sensors

A sensor (from Latin sentire , German "to feel" or "to sense"), also known as a detector , (measured variable or measuring) transducer or (measured) sensor , is a technical component that can detect certain physical or chemical properties (physical, e.g., amount of heat , temperature , humidity , pressure , sound field variables , brightness , acceleration , or chemical, e.g., pH value , ionic strength , electrochemical potential ) and/or the material properties of its environment qualitatively or quantitatively as a measured variable . These variables are detected by means of physical or chemical effects and converted into an electrical signal that can be further processed.

In measurement technology , DIN 1319-1 uses the term "transducer" (measured variable transducer) and defines it as the part of a measuring device that responds directly to a measured variable. The transducer is therefore the first element in a measuring chain . According to DIN 1319-2, the transducer is a measuring transducer , and if the physical quantity at the input and output is the same, it is also a measuring transformer .

The distinction between the terms sensor and transducer , measuring probe , measuring device , measuring system, etc. is fluid, since in addition to the actual transducer, other elements of the measuring chain are sometimes assigned to the sensor. Related terms are also not clearly defined in the literature.