UWA Handbook 2025

Unit Overview

Description

This unit covers concepts relating to measurement and noise, enabling students to understand the issues required to achieve high-quality measurements. Students understand issues such as accuracy, precision, repeatability, calibration, uncertainty and noise. Measurements from a range of sensors (mechanical, optical, electrical) are introduced and subsequent signal conditioning (operational amplifiers, instrumentation amplifiers) are addressed with the aim of maximising signal quality. Statistical methods are discussed to better understand noise processes and how noise can be minimised. Methods to improve signal quality (signal to noise ratio) are discussed. Measurement signal and noise are analysed in both the time and frequency domain to better understand the connection between two domains and the importance of measurement bandwidth. Sampling is reviewed to understand the impact of moving from continuous-time (CT) and discrete-time (DT), including discussion of the Nyquist rate and aliasing. The conversion between analog to digital domains including CT-DT, system transfer functions, spectral analysis (discrete Fourier transform, discrete-time Fourier transform) and the construction of finite and infinite impulse response filters to reduce noise is discussed.

Credit

6 points

Offering
(see Timetable)

Availability	Location	Mode
Semester 2	UWA (Perth)	Face to face

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) explain measurement concepts ; (2) extract critical information from instrumentation specifications to enable high quality experimental design; (3) achieve high-quality measurements using appropriate collection and data manipulation methods; (4) present data (numerically and in graphical form) in a manner that is clear and concise and includes the uncertainty associated with the measurement; (5) move between the time and frequency domains to interpret measurements and minimise noise; (6) critically assess instrumentation characteristics that affect data collection and measurement; and (7) analyse data in a manner that includes the uncertainty associated with the measurement.

Assessment

Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) laboratories; (2) quizzes; and (3) final examination. Further information is available in the unit outline.

Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Unit Coordinator(s)

Associate Professor Adrian Keating

Unit rules

Prerequisites

Enrolment in

62550 Master of Professional Engineering (Mechanical Engineering specialisation)

or Enrolment in 62560 Master of Renewable and Future Energy
or
Enrolment in

BP007 Bachelor of Automation and Robotics

and Successful completion of

( ( CITS1001 Software Engineering with Java
or CITX1001 Software Engineering with Java

and ENSC3001 Mechanisms and Machines )

Incompatibility

MECH3424 Measurement and Instrumentation

Advisable prior study

CITS2401 Computer Analysis and Visualisation and (ENSC3001 Mechanisms and Machines
or MECH3001 Mechanisms and Machines)

Contact hours

lectures/information sessions: 3 hours per week
practical classes: 1 hour per week
labs: 2 hours per week

Note

It is recommended that students are familiar with the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet program as this program will be used to perform calculations in assessments/labs.