Transducer Question

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lclark

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Can anyone tell me the difference between a tone transducer and a piezo transducer? Thanks for your time!
 
Sounds like the same thing to me. Piezo transducers have a specific frequency (dependent on their physical construction) that they produce best. Filters can cause harmonics of that base frequency to be created and they do pass frequencies other than their resonant one, but the passband is very sharp. Crystal oscillators are nothing more than high frequency version of a piezo buzzer.
 
Can anyone tell me the difference between a tone transducer and a piezo transducer? Thanks for your time!

Well a tone transducer describes a application, while a piezo transducer is a component that can realize a tone application.

A standard loudspeaker could be called a tone transducer as it can translate an electrical tone signal into a audio mechanical tone output.
 
Can anyone tell me the difference between a tone transducer and a piezo transducer? Thanks for your time!

hi,
The way I have used the two definitions is tone transducer, is the type which you apply a dc voltage and it produces a tone.
Some come with 3 wires for 'high and low' tones.

For a piezo transducer it has to be driven with an external square wave to make it produce a tone.
 
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Under that asumption every 'tone transducer' I've ever seen would be called a buzzer. Never heard one called a tone transducer before, sounds like too much geek speak.
 
Under that asumption every 'tone transducer' I've ever seen would be called a buzzer. Never heard one called a tone transducer before, sounds like too much geek speak.

hi,
I dont think its 'geekspeak'... its a commonly used term.

MINI TONE TRANSDUCER | AllElectronics.com

**broken link removed**

I think the term 'buzzer' was used to describe the older electromechanical vibrating 'buzzer'.
I have also heard tone audio transducers called 'bleepers'.

I suppose its like many 'terms' we use to describe electronic 'thingies'....

Regards
 
In short, look at the specification.

Piezo transducers (without the built-in driver) tend to be cheaper so if you're just going to use a PIC to drive it then they're probably the preferred option.

If you're using a simpler circuit like a 555 timer then a piezo buzzer (with a buil-in driver) is probably the best option.
 
You could always use two 555s, one for a 250ms on 250ms off signal feeding a second 555 that generates the piezo frequency. That gives you tone control.
 
You could always use two 555s, one for a 250ms on 250ms off signal feeding a second 555 that generates the piezo frequency. That gives you tone control.

hi,
IIUC the OP isnt asking about tone control, but whats the difference between piezo and tone sounders.

Its not really a grey area, the terms are in common use.

Its as 'hero' and I have explained.

Piezo sounders have to be driven by a square wave and tone sounders just require a dc voltage.

Regards.
 
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