Pressure transducers

I'm trying to learn about pressure transducers and I've learned a tiny bit on the web, but not found it as fruitful as I had hoped. (Or I just don't understand what to look for.)

Do they permit air to pass through them, or only into them, like a pressure tank?

Is their output linear with pressure throughout its rated range? If the transducer is good from 0-30 psi, then does the output range from something like 0 to 30 volts? When their max rated pressure is reached and then exceeded, does the output stop changing? Is it accurate to say the transducer is saturated?

Would the power supply in this example need to be 30 volts? Does the supply need to be steady? If the supply fluctuates, does that throw off the measurement? If the supply is noisy DC, does this throw off the measurement?

It seems like they are always zero to X psi rating. Can the same transducer measure vaccuum too? If I want to guage -20 psi up to 40 psi, can this be done with a single transducer? If not, is there a such thing as using two transducers to measure this range and to install one of them backwards?

Thank you.

Reply to
Ryan
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Go here and look around.

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The pressure transducer usually just has air to pass into them. The output can be made almost any way. As you did not state what you wanted to do, the output in many cases is a 4 to 20 miliamp circuit. The output will saturate when the maximum range is exceeded. They may overrange a small percentage. That is if the rated output is for 20 psi then it may go to 21 psi. There are transducers that can be ranged from negative presure (gauge) to a positive pressure. BTW you can not get -20 psi. Around 14.7 psig is as low as you can get. That would be zero pressure absolute.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

Into or onto them. Some are made like a plug that fits in a pipe threaded hole. Some measure the difference between atmospheric pressure and applied pressure, some measure absolute pressure (have a vacuum on the back of the sensing diaphragm). Some have two ports, so they can measure the difference of two arbitrary pressures.

Some are linearized, some produce an output directly from a strain gauge.

There are many types.

Most have some over range with reduced accuracy (or some sort of saturation) that doesn't damage the sensor.

When additional pressure produces no additional output change, it is saturated.

There are many types that operate from a wide range of supply voltages. Some regulate the current when a voltage is applied (current loop operated transmitter).

Some do, some don't.

See above.

There is always at least a little bleed through from the supply. How much is a specification (power supply rejection).

It may seem like that, but it is not the case, especially for the two port types.

Some can. The absolute pressure types certainly can. A perfect vacuum is just their zero scale point.

With the right one, sure.

Not the best way to do it, but possible.

Reply to
John Popelish

Have a look at

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Brian

Reply to
Brian

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