Instrumentation and Control Engineering

Instrumentation and Control Engineering is a discipline that deals with the design, development, and operation of automated machines and equipment. This course can be pursued at various academic levels such as diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes. Any sector can benefit from an Instrumentation and Control Engineering graduate's increased stability, productivity, dependability, and instrument optimisation. With this degree, students have many career options in the mechanical and electrical fields. Prospective students can enrol in the undergraduate course after completing the 12th grade in a Science-related field with a minimum of 65% aggregate marks. For postgraduate courses, students must obtain a bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline from a recognised university.

Admission to this course is done through entrance exams and merit basis. Some of the popular entrance exams for these courses include JEE Main, WBJEE, GATE, BITSAT, MHT CET, etc. Further, these courses can be pursued offline, online, and in distant learning mode. Some of the top institutes that offer Instrumentation and Control Engineering in India include Manipal Academy of Higher Education, College of Engineering, National Institute of Technology (NIT) Trichy, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Woxsen University, etc. with an average course fee ranging between INR 1 LPA and INR 3 LPA. After the completion of the course, students can attain positions such as Controls Engineer, Instrumentation Engineer, Senior Design Engineer, Project Engineer, etc. with an average starting salary of between INR 4 LPA and INR 8 LPA.

The major highlights of the Instrumentation and Control Engineering course are given below:

Candidates who are inquisitive about operating and functioning with machines and other equipment are appropriate for the Instrumentation and Control Engineering course. Those who have an analytical perspective are open to pursuing the course. It would be an intriguing as well as an enchanting prospect for those candidates who want to perform in Indian Engineering Services.

Graduates of this course have a superabundance of alternatives and opportunities to choose from. After graduation, candidates develop electrocardiograph equipment for infirmaries and summed tomography scanners for protection systems. There are several diverse career prospects available for instrumentation and control engineers. A substantial part of every triumphant aeronautical research project is recreated by graduates in the field. Because of its interdisciplinary temperament, the course confers possibilities inside and outside the endeavour for graduates.

There are a variety of choices available for candidates who are willing to pursue Instrumentation and Control Engineering courses. Candidates can take a look at them based on their preferences discussed below.

Diploma Course:

• The duration of a Diploma in Instrumentation and Control Engineering course is three years.
• Candidates can pursue a diploma course after the culmination of their class 10. To be qualified for a diploma course, candidates must have a Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics (PCM) background in 10th grade.

UG Course:

• The duration of the BTech in Instrumentation and Control Engineering course is four years.
• Candidates are mandated to have Physics, Chemistry, and Biology/Mathematics (PCMB) as core subjects in class 10+2. Further, they must sit for national-level entrance exams or the one that is recognised by their preferred institution.

PG Course:

• The duration of the Master in Instrumentation and Control Engineering course is 2 years.
• Candidates must have a bachelor's degree in a related field with at least 50% to 60% marks (relaxation of between 45% and 55% is given to the reserved candidates) from a reputed institute.

Instrumentation and Control Engineering eligibility criteria are the parameters by which candidates are admitted into the course. However, it may vary from one university to another. Discussed below is a commonly followed eligibility criteria for Instrumentation and Control Engineering:

Eligibility for Undergraduate Degree:

• Students must obtain at least 65% aggregate marks in classes 10+2 in the relevant stream where a relaxation of 5% is given to the candidates who belong to the reserved categories.
• Some universities or colleges offer admissions based on 10+2 scores and others through national-level entrance exams or university-level entrance tests following a round of interviews.
• Most of the institutes conduct exams like UPSEE, WBJEE, and OJEE to provide admissions.

Eligibility for Postgraduate Degree:

• Applicants must have obtained a bachelor’s degree in a related field from a recognised institution.
• For admission to the majority of engineering colleges, students must sit for a national-level or state-level entrance examination that is recognised by their desired institution.
• Candidates are required to score at least 50% to 60% aggregate in the last qualifying exam where a relaxation of 5% is given to the candidates who belong to the reserved categories.

Instrumentation and Control Engineering can be pursued online, and offline as well as in distant learning mode. The following is a discussion of the course types offered:

Full-Time Courses

In this type of course, students must attend full-time in-person classes, complete regular assignments, and take semester-wise offline exams on campus. They must also present projects and perform practicals as part of the course curriculum. With this, students gain practical experience in the subject as well as in-depth learning through actively engaging with their instructors and other students.

Part-Time Courses

For students who cannot commit to the full-time programme or who are working in their professions full-time, there are part-time Instrumentation and Control Engineering courses available at colleges such as PSG College Of Technology, School of Engineering [CUSAT], Saveetha Engineering College, and so on.

Distance/Online Courses

Distance/online Instrumentation and Control Engineering courses take less duration to complete than full-time and part-time courses and they can be pursued from anywhere and anytime. This course is designed for students who are working professionals and who cannot attend full-time or even part-time on-campus courses.

Instrumentation and Control Engineering is a combination of two branches of engineering — Instrumentation Engineering and Control Engineering. The programme is aimed at offering graduates a solid foundation for entering a variety of professional tracks connected to automation and control applications in the mining and mineral processing, agriculture industries, oil and gas, and more. On the other hand, Mechanical Engineering deals with the design, production, and operation of machines. Numerous industries rely on mechanical engineers, including biotechnology, energy conversion, computers, aerospace, electronics, and many others. The following table highlights the differences between Instrumentation and Control Engineering and Mechanical Engineering degrees:

Admission to Instrumentation and Control Engineering courses is done based on merit basis and entrance exams. For a better understanding, candidates can check the pointer below to clarify the exam admission process.

