FET Fundamentals Unit 8 – Transducers
UNIT 8 – TRANSDUCERS
UNIT OBJECTIVE
At the completion of this unit, you will be able to identify and describe the operation of several
types of transducers by using a thermistor, photoconductive cell, and fiber optic link.
UNIT FUNDAMENTALS
A transducer converts one form of energy into a more usable form of energy that is used
primarily for measurement and control. Transducers are used for many different applications.
They convert a temperature change to a resistance change, a light intensity change to a resistance
change, a current to a light source, a light source to a current, and a physical movement to a
current.
Transducers come in many shapes and sizes. They can be very different both physically and
electrically.
Transducers may have linear characteristics or nonlinear characteristics.