GATE Syllabus For Instrumentation Engineering: Important Topics, Best Books

GATE Syllabus For Instrumentation Engineering: Important Topics, Best Books

ByAina Parasher  |  Updated on: Mar 29, 2023
Download the GATE Syllabus For Instrumentation Engineering PDF comprising 3 major sections. Know the important topics and sections included in the GATE Instrumentation syllabus.

GATE Syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering refers to the set of topics and subtopics that are covered in the exam for the Instrumentation Engineering discipline. The question papers of the exam are formulated based on the GATE syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering. The only method to master all ideas is properly understanding the entire GATE Syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering before appearing for the exam.

The important sections in the GATE Instrumentation syllabus are Engineering Mathematics, Electricity and Magnetism, Electrical Circuits and Machines, Signals and Systems, Analog Electronics, Digital Electronics, Measurements, Sensors, Industrial Instrumentation, Communication, and Optical Instrumentation. Kindly check out the GATE Syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering and get a hold of important books, which will help cover the complete syllabus.

What is the GATE Syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering?

The GATE Syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering comprises 3 major branches: General Aptitude (GA), Engineering Mathematics, and Core Discipline- IN. The syllabus gives candidates the insight to prepare a roadmap for their preparation. A detailed segregation of the syllabus into 10 important sections is provided below:

  • Section 1: General Aptitude (GA)
  • Section 2: Engineering Mathematics
  • Section 3: Electrical Circuits and Machines
  • Section 4: Control Systems 
  • Section 5: Digital Electronics and Analog Electronics
  • Section 6: Sensors and Industrial Instrumentation
  • Section 7: Electricity and Magnetism
  • Section 8: Signals and Systems
  • Section 9: Measurements
  • Section 10: Communication and Optical Instrumentation

In detail, let us explore all the GATE Syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering sections.

GATE Syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering PDF

Downloading the GATE Syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering can be beneficial for a number of reasons such as understanding the exam pattern and identifying important topics. The syllabus covers all the topics and subjects that are important for the Instrumentation Engineering GATE exam. By going through the syllabus, you can make sure that you have covered all the topics thoroughly and are well-prepared for the exam.

On downloading the syllabus, candidates can plan their preparation and allocate time for each topic, and track their progress. By knowing the syllabus in advance, candidates can avoid any surprises during the exam. For better preparation, download the GATE syllabus for Instrumentation syllabus provided below in PDF format.

Download GATE Instrumentation Syllabus PDF

Sectional Weightage of the GATE Syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering

The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering is divided into three sections:

  • General Aptitude (GA) - 15%

  • Engineering Mathematics - 13%

  • Instrumentation Engineering - 72%

The Instrumentation Engineering section carries the highest weightage, with 72% of the total marks. General Aptitude and Engineering Mathematics sections carry 15% and 13% weightage, respectively.

Important Topics of GATE Syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering

Here is the list of some important topics GATE Syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering that candidates must not miss before the exam:

Electrical Circuits, Circuit components, R, L, and C elements, voltage, and current sources, Kirchhoff’s laws, Sinusoidal steady-state analysis, Three-phase circuits., Characteristics of diodes, BJT, MOSFET, Fourier series, Control Systems, Feedback principles, Characteristics of diodes, BJT, MOSFET, Oscilloscopes, signal generators, and waveform analyzers; Bridges and potentiometers; Transducers: Principles and types of transducers, resistive, capacitive.

General Aptitude Syllabus for IN

The General Aptitude (GA) Paper is a common paper in all the 29 branches of the GATE exam. Aspirants must check out the GA section of the GATE syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering, provided below.

SectionsTopics
Verbal Ability

English grammar

Sentence completion

Instructions

Verbal analogies

Word groups

Critical reasoning

Verbal deduction

Numerical Ability

Numerical computation

Numerical reasoning

Numerical estimation

Data interpretation

Engineering Mathematics Syllabus for IN

The Engineering Mathematics section is the high-scoring section of the GATE syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering. Check out the topics covered in the Engineering Mathematics section of the GATE Instrumentation syllabus:

  • Linear Algebra: Matrix algebra, systems of linear equations, consistency and rank, Eigenvalues, and Eigenvectors.
  • Calculus: Mean value theorems, integral calculus, partial derivatives, maxima and minima, multiple integrals, Fourier series, vector identities, line, surface and volume integrals, Stokes, Gauss, and Green’s theorems.
  • Differential equations: First-order equation (linear and nonlinear), second-order linear differential equations with constant coefficients, Method of variation of parameters, Cauchy’s and Euler’s equations, Initial and boundary value problems, solution of partial differential equations- variable separable method.
  • Analysis of complex variables: Analytic functions, Cauchy’s integral theorem, integral formula, Taylor’s and Laurent’s series, residue theorem, solution of integrals.
  • Probability and Statistics: Sampling theorems, conditional probability, mean, median, mode, standard deviation, and variance; random variables: discrete and continuous distributions: normal, Poisson, and binomial distributions.
  • Numerical Methods: Matrix inversion, solutions of non-linear algebraic equations, iterative methods for solving differential equations, numerical integration, regression, and correlation analysis.

