Sensors Magazine articles from April 2005

Sensors Magazine archives from April 2005

The ubiquitous, invisible sensor.(EDITORIAL)(Editorial)
April 1, 2005... When I travel from New England to southern climes in winter and spring, I'd like to leave my bulky coat at home, and I don't want to freeze upon my return. I'd like to step from the terminal to the curb in comfort. That's why I'm inspired by...

Test suppliers address changing needs.(Keithley Instruments Inc.)(National Instruments Corp.)
April 1, 2005... Suppliers of test and measurement solutions are recognizing the needs of designers to develop more complex devices in less time for less cost. Pointing to the example of cell phones, Michael Schneider of National Instruments (NI,...

TR Electronic.(Available in America)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... TR Electronic (www.trelectronic.com) has begun distribution, sales, and service of the complete range of Di-Soric position sensors in North America under an agreement reached between the companies in early January 2005. Di-Soric is a German...

Yokogawa Corp.(Available in America)(Foreign operations)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Yokogawa Corp. of America (www.us.yokogawa.com)--provider of analyzers, flowmeters, transmitters, controllers, recorders, data acquisition products, meters, instruments, and distributed control systems--opened an office in Alberta, Canada, in...

Omron Electronics LLC.(Kaman Industrial Technologies Inc. selected as a national distributor )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... "One of Omron's key initiatives globally is to double the value of the company in the next three years," says Omron national distributor manager Joe Spedale. "Our plan is aggressive yet realistic, considering the breadth and depth of Omron's...

Calendar.(Calendar)
April 1, 2005... Nanotechnology Conference and Trade Show, and Bio-Nanotechnology Conference and Trade Show May 8-12, Anaheim, CA www.nsti.org/Nariotech2005/ 51st International Instrumentation Symposium May 9-12, Knoxville, TN ...

Listen to the (quantum) whistling gyros!(Research & Developments)
April 1, 2005... An auditory phenomenon discovered by UC Berkeley physicist Richard Packard could lead to superfluid gyroscopes that operate at a relatively toasty 2 kelvin rather than the near-zero kelvin required by liquid helium-3. Packard's research team...

Downhole sensors capture seismic events.
April 1, 2005... Geothermal researchers at Sandia are working on sensors and associated electronics that will be rugged enough to survive conditions deep in the Earth. Placed in probes, they will monitor pressure and temperature changes caused by seismic...

Short takes.(UFOs)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... UFOs are back in the news, and we find it disturbing that they are being covered in the science segment of TV broadcasts. The focus of these reports is that the objects have a high ooh factor because they are unidentified. Let a crumpled...

Real-time performance reports from an instrumented knee.(AppSnaps)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Most of us have heard from our knees after a tennis game, but how about a knee that can deliver real-time data during various activities? Jerry Ward, a retired aerospace engineer, is walking around on one today. This total knee prosthesis,...

Auto parts QC/QA on the run.(AppSnaps)
April 1, 2005... An automotive sensor manufacturer committed to a no-defects standard needed to test each product throughout the assembly process. The company also wanted to increase product throughput to one part every 6 s, and the test equipment had to be...

How to sex a tsetse fly.(AppSnaps)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... What started out as a search for weevil eggs and other insect items inside cereal grains morphed first into a way to identify Anopheles mosquitos infected with the malaria parasite, and then into an insect-sexing technique for use on tsetse...

Advancing sensor Web interoperability: SensorNet is a framework to tie together sensor data from all over the country to create a real-time detection and alert system for various threats, whether they are chemical, radiological, biological, nuclear, or explosive.(INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS)
April 1, 2005... SensorNet is a vendor-neutral interoperability framework for Web-based discovery, access, control, integration, analysis, and visualization of online sensors, sensor-derived data repositories, and sensor-related processing capabilities. In...

Sensors Expo & Conference.
April 1, 2005... Conference: June 6-9, 2005 Expo: June 6-8, 2005 McCormick Place Chicago, Illinois Sensors--Essential, Everywhere! Sensors are everywhere in our day-to-day lives, making us healthier, safer, and more comfortable; and making...

Advances in measuring with nonlinear sensors: getting data from a nonlinear sensor has always been a design challenge, but the combination of a microcontroller and a programmable gain amplifier overcomes thermistor nonlinearity across an extended temperature range.(SENSOR TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN)
April 1, 2005... Obtaining data from a sensor that is less than linear is easy enough if you need only a small portion of the sensor's output range. With this scenario, you can implement a simple, piecewise, linearization algorithm in your controller or...

Multi-network factory floor device networking: multi-network devices support several protocols at once and give you added flexibility for factory floor networking.(INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS)
April 1, 2005... Humans are by nature creatures of habit. We like stability and we typically don't do well with change. One area where we haven't found consistency or stability is in factory floor networking. Just when we thought that these networks had...

Due for an oil change? A three-chambered oil sensor reports on the condition of the base oil as well as the status of assorted additives.(PUTTING SENSORS TO WORK)(product information of Voelker Sensors Inc)(Oil Advantage)
April 1, 2005... The malevolent red glare of the dashboard oil light tells you nothing about the quality of your engine oil. Rather, it signifies an issue with the oil pressure and indicates an engine problem. Automakers typically recommend an oil change every...

Modular sensors for versatility and flexibility: modular sensors can reduce the number of devices, the amount of wiring, and the costs required for collecting and analyzing sensor data, particularly in the process industries.(SENSOR TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN)
April 1, 2005... Leading-edge sensor suppliers are embracing a modular approach to sensor design. This methodology allows suppliers to use both their design and their manufacturing capabilities for markets where the use of several sensors is common. Customers...

