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handbook of modern sensors

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202 5 Interface Electronic Circuits<br />

transmission <strong>of</strong> digital information is beyond the scope <strong>of</strong> this book; thus, we will<br />

not discuss it further. In many cases, however, digital transmission can not be done<br />

for several reasons. Then, the sensor signals are transmitted to the receiving site in an<br />

analog form. Depending on connection, they can be divided into a two-, four-, and<br />

six-wire methods.<br />

5.8.1 Two-Wire Transmission<br />

Two-wire analog transmitters are used to couple <strong>sensors</strong> to control and monitoring<br />

devices in the process industry [10]. When, for example, a temperature measurements<br />

is taken within a process, a two-wire transmitter relays that measurement to the control<br />

room or interfaces the measurement directly to a process controller. Two wires can<br />

be used to transmit either voltage or current; however, current was accepted as an<br />

industry standard. It varies in the range 4–20 mA, which represents an entire span<br />

<strong>of</strong> the input stimulus. Zero stimulus corresponds to 4 mA while the maximum is at<br />

20mA. There are two advantages <strong>of</strong> using current rather than voltage, as is illustrated<br />

in Fig. 5.42. Two wires join the controller site with the sensor site. At the sensor<br />

site, there is a sensor which is connected to the so-called two-wire transmitter. The<br />

transmitter may be a voltage-to-current converter; that is, it converts the sensor signal<br />

into a variable current. At the controller site, there is a voltage source that can deliver<br />

current up to 20 mA. The two wires form a current loop, which, at the sensor’s side,<br />

has the sensor and a transmitter, whereas at the controller side, it has a load resistor<br />

and a power supply which are connected in series. When the sensor signal varies, the<br />

transmitter’s output resistance varies accordingly, thus modulating the current in the<br />

range between 4 and 20 mA. The same current which carries information is also used<br />

by the transmitter and the sensor to provide their operating power. Obviously, even for<br />

the lowest output signal which produces 4 mA current, that 4 mA must be sufficient<br />

to power the transmitting side <strong>of</strong> the loop. The loop current causes a voltage drop<br />

across the load resistor at the controller side. This voltage is a received signal which<br />

is suitable for further processing by the electronic circuits. An advantage <strong>of</strong> the two-<br />

Fig. 5.42. Two-wire 20-mA analog data transmission.

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