CD Industrial Group Inc.

Simulations & Hands-On Learning Challenges
Level II
3 Day
$2195
Instructor-Led Course

Sensor Electronics

Learn to:

  • Interpret sensor types and wiring configurations
  • Identify sensor ranges and signal types
  • Calibrate transmitters and sensors
  • Use diagnostic methods & instruments to determine a faulted sensor
  • Describe basic, closed-loop control fundamentals

The intended outcome of this hands-on, level II course is a mobile equipment technician (Electronic Technician, Heavy Equipment Technician, Heavy Duty Mechanic) who can identify sensors, explain their function, wiring configuration, and signal type, and then conduct diagnostic tests.

Trainees will learn to work with digital sensors, 3-wire NPN and PNP sensors, 2-wire transmitters and to use multimeters, calibrators and scope meters. This course provides an introduction to process control where trainees learn how sensors and transmitters are used in a closed control loop. The concept of the process variable, setpoint and error along with range, span and scaling are covered for typical temperature, pressure and load cell instruments.

This 3-day course is taught with live, sensor training panels, computer simulations and through instructor guided, hands-on study of components and instruments.

Ideal for maintainers of oilfield service equipment, construction and mining equipment of all types, forestry machines, warehouse and shipping terminal equipment, railway & civic maintenance machinery.

Electronics Troubleshooting Review

Objective: Lists steps and procedures for basic measurement and fault finding

Activities: Measure frequency and duty cycle of Caterpillar throttle position sensors and other PWM sensors

Review your basic fault finding and make meter measurements

Sensors and Transducers

Objective: Describe the operating principles of typical electrical and electronic devices and components

Activities: Test, calibrate and set a pressure switches/transducer, load cell, magnetic pickup and optical encoder

Know your sinking and sourcing and mobile equipment sensor wiring

Hall Effect Sensors

Objective: Describe the Hall effect and its typical application on machinery

Activities: Measure the waveform at high speed to determine output signal integrity

Test various Hall effect sensors with iron, aluminum, north and south pole magnets

Proximity Sensors

Objective: Explain the operating principles of proximity sensors

Activities: Differentiate between nine different models, by range, types of materials detected, electrical characteristics

Learn to wire proximity sensors correctly, connecting loads to PNP or NPN outputs

Magnetic Pickups

Objective: Describe the principles of magnetic pickups sensors

Activities: Different between unpowered and powered models

Scopemeter measure the performance of low speed and high speed, 2-wire pickups, connected to amplifiers, and also a self-powered and self-amplified model

Pressure Transducers and Transmitters

Objective: Describe the function of pressure transducers

Activities: Determine voltage or current output of sensors

Use a multimeter and hand pump to set "Zero" and "Span" on a two-wire pressure transmitter

Rotary Optical Encoders

Objective: Explain position sensor technologies

Activities: Troubleshoot and measure output signals of rotary encoders

Differentiate an absolute from an incremental encoder

Temperature Transmitters

Objective: Differentiate between RTDs, thermocouples and thermistors

Activities: Explain negative and positive temperature coefficient

Know your RTD and Thermocouple types and how they are wired

Temperature Transmitters

Objective: Differentiate between RTDs and thermocouples and explain transmitter function

Activities: Calibrate RTD and thermocouple transmitters

Use a process calibrator and reference tables to calibrate temperature transmitters

Load Cells

Objective: Explain load cell circuit fundamentals: strain gauge, Wheatstone bridge

Activities: Calibrate a load cell transmitter

Manipulate the branch resistances in a Wheatstone bridge

Introduction to Process Control

Objective: Explain the purpose of process control

Activities: Valve control simulation activity

Know your process control terms cold

Control Loops

Objective: Define components and terms used in control loops

Activity: Configure and tune a basic closed control loop

Know your closed, control loops

Where to go from here?

Sensor Electronics is part of our mobile electronics training plan. It follows our level 1 Mobile Equipment Electrical Troubleshooting class, and leads into Mobile Electronics & Control Module Troubleshooting.

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