Industrial Sensor & Signal Simulator

Configure pressure, temperature, flow, level, and discrete sensors, select 4–20 mA or 0–10 V signal types, trace scaling to PLC raw counts, and simulate fault conditions including open wire, noise, and bad calibration.

AVAILABLEAUTOMATED CHECKS ONLYCONCEPTUAL ONLYBEGINNERWHAT DO THESE STATUSES MEAN?

4–20 mA / 0–10 V6 SENSOR TYPESPID TUNING LABFAULT SCENARIOS

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Overview

Industrial sensors are the interface between the physical process and the control system, and the path from a process variable to a PLC register value — scaling, signal type, wiring topology, and fault signature — is where technicians and controls engineers spend a lot of diagnostic time. This simulator models the full signal chain: choose a sensor type (pressure, temperature RTD, temperature thermocouple, flow, level, or discrete), select output type (4–20 mA or 0–10 V), set the process variable value, and watch the output signal, PLC raw count, and engineering-unit conversion update in real time. The Wiring tab shows 2-wire loop-powered versus 4-wire non-loop-powered configurations side by side. The Signal tab lets you inject raw signal values and back-calculate the process variable. The PLC tab shows how the scaled analog value maps to a PLC register. The PID tab provides a live PID loop with tunable Kp, Ki, and Kd against a lag process. The Scenario tab presents guided fault conditions including open wire, noise/disturbance, high process alarm, and bad calibration. Designed for controls technicians, instrumentation engineers, and students entering industrial automation.

App preview

A live look at the app you'll launch — every control on the left drives the visualizations on the right in real time.

Inside the lab

Example data — not a real field report

Overview dashboard with sensor type, signal type, and live process variable readout — Overview — top-level dashboard showing the currently selected sensor, signal type (4–20 mA or 0–10 V), live process variable, output signal, and PLC raw count all in one view. Adjust the PV and watch every downstream value update in lockstep — the fastest way to build the mental model of a full sensor-to-PLC signal chain.

Signal View tab showing time-domain output signal with noise and fault injection — Signal View — time-domain plot of the raw signal (mA or V) leaving the transmitter. Inject noise, drift, or fault conditions and see how the trace changes. Use it to learn what an open loop, saturated signal, or noisy cable actually looks like on a scope or trend chart.

Sensor / Process tab with sensor selection and 2-wire vs 4-wire wiring diagrams — Sensor / Process — pick between pressure, RTD, thermocouple, flow, level, and discrete sensors and compare 2-wire loop-powered versus 4-wire non-loop-powered wiring topologies side by side. Each option updates the range, engineering units, and the wiring diagram used in the rest of the lab.

PLC Scaling tab mapping analog signal to raw counts and engineering units — PLC Scaling — shows the analog input scaling equation from raw counts (0–32767) back to engineering units, with the current signal, count, and EU value highlighted. Great for teaching why 4 mA maps to a non-zero count and how to write the scaling block in a PLC program.

PID Tuning tab with tunable Kp, Ki, Kd against a lag process — PID Tuning — a live PID loop wrapped around a first-order lag process. Adjust Kp, Ki, and Kd and watch setpoint tracking, overshoot, and settling time change in real time. Ideal for showing the classic trade-offs without needing a bench rig.

Scenario Lab tab with guided fault conditions — Scenario Lab — one-click fault scenarios: open wire, noise / EMI, high-process alarm, and bad calibration. Each scenario applies a realistic signal signature so students learn to recognize the fault from the signal alone, the way a technician would in the field.

Learn Mode tab with theory content on 4-20 mA loops, live-zero, and PID basics — Learn Mode — the theory reference: why 4–20 mA became the industrial standard, the live-zero fault-detection argument versus 0–10 V, loop-powered wiring math, and PID fundamentals. Students can flip back here anytime while experimenting in the other tabs.

What you'll do

01Trace a process variable through a sensor, signal conditioner, and 4–20 mA loop to a PLC analog input
02Convert between 4–20 mA signal level, PLC raw counts (0–32767), and engineering units
03Distinguish 2-wire loop-powered and 4-wire non-loop-powered wiring topologies and explain when each is used
04Identify the signature of an open-wire fault, noise disturbance, and bad calibration on the signal output
05Configure a PID loop with proportional, integral, and derivative gain and observe setpoint tracking behavior
06Explain why a 4 mA live-zero signal allows fault detection that a 0–10 V signal starting at 0 V cannot provide

Try a guided scenario

Exercise several sensor types and observe the input state they produce.

Industrial sensors · PLC & Controls

No sign-in required. Progress is saved on this device.

What this lab is not

Not a design document, stamped calculation, or approval record.
Not a substitute for engineering analysis by a licensed professional.
Not connected to live equipment and not a safety device.

Calculation basis

Results are computed from first-principles circuit relationships using the values you enter.

Simplifying assumptions are stated in the lab itself; where a model is intentionally conceptual, the lab says so rather than implying study-grade accuracy.

Standards basis: Conceptual only. Validation state: Automated checks only (last checked 2026-08-15).