EEA-430

INTRODUCTION TO MECHATRONICS

Dr. ABDUL ATTAYYAB KHAN

EMAIL ADDRESS: AAKHAN.BUKC@bahria.edu.pk
WEBSITE: https://sites.google.com/view/introductiontomechatronics

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 Sensors & transducers

OBJECTIVES
 Sensors and transducers
 Performance terminology
 Displacement, position and proximity
 Velocity and motion
 Force
 Fluid pressure
 Liquid flow
 Liquid level
 Temperature
 Light sensors
 Selection of sensors

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 Sensors and transducers
 The term sensor is used for an element which produces a signal relating to the quantity
being measured.
 A sensor is a device that can detect a physical quantity (i.e. heat, light, sound etc.) and
convert the data into an electrical signal (i.e. voltage, current etc.). It give accurate
readings after calibration. Sensors are also a type of transducer.

 The term transducer is often used in place of the term sensor.

 Transducers are defined as elements that when subject to some physical change
experience a related change.
 Transducers are often employed at the boundaries of automation, measurement and
control systems, where electrical signals are converted to and from other physical
quantities (i.e. energy, force, torque, light, motion, position, etc.). The process of
converting one form of energy to another is known as transduction.

Sensors and transducers

 Thus sensors are transducers. However, a measurement system may use
transducers, in addition to the sensor, in other parts of the system to convert
signals in one form to another form.

Sensors
 Sensor converts one physical quantity
into electrical quantity.
 Sensor just sense the physical quantity.
It does not convert to any form.
 It can respond to a change in physical
parameter and produce a change in a
physical parameter that can be sensed.
Transducers
 Transducers converts one form of
energy into another form.
 Transducer = sensor + transduction
element. It converts one form of energy
into another form.
 It converts a change in physical
parameter into some useful energy’s
form.

 Sensor is nothing but just a primary  Every transducer is always having a

element which senses any physical sensor but every sensor does not need
phenomena or it gives an indication in to be a transducer.
any change of the physical phenomena.

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 Sensors and transducers
Sensors Transducers
 Sensor output is always electric output.  Transducer output will not be an
electric output.

 A sensor is the complete assembly  A transducer is the element within that

required to detect and communicate a assembly which accomplishes only the
particular event. detection of the event.

 Proximity sensor, magnetic sensor,  The thermistor and thermocouple are

accelerometer, barometer are the the examples of the transducer.
examples of the sensors.

Performance Terminology
 The following terms are used to define the performance of transducers:
 Range and span:
The range of transducer defines the limits between which the input can vary. The
span is the maximum value of the input minus the minimum value.
For example, a load cell for the measurements of forces might have range of 0 to
50kN and a span of 50kN.
 Error:
is the difference between the result of the measurement and the true value of the
quantity being measured.
Error = measured value – true value
 Accuracy:
is the extent to which the value indicated by a measurement system might be
wrong. It is thus the summation of all the possible errors that are likely to occur, as
well as the accuracy to which the transducer has been calibrated.
A temperature-measuring instrument might, for example, be specified as having an
accuracy of ±2℃ of the true value.

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 Performance Terminology
 Sensitivity:
The sensitivity is the relationship indicating how much output you get per unit
input, i.e. output/input.
For example, a resistance thermometer may have a sensitivity of 0.5 Ω/℃.
 Hysteresis Error:
Transducers can give different outputs from the same value of quantity being
measured according to whether that value has been reached by a continuously
increasing change or a continuously decreasing change. This is called hysteresis.
Figure 1 shows such an output with the hysteresis error as the maximum difference
in output for increasing and decreasing values.

Figure 1: Hysteresis

Performance Terminology
 Non-Linearity Error:
For many transducers a linear relationship between the input and output is assumed
over the working range, i.e. a graph of output plotted against input is assumed to
give a straight line.
However, only few transducers have a truly linear relationship and thus errors occur
as a result of the assumption of linearity. The error is defined as the maximum
difference from the straight line.
Various methods are used for the numerical expression of the non-linearity error.

Figure 2: Non-linearity error using:

(a) end-range values, (b) best straight
line for all values, (c) best staright line
through zero point.

 Repeatability/ reproducibility:
The terms repeatability and reproducibility of a transducer are used to describe its
ability to give the same output for repeated applications of the same input value.
A transducer for the measurement of angular velocity typically might be quoted as
having a repeatability of ±0.01% of the full range at a particular angular velocity.