Physics and Astronomy

Knowledge of instrumentation is for experimentalists a kind of fluency in the language of measurement. But it is a fluency not so commonly possessed, and without which much of the experimental process remains hidden and mysterious. The basic goal in writing this book is to provide a treatment of useful depth of the basic elements of the instrumentation "language," namely electronics, sensors, and measurement. The present epoch is arguably a golden age for instrumentation. The crucial ingredient has been the exceptional development of semiconductor fabrication technology, and this has led to the present richness in both analog and digital inte­ grated circuits. The former provide relatively inexpensive but high-performance electronic modules (such as the operational amplifier) which can serve as build­ ing blocks for more complex circuits, whereas the latter have culminated in the desktop computer, which has permeated modem life generally and revolu­ tionized the instrumentation world with its capacity to act as a measurement controller and data storage center. Finally, silicon micromachining is creating a host of new sensors for such quantities as acceleration and pressure.