UNIT 2 : TRANSDUCER

UNIT 2 :
Active
Activeand
tRANSDUCERS and
Passive
Passive
Transducers
Transducers

Types
TypesOf
Of
Transducer
Transducer

Mechanical
Mechanical
Device
Deviceas
as
Introduction
Introduction Primary
Primary
ofofTransducer
Transducer Detectors
Detectors
 2.
2.
1.Definitions
1.Definitions Requirement
Requirement
of
ofTransducer
Transducer

Introduction
Introduction
of
of
Transducer
Transducer

4.
4.
Applications 3.Parts
3.Partsof
of
Applications
of
of
Transducer
Transducer
Transducer
Transducer
Definitions of Traducer:

1.The device which converts the one form of energy into another is known

as the transducer. The process of conversion is known as transduction.
The conversion is done by sensing and transducing the physical
quantities like temperature, pressure, sound, etc.

2. Mechanical Transducers are those which responds to changes in physical

quantities or condition with mechanical quantity.

3. A device that converts variations in a physical quantity, such as pressure or

brightness, into an electrical signal, or vice versa.
An example of transducer is an antenna.
Requirements for a Transducer:
There are some requirements for transducers to work efficiently; these are as
follows:

1] Linearity: The output signal generated by the transducers and input signal

given to the transducers should maintain linearity with each other.
2] Ruggedness: There may be certain condition in which the device may burn
due to overload. Hence, transducers should possess high electrical and
mechanical strength so that it may not get deteriorated due to overload.
3] Repeatability: The repeatability of the device means its ability to generate the
same output when same input is given to it under same external condition. Thus,
transducers should possess the feature of repeatability.
4] High Signal to Noise Ratio: The signal to noise ratio
describe the quality of the signal, higher the signal to noise
ratio, higher will be the quality of the signal. Thus, transducers
should possess high signal to noise ratio in order to provide a
high-quality signal.
5] Reliability: The reliability of the device is its ability to
generate the output which is free from error so that it can be
effectively used for a particular application. Transducers must
possess high reliability as it forms the backbone of electrical
instrumentation
Parts of Transducer
The transducer consists two important parts.
•Sensing Element
•Transduction Element

The transducer has many other parts like amplifiers, signal processing
equipment, power supplies calibrating and reference sources, etc.
•Sensing or Detector Element  – It is the part of the transducers which give
the response to the physical sensation. The response of the sensing element
depends on the physical phenomenon.
•Transduction Element  – The transduction element converts the output of
the sensing element into an electrical signal. This element is also called the
secondary transducer
Applications of Transducer
The following are the application of the transducers.

1] It is used for detecting the movement of muscles which is called acceleromyograph.

2]The transducer measures the load on the engines.
3] It is used as a sensor for knowing the engine knock.
4] The transducers measure the pressure of the gas and liquid by converting it into an
electrical signal.
5] It converts the temperature of the devices into an electrical signal or mechanical
work.
6] The transducer is used in the ultrasound machine. It receives the sound waves of
the patient by emitting their sound waves and pass the signal to the CPU.
7] The transducer is used in the speaker for converting the electrical signal into
acoustic sound.
8] It is used in the antenna for converting the
electromagnetic waves into an electrical signal.
9] The classifications of the transducers depend on
the various factor like by transduction, the converting
electrical signal from AC or DC, etc.
Classification of Transducer:
A]Active Transducer:
• The transducer which does not require the external power source
is known as the active transducer. Such type of transducer develops
theirs owns voltage or current, hence known as a self-generating
transducer. The output signal is obtained from the physical input
quantity.
• The physical quantity like velocity, temperature, force and the
intensity of light is induced with the help of the transducer.
• Example: The piezoelectric crystal, photo-voltaic cell,
• tacho generator, thermocouples, photovoltaic cell are the examples
of the active transducers.
Passive Transducer –
• The transducer which requires the power from an external
supply source is known as the passive transducer. They are
also known as the external power transducer.
• The capacitive, resistive and inductive transducers are the
example of the passive transducer.
Analog and Digital Transducer
The transducer can also be classified by their output signals.
The output signal of the transducer may be continuous or
discrete.
B ]Analog and Digital Transducer
The transducer can also be classified by their output signals. The output
signal of the transducer may be continuous or discrete.
Analog Transducer –
• The Analog transducer changes the input quantity into a continuous
function. The strain gauge, L.V.D.T, thermocouple, thermistor  are the
examples of the analogue transducer.

Digital Transducer  –
• These transducers convert an input quantity into a digital signal or in the
form of the pulse. The digital signals work on high or low power.
C] Primary Transducer –

 The transducer consists the mechanical as well as the electrical devices.

 The mechanical devices of the transducer change the physical input quantities
into a mechanical signal. This mechanical device is known as the primary
transducers.

 These are detectors which sense a physical phenomenon. These are also called as
sensing element or detectors.

For example, in pressure measurement of LVDT and bourdon tube, Bourdon’s

tube acts as a primary transducer which converts pressure into displacement 
Secondary Transducer –
The secondary transducer converts the mechanical signal into an electrical
signal. The magnitude of the output signal depends on the input mechanical
signal.

in pressure measurement of LVDT and Bourdon’s tube LVDT acts as a

secondary transducer which converts this displacement into an equivalent
quantity of electrical signal.
Example Pressure Measurement System Using LVDT & Bourdon Tube :

Consider the Bourdon’s Tube shown in the figure below. The tube act as a primary transducer. It
detects the pressure and converts it into a displacement from its free end. The displacement of
the free ends moves the core of the linear variable displacement transformer. The movement of
the core induces the output voltage which is directly proportional to the displacement of the tube
free end.
Thus, the two type of transduction occurs in the Bourdon’s tube. First, the pressure is converted
into a displacement and then it is converted into the voltage by the help of the L.V.D.T.
D] Transducer Types Based on working Principles:
1 ]Piezoelectric transducer:
A transducer can be anything that converts one form of energy to another. The
piezoelectric material is one kind of transducers. When we squeeze this piezoelectric
material or apply any force or pressure, the transducer converts this energy into voltage.
This voltage is a function of the force or pressure applied to it.
In this way, physical quantities like mechanical stress or force can be measured directly
by using a piezoelectric transducer.
2] Photoelectric Transducer:
The photoelectric transducer converts the light energy into
electrical energy. It is made of semiconductor material. The
photoelectric transducer uses a photosensitive element, which
ejects the electrons when the beam of light absorbs through it.
Example: The photovoltaic cell is the type of
active transducer. The current starts flowing into
the photovoltaic cell when the load is connected to it. The
silicon and selenium are used as a semiconductor material.
When the semiconductor material absorbs heat, the free
electrons of the material starts moving.
3] Capacitive Transducer:
The capacitive transducer is used for measuring the
displacement, pressure and other physical quantities. It is a
passive transducer that means it requires external power for
operation. The capacitive transducer works on the principle of
variable capacitances.
The change in capacitance occurs
because of the physicals variables like
displacement, force, pressure, etc. The
capacitance of the transducer also
changes by the variation in their
dielectric constant which is usually
because of the measurement of liquid or
gas level.
4]Inductive Transducer
5] Electromagnetic Transducer
6] Photoconductive Transducer

D] Types of Transducer based on the measuring

quantity:
Displacement transducers
Oscillator transducer
Pressure transducers
Flow transducers
Temperature transducers 
E] Transducer and Inverse Transducer:
A transducer is an instrument for converting a non-electrical (usually physical) input
and quantity to an electrical output and quantity. 
Inverse Transducer: The inverse transducer is the transducer which converts the
electrical quantity into a non-electrical quantity. In other words, the transducer is a
kind of actuator which has an electrical input and the non-electrical output.
Examples: The analogue ammeter and the voltmeter convert the current into a
displacement. The oscilloscope is used for converting the electrical signal into a
physical displacement.
Key Differences Between Transducer and Inverse Transducer:

1] The transducer transforms the non-electrical quantity into the

electrical quantity. Whereas, the inverse transducer changes the electrical
quantity into the non-electrical quantities.

2] The input of the transducer is the non-electrical quantity. Whereas, the

input of the inverse transducer is the electrical quantity.

3] The output of the transducer is the electrical quantity while the output
of the inverse transducer is always the non-electrical quantity.

4] The photoconductive cell, thermocouple, pressure gauge are the

examples of the non-electrical quantities. The piezoelectrical transducer,
current carrying conductor placed in a magnetic field are the examples of
the inverse transducer.