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4–20 mA Loop Calculator

Loop Resistance · Span/Zero · % ↔ mA

When to use: Use this when designing or troubleshooting a 4–20 mA current loop to verify the power supply has enough compliance voltage to drive the full-scale 20 mA signal through the wire, barriers, indicators, and the transmitter itself. The maximum total loop resistance is set by the difference between the supply voltage and the transmitter's minimum operating voltage. Use the span/zero converter to translate a measured mA value into percent of span and engineering units.

Loop Power & Resistance
V
V
Ω
Ω
Span / Zero & Conversion
EU
EU
mA
✓ ADEQUATE COMPLIANCE
675 Ω
Max Loop Resistance
Results
Max Loop Resistance675 Ω
Present Series Resistance50 Ω
Remaining Headroom625 Ω
V Drop @ 20 mA1.00 V
Voltage at Transmitter23.00 V
12.00 mA = % of Span50.0 %
Engineering Value (PSI)50.00
Standards & References
ISA-50.1 / IEC 60381 — 4–20 mA analog signal
R_max = (V_supply − V_tx_min) / 0.020
% span = (mA − 4) / 16 × 100
20 mA = 100% (live zero at 4 mA)