Sensors Magazine articles from April 2004

Sensors Magazine archives from April 2004

The growth of excitement.(Editorial)(Wireless Industrial Networking Alliance, nanotechnology conference)
April 1, 2004... It's exciting to witness the initial growth of anything, from a seedling (yes, it's spring!) to a technology application (see below, and also "The Sensor Web: A Distributed, Wireless Monitoring System" on page 20). And so I've been energized...

Funding powers sensor development.(Business Sense)
April 1, 2004... The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has been busy distributing awards for sensor development. DARPA's Defense Sciences Office, for instance, has awarded approximately $450,000 to NVE Corp. (Eden Prairie, MN, www.nve.com) for...

Calendar.(Calendar)
April 1, 2004... Yokogawa Users Group Conference May 4-6, New Orleans, LA www.us.yokogawa.com/support/usergroup/ Automation & Assembly Summit May 10-12, Ft. Worth, TX www.sme.org/automationassemblysummit Design, Test, Integration, and...

Who's buying whom?(Mergers and Acquisitions)
April 1, 2004... In case you hadn't noticed, Measurement Computing Corp. (Middleboro, MA, www.measurementcomputing.com) is gunning for the Goliath of data acquisition products, National Instruments (Austin, TX, www.ni.com). To this end, Measurement has...

Leadership vision.(Automated Imaging Association has given Dr. Savvas Chamberlain of Dalsa Corp. the Achievement Award for Industry Leadership)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The Automated Imaging Association (AIA, Ann Arbor, MI) has given Dr. Savvas Chamberlain, CEO and chairman of Dalsa Corp. (Waterloo, ON, Canada, www.dalsa.com), its highest honor: the Achievement Award for Industry Leadership. The award...

Radar helps police the premises.(Research & Developments)(Tarsier)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The tarsier is a very small nocturnal primate with a tail longer than its body and enormous round eyes that are fixed in their sockets. Perhaps to compensate, the little fellas can rotate their heads 180[degrees] left and right so they don't...

Voici la petite Grenouille.(Research & Developments)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Her name's Rita, she's a little cyber-frog, and she's way smarter than your average amphibian. Made by the French firm Alpes Deis, Rita incorporates a barometer, hygrometer, and thermometer that transmit real-time data on your office weather...

Aha! CHCl:C[Cl.sub.2].(Research & Developments)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... NIST researchers, in collaboration with Eindhoven University of Technology in The Netherlands and the University of Maryland, have devised a chemical sensor capable of detecting 100 ppm of trichloroethylene, a toxic commercial solvent that's...

Pesticide? Nerve gas? Ptui! Tells the tale.(Research & Developments)
April 1, 2004... Quick quiz: Which is easier to draw--a sample of blood, urine, or saliva? You got it. But why would anyone want to collect saliva? Because a chemical analysis can reveal trace amounts of contaminants such as agricultural pesticides and nerve...

Curious new material could be your next temperature sensor.(Research & Developments)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Jartherm is a thermo-sensitive water-absorbing and-desorbing hydrogel polymer that can absorb 100 cc of water--and desorb it again at temperatures above its pre-set thermo-sensitive point. The material, the first such substance to become...

Short takes.(Research & Developments)
April 1, 2004... We still cannot understand, despite arguments from important personnages, why the Hubble telescope will be abandoned. We're hearing about sending a manned mission to Mars, and at the same time are being told that it's too risky and/or expensive...

Life on the ocean wave.(AppSnaps)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Imagine you're on a cruise ship (oooh!). Now imagine that you're in charge of keeping that ship's many systems running (argh!). The propulsion system needed for a 142,000-ton vessel is nontrivial: It's big, it's complicated, and if you want to...

Keep that dog hot.(AppSnaps)(NTC thermistor )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... We've all seen them: hot dogs in the convenience store, sitting in their enclosure, rolling and glistening on a roller grill. As we've become more safety conscious when it comes to our food, convenience stores and fast food chains that use...

Flying high.(AppSnaps)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The Wright Experience, Warrenton, VA, recently reverse-engineered Orville and Wilbur Wright's original plane and constructed the world's most accurate reproduction, aided by the Wright brothers' original notes, some computer simulations, and...

Weaving the Web: Web-enabled communication applications for remote access and equipment monitoring; what goes into making something Web enabled? Here's an overview of the necessary software and hardware elements to get connected.(Intelligent Systems)
April 1, 2004... We live in an increasingly interconnected world. We're more mobile than any previous generation--and that mobility is extending to our data. Process data are routed from the factory floor to the boardroom. A technician can access wireless...

