4-20mA active sensor to 4-20mA receiver

I got an wind direction sensor that produces a 4-20mA output and it is powered by 12V. The troublesome part is that it ofc also produces the loop power (12V) witch seems to clash with your 4-20mA receiver, so is there a way to disable the loop power on the receiver end

the wind direction sensor is it a 2 wire current loop receiver sensor or a current receiver
To remove the on board supply you will need to remove a part and connect your 12V over here
{ remove the Diode ( part number B350A or B360A, and connect your wind direction sensor 4-20mA output across the 4.99Ohm resistance) this is a hack and will void your warranty}

With these kind of sensor, 4-20mA receiver board should be used

Thanks for the reply!

The sensor seems to be a current transmitter, and not a proper 4-20mA loop ie, 3 wire power, ground and signal. Power is +12V and the signal line has the same potential. putting a small resistor in series with the signal to ground, gives a proper output over the resistor.

So i will try the ā€œremove diodeā€ trick , now to find the proper one.

(and no, iā€™m not going to invest in a 64$ card, to only use one chanell)

Suggestion for improvement: add a jumper so that one can use an external power suply.

the wind direction sensor is it a 2 wire current loop receiver sensor or a current receiver
To remove the on board supply you will need to remove a part and connect your 12V over here
{ remove the Diode ( part number B350A or B360A, and connect your wind direction sensor 4-20mA output across the 4.99Ohm resistance) this is a hack and will void your warranty}

With these kind of sensor, 4-20mA receiver board should be used

This really, REALLY needs to be explicitly stated on the product page. I already bought them thinking they were just 4-20mA RECEIVERS like it says in the name: ā€œ4-Channel 4-20 mA Current Loop Receiver 16-Bit ADS1115 I2C Mini Moduleā€ It only says this: ā€œThis device include a voltage boost circuit to raise the 5V input to 16V for powering the INA196 current shunt monitoring chip.ā€ It says nothing about how the loop power supply is hardwired and cannot be disabled without ā€˜hackingā€™ the board. It would be awesome if there was a jumper to disable it because externally powered loops in industrial environments are the norm, rather than the exception.

1 Like