Display

Indicators and displays in industrial sensor and measurement technology play an essential role in the visualisation and evaluation of measurement data collected by sensors and measurement systems. They are crucial for user interaction with machines and processes in various industries, including manufacturing, automation, medical, chemical and many more.

Functions of displays

The functionality of displays in metrology goes beyond simply displaying measured values. Important functions include:

• Display of real-time data: This involves displaying the currently measured values, such as temperature, pressure, humidity or other physical variables. 
• Error and alarm displays: Many systems have integrated alarm functions that immediately trigger visual signals (e.g. flashing LEDs or a specific warning symbol on the display) if a measured value is exceeded or in the event of system errors. 
• Data logging: In some systems, the display can also show historical data or offer the option of searching through past measurements. 
• Process monitoring: In industrial applications, the entire process is often displayed in a visualisation that shows various measured variables and their interrelationships in a comprehensive overview.

Challenges in industrial applications

The selection and implementation of displays in industrial sensor technology must take several challenges into account:

• Robustness and reliability: In industrial environments, displays are exposed to extreme conditions, such as vibrations, humidity, dust and extreme temperatures. Displays must therefore be robust and reliable.
• Readability under different conditions: Displays must be easy to read even in poor lighting conditions (e.g. strong sunlight or in dark environments). Special technologies such as transflective displays or high-brightness LEDs can be an advantage here.
• User-friendliness: The user interface should be intuitive and easy to use, even for untrained users.
• Communication interfaces: Displays in measurement technology often need to be integrated with other devices such as controllers, computers or communication modules to enable effective data visualisation and processing.

To summarise, displays in industrial sensor and measurement technology play a key role in the interpretation of measurement data. They are an indispensable element for process monitoring, error detection and optimisation of industrial processes.