Sensors Magazine articles from December 2004

Sensors Magazine archives from December 2004

Ready, set, inspire.(GUEST EDITORIAL)(Editorial)
December 1, 2004... Editor's note: To conclude the celebration of Sensors' 20th anniversary, I present to you an inspiring story that would not be possible without the technology advancements and engineering brilliance we have witnessed and encouraged over the...

Not impossible.(Business Sense)(BrainGate Neural Interface System)
December 1, 2004... A couple of recent developments point to exciting gains in brain wave-based control and super high-speed data throughput. During the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience on October 25, Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems, Inc,...

Wireless integration, security, and power.
December 1, 2004... A new partnership between Ember (www.ember.com) and Arcom (www.arcom.com, supplier of embedded computer and communications technology to industry) promises ZigBee-based wireless sensor and control networks that seamlessly link factories, supply...

Smart greenhouse saves water.(Research & Developments)
December 1, 2004... Remember Frank Herbert's Dune novels? The saga was set on a world so arid that water was far more precious than life. (You don't want to think too hard about some of the water recapture methods used there.) Some scientists and sociologists have...

Short takes.(Research & Developments)(Crime Scene Investigation)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... We freely admit to a CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) addiction. It's the gizmos (and the logic and the occasional lucky break). The labs in which the investigators figure out who done it and how and when and with what bulge with every...

Keeping the happy nuts together.(AppSnaps)
December 1, 2004... When pistachios are laughing, they're ready to roast, package, and ship to market. They assume that grin when their shells pop open, indicating perfect ripeness. But ~22% clam up and have to be separated from the flow of nuts for different...

Sensors give a voice to the Liberty Bell.(AppSnaps)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The Liberty Bell is one of America's most familiar--and beloved--icons. And last year, when the time came to move it to its new display pavilion, the anxiety level was high lest the bell's famous crack prove its undoing. But engineers from...

Sneeze-free classrooms.(AppSnaps)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Returning to school in September can be a really big bummer if the indoor air is stale, dusty, or crowded with mold spores. Most school buldings are empty and idle all summer, so their HVAC systems are usually shut down. To monitor the interior...

A dozen ways to measure fluid level and how they work: the more you know about fluid level sensors--from sight glasses to guided-wave radar to lasers--the happier you will be with the technology you choose for your own application.(SENSOR TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN)
December 1, 2004... The demands of sophisticated automated processing systems, the need for ever-tighter process control, and an increasingly stringent regulatory environment drive process engineers to seek more precise and reliable level measurement systems....

Enabling achievement of business goals.(EDITORIAL)(Editorial)
December 1, 2004... "Like any business, we have goals... and we realized that wireless technology was an enabler to achieving those goals." --Clinton Carter, TXU Power If you read the last issue of Wireless for Industry, you already know that many...

Growth forecasts.(SIGNALS)
December 1, 2004... According to a new study from the Wireless Data Research Group (WDRG, San Mateo, CA, www.wirelessdataresearch.com) the market for hardware, software, professional, and wireless network services for machine-to-machine (M2M) communications will...

Progress and achievements.(SIGNALS)
December 1, 2004... GE Global Research (www.research.ge.com), the centralized research organization of the General Electric company, has teamed with Sensicast Systems (www.sensicast.com), provider of wireless sensor networking products and solutions, and...

SkyeTek, Inc.(New Capabilities)(SkyeRead M1-Mini)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... SkyeTek, Inc. (www.skyetek.com), has specifically designed its SkyeRead M1-Mini, which it says is the world's smallest RFID reader, to connect with the MICA2DOT miniature wireless sensor network mote by Crossbow Technology Inc. (www.xbow.com)....

WildPackets Inc.(New Capabilities)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... WildPackets Inc. (www.wildpackets.com), provider of advanced network services fault analysis, has entered a strategic partnership with Cognio, Inc. (www.cognio.com), provider of RF spectrum management technology. The first product resulting...

RAE Systems Inc.(New Capabilities)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... RAE Systems Inc. (www.raesystems.com), developer and manufacturer of rapidly deployable, multisensor chemical and radiation detection monitors and networks, has added wireless video capabilities to its family of hazardous environment monitors....

Crossbow Technology, Inc.(New Positioning)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... When Crossbow Technology, Inc. (www.xbow.com), accepted its second 2004 Best of Sensors Expo award, a company representative announced Crossbow's Smart Dust Challenge, which will award thousands of dollars in prizes, including a $10,000 grand...

Canadian firms Syscan International and Sensor Wireless Inc.(New Positioning)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Canadian firms Syscan International (www.syscan.com) and Sensor Wireless Inc. (www.sensor wireless.com) have agreed to jointly develop new applications combining their separate technologies, and then market the products throughout the Americas...

Adaptive Instruments, LLC.(New Positioning)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Adaptive Instruments, LLC (www.adaptiveinstruments.com), provider of process control instrumentation, has named Gene Yon, Ph.D., as president following the retirement of Angelo Firenze. Adaptive says that Yon will guide the company into new...

Aeris.(New Positioning)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Aeris (www.aeris.net), provider of wireless machine-to-machine (M2M) communications services independent of network technology and host application platform, is acquiring the t-Connect and t-Data business lines of WirelessCar North America. The...

UWB demonstration.(SIGNALS)(IWT, www.iwtwireless.com)(ultrawideband )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Innovative Wireless Technologies (IWT, www.iwtwireless.com), winner of many Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards, has won one more. Its new Phase II contract with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory will demonstrate innovative methods...

Sensicast mesh network monitors nuclear plant motors.(ADVERTORIAL)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... Monitoring the stator temperature of the Water Circulation Pumps at a U.S. nuclear power facility gives one indication of the health of the 2500 hp pump motors. The power plant has selected Sensicast System's mesh networking solution to help...

Wireless sensors monitor critical civil infrastructure.(ADVERTORIAL)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... Increased ease and speed of installation. Reduced need for cable and its protection. Lower system cost. Reduced premature repair. These are some of the advantages of wireless sensor systems. The one installed recently on the 1926 Ben Franklin...

Reliable enough for a nuclear plant? Seeing the technology as an enabler to achieving business goals, Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station tests wireless sensor networks for critical equipment monitoring.
December 1, 2004... "With the electric utility industry moving toward deregulation, the need for improving efficiency, enhancing capability, and optimizing generation is increasingly important. In order to meet the challenges of a competitive environment,...

Information director.(Your M2M Toolbox)
December 1, 2004... AVIDWireless offers the AVIDirector wireless information director, which communicates with a variety of equipment and transmits the collected data over any wireless network. It supports Ethernet, I2C, SPI, CAN, and 1-wire communications; and...

900 MHz transceivers.(Your M2M Toolbox)
December 1, 2004... The 48 X 42 mm 900 MHz AC4490-1W from AeroComm Inc. provides 1 W of output allowing for data transmissions of up to 115.2 Kbps across 20 miles line of sight. The transceiver modules and stand-alone units use the company's RF-232 protocol to...

Network Management software.(Your M2M Toolbox)
December 1, 2004... Millennial Net, Inc.'s Sensor Network Management software and an API for its i-Bean wireless mesh networking products let you easily install and maintain wireless mesh networks. The software lets you incorporate traditional wired network...

Wireless modems.(Your M2M Toolbox)
December 1, 2004... AutomationDirect offers Cirronet CR-SE Series wireless serial and Ethernet radio modems, associated antennas, cables, adapters, and power plug accessories. These 2.4 GHz FHSS devices provide long-range, high-speed wireless connectivity among...

Plug-and-play sensor boards.(Your M2M Toolbox)
December 1, 2004... MTS400/420 Series environmental monitoring boards from Crossbow Technology, Inc., incorporate sensors for temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, light, and acceleration; GPS is optional. You can combine the MTS420 with the company's MICA2...

Signal conditioning system.(Your M2M Toolbox)
December 1, 2004... Wilkerson Instrument Co. Inc.'s sensoRAD wireless signal conditioning system accepts analog inputs and switch contacts and transmits the data to a companion receiver where it is reconstructed into a standard 4-20 mA signal. The...

Development kits.(Your M2M Toolbox)
December 1, 2004... The CC2420 ZigBee Development Kit from Chipcon AS lets you map a ZigBee logical device to full and reduced function devices using the CC2420 (a single-chip, IEEE 802.15.4-compliant and ZigBee-ready RF transceiver that operates in the 2.4 GHz...

Sensicast Systems.(Your M2M Toolbox)
December 1, 2004... Sensicast Systems offers the Sensimesh Development System for Crossbow Technology's wireless sensor motes. The system lets you get sensor networks up and running, and develop applications as well as build and test sensor networks prior to...

Intelligent fastening opens new era of sensing technology: fasteners with embedded intelligence tell you where they are and how they're working, and fasten and release when told.(PUTTING SENSORS TO WORK)
December 1, 2004... Intelligent fastening is a new approach to the way products are designed, assembled, and maintained. It uses application software to remotely control, manage, diagnose, and document an integrated network of fasteners. For the first time,...

IR VCSELs and LEDs for sensing applications: here's what you need to know about infrared light-emitting diodes and vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers for your optical switch designs.(SENSOR TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN)(infrared vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers, infrared light-emitting diodes.)
December 1, 2004... Optical switch designers need a basic understanding of the distinction between infrared light-emitting diodes (IR LEDs) and infrared vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers (IR VCSELs). And these engineers need to keep in mind that both types...

Understanding your wireless options: if you're lacking RF expertise but still want to add wireless communications to your sensor application, here's how wireless sensor networking currently stands.(INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS)(radio frequency)
December 1, 2004... For engineers with little RF experience, wireless design has historically been problematic. The recent proliferation of highly integrated transceivers and radio modules is simplifying the transition from wired to wireless data transfer. Now, an...

Fiber-optic pressure sensors.(Product News)
December 1, 2004... API-FOS Div., Absolute Process Instruments, Inc., Libertyville, IL, offers fiber-optic pressure sensors that can operate permanently at temperatures up to 800[degrees]C. Developed by the German company FOS, the sensors measure pressures up to...

Portable USB DA devices.(Product News)
December 1, 2004... National Instruments, Austin, TX, offers 5 portable USB DA products. The DAQPad-6015 16-channel, 16-bit, 200 Ksps analog input module has 2 analog outputs, 32 digital I/O, and 2 counter/timers. The DAQPad-6015 is similar, with 8 digital I/O....

Wireless serial bridge.(Product News)
December 1, 2004... The Airborne serial bridge module from DPAC Technologies, Garden Grove, CA, is a multiprotocol serial-to-802.11b bridge implemented on the company's small form-factor Airborne wireless node. It provides an industry-standard RS-232 interface and...

Multichannel analyzer.(Product News)
December 1, 2004... The 5.1 release of the Pimento analyzer from Acoustic Test Products Div., Larson Davis, Inc., Provo, UT, includes a new 4-channel version and preconfigured test procedure management. Available procedures include basic octave and FFT analyzer,...

Thin-film temperature sensors.(Product News)
December 1, 2004... HD421 platinum thin-film sensors from Heraeus Sensor Technology GmbH, Kleinostheim, Germany, are capable of continuous operation in temperatures up to 850[degrees]C. The Pt 100 type platinum sensors have a nominal resistance of 100 [OMEGA], are...

High-temperature sensors.(Product News)
December 1, 2004... The 4000 Series of high-temperature vibration sensors from Vibra-Metrics, Princeton Junction, NJ, includes 3 models and is suited for turbine monitoring, jet/combustion engine applications, flue gas atomizers, and experimental applications. The...

Analog inertial measurement unit.(Product News)
December 1, 2004... The 0.70 X 0.70 X 0.40 in. AccelRate 3D from MEMSense, Rapid City, SD, provides analog outputs of 3D acceleration and 3D rate of turn data. A digital self-test electromechanically excites each axis to test sensor and signal conditioning...

Portable IR analyzer.(Product News)
December 1, 2004... The Nicolet Compound ID from Thermo Electron Corp., Madison, WI, is a portable IR analyzer for fast nondestructive classification of materials under extreme conditions and it allows first-response HazMat teams and analysts to identify unknown...

Liquid nano-flow sensor.(Product News)
December 1, 2004... The X115673-AW from Honeywell Sensing and Control, Freeport, IL, uses MEMS-based thermal anemometry to measure the mass flow rate of liquids in an isolated flow channel for flow rates from 5 nL/min. to 5 [micro]L/min. Features include fast...

3-axis shock recorder.(Product News)
December 1, 2004... The SHOCK101 from MadgeTech, Inc., Warner, NH, is a 1.0 X 3.5 X 4.4 in., 15 oz. stand-alone instrument that measures and records shock as peak acceleration levels over a user-defined interval. Windows-based software lets you collect, display,...

Bidirectional speed sensors.(Product News)
December 1, 2004... Bidirectional Hall effect speed sensors from AI-Tek Instruments, LLC, Cheshire, CT, provide two phased, independent digital outputs with frequency proportional to the speed of a ferrous target. An additional logic output indicates direction of...

High-accuracy inclinometer.(Product News)
December 1, 2004... The SCA103T Series from VTI Technologies, Inc., Vantaa, Finland, and Dearborn, MI, uses a differential measurement principle and is available in a [+ or -]30[degrees] version with 8 V/g differential sensitivity or a [+ or -]15[degrees] version...

2-plane position sensing system.(Product News)
December 1, 2004... Designed using the Model L202 dualbeam alignment laser as a setup reference, the LightGage detector system from Laser Tools Co. Inc., Little Rock, AR, lets you make flatness and straightness measurements accurate to [+ or -]0.001 in. with...

Force balance accelerometer.(Product News)
December 1, 2004... The Model SA-130 from Columbia Research Labs., Inc., Woodlyn, PA, is available in ranges of [+ or -]1 g to [+ or -]50 g, is hermetically sealed and lightweight, and was developed for severe shock and vibration environments associated with...

Tactile measurement system.(Product News)
December 1, 2004... Pressure Profile Systems (PPS), Inc., Los Angeles, CA, offers the T3000 designed to support up to 10,240 sensors (individually or as multiple sensor arrays) at acquisition rates of up to 128 kHz, allowing you to perform real-time tactile...

GPS drop-in module.(Product News)
December 1, 2004... The SlimGPS RGPSM202 receivers from XEMICS SA, Neuchatel, Switzerland, and Redwood City, CA, are autonomous modules that provide position, speed, and time information derived from the GPS and have position accuracy

Coriolis mass flowmeter.(Product News)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The OPTIMASS Series 7100 single-Z tube flowmeter from Krohne, Inc., Peabody, MA, is available in three sizes and is suitable for flow rates from 0.66 lb./min. up to 16.5 lb./min. Suited for precise blending, dosing, and batching applications...

Ethernet-based DA devices.(Product News)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... IOtech, Inc., Cleveland, OH, offers the DaqBook/2020, DaqBook/2001, and DaqBook/2005 portable, Ethernet-based multifunction DA devices. The DaqBook/2000 Series features a built-in 10/100BaseT Ethernet interface, a 16-bit 200 kHz ADC expandable...

Noncontact fluid sensor.(Product News)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Packaged in a housing designed to accommodate clear tubing up to 3.18 mm dia., the OPB350 from TT electronics OPTEK Technology, Carrollton, TX, uses an IR LED/phototransistor sensor pair to sense the difference in refractive properties between...

Heading, motion sensor.(Product News)(Terella6)(Clymer Technologies, LLC )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The size of a AA battery, the Terella6 from Clymer Technologies, LLC, Mystic, CT, senses roll, pitch, yaw, attitude-independent compass heading, translational acceleration, and angular rates insensitive to system accelerations. The sensor has...

Flash microcontrollers.(Product News)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Microchip Technology Inc., Chandler, AZ, offers eight 28- and 40-/44-pin PIC18F microcontrollers with up to 64 KB of program memory and features nanoWatt technology for power management. Microcontrollers have 48 or 64 KB of Flash program...

PID controller.(Product News)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Danaher Industrial Controls Group, Danaher Corp., Gurnee, IL, offers the modular MLC 9000+ bus-compatible PID controller. The bus control module links up to 32 loop control modules to various network protocols and takes 8 in. of panel space....

Gyro-enhanced orientation sensor.(Readers' Choice)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The 3DM-GX1 from MicroStrain, Inc., Williston, VT, combines the outputs from 3 angular rate gyros with those from 3 orthogonal DC accelerometers and 3 orthogonal magnetometers to provide stabilized pitch, roll, and yaw measurements under...

New 100-page temperature sensor catalog.(Literature SHOWCASE)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The new 100-page RTD & Thermocouple Sensor Assemblies Handbook from Conax Buffalo Technologies provides detailed technical information in an easy-to-use format to help specifiers select the correct sensor assembly for an application. An...

