Sensor

A device used to measure the physical quantity such

temperature, pressure, flow rate and liquid level.
For example, thermocouple, Bourdon tube pressure gauge.

Transducer
A transducer is a device which converts non-electrical
physical quantity (temp, pressure, sound or light) into the
electrical signal ( voltage, current or capacity).
Transducer converts changes in pressure into a proportional
change in capacitance.
Ears are transducers that pick up sound waves and also
convert them into electrical signals to be sent to the brain.
Skin and eyes are the body transduers.

Converter
A converter is a device that converts one type of signal into
another type of signal.
A current to pressure converter (I/P) converts an analog
signal (4 to 20 mA) to a proportional linear pneumatic output
(3 to 15 psig).

Transmitter
A temperature transmitter is an electrical instrument that
interfaces a temperature sensor (e.g. thermocouple, RTD, or
thermistor) to a measurement or control device (e.g. PLC,
DCS, PC, loop controller, data logger, display, recorder, etc.).
 Common electrical output signals used in manufacturing
plants are 4-20mA or 0-10V DC ranges. For example, 4mA
could represent 0C and 20mA means 100C.
Types
Pressure transmitters
Flow transmitters
Temperature transmitters
Level transmitters
Analytic (O2 [oxygen], CO [carbon monoxide], and pH)
transmitters
Indicators
An indicator is a human-readable device that displays
information about the process.
Indicators may be as simple as a pressure or temperature
gauge or more complex, such as a digital read-out device.
Recorder
Recorder is the device that records the electrical and
nonelectrical signal as a function of time.
The current and voltage can be recorded directly and non
electrical signal ca be recorded indirectly.
CONTROLLERS
A controller is a device that receives data from a
measurement instrument, compares that data to a
programmed set point, and, if necessary, signals a control
element to take corrective action.

ACTUATORS
Hardware devices that convert a controller command signal
into a change in a physical parameter.
 The most common example of an actuator is a valve
actuator, which opens or closes a valve in response to
control signals from a controller.
Actuators are often powered pneumatically, hydraulically, or
electrically.
DCS
DCS ( Distributed Control System)
A type of automated control system that is distributed
throughout a machine to provide instructions to different
parts of the machine.
Instead of having a centrally located device controlling all
machines, each section of a machine has its own computer
that controls the operation.

SCADA
SCADA (Supervisory control and data acquisition) is an
industrial automation control system at the core of many
modern industries
SCADA is more bigger than DCS
PLC
Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) is a digital computer
used for the automation of various electro-mechanical
processes in industries.
These controllers are specially designed to survive in harsh
situations and shielded from heat, cold, dust, and moisture
etc.
PLC consists of a microprocessor which is programmed using
the computer language.
 Signal
A signal is any kind of physical quantity that conveys
information.
Audible speech is certainly a kind of signal, as it conveys the
thoughts (information) of one person to another through the
physical medium of sound.
1. Pneumatic Signal
2. Analogue Signal
3. Digital Signal

Information is passed around the control loop in the form of

signals.
These may be analog or digital, electrical or pneumatic.
Converters or transducers transform signals from one type to
another.
Signal converters can be used to change from analog to
digital (A/D converter) or vice versa (D/A converter).
Signals can be represented as percentages, as electrical
current, or as pressures in a pneumatic system.
 0 to 100%
4 to 20 mA current
3 to 15 psig compressed air

Pneumatic Signals
Mechanism activated, controlled, or powered by air or gas
pressure.
Pneumatic signals are signals produced by changing the air
pressure in a signal pipe in proportion to the measured
change in a process variable.
The most common range of air pressure for industrial
pneumatic instruments is 3 to 15 PSI.
As the transmitter senses an applied fluid pressure from the
process being measured, it regulates current in the series
circuit refered to its calibration (4 mA = no pressure ; 20 mA
= full pressure), and the ammeter registers this
measurement on a scale calibrated to read in pressure units,
temperature units or flow units.
Analog Signals
An analog signal is a continuous wave denoted by a sine
wave
 Human voice in air.
Analog signals are like voltage or electric current signal,
representing temperature, pressure, level etc.
The most common standard electrical signal is the 420 mA
current signal.
The current signal is a kind of gauge in which 4 mA
represents the lowest possible measurement, or zero, and 20
mA represents the highest possible measurement.
Digital Signals
Digital signals are discrete time signals generated by digital
modulation.
Denoted by square waves.
Uses discrete or discontinuous values to represent
information.