Electrical transducers
An electrical transducer is one type of device which is capable of converting the
physical quantity into electrical quantity such as voltage or electric current. Hence it
coverts any quantity to be measured into the usable electrical signal.
Advantages of electrical transducers:
1. The power requirement of the transducer is very small. The electrical system
can be controlled with a very small level of power.
2. Electrical signals can be easily attenuated or must be amplified to the signal
and can be brought up to a level suitable for a various device with the help of
static device
3. An amplifier may be used for amplifying the electrical signal according to the
requirement
4. The electrical output of the transducer can be easily used, transmitted and also
easily processed for the purpose of measurement.
5. Mass inertia effects are minimized, because in case of electrical or electronics
signals the inertia effect is due to the mass of the electrons, which can be
negligible.
6. The signal can be conditioned or mixed to obtain any combination with the
output of similar transducers or control signals
7. The data transmission through mechanical mean is eliminated. Thus no
mechanical wear and tear and no possibility of mechanical failures exist
8. They reduce effects of friction and other mechanical non-linearities
9. Due to the integrated circuit technology, the electrical and electronic system is
compact having less weight and portable hence requiring small space for their
operation.
10. The output can be indicated and must be recorded remotely from the sensing
element
11. Electrical signal obtained from electrical transducer can be easily processed
(mainly amplified) and brought to a level suitable for output device which may
be an indicator or recorder.
12. No moving mechanical parts are involved in the electrical systems. Therefore
there is no question of mechanical wear and tear and no possibility of
mechanical failure.
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Disadvantages of electrical transducers:
1. The electrical transducer are sometimes less reliable than mechanical type
because of the aging and drift of the active components. While designing the
circuit the effects of aging and also drifts of parameters of active components
must be considered. This makes the design too much complicated.
2. Also, the sensing elements and the associated signal processing circuitry are
comparatively more expensive. With the use of better materials, its improved
technology, and better for circuitry design, the range of accuracy and stability
have been increased for electrical transducer while using negative feedback
techniques the accuracy of measurement and the stability of the system are
improved but main is that all at the expense of increased circuit complexity
more space and obviously more cost.
Types of Transducer based on the output form
1. Analog or digital: Analog transducers convert the input quantity into an analog
output which is a continuous function of time. Digital transducers convert the input
quantity into an electrical output which is discrete function of time.
2. Inverse transducer: Transducers convert non-electrical quantity to electrical
quantity. Inverse transducers convert electrical quantity to a non-electrical quantity
Transducers may be classified as active or passive based on whether an External
Power Source is required or not.
=> Active transducers are those which do not require any power source for their
operation. They work on the energy conversion principle. They produce an electrical
signal proportional to the input (physical quantity). For example, a thermocouple is
an active transducer.
=> Transducers which require an external power source for their operation are
passive transducers. They produce an output signal in the form of some variation in
resistance, capacitance or any other electrical parameter, which than has to be
converted to an equivalent current or voltage signal. For example, a photocell (LDR)
is a passive transducer which will vary the resistance of the cell when light falls on it.
Transducers may also be classified as secondary and primary.
Some transducers contain the mechanical as well as electrical device. The mechanical
device converts the physical quantity to be measured into a mechanical signal. Such
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mechanical devices are called the primary transducers, because they deal with the
physical quantity to be measured.
The electrical device then converts this mechanical signal into a corresponding
electrical signal. Such electrical devices are known as secondary transducers.
Commonly used electrical transducers:
1) Potentiometers: They convert the change in displacement into change in the
resistance, which can be measured easily.
2) Bridge circuits: These convert the physical quantity to be measured into the
voltage.
3) Wheatstone bridge: It converts the displacement produced by the physical
quantity to the current in the circuit.
4) Capacitive sensors or Variable Capacitance Transducers: These comprise of the two
parallel plates between which there is dielectric material like air. The change in
distance between the two plates produced by the displacement results in change in
capacitance, which can be easily measured.
5) Resistive sensors or Variable Resistance Transducers: There is change in the
resistance of these sensors when certain physical quantity is applied to it. It is most
commonly used in resistance thermometers or thermistors for measurement of
temperature.
6) Magnetic sensors: The input given to these sensors is in the form of displacement
and the output obtained is in the form of change in inductance or reluctance and
production of the eddy currents
7) Piezoelectric transducers: When force is applied to these transducers, they
produce voltage that can be measured easily. They are used for measurement of
pressure, acceleration and force.
8) Strain gauges: When strain gauges are strained or stretched there is change in
their resistance. They consist of the long wire and are able to detect very small
displacements produced by the applied force or pressure.
9) Photo electric transducers: When the light is applied to these transducers they
produce voltage.
10) Linear variable differential transformer (LVDT): LVDT is the transformer
consisting of the primary and the secondary coil. It converts the displacement into the
change in resistance.
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11) Antenna: is the most basic transducer and can be made from a simple piece of
wire. It converts electromagnetic energy into electricity when it receives signals and
does the opposite when it transmits.
12) Accelerometer: which converts the change in position of mass into an electrical
signal. Accelerometers measure the force of acceleration and deceleration. They are
used in car airbags, stability control, and hard drives.
13) Geiger counter: detects radiation levels by using a transducer called a
GeigerMuller tube.
14) Microphone and Speaker: Microphones convert sound pressure waves into
electrical current, while speaker convert electrical current into sound pressure waves.
