What Is a Linear Actuator? A linear actuator changes the rotational motion of a motor into a straight line. Conventional electric motors move in a circle, while linear actuators move forward and backward. The push and pull action allows the device to slide, tip, and lift items with the push of a button. The design provides operators accurate and precise control over the production. The fluid movement means the linear actuator requires minimal maintenance over its lifespan and comes with natural energy efficiency. They are easier to install than their hydraulic or pneumatic counterparts, cost less, and take up significantly less room. When to Use a Linear Actuator Manufacturers leverage linear actuators in tools and industrial machines, such as printers, sprayers, computers, and valves. Choosing an actuator depends on the product, with hydraulic actuators powering hydraulic car jacks and pneumatic actuators often powering pistons and ignition chambers. Each of these devices offers...

  Electric Actuators Introduction An electric actuator is a mechanical device used to convert electricity into kinetic energy in either a single linear or rotary motion. It automates damper or valve in order to increase process efficiency and complexity. Designs for electric actuators are based on the specific tasks they accomplish within the processes for which they’re intended, and they can vary in both dimension and size. The motor of an electric actuator can operate on any voltage and is used across many different industries. The most common voltages used in single-phase motors are 115 VAC, 24 VAC, 12 VDC, 24 VDC, 208 VAC and  230 VAC. In addition to these options, three-phase motors also use voltages of 230 VAC and 460 VAC. An actuator’s brake is mounted on top of the motor. It’s responsible for stopping the media from forcing the valve open when it should be closed by locking the motor rotor in position when not in use. The motor start capacitor is the third main compone...

  pneumatic actuator A Pneumatic actuator mainly consists of a piston or a diaphragm which develops the motive power. It keeps the air in the upper portion of the cylinder, allowing air pressure to force the diaphragm or piston to move the valve stem or rotate the valve control element. The valves input is the “control signal.” A simplified diagram of a pneumatic actuator is shown in Figure a. It operates by a combination of force created by air and spring force. The actuator positions a control valve by transmitting its motion through the stem. A rubber diaphragm separates the actuator housing into two air chambers. The upper chamber receives supply air through an opening in the top of the housing. The bottom chamber contains a spring that forces the diaphragm against mechanical stops in the upper chamber. Finally, a local indicator is connected to the stem to indicate the position of the valve. The position of the valve is controlled by varying supply air pressure in the upper ch...

  Control Valves actuator Introduction Pneumatically operated control valve actuators are the most popular in use. Actuator are also widely used. The pneumatic spring and diaphragm actuator is most commonly specified due to its reliability and simplicity of design. Pneumatically operated piston actuators provide high stem output power for demanding service conditions. The adaptations of the pneumatic and spring piston actuators are available for direct installation on rotary shaft control valves. Electric and electro-hydraulic actuators are more complex and more expensive than pneumatic actuators. They offer advantages where an air supply source is not available, where low ambient temperatures could freeze condensed water in pneumatic supply lines, or where unusually large stem forces are needed. Below is a summary in which the design and characteristics of popular actuator styles are analyzed. An actuator is an assembly fitted to the control valve to provide power for moving the m...

  Vector signal analyzer A vector signal analyzer measures the magnitude and phase of aninput signal at a single frequency within the IF bandwidth of the instrument. The primary use is to make in-channel measurements, such as error vector magnitude, code domain power, and spectral flatness, on known signals. A vector signal analyzer is an instrument that measures the magnitude and phase of the input signal at a single frequency within the IF bandwidth of the instrument. The primary use is to make in-channel measurements, such as error vector magnitude, code domain power, and spectral flatness, on known signals. Vector signal analyzers are useful in measuring and demodulating digitally modulated signals like W-CDMA, LTE, and WLAN. These measurements are used to determine the quality of modulation and can be used for design validation and compliance testing of electronic devices. The vector signal analyzer spectrum analysis process typically has a down-convert & digitizing stage...

  Quadrupole mass analyzer The type of analyzer which is used to separate the ions on the basis of specified charge to mass ratio. An instrument for measuring the relative amounts of different gases in a mixture. The gas could be atmospheric air, could be evolved from a chemical process, might be trapped inside a small mineral sample, or even be dissolved in a liquid such as sea water. Introduction The quadrupole mass analyzer (QMS), also known as a transmission quadrupole mass spectrometer, quadrupole mass filter, or quadrupole mass spectrometer, is one type of mass analyzer used in mass spectrometry. As the name implies, it consists of four cylindrical rods, set parallel to each other. In a quadrupole mass spectrometer the quadrupole is the mass analyzer  the component of the instrument responsible for selecting sample ions based on their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z). Ions are separated in a quadrupole based on the stability of their trajectories in the oscillating electric fi...

 Protocol analyser (packet sniffer) A packet analyzer or packet sniffer is a computer program or computer hardware such as a packet capture appliance, that can intercept and log traffic that passes over a computer network or part of a network. Packet capture is the process of intercepting and logging traffic. As data streams flow across the network, the analyzer captures each packet and, if needed, decodes the packet's raw data, showing the values of various fields in the packet, and analyzes its content according to the appropriate RFC or other specifications. A packet analyzer used for intercepting traffic on wireless networks is known as a wireless analyzer or WiFi analyzer. A packet analyzer can also be referred to as a network analyzer or protocol analyzer though these terms also have other meanings. A packet sniffer also known as a packet analyzer, protocol analyzer  is a piece of hardware or software used to monitor network traffic. Sniffers work by examining streams of...

  Network analyzer Network analyzers characterize radio frequency (RF) devices and is an instrument that measures the network parameters of electrical networks. Introduction A network analyzer is an instrument that measures the network parameters of electrical networks. Today, network analyzers commonly measure s–parameters because reflection and transmission of electrical networks are easy to measure at high frequencies, but there are other network parameter sets such as y-parameters, z-parameters, and h-parameters. Network analyzers are often used to characterize two-port networks such as amplifiers and filters, but they can be used on networks with an arbitrary number of ports. The network analyzer is a instrument used for transmission measurements and reflection measurements. There are two types of network analyzer viz. Scalar and Vector. Transmission measurements include transmission coefficient, insertion loss, gain etc. Reflection measurements include reflection coefficient,...

  Spectrum analyzer Spectrum analyzers are one of the important testings which are used to measure frequencies and many other parameters. A spectrum analyzer measures the magnitude of an input signal versus frequency within the full frequency range of the instrument. The primary use is to measure the power of the spectrum of known and unknown signals. The input signal that most common spectrum analyzers measure is electrical; however, spectral compositions of other signals, such as acoustic pressure waves and optical light waves, can be considered through the use of an appropriate transducer. Spectrum analyzers for other types of signals also exist, such as optical spectrum analyzers which use direct optical techniques such as a monochromator to make measurements. By analyzing the spectra of electrical signals, dominant frequency, power, distortion, harmonics, bandwidth, and other spectral components of a signal can be observed that are not easily detectable in time domain waveform...