MECHATRONIC DESIGN ELEMENTS:

Figure shows general mechatronic design elements.

MECHATRONIC DESIGN ELEMENTS:
The sensory system consists of sensors or transducers. In mechatronic
systems, a sensor is an element, which accepts the physical quantities
(process variables) from mechanical processes (dynamic system) and convert
them into a signal that can be processed by the system. At this stage,
transducer is used. A transducer is defined as a device that converts physical
quantities into an output, usually a voltage. The term sensor is often used to
refer to a transducer or a combination of transducer and signal processor.
Different physical quantities from mechanical processes are temperature,
pressure, flow, force, strain, acceleration, vibration and so forth. The output
of sensory system is applied to signal conditioning elements which are also
called as signal processors. Function of signal conditioning element is
discussed as follows.
Usually the output of a transducer is an analog signal (voltage or current) that is
continuous and time varying. The outputs of transducers are not in the desired
form as we would like to process them. These signals may
be too small (in the range of millivolts).
be too noisy (due to electromagnetic interference, stray electric and
magnetic fields).
contain dc offset.
not be compatible with next stages (like indicating instruments, display
devices, controlling elements, etc.).
contain wrong information (due to poor designing and wrong installation
of transducers).
The above-stated problems can be recovered by using proper signal
conditioning elements. Most common operational amplifiers (op-amps) with
passive elements can be used as signal conditioning elements. Most commonly
used signal conditioning process is amplification using amplifier in which the
signal magnitude is increased. Other signal conditioning elements are adder,
subtractor, integrator, differentiator, converters (voltage to current or current to
voltage), comparator, sample and hold amplifier, instrumentation amplifier and
so forth. If the system is microprocessor or microcontroller or computer based
then analog-to-digital converters are used as signal conditioning elements.
Mechatronic systems employ actuators, which are parts of the physical process
being monitored and controlled. Actuation is the result of a direct physical
action on process directly. In any physical process, there is motion or some sort
of action. This motion or action can be applied to mechanical processes or
structure through actuators. Actuators take low-power signals from computers
throu
g
h signal conditioning elements and produce high output signals (physical
quantities) that are applied to the process as input. Examples of actuators are
steeper motor, solenoids, synchros and so forth.
Programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are industrial devices used for interfacing
and controlling analog and digital devices. A PLC is a sequential logic device that
generates output signals according to logic operations performed on the input
signals. The major difference between a computer controller and a
programmable controller is that the programmable controller is designed to
interface with industrial processes directly, whereas a computer system
requires, data acquisition, signal processing, memory and logic and peripherals
before process implementation. The PLCs are programmed with ladder logic,
which is a graphical method of laying out the connectivity and logic between
system inputs and outputs. A typical PLC consists of integrated power supply,
central processing unit, memory elements, programmer/monitor, input and
output modules.

Microcontroller provides a small flexible control platform and it can be easily
embedded in mechatronic systems. A microcontroller is basically a
microcomputer on a single integrated circuit (IC) containing microprocessor,
memory, input/output capabilities and other on-chip resources.
Microcontrollers are low cost, versatile, small size and easy programming
devices. Hence they can be easily embedded in mechatronic system designing.
In large mechatronic systems, computers (desktop/personal computers/laptop)
are used as appropriate control platforms. Computer can be easily interfaced
with sensors and actuators through proper converters