There is a loose convention across manufacturers for designating the type of reference that a pressure sensing device has, which can be confusing if you are unfamiliar with specifying this often overlooked but critical specification parameter.
To help identify the reference of a particular pressure range found on a product label or technical data sheet a list of abbreviated suffixes is provided below.
Vented Gauge Reference Pressure Range
Measuring pressure with reference to atmospheric pressure, also referred to as Relative and Vented Gauge:
- g
- G
- rel
- REL
- vg
- VG
Featured vented gauge reference related products
Recordable indicator and sensor up to 30000 psi for pressure test rig - Accurate and reliable pressure measurement up to 30,000 psi with integrated data recording. Ideal for demanding pressure test rig applications.
Tidal level measurement with SDI-12 interface seawater level sensor - Marine bronze submersible sensor for accurate tidal level measurement with SDI-12 for seamless integration with existing data acquisition and transceiver systems in coastal environment
Sealed Gauge Reference Pressure Range
Not vented to atmospheric pressure, but instead the reference is fixed to 1 bar.
- sg
- SG
Featured sealed gauge reference related products
250 bar pressure transducer with 20 millivolt full scale output - Four wire strain gauge type pressure transducer with a twenty millivolt full scale output with a steady 10 volt supply input.
UPS-HSR USB Pressure Sensor with High Sample Rate Logging - USB ready digital pressure sensor for recording pressures with a high speed sample rate of up to 1 kHz to a computer.
Absolute Reference Pressure Range
Referenced to absolute zero pressure or a perfect vacuum
- a
- A
- abs
- ABS
Featured absolute reference related products
PGS40 Mid Pressure Calibration Hand Pump - PGS40 pneumatic hand pump for applying test and calibration pressures with precision from -0.96 up to 40 bar gauge. 
300 mmHg absolute vacuum pressure transducer with 10 volts output - Absolute pressure transducer for precise vacuum measurement. 0-300 mmHg range, 0-10V output, high accuracy.
Differential Pressure Range
The difference in pressure at point B compared to the pressure at point A.
- d
- D
- diff
- DIFF
- dp
- DP
Featured differential pressure related products
DMD331 Compact Differential Liquid Pressure Sensor - Wet wet differential pressure sensor with a high overpressure rating on both positive and negative pressure side for protection against damage.
Pitot tube air flow calculation 1000 hPa differential pressure transmitter - Air flow differential pressure transmitter for measuring difference between pitot tube and static port pressure up to 1000 hectopascals.
On product marking labels or any document that includes a description of the pressure range, the reference type is included after the pressure unit type e.g. 15 psi abs or 15 psia.
Related Help Guides
- Measuring vacuum with negative gauge or absolute ranges
- What is the difference between gauge and absolute pressure measurement
- Not reading zero when pressure is vented to atmosphere
- What does negative and positive gauge pressure mean
- Measuring negative pressure using a positive differential pressure range
- What is the difference between sealed gauge and vented gauge reference?
- Can you measure vacuum using a gauge pressure range
- Can you have a minus 20 psi gauge vacuum measurement range
- How do you choose the correct pressure range for a pressure sensor
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- Using an Absolute Sensor to Measure Gauge Reference Pressure
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Related Technical Terms
- Gauge Reference Pressure
- MSL – Mean Sea Level
- Negative Gauge Pressure
- Reference Pressure
- SG – Sealed Gauge
- Vented Cable
- Vented Gauge
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