User Manual
MEAS LT Level & Pressure Transducer User Manual
Measurement Specialties, Inc.
www.meas-spec.com
1-757-766-1500
1000 Lucas Way, Hampton, VA 23666 USA
27 of 31
1-800-745-8008
250 Ohms results in 1 to 5 VDC at 4 and 20 mADC
125 Ohms results in 0.5 to 2.5 VDC (500 to 2500 mVDC) at
4 and 20mA DC
At this point the discussion needs to address IR loss (voltage drop) in
series circuits. Note that MEAS LT transducers need a minimum of 9 VDC
to operate correctly. When the transducer is operating correctly it will
output a current which, when driven through a resistor, will generate some
amount of voltage drop.
If the resistor value is 250 Ohms then the voltage measured across that
resistor will be 0.004 A * 250 Ohms = 1.000 VDC and 0.020 A * 250 Ohms
= 5 VDC.
Notice that, if the available voltage from the data logger is12 VDC then 12
VDC - 5 VDC = 7 VDC which is less than the voltage required by the
transducer to operate. If this scenario were to occur the transducer would
actually stop functioning correctly when its output reached 12 mADC (50%
of transducer full scale range). In this case the appropriate choice for a
load resistor value is 125 Ohms.
14.
Symptom: I have a MEAS LT 4-20mA transducer rated for 7.5 PSIG attached to a
pressure source that is outputting 7.5 PSIG. With 20VDC being
supplied I am getting 19.94 mA. I can’t find the upper range
allowance for the sensor, but this seems low to me. Does this mA
reading fall into the acceptable range for the transducer with the
settings I’ve specified?
Procedure:
When evaluating a transducer it is sometimes convenient to make some
broad generalizations in order to rapidly determine the condition of the
unit. In general, transducers that output a 4-20 mA DC signal have a 16
mA DC span (4 - 20 = 16). If the transducers accuracy is reported as
being some percentage of its full- scale range then the following table
could be used in conjunction with the instructional notations to determine
whether a more detailed analysis of data quality is required.
Accuracy Rating
Accuracy in mA DC
0.25% FS
±0.05 mA
0.10% FS
±0.016 mA
In order to approximately determine how many milliamps a transducer
should output at a given depth:
1. Determine the depth (in feet) at which the transducer is sited.
2. Divide the depth value (from step 1) by the transducer full-scale
range (in feet). - Record the value.
3. Multiply the value calculated in step 2 by 16 (the transducer span
in milliamps).
4. Add 4 to the product of step 3. This is the approximate value in
milliamps that should be output by the transducer at its current