Latest Motors & Motion Controls Education

Categories

Non-contact Temperature Sensors

Textbook

Virtually any mass above absolute zero temperature emits…

Phasors, Phase Shift and Phasor Algebra

Textbook

Phasors are to AC circuit quantities as polarity is to DC circuit…

Basic Feedback Control Principles

Textbook

Feedback Control System Components Before we begin our discussion on…

DC Motor Speed Control

Textbook

DC electric motors generate torque by a reaction between two magnetic…

Control Valve Actuators

Textbook

The purpose of a control valve actuator is to provide the motive force…

On/off Electric Motor Control Circuits

Textbook

An electric motor is often used as a discrete control element in a…

Valve Positioners

Textbook

The reason why a pneumatic control valve’s stem position…

Basics of Bridge Circuits

Textbook

A bridge circuit is basically a pair of voltage dividers where the…

Unit Conversions and Physical Constants

Textbook

Converting between disparate units of measurement is the bane of many…

Thermistors and Resistance Temperature Detectors (RTDs)

Textbook

One of the simplest classes of temperature sensor is one where…

On/off Shut-off Valves

Textbook

An on/off valve is the fluid equivalent of an electrical switch: a…

Differential (87) Current Protection

Textbook

One of the fundamental laws of electric circuits is Kirchhoff’s…

Force-balance Pressure Transmitters

Textbook

An important legacy technology for all kinds of continuous measurement…

Hand Switches and Stackable Switches

Textbook

A hand switch is exactly what the name implies: an electrical switch…

Controller Output Current Loops

Textbook

The simplest form of 4-20 mA current loop is the type used to…

Antennas and Resonant Circuits (Tank Circuits)

Textbook

Capacitors store energy in electric fields, proportional to the square…

Ultrasonic (Sound) Echo Level Measurement

Textbook

A completely different way of measuring liquid level in vessels is to…

Symbolic Versus Numerical Calculus

Textbook

Calculus has a reputation for being difficult to learn, and with good…

Understanding the Calculus Concepts of Differentiation and Integration

Textbook

The following animation shows the calculus concepts of differentiation…

“Normal” status of a Process Switch

Textbook

Perhaps the most confusing aspect of discrete sensors is the…

Fluorescence Measurement

Textbook

When a high-energy photon strikes an atom, it may eject one of the…

Fiber Optic Data Communication

Textbook

Light has long been used as a long-range signaling medium. While…

Quantitative PID Tuning Procedures

Textbook

A quantitative PID tuning procedure is a step-by-step approach leading…

Circuit Failure Analysis

Textbook

Perhaps the most valuable skill an instrument technician can possess…

Electrical Resistance and Ohm’s Law

Textbook

To review, voltage is the measure of potential energy available to…

Valve Seat Leakage

Textbook

In some process applications, it is important that the control valve…

Basics of pH Measurement in Industrial Control

Textbook

Hydrogen ion activity in aqueous (water-solvent) solutions is a very…

Colorimetric and Potentiometric pH Measurement

Textbook

pH is the measurement of the hydrogen ion activity in a liquid…

Common Control Valve Problems

Textbook

Valves can experience a number of problems, most of them either…

Pressure Switches

Textbook

A pressure switch is one detecting the presence of fluid pressure.…

Temperature Sensor Accessories

Textbook

One of the most important accessories for any temperature-sensing…

Interconnected Generators

Textbook

Any power grid large enough to meet the demand of an entire nation…

Instruction List (IL) Programming

Textbook

(Will be addressed in future versions of this book)

Functional Diagrams: the Flow of Information within a Control System

Textbook

A unique form of technical diagram for describing the abstract…

Motives for Compromising the Security of an Industrial Control System

Textbook

There are multiple motives for compromising the security of an…

Digital Multimeter (DMM) Tips and Tricks

Textbook

The digital multimeter (DMM) is quite possibly the most useful tool in…

The Stuxnet Virus

Textbook

In November of 2007 a new computer virus was submitted to a virus…

FOUNDATION Fieldbus H1 Protocol Segment Troubleshooting

Textbook

Feedback obtained from industrial users of FF reveal a common pattern:…

Control Valve Actuators

Textbook

The purpose of a control valve actuator is to provide the motive force…

Pilot Valves and Pneumatic Amplifying Relays

Textbook

Self-balancing mechanisms consisting solely of a baffle/nozzle…

Vibration Sensors

Textbook

Sensors used to measure vibration come in three basic types:…

Formulae for Common Chemical Compounds

Textbook

Most of these formulae appear in molecular chemical form rather than…

Gas Filter Correlation (GFC) Spectroscopy

Textbook

Using filter cells to eliminate wavelengths associated with…

Glossary of Cyber-security Terms

Textbook

Cyber-security seems to have its own vocabulary, ranging from unwieldy…

Proximity Switches

Textbook

A proximity switch is one detecting the proximity (closeness) of some…

Indicators, Recorders, Process Switches and Alarms

Textbook

So far we have just looked at instruments that sense, control, and…

Control Valve Characterization

Textbook

Control valves are supposed to deliver reliable, repeatable control of…

Electrical Sources and Electronic Load

Textbook

By definition, a source is a device delivering energy into a system,…