Author: Dr. Sanjay Raman

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Abstract


This curriculum module is part of a set of four curriculum modules. The curriculum module can be adapted to be used alone, or used as part of the set. In this project, students learn about the importance of monitoring stresses on bridges and other civil infrastructure, and about how public safety can be improved by using wireless sensor networks for continuous structural health monitoring. This curriculum module, the first in the set, introduces topics in sensor read-out electronics and data conversion. The students build a resistance bridge to measure an unknown resistance, which is sensed with an instrumentation amplifier and converted to a digital signal using an analog-to-digital converter. In the process, the students learn some circuit and sensor basics, and about the quantization error inherent in digital signals.

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