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Pressure Transducer vs. Pressure Transmitter

What is the difference between a pressure transducer and a pressure transmitter?     

The terms pressure transducer and pressure transmitter are today used almost interchangeably across the sensor industry.  Often the terms are also exchanged by different manufacturers.  The terms pressure transducer and pressure transmitter however do have fundamentally different meanings and define the type of output the sensor gives.

  Pressure Transmitter

Pressure Transducer

The term pressure transducer means that the sensor has a voltage output proportional to a variation in pressure. Typically, pressure transducers require a lower supply voltage to operate and have a lower power consumption than a transmitter. This makes them ideal for use in battery powered applications or where available power is limited.

 

Pressure TransmitterPressure Transmitter

The pressure transmitter is a current output device that has two or three wires. These wires are used as both power supply and output signal connections. Generally, a 2-wire pressure transmitter is used with 4-20mA output. A 3-wire transmitter is used when an output of 0-20mA is required.

While pressure transmitters consume more power during operation, the sensor is less susceptible to electrical noise as cable lengths increase in the applications.

The Gems portfolio includes sputtered thin film, capacitance, and micromachined silicon (MMS) pressure transducers. These technologies support a diverse range of requirements.

 


Typical Pressure Transducer Industries and Applications:

  • Off-Highway Vehicles - Load Weighing Systems and Load Moment Indicating
  • Natural Gas Equipment - Compressors and Dispensing Equipment
  • Semiconductor Processing - Water Manufacturing
  • Power Plants - Piping Steam Pressure
  • Refrigeration - Compressors and Lube Oil Pressure Equipment
  • Robotics - Factory Automated Equipment
  • Test & Measurement - Dynamometers, Medical Instrumentation, Wind Tunnels
  • Barometric - Altimeter certification, Weather Stations
  • HVAC - Compressors, Filter Monitoring, Energy Management
  • Transportation - Breaking, Compressors, Lifts, Air Conditioning
  • Food & Beverage
  • Oil & Gas
  • Marine
  • Agriculture
  • Alt Energy

 

Learn more about Pressure Transducers, HERE