Audio Indicators vs. Audio Transducers

Audio Indicators vs. Audio Transducers

As mentioned earlier in the presentation, piezo and magnetic indicators have the driving circuitry built into the design, creating a plug and play solution. Because of this, engineers do not need to worry about building a complex circuit to drive the buzzer. The disadvantage, however, is that indicators operate on a fixed frequency, reducing the flexibility offered to achieve an alternate frequency as application requirements change. Transducers, on the other hand, do not have the driving circuit built-in, so engineers are offered a greater range of flexibility when designing their circuit. The downside comes in the fact that transducers do require an external driving signal to operate properly, potentially adding complexity and time to the design cycle.

Audio Indicator Characteristics

Built-in driving circuit (frequency generator)
Simple to design-in
Fixed frequency (function)

Audio Transducer Characteristics

External driving circuit required
Complex to design-in
User-selected frequencies or multiple frequencies