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Basics of The 4 - 20ma Current Loop

The 4-20mA current loop is a robust standard for transmitting sensor data. It uses a constant current between 4-20 mA to transmit proportional data. There are four basic components: a power supply, a 2-wire transmitter that regulates the current based on the measured value, a receiver resistor to convert current to voltage for measurement, and loop wires connecting the components. The current flows through all devices in the loop independently of voltage drops in the wires as long as the power supply voltage exceeds the total voltage drop.

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151 views

Basics of The 4 - 20ma Current Loop

The 4-20mA current loop is a robust standard for transmitting sensor data. It uses a constant current between 4-20 mA to transmit proportional data. There are four basic components: a power supply, a 2-wire transmitter that regulates the current based on the measured value, a receiver resistor to convert current to voltage for measurement, and loop wires connecting the components. The current flows through all devices in the loop independently of voltage drops in the wires as long as the power supply voltage exceeds the total voltage drop.

Uploaded by

NT
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Basics of The 4 - 20mA Current Loop

instrumentationtoolbox.com/2012/03/basics-of-4-20ma-current-loop.html

The 4-20mA current loop is a very robust and popular sensor signalling standard. Current
loops are ideal for data transmission because of their inherent insensitivity to electrical
noise. In a 4-20mA current loop, all the signalling current flows through all devices. All
the devices in the loop drop voltage due to the signal current flowing through them. The
signalling current is not affected by these voltage drops as long as the power supply
voltage is greater than the sum of the voltage drops around the loop at the maximum
signal current of 20mA.

As shown in the diagram above, current supplied from the power supply flows through
the loop wires with resistance, RW, to the transmitter and the 4 – 20mA transmitter
regulates the current flow within the loop. The current allowed by the transmitter is called
the loop current and it is proportional to the parameter that is being measured. The loop
current flows back to the controller through the wire, and then flow through resistor, R, to

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ground and returns to the power supply. The current flowing through R produces a
voltage that is easily measured by the analog input of a controller. For a 250 ohm resistor,
the voltage will be 1VDC at 4mA and 5VDC at 20mA.

As the diagram above shows, there are four basic components in the 4-20mA current loop
namely:
(a) The power supply
(b) The 2-Wire Transmitter
(c) A receiver resistor, R that converts the loop current into a voltage
(d) The loop wires that interconnects all devices or components in the loop.

The Power Supply


Power supply package for 4 – 20mA, 2-wire transmitters must always be DC because the
change in current flow is representative of the parameter that is being measured. For 4-
20mA loops with 2-wire transmitters, common power supply voltages are 36VDC,
24VDC, 15VDC and 12VDC. Current loops using 3-wire transmitters can have either AC or
DC power supplies. The most common AC power supply is the 24 VAC control
transformer. Be sure to check your transmitter’s installation manual for the proper
voltage requirements.

The 4 – 20mA, 2 – Wire Transmitter


The transmitter is the heart of the 4-20mA signal system. It converts a physical property
such as temperature, flow or pressure into an electrical signal. This electrical signal is a
current proportional to the temperature, flow or pressure being measured. In a 4-20mA
loop, 4mA represents the low end of the measurement range and 20mA represents the
high end.

The voltage specification for most transmitters comes in a range. For example if the
voltage of a 2 – wire transmitter is specified as 15 to 24VDC, the lower voltage is the
minimum voltage necessary to guarantee proper transmitter operation. The higher
voltage is the maximum voltage the transmitter can withstand and operate to its stated
specifications without damage or adverse consequences.

The Receiver Resistor, R


In engineering, it is much easier to measure a voltage than it is to measure a current.
Therefore, many current loop circuits use a Receiver Resistor (R in our case) to convert
the current into a voltage. In the diagram above, R is a 250 ohm resistor. The current
flowing through it produces a voltage that is easily measured by the analog input of a
controller. For the 250 ohm resistor, the voltage will be 1VDC at 4mA of loop current and
5VDC at 20mA of loop current. The most common receiver resistor in a 4-20mA loop is
250 ohm; however, depending upon the particular application, resistances of 100Ω to
750Ω may be used.
The Loop Wires
When current flows through a wire, it produces a voltage drop proportional to the length
and thickness (gauge) of the wire. All the loop wires have resistance, usually expressed in
Ohms per length. The voltage drop can be calculated using Ohm’s law:

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E = I x RW
E = the voltage across the resistor in volts;
I = the current flowing through the loop wires in amperes;
RW = the loop wire’s resistance in Ohms.
However, because the current flowing in a typical 4 – 20mA loop is small, voltage drops
are usually small although the loop wire runs should be considered when running
instrumentation wiring to bring down voltage drops.
These basic components exist in any 4 – 20mA loop that you will deal with. To
successfully troubleshoot this loop you need to be familiar with all these components that
have been discussed.

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