Sensors and Transducers
Devices that convert physical quantities — temperature, light, motion, distance, force — into electrical signals.
A sensor detects a physical quantity; a transducer converts energy from one form to another (a speaker and a microphone are both transducers). Important specs: range, sensitivity, accuracy vs precision, resolution, linearity, response time and the interface (analog voltage, I2C, SPI, digital pulse).
Sub-topics (6)
Temperature Sensors
Thermistors, RTDs, thermocouples and digital ICs — how each measures temperature.
Light Sensors
LDRs, photodiodes, phototransistors and digital lux sensors.
Motion and Position Sensors
Accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, encoders and Hall-effect sensors.
Distance and Proximity Sensors
Ultrasonic, infrared and time-of-flight sensors measure distance without contact.
Strain Gauges and Load Cells
Resistance that changes with stretch, measured with a Wheatstone bridge and amplifier — the basis of digital scales.
Gas and Environmental Sensors
Humidity, pressure, gas and air-quality sensors for weather stations and safety devices.
Spotted a mistake or want to add detail? Suggest an improvement — Content Contributors' edits are reviewed by editors before they go live.
Discussion (0)
Sign in or join free to ask questions and discuss this topic.