Introduction to Sensors and

transducers
 What is sensor?
• A sensor is a converter that measures a
physical quantity and converts it into a
signal which can be read by an observer or
by an instrument.
• Example a) mercury in glass thermometer
b) thermocouple. Or a pressure sensor which
might detect pressure and convert it into
electric current (3-15psi to 4-20ma)
• The main difference between sensor and
transducer is that a transducer is a device
that can convert energy from one form to
another, whereas a sensor is a device that
can detect a physical quantity and
convert the data into an electrical signal.
Sensors are also a type of transducers.
• transducer, e.g) A microphone is a good
example.
• Sensor - As the term suggests, it is a body
which reacts to a physical, chemical or
biological condition. It senses. It can be
considered as a detector.
Transducer - The conversion of energy from
one form to another is known as
Transduction. A transducer serves for this
purpose.
• Sensor is sometimes called a primary
measuring element.
• It may be embedded in the transducer to
perform its function.
• That means the transducer consists of a
primary element (sensor) plus a secondary
element (signal conditioning circuit) that
transforms the passive change or small voltage
signal into active signal range that can be
easily used in other chains of the control loop.
 A transducer is a device which converts one form
of energy into another form.
A sensor is a device which detects a physical
quantity and produces an electric signal based on
the strength of the quantity measured.
sensors are almost always transducers but
transducers are not necessarily sensors.
A signal conditioning circuit, conditions the signal so
that it is strong enough for further processing. A
system might contain many stages before the signal
finally reaches its destination to derive meaningful
information.
A sensor merely measures a quantity and cannot, by
itself, give feedback to the system
Since transducers can convert between any forms of
energy, they can be used to provide feedback to the
system.
• Sensor - As the term suggests, it is a body
which reacts to a physical, chemical or
biological condition. It senses. It can be
considered as a detector.
Transducer - The conversion of energy from
one form to another is known as Transduction.
A transducer serves for this purpose.
Sensors are used to measure physical quantities
such as temperature, light, pressure, sound,
and humidity.
They send signals to the processor
• MAF (mass air flow sensor), MAP
(manifold air pressure sensor), Oxygen
Sensor, TPS (throttle position sensor),
wheel speed sensor, lateral acceleration
sensor, engine coolant temperature sensor,
ACRS (air cushion restraint system),
HVAC (heating ventilation and air
conditioning), EGO (exhaust gas oxygen),
crankshaft ...
 Mechanical sensing technique

• Piezoresistivity
• Piezoelectricity
• Capacitive techniques
• Inductive techniques
• Resonant techniques
 Piezoresistivity
Effect exhibited by various materials that
exhibit a change in resistance due to an
applied pressure.
Strain Gauge
Sensors that exhibit a change in resistance
as a result of an applied strain are generally
termed strain gauges.
• A strain gauge. When an external force is
applied on an object, due to which there is a
deformation occur in the shape of the object.
This deformation in the shape either compressive
or tensile is called strain, its electrical resistance
gets change and that change is then measured by
the strain gauge.
strain gauge has a long thin metallic strip arrange
in a zig-zag pattern on a non-conducting material
called the carrier.
• Strain gauge bridge circuit shows the measured stress and uses a
voltmeter in the center of the bridge to provide an accurate
measurement of that imbalance:
• In this circuit, R1 and R3are the ratio arms equal to each other, and R2
is the rheostat arm has a value equal to the strain gage resistance.
• When the gauge is unstrained, the bridge is balanced, and voltmeter
shows zero value.
• As there is a change in resistance of strain gauge, the bridge gets
unbalanced and producing an indication at the voltmeter.
• The output voltage from the bridge can be amplified further by a
differential amplifier.
 Piezoelectricity
• A piezoelectric sensor is a device that uses the piezoelectric
effect, to measure changes in pressure, acceleration, temperature,
strain, or force by converting them to an electrical charge. The
prefix piezo- is Greek for 'press' or 'squeeze'.
• The word "piezoelectric" literally means electricity caused by
pressure. Squeeze certain crystals (such as quartz) and you can make
electricity flow through them. ... Piezoelectricity is the appearance of
an electrical potential.
• the property of producing an electric charge
when subjected to an applied mechanical
force.
Quartz and Rochelle salt are naturally occurring
piezoelectric.
Applied force

Piezoelectric
material
We squeeze this material or we apply force or
pressure on this material it converts it into
electric voltage and this voltage is function of
the force or pressure applied to it. The
material which behaves in such a way is also
known as piezoelectric sensor.
• which can be used to measure stresses or
forces. The physical quantity like
mechanical stress or force cannot be
measured directly. Therefore, piezoelectric
transducer can be used.
 Need for Sensors
• Sensors are embedded in our bodies,
automobiles, airplanes, cellular
telephones, radios, chemical plants,
industrial plants and countless other
applications.
• Without the use of sensors, there would be
no automation !!
 Air flow meter sensor
The intake air volume signal is used to calculate the basic
injection duration and basic ignition.

The principle used here is the measurement of force

exerted in the sensor flap by the air pass­ing through it .
Optical Karman Vortex type air flow meter
• This type of air flow meter directly senses
the intake air volume optically.
• This sensor detects the engine coolant water
temperature by means of a thermistor.

• Based on the signal from the sensor, the ECU

increases fuel volume to improve drive ability
during cold engine operation.
 Intake air temperature sensor (THA)
• even though the volume of air measured by the
air flow meter may be the same, the fuel
injection volume will vary with the air
temperature.
• The ECU adjusts injection volume slightly,
according to the intake air temperature.
 transducer
• A good example for this is the ultrasonic
transducer used in ultrasound imaging. The
device works by sending out high-frequency
pulses of sound (called ultrasound because the
frequency of this sound is too high for humans
to be able to hear it).
• The sound pulses enter a patient’s body, and as
the pulse travels through the patient, a fraction
of it gets reflected at boundaries of various
organs on its way.
The transducer then picks up the reflected signals.
Using the time interval and the strength of the
reflected signals, an image of the internal organs
could be built up.

An ultrasound transceiver used in medical imaging

A microphone is a transducer and a sensor, which
converts sound energy to electrical energy. A loudspeaker
is a transducer, converting electrical energy to sound
energy.