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Electrical & Electronics Engineering vocabulary · Measurement and Test Equipment

Sensor

Meaning in electrical & electronics engineering, with examples

/ˈsɛnsər/nounCore term

In electrical & electronics engineering, sensor means: A device that detects a physical quantity, such as temperature, pressure, light or current, and converts it into an electrical signal that a circuit can measure.

In Turkish: sensör, algılayıcı

How it is used

Used in measurement, automation and embedded systems. A sensor detects or measures something and gives an analog voltage, a 4–20 mA current loop or digital data as its output. Engineers talk about sensor range, accuracy, calibration and sensor failure.

Example sentences

  1. The temperature sensor outputs 10 mV per degree Celsius.

  2. The pressure sensor reads zero, so check its 4–20 mA loop first.

Common collocations

  • temperature sensor
  • current sensor
  • sensor output
  • proximity sensor
  • sensor reading
  • ADCShort for analog-to-digital converter: a circuit that measures an analog voltage and turns it into a number a processor can use. Its resolution is given in bits, for example 12-bit.
  • signalA voltage or current that carries information, such as a sensor reading, a sound or digital data. Signals can be analog, changing smoothly, or digital, switching between fixed levels.
  • calibrationThe process of comparing an instrument or sensor with a known reference and adjusting it or recording the results, so that its readings can be trusted.
  • microcontrollerA small computer on a single chip, with a processor, memory and input/output peripherals. It runs firmware to control devices such as appliances, sensors and motors.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Measurement and Test Equipment

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