Hi everyone,
I’m currently doing an MASc in Mechanical Engineering, and my research involves measuring cutting forces with a piezoelectric dynamometer connected to a charge amplifier. I’m acquiring the force data in MATLAB through an Ethernet connection, using a Python WebSocket bridge, and then using an Arduino Uno as part of a closed-loop control setup.
Recently, I’ve noticed some measurement issues—mainly baseline drift toward the end of certain experiments. I suspect some of it can be corrected through post-processing, but it also made me question the integrity of the full measurement chain.
From an instrumentation perspective, should I be concerned about signal fidelity beyond the amplifier itself? For example:
Impedance matching or transmission issues between the amplifier and PC (Ethernet/data interface side)
Timing jitter, buffering, or packet latency introduced by the Python/WebSocket layer
Grounding / electrical noise introduced when the Arduino is simultaneously part of the control loop
General best practices for validating that the acquired force signal is trustworthy
I understand the piezo sensor + charge amplifier stage is the critical analog portion, but I’d appreciate insight into whether the downstream digital architecture can meaningfully affect measurement reliability in practice.
Also, if anyone can recommend solid modern books or references on experimental measurements, dynamic signal acquisition, or instrumentation uncertainty, I’d really appreciate it.