Sensors Magazine articles from April 2001

Sensors Magazine archives from April 2001

Meet the New Boss.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... You know what it's like when you hear that you're getting a new boss? Sensors started searching for a new publisher (akin to a general manager) a few months ago when we decided to invest greater resources in the magazine and in Sensors...

Strategic Directions Intl.(report)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The market for the analytical instruments industry, with applications in life sciences research, laboratory testing, and other scientific and industrial applications, grew 3.6% in 2000 and is expected to grow at a rate of 8.7% in 2001,...

Battelle-R&D Magazine.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Total R&D expenditures in the U.S. may increase 5% to reach $277 billion in 2001, according to the annual Battelle-R&D Magazine research and development forecast. Largely driven by industrial support, the increase dominates the amount and...

Nanosciences Corp.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Nanosciences Corp. (Lancaster, PA) is the recipient of a Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Re-search grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a microlaser array proposal, success in which will lead to applications in the...

Coventor, Inc.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Coventor, Inc. (Cary, NC), the new name for Microcosm Technologies, Inc., will better reflect its product-development mission to partner with customers in creating innovative products made possible by MEMS. A MEMS developer since 1996, the...

Crossbow Technology.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... By using its Bluetooth wireless sensor network architecture and instrumentation, Crossbow Technology (San Jose, CA) has signed on with Cyrano Sciences, Inc. (Pasadena, CA), manufacturers of sensor array ("digital-smell") technology, to...

DSPCon, Inc.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... DSPCon, Inc. (Bridgewater, NJ), a system integration firm that specializes in real-time signal processing, DA, and receiver systems for applications in rotating machinery, radar, shock, and vibration, has acquired KSI from Zyfer, Inc., a...

Edmund Optics Inc.(Science Kit buys science catalog)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... In an effort to devote more energy to its business-to-business interests, Edmund Optics Inc. (Barrington, NJ) has sold its consumer science catalog, Scientifics, and its accompanying Web site to Science Kit & Boreal Laboratories (SK)...

Melexis Microelectronic Integrated Systems NV.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Revenues announced for FY2000 by Melexis Microelectronic Integrated Systems NV (Concord, NH), a company that designs, develops, tests, and markets advanced integrated semiconductor devices for automotive, industrial, and consumer applications...

MEMS Industry Group.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Leading U.S. microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) developers have launched a new trade association, the MEMS Industry Group (MEMS-IG), which will represent both large and small MEMS manufacturers and integrators comprising the $2 billion...

Yamatake Sensing Control Ltd.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Yamatake Sensing Control Ltd., the second U.S. subsidiary of Yamatake Corp. (Tokyo, Japan), will import, develop, and maintain sensing and control instruments including photoelectric sensors, proximity sensors, and temperature controllers for...

Entivity, Inc.(control software)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Entivity, Inc. (Ann Arbor, MI), is a new PC-based automation and control software operation company formed from the combined efforts of Think & Do Software, Inc. (Ann Arbor, MI), and Steeplechase Software (Ann Arbor, MI), recently acquired by...

InHand Electronics, Inc.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... InHand Electronics, Inc. (Rockville, MD), formerly DVP, Inc., the developer of OmniMeter Handheld Platforms, will continue to develop industrial-strength handheld devices and technologies such as the single-board computer Elf, under its new...

Measurement Computing Corp.(acquires product lines from Analogic Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Measurement Computing Corp. (MCC) (Middleboro, MA) announced the acquisition of three PC-based product lines from Analogic Corp. (Peabody, MA). Included in the acquisition are all products in the PC-based PC104/AIM, DAS, and FAST DA families....

Microchip Technology Inc.(merges with Telcom Semiconductor)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Microchip Technology Inc. (Chandler, AZ), manufacturer of PICmicro RISC microcontrollers for both 8-and 16-bit embedded control applications, has merged with Telcom Semiconductor (Mountain View, CA), a designer, developer, and marketer of...

Molecular Devices Corp.(acquires stake in Argonex)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Molecular Devices Corp. (Sunnyvale, CA) has acquired 20% equity in Argonex, Inc., parent company of Upstate Biotechnology, Inc, and Argonex Discovery, Ltd. In so doing, the company launched a 10-year plan to provide consumable reagent kits to...

