Test & measurement


Put simply, these smart sensors are easier and more reliable to install and use. Some of their advantages are to do directly with the nature of digital versus analogue technologies, while others are attributable to the latest design innovations.


PLUG-AND-PLAY


Companies want operators to be able to install and use sensors without much prior experience or training, so next-generation sensors strive to be plug-and-play ‘out of the box’. For example, onboard data storage supports factory calibration, so sensors are ready to go right away. Simply plug them into their associated transmitter. Many sensors will still require regular recalibration throughout their service life, but the ability to store calibration data on board means they can be


Instrumentation Monthly September 2024


removed from service and recalibrated at a convenient time and location before plugging them back in so they can load the updated data onto the transmitter.


On a related note, modular construction also means that probes can be plugged into transmitters without the fiddly wiring typically associated with setting up analogue instruments. Better still, modular accessories also enable instruments to be mounted in a variety of positions, so they can always be placed in the ideal spot to help optimize the process. For instance, ABB’s probes feature dip, tank, open channel, flow-cell, chain, floating ball and live extraction options. Another factor that makes positioning sensors more straightforward is that digital signals are not as vulnerable to interference as the standard 4- 20mA analogue signals used by traditional


sensors. This means that users can position digital sensors further away from transmitters using longer runs of cable without raising concerns about signal strength and/or interference. However, it is best practice, whenever possible, to keep the transmitters close by.


A FAMILIAR (INTER)FACE Sensors from major suppliers increasingly feature a common human machine interface (HMI) architecture across the entire product range. This means that an operator who previously worked with one sensor should have all the knowledge they need to navigate another instrument in the range. For example, ABB’s latest models - whether pH/ORP, turbidity/total suspended solids or dissolved oxygen - use a common intuitive system of menus and hierarchies.


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