High-voltage DAC.(Product News)(iCMOS AD5764 )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The iCMOS AD5764 from Analog Devices, Inc., Norwood, MA, is a quad, serial-input, bipolar, voltage-output DAC with 16-bit resolution, 1 LSB INL, 1 LSB DNL, and gain and offset calibration to Product News is but a sampling of the many, many...

Flow monitoring system.(Product News)(SONARtrac)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The SONARtrac from CiDRA Corp., Wallingford, CT, uses an array of sensors clamped on a pipe to measure real-time volumetric flow and amount of entrained air/gas present in any liquid, continuous-phase process fluid. The system also provides a...

Solid-state accelerometer.(Product News)(Columbia Research Labs., Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The Model SSA-100 from Columbia Research Labs., Inc., Woodlyn, PA, is a solid-state silicon accelerometer available in [+ or -]2 or [+ or -]10 g ranges. Its frequency response is factory set at DC to 100 kHz with wideband response versions...

Flow, temperature sensor.(Product News)(calorimetric CoolGuard flow-captor)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The calorimetric CoolGuard flow-captor from Weber Sensors Inc., Woodstock, GA monitors flow rate and temperature of the flowing medium and is designed as a replacement for mechanical flow switches. The CoolGuard has no moving parts, can be...

Thermocouple monitoring system.(Product News )(TCweb 16-channel thermocouple monitoring system )(Tidal Engineering Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Tidal Engineering Corp., Randolph, NJ, now offers its TCweb 16-channel thermocouple monitoring system with Modbus TCP. The TCweb supports Type J, E, K, R, S, T, B, N, and C thermocouples with 0.1[degrees]C display resolution. Sampling rate is...

Mini pH, temperature recorder.(Product News)(MadgeTech Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The PHTEMP101 from MadgeTech, Inc., Warner, NH, is a 4.5 X 2.4 X 1.0 in. device that can take fully automatic pH and temperature NIST-calibrated measurements for up to 1 yr. and can be controlled from a PC. The recorder accepts all popular pH...

Current sensors.(Product News)(ACS754/5 family Hall-effect current sensors )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... ACS754/5 family Hall-effect current sensors from Allegro MicroSystems, Inc., Worcester, MA, are available in 50, 100, 130, 150, and 200 A versions in both industrial and automotive temperature ranges. The bidirectional ACS754 and...

Mini humidity transmitters.(Product News)(Ohmic Instruments Co.)(Model HX-772 Series transmitters )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Model HX-772 Series transmitters from Ohmic Instruments Co., Easton, MD, measure RH from 0%-100%, dew point from -40[degrees]F to 140[degrees]F, or absolute humidity from 0-200 g/[m.sup.3]. Features include advanced digital zero and span...

ZigBee development platform.(Product News)(PICDEM Z 2.4 GHz)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The PICDEM Z 2.4 GHz demonstration kit from Microchip Technology Inc., Chandler, AZ, supports the ZigBee standard for wirelessly networked control and monitoring applications, providing hardware and a free ZigBee protocol software stack. The...

Psychrometer series.(Product News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Extech Instruments Corp., Waltham, MA, offers the RH300, RH350, and RH401 psychrometers for differential temperature and humidity measurements for HVAC/R, mold prevention/remediation, and plant maintenance applications. The psychrometers...

ZigBee development tools.(Product News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Helicomm, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, offers ZigBee-ready development tools and wireless products, including its ZigBee-ready signal generator for IEEE 802.15.4 IC and product design verification, EZ-Net DevKit integrated embedded ZigBee networking...

Handheld air velocity monitor.(Product News)(E+E Elektronik GmbH)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The VELOPORT 20 from E+E Elektronik GmbH, Engerwitzdorf, Austria, lets you perform portable air velocity and temperature measurements in HVAC installations, ventilation ducts, and cleanrooms. Based on the company's hot-film anemometer sensor,...

High pressure sensor.(Product News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The P12000 Series from Polaron Components Ltd., Watford, U.K., is a thin-film strain gauge-based pressure sensor suited to medium- to high-pressure applications such as hydraulic systems, which are prone to large pressure spikes. The sensor...

Liquid-level monitoring system.(Product News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... VolumeMetrics Series systems from Techno-Research, Inc., Royal Oak, MI, monitor liquid level in tanks and are optimized for liquid depths of 1.5-60 in. The systems use time of flight of an ultrasonic pulse to determine depth, submerging a...

Ethernet control modules.(Product News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... WebIO from Saelig Co. Inc., Pittsford, NY, is a system of control modules that connect via RS-485 to a central controller, which then uploads the data to company intranet/Internet servers to let you view status information remotely. The BIT2000...

Ultrasonic flowmeter.(Product News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The ultrasonic flowmeter from IFM Efector Inc., Exton, PA, simultaneously monitors flow rate and detects fluid temperature of water in process control applications. The ~4 X 4 in. meter mounts directly in pipes that are 1 in. dia. or less; it...

High-voltage voltage/current DAC.(Product News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The HVDAC from Goal Semiconductor, Montreal, Canada, is a high-voltage, 4-channel, 9-bit, serially configurable voltage/current DAC. The device can operate in either current or voltage mode, and its output range is controlled by a low-voltage...

IEEE 802.15.4 and ZigBee SoC.(Readers' Choice)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Chipcon AS, Oslo, Norway, offers the CC2430, a single chip that combines the company's CC2420 IEEE 802.15.4-compliant and ZigBee-ready RF transceiver with an 8051 microcontroller, 128 KB of Flash memory, and 8 KB of RAM, among other features....

Mel's picks.(Editorial)
April 1, 2005... It's April, it's tax time in the U.S., so as is my custom, here's your helpful tax-related Web site. (Why? Because I care.) The IRS has expanded its free online filing program this year. If your taxes aren't overly complicated, e-filing is a...