STS CIRA 1 Current Loop 4-20mA LAB

The Fundamentals of 4-20 mA

Current Loops

Targets : Be able to identify different components of a 4-20 mA and understand the rôle of each of
them.

Knowledge : S5
Competencie : ANA2, APP2, COM2

1 CCoutaye
STS CIRA 1 Current Loop 4-20mA LAB

I) How Does a 4-20 mA Current Loop Work?

In order to understand what a 4-20 mA direct current (DC) loop is and how it works, we will need
to know a little bit of math. Don't worry; we won't be delving into any advanced electrical
engineering formulas. In fact, the formula we need is relatively simple: V = I x R. This is Ohm's
Law. What this is saying is that the voltage (V) is equal to the current (I) multiplied by the
resistance (R) ("I" stands for Intensité de Courant, French for Current Intensity). This is the
fundamental equation in electrical engineering.

Figure 1. Simple DC Circuit

Consider the simple DC circuit above, consisting of a power supply and three loads. A current loop
requires voltage to drive the current. This is provided by the power supply, with the voltage of the
supply labeled as Vtot. Current then flows through the loop, passing through each load. The voltage
drop at each load can be calculated from Ohm's Law. The voltage drop V1 across R1 is:

Figure 2. Ohm's Law

Every element in the loop either provides voltage or has a voltage drop. However, the current, "I" is
the same everywhere in the loop. This is the critical principle of the 4-20 mA loop. Current is the
same in all places throughout the loop. It may be difficult to understand why the current remains
constant, so consider your home's water system as a comparison. There is a certain amount of
pressure in the water pipes pushing the water towards your house.

Figure 3. Current / Water Flow Analogy

2 CCoutaye
STS CIRA 1 Current Loop 4-20mA LAB

Voltage, in a similar fashion, acts as a pressure, pushing current through the circuit. When a tap
inside your home is turned on, there is a subsequent flow of water. The flow of water is analogous
to the flow of electrons, or current. The ability of the pressure to push the water through the pipes is
limited by bends and restrictions in the pipe. These restrictions limit the amount of flow in the pipe,
similar to how a resistor limits the current. The flow through the pipe, and likewise the current
through the wire, remains constant throughout the system, even though pressure, and likewise
voltage, will drop at various points. This is why using current as a means of conveying process
information is so reliable.

II) Components of a 4-20 mA Current Loop

Now that you have an understanding of how and why current is used, you can begin to understand
what exactly the loop is for.

2.1. Sensor
First, there needs to be some sort of sensor which measures a process variable. A sensor typically
measures temperature, humidity, flow, level or pressure. The technology that goes into the sensor
will vary drastically depending on what exactly it is intended to measure, but this is not relevant for
this discussion.

2.2. Transmitter
Second, whatever the sensor is monitoring, there needs to be a way to convert its measurement into
a current signal, between four and twenty milliamps. This is where a transmitter will come into play.
If, for instance, a sensor was measuring the height of a fifty foot tank, the transmitter would need to
translate zero feet as the tank being empty and then transmit a four milliamp signal. Conversely, it

3 CCoutaye
STS CIRA 1 Current Loop 4-20mA LAB

would translate fifty feet as the tank being full and would then transmit a twenty milliamp signal. If
the tank were half full the transmitter would signal at the halfway point, or twelve milliamps.

2.3. Power Source

In order for a signal to be produced, there needs to be a source of power, just as in the water system
analogy there needed to be a source of water pressure. Remember that the power supply must
output a DC current (meaning that the current is only flowing in one direction).
There are many common voltages that are used with 4-20 mA current loops (9, 12, 24, etc.)
depending on the particular setup. When deciding on what voltage of power supply to use for your
particular setup, be sure to consider that the power supply voltage must be at least 10% greater than
the total voltage drop of the attached components (the transmitter, receiver and even wire). The use
of improper power supplies can lead to equipment failure.

2.4. Loop
In addition to an adequate VDC supply, there also needs to be a loop, which refers to the actual wire
connecting the sensor to the device receiving the 4-20 mA signal and then back to the transmitter.
The current signal on the loop is regulated by the transmitter according to the sensor's measurement.
This component is typically overlooked in a current loop setup because wire is so intrinsic to any
modern electronic system, but should be considered in our exploration of the fundamentals. While
the wire itself is a source of resistance that causes a voltage drop on the system, it is normally not a
concern, as the voltage drop of a section of wire is minuscule. However, over long distances
(greater than 1,000 feet) it can add up to a significant amount, depending on the thickness (gauge)
of the wire.

2.5. Receiver
Finally, at someplace in the loop there will be a device which can receive and interpret the current
signal. This current signal must be translated into units that can be easily understood by operators,
such as the feet of liquid in a tank or the degrees Celsius of a liquid. This device also needs to either
display the information received (for monitoring purposes) or automatically do something with that
information. Digital displays, controllers, actuators, and valves are common devices to incorporate
into the loop.
These components are all it takes to complete a 4-20 mA current loop. The sensor measures a
process variable, the transmitter translates that measurement into a current signal, the signal travels
through a wire loop to a receiver, and the receiver displays or performs an action with that signal.

Pros
• The 4-20 mA current loop is the dominant standard in many industries.
• It is the simplest option to connect and configure.
• It uses less wiring and connections than other signals, greatly reducing initial setup costs.
• Better for traveling long distances, as current does not degrade over long connections like voltage.
• It is less sensitive to background electrical noise.
• Since 4 mA is equal to 0% output, it is incredibly simple to detect a fault in the system.

4 CCoutaye
STS CIRA 1 Current Loop 4-20mA LAB

Cons
• Current loops can only transmit one particular process signal.
• Multiple loops must be created in situations where there are numerous process variables that require transmission. Running so much wire
could lead to problems with ground loops if independent loops are not properly isolated.
• These isolation requirements become exponentially more complicated as the number of loops increases.

5 CCoutaye