Sensors definition

Sensors Definition

A sensor is a kind of electrical components that measures and responds to a property such as pressure, temperature, position, acceleration, traffic, speed and more. As one of reliable electronic components distributors, Utmel Electronic provides you qualified sensors from sensors manufactures in the world. And in our sensor category, there are various sensors components to meets your needs, including industrial, automotive, appliance, medical, aerospace and defense, and industrial and commercial transportation. We also offer sensors for home systems, sensors in cars, sensors for robotics and sensors in blood pressure devices.

What are Sensors?

Electrical Sensors are electronic components that detect changes in the environment and react to some other system's output. As a kind of electrical parts, a sensor can turn a physical phenomena into a quantifiable analog voltage (or, in certain cases, a digital signal). And the analog voltage will displayed or sent for reading or further processing.

Types of Sensors

We live in a Sensory World. Different Sensor Types can be found in our homes, offices, cars, and other places, all working to make our lives easier by turning on lights when we enter the room, adjusting the room temperature, detecting smoke or fire, brewing delicious coffee, opening garage doors when our car approaches the door, and many other tasks. Electronic sensors enable all of these and a slew of additional automated activities. The following will show you the Sensors types.

Different sensors types includes Accelerometer, Color Sensor, Flow and Level Sensor, Humidity Sensor, IR Sensor (Infrared Sensor), Light Sensor, Magnetic Sensor (Hall Effect Sensor), Microphone (Sound Sensor), PIR Sensor, Position Sensor, Pressure Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Smoke, Gas and Alcohol Sensor, Strain and Weight Sensor, Temperature Sensor, Tilt Sensor, Touch Sensor, Traffic Sensor, Ultrasonic Sensor, etc.

Thermal Sensors - often known as temperature sensors(temparature sensors), these can be set to measure a specific temperature or a range of temperatures. They are often used for environmental compliance, and can be a key components of humidity sensor applications such as automated AC units.

Proximity Sensors - Motion sensors can work as ultrasonic sensors, which use sonic waves to determine proximity to objects.

Capacitive proximity sensors use electromagnetic waves to determine the proximity of metallic objects, and are frequently used in food safety environments.

Flow Sensors - these sensors are for measuring the force of fluid flow. Pressure sensor - for sensing the physical pressure of gas or fluids, these sensors can be used in pneumatic and hydraulic applications.

Photoelectric Sensors - often referred to as optical sensors, photoelectric sensors use a beam of electronic magnetic radiation to detect the presence and location of an object. They are available as through-beam sensors, retro-reflective sensors and diffuse sensors.

Light and Colour Sensors - often a type of optical sensor that works by casting light and measuring the reflected radiation, light and colour sensors can accurately determine a colour or shade, or its absence. Light intensity and colour or contrast sensors are often used in automation and control machinery to ensure the consistent running of a material.

Motion Sensors - Sensors used to detect motion, often by infrared light, such as in PIR sensors.

Sensors Examples

An LDR, or Light Dependent Resistor, is the most basic type of sensor. It's a gadget whose resistance fluctuates depending on the amount of light it's exposed to. When the amount of light falling on an LDR increases, its resistance decreases, and when the amount of light decreases, the LDR's resistance increases. LM35 and DS18B20 are Temperature Sensors. LM35 Temperature Sensor is a classic Analog Temperature Sensor, however DS18B20 is a simple Digital Temperature Sensor. Meanwhile, TSL2561 and BH1750 belong to Digital Light Sensors, which is used to calculate light intensity. And TCS3200 is the simple example of Color Sensor. Humidity Sensors Examples: DHT11 is a Resistive Humidity Sensor and DHT22 is a capacitive Humidity Sensor.

Transducers Overview

What are Transducers

Transducers are electronic devices, which has the ability of converting energy from one form to a readable signal. Transducers are one of the perfect electronic components to do useful task. And loudspeakers and microphones are the most familiar examples for us.

Types of Transducers

Whether or not transducers require an external power source, there are 2 transducers types: the active transducer and the passive transducer. An active transducer is one that operates without the use of a power source. These transducers function only on the basis of energy conversion, producing an electrical signal proportionate to the input. And a thermocouple is an example of an active transducer.

However, passive transducers require an external source of power to function. Variations in resistance, capacitance, or other electrical characteristics are used to generate its output signal. The voltage signal or corresponding current can then be transformed.

There are numerous distinct transducers types that fall outside of those two categories.

The operation concept of transducers may be used to classify them. Chemical transducers, piezoelectric transducers, and mutual induction transducers are all  transducer types. Electromagnetic transducers, Hall Effect transducers, and photoconductors are also available. Solar cells are another name for photovoltaic transducers.

There are also many transducer types dependent on the quantity to be measured. Temperature transducers, pressure transducers, displacement transducers, and flow transducers are all examples of this.

Examples of Transducers

A sensor is an input transducer, while an actuator is an output transducer.

An input transducer, also known as a sensor, detects changes in the environment and turns them into a readable electrical signal. In our microphone example, the microphone converts physical sound waves into an electrical signal, which is then transmitted to the amplifier through wires.

Input transducers(Sensors) do the opposite of output transducers(Actuators). They transform electrical impulses into a different source of energy. A lamp, for example, transforms electricity into light, and motor sensors, on the other hand, translate electricity into motion.

How Transducers Work?

It depends on the transducers type you're using. Now take Photovoltaic as the example. This kind of transducer type is able to convert energy from light into electrical signal. And Photovoltaic is made of semiconductor material. The piezoelectric effect is used to operate a piezoelectric transducer. When mechanical stress or pressures are applied to a quartz crystal, electrical charges are generated on the quartz crystal surface, according to the piezoelectric effect. The piezoelectric effect was discovered by Pierre and Jacques Curie. The rate at which charge is created will be proportional to the rate at which mechanical stress is applied. The voltage will rise as the stress level rises.