A safety barrier, could be active and passive at same time.

Imagine, for example, a loop powered pressure transmiter, placed in hazardous area,and connected to the DCS through a safety barrier. Since the transmiter is loop powered (pasive), the safety barrier, in their transmiter or hazardous area terminals, must be "active", due it has to suply energy for the loop powered device. Futhermore, if the DCS field card is configured in active mode, providing the enrgy for the loop, our barrier, in their "safe area" terminals, must be pasive (allowing current flow from-to DCS in same value that flows in the barrier-transmiter system). In general, an active device, provides the necessary energy for the loop, an a pasive device, is only a "receiver", and the energy comes from other device (active device) in the loop (i.e. a transmitter with auxiliar power terminals, configured in active mode).

Active transducers are those which require electric current (a source of energy) for working, while passive transducers are those which does not need an external source. Passive transducers directly produce electric signals without an external energy source.