²⁰This is a good application of fail-safe design, where we choose the transmitter’s failure mode based on the safest outcome. For example, if our temperature transmitter were being used to sense the temperature of a furnace where excessive temperature was more dangerous than insufficient temperature, we would want to configure it for “high” burnout. This way if the thermocouple fails open, the transmitter will report a dangerous (but false) measurement of furnace temperature to the controller, which in turn will automatically act to decrease the furnace’s actual temperature (i.e. the safer condition.)