ELEN0074-1 : Sensors, microsensors and instrumentation

Study Programmes 2015-2016

ELEN0074-1

Sensors, microsensors and instrumentation

Duration :

30h Th, 20h Labo.

Number of credits :

Master in biomedical engineering (120 ECTS)		5
Master in electrical engineering (120 ECTS)		5
Master in electrical engineering (120 ECTS)		5
Master in electro-mechanical engineering (120 ECTS)		5
Master in electro-mechanical engineering (120 ECTS)		5
Master in mechanical engineering (120 ECTS)		5
Master in physical engineering (120 ECTS)		5
Master in physical engineering (120 ECTS)		5

Lecturer :

Philippe Vanderbemden

Language(s) of instruction :

English language

Organisation and examination :

Teaching in the second semester

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Course contents :

Physical principles of resistive, inductive, capacitive, piezoelectric, magnetic, thermoelectric, ultrasonic and optoelectronic (micro)sensors. Interface electronic circuits.

Learning outcomes of the course :

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

understand the physical principles of a range of sensors as well as their technical characteristics;
design and analyse appropriate interface circuits for a sensor with given characteristics;
appreciate various sources of noise and errors using sensors (e.g. industrial / biomedical applications or severe environmental conditions) and explain how to minimize them;
demonstrate practical skills as well as the ability to conduct a physical variable measurement experiment using sensors.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills :

---

Planned learning activities and teaching methods :

The course is based on "ex-cathedra" lectures (30 hours) and practical courses (30 hours).
The "ex-cathedra" lectures describe in detail the theoretical concepts involved in sensor physical principles and technical characteristics.
The practical courses involve 5 mandatory laboratory sessions.
During the laboratory sessions (1/2 day each), the students are in teams of (ideally) 3 people and carry out a number of electrical measurement experiments illustrating and aiming at understanding in detail the theoretical and practical concepts described in the theoretical lectures.
An optional "questions & answers" session is proposed at the end of the quadrimester.

Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :

Face-to-face