SENSORS and

SIGNAL
PROCESSING

Lecture notes
Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.
 Lecture 6-8:
Resistive sensors
Main contents
1. Potentiometers
2. Strain gages
3. Resistive Temperature Detectors
4. Thermistors
5. Magneto resistors
6. Other characteristic
7. Primary sensors

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 2 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 POTENTIOMETERS*
This chapter discusses sensors based on a variation in resistance.
A potentiometer is a resistive device with a linear or rotary sliding contact.

R l Where 𝜌 is the resistivity, 𝑆 is the cross section, 𝑙 is the length

S

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 3 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 POTENTIOMETERS*
- A constant voltage 𝑣𝑟𝑒𝑓 is applied across the coil (or film) using an external dc voltage supply.
- The output signal 𝑣𝑜 of the transducer is the DC voltage between the movable contact (wiper
arm)
sliding on the coil and the reference-voltage terminal of the coil

L
L

Given :
L,vref , x, find v0 ?
Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 4 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.
 POTENTIOMETERS*
Practical potentiometer configurations for measuring: (a) Rectilinear motions. (b) Angular motions

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 5 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 POTENTIOMETERS*
Question: The transfer function of potentiometer is nonlinear or linear with wiper position? why?

wiper
wiper

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 6 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 POTENTIOMETERS*
Example 1: A 270o single-turn 1.5kΩ carbon track rotary potentiometer is required to
provide a 6 volt supply from a 9 volt battery. Calculate,
1. The angular position of the wiper on the track in degrees
2. The values of the resistances either side of the wiper.
Solution:

R2

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 8 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 POTENTIOMETERS*
Question: The transfer function of potentiometer with load is nonlinear or linear
with wiper position? why?

b)

OB

A rotatory potentiometer with a resistive

load

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 10 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 POTENTIOMETERS
Loading effect problem:

5.4V
? ?
6V

Circuit (1) Circuit (2)

Circuit (1) Circuit (2)
(Loading effect)
R2  1000  1000(3000)
RP  1000  
750
Problem: Loading effect and how to reduce it? 3000

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 13 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 POTENTIOMETERS
Loading Effect and how to reduce it?
Example: a potentiometer 1[KΩ] having length l=15[mm]. The wiper
linear or rotary movement from the device to be measured
turns or slides the wiper with a distance x, and the Load
resistance Rm=330Ω, Vr =20V. Determine position of wiper such l [mm]
that:
a) vm = 5V Rm
b) im = i/2
vm
x mm

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 15 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 POTENTIOMETERS
c) How to reduce 𝜺, without increase Rm

- A simple way to reduce the loading error without increasing Rm is to place a resistor equal to Rm
on
the top side of the potentiometer, as shown in Figure.

- Proof loading effect is zero with above electrical circuit

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 20 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 POTENTIOMETERS
Convert potentiometer to ADC
The digital output of potentiometer will be given
by:
iAD 0 Potentionmeter
more sensitive

Compute ADC: D=?

vm
Vr 2n 1

vm vm
ADC 2n
1V
r

ADC 2n 1

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 24 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 POTENTIOMETERS
Amplifier: Op Amp (Operational Amplifier):
- An amplifier is an electronic device that increases the voltage, current, or power of a signal.
- Many types of sensors produce weak signals that have to be upgraded before they could be fed
into a monitoring system, data processor, controller, or data logger

- Op-amps

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 28 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 POTENTIOMETERS
Amplifier
- Op-amps widely used as the basic building blocks in producing other types of amplifiers

Zo , Zi

vout vin
K vip Kvi
Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 29 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.
 POTENTIOMETERS
Op Amp configuration and Golden rule

Ex.
(Negative feedback)

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 32 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

Op Amp configuration and Golden
POTENTIOMETERS
rule

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 33 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

Op Amp configuration and Golden
POTENTIOMETERS
rule Example: remove loading effect of the second rule

Example:

34 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators
 POTENTIOMETERS
Op Amp configuration and Golden rule

Loading effect

Loading effect
Elimination

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 35 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

Example
POTENTIOMETERS
: Solution:

Find Vout?