Pro-face America.(acquires Xycom Automation)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Pro-face America (Glendale Heights, IL), a majority-owned subsidiary of Digital Electronics Corp. (Osaka, Japan), has purchased Xycom Automation, specializing in PCs and PC-based control products. The acquisition of Xycom will enhance Digital...

Fisher-Rosemount.(acquires Saab Marine Electronics)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Fisher-Rosemount (Chanhassen, MN), the process management division of Emerson, has acquired Saab Marine Electronics AB, formerly a subsidiary of Saab AB. Known for its radar level instrumentation and gauging, Saab Marine Electronics will...

Thermo GasTech.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Thermo GasTech (Newark, CA) is GasTech's new name, reflecting its eight-year relationship with parent company, Thermo Electron, and its growing role in manufacturing gas detection instruments. The company develops, supplies, markets, and...

People.(appointments)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Graviton, Inc. (La Jolla, CA), a developer of wireless sensor networks, has announced that Gregory M. Winn has been named chief operating officer. Since 1998, he was the former executive VP of operations and technologies, the network...

Hydrogen Microsensor Explores Experimental Materials.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The NASA Lewis Chemical Species Gas Sensors Team and researchers at Case Western Reserve University's Electronics Design Center are developing hydrogen, hydrocarbon, and nitrogen oxide sensors for aeronautics and aerospace applications. One...

Metallic Strip Is the First to Go.(Corrometer corrosion sensor)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2001... The Corrometer is a new corrosion "sensor" designed to respond to and advise of deterioration in electronic components and other susceptible equipment. The credit card-sized unit, which the user attaches by an adhesive stripe to the object of...

WEB PICKS.(Web sites)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... I do a lot of Web searching, and the more I search, the pickier I become about which search engines I use. For me, Coogle has become the One True Search Engine, distinguished by its clean, uncluttered interface and its ability to give me good...

Wireless Sensors--Buyer Beware.(Buyers Guide)
April 1, 2001... Wireless sensors are beginning to proliferate in the marketplace. But will the advertised solutions actually meet real-world application requirements, and if so, what will be their impact on operations? You be the judge. Wireless sensors...

Design and Manufacture of Automotive Pressure Sensors.(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2001... As a rule, 80% of a product's final cost is established in the first 20% of the design effort. Understanding the necessary design practices beforehand can minimize cost and also improve your success rate in designing robust piezoresistive...

Monitoring Ethylene Oxide in Sterilization Operations.(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2001... Volatile, dangerous, and difficult to measure--ethylene oxide is used in a variety of industries. Now there's a miniature IR gas analyzer that effectively deals with this sterilizing agent. Ethylene oxide (EtO) is widely used to sterilize...

Microfabrication Protocols for Deep Reactive Ion Etching and Wafer-Level Bonding.
April 1, 2001... Deep reactive ion etching and wafer bonding are gaining favor with designers because of the wide range of intricate structures these new techniques make possible. The use of deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) and wafer bonding (WB) in the...

The Next Generation of Position Sensing Technology -- Part 2: Differential Displacement and Linear Capabilities.(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2001... The NCAPS noncontact angular position sensor, originally developed to measure 360[degrees] rotary motion, is capable of determining linear motion as well. Part 1 of this article, which appeared in the March 2001 issue of Sensors,...

Data Transceiver.(Wireless Mountain Laboratories Power Rover)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2001... Wireless Mountain Laboratories, San Luis Obispo, CA, offers its Power Rover, a wireless spread-spectrum data transceiver with a communications range up to 19 mi. that can replace RS-232 connections. You can program the device for...

Thermal Head Transmitters.(Acton Instruments Model T280)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2001... Action Instruments, San Diego, CA, offers its Model T280 series of miniature universal 2-wire transmitters for thermocouple, Pt-100 RTD, or millivolt inputs. Of the three model series in the family, the Model T280-1000 series supports Pt100...

NIST-Traceable Logger.(Dickson Co.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The FX420 from Dickson Co., Addison, IL, is a temperature and humidity data logger that records data and sends them to you via fax or e-mail (using a third party e-mail fax service provider). The unit plugs into a standard phone output and...

