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4-20 mA signal scaling calculator

A sensor transmits its measured value as a linear 4–20 mA current: 4 mA is the low end of the range, 20 mA the high end. Set the range and convert current to value and back.

Where the signal sits on the 4–20 mA scale, and the same point in engineering units Signal on the range scale

Measurement and signal range

Current → value

Measured valueEngineering (physical) units — what the sensor actually measures: °C, bar, m³/h, and so on. The calculator converts signal current into this value.
Percent of rangePercent of range — where the signal sits between the low and high ends: 4 mA = 0%, 12 mA = 50%, 20 mA = 100%. %

Value → current

Signal current мА

How it's calculated

  1. A sensor transmits its value linearly: 4 mA corresponds to the low end of the range, 20 mA to the high end.
  2. To convert current to value, find the signal's fraction within the 4–20 mA range and take the same fraction of the measurement range.
  3. The reverse conversion is the same operation in the other direction; the calculator computes both directions at once from one range.

Example: A 0–100 sensor at 12 mA: that's exactly the midpoint of the 4–20 mA range, so 50% of the scale and a value of 50.

Linear scaling: value = Hlo + (I − Ilo)/(Ihi − Ilo)·(Hhi − Hlo). Signal standard — GOST 26.011, 4–20 mA range.

This is an estimate

Verify final values against current standards, the project design, and equipment nameplates.

Explained in the article Токовая петля 4–20 мА, дискретные сигналы и HART

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