x  x
“Probability Values for Normal Error Function z1  1 ”

1. The static sensitivity of a thermistor is constant over all temperatures.
a. True
b. False
2. In lab 2 the thermocouple response was linearized by taking the natural log of
 (T  T (t )) 
the function,    , where t is time and T, is temperature.
 (T  T0 ) 
a. True
b. False
3. Repeated measurements of a static temperature reading will
a. Have a normal distribution
b. Show the bias error
c. Can be used to determine the measurement system precision
d. All of the above
e. None of the above
4. An 8 bit ADC with an ±12.8 volt input signal range subjected to a 4.1 volt signal
will output a value.
a. 4
b. 41
c. 82
d. 8
e. None of the above

A temperature sensor is to be selected to measure the fluctuating temperature

within a cylinder of an internal combustion engine. It is suspected that the
temperature will behave as a periodic waveform with a frequency around 180
radians/second. (Rotating at 1800 rpm). Several size sensors are available, each
with a known time constant.
5. What percent reduction in output/input signal magnitude would you expect at
the 1800 cycle/minute frequency from a thermocouple with a 1/9 of a second
time constant? (assume  = 3 and static sensitivity, K=1)
a. 5%
b. 30%
c. 70%
d. 95%
e. None of the above
6. If you were required to maintain a dynamic error of less than 29.3%
( M ( )  70.7%  1/ 2 ) for the internal combustion engine temperature
measurement described above what would be an acceptable thermocouple
time constant?
a. 1/180 seconds
b. 1/90 seconds
c. 1/60 seconds
d. 1/30 seconds
e. None of the above

MAE 334 – Midterm Exam, October 25, 2006 2 of 7

7. Thermistors are normally not as sensitive as RTDs, but are much less
expensive to manufacture.
a. True
b. False
8. An inclined manometer with an indicating leg at 30° containing colored water
(specific weight, = 1.0) is used to measure pressure. What is the static
sensitivity of the manometer in (Pressure in Inches of Water/Inches of
Deflection)?
a. 0.5
b. 1.0
c. 1.5
d. 2.0
e. None of the above
9. A strain-gauge equipped diaphragm pressure transducer is a null device with a
dynamic behavior described as a second-order system.
a. True
b. False
10. An under damped second order system will always oscillate with a greater
amplitude than the forcing when the input forcing is at the natural frequency.
a. True
b. False
11. The precision error associated with the ADC used in our lab can not be less
than
a. 10/200/212 Volts
b. 20/200/212 Volts
c. 20/212 Volts
d. None of the above
12. It is known that the statistics of a normally distributed temperature signal are x’
= 20 °C and 2 = 4 °C2. What is the probability that a measurement will yield a
value greater than 24 °C?
a. 5%
b. 32%
c. 34%
d. 48%
e. 52%
13. The input impedance of a deflection device such as a Bourdon Tube pressure
gauge is inversely proportional to the static sensitivity.
a. True
b. False
14. An extraneous variable in an experiment usually refers to all possible
unaccounted for or uncontrollable variables that can affect the value of the
measured variable.
a. True
b. False

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Table 1. Sample data set with a normal distribution, a mean value of 1.0 and a
standard deviation of 0.15 and a plot of the data set with a linear curve fit added.
i xi i xi 1.40
1 0.98 14 1.02
2 1.07 15 0.94 1.30
3 0.86 16 1.11 y = -0.0019x + 1.0276
4 1.16 17 0.99 1.20 2
R = 0.008
5 0.96 18 0.78
6 0.68 19 1.06 1.10
7 1.34 20 0.96
8 1.04 21 0.99 1.00
9 1.21 22 1.02
10 0.86 23 1.10 0.90
11 1.02 24 0.98
0.80
12 1.26 25 0.97

0.70

0.60
0 5 10 15 20 25
13 1.08
15. Given the data set in Table 1, what is the probability of recording a value within
the range of 1.0 ± 0.30
a. 50%
b. 90%
c. 95%
d. 99%
e. None of the above
16. Given the data set in Table 1, give an estimate of the true mean value of the
measurand at 99% probability
a. x  x  (2.787  0.03)
b. x  x  (2.797  0.03)
c. x  x  (2.787  0.15)
d. x  x  (2.797  0.15)
e. None of the above
17. The line fit to the data set in Table 1 has how many degrees of freedom?
a. 25
b. 24
c. 23
d. None of the above
18. The correlation coefficient, R2 value of 0.008, indicates a high quality fit to the
data in Table 1.
a. True
b. False

MAE 334 – Midterm Exam, October 25, 2006 4 of 7

 Large Step Input Thermocouple
Dynamic Calibration in Water

80
70
60
Temperature (C)

50
Temp Data
40
Simulation
30
20
10
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Time (sec)

Figure 1. Data set from Lab 2 dynamic calibration.

19. The approximate time constant, , of the thermocouple response plotted in

Figure 1 is:
a. 2 seconds
b. 5 seconds
c. 7 seconds
d. 10 seconds
e. 23 seconds
20. If a thermocouple is more sensitive (the static sensitivity is larger) the dynamic
response would be faster (the time constant would be smaller).
a. True
b. False
21. The ADC used in the lab would output what binary value corresponding to -4?
a. 111111111100
b. 100000000100
c. 000000000100
d. 111111111011
e. None of the above
22. The ADC used in our lab has what type of architecture?
a. Flash
b. Pipelined
c. Successive approximation
d. Sigma-delta

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 Second Order System Response

2
1.8
1.6
Response (units)

1.4
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0 5 10 15
Time (seconds)

Figure 2. Pressure transducer time response to a step input function.

