With the availability of advanced technologies, digital systems, and communications, portable instruments are rapidly evolving from simple, stand alone, low-accuracy measuring instruments to complex multifunctional, network integrated, high-performance digital devices with advanced interface capabilities. The relatively brief treatments these instruments receive in many books are no longer adequate. Designers, engineers and scientists need a comprehensive reference dedicated to electronic portable instruments that explains the state-of-art and future directions.

Electronic Portable Instruments: Design and Applications introduces the basic measurement and instrumentation concepts, describes the operating principles, and discusses the typical specifications of three main groups of portable instruments:

• Portable and handheld instruments built for specific applications
  
• Intelligent sensor-based devices with few components and dedicated features, such as implantable medical devices
  
• Portable data systems containing fixed sensors and supporting mechanisms, but equipped with advanced communications capabilities, such as mobile weather stations
  

The author discusses sensors suitable for these instruments, addresses how components are selected, and clearly shows that instrument design centers on trade-offs between costs, performance, size and weight, power consumption, interface options, ruggedness, and the ability to operate in a range of environments. A multitude of tables, formulae, and figures--many in full color--enhance the presentation. Numerous examples of applications demonstrate the current diversity of these devices and point the way to future trends in development and applications.