Sensors and Actuators: Control System Instrumentation

Control systems are found in a wide variety of areas, including chemical processing, aerospace, manufacturing, and automotive engineering. Beyond the controller, sensors and actuators are the most important components of the control system, and students, regardless of their chosen engineering field, need to understand the fundamentals of how these components work, how to properly select them, and how to integrate them into an overall system. In Sensors and Actuators: Control System Instrumentation, bestselling author and expert Clarence de Silva outlines the fundamentals, analytical concepts, modeling and design issues, technical details, and practical applications of these devices. This text begins with a general introduction to control and various types of control systems, followed by component interconnection, signal conditioning, and performance specification and analysis. The author then systematically describes important types, characteristics, and operating principles of analog sensors, digital transducers, stepper motors, continuous-drive actuators, and mechanical transmission components, progressing from basic to more advanced concepts. Throughout the book, convenient snapshot windows summarize important and advanced theory and concepts, accompanied by numerous examples, exercises, case studies, and end-of-chapter problems. Ideally suited to both senior undergraduate and first-year graduate courses, Sensors and Actuators: Control System Instrumentation builds a firm foundation for future work in control and can be easily followed by students from almost any engineering discipline.