MECHATRONIC DESIGN ELEMENTS: The sensory system consists of sensors or transducers. In mechatronic systems, a sensor is an element, which accepts the physical quantities (process variables) from mechanical processes (dynamic system) and convert them into a signal that can be processed by the system. At this stage, transducer is used. A transducer is defined as a device that converts physical quantities into an output, usually a voltage. The term sensor is often used to refer to a transducer or a combination of transducer and signal processor. Different physical quantities from mechanical processes are temperature, pressure, flow, force, strain, acceleration, vibration and so forth. The output of sensory system is applied to signal conditioning elements which are also called as signal processors. Function of signal conditioning element is discussed as follows. Usually the output of a transducer is an analog signal (voltage or current) that is continuous and time varying. The outputs of transducers are not in the desired form as we would like to process them. These signals may be too small (in the range of millivolts). be too noisy (due to electromagnetic interference, stray electric and magnetic fields). contain dc offset. not be compatible with next stages (like indicating instruments, display devices, controlling elements, etc.). contain wrong information (due to poor designing and wrong installation of transducers). The above-stated problems can be recovered by using proper signal conditioning elements. Most common operational amplifiers (op-amps) with passive elements can be used as signal conditioning elements. Most commonly used signal conditioning process is amplification using amplifier in which the signal magnitude is increased. Other signal conditioning elements are adder, subtractor, integrator, differentiator, converters (voltage to current or current to voltage), comparator, sample and hold amplifier, instrumentation amplifier and so forth. If the system is microprocessor or microcontroller or computer based then analog-to-digital converters are used as signal conditioning elements. Mechatronic systems employ actuators, which are parts of the physical process being monitored and controlled. Actuation is the result of a direct physical action on process directly. In any physical process, there is motion or some sort of action. This motion or action can be applied to mechanical processes or structure through actuators. Actuators take low-power signals from computers throu g h signal conditioning elements and produce high output signals (physical quantities) that are applied to the process as input. Examples of actuators are steeper motor, solenoids, synchros and so forth. Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are industrial devices used for interfacing and controlling analog and digital devices. A PLC is a sequential logic device that generates output signals according to logic operations performed on the input signals. The major difference between a computer controller and a programmable controller is that the programmable controller is designed to interface with industrial processes directly, whereas a computer system requires, data acquisition, signal processing, memory and logic and peripherals before process implementation. The PLCs are programmed with ladder logic, which is a graphical method of laying out the connectivity and logic between system inputs and outputs. A typical PLC consists of integrated power supply, central processing unit, memory elements, programmer/monitor, input and output modules.
Microcontroller provides a small flexible control platform and it can be easily embedded in mechatronic systems. A microcontroller is basically a microcomputer on a single integrated circuit (IC) containing microprocessor, memory, input/output capabilities and other on-chip resources. Microcontrollers are low cost, versatile, small size and easy programming devices. Hence they can be easily embedded in mechatronic system designing. In large mechatronic systems, computers (desktop/personal computers/laptop) are used as appropriate control platforms. Computer can be easily interfaced with sensors and actuators through proper converters
Is 2974 Part 4 1979 Indian Standard Code of Practice For Design and Construction of Machine Foundations - Part 4 Foundations For Rotary Type Machines of Low Frequency PDF