Advanced Instrumentation and Measurement Laboratory

Associated Prof. : Dr. Shiraz Sohail

The classical field of instrumentation and measurement (I&M) involves the development of sensors and electronic instrumentation for measurement of various parameters in industrial settings. These parameters include current, voltage, frequency, phase, temperature, pressure, force, flow, level, humidity, gas sensing, etc.

The Advanced I&M Lab focuses on developing application-specific sensors and measurement techniques for condition monitoring of high voltage transformers, motors, generators, turbines, gas-insulated switchgear (GIS), power electronics converters, and other equipment. These sensors are designed to provide accurate and reliable measurements of specific parameters that are critical for ensuring the safe and efficient operation of these systems.

The Advanced I&M lab also works on developing general-purpose sensors for temperature, pressure, force, flow, level, humidity, gas sensing, etc. with improved accuracy, sensitivity, and other characteristics that make them more reliable and useful than existing sensors in the market.

To make a complete prototype of a sensor system, the team designs, tests, and fabricates sophisticated analog, digital, and mixed signals electronics circuits on printed circuit boards (PCBs). These circuits help to amplify, filter, and process the signals from the sensors, allowing for accurate and reliable measurements.

List of Facilities:

Sl. No.	Name of the equipment	Qty	Salient Features	Purpose
1.	Chemical Fume Cupboard	1	Tapered inlet Sash and baffle Working chamber Sash handle Small wash basin	For processing of Nano materials such as Graphene, Graphene oxide, gold nano particles, CNT, Al2O3, PDMS, PVA, PMMA, SU8 photo resist, etc., for thin film sensors. Design to capture and remove air-borne hazardous substances. Drawing fresh air from the room and releasing the contaminated air.
2.	Source and Measurement Unit (SMU)	1	Source Voltage Range: ±200 mV to ±21V Source Current Range: ±10 nA to ±1.5 A 5.5 digit single channel acquisition 10 fA resolution PC based control software with USB/ LAN Connectivity	Capability to source and measure both voltage and current. Ideal for wide variety of IV (current versus voltage) measurement tasks. High resolution and accuracy.
3.	Table-top LCR meter	1	Precision LCR meter Operating frequency: 20 Hz to 300 kHz Four terminal measurement pair Measurement accuracy: ± 0.01 % Output impedance: 100 â„¦ (normal) PC based control software with USB/ LAN Connectivity	Accurately measure the impedance (Z) of a component under test (CUT) at a particular frequency. Measures the inductance (L), capacitance (C), and resistance (R) of passive electronic components. Characterization of capacitive, inductive and resistive sensors.
4.	Table-top 6 ½ Digital Multimeter	1	Supports any sensor measurement Double screen display Operating frequency: 3 Hz to 300 kHz. Trend chart display Statistical analysis function Supports a variety of temperature sensors PC based control software with USB/ LAN Connectivity	Measure DC voltage, AC voltage, DC current, AC current, resistance, capacitance, frequency, temperature, and diode/continuity. It has a basic DC voltage accuracy of up to 0.0024%, which ensures highly accurate and precise measurements. Built-in histogram function allowing users to view the statistical distribution of measurement data. Has a data logging function that can store up to 10,000 readings
5.	Spin Coating	1	Chuck diameters : 10mm, 22 mm, 35 mm Inlet and outlet for Inert Gas Purging, 6mm tubing Transparent Safety Lid over the Working Chamber Stand holder to hold pipette to dispense solution Spinning speed: 60-9999 rpm 5 inch touch screen display	Provides excellent uniformity layer across the substrate surface. By varying the spin speed and spin time, the thickness of the layer can be adjusted. It helps to improves the adhesion of the layer to the substrate surface Used as a photoresist in photolithography process in the semiconductor industry.
6.	Dip Coating	1	Infrared dryer for precise substrate heating. Drawing speed: 18 micro/sec-9 mm/sec Dip duration: 0-99 sec/minutes/hours Max. no. of repetitive dips: 1-999 PC controllable through USB interface. 4.5 inch LED Touch screen	Used to improve the appearance of the substrate by adding color or a decorative pattern. Used to add specific properties to the substrate, such as anti-fouling, anti-bacterial, or anti-static properties. Used to provide lubrication to the surface of the substrate, which can reduce friction and wear. Used to protect the substrate from corrosion, wear and tear, and other types of damage
7.	Analytical balance	1	Weighing capacity: 220 g Minimum display: 0.1 mg USB and RS232 interface	Provide highly accurate measurements of the mass of substances used in pharmaceutical, chemical, and research laboratories. Features an electromagnetic force compensation mechanism that eliminates manual calibration and ensures accurate measurements every time.
