Transducers generally convert energy from one form to another, although the energy is typically a signal. They are routinely used in automated systems, which are often controlled by measurements of physical quantities such as force, motion, temperature and pressure. A sensor is a specific type of transducer that senses a physical property of its environment and reports that change, typically in the form of an electrical signal. For example, a pressure sensor detects pressure and reports it to a gauge that displays the pressure.

With the rise in smart watches and navigation systems, absolute pressure sensors find homes wherever elevation above sea level (altimeter measurement) is required. Weather stations also use them for barometric pressure measurements.

Industrial pressure sensors also referred to as pressure transducers, pressure transmitters, pressure indicators and pressure switches, normally have a diaphragm type design that uses strain gauges, which are either bonded to or diffused into it, with the strain gauges acting as resistive elements.

Terms of pressure sensor, pressure transducer and pressure transmitter are somewhat interchangeable in the industrial world. Pressure sensors can be described with a 4-20mA output signal and pressure transducers with a millivolt signal.