Electromechanical Transducer - Converts mechanical vibration Rotary variable differential transformer (RVDT) - a common

into current variations and vice versa. type of electrical transformer used for measuring angular
- Acts as sensors of mechanical motion in automation and displacement.
measurement technology. - an electromechanical transducer that provides a variable
Load cell - transducer that is used to create an electrical signal alternating current (AC) output voltage that is linearly
whose magnitude is directly proportional to the force being proportional to the angular displacement of its input shaft.
measured. Electric motor - electrical machine that converts electrical
- The various load cell types include hydraulic, pneumatic, and energy into mechanical energy.
strain gauge - A type of an electric actuator
- 1843, physicist Sir Charles Wheatstone invented a bridge Rotary Motor - electric motor that produces a rotating motion
path that may perhaps to determine electrical signal. 1800 - Alessandro Volta invented the world's first battery
Strain gauge - a passive, resistive transducer which converts 1825 - Williams Sturgeon invented Electromagnet and the
the mechanical elongation and compression into a resistance foundation for electric motors was laid
change. 1834 - Moritz Jacobi creates the first real rotating electric
LOAD CELL TYPES: motor.
1 S-Shaped - used for tension and compression. PARTS
2 Miniature Compression - Ideal for restricted spaces 1 Armature - the rotating part of the motor - this used to be
Tension Links - Used for measuring loads on cables and called a rotor, it supports the rotating copper coils.
support rods. 2 Stator - The stationary part of an electric motor; usually
3 Bending Beam - Used at low profile construction for limited contains windings or permanent magnets
space 3 Windings - the wires that are rolled into coils and placed
4 Electroactive Polymers (EAPs) - polymers that change their around a laminated iron core
size, shape or volume in response to a strong electrical field. 4 Commutator - Aids in the direction of the electrical source
CLASSIFICATIONS: provided by the power source unit.
1 Ionic EAPs - Driven by a displacement of ions during Linear Motor - are electric induction motors that produce
electrical stimulation, which leads to a change in shape or motion in a straight line rather than rotational motion
volume. * The basic principle behind the linear motor was discovered
2 Electronic EAPs - Driven by strong electric fields. The in 1895, but practical devices were not developed until 1947.
occurring electrostatic forces lead to an electromechanical During the 1950s, British electrical engineer Eric
change in shape of the material Laithwaite (1921–1997) started to consider whether linear
Galvanometer - an electromechanical instrument used to motors could be used in electric weaving machines.
detect and measure an electric current. Accelerometer - an electromechanical device used to measure
- At the core of any analog ammeter or voltmeter is a acceleration forces.
galvanometer. CLASSIFICATIONS
- The term “galvanometer” in common use by 1836, was 1 Piezoelectric Effect - most common form of accelerometer
derived from the surname of Italian electricity researcher which uses microscopic crystal structure that become stressed
Luigi Galvani who discovered the principle of the frog due to accelerative forces.
galvanoscope-that electric current would make the legs of a 2 Capacitance Sensor - senses changes in capacitance
dead frog jerk. between microstructures located next to the device.
Linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) - a common * Piezoelectric Effect - These crystals create a voltage from
type of electromechanical transducer that can convert the the stress, and the accelerometer interprets the voltage to
rectilinear motion of an object to which it is coupled determine velocity and orientation.
mechanically into a corresponding electrical signals. * Capacitance Sensor - If an accelerative force moves one of
CONSTRUCTION: these structures, the capacitance will change and the
=COIL WINDING ASSEMBLY- consists of a primary coil and two accelerometer will translate that capacitance to voltage for
secondary coils symmetrically spaced on a tubular center. interpretation.
=CYLINDRICAL CASE- encloses and protects the Coil Winding Air flow sensor - A device that measures the air flow, i.e. how
Assembly. much air is flowing through the volume of the air passing
=MAGNETIC CORE- free to move axially within the Coil through the tube.
Winding Assembly. TYPES:
1 Hot wire Sensor – determines the mass of air flowing into direction. The corner reflector antenna are widely used in
the engine’s air intake system. The theory of operation of the UHF television receiving antenna, point-to-point
hot wire mass airflow sensor is similar to that of the hot wire communication links and data links. The parabolic antenna
anemometer (which determines air velocity) functions is to direct the electromagnetic waves in a narrow
2 Vane Air Flow Sensor – measures the air flow into the beam.
engine with a spring-loaded air vane (flap/door) attached to a Magnetic cartridge - most commonly called a phonograph
variable resistor (potentiometer). cartridge, is an electromechanical transducer that is used to
*Hot wire Sensor – When air flows past the wire, the wire play records on a turntable; it converts relative physical
cools, decreasing its resistance, which in turn allows more motion to and from electrical signals.
current to flow through the circuit, since the supply voltage is TYPES:
a constant 1 Moving Magnet Cartridge (MMC) - A tiny magnet rests on
*Vane Air Flow Sensor - The vane moves in proportion to the the end of a stylus shank that is suspended between two coils.
airflow. A voltage is applied to the potentiometer and a The vibrating magnet induces a small current in the coils.
proportional voltage appears on the output terminal of the 2 Moving Coil Cartridge (MCC) - The magnet resides near coils
potentiometer that are constructed of very fine wire. The small and light-
Antenna - a source or radiator of Electromagnetic waves or a weight coils give the stylus more agility when navigating the
sensor of Electromagnetic waves. It is a transition device or constantly changing record grooves.
transducer between guided wave and a free space wave or Disk Read-and-Write Head - Are the small parts of a disk drive
vice versa. which move above the disk platter and transform the platter's
*1830: Faraday experimented involving the coupling of magnetic field into electrical current or, vice versa
electricity and magnetism and showed a definitive TYPES:
relationship. 1 Ferrite Head - a U-shaped iron core wrapped with electrical
*1886: Heinrich Hertz developed a wireless communication windings to create the read/write head—almost a classical
system in which he forced an electric spark to occur in the gap electromagnet, but very small. (The name "ferrite" comes
of dipole antenna. from the iron of the core.)
