MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Course Code: MDB 4022Z

Lab Name: Mechatronics Lab
Experiment Name: Transducers
Group Number: T2
Submission Date: 22/10/2019

Group Members:
No Name ID

1. EUNICE NG HUI RONG 22630

2. SHAMNI KARTHEGESU 23078

3. INTAN FAZREENNA BINTI MOHAMAD REDZUAN 23057

 MDB 4022Z MECHATRONICS
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
MAY 2019

SECTION A (To be filled by students)

DATE: 15/10/2019 Group No: T2

MON:
Submission Date: 22/10/2019
TUES: 8AM-10AM
Acknowledged by:
WED:
Session: (report submission)
THURS:

FRI:

EXP & TITLE : TRANSDUCERS

SECTION B (To be filled by students)

NAME ID TIME IN TIME OUT SIGN

EUNICE NG HUI RONG 22630 8:00 AM 10:00 AM

SHAMNI KARTHEGESU 23078 8:00 AM 10:00 AM

INTAN FAZREENNA BINTI MOHAMAD 23057

8:00 AM 10:00 AM
REDZUAN

SECTION D (by Examiner)

MARKS
ITEM SCORE REMARKS
ALLOCATED

Abstract 10

Objectives 10

Theory & Procedure 10

Data collection 20

Results 20

Conclusions & Discussion 20

Report Format / Style 10

TOTAL 100
1.0 ABSTRACT
A transducer is an elactronic device that converts energy from one form to another. Comman
examples are microphones, loudspeakers, thermometers, position and pressure sensors, and
antenna. Although not generally thought of as transducer, photocells, LEDs, and even comman
light bulbs are transducers. The word transducer is collective term used for both sensors and
actuators. Sensors can be used to sense a wide range of different energy forms such as
movement, electrical signals, radiant energy, thermal or magnetic energy. While actuators can
be used to switch voltages or currents.

The transducer fundamentals circuit board contains 8 transducer curcuit blocks, each of which
is used to demonstrate the operation of a specific transducer. The blocks are:

1. IC transducer.
2. Thermistor
3. RTD
4. Thermocouple
5. Strain guge
6. Capacitance sensor
7. Ultrasonic transducer
8. Infrared controller.

There are also three auxiliary circuit blocks needed for the operation of the transducer circuitry.
The auxiliary blocks are:

1. Reference supply
2. Instrumentation amplifier
3. Oven

The circuit also has jacks for the insertion of two-post connectors, patch lads, and test probes.
The oven is used to regulates oven temperature for all four temperature transducer blocks.
Some of the circuit blocks have calibration adjustment pots to establish an accurate relationship
of the input quantity to the output parameter.
 2.0 OBJECTIVES

1. To be able to locate and describe the operation of the various ciruit blocks on the
transducer fundamentals circuit board.
2. To verify the results by making interconnections and taking measurements.

3. THEORY AND PROCEDURE

3.1 THEORY
Transducers are devices that convert physical quantities into an electrical
quantity such as voltage or electric current. It converts any measured quantity into a
usable electrical signal. The measure quantities can range from different types such as
pressure, level, temperature, displacement and several others.
The fundamentals circuit board contains 8 transducer circuit blocks which is
used to demonstrate how each transducer operates. The transducer blocks are: IC
TRANSDUCER, THERMISTOR, RTD, THERMOCOUPLE, STRAIN GAUGE,
CAPACITANCE SENSOR, ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCERS and INFRARED
CONTROLLER. There are three auxiliary circuit blocks which are the REFERENCE
SUPPLY, INSTRUMENTATION AMPLIFIER and OVEN.
The REFERENCE SUPPLY circuit block converts the + and -15Vdc to specific
filters and regulated reference voltages to other circuit blocks from the F.A.C.E.T base
unit. The instrumentation amplifier is used to amplify signals that are low-level and
also help to lessen noise. The IC TRANSDUCER, THERMISTOR,
THERMOCOUPLE and RTD contain temperature transducer circuitry. The
transducers are located inside the oven where they detect heat produced by the resistors.
Procedures that measure and control temperature are more easily carried out by heating
the enclosed air space in the oven, excluding the dependency on surrounding
temperatures.
The CAPACITANCE SENSOR circuit block is used to show the usage of this
transducer as a touch sensor, proximity detector, position sensor and displacement
measuring device. The capacitance sensor is the type of device that converts a
mechanical motion into an electrical signal. A capacitor consists of a fixed and a
movable plate and as the movable plate is slid from the bottom to the top, the
capacitance increases linearly.
The ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCERS circuit block has different TRANSMITTER
AND RECCEIVER sections. Ultrasonic transducers are used to measure distance
where the transmitter produces ultrasonic pulses that hit a nearby object and echo back
to the receiver. The distance of the object can be measured by the time taken for the
pulse to echo back to the receiver.
The INFRARED CONTROLLER circuit block uses infrared light to send and
receive digital codes and this technology is usually used in wireless remote control used
with TVs, VCRs and stereos.

