Test and measurement
Process instruments include the electronics required to measure process variables, such as temperature, pressure, level and flow, using a variety of sensors and methods
In order not to distort the measurement result, the signal processing in the measurement devices must always be significantly faster than the signals to be measured, so metrology applications often use components which must be specified for very high frequencies. In addition to the most vital LNAs signal generators, spectrum analysers and other metrological devices require phased lock loop (PLL) ICs to perform sweep-based measurements over the widest possible frequency range. The display and analysis of data, and also to some extent the control of the measurement device itself, are performed on a PC, laptop or tablet computer, which is connected to the actual measurement electronics via WLAN or Bluetooth. For example, there are flue gas measuring probes for chimney sweepers, which detect the soot content and the concentration of gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, etc., in the flue gas. The probes provide and send the corresponding measurement values via Bluetooth or WLAN to a laptop or tablet computer, where the actual evaluation and processing of the data takes place. When chimney sweeps sit at their desks in the evening after the completion of numerous measurements in various houses, they transfer this data from their portable laptops or tablet computers to their PCs, where they carry out client-related analyses and filing, print the measurement reports, write invoices, etc.