Sensor Fundamentals

Publish Date: May 05, 2015

Overview
As part of the National Instruments Measurement Fundamentals Series, this set of tutorials helps you learn about a specific
common measurement application topic through theory explanations and practical examples.

What You Will Learn

Essential to any data acquisition is a transducer sensor that converts real-world phenomena, such as temperature and pressure,
into measurable currents and voltages. This set of tutorials is designed to provide you with essential information about using and
understanding various types of sensors to acquire data.

To view the complete list of in-depth measurement tutorials, please return to the Measurement Fundamentals Main Page

Table of Contents
1. Sensor Terminology
2. Taking Thermocouple Temperature Measurements
3. Measuring Temperature with an RTD or Thermistor
4. Measuring Strain with Strain Gages
5. Measuring Pressure with Pressure Sensors
6. Accelerometer Principles

1. Sensor Terminology

Sensors, like other areas of technology, have a specific terminology that you must understand before you
can apply them properly. Learn some of the most common terms in this tutorial.

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2. Taking Thermocouple Temperature Measurements

Get an introduction to thermocouples, which are inexpensive sensing devices widely used with PC-based data
acquisition systems. Also review some specific thermocouple examples and learn how thermocouples work
and ways to integrate them into a data acquisition measurement system.

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3. Measuring Temperature with an RTD or Thermistor

Explore resistive temperature detectors (RTDs) and thermistors, which are both electrical resistors with
resistance that changes with temperature. In this tutorial, learn more about RTDs and thermistors as well as
how to integrate them into a data acquisition measurement system.

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See the how-to guide >>

4. Measuring Strain with Strain Gages

Become familiar with the basics of strain gages, which are commonly used to measure the deformation of a
body due to an applied force. Learn more about strain itself, how strain gages work, and how to accurately
measure strain with a strain gage.

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See the how-to guide >>

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5. Measuring Pressure with Pressure Sensors

Review pressure measurement basics. Pressure is defined as the force per unit area that a fluid exerts on its
surroundings, and pressure sensors measure this force. Learn more about pressure itself, the different types
of pressure sensors, how pressure sensors work, and how to integrate a pressure into a measurement
system.

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See the how-to guide >>

6. Accelerometer Principles

Explore the several physical processes that you can use to develop a sensor to measure acceleration. In
applications that involve flight, such as aircraft and satellites, accelerometers are based on rotating mass
properties. In the industrial world, however, the most common design is based on a combination of Newton's
law of mass acceleration and Hooke's law of spring action.

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See the how-to guide for sound and vibration measurements >>

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