Uses of Active Transducers

Active Transducers: Definitions and Characteristics

An active transducer is a device that converts one form of energy into another and requires an external source of power to operate.
Active transducers generate an output signal in the form of a voltage.
They produce an output signal equivalent to the measured quantity.
Account for the input and output relationship, active transducers function on the basic principles of energy conversion which include chemical effect, heating effect, and magnetic effect.

Active transducers are commonly used in temperature measurement devices such as thermocouples.
In a thermocouple, two different metals are connected and the junction is heated. The disparity in temperature creates an electromotive force (EMF), which is measured as voltage.

Devices like pressure sensors or pressure transducers use active transducers to convert pressure into an electrical signal.
The pressure applied to the sensor deforms a diaphragm, which alters the resistance in an electrical circuit. This change in resistance is then measured as voltage.

Photovoltaic cells or solar cells are examples of active transducers. They convert light energy into an electrical voltage.
The light energy, in the form of photons, strikes the surface of the cell, exciting electrons and creating a voltage.

Active transducers are used in devices like microphones, which convert sound waves into electrical signals.
The alternating pressure of the sound wave vibrates a diaphragm in the microphone, generating voltage.

Active transducers like accelerometers convert physical motion into an electrical signal.
The movement causes a mass to deflect, altering an electrical parameter (such as capacitance, inductance, or resistance) which then creates a voltage.

Remember, the key to understanding active transducers is to focus on how they convert one form of energy into a measurable voltage.