Book excerpt: Electronic Measurement Systems: Theory and Practice, Second Edition is designed for those who require a thorough understanding of the wide variety of both digital and analogue electronic measurement systems in common use. The first part of the book discusses basic concepts such as system specification, architectures, structures, and components. Later chapters cover topics important for the proper functioning of systems including reliability, guarding/shielding, and noise. Finally, an unusual chapter treats the problems of the human aspects of the design of measurement systems. The book also includes problems and exercises. New to the Second Edition Extended section about signal structures, I/O bussystems, DAQ boards, and their architecture User programmable devices (UPLD's) and the use of microprocessor principles in instrumentation Novel approaches on reliability due to built-in testability becoming a major design feature A brief introduction to the related physics of each transducer energy domain to understand what the principle of operation is Discussion of the ADM method for drift elimination Introduction to the European Electro Magnetic Compatibility legislation and the ISO 9000 system Additional noise calculation techniques and noise in sensors Chapter on autozeroing transducers and sensor interfacing, paying particular attention to bridge circuits for modulating transducers