Electricity and Magnetism Syllabus for IN

This Electricity and Magnetism is the first core branch section of the GATE Instrumentation syllabus. It carries various important topics like Biot‐Savart’s law, Ampere’s law, Curl, Magnetomotive force, Reluctance, etc. The Electricity and Magnetism section of the GATE syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering carries the following topics:

Reluctance and Magnetic circuitsSelf and Mutual inductance of simple configurations
InductanceMagnetomotive force
Biot‐Savart’s law, Ampere’s law, Curl, Faraday’s lawLorentz force
Effect of the dielectric mediumCapacitance of simple configurations
DivergenceElectric field and potential due to point
Electric Flux DensityGauss's Law
Coulomb's LawElectric Field Intensity

Electrical Circuits and Machines Syllabus

This section of the GATE syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering carries topics like impedance, admittance, RLC circuits with ac excitation, equivalent circuit, starting and speed control, torque-speed characteristics, and much more. The Electrical Circuits and Machines section of the GATE Instrumentation syllabus includes the given topics:

SectionsTopics
Voltage and current sources

Independent, dependent, ideal, and practical; V-I relationships of a resistor, inductor, mutual inductance, and capacitor; transient analysis of RLC circuits with dc excitation; Peak-, average- and RMS values of ac quantities; Apparent-, active- and reactive powers; Phasor analysis, impedance, and admittance; series and parallel resonance; Locus diagrams; Transient analysis of RLC circuits with ac excitation; one-port and two-port networks; driving point impedance, and admittance, and short circuit parameters.

Single-phase transformerEquivalent circuit, phase diagram, open circuit, and short circuit tests, regulation, and efficiency.
Three-phase induction motorsThe principle of operation, types, performance, torque-speed characteristics, no-load and blocked rotor tests, equivalent circuit, starting and speed control, types of losses, and efficiency calculations of electric machines.

Signals and Systems Syllabus for IN

Signals and Systems section of the GATE syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering is an introduction to digital and analog signal processing. It includes topics such as Periodic, aperiodic, and impulse signals; Laplace, Fourier, and z-transforms; transfer function, the frequency response of first and second-order linear time-invariant systems, the impulse response of systems; convolution, and correlation. Discrete-time system: impulse response, frequency response, pulse transfer function; DFT and FFT; basics of IIR and FIR filters.

Control Systems Syllabus for IN

The Control Systems section of the GATE syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering deals with controlling and monitoring any process per our needs. Various important topics are covered in this section, such as Time-delay systems, pneumatic system components, ratio controllers, Steady-state-errors, etc. Let us see all topics covered in this section listed in the table below.

Feedback principlesSignal flow graphs
Transient responseSteady-state errors
Bode plotPhase and gain margins
Routh and Nyquist criteriaRoot loci, design of lead, lag, and lead-lag compensators
State-space representation of systemsTime-delay systems
Mechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic system componentsSynchro pair, servo, and stepper motors, servo valves
On-off, P, PI, PID, CascadeTuning of PID controllers and sizing of control valves

Analog Electronics and Digital Electronics

Analog Electronics are electronic systems with a continuously variable signal, whereas digital electronics signals usually take only two levels. This section of the GATE Instrumentation syllabus includes topics such as ADC and DAC, microprocessors, data acquisition systems, etc. Let us discuss these topics below.

  • Analog Electronics: Characteristics and applications of a diode, Zener diode, BJT, and MOSFET; small-signal analysis of transistor circuits, feedback amplifiers. Characteristics of ideal and practical operational amplifiers; applications of opamps: adder, subtractor, integrator, differentiator, difference amplifier, instrumentation amplifier, precision rectifier, active filters, oscillators, signal generators, voltage-controlled oscillators and phase-locked loop, sources and effects of noise and interference in electronic circuits.
  • Digital Electronics: Combinational logic circuits, minimization of Boolean functions. IC families: TTL and CMOS. Arithmetic circuits, comparators, Schmitt trigger, multi-vibrators, sequential circuits, flipflops, shift registers, timers, and counters; sample-and-hold circuit, multiplexer, analog-to-digital (successive approximation, integrating, flash and sigma-delta) and digital-to-analog converters (weighted R, R-2R ladder and current steering logic). Characteristics of ADC and DAC (resolution, quantization, significant bits, conversion/settling time); basics of number systems, Embedded Systems: Microprocessor and microcontroller applications, memory and input-output interfacing; basics of data acquisition systems, basics of distributed control systems (DCS) and programmable logic controllers (PLC).

Measurements Syllabus for IN

The Measurements section of the GATE syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering deals with the physical quantities that are measured so as to obtain results that are transmitted to recording devices or to controlling devices. It comprises a few topics that are listed below:

SI unitsStandards (R, L, C, voltage, current a, and frequency)
Voltage and current scalingInstrument transformers
Digital voltmeter, Digital multimeterOscilloscope, shielding, and grounding
Time, phase, and frequency measurementsAC and DC probes
Systematic and random errors in measurementBridges: Wheatstone, Kelvin, Megohm, Maxwell, Anderson, Schering, and Wien for measurement
Measurement of voltage, current, and powerRMS meters

Sensors and Industrial Instrumentation

The sensors and Industrial Instrumentation section of the GATE Instrumentation syllabus includes the following given topics- Resistive-, capacitive-, inductive-, piezoelectric-, Hall effect sensors, and associated signal conditioning circuits; Transducers for industrial instrumentation: displacement (linear and angular), velocity, acceleration, force, torque, vibration, shock, pressure (including low pressure), Flow (variable head, variable area, electromagnetic, ultrasonic, turbine, and open channel flow meters), Temperature (thermocouple, bolometer, RTD (3/4 wire), Thermistor, pyrometer, and semiconductor), Liquid level, pH, conductivity and viscosity measurement, and Two-wire transmitter.

Communication and Optical Instrumentation Syllabus

The Communication and Optical Instrumentation section of the GATE syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering comprises the following given topics- Amplitude and frequency modulation and demodulation; Shannon's sampling theorem, pulse code modulation; frequency and time division multiplexing, amplitude-, phase-, frequency-, quadrature amplitude, pulse shift keying for digital modulation; optical sources and detectors: LED, laser, photo-diode, light-dependent resistor, square-law detectors, and their characteristics; interferometer: applications in metrology; basics of fiber optic sensing. UV-VIS Spectrophotometers and Mass spectrometer.

Best Books for GATE Instrumentation Syllabus

In order to prepare the GATE syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering, it is essential for the candidates to refer to the best books available. Candidates can check the important books required during the preparation mentioned in the table below.

Name of BooksAuthor
Advanced Engineering MathematicsErwin Kreyszig
Engineering Circuit AnalysisSteven M. Durbin
Fundamentals of MicroelectronicsBehzad Razavi
Signals and SystemsHP HSU
Automatic Control SystemsB C Kuo

GATE Instrumentation Syllabus FAQs

  • No major changes have been adopted in the GATE syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering. The GATE Instrumentation syllabus 2024 is expected to be almost the same as the syllabus for the year 2023.

  • The GATE Syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering carry sections based on which the GATE IN exam will be formulated. It consists of three major sections which are given below:

    • General Aptitude 
    • Engineering Mathematics, and
    • Core Discipline- IN
  • IISc Bangalore will release the official GATE syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering 2024 on its official website. Candidates can download the syllabus from the direct link provided below:

    Download GATE Instrumentation Syllabus PDF

  • The IISc Bangalore will release the GATE syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering 2024. It is the exam conducting body of the upcoming GATE exam. The conducting institute releases the syllabus on its official website only.

  • The sectional weightage of the GATE Instrumentation Syllabus is as follows- General Aptitude contains 15% of the total marks, Engineering Mathematics contains 13% of the total marks, and Subject-Based (IN) contains 72% of the total marks.

  • Candidates can prepare the GATE syllabus for Instrumentation Engineering by following the below-mentioned preparation tips.

    • Understand the exam pattern.
    • Identify the important topics.
    • Refer to standard books.
    • Attempt mock tests.
  • The best books to cover the GATE Instrumentation syllabus are provided below.

    • Advanced Engineering Mathematics- RK Jain
    • Fundamentals of Electric Circuits- Charles K. Alexander
    • Network Analysis- M. E. Van Valkenburg