The technique of dithering-a parameter study

作者：Petry Nico^*; Benra Friedrich Karl

来源：Measurement Science and Technology, 2011, 22(2): 025401.

DOI：10.1088/0957-0233/22/2/025401

• signal processing
• resolution
• data acquisition
• pressure fluctuations
• dither
• digitization

The detection of marginal pressure fluctuations in a high-pressure environment is not trivial. The resolutions of data acquisition systems and telemetric systems as well as the accuracy of pressure transducers with respect to small fluctuation amplitudes complicate reliable measurements. Via the technique of dithering, small pressure fluctuations are detectable even if they are below the resolution of the measuring section. Dithering is a well applied technique in fields like audio and video technology to digitize data and randomize quantization error, preventing large-scale patterns. This paper deals with the capability of dithering to increase the resolution of analog-digital converters and how experimenters in the field of fluid mechanics may benefit from dither. A comprehensive parameter study is presented to point out the potential as well as the limits of this technique. The findings of the parameter study are experimentally validated in the second part of the paper. Finally, an example of a real measuring task is briefly presented, where the method of dithering improves the results.

• 出版日期2011-2