8.	Hot air oven	1	Digital Temperature Controller Temperature ranges from ambient to 300 °C Durable and resistant to corrosion and rust.	General purpose heating Sterilization and drying of laboratory equipment and glassware. Removing moisture from the samples, helps in preserving them and make them more stable for storage or further analysis.
9.	High Temperature Muffle Furnace	1	Suitable for wide range of high temperature upto 200 °C. Muffle chamber is made of high quality refractory material Temperature digital display	Annealing of metal oxide thin films for sensing application For characterization of high temperature thermocouples.
10.	Magnetic stirrer with hot plate	1	Stirring speed: 50 to 1500 rpm Heating is up to 350 °C Capacity: 5 liters	For mixing of chemicals, oils, electrolytes, etc. General purpose heating
11.	Ultrasonic cleaner	1	Capacity: 1.5 liters Ultrasonic frequency: 40 kHz Heating Temperature: 0 – 80 °C Material grade: SS304 Digital display with timer and temperature controls	Uses high-frequency sound waves to produce tiny bubbles in a liquid solution, which collapse and create a cleaning action. Effective at cleaning a wide range of items, including glassware, electronic components, etc. Users can set the cleaning time and temperature, ensuring that items are cleaned thoroughly and efficiently.
12.	Digital storage oscilloscope (DSO)	2	2 GSa/s sample rate, 100 MHz 4 Analog channels PC controllable through USB interface Mathematical computation such as math, FFT, mask testing, etc. Ability to save and recall instrument settings and waveforms.	Circuit design, testing and fabrication Used to capture and analyze electronic signals in real-time Measures a wide range of signals, including voltage, current, frequency, and phase
13.	Waveform generator	2	2 Channel, 20 MHz PC controllable through USB interface Test signals along with arbitrary waveform generators	Circuit design, testing and fabrication Generate a variety of electrical waveforms with precise control over waveform parameters. Allows user to create custom waveforms by uploading a waveform file.
14.	Handheld LCR meter	1	Frequency: 100 Hz to 100 kHz Accuracy: 0.2 % Display count: 20000 IR-to-USB connectivity for data logging to PC Auto identification (Ai): Automatically determines and displays component type and measurements.	Measures the indutance (L) (20 µH -2000 H), capacitance (C) (20 mF – 20 pF), and resistance (R) (2 â„¦ - 200 Mâ„¦) of passive electronic components. For characterization of capacitive, inductive and resistive sensors.
15.	Analog Discovery Kit	1	2 Channel USB digital Oscilloscope 2 Channel arbitrary waveform generator 16 Channel digital logic analyzer Data Logger with exportable data and plot functionality. Impedance, spectrum and network analyzer Two programmable power supplies (0.5 V to 5 V , -0.5 V to -5 V)	Portable device for analyzing voltage signals, circuit design, testing and fabrication
16.	ADALM2000 Development board	1	2 Channel USB digital Oscilloscope 2 Channel arbitrary waveform generator Data Logger with exportable data and plot functionality. Two programmable power supplies (0 V to 5 V , 0 V to -5 V)	Portable device for analyzing voltage signals, circuit design, testing and fabrication
17.	Autotransformer	1	Max. load: 5 Amps Output: 270 V Input: 240 V, 50 Hz	For development of electronic instrumentation for ac power application
18.	Vacuum pump	1	Max. power: 80 W Max. vacuum: -670 mm/Hg Motor rotation: 1450 rpm Noise level: 52 db	For degassing of desiccators For holding substrate in spin coating unit
19.	Micrometer	1	Resolution: 0.001 mm Range: 0 – 25 mm Ratchet Friction thimble	Standalone thin film thickness measurement
20.	Auto select pendulum jigsaw	1	Power: 600 W Variable speed Pendulum action Auto select feature for adjusting the speed and orbital setting	Cutting tool for sensor prototyping
21.	Drilling machine	1	Power: 500 W 100 pcs accessories in carrying case Forward/reverse rotation. Speed selection.	Cutting tool for sensor prototyping

Publications and Patents:

https://www.nitt.edu/home/academics/departments/ice/faculty/Dr_SS/publications/

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=HCUPhfQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

List of Research Scholars:

S. No.	Name	Employment Type	Roll No.	Board area of research	Status
1.	Mr. Gopal Singh	Full Time	410120002	Sensors and Electronic Instrumentation	Ongoing
2.	Mr. Y Maheswaran	Part Time External DRDO Sponsored	410920051	Sensors and Electronic Instrumentation	Ongoing
3.	Mr. Nandigama Praveen Kumar	Full Time	410122001	Sensors and Electronic Instrumentation	Ongoing

S. No.

Name

Employment Type

Roll No.

Board area of research

Status

Mr. Gopal Singh

Full Time

410120002

Sensors and Electronic Instrumentation

Ongoing

Mr. Y Maheswaran

Part Time External DRDO Sponsored

410920051

Sensors and Electronic Instrumentation

Ongoing

Mr. Nandigama Praveen Kumar

Full Time

410122001

Sensors and Electronic Instrumentation

Ongoing