A transducer is a device, usually electrical, electronic, or electro-mechanical, that converts one type of energy to another for the purpose of measurement or information transfer. Most transducers are either sensors or actuators. In a broader sense, a transducer is sometimes defined as any device that senses or converts a signal from one form to another.

List of transducers

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This list is confined to the narrower definition of the term.

• Electrochemical:
  • pH probe
  • electro-galvanic fuel cell
• Electromechanical:
  • (electromechanical output devices are generically called actuators)
  • electroactive polymers
  • galvanometer
  • MEMS
  • motor, linear motor
  • potentiometer when used for measuring position
  • strain gauge
  • switch
• Electroacoustic:
  • gramophone pick-up
  • hydrophone - converts changes in water pressure into an electrical form
  • loudspeaker, earphone - converts changes in electrical signals into acoustic form
  • microphone - converts changes in air pressure into an electrical signal
  • piezoelectric crystal - converts pressure changes into electrical form
  • Tactile transducer
• Photoelectric:
  • Laser diode, light-emitting diode - convert electrical power into forms of light
  • photodiode, phototransistor, photomultiplier tube - converts changing light levels into electrical form
• Electromagnetic:
  • cathode ray tube (CRT) - converts electrical signals into visual form
  • fluorescent lamp, light bulb - converts electrical power into visible light
  • magnetic cartridge - converts motion into electrical form
  • photocell or light-dependent resistor (LDR) - converts changes in light levels into resistance changes
  • tape head - converts changing magnetic fields into electrical form
  • Hall effect sensor - converts a magnetic field level into electrical form
• Electrostatic:
  • electrometer
  • liquid crystal display (LCD)
• Thermoelectric:
  • thermocouple
  • Peltier cooler
  • thermistor (includes PTC resistor and NTC resistor)
• Other:
  • Geiger-Müller tube used for measuring radioactivity.

Sources/references

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The Danish Wikipedia

See also

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• Finite state transducer

External links

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• whatis: transducer
• Federal Standard 1037C, August 7, 1996: transducer
• American National Standard for Telecommunications - Telecom Glossary 2000: transducer

Transducers

Transducer | Sensortechnik | Transducteur | מתמר | Trasduttore | Transducent | Transdusar | Transdutor