23. The rise time in seconds of the pressure transducer plotted in Figure 2 is
approximately
a. 0.5
b. 1.0
c. 10.
d. None of the above
24. The natural frequency of the pressure transducer plotted in Figure 2 is very
close to
a. 0.5 Hz
b. 1.0 Hz
c. 10 Hz
d. None of the above
25. The ADC architecture normally associated with the best resolution is
a. Flash
b. Pipelined
c. Successive approximation
d. Sigma-delta
26. A 55 Hz sine wave sampled at 100 Hz will result in a sampled data set with
what frequency
a. 45 Hz
b. 55 Hz
c. 5 Hz
d. none of the above

MAE 334 – Midterm Exam, October 25, 2006 6 of 7

 Table 2. Student-t Distribution
 t50 t90 t95 t99
15 0.691 1.753 2.063 2.947
16 0.690 1.746 2.052 2.921
17 0.689 1.740 2.043 2.898
18 0.688 1.734 2.035 2.878
19 0.688 1.729 2.027 2.861
20 0.687 1.725 2.021 2.845
21 0.686 1.721 2.015 2.831
22 0.686 1.717 2.010 2.819
23 0.685 1.714 2.005 2.807
24 0.685 1.711 2.000 2.797
25 0.684 1.708 1.996 2.787
x1  x
Table 3. Probability Values for Normal Error Function z1 

0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.09
0 0.0000 0.0040 0.0080 0.0120 0.0160 0.0199 0.0239 0.0279 0.0319 0.0359
0.1 0.0398 0.0438 0.0478 0.0517 0.0557 0.0596 0.0636 0.0675 0.0714 0.0753
0.2 0.0793 0.0832 0.0871 0.0910 0.0948 0.0987 0.1026 0.1064 0.1103 0.1141
0.3 0.1179 0.1217 0.1255 0.1293 0.1331 0.1368 0.1406 0.1443 0.1480 0.1517
0.4 0.1554 0.1591 0.1628 0.1664 0.1700 0.1736 0.1772 0.1808 0.1844 0.1879
0.5 0.1915 0.1950 0.1985 0.2019 0.2054 0.2088 0.2123 0.2157 0.2190 0.2224
0.6 0.2257 0.2291 0.2324 0.2357 0.2389 0.2422 0.2454 0.2486 0.2517 0.2549
0.7 0.2580 0.2611 0.2642 0.2673 0.2704 0.2734 0.2764 0.2794 0.2823 0.2852
0.8 0.2881 0.2910 0.2939 0.2967 0.2995 0.3023 0.3051 0.3078 0.3106 0.3133
0.9 0.3159 0.3186 0.3212 0.3238 0.3264 0.3289 0.3315 0.3340 0.3365 0.3389
1 0.3413 0.3438 0.3461 0.3485 0.3508 0.3531 0.3554 0.3577 0.3599 0.3621
1.1 0.3643 0.3665 0.3686 0.3708 0.3729 0.3749 0.3770 0.3790 0.3810 0.3830
1.2 0.3849 0.3869 0.3888 0.3907 0.3925 0.3944 0.3962 0.3980 0.3997 0.4015
1.3 0.4032 0.4049 0.4066 0.4082 0.4099 0.4115 0.4131 0.4147 0.4162 0.4177
1.4 0.4192 0.4207 0.4222 0.4236 0.4251 0.4265 0.4279 0.4292 0.4306 0.4319
1.5 0.4332 0.4345 0.4357 0.4370 0.4382 0.4394 0.4406 0.4418 0.4429 0.4441
1.6 0.4452 0.4463 0.4474 0.4484 0.4495 0.4505 0.4515 0.4525 0.4535 0.4545
1.7 0.4554 0.4564 0.4573 0.4582 0.4591 0.4599 0.4608 0.4616 0.4625 0.4633
1.8 0.4641 0.4649 0.4656 0.4664 0.4671 0.4678 0.4686 0.4693 0.4699 0.4706
1.9 0.4713 0.4719 0.4726 0.4732 0.4738 0.4744 0.4750 0.4756 0.4761 0.4767
2 0.4772 0.4778 0.4783 0.4788 0.4793 0.4798 0.4803 0.4808 0.4812 0.4817
2.1 0.4821 0.4826 0.4830 0.4834 0.4838 0.4842 0.4846 0.4850 0.4854 0.4857
2.2 0.4861 0.4864 0.4868 0.4871 0.4875 0.4878 0.4881 0.4884 0.4887 0.4890
2.3 0.4893 0.4896 0.4898 0.4901 0.4904 0.4906 0.4909 0.4911 0.4913 0.4916
2.4 0.4918 0.4920 0.4922 0.4925 0.4927 0.4929 0.4931 0.4932 0.4934 0.4936
2.5 0.4938 0.4940 0.4941 0.4943 0.4945 0.4946 0.4948 0.4949 0.4951 0.4952
2.6 0.4953 0.4955 0.4956 0.4957 0.4959 0.4960 0.4961 0.4962 0.4963 0.4964
2.7 0.4965 0.4966 0.4967 0.4968 0.4969 0.4970 0.4971 0.4972 0.4973 0.4974
2.8 0.4974 0.4975 0.4976 0.4977 0.4977 0.4978 0.4979 0.4979 0.4980 0.4981
2.9 0.4981 0.4982 0.4982 0.4983 0.4984 0.4984 0.4985 0.4985 0.4986 0.4986
3 0.4987 0.4987 0.4987 0.4988 0.4988 0.4989 0.4989 0.4989 0.4990 0.4990

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