Telemetry -
Transmitters
• Conventionally a sensor, senses a process variable in a system,
typically – temperature, pressure, flow, level, weight etc. !
• A transduction system (transducer) converts the non-electrical
quantity into a proportional electrical signal (voltage/current)
• The electrical signal is now fed to the controller for it to take /
initiate action and effect the required control action.
Robotics & IA - Sem VIII
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4 to 20 mA current loop transmission
• Practically in field or industrial implementation the process variable value
is conveyed or communicated electrically not in terms of voltage but by
using a current loop, proportionally in the range 4 – 20 mA. LT Spice
Example
• Thus temperature, pressure, flow etc. process variable may be
represented in the form of proportional I(current) or P(air pressure) values
in the standard range of 4 to 20mA or 3 to 15 psi, for direct interface with
Robotics & IA - Sem VIII
process control loop (PLC/DCS).
• Practical representation - LTSpice Example
• Typically the wiring options for the sensor/transmitter with the controller
may be one of three type:
• 3 – wire current sink/source format.
• 4 – wire isolated
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• 2 – wire loop powered
• Advantages: Primary reason for using current transmission loop
rather than voltage
• Voltage transmission prone to drop over transmission length, unlike
current loop.
• Unlike current loop voltage transmission more prone to induced emf
(noise) that can contaminate signal value.
• The 4 – 20 mA transmission range ensures that open circuit (break in
transmission wire) gets detected as 0mA, over and above the process
parameter transmission range.
Robotics & IA - Sem VIII
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• 3 – Wire Current Source/Sink transmitter
• Characteristics (advantages and disadvantages)
• Uses 2 – wires for supply and two (ground common) for signal
transmission
• Supply lines common with transmitter and controller
• Signal transmission line prone to pick up ground linked
induced noise
Robotics & IA - Sem VIII
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adapted from: https://instrumentationtools.com/4-20-ma-transmitter-wiring/ [3rd August 2020]
• 4 – wire, isolated powered transmitter system
• Characteristics (advantages and disadvantages)
• Uses 2 – wires for signal transmission and independent power
supply lines for transmitter and controller
• Signal lines independent of power leading to signal
transmission isolation
• Four wires (2 – pairs) required during layout for each
transmitter
Robotics & IA - Sem VIII
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adapted from: https://instrumentationtools.com/4-20-ma-transmitter-wiring/ [3rd August 2020]
• 2 – wire, loop powered transmitter system
• Characteristics (advantages and disadvantages)
• Uses 2 – wires for signal transmission between transmitter
and controller.
• Controller supply is independent
• Transmitter is supplied power (limited) through the same
signal lines
• 0 mA transmitter fault condition not possible to be supported
Robotics & IA - Sem VIII
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adapted from: https://instrumentationtools.com/4-20-ma-transmitter-wiring/ [3rd August 2020]