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 36 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 POTENTIOMETERS
Example: Solution:

Find Vout?

© Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 37
 POTENTIOMETERS
Example 1:

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 39 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 POTENTIOMETERS
Example 2:

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 41 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 STRAIN GAGE (GAUGE)
- Strain gauges is electrical sensor used to measure force.

- Length change  Resistance change

- When a force F is applied to a wire, within the elastic limit 

Length wire change

F dl
E l E
A

- Where 𝜎 is the mechanical stress (sức căng), 𝜺 is the strain dl

(độ biến dạng), unit “µε” (microstrain), E is the Young’s factor
(specific for each material and temperature-dependent)
E

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 47 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 STRAIN GAGE (GAUGE)*
- Strain gauges shape as picture
- If there is a small variations, the resistance of the metallic
wire changes dR, thus

dR dl
G l G
R0
where l is length of resistance, G gage factor
and R0 is the resistance when there is no applied stress

is strain factor, with unit (microstrain)

dR
R R0 dR R0 1
R0
dR
R R x , where x G
1 0 R0
where l is length of resistance, G gage factor

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 48 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 STRAIN GAGE (GAUGE)*
Operational principle (remind)
- The shape of workpiece is changed (expansion or
compression) due to external loading, so the
resistance of strain gauge also changes.
- This change in resistance can be detected by a using a
Wheatstone’s resistance bridge.

How to find out

value of V =?
Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 49 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.
 STRAIN GAGE (GAUGE)*
Categories of strain gage

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 50 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 STRAIN GAGE (GAUGE)
Example: Ramon P-A, J.G. Webster, “sensor and signal conditioning,” 2nd John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Solution:

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 51 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 STRAIN GAGE (GAUGE)*
Operational principle (remind)
- The shape of workpiece is changed (expansion or
compression) due to external loading, so the
resistance of strain gage also changes. R1 R2
- This change in resistance can be detected by a using a
Wheatstone’s resistance bridge. A B
Vref
- What is condition of 𝑅𝑥, 𝑅1,𝑅2 and 𝑅3 to ensure balance R4

of the Wheatstone’s bridge? R3

Wheatston's bridge balance: VA VB 0

Vref Vref
R4 R3
R1 R4 R2 R3
0

R1 R3 R2 R4 R4 R3
R1 R2

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 53 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 STRAIN GAGE (GAUGE)*
Operational principle (remind)
- Once a load applies to strain gage R3 will change

R change R4 R3
V 0 A B
3 AB
R1 R2
Base on VA we can determine the value of load/force,..
B

- Op Amp can be used to amplify the output

© Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 54
 STRAIN GAGE (GAUGE)
Sensitivity and Linearity
- Determine a transfer function of circuit, and
sensitivity?

© Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 55

Applications:
STRAIN GAGE (GAUGE)*
2.Measuring the stress of turbine
blades 3. Airplane application: measure stresses along
load paths for wing deflection
strain gage

Strain gauges are widely used in experimental stress analysis and diagnosis on machines and failure
analysis. They are basically used for multi-axial stress fatigue testing, residual stress and vibration
measurement, torque measurement, bending and deflection measurement, compression and tension
measurement and strain measurement

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 60 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 STRAIN GAGE (GAUGE)*
Applications:
4. Application of strain gauge to test failure

In civil engineering application, strain gauges are used to install on structural components in a bridge or
building to measure stress and compare them to analytical models and stress calculations and check failure

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 61 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 STRAIN GAGE (GAUGE)*
Applications:
5. heavy stress when heavy trains pass over them at high speeds. 6. stresses of crashing through waves

It’s not just the train that must be checked, but the
rail tracks themselves because they are subjected to Boat and ship require testing as well to ensure that they
heavy stress when heavy trains pass over them at can handle the stresses of crashing through waves.
high speeds. Propellers are also tested stress, strain, and torque on drive
shafts and other rotating parts in the propulsion system.
Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 62 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.
 RESISTIVE TEMPERATURE DETECTORS (RTDs)*
Definitions
- An RTD (resistance temperature detector) is a temperature detector based upon a variation
in
electric resistance.
- The commonest metal is platinum material, we called sensor is Platinum Resistance
Thermometer (PRT).

© Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 63

 RESISTIVE TEMPERATURE DETECTORS (RTDs)*
Definitions

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 64 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 RESISTIVE TEMPERATURE DETECTORS (RTDs)*
Definitions

The relationship between resistance R and temperature T

can be expressed by a polynomial equation:

RT R0 1 A(T T0 )
where R 0 is resistance at T0 (usually either 0oC, 20oC, 25oC)
A is positive temperature coefficients (material-dependent)

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 65 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 RESISTIVE TEMPERATURE DETECTORS (RTDs)*
Definitions
The temperature coefficient for all pure
⋅°C-1. Temperature coefficients A for
metals is of the order of 0.003–0.007 Ω⋅Ω-
1
common metals are listed in Table 2.2 .

66 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators
 RESISTIVE TEMPERATURE DETECTORS (RTDs)*
RTD with platinum material

at T0 0oC, R 0 100
at T0 100oC, R 0 138.5
RTD
equation
platinum : Requation
R0 1 : RTT R0 1 T , 0.003851, R0 100
From T T0
138.5 100
0.003851 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.
100 100

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 67

 RESISTIVE TEMPERATURE DETECTORS (RTDs)*
Example of RTD sensors
A PT100 RTD Sensor measures 100Ω at 0[°C] and 139.1Ω at 100[°C]. Calculate its temperature
coefficient, Calculate the resistance at 40[°C], and find the temperature when the resistance is 116Ω,
Solve:

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 68 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 RESISTIVE TEMPERATURE DETECTORS (RTDs)*
Example 2 of RTD sensors

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 70 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 THERMISTOR (Thermoresistive semiconductor)*
Thermistor is resistive temperature sensor based on semiconductor
• The main advantage of thermistors: high sensitivity.

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 76 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

(NTC) (PTC)
 THERMISTOR*
NTC is more popular than PTC, its computation
Thermistor = thermal + resistor.
Relationship between R and T:
1 1
T T25
Resistance of thermistor: RT R25e
RT : resistance at T[0K] temperature (in Kelvin)
R : resistance at 250C temperature (or R R)
25 25 0
T 273.15 25 298
298.15 (or T
0K )
25 K 0

is characteristic temperature coefficient of the material

Relative sensitivity:
2
T

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 77 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 THERMISTOR*

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 78 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 DIFFERENCE MEASUREMENT AND COMPENSATION
Problem:
Using strain/temperature sensor to measure a difference
value (sensor.1) (sensor.4)

(or temperature sensor.1)

(or temperature 1)

(sensor.2) (sensor.3)
(or temperature sensor.2)

Vr Vr Vr

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 84 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 DIFFERENCE MEASUREMENT AND COMPENSATION
Problem:
• We can use a compensating gauge that experiences resistance change caused only by
the temperature variation the same as that of the specimen.

2 methods for establish an electrical circuit

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 85 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.

 HCMUTE Univ. - FME
https://fme.hcmute.edu.vn/

Lecture notes info

Sensors and Signal Processing
Fall Semester, 2023

Copy right © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh,

Ph.D. Email: thanh.hlnn@hcmute.edu.vn
Sites: https://sites.google.com/view/halenhungocthanh/courses?authuser=0

Mechatronics Engineering – Sensors and Actuators 106 © Ha Le Nhu Ngoc Thanh, Ph.D.