Section 1: Transducers, sensors and measuring devices
-detailed information with diagrams and tables
What is a thermocouple?
Making a simple copper-constant thermocouple (Experiment)
Investigating Thermistors
Section 2: Sensing and Measuring
PH meter
Moisture sensor
Pressure sensor
Don'...
Unit 15 D: Electrical Circuits and their
Application
Examine the uses of transducers, sensors and
other measurement
Nikki Moslares
BTEC LEVEL 3 APPLIED SCIENCE
,Section 1: Transducers, sensors and measuring devices
Every electrical circuit requires communication with the ‘’real world’’ where it
can be through reading an input signal on a switch or stimulating a form of an
output device in lighting up a bulb. Sensors and transducers are appropriate
apparatuses in an electronic system.
The term transducers and sensors are commonly utilised in measurement
systems. A sensor is a type of device that will identify any changes,
circumstances that involves with physical stimulus and gives a comparable
output signal that is measured or documented. An output signal can be a
calculable signal and any electrical quantity. Sensors are apparatuses which
executes input function because of the detection of a physical change like heat
or force which will be converted to an electrical signal.
A device that carries out an output function which is known as an Actuators
which are handled for control on external devices such as sound or movement.
Transducers are utilised in modifying energy of a single type to energy of a
different type like a microphone (input device) that transforms sound waves to
electrical signals that is passed through the amplifier to ‘’amplify’’ (controller)
and to a loudspeaker (output device) where it converts electrical signals to the
original form which are the sound waves, for instance a simple Input/Output
system (see below). Moreover, a transducer that changes measurable quantity
into electrical voltage will be identified as a sensor. (Sensors and Transducers, n.d.)
Cas.ee.ic.ac.uk. n.d. [online] Available at: <https://cas.ee.ic.ac.uk/people/dario/files/E302/1-
Sensors.pdf> [Accessed 14 May 2022].
SINGLE/OUTPUT SYSTEM USING SOUND TRANSDUCERS:
Image from:electronics-tutorials.ws
, Common Sensors and Transducers:
Quantity
Input Device Output Device
being
(Sensor) (Actuator)
Measured
Light Dependant Resistor
Lights & Lamps
(LDR)
LED’s &
Light Level Photodiode
Displays
Photo-transistor
Fibre Optics
Solar Cell
Thermocouple
Thermistor Heater
Temperature
Thermostat Fan
Resistive Temperature Detectors
Strain Gauge Lifts & Jacks
Force/
Pressure Switch Electromagnet
Pressure
Load Cells Vibration
Potentiometer
Motor
Encoders
Position Solenoid
Reflective/Slotted Opto-switch
Panel Meters
LVDT
AC and DC
Tacho-generator
Motors
Speed Reflective/Slotted Opto-coupler
Stepper Motor
Doppler Effect Sensors
Brake
Bell
Carbon Microphone
Sound Buzzer
Piezo-electric Crystal
Loudspeaker
Table from: electronics-tutorials.ws
(On the table, we can see what input and output devices are used in each
measurable quantity which will interact with each other to convert the quantity
into energy.)
Multimeter – this is a calibration tool, that measures more than two electrical
values. This is what technicians usually operate to run a standard diagnostic
within an electric industry.
There are two types of sensors:
Active (Sensor): is a transducer that creates instant electric current or voltage as
a response mechanism to an ‘’environmental situation’’ (they require external
power source). An active sensor transports and measures electromagnetic
energy (EM) and will self-destruct in a hijacking attempt. This sensor will
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