Difference between Transducer and Sensor

The transducer and sensor are not similar, but both are related to each other. Read on the given tutorial to know the basic difference between transducer and sensor.

What is Transducer?

A transducer refers to an electronic device that converts one form of energy into another form. For example, Loudspeaker, LVDT, thermocouple, etc. The transducer is the main element and plays a vital role in measuring instruments. For example, consider an example of the photoelectric cell, which converts sound energy into electrical energy.

There are two types of transducers

1. Active Transducers
2. Passive Transducers

1) Active Transducers:

Active transducers refer to those transducers that do not need any external source to convert physical quantity into electrical parameters. For example, thermocouple and solar panel.

2) Passive Transducers:

Passive transducers refer to those transducers that need an external source to convert physical quantity into electrical quantity. For example, LVDT, a thermistor.

Applications of transducers

These are the various application of transducers.

• Transducers are used as a sensor.
• Transducers are used in antennas.
• Transducers are used as an ultrasound machines.
• Transducers are used in Loudspeakers.
• Transducers are used as a measuring instrument to measure physical quantities like pressure, speed, force, displacement, toque, etc.

What is a sensor?

"Sensor" As the name suggests, it is a device that senses something or the device which is made to sense something. In other words, we can say that a sensor is an object whose motive is to

detect changes in its environment and then provides corresponding output by using electrical or optical signals. A sensor is a transducer type that responds to an input quantity like pressure, speed, pressure, temperature, etc., by generating output like voltage current. Let us understand the concept of the sensor with the help of an example. For example,

The proximity sensor is a good example of a sensor. It is a sensor mounted on your touch screen phone. When we are talking to someone, our cheek touches the screen, but nothing happens. The proximity sensor detects that you are holding your phone close to your ear and disables the touch screen.

There are different sensors available in the markets for detecting Light, motion, temperature, magnetic fields, gravity, humidity, moisture, vibration, and other physical aspects of the external environment. They use different techniques for detection purposes.

There are various types of sensors.

Motion sensors

Motion sensors are designed to detect and respond to the movement happen outside of the component.

Temperature sensors

Temperature sensors are designed to detect the amount of heat produced by the component.

Optical sensors

Optical sensors are designed to detect the presence of light.

Radiation sensors

Radiation sensors are designed to detect alpha, beta, and gamma particles and provide a signal to display devices.

Proximity sensors

Proximity sensors are designed to detect the presence of nearby objects without contacting them.

Position sensors

Position sensors are designed to detect the positions of doors, valves, etc., and provide signals to the display devices.

Applications of sensors

These are the various application of sensors.

An automatic door, Automatic door uses the infrared microwave radiation of the human body to open and close the door.

Mobile phones, digital camera cameras, using optical sensors to capture images.

Water level Indicator, temperature alarm, humidity alarm, optical alarm, etc.

Difference between transducer and sensor