The Sensor Web: a distributed, wireless monitoring system; the Sensor Web is a distributed sensing system in which information is globally shared and used by all networked platforms. It's already been deployed long term in different environments and is opening up new avenues for distributed sensing and control.(Intelligent Systems)
April 1, 2004... Networks of wireless sensors are currently attracting considerable interest in many technology circles. The massive computer and telecommunication markets have driven the price of state-of-the-art electronic chips down to consumer levels. Today...

A single-chip pressure sensor for the automotive market: combining silicon micromachining designs and processes with advanced mixed-signal CMOS circuitry overcomes many of the early limitations of single-chip sensors. The result is a high-performance single-chip piezoresistive pressure sensor with an amplified and calibrated output.(Sensor Technology and Design)
April 1, 2004... The automotive industry has identified a need for small, robust, and accurate sensor systems to monitor manifold absolute pressure and tire pressure. The high-performance single-chip sensor described here integrates the sensing element, signal...

Preview: first-round conference picks include wireless and sensor interface topics.(Sensors Expo & Conference)
April 1, 2004... Sensors Expo & Conference (www.sensorsexpo.com) is coming June 7-10 to Detroit. In this issue, you'll find our Product News section (pages 44-48) augmented by highlights indicating products on display at the expo. And on page 41 you'll find a...

Photoelectric sensors: the untapped advantage for tool and die stamping; adding sensors to their machines can help North American tool and die stampers increase product quality and gain a competitive edge.(Putting Sensors to Work)
April 1, 2004... The most dramatic economic reality impacting the tool and die stamping industry today is the availability of cheap labor in China and India. By using sensors to enhance the dies, North American manufacturers can lower their costs and negate...

Infrared thermography for remote condition monitoring and control: optical surveillance systems can work the night shift too, with the addition of IR cameras. This Web-enabled system watches for intruders and other anomalies and either notifies someone or decides on its own what action to take.(Putting Sensors to Work)
April 1, 2004... Incidents of sabotage near Anderson, CA, and Klamath Falls, OR, and the subsequent 2003 East Coast blackout have served as disquieting reminders that the country's electric transmission and distribution infrastructure is vulnerable to both...

Introducing a new: programmable signal amplifier; This amplifier's simple, selectable programming routines and easy interface options can keep your sensor elements from drifting off calibration.(Sensor Technology and Design)
April 1, 2004... Gain and offset voltage variations among a system's individual sensor elements are often as great as the sensor's full-scale output. Correcting these error sources is not only laborious, but also slows time to market and increases manufacturing...

Sensors expo exhibitor list.
April 1, 2004... A-DAT Accumetrics Associates, Inc. Advance Reproductions Corp. AIC Magnetics Ltd. Airmar Technology Corp. Airpax Corp. All Sensors Corp. Allegro MicroSystems Inc. Analog Devices, Inc. Ann Arbor Sensors...

Literature Showcase.
April 1, 2004... This section provides you with the latest information on sensor-related products. To link with any or all of these advertisers, simply enter one URL (www.sensorsmag.com/rs) and look for the suppliers under the Literature Showcase section in...

Programmable amplifier.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... The AD8555 from Analog Devices Inc. (ADI), Norwood, MA, is a digitally programmable, signal-conditioning auto-zero amplifier for bridge straingauge and other sensors widely used in automotive, medical, industrial, and communication...

Handheld DA meter.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... Dataron Instruments, Ocean Shores, WA, offers the Data Bank handheld DA meter designed for use with analog voltage or current sensors. The device features software-selectable voltage, gain, and sensor warm-up time; time- and location-stamped...

Wireless communications chip.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... Developed jointly with Chipcon, Oslo, Norway, the EM2420 from Ember Corp., Boston, MA, combines a wireless transceiver with embedded networking software that can run on low-cost, low-power microprocessors, allowing companies to develop...

Handheld fluorometer.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... FOXY-LITE from Ocean Optics, Inc., Dunedin, FL, is a handheld integrated spectrometer and 470 nm light source for one-step oxygen analysis. The device uses time-resolved fluorometry to calculate a sample's oxygen content and comes standard with...

Laser measurement sensor.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... The Z500 from Omron Electronics LLC, Schaumburg, IL, combines a 4-45 mm wide laser (width depends on model), and a 2D CCD to conduct accurate 2D measurements in a single procedure. The sensor uses a visible red laser and measures at distances...

Steel proximity sensors.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... For applications that involve monitoring ferrous metal components or ancillary parts, Hermetic Switch, Inc., Chickasha, OK, offers the PRX+4000 Series. The sensors have operating distances of 0.250 and 0.400 in., release distances of...

