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Pneumatic PID controller.

Instrumentation is the science of measurement and control over variables. Measurement and control are often studied to improve the efficiency of a process.

Instrumentation may also mean the machines created to measure or control things.

The science of instrumentation involves finding how to measure or control something, creating the machine, and checking if the response is valid. It may also include the setup and use of the machine.

Measurement and control[change | change source]

An instrument is a tool used to measure and manage the variables in a process. Instrumentation can be used to measure various variables (physical values) like:

Examples[change | change source]

Two examples of instruments are valves and flame detectors. A valve is a controlling instrument that helps with the flow of materials (like gases, liquids, or other fluids). A flame detector is a measurement instrument which detects a flame by analyzing the light.

Instrumentation Engineering[change | change source]

The engineering behind instrumentation focuses on the mechanics and operation of measuring instruments. They typically work for industries with automated processes, such as chemical or manufacturing plants, with the goal of improving system productivity, reliability, safety, and stability. To control the variables in a process, a computer or mechanism may be used.