Omega Test Equipment
Omega Engineering test equipment is built to deliver precision, reliability, and durability for a variety of critical measurement and monitoring applications. Known for their innovation and engineering excellence, Omega's test equipment offerings include handheld thermometers, pressure calibrators, data loggers, anemometers, manometers, and multimeters, among other essential instruments. These products are trusted across industries like manufacturing, research and development, aerospace, energy, and environmental monitoring where accurate testing and data collection are critical to operational success.
Designed with versatility in mind, Omega Engineering test equipment often incorporates advanced features such as digital displays, data storage capabilities, multiple input types, and wireless connectivity. Many devices offer NIST traceable calibration, ensuring that measurements meet the highest standards of accuracy and regulatory compliance. Whether users need to measure temperature, pressure, airflow, force, or voltage, Omega’s test instruments are engineered to withstand harsh conditions while providing dependable performance for fieldwork, laboratory use, and industrial plant environments.
Analog and Digital Control Signals: The Basics
Digital Signals
Digital signals are represented in either a true or false. There is no gray area with digital signals. An example of this might be a light switch. A light switch is either on or off. Another example of this might be a motor that is running or not running. Digital signals can be generated with both AC and DC circuits with varying voltages, currents and resistance. Some practical examples of using digital signals in an industrial environment might be if a pump is running or not running or a whether a valve is open or closed.
Analog Signals
Analog signals convey information in the form of a range. A light switch might be on or off as a digital signal, but a dimmer switch would be an analog signal. It can be on or off, but it can also be somewhere in between. A practical example of using analog signals in an industrial environment would be if there is a need to measure the level of a tank; whether it's full, empty or somewhere in between. Analog signals can take many different forms with some of the more common being a 4 to 20 milliamp signal or a 0 to 5 or 0 to 10 volt signal.
Communication
Communication in a device can either be sent or received. Whether that data is sent or received depends on the type of information. Is there a need to monitor the status of something? If so, an input needs to be received about that information. Is there a need to control something? If so, an output needs to be sent about what needs to occur. Receiving inputs and setting outputs are both things that can be accomplished by using both digital and analog signal types. Therefore, the signals are referred to as analog outputs (AO), analog inputs (AI), digital inputs (DI) or digital outputs (DO).