Sensors Magazine articles from January 2006

Sensors Magazine archives from January 2006

Welcome home.(goode sense)
January 1, 2006... As you can see, we've done a bit of remodeling and clutter clearing since you were here last. Sensors is still the same destination--the place you come to learn more about sensor technology than you can anywhere else. But we think you'll find...

Improving safety for first responders.(National Institute of Standards and Technology developing standards for communication networks)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... First responders put their lives on the line every day. And increasingly, sensors help protect them. One of the biggest problems these workers face is a lack of accurate information, says the National Institute of Standards and Technology...

SensorsGov not just for government.(MILITARY/HOMELAND SECURITY/AEROSPACE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... The second SensorsGov show (December 6-8) aimed to help engineers and managers in all sectors of government-from military to health monitoring to transportation. But most of the discussion applied to non-government engineers, too. ...

ODVA expands CIP for sensor applications.(The Open DeviceNet Vendor Association is developing network using common industrial protocol)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... The international association ODVA is developing a network for simple sensors and actuators using the Common Industrial Protocol (CIP). ODVA has named this new activity Project CipNet SA. CIP Networks--including DeviceNet and EtherNet/IP-allow...

Smart shoe has hoop dreams.(athletic shoes from adidas-Salomon AG)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... The adidas 1 Basketball, Adidas's newest "intelligent shoe," works on the same principles as the adidas 1 Running shoe, but it's been uploaded with new software and changed physically for the sport. For instance, a magnetic sensor in the heel...

More capabilities in pressure sensors.(Venture Development Corp.'s study)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... Venture Development Corp.'s new study on pressure sensors reveals a trend among vendors to incorporate transmitters with output amplification. The study also found that an increasing number of devices offer multivariable output-usually...

More events.
January 1, 2006... The SP-100 meeting, January 24-26, 2006, Moffett Field, CA (Silicon Valley) will explore parameters needed for wireless sensor networking standards. Get details at www.isa.org and see more events listings at www.sensorsmag.com/events.

Time amazed by sensors.(magazine services)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... Sensors are evident in the innovations Time magazine chose for its November 21 cover story, called The Most Amazing Inventions of 2005. Among the featured inventions is plastic "thin skin," embedded with bendable, shock-resistant transistors...

Thought-Controlled Prosthetics.(IN THE NEWS)
January 1, 2006... Cyberkinetics' BrainGate, a system in development to provide thought-controllable computer operating for people with severe paralysis, was featured on NBC's Today Show on December 1. The segment featured Matthew Nagle, the first participant in...

In your work, how many different properties (e.g., temperature, pressure) do you detect or measure?(OUIOK POLL)
January 1, 2006... In your work, how many different properties (e.g., temperature, pressure) do you detect or measure? LESS THAN 5 32.7% BETWEEN 15 AND 24 14.7% BETWEEN 25 AND 49 0% 50 OR MORE 9.8% BETWEEN 5 AND 14 42.6% ...

Here's how spray cooling works.(for electronic equipment)
January 1, 2006... We all know that electronic devices get hot, and that spray cooling can calm them down. But just how does this technique work? Understanding the physics of spray cooling will be essential as work goes on to build ever-smaller electronic...

One weird state.(research on polycrystalline semiconductors)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... A polycrystalline material (Ni[Ga.sub.2][S.sub.4]) recently synthesized by Japanese researchers is believed to exhibit a "liquid" magnetic state at extremely low temperatures. Such a state is created when magnetic spins fluctuate in a...

RoHS--without whiskers and hillocks.(ADVANCING SENSOR TECHNOLOGY)(National Institute of Standards and Technology and International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative are investigating on Reduction of Hazardous Substances)
January 1, 2006... Environmental groups have lately been joined by the European Union in urging a ban on lead and certain other hazardous substances. One area the Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