======= Miniature Pressure Transducer =======

===== Summary =====
==== Introduction ====
The **miniature pressure transducer** or **MPT** is cleverly designed to minimize sensor size while maintaining usable bandwidth.  A foil [[strain gauge]] is coupled to a flat support plate, which is then mounted to the edges of a dome-like cover.  When pressure is applied to the MPT, the support plate deforms, elongating the strain gauge (Burdea 1996).

==== Types of MPT ====
While [[force-sensitive resistor|FSRs]] come in packages with a diameter as small as 7.1 mm, the necessity of a tail that is relatively fragile and bulky limits their usefulness when volume intrusion must be minimized.  Precision Measurement currently manufactures two sizes of MPT that may be suitable for musical applications.  One has a diameter of 2.7 mm and is 0.5 mm thick.  The other has 1.5 mm diameter and is 0.3 mm thick.  Thus these sensors may also be able to be integrated into acoustic instruments for measurement or control augmentation with relatively little effect on normal playing.

==== Output ====
Because the MPT is based on the output of a strain gauge, it should be connected to a [[Wheatstone bridge]] circuit.  The deformation of the gauge causes an increase in electrical resistance, which can be measured as a voltage by an [[operational amplifier]] (Burdea 1996).

===== Devices =====

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|sources=[[http://www.pmctransducers.com/tranducers.html\|Precision Measurement]]
|description=Pressure Transducer
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|variants=060S
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{{template>device
|company=Precision Measurement
|model=105
|sources=[[http://www.pmctransducers.com/tranducers.html\|Precision Measurement]]
|description=Pressure Transducer
|datasheet=
|resources=
|notes=
|variants=105S
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===== References =====
  * G. Burdea, //Force and Touch Feedback for Virtual Reality.// New York, NY: Wiley, 1996.
  * Precision Measurement Co., 2005, Pressure Transducers – Miniature Series.  http://www.pmctransducers.com/tranducers.html

{{tag>Sensor Pressure Strain}}