As we have seen, the concept of integration is finding the accumulation of one variable multiplied by another…
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Learning PLC programming is a very important skill. If your job involves programming, then you will likely…
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Data-processing modules within FF systems are known as function blocks. Sometimes these blocks serve merely to…
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The vast majority of PID controllers in service today are digital in nature. Microprocessors executing PID…
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As previously defined, calibration refers to the checking and adjustment of an instrument so that its output…
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A completely different way of measuring liquid level in vessels is to bounce a traveling wave off the surface…
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The simple PLC ladder diagram (LD) commands consist of contacts and coils, arranged in sequences that mimic…
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Light is known to interact with matter in very specific ways, which may be exploited as a means of measuring…
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Three-phase AC is the dominant mode of electric power generation and distribution in modern societies.…
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There are many process control applications in the industry where it is desirable to have multiple control…
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A technological advance introduced in the late 1980’s was HART, an acronym standing for Highway…
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In the United States, the most common language used to program PLCs is Ladder Diagram (LD), also known as…
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RTDs are completely passive sensing elements, requiring the application of an externally-sourced electric…
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Diagnostic ability is arguably the most difficult skill to develop within a student, and also the most…
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While 50 and 51 (instantaneous and time overcurrent) relay functions monitor line current magnitude and guard…
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As we have seen, the concept of differentiation is finding the rate-of-change of one variable compared to…
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The efficient identification and correction of instrument calibration errors is an important function for…
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Valves can experience a number of problems, most of them either preventable or repairable. These problems can…
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An extremely important topic in engineering is that of transfer functions. Simply defined, a transfer function…
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Instrument technicians should not have to concern themselves over the programming details internal to digital…
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To review, voltage is the measure of potential energy available to electric charges. Current is the uniform…
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The transformer is one of the most important components in all of AC circuitry. Principally used to…
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All masses require force to accelerate (we can also think of this in terms of the mass generating a reaction…
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A hand switch is exactly what the name implies: an electrical switch actuated by a person’s hand motion.…
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Some of the simplest types of digital communication networks found in industry are defined by the EIA…
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The digital multimeter (DMM) is quite possibly the most useful tool in the instrument technician’s…
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A chemical reaction resulting in a net release of energy is called exothermic. Conversely, a chemical reaction…
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A whole class of problem-solving techniques focuses on altering the given problem into a simpler form that is…
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In order for any PID controller to be practical, it must be able to do more than just implement the PID…
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The simple PLC ladder diagram (LD) commands consist of contacts and coils, arranged in sequences that mimic…
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A 4 to 20 mA current signal represents some signal along a 0 to 100 percent scale. Usually, this scale is…
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Sometimes we encounter a diversity of instrument signal standards in one control system. Such is the case with…
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A special type flowmeter suited for powdered or granular solids is the weighfeeder. One of the most common…
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Multiple accessories exist for pressure-sensing devices to function optimally in challenging process…
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Perhaps the most important rule of controller tuning is to know the process before attempting to adjust the…
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DC electric current signals may also be used to communicate process measurement information from transmitters…
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An important performance parameter for transmitter instruments is something often referred to as turndown or…
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“Polyphase” means “many phases,” describing a form of AC electrical system where…
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Any physical location in an industrial facility harboring the potential of explosion due to the presence of…
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An important legacy technology for all kinds of continuous measurement is the self-balancing system. A…
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The following animation shows a rotating phasor in three-dimensional form. The phasor rotates in a complex…
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Perhaps the most valuable skill an instrument technician can possess is the ability to efficiently diagnose…
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“Radio” systems use electromagnetic fields to communicate information over long distances through…
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A pneumatic controller receives a process variable (PV) signal as a variable air pressure, compares that…
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Filled-bulb systems exploit the principle of fluid expansion to measure temperature. If a fluid is enclosed in…
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A hand switch is exactly what the name implies: an electrical switch actuated by a person’s hand motion.…
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Impedance in a series circuit is the orthogonal sum of resistance and reactance: \[Z = \sqrt{R^2 + (X_L -…
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pH is the measurement of the hydrogen ion activity in a liquid solution. It is one of the most common forms of…
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Binary patterns are not just able to represent numerical values. Given a standardized code, they may represent…
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The purpose of a control valve actuator is to provide the motive force to operate a valve mechanism. Both…
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The most popular form of signal transmission used in modern industrial instrumentation systems (as of this…
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Light is known to interact with matter in very specific ways, which may be exploited as a means of measuring…
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As defined previously, calibration means the comparison and adjustment (if necessary) of an instrument’s…
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The vast majority of modern process transmitters (both analog and digital) come equipped with a feature known…
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In the United States, the most common language used to program PLCs is Ladder Diagram (LD), also known as…
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Some problem-solving techniques are unique to quantitative problems, involving mathematical calculations. In…
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A very common form of on/off valve used for pneumatic and hydraulic systems alike is the solenoid valve. A…
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The next level of detail is the Process and Instrument Diagram, or P&ID. Here, we see a “zooming…
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As we have seen, feedforward control is a way to improve the stability of a feedback control system in the…
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Feedback obtained from industrial users of FF reveal a common pattern: Fieldbus is a powerful and reliable…
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