Instrumentation and control technicians maintain the safe and efficient operation of industrial measurement and control systems. A broad knowledge of multiple disciplines is required to effectively work with and troubleshoot instrumentation systems; physics, chemistry, mathematics, electronics, mechanics, and control theory all need to be applied to some extent. An instrument technician must be able to synthesize and apply this knowledge to real applications. The continued addition of new technologies adds to the challenge. For existing industrial facilities, new equipment is phased in for specific applications and legacy technologies typically remain. It is very common to find state-of-the-art instrumentation next to decades-old instruments, such as digital networks running alongside pneumatic signal tubes or microprocessor-based sensors mounted next to mercury switches. A competent instrumentation and control technician must be comfortable working with old and new technologies, and also have a sound knowledge of measurement principles and system interactions.
