Types of gauges

Gauges are instruments used to measure the fluctuation in a quantifiable entity. Since the inception of mechanical instruments, gauges have played a pivotal role in the communication between man and machine. There are various types of gauges and the use of gauges are not limited to machines, they can be used on humans too - for example, a thermometer is a temperature gauge used on humans, or a blood pressure indicator is a gauge used to quantify the blood pressure of said human.

Analog gauges are the basic types of gauges with an indicator hand fixed on a pivot that points to different values. Analog displays have been customised over the years to aid viewability. Customisations have been made mainly to aid viewability because that is the main drawback of an analog gauge. These include backlighting, fluorescent indicators and values to better be viewed in dark conditions. Analog gauges have been used widely in many places and in the absence of digital gauges, the wide application of these gauges called for necessary changes to be made to aid viewability. Obviously, there were many instances that called for the use of gauges in dark or dimly lit environments and reading an analog gauge required a light source. This main issue led to the customisations like backlights and the use of fluorescent paints. All in all, analog gauges remain widely used in a lot of cases because of their reliability.

Digital gauges use an electronic screen to display values. These gauges have been preferred in a lot of applications due to a few reasons. The driving factor in the choice of a digital gauge is mainly viewability. The use of a screen to display values significantly makes reading the values easier. Digital gauges are also believed to be more accurate because they can be programmed to display values in decimal points. Digital gauges can be programmed to use different communications languages depending upon the machine. This versatility makes it an easy choice in many applications. Customisations like coloured bezels contribute to viewability. Digital gauges also add aesthetic value and with luxury items, this can be a driving factor towards choosing a digital gauge over an analog gauge.