The software validation of measuring instruments is a complex procedure, which can be divided into the validation of separate software functions. The paper deals with the software validation of functions for serial line communication. It describes methods for preparation and validation. Methods are based on demands and facts, which are important for measuring instruments under legal control. They were developed during type approval process of an automated liquid level measuring instrument, but they can be easily adopted and used with other measuring instruments or communication interfaces. At the end of validation procedure, results of methods are gathered together and evaluated.

The paper presents problems of compressing measurement signals recorded under long-lasting monitoring conditions. The criteria for compression method selection in view of its efficiency (compression ratio) and quality of conversion (coding-decoding procedure), with regard to dynamic properties of the measurement signals are discussed. Attention is given to the interdependence of the achieved compression ratio and the distortion level. A method is proposed for generating synthetic test signals to investigate the efficiency of lossy compression methods, which enables unification of the achieved results.

The monitoring of a few critical parameters during epitaxal growth is necessary in order to obtain high quality III-V semiconductor heterostructures. We have developed an electronic circuit that is able to perform realtime analysis of the spatial distribution and intensity of RHEED (reflected high energy electron diffraction) patterns by means of a CCD camera. Besides being used for obtaining information from RHEED patterns, the new system can also be employed for in situ and real time stress measurements during molecular beam epitaxy of lattice mismatched heterostructures.

Among the various sensor technologies, thick-film technology (TFT) on ceramic substrates offers several appreciable capabilities, e.g., flexibility in choice of material and design, high shock resistance, ease of integration into electronic circuits and packaging. In this application a thick-film tilt sensor has been developed based on heat transfer by natural convection. The device measures internal changes in heat transfer caused by the inclination using the force of gravity as an input. The device is functionally equivalent to traditional proof-mass accelerometer. The proof mass in the new thick-film sensor is a gas. The gaseous proof-mass provides great advantages over the use of the traditional solid proof mass. Preliminary tests on the first prototypes show an accuracy of about 2% full scale output, repeatability of about 0.2° and thermal stability less than 0.2%/°C over a ± 50° range.

An important characteristic of e-learning environments is that the instructor should know whether a registered user is sufficiently attending the lessons. ELMVT is a tool that measures and calculates official or preset indicators of learners’ diligence and then graphically depicts them in the form of a polychromatic (multi-colored) tree. In this way, the instructor can quickly and accurately form a first impression of the trainee’s diligence, an element important in order to enhance the trainee’s guidance and to ameliorate the further co-operation between the trainee and the instructor.