Light transducer.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... Photamp, Inc., Eastpoint, FL, offers its Model A light transducer, which provides a DC output voltage linearly proportional to the light incident on the detector. The transducer has two switches to select one of four gain positions (1, 10, 100,...

Screwless connection system.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... Quickon-One from Phoenix Contact Inc., Harrisburg, PA, is a 2-piece, screwless, quick connection system that uses industrialized IDC contacts and can be used to assemble field-wireable connectors to sensors or cord sets. The integrated IDC...

Gas detector.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... The enhanced GT-Innova Series from Thermo Electron Corp., Franklin, MA, features 5 combustible gas ranges, a 20% increase in pump flow rate, auto-calibration, data logging and configuration software, and 3-button operation. The device detects...

Signal conditioner-amplifier.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... SensorData Technologies, Sterling Heights, MI, offers the i200 AC strain gauge signal conditioneramplifier, which is designed for use with its transformer-coupled rotary torque sensors. The device can also be used with rotary slip ring and...

USB DA unit.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... The Microlink 770 from Biodata Ltd., Manchester, U.K., monitors 16 channels of strain, temperature, pressure, voltage, or current at up to 100 kHz and connects to a PC via USB. Resolution is 16 bits; input ranges are independent. You can start...

Small industrial connector.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... The 3- and 4-pin M5 pentafast threaded connector cord sets and receptacles from TURCK Inc., Minneapolis, MN, have a 6 mm dia. coupling nut and can be used for power and signals to factory automation equipment in the pharmaceutical, electronic,...

In-transit temperature loggers.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... SL150 and SL151 loggers from Status Instruments, Inc., Scotch Plains, NJ, record the temperature of goods while in storage or transit. Sealed in a rugged plastic tag with no connection or entries of any kind, the logger can be located in a...

PC/104 DA front end.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... The 16-channel Stratus-X-ND analog input card from Apex Embedded Systems, Monona, WI, enables high-speed DA without interrupts and has 16-bit resolution, 200 Ksps max. sampling rate, and a 1 Msample FIFO. Designed for OEM use in medical,...

50 Msps PCI digitizer.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... AlazarTech Inc., Lachine, QC, Canada, offers the ATS850, a PCI-based waveform digitizer that provides 8-bit, 50 Msps sampling on 2 simultaneous channels; a fully programmable front end; and trigger circuitry. Input ranges are independently...

Serial device servers.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... The EDG-4508+ and EDG-4516+ from Advantech Automation Corp., Cincinnati, OH, are industrial networkbased serial device servers for connecting from 8-16 RS-232/-422/-485 devices directly to a TCP/IP network. Featuring dual CPUs, the devices can...

Network management software.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... Q4 smart-switch network management software from B & B Electronics Inc., Ottawa, IL, works with its companion 232BSS4 buffered smart switch to manage communication of 4 serial devices, including baud rates, handshake requirements, device names,...

Digital capture card.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... The CompuScope 3200C from Gage Applied Technologies, Inc., Lachine, QC, Canada, is a Compact PCI/PXI card capable of 100 MHz digital capture for 32-bit-wide words. The card can also selectively handle 8- or 16-bit words and has 2 MB total...

3D magnetostatic solver software.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... Amperes 6.1 from Integrated Engineering Software (IES), Winnipeg, MB, Canada, allows you to design and analyze magnetic equipment and components prior to manufacturing. Applications include motors, solenoids, sensors, coils, loudspeakers, MEMS,...

Vibration monitoring device.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... The SDC002 VibeAlarm from The Modal Shop, Cincinnati, OH, is designed to warn against excessive machinery vibration. The VibeAlarm has a single ICP sensor input, typically an accelerometer, and provides a buffered accelerometer output. A 4-20...

Part-seated monitor.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... Operating on [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Toxic gas detector.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... The TS4000 from General Monitors, Lake Forest, CA, is a microprocessor-based transmitter designed to monitor toxic gases or oxygen deficiency, and to provide status indication and alarm outputs. It comprises a base unit, sensor housing with...

Inertial measurement system.(Product News)
April 1, 2004... Developed in conjunction with the U.S. Navy, the self-contained 6-axis digital output 65210A from Summit Instruments, Inc., Akron, OH, includes 3 gyros, 3 accelerometers, a rechargeable Li-ion battery, 2 temperature sensors, and an optional FM...

Web picks.
April 1, 2004... As your yearly public service announcement, I give you the Internal Revenue Service. If you need tax forms, they're here. If you need updates on what's changed in the tax code for 2003, that's here, too. You can even find out where your refund...