Sensors, or transmitters, collect data, or input, and are built into control instruments. The sensor may monitor one input point or measure over 100,000 points, such as within large refineries or utility front-end processors. The sensors convert physical parameters, such as temperature, pressure, level, flow, motor speed, valve state, or breaker position to electrical signals. The input device allows the operator to communicate and transmit instructions and data to computers for transmission, processing, display, or storage.
Sensors are commonly described by their type: discrete, analog, and digital. Click on the elements below to learn more.
Signals generated by discrete and analog field devices are converted to digital format in a networked environment. The digital signals extend the network to the instrument, and consequently, the process.
Copyright: Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)