Ways to check up on your frequency

This book, based on an earlier work by the same author, aims "to support introductory courses in measurement and instrumentation and to provide in-depth coverage of advanced topics for higher level courses".

It contains much useful material, but the title is misleading because many key principles are not addressed. The chapter on performance characteristics makes only brief mention of the key characteristics of non-linearity and resolution. Differential equations for first and second-order dynamics are stated without explaining why they describe physical systems. Step responses are given but not frequency responses. The chapter on errors gives the impression that the only major sources of error are electrical loading and environmental effects. Intelligent devices are covered but there is no description of device structure or how key functions such as error reduction are carried out.

The book goes on to describe many measurement devices and methods but there is no real attempt to derive device input-output characteristics from basic physical principles.

Much of the material is available in other textbooks and some is outdated. The main advantage of this book, though, is its coverage of a wide range of measurement and instrumentation topics.

John P. Bentley is professor of measurement systems, University of Teesside.