Sensors and Transducers

By
H.D. Nelaka Shayamal Priyankara
B Tech Eng (Hons), AMIE(SL),MIEEE
 Sensors

• A sensor is a device that measures a physical

quantity and converts it into a signal which
can be read by an observer or by an
instrument. For example, a mercury
thermometer converts the measured
temperature into expansion and contraction
of a liquid which can be read on a calibrated
glass tube.
 Transducer
• An electrical device that converts one form of
energy into another
 Performance Terminology
• Range
• Span
• Accuracy
• Sensitivity
• Hysteresis error
• Non-linear error
• Repeatability / Reproducibility
• Stability
• Dead band /time
• Resolution
• Output impedance
 Range /Span

• The range of a transducer/sensor defines the

limits between which the input can very

• The span is maximum value of the of input

minus the minimum value.
 Error
• Error is the difference between the result of
the measurement and the true value of the
quantity.
Error= measured value- true value
 Accuracy
• Accuracy is the extent to which the value
indicated by a measurement system might be
wrong.
• Accuracy express as a percentage of full range
output or full scale
 Sensitivity
• The sensitivity is the relationship indicating
how much output you get per unit input.
 Hysteresis
• Transducer can give different outputs from the
same value of quantity being measured
according whether that value has been
reached by a continuously increasing change
or a continuously decreasing change.
 Non- linearity error
• For many transducers a linear relationship
between the input and output is assumed
over the working range but actually it is
nonlinear thus Non linear error is defined as
the maximum difference from the straight
line.
 Stability
• The stability of a transducer is its ability to
give the same output when used to measure a
constant input over a period of time.
 Resolution
• The input varies continuously over the range,
the output signal for some sensors may
change in small steps.
• The resolution is the smallest change in the
input value that will produce an observable
change in the output.
 Example:
• To illustrate the above, consider the significance of the terms in the
following specification of a strain gauge pressure transducer.
– Ranges : 70 to 1000kpa
– Supply voltage :10V dc
– Full range output: 40mV
– Non-linear and hysteresis :±0.5% full range output
– Temperature range: -54°C to +120 °C when operating
– Thermal zero shift : 0.030% full range output /°C