Aspirants need to sit for the Instrumentation and Control Engineering entrance exams and score a decent rank if they want to join their desired engineering colleges. Students can check the list of the following state and national-level entrance exams for Instrumentation and Control Engineering:

WBJEE: West Bengal Joint Entrance Exam WBJEE is a state-level exam conducted in an offline mode once a year for admission to engineering colleges in the state.

UPSEE: Uttar Pradesh State Entrance Examination or UPSEE is conducted for admission into 811 reputed colleges in the state. The duration for the engineering UPSEE exam is three hours. 

GATE: Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering or GATE is conducted nationally for postgraduate courses in engineering at IISc and IITs.

JEE Main: Joint Entrance Examination or JEE Main is a national-level entrance exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) for admission to national institutes of technology and other top-tier colleges in the country which are called centrally funded technical institutes.

MHT CET: Maharashtra Health and Technical Common Entrance Test or MHT CET is conducted for admission of students in medical, dental, and engineering colleges of various states of India.

There is a huge scope for Instrumentation and Control Engineering abroad. After graduation equipment manufacturers, installation units, maintenance firms, and equipment designers hire them. Graduates can get into multifarious industries like petroleum, various chemical factories, and steel manufacturing factories. Another alternative is working in Middle Eastern countries where there are refineries, oil, and gas sectors. Candidates can apply for higher degrees in this field to earn promotions or better salary hikes. The interdisciplinary structure of the programme gives graduates opportunities both inside and outside the sector. Graduates in instrumentation and control engineering play a crucial part in every major aeronautical research project. They can also work as control engineers, instrumentation engineers, senior design engineers, etc.

The average fee for Instrumentation and Control Engineering courses in India ranges between INR 1 LPA and INR 3 LPA. The fee for this programme depends on the type and level of the programme as well as the type of institute (whether government or private) one wants to enrol in. The following table shows the average Instrumentation and Control Engineering course fee for popular colleges in India:

Good communication, interpersonal, and the ability to motivate others are the types of skills needed in Instrumentation and Control Engineering when candidates are working with a team. The required skill set that frames and shapes the candidates to become successful Instrumentation and Control Engineers has been explained in the following pointers.

• Innovative problem-solving dexterities and troubleshooting skills: Some of the common Instrumentation and Control Engineering failures include instrument failure and shortage of spares, use of equipment in an inaccurate way, erroneously specified instrumentation, or inaccurately inaugurated installation Strong problem-solving skills help engineers out of these.
• Critical thinking: Critical thinking is fundamental for all departments of engineering, particularly in the mechanical and technical development branches
• Knowledge of high-level computer technology: Some of the main software that is required for Instrumentation and Control Engineering to know is Matlab, Labview, and Arduino. In circumstances where candidates are required to draw some layouts, panel drawings, GA drawings, and wiring drawings, AutoCAD or any other computer-aided design software is required.

The course curriculum for Instrumentation and Control Engineering varies as per the level of the programme one chooses to enrol in. While the diploma and undergraduate courses cover the fundamentals concepts, postgraduate courses cover advanced-level knowledge and practical-based learning through internships, projects seminars, lab subjects and so on. The common Instrumentation and Control Engineering course curriculum includes the following:

• Research Projects
• Laboratory exercises
• IV to VIII semesters
• Internships
• Guest visits
• Elective subjects
• Core subjects

A credit-based approach is used for Instrumentation and Control Engineering courses, and prospective students can choose from a variety of elective subjects along with the core subjects (except for a diploma course). Common engineering topics, practicals, fundamental mechanics-related topics, and projects are all included in this course curriculum. Given below is a brief list of the Instrumentation and Control Engineering subjects & syllabus at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Syllabus & Subjects for Undergraduate Degree:

• Transducers, Mechanical Measurement and Industrial Instrumentation
• Engineering Mathematics
• Electrical and Electronic Measurements
• Digital Electronics
• Control Systems and Process Control
• Basics of Circuits and Measurement Systems
• Analytical, Optical and Biomedical Instrumentation
• Analog Electronics

Syllabus & Subjects for Postgraduate Degree:

• Sensors
• Optical Instrumentation
• Image Processing
• Experimental Methods and Analysis
• Electrical Circuits
• Digital Electronics
• Biomedical Instrumentation
• Advanced Mathematical Techniques
• Adaptive and Robust Control Systems

The scope of Instrumentation and Control Engineering in India is vast and provides intriguing career opportunities for those who are interested in working with Indian Engineering Services. Graduates in this field have a wide range of opportunities. After the completion of the course, they are employed by manufacturers, equipment designers, and installation companies. They produce computed tomography scanners for security systems and electrocardiograph devices for hospitals.

The study of different measurements is covered in the Instrumentation and Control Engineering scope in India, which gives students the knowledge they need to effectively understand industry-specific difficulties, business practices, and production processes. This enables the students to develop a fulfilling career for themselves. Given below are a few career prospects for professionals:

• Technical Support Engineer
• Manager
• Lead Instrumentation & Control Engineer
• Instrumentation Design Engineer
• Electrical Electronics Instrumentation Engineer
• Controls and Instrumentation Engineer

The average salary of Instrumentation and Control Engineering graduates varies with profession. Freshers should apply for a job based on their interests and career objectives and eventually expect to grow in the field. The average estimated salary in India for freshers in this field has been captioned in the following table:

After completing the Instrumentation and Control Engineering course, graduates have a variety of career options and job prospects. The following table highlights some popular job profiles along with their job descriptions for the same: