Sensors Magazine articles from August 2002

Sensors Magazine archives from August 2002

Sensors in the singularity. (Editorial).(Raymond Kurzweil)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... In honoring Raymond Kurzweil with the world's largest single award for invention and innovation, the Lemelson-MIT Program recognized "the breadth and scope of his inventive work, and... his commitment to enhancing the quality of life for people...

KVH Industries. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc.).((FOG). The design, known as a Reduced Minimum)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... KVH Industries (Middletown, RI, www.kvh.com) has been awarded U.S. Patent #6,351,310 for a streamlined, low-cost, fiber-optic gyro (FOG). The design, known as a Reduced Minimum Configuration, is the foundation for KVH's low-cost E*Core 1000...

NanoVia, LP. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc.).(Hitachi Via Mechanics licenses hybrid optical technology)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... NanoVia, LP (Londonderry, NH), has licensed its hybrid optical technology for laser microvia drilling to Hitachi Via Mechanics, Japan. This announcement marks the culmination of several program milestones for NanoVia, LP, which included a...

Keithley Instruments. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc.).(begins program for original equipment manufacturers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Keithley Instruments (Cleveland, OH, www.keithley.com) has instituted the Keithley OEM Advantage Program to help its global original equipment manufacturer customers, who integrate Keithley equipment into their own products. The program was...

Sky Computers. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc.).(Analogic Corp. orders SKYpack multiprocessor from Sky Computers Inc.)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Sky Computers (Chelmsford, MA, www.skycomputers.com) has received a substantial order for its SKYpack multiprocessor for use as the image-reconstruction engine in the EXACT (Explosive Assessment Computed Tomography) system by parent company...

Datastick Systems Inc. (Santa Clara, CA, www.datastick.com), developer of data acquisition software and peripherals for Palm OS--based handheld computers. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc.).(Datastick Systems Inc., Oceana Sensor Technologies Inc. form software development agreement)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Datastick Systems Inc. (Santa Clara, CA, www.datastick.com), developer of data acquisition software and peripherals for Palm OS--based handheld computers, and Oceana Sensor Technologies Inc. (Virginia Beach, VA, www.oceanasensor.com),...

Scott Specialty Gases. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc.).(Scott Specialty Gases developed nitric oxide Standard Reference Materials precursors)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Scott Specialty Gases (Plumsteadville, PA, www.scottgas.com) has perfected new reactive gas technology that enables the company to produce two new nitric oxide (NO) Standard Reference Material (SRM) precursors at 0.5 and 1.0 ppm. The research...

Microchip Technology Inc. (Chandler, AZ, www.microchip.com) has acquired Power Smart, Inc. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc.).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Microchip Technology Inc. (Chandler, AZ, www.microchip.com) has acquired Power Smart, Inc. (Shelton, CT, www.powersmart.com), a privately held fabless semiconductor company, in a cash transaction worth approximately $54 million. PowerSmart's...

The Freedonia Group, Inc. (Market Trends).(forecast for chemical sensors demand)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... A new study by The Freedonia Group, Inc. (Cleveland, OH, www.freedoniagroup.com), predicts that demand for chemical sensors will grow 8.6% per year to $3.4 billion in 2006. The major trends driving this growth are new applications for...

ARC Advisory Group. (Market Trends).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... A new report by ARC Advisory Group (Natick, MA, www.arcweb.com) says that the worldwide market for building automation hardware, software, and services ($11 billion in 2001) is expected to grow at the compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of...

Give your brakes some brains. (Research & Developments).
August 1, 2002... Any material subject to abrasion could benefit from a sensor developed by SRT Resistor Technology in cooperation with an automaker. This device, custom made for each application, consists of a miniature resistor network connected to a lead...

Urinary incontinence solution successfully implanted in humans. (Research & Developments).
August 1, 2002... The BioControl MiniatURO, developed by Xemics and BioControl, is a pacemaker-sized microelectronic muscle and nerve stimulator designed for subcutaneous implantation on an outpatient basis. Its purpose is to alleviate two types of urinary...

Smart surge protector advises of self-sacrifice. (Research & Developments).
August 1, 2002... The Smart Module, a new twist on conventional surge protectors, is designed to quickly detect an arc and absorb most of it before it can flow right into your Mac. There's a helpful reset feature too. When a spike occurs, the module responds in...

Measuring the glint in the eye of the sun. (App Snaps).(solar flares)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... They're the most powerful explosions in the solar system, but you can't see them with the naked eye. They release 10 million times more energy than a volcanic explosion, but you can't feel them. So what are we talking about here? Solar...

Threading a needle in space. (App Snaps).(Smart Systems Research Laboratory choose software for docking operations in space)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Docking the space shuttle to the International Space Station (ISS) takes several hours, and a sodden change in conditions of either spacecraft can seriously affect docking operations. The Smart Systems Research Laboratory, based in the NASA...

When cars ask for help. (App Snaps).(Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. and Siemens VDO Automotive Corp.'s Tire Guard System)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2002... Imagine making a routine stop to refuel your car and getting a message on the dashboard telling you that you should top off your tire pressure along with the fuel tank. Goodyear and Siemens VDO Automotive have developed the Tire Guard System,...

MEMS sensors in virtual reality systems. (Putting Sensors to Work).(use of inertial sensors in computer game technology)
August 1, 2002... Gaming enthusiasts are champing at the bit to enter the realm of virtual reality, but the technology may not be ready for prime time. Here's a look at what works and what doesn't. Virtual reality (VR) systems have been around for more than...

Field installation of thermocouple and RTD temperature sensor assemblies. (Sensor Technology and Design).
August 1, 2002... Proper installation of your sensor assembly can help you avoid many common problems and downtime. With a little care and attention to the installation procedure, a good sensor assembly should provide years of reliable operation and accurate...

A fiber-optic temperature sensor. (Sensor Technology and Design).(LumiTherm 500 by Ipitek)
August 1, 2002... This fluorescence-decay temperature probe combines the advantages of optical fiber with a unique ratio measurement system that minimizes inaccuracies due to signal loss from the fiber and connector. In the LumiTherm 500 temperature sensor,...

Driving in the dark. (Vision).(General Motors installs Night Vision system from Raytheon in Cadillac DeVille)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... The extra 15s of response time provided by an automotive IR vision system can reduce the number of accidents involving pedestrians and other nocturnal surprises on the road. The figures are chilling: Each year more than 3500 pedestrians are...

Demystifying [SIGMA][DELTA] ADCs. (Data Acquisition).(analog to digital converters)
August 1, 2002... These powerful A/D converters offer significant advantages over alternative devices, but some designers don't use [SIGMA][DELTA]s because they're unfamiliar with the technology. Here are a few reasons you should take a closer look. ...

This display gets out of your way. (Research & Developments).
August 1, 2002... Mitsubishi Electric Corp. has a prototype compact wearable display designed to help multitaskers stay on top of what's going on around them. The device, which positions the LCD display just beneath the eye (Photo 1), beats granny glasses...

Don't fry your flue! (Research & Developments).
August 1, 2002... For those who heat with a wood stove or enjoy an occasional fireplace blaze, chimney fires are high on the list of Terrible Events. Even the truly fastidious can find out the hard way that a little bit of creosote has hidden itself in the flue,...

The blower of suspicion points to you. (Research & Developments).(room-circulating air freshener)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Apropos of our June item about windy dogs, reader Cal Grubbs (calgrubbs@ieee.org) has sent us an account of a design project that had unanticipated consequences. I was asked to design a control system for a room-circulating air freshener....

Gap measurement system. (Product News).(Capacitec offers gap measurement sensor wand)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Capacitec, Ayer, MA, offers a contact-type gap measurement sensor wand that acta as an electronic feeler gauge when used in conjunction with the Gapman. Developed for turbine engine manufacturers to measure blade tip clearance, the probe...

Data loggers. (Product News).(advertisement)
August 1, 2002... LOGiT data loggers from Scaled Unit Parts Company, Inc. (Supco), Allenwood, NJ, store >10,000 measurement points and have adjustable sampling rates, and they operate with Windows-compatible LOCiT PC software and an interface cable. The 6...

Multibus absolute encoder. (Product News).(advertisement)
August 1, 2002... The ProCoder multitum absolute optical rotary encoder from Baumer Electric, Ltd., Southington, CT, can operate in SSI, CANopen, DeviceNet, Profibus, and other bus systems simply by changing its modular bus cover. Resolution is 29-bit in...

Modular controller. (Product News).(advertisement)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Consisting of a master module and up to 16 PID modules, the Modular Controller from Red Lion Controls, York, PA, enables you to integrate multizone PID control into PC and PLC-based systems. The master communicates PID module data to the...

DA system. (Product News).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2002... For multichannel applications requiring reliable Ethernet communications, the 2680A from Fluke Corp., Everett, WA, lets you custom build a complete data logging system with up to 120 channels, scalable to 2000. Five of the 6 slots in the...

Small IR camera. (Product News).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2002... Suitable for both thermal imaging and DA applications, the Omega from Indigo Systems, Santa Barbara, CA, weighs 3.5 oz., measures [

Flexible laser sensor. (Product News).
August 1, 2002... Because the amplifier of the ZX smart laser measurement sensor from Omron Electronics LLC, Schaumberg, IL, interfaces with one of 3 visible red thronghbeam and 8 displacement sensor heads, you can use the same sensor for various measurement...

Mini-PCI adapter. (Product News).(advertisement)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... The 4164 Type III mini-PCI adapter from Mesa Electronics, Richmond, CA, allows use of Mini-PCI cards like IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN cards in a PC/104-PLUS system. On-card jumpers are used to select which PC104-Plus slot the 4164 occupies. A...

Intelligent machine vision system. (Product News).(advertisement)
August 1, 2002... The 1P64 housing and homogeneous integrated illumination and lens let you mount the ICS 100 Intelligent Camera Sensor from SICK, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, in cramped and hostile factory environments. Its CMOS sensor enables inspection of very...

IP67 ethernet switch. (Product News).(advertisement)
August 1, 2002... When mated with RJ-Lnxx cord seta, the RJ-Lnxx Machine Mount Switch (ENHSAURR) from Woodhead Connectivity, Northbrook, IL, offers IP67-rated sealed connections that prevent contaminant ingress. The auto-learning 8-port switch (1 port dedicated...

GPS-based measurement system. (Product News).(advertisement)
August 1, 2002... Developed in collaboration with Oxford Technological Solutions, Oxford, U.K., the MicroSAT speed and distance measurement system from Corrsys-Datron Sensorsystems, Inc., Southfield, MI, plots its location anywhere on earth to within a few...

RF Transceiver Chipset. (Product News).(Linear Technology Corp.)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... 1.8-2.7 GHz RF transceiver building blocks that enable a range of 802.1 lb compliant systems in the 2.4 GHz ISM band as well as WLAN, WLL, and PC card modems, the LT5500 receiver front end, the LT5502 quadrature IF demodulator, and the LT5503...

Pressure sensor DA board. (Product News).
August 1, 2002... The APCI-3300 from ADDI-DATA GmbH, Ottersweier, Germany, lets you directly connect 4 or 8 low-cost strain-gauge sensors; sensors must have integrated amplification, since tire board accepts only high-level inputs. No external current supply is...

Torque transducer. (Product News).
August 1, 2002... Developed for OEM and end-user applications requiring measurement reliability on a tight budget, TMB transducers from Magtrol, Inc., Buffalo, NY, are rated from 1-500 Nm nominal with accuracy of 0.2% and speeds to 6000 rpm. The noncontact...

HART loop interface module. (Product News).
August 1, 2002... The HIM from Moore Industries-Intl., Inc., North Hills, CA, is a smart HART loop interfhce and monitor that allows up to 3 additional analog process measurements from smart HART multivariable mass flow, level, pressure, and pH transmitters....

Ultrasonic gas flowmeter. (Product News).
August 1, 2002... Designed for high-quantity OEM use, the DigiSTREAM from DigiFLO, Inc., Bellevue, WA, incorporates an ultrasonic flow sensor that measures the volumetric flow rate of a gas stream and has no moving parts, orifices, pressure drop, or temperature...

Dual-function accelerometer. (Product News).
August 1, 2002... Combining a piezoelecteic and a force-balance accelerometer to measure acceleration and vibration simultaneously, the Model ST-541379 from Columbia Research Laboratories, Inc., Woodlyn, PA, is packaged in a rugged, lightweight, nickel-plated...

Gas and temperature control. (Product News).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
August 1, 2002... To control gas burners in commercial water-heating applications, the Fenwal 35-85 Series integrated gas and temperature control from Fenwal, Ashland, MA, monitors temperature and begins the gas ignition sequence as needed. The device has a...

Precision temperature sensor ICs. (Product News).(from Texas Instruments Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 1, 2002... Texas Instruments Inc. (TI), Tucson, AZ, offers the Burr-Brown TMP100 and TMP101 digital-output temperature sensor ICs in 6-lead SOT-23 packages. Both ICs contain a 12-bit ADC, a silicon temperature sensor, and a 2-wire serial interface. Supply...

Wireless I/O. (Product News).(advertisement)
August 1, 2002... Housed in a NEMA 4 enclosure, the 905U-K wireless I/O module from ELPRO Technologies, Stafford, Queensland, Australia, provides wireless connectivity for discrete, analog, and pulse signals. An internal 900 MHz frequency-hopping radio...

20 DPI linear sensor arrays. (Product News).(advertisement)
August 1, 2002... Texas Advanced Solutions, Inc. (TAOS), Piano, TX, has added the 112 mm long TSL2014 and the 80 mm long TSL210 to its line of 200 dpi linear sensor arrays. The 896 X 1 TSL2014 scans standard A6 format-size documents aid miss in serial (2...

Mini Reed Switch. (Product News).(advertisement)
August 1, 2002... Reed Switch Developments Corp., Racine, WI, offers a miniature reed switch in a 0.145 in. dia. by 0.450 in. Celanex housing. The SPST, NO contact switch has max. electrical characteristics of 10 W, 400 mA, and 170 VDC. Benefits include...

Handheld IR thermometer. (Product News).
August 1, 2002... The noncontact INSPACTO GLplus from Infrapoint Messtechnick GmbH, Illmenau, Germany, senses wavelengths fitted for glass applications, measuring temperatures from 150[degrees]C-1800[degrees]C, and offering memory for 250 readings. A small...

Large-bore magnetic encoders. (Product News).
August 1, 2002... Admotec Inc., Lebanon, NH, introduces its Series EK6210 magnetic kit encoders for large-shaft, high-performance applications in harsh environments. The kits combine a custom-configured magnetic encoder wheel and a matched magnetoresistive...

3-channel signal conditioner. (Product News).
August 1, 2002... For modal test labs, the rack-mounted Model 433 signal conditioner amplifier card from Endevco Corp, San Juan Capistrano, CA, is used with single-ended PE and Isoiron (IEPE/voltage-type) accelerometers, remote charge converters, and i-TEDS IEEE...

Clamp-on ultrasonic level switch. (Product News).
August 1, 2002... Visi Vue/Sonic Eye from Cosense Inc., Hauppage, NY, uses 2 sonic transducers in SS housings mounted on the outside of a tank wall to determine if liquid is present within the vessel at that point. The complete system includes a pair of...

Thermocouple conditioner. (Product News).
August 1, 2002... The dual-channel Model 4120 module from R.C. Electronics Inc., Santa Barbara, CA, provides signal amplification, nonlinearity correction, and cold-junction compensation for mV thermocouple inputs, converting the thermocouple signal into a...

Temperature block calibrator. (Product News).
August 1, 2002... Featuring 2 independently controlled temperature wells, one hot and one cold, the Model 9011 from Hart Scientific, Inc., American Fork, UT, covers a range from -30[degrees]C to 670[degrees]C with stabilities to [+ or -]0.01[degrees]C and...

CANopen/Ethernet module. (Product News).
August 1, 2002... The CANopen/Ethernet OEM module from Industrial Software, Sofia, Bulgaria, lets you add CANopen or Ethernet connectivity to any product that contains an 8-, 16-, or 32-bit microcontroller or microprocessor. The API and driver typically require...

Gas safety systems. (Product News).
August 1, 2002... Consisting of a gas detector, control unit, and combined beacon/sounder, "123" systems from Crowcon Detection Instruments, Milford, OH, are available to detect [O.sub.2], [CH.sup.4], [CI.sub.2], CO, [NO.sub.2], and [SO.sub.2]. You attach the...

Navigation, guidance, and control system. (Sensors Express).
August 1, 2002... The heart of the miniature MIGITS (MEMS Integrated CPS/INS Inertial Tactical System) from BEI Systron Donner Inertial, a div. of BEI Technologies, Inc., Concord, CA, is a quartz MEMS inertial sensor cluster. The MIGITS couples OPS and INS...

E-Commerce. (Web Picks).
August 1, 2002... Goodfellow Corp. www.goodfellow.com Omega Engineering www.omega.com PGI International www.thermosync.com

Redesigned/New. (Web Picks).
August 1, 2002... AGV Products, Inc. www.agvp.com F.A. Green Engineering, Nitro Sensor Division www.nitrosensors.com JLC International www.jlcinternational.com MMC www.mmcmag.com Quantum Research Group www.qprox.com Quest Technologies www.quest-technologies.com...

www.timeanddate.com. (Web Picks).
August 1, 2002... Do you ever have days when, try as you might, you have to set up a conference call on another continent and calculating the time in another time zone is simply beyond you? Or you're trying to figure out how many days between now and your...

www.icrank.com. (Web Picks).
August 1, 2002... The next site is a mechanical engineering portal called iCrank.com. It's split into four main sections: Vendors, a vendor directory emphasizing those vendors with product and/or tech information; Design Tools, with tabulated data and design...

www.reasonablyclever.com. (Web Picks).
August 1, 2002... And finally, something frivolous. The Mini-Mizer lets you create an image of yourself as a Lego mini-figure, selecting from various options for faces and hair and costume and so on. It's surprisingly addictive. Or maybe not so surprising,...

Quick poll.
August 1, 2002... www.sensorsmag.com Quick Poll appears on the Sensors Online site and is updated every two weeks. At left you can see how Sensors Online visitors weighed in on a recent question. Cast your vote in the current Quick Poll on our homepage,...