When using pressure sensors, the output signals 0 ? Rowdy , 4 ? 20 mA and DC 0 ? 10 V are generally chosen in order for the sensor signals to be evaluated and additional processed. Because of this, the signal output of the pressure sensor is usually linked to a corresponding input card in the PLC.
In this context it could often be confusing, because the day-to-day usage of the terms ?active?, ?passive?, ?current source?, ?voltage source?, ? Tickled ? and ?load? are often wildly mixed together. Any electrical signal processing always takes a voltage supply (an ?active part?) and a ?load?, such as a pressure sensor, which represents the ?passive part?. Sometimes the active area of the interconnection is also described as an electrical source/voltage source and the passive part is referred to as a ?current sink?. To ensure that a power circuit can function, current must flow in a circuit ? even though an instrument is normally known as a load, the current isn’t consumed because of it, rather it only flows from the existing or voltage source through the load and back to the existing source.
This works only when an ?energy gap? exists between current source and current sink, therefore the power source operates actively (= sending out current) and the current sink passively (= current flows through it) . Therefore, an interconnection of two current sources or two current sinks won’t operate normally. This example is complicated in day-to-day application:
When does a pressure sensor work passively (current sink) and when does it work actively (current source)?
How does the input card in my own PLC operate?
As a rule of thumb, one can keep in mind that 2-wire sensors usually work passively and thus need a dynamic PLC input card. It really is difficult with 4-wire sensors, since, for example, a 4-wire flow sensor includes 2 wires for another voltage supply and 2 wires for a dynamic or passive 0/4 ? 20 mA signal output. It is therefore imperative to check the datasheets for the sensor and PLC input card used.