A System for Recording and Integrating Physical Measurements

Abstract

Many occasions occur when it is required to make recordings of one or more fluctuating physical quantities. When the measurements to be made, either of the same quantity at a number of positions or of various quantities at one position, .exceed quite a small number, continuous recording is not a practical proposition. In any event it may not be necessary. The frequency with which it would be desirable to record a particular measurement will depend on: (a) the expected rate of fluctuation of the quantity concerned having regard to smoothing that may be introduced by the primary sensing device and the recorder in use; (b) the magnitude of the expected fluctuations, again almost certainly modified by the apparatus; (c) the resolution available in a single measurement; (d) the accuracy to which a time mean value is required together with the time over which the mean is to be taken.