Transducers – Essential Parts Of Intricate Control Systems

By Author: Control Products
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The Job of a transducer is to convert a signal of one type into a corresponding signal of another type, keeping intact the amplitude variations of energy. In position transducers, a fixed excitation voltage is passed through the transducer that produces high voltage levels.

Transducers are devices that send signals in the form of electric current, pneumatic pressure or voltage which are easily translated by controllers at the other end. The intricate control system makes use of these signals in such a way that they can be altered and measured remotely. This complex control system has automotive machines which need to be charged by electrical motors, hydraulics or pneumatic cylinders.

A transducer is a device that converts a signal (represented by a physical quantity) of one form into a corresponding signal of another form, keeping intact the amplitude variations of energy being converted. Position Transducers manufactured by leading companies employ the principle related to AC transformers. A fixed excitation voltage is passed through the transducer which produces high voltage. Here, the output voltage amplitude ...
... directly varies with the angular position of the rotatable core member.

Liquid thermometer devices, which are also known as visual measuring devices, cannot be used in automated systems as they lack electric or pneumatic signals. However, in the presence of a compatible component, which enables it to provide the required signal, the visual measuring device acts as a transducer.

Along with the complex applications, transducers are also present in equipment used in our everyday life. A microphone is a good example of that. In the microphone, the sound signals are converted into an electrical form, from acoustic to electrical, making a microphone a sound transducer. On the other hand, a loud speaker converts electrical signals into acoustics .Hence, it is an electrical transducer. A transducer may sometimes be an important part in a measuring unit like a Bourdon pressure gauge. Other times it exists separately as an individual unit for converting signals for remote transmissions such as in a differential transformer.

As stated earlier, transducers help in converting physical movement into electrical signals. There are certain devices that use variable resistors. A slight movement causes the movement of the slider which changes its position on the resistance wire producing a change in voltage or electrical current. There are many applications that use movements to change the induction of a magnetic coil with respect to the magnetic field altering the induced current in the circuit. Others use movement by altering the air gap between two capacitance plates inducing a change in the circuit.

As for the usage of position transducers, these can be used for various purposes after getting the electrical signals. They can be used to measure or compare, set values in the controller unit, easily translate the remote signals and could be used to design a complete control system. Position transducers are used in a large range of velocity measurement, position and displacement applications. They help in serving the objectives such as:

1. ensuring the distance traveled
2. continually sensing the relative position or location
3. indicating the change in levels
4. working as limit sensors
5. helping in controlling actuators through position sensing
6. functioning as a signal generator for monitoring position in relation to time, magnitude of random cycle movements, cycle rate
7. helping in relative movement monitoring
8. indicating events

The author of the article is associated with Control Products that deals in magnetostrictive transducers, position transducers and a range of other such products.