Valve Plugs.(Phoenix Contact Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Pluscon valve plugs from Phoenix Contact Inc., Harrisburg, PA, are available prewired with sensor/actuator cable in type A, Bl, or C (in accordance with DIN 43650) in a variety of lengths. Features include a 15 mm connector height, a...

TEDS Self-Identification Module.(ENDEVCO Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Designed to be placed inline with existing Isotron sensors, the Model 2801M1 from Endevco Corp., San Juan Capistrano, CA, is a self-identification module with a TEDS chip, enabling the sensor to store and recall TEDS data. The 0.8 by 0.25 in....

Digital Laser Sensors.(Keyence Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... LV Series sensors from Keyence Corp. of America, Woodcliff Lake, NJ, are definite-reflective, semiconductor laser optic type and offer an operating range up to 1000 mm. The series comprises 5 sensor heads and 5 digital display amplifiers: the...

Voltage Output DAC.(Linear Technology Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... A parallel input, multiplying voltage output DAC, the LTC1821 from Linear Technology Corp., Milpitas, CA, offers true 16-bit linearity over the industrial temperature range (1 LSB max. DNL and INL) and a 2 [micro]s settling time. Noise is 20...

Position Feedback Board.(Fagor Automation)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The PC Feedback Board from Fagor Automation S. Coop., Mondragon, Spain, lets you run measurement and control applications on industry-standard PC systems. The board uses four 32-bit counters and allows you to connect up to 4 encoders and a...

ESS and HALT/HASS Systems.(Keithley Instruments Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Keithley Instruments, Inc., Cleveland, OH, offers the Model 7708 differential multiplexer module and the Model STP-36CJC accessory with ExceLINX 1.1.3 for environmental stress screening (ESS), highly accelerated life testing (HALT), and...

Immersion Thermostat.(Airpax Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The 4100 series snap-acting thermostat from Airpax Corp., Frederick, MD, has an operating range of 40[degrees]C-120[degrees]C and actuates either to warn you of dangerous temperature conditions or to shut down the system automatically....

Pseudo-Random Encoder System.(Gurley Precision Instruments)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The VL18 linear encoder and DVL digital readout from Gurley Precision Instruments, Troy, NY, together form an absolute position measuring system with 1 [micro]m resolution. The encoder uses an incremental scale and pseudorandom encoding and...

Thermal Dispersion Flow Sensors.(Automation Sensors Div.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... TD3800 Series industrial sensors from Scientific Technologies Inc. (STI), Automation Sensors Div., Logan, UT, are adjustable to a range of flow rates, have no moving parts in the flow stream, and operate largely independent of pipe diameter....

Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter.(VMIC)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... VMIC, Huntsville, AL, offers its single-board VMIPCI-5700, targeted at storage area networks, server clustering environment, Internet/Intranet, and network applications. The unit incorporates an ASIC with a 64-bit/66 MHz PCI host interface, a...

IEEE 1394 Camera.(Point Grey Research)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The FireFly from Point Grey Research, Vancouver, BC, Canada, is a 2 by 2 in. board-level digital camera designed for a variety of computer and machine vision applications. The FireFly supports 3.75, 7.5, 15, and 30 fps frame rates. Built...

Data Transfer Unit.(Telog Instruments Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The DTU-3xe from Telog Instruments, Inc., Victor, NY, is built on the Palm Pilot IIIxe platform and is designed to enable onsite data retrieval from the company's data recorders. The unit provides onsite, real-time readings as well as...

DA Software.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... FreeVIEW from INES GmbH, Hannover, Germany, lets a computer function as a scope, chart recorder, data logger, and sampler and supports the company's DAQ cards; the software displays up to 65,000 points/channel, depending on RAM and computer...

Portable Load Cell Tester.(Lebow Products Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Lebow Products Inc., Troy, MI, offers the handheld Model 7926 that lets you analyze the condition of strain-gauge-based load cells and provides data such as physical distortion or zero balance, bridge resistance, shielding and resistance to...

LAN Analyzer.(Datacom-Textron)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Datacom-Textron, Camarillo, CA, has released its M.A.Ch. 10/100 diagnostic analyzer for Ethernet-based LANs; the card-sized instrument converts any Windows 95/98/ME/CE2.x computer with a PCMCIA slot into a troubleshooting tool. The unit...