TYPES 2 Thin Film (TF) heads, also called thin film inductive (TFI) - TF
1 Log periodic antenna - It is a multi-element, directional heads are made using a photolithographic process similar to
narrow beam antenna that works on a wide range of how processors are made.
frequencies. It is used in a wide range of applications where 3 (Anisotropic) Magnetoresistive (MR/AMR) Heads - An MR
variable bandwidth is required along with antenna gain and head employs a special conductive material that changes its
directivity. resistance in the presence of a magnetic field. As the head
2 wire antenna - Also known as LINEAR or CURVED antenna. passes over the surface of the disk, this material changes
These antennae are very simple, cheap and are used in wide resistance as the magnetic fields change corresponding to the
range of applications. Dipole antennae are used in designing stored patterns on the disk. A sensor is used to detect these
their own antennae or other antennae. The short dipole changes in resistance, which allows the bits on the platter to
antenna is infrequently satisfactory from efficiency viewpoint. be read.
Monopole antennae are used as vehicle mounted antennae. Hall Effect Sensor - A device that is used to measure and
Loop antennae are widely used in communication links and as convert the magnitude of a magnetic field into an electrical
electromagnetic field probes in the microwave bands signal in the form of voltage.
3 travelling wave antenna - The Helical antenna have two * Hall Effect - was first observed by Edwin Herbert Hall in
predominate radiation modes: the normal and axial mode. 1879. It was discovered 18 years before the electron.
The Yagi-Uda antenna commonly used in communications
with frequency above 10MHz.
4 microwave antenna - This antennae are operating at
microwave frequencies. The rectangular micro strip antenna Hydrogen Sensors - Detects presence of hydrogen
have major disadvantage is their inefficient and very narrow TYPES:
bandwidth. It is widely used in portable wireless devices. The 1 Optical Fiber Hydrogen Sensor - They are used for the point
planar inverted-F antenna is also widely used in portable detection of hydrogen; they used surface resonance
wireless devices like mobile and portable radio. 2 MEMS Hydrogen Sensor - Coated with nanostructured film
5 reflector antenna - The reflector serves to modify the made of Indium Oxide and Tin Oxide; functions properly at
radiation pattern of the antenna, increasing gain in a given room temperature
3 Thin Film Sensor - Based on an opposing property that 3 Hydrostatic Pressure - pressure that is exerted by a fluid at
depends on the nanoscale structures within the thin film. equilibrium at a given point within the fluid, due to the force
Nanosized palladium particles swell when the hydride is of gravity.
formed. 4 Differential pressure - measure the difference in pressure
4 Thick Film Sensors - It relies on electrical resistance of between two samples
palladium hydride which is greater than metallic resistance Strain gauge - a passive transducer which converts mechanical
5 Chemochromic Hydrogen Sensors - Includes a smart displacement into a change of resistance.
pigment paint that visually identifies hydrogen leaks by a TYPES:
change in color 1 Unbonded Strain Gauge - gauges cannot fully transfer the
Vibration powered generator - a type of electric strain experienced by the specimen to the strain gauge and
generator that converts the kinetic energy from vibration into hence it is used mainly for displacement, pressure or force
electrical energy. measurement.
- Usually consist of a resonator which is used to amplify the 2 Bonded Strain Gauge - As the bonded strain gauges are well
vibration source, and a transducer mechanism which converts bonded on to the specimen, the entire strain being
the energy from the vibrations into electrical energy. experienced by the specimen is transferred to the strain
MECHANISMS: gauge through grid of wires
1 Piezoelectric generator - generates electric energy by 3 Foil Strain Gauge - Similar to the bonded strain gauge, only
internal generation of electric charge when time-varying foil is used in place of thin metallic wires, these strain gauges
strain is induced in a piezoelectric material. are attached to the surface of an object
2 Electromagnetic based generators - use Faraday's law of 4 Semiconductor Strain Gauges - depend on the piezoresistive
induction to convert the kinetic energy of the vibrations into effects of silicon or germanium and measure the change in
electrical energy. resistance with stress as opposed to strain.
3 Electrostatic (capacitive) generator - relies on the changing MEMS or Micro-Electromechanical System - a technique of
capacitance of vibration-dependent varactors or variable combining Electrical and Mechanical components together on
capacitor a chip, to produce a system of miniature dimensions.
Potentiometer - a three terminal resistor in which the TWO GENERAL CATEGORIES OF MEMS:
resistance is manually varied to control the flow of electric 1 Sensors 2 Actuators
current TYPES:
TWO KEY USES: 1 Mechanical Sensors 5 Electrostatic Actuators
1 Adjustable resistors (rheostats) - only 2 leads are required, 2 Optical Sensors 6 Magnetic Actuators
the center and the either end lead 3 Thermal Sensors 7 Thermal Actuators
2 voltage dividers (potentiometer) – all 3 leads are used and 4 Chemical & Biological Sensors 8 Piezoelectric Actuators
acts like a voltage divider.
String potentiometer - sometimes also known as a string pot,
a draw wire sensor, a string encoder or a yo-yo pot.
- A cable actuated position sensor used to detect and measure
linear position and velocity using a flexible cable and a spring-
loaded spool.
PARTS:
1 Measuring Cable 3 spring
2 Spool 4 Rotational Sensor

Pressure Sensor - Converts the pressure of the atmosphere,