Langereis G. Electronic Measurements. Measurement Theory, Circuits..Sensors 2020

Textbook in PDF format

In our information age, the probing of data is the elementary source for understanding the world around us. In most technical systems, these measurements are done by electronic systems. This book teaches the fundamentals of measurements, the technology of sensors, and the fundamentals of electronic circuits. The measurement system is approached as a chain to convert a physical quantity via an electronic sensor setup into a digital bus signal. Extra focus is on the management of measurement errors, circuit theory and the sensor as an electronic transducer.
A measurement is an action to verify an assumption. The outcome is evidence in combination with the appropriate interpretation. Therefore, it is essential to understand all ins and outs of a measurement. What is measured? What may have influenced the measurement? This book gives some background in the common knowledge behind measurements.
The direct purpose of a measurement is to get knowledge about a system or phenomenon. Roughly speaking, a measurement can be part of two processes:
1) The first one is a research process where we are creating knowledge about our world. We try to understand the world, and to do this, we are building models. Measurements are needed to verify these models. This is the scientific approach.
2) The second process in which we need measurements is the product creation process. The design of a product is done based on specifications. In that case, we must know if our initial products, or prototypes, meet these specifications. In some cases, we have to check if we meet a certain standard, for example an emission standard. We need the measurements to convince the customer that the product does what we promise. So the measurements help us to guide our design process: this is the engineering approach