Submersible Transducers.(Pressure Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... KPSI Model 320T all-titanium, small-bore level transducers from Pressure Systems, Inc., Hampton, VA, are accurate to [+ or -]0.25%, while Model 330T transducers have accuracy to [+ or -]0.1%, level ranges are 0-4 ft.[H.sub.2]O through 0-700...

Modbus ActiveX Kit.(Automated Solutions Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Automated Solutions, Inc., Santa Rosa, CA, offers a runtime-free Modbus Slave ActiveX toolkit and simulation application that lets you embed Modbus and Modbus/TCP capabilities into PC-based applications. DeviceSim is a prebuilt Visual Basic...

Remote Interface Card.(Rabbit Semiconductor)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... When attached to an Ethernet network and a Rabbit microprocessor-based system, the RabbitLink card from Rabbit Semiconductor, Davis, CA, lets you compile, run, and debug programs on the remote system from a network-connected PC running...

Microcontrollers with CAN.(Microchip Technology Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The 68-pin PIC18C658 and the 84-pin PIC18C858 from Microchip Technology Inc., Chandler, AZ, provide 32KB of OTP program memory, 1536 bytes of user RAM, and a CAN 2.0B active peripheral interface for automotive and industrial applications. The...

Camera-to-USB Bridge.(OmniVision Technologies Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The single-chip OV518+ from OmniVision Technologies, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, is designed for high-resolution USB PC applications; the unit works with the company's OV6620 (CIF) and OV7620 (VGA) color digital sensor chips. The combination of...

Free Filter Design Software.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Filter Express 40 from Systolix, Inc., Sunol, CA, allows electronic and communications systems designed to create most common DSP-based filter configurations in minutes. FilterSim then lets you simulate the designs with its built-in signal...

Digital Thermoanemometer.(Dwyer Instruments Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Model 471-3 from Dwyer Instruments, Inc., Michigan City, IN, takes air velocity and temperature readings using a telescoping, flexible SS tip and is designed for making multiple duct-traverse measurements. Ranges are 0-500 fpm and 0-1500...

Transceiver Antenna System.(Metric Systems Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... A 1-piece, all weather unit for wireless data transfer the RAMM 2000 from Metric Systems Corp., Carlsbad, CA, incorporates a high gain 13 dBi low-profile panel antenna and a 1-W, 900 MHz or 0.5 W, 2.4 GHz waterproof spread spectrum...

Gateway Server Microplatform.(Patriot Scientific Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Ignite Micro Platform from Patriot Scientific Corp. (PTSC) San Diego, CA, is an OSGi-compatible small outline board designed as a plug in for developing home gateways, handheld Internet devices, set-top boxes, and other consumer...

Professional IR Thermometers.(Wahl Instruments Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... DHS 250 Heat Spy series handheld noncontact thermometers from Wahl Instruments, Inc., Asheville, NC, measure surface temperatures up to 900[degrees]C while maintaining 1% of reading accuracy over the 8-14 [micro]m spectral range. Laser...

Moisture Sensor Interface.(Standberg Engineering Laboratories, Inc.,)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The Type 1035 moisture-to-computer interface from Standberg Engineering Laboratories, Inc., Greensboro, NC, sends a [Micro]A signal through web or bulk materials after they exit the dryer; the electrical output is a linear function of the %...

Linear Motion Potentiometer.(Bourns Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Featuring a shaft sealed from external moisture, infinite resolution, and flexible wire leads, the 3046 from Bourns, Inc., Riverside, CA, is available with 0.15, 0.25, and 0.35 in travel ranges. Free shaft rotation and shaft options are...

Board-Level Progressive-Scan Camera.(JAI America Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... The BCV-M10 from JAI A-S, distributed in the U.S. by JAI America, Inc., Laguna Hills, CA, consists of two 40 by 40 mm PCBs connected by a 55 mm flex cable, with a 1/2 in. CCD sensor and driver circuits on 1 board and timing and video circuits...

WISH LIST.(Amoun Telecom)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2001... Remote Vehicle Control We are Amnoun Telecom, sole agent for NEC Japan in VSAT systems and Comroad Germany in the GPS/GSM automatic vehicle location (AVL). We wish to control vehicles by shutting off the elctrical circuits in the...