DASYLab V8.0--no programming required.(Literature SHOWCASE)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The latest release of this easy-to-use software package for Windows-based data acquisition continues to provide powerful data acquisition, analysis and control features without programming. DASYLab Lite, Basic, Full and Pro editions include...

Delta F oxygen analyzers.(Literature SHOWCASE)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Six pages describe Delta F Corp. and the manufacturing of trace and percent oxygen analyzers with ranges from 0-25% to 0-1 ppm, available with up to 75 parts per trillion (PPT) sensitivity. Also described are advancements in nondepleting sensor...

New--S17BNCSYS.(Literature SHOWCASE)(Simple Intensity[TM] ICP[TM][.sup.(PCB)])(SA6000 ACOustAlarm[TM] )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Simple Intensity[TM] ICP[TM][.sup.(PCB)] powered Acoustic Intensity Survey probe. Utilizing two 7052SYS Type 1.5[TM] Titanium diaphragm microphone systems, the S17BNC probe is fully adjustable from 12.5 mm to 100 mm, permitting optimum...

Force & pressure measuring systems.(Literature SHOWCASE)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Cooper Instruments & Systems provides a range of measurement products: load cells, pressure transducers, LDVT's, torque transducers/gages, electronic/mechanical force gages, crane scales, and test stands. We also provide a full range of...

New isolated analog signal conditioning catalog.(Literature SHOWCASE)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... New 230 page catalog of high quality isolated analog and digital I/O modules to protect and condition critical industrial data acquisition and control signals from RTDs, Thermocouples, and other sensor devices. Includes Instrument Class[R] DIN...

Precision Inductosyn[R] Position Transducers.(Literature SHOWCASE)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Farrand Controls--manufacturers of precision Inductosyn[R] and Electrosyn[R] transducers used for accurate measurement of angular or linear position displacements. Rotary transducers provide absolute and incremental position information...

Fluid sensor with relay contact.(Literature SHOWCASE)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... George Risk Industries, Inc. manufactures a full range of fluid sensors that will detect any conductive non-flammable liquid. All models have relay contacts for output control of an external device and are triggered by a moisture bridge across...

Honeywell pressure transducers and barometers.(Literature SHOWCASE)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... New catalog details Honeywell's complete family of precision pressure products. Featuring high accuracy and stability, these products offer application solutions for: avionics, flight testing, meteorology, engine test cells, flow and pressure...

TMS 9000--non-contact programmable measurement system.(Literature SHOWCASE)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The TMS 9000 Series is a rotary transformer sensor with three integral components. Computer controlled, the TMS 9000 has three micro-sensors integrated in the system. The software controls operations--no dip switches or potentiometers. The TMS...

Introducing new Data Loggers for temperature and humidity.(Literature SHOWCASE)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Colorful brochure features NEW 175/177 Digital Data Loggers for both ambient and process monitoring situations where temperature and/or humidity documentation-verification is required. Large, easy-to-read display shows values with the push of a...

Honeywell Magnetic Sensors.(Literature SHOWCASE)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... New catalog features Honeywell's family of Magnetometers and Magnetic Sensors. Sensitive and reliable, these magnetoresistive sensors provide cost-effective solutions in many applications: navigation systems, compassing, current sensing,...

Jewell inclinometers/accelerometers for tilt applications.(Literature SHOWCASE)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Jewell DC-Operated Gravity-Referenced Tilt Sensors are solving more tilt/acceleration problems than ever. Jewell applies engineering know-how and develops innovative new products to provide customized solutions. Fully self-contained reliable,...

Free 2005 NI measurement and automation catalog.(Literature SHOWCASE)
December 1, 2004... The National Instruments catalog is the leading virtual instrumentation resource for engineers and scientists seeking the most productive customer-defined software and hardware tools. You will find everything you need from new product...

Non-contact rotary torque sensor.(Literature SHOWCASE)
December 1, 2004... Based on a revolutionary new technology using SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave) strain sensing elements, TorqSense offers a superior solution to non-contact rotary torque or viscosity measurement in industrial applications. Optional RPM Pickoff...

Mel's picks.(www.heifer.org)(http://nomoresocks.newscientist.com)(http://blog.outer-court.com/quiz)
December 1, 2004... As the holidays approach and you're stumped for gift ideas, here are two good options. One is for those of a charitable bent. Heifer International is devoted to giving charitable gifts of ecologically appropriate livestock (and training and...