Hierarchical intelligent measurement set-up for characterizing dynamical systems

Information technology and distribution instrumentation, supporting the monitoring of dynamical processes, deserve careful consideration to exploit their ability of providing "measurements" with acknowledged metrological consistency. The paper discusses the conceptual background for characterizing vibrating systems through standardized signatures. A hierarchical procedure is devised, based on the recognition of topological, structural and parametrical phases, whose features are singled out and explained by referring to an example instrumental set-up and a case study. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.