3.2 PROCEDURE
1. Place a two-post connector in the OVEN ENABLE position of the IC
TRANSDUCER circuit block. Place a shunt in the 40°C position of the TEMP header.
Complete the following steps as you wait for the oven to reach 40°C.
2. Observe the OVEN ON LED and allow it to complete several on/off cycles to be
sure the oven is up to temperature.
3. Measure 𝑉𝑂 .
4. Leave the two-post connector and TEMP shunt in place until you are instructed to
remove them.
5. In the THERMISTOR circuit block, insert 2 two-post connectors as shown.
6. Set the multi meter to measure volts dc. Connect the (+) lead to +OUT and the (–)
lead to –OUT. The thermistor is connected in a Wheatstone bridge designed for an
output of 5 mV/°C, with a 0 V output at 30°C.
7. The output at 40°C should be 50 mV. Adjust the CAL pot for a voltmeter reading of
50 mV. The circuit is now calibrated, and you should read the correct voltage at any
oven setting. This is a typical calibration procedure for a temperature measurement
circuit.
8. Remove the two-post connectors and meter leads from the THERMISTOR circuit
block.
9. Insert a two-post connector in the RTD circuit block as shown.
10. Connect the voltmeter leads to OUT (+) and GND (–). The RTD circuit block does
not have a Wheatstone bridge, but it uses another circuit to convert the RTD’s resistance
into a voltage. Like the THERMISTOR circuit block, the RTD circuit block is designed
for an output of 5 mV/°C, with a 0 V output at 30°.
11. The output at 40°C should be 50 mV. Adjust the CAL pot for a 50-mV reading on
thevoltmeter.
12. Move the TEMP shunt in the IC TRANSDUCER circuit block to 45°C. Complete
the following steps as you allow the oven to reach this temperature. As with the
THERMISTOR circuit block, you have calibrated the RTD circuit block at a 40°C
reference temperature. You should now read the correct output voltage at any oven
temperature setting.
13. Observe the OVEN ON LED and allow it to complete several cycles to make sure
the oven is at 45°C.

14. Measure the output voltage at 45°C. * Using the manufacturer’s nominal value for
the RTD resistance at 45°C, the output voltage should be 75 mV.
15. Remove the meter connections from the RTD circuit block. Connect a patch lead
from the OUT jack in the RTD circuit block to the +IN jack in the
INSTRUMENTATION AMPLIFIER circuit block.
16. Connect a patch lead from –IN to GND in the INSTRUMENTATION AMPLIFIER
circuit block.
17. Connect the meter leads to IA OUT (+) and GND (–) in the
INSTRUMENTATION Amplifier circuit block.
18. Measure the instrumentation amplifier output.
19.Remove all connections from the RTD and INSTRUMENTATION AMPLIFIER
circuit block.
20. Return the TEMP shunt in the IC TRANSDUCER circuit block to the 40°C
position. Complete the following steps as you wait for the oven to reach the new
temperature.
21. Connect patch leads from +OUT and –OUT in the THERMOCOUPLE circuit
block to –IN and +IN (respectively) in the INSTRUMENTATION AMPLIFIER
circuit block.
22. Connect the voltmeter leads to IA OUT (+) and GND (–) in the
INSTRUMENTATION AMPLIFIER circuit block.
23. In the first step, the REF pot must be adjusted for the proper amplifier output.
According to the thermocouple manufacturer’s nominal voltage at 40°C, the
amplifier output should be –204 mV. Adjust the REF pot for an amplifier output
of –204 mV. Set the amplifier gain to 100 on the DIP switch. In the second step
of the calibration procedure, the instrumentation amplifier output is used to drive
another amplifier located in the THERMOCOUPLE circuit block.
24. Move the (+) meter lead to AMP OUT in the THERMOCOUPLE circuit
block.
25. Connect a patch lead from IA OUT in the INSTRUMENTATION
AMPLIFIER circuit block toAMP IN in the THERMOCOUPLE circuit block.
Like other temperature transducer circuit blocks, this configuration of the
THERMOCOUPLE circuit block can be adjusted for a relationship of 0.5 V/°C
with a 0 V output at 30°C. The output voltage at 40°C should be 5.0 V. Adjust
the CAL pot for a reading of 5.0 V at AMP OUT.
26. For accurate measurements, you must zero the output voltage when no
force is applied to the beam (figure B). Adjust the knob on the fixture until the
beam is in the position shown in figure B.
27. Insert a two-post connector in the STRAIN GAUGE circuit block as
shown.
28. Connect the voltmeter leads to AMP OUT (+) and GND (–).

29. Use the adjustment tool supplied with your TRANSDUCER

FUNDAMENTALS circuit board to rotate the ZERO potentiometer for a
voltmeter reading of 0 ±50 mV. NOTE: The ZERO adjustment is a multi-turn
pot.
30. Remove the two-post connector and the meter leads from the STRAIN
GAUGE circuit block. One of the functions of the capacitance sensor is to sense
position. The fixed plate on the circuit board and the sliding plate form a variable
capacitor. The variable capacitor is combined with resistors and an IC to make
up an RC oscillator whose output indicates the position of the plate.
31. Insert the BLOCK ENABLE two-post connector in the CAPACITANCE
SENSOR circuit block.
32. Connect the oscilloscope channel 1 probe to OUT and ground the probe to
GND.
33. Adjust the scope controls to view a square wave output signal.
34. Remove all connections from the CAPACITANCE SENSOR circuit block.
The TRANSMITTER section of the INFRARED CONTROLLER circuit block
contains an encoder that converts the binary information on the DIP switches
into pulses that are sent via the LED.
The RECEIVER section has a decoder that reads the pulses from the light sensor
and converts them into digital signals that are displayed on the DATA LEDs.
35. Insert a BLOCK ENABLE two-post connector in the INFRARED
CONTROLLER circuit block.
36. Connect the oscilloscope CH 1 probe to the DECODER IN jack in the
RECEIVER section. Ground the probe to the GND jack.
37. Set CH 1 to 5 V/DIV, dc coupled. Set the sweep for 0.2 ms/DIV, and trigger
on CH1.
38. Set the DIP switch code to 0000 (all switch down).
39. Observe the oscilloscope as you press the XMT button several times.
Set the DIP switch code to 1111 (all switches up) and repeat step 44.
40. Remove the two-post connector and scope connections from the INFRARED
CONTROLLER circuit block.
4.0 DATA COLLECTION AND RESULTS

a) Record the voltage across VR1 = 310 mV

b) Calculate the current out of the IC Transducer, IT = 310 µA

c) Record the thermistor’s resistance at 40˚C, RTH = 5300 Ω

d) Record the RTD resistance at 40˚C, RRTD = 1150 Ω

e) Measure the strain gauge resistance, RCCW = 118 Ω

f) Measure the strain gauge resistance, RCW = 118 Ω

g) What output voltage would you expect at 40˚C, Vo = 5 mV

h) Measure Vo = 5 V

i) Measure the output voltage at 45˚C, Vo = 69 µV

j) What voltage should you read at IA OUT = 6.9 V

k) Measure the instrumentation amplifier output, IA OUT = 7.0 V

5.0 DISCUSSION

In the experiments the electromechanical sensors were strain gauge transducer capacitance
transducer. When the contact piece is deflected from the datum point, the strain gauge
transducer will deliver a reading. Depending on the amount of deflection, the output value
deflects away from the datum point. Based on the deflection of metal bar from the datum point,
it is observed that the capacitance sensor exhibits a similar response.

The signal processing transducers were represented by an instrumental amplifier unit, an

infrared controller unit with receiver and transmitter and an ultrasonic transducer unit with
transmitter and receiver. By using the RTD unit for resistance component, the instrumental
amplifies is measured in tandem to obtained voltage reading from the resistance. From the
transmitter the ultrasonic transducer was able to produce reading in the form of voltage on the
receiver end. The transmitter module is activated when the infrared controller produces voltage
output from the receiver end.

6.0 CONCLUSION

LabVolt 91019-20B Transducers Fundamentals Unit was introduced to expose student on the
various types of transducers and its working principal. This includes thermoelectric transducer
such as thermistor, RTD and thermocouple as well as integrated circuit transducer. The aim of
the experiment was met, and the differences of resistance exist between different types of
temperature sensors was displayed.