Pressure transducers are known by a number of different names including pressure transmitter and pressure switches – and it may be the case that you aren’t really aware of any of them. However, they are actually used in a very wide range of scenarios and you will be almost certainly be aware of the products even if you didn’t know they use a pressure transducer.
At its most basic level, a pressure transducer is a device that is able to turn a physical pressure into an analogue electrical signal that can be read by a machine. Doing so allows for the pressure to be accurately measured and recorded.
Once the transducer has turned the pressure into an analogue signal, that signal can instruct a machine to do something. In a simple example this could mean turning a light on or off, but it could also be present in a far more complex scenario, feeding into a complicated device and providing specific information.
What are pressure transducers used for?
Some pressure transducers simply establish whether or not pressure is present. This could be used in any kind of system where pressure needs to be present for the next action to occur – for example, in an alarm system.
In more complex models, transducers measure the change in pressure across a wide range. They would then be able to interpret this data and produce different types of electrical signal to indicate the level of pressure being measured.
Applications that use pressure transducers
There are many different applications that utilise pressure transducers. One example is in any device that needs to sense altitude – this could be in a plane, or in devices used by mountain climbers. Atmospheric pressure changes with altitude and it is extremely important to understand the correct altitude and the related pressure. Transducers are also used in fire sprinkler systems to allow them to function correctly.
If you think you might require a type of pressure transducer in one of your products, get in contact with the experienced team at Applications Engineering today. We would be happy to provide you with any information you need and help you to make the best possible choice for the pressure transducer that is right for you.
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