Transducer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A transducer is a device, usually electrical, electronic, or electro-mechanical, that converts one type of energy to another for various purposes including measurement or information transfer. In a broader sense, a transducer is sometimes defined as any device that converts a signal from one form to another.
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[edit] Types of transducers
This list is confined to the narrower definition of the term.
- Electromagnetic:
- Antenna - converts electromagnetic waves into electric current and vice versa.
- 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
- Electrochemical:
- Electromechanical:
- (electromechanical output devices are generically called actuators)
- Electroactive polymers
- Galvanometer
- MEMS
- Rotary motor, linear motor
- Potentiometer when used for measuring position
- Accelerometer
- 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, photoresistor, phototransistor, photomultiplier tube - converts changing light levels into electrical form
- Electrostatic:
- Thermoelectric:
- RTD Resistance Temperature Detector
- Thermocouple
- Peltier cooler
- Thermistor (includes PTC resistor and NTC resistor)
- Other:
- Geiger-Müller tube used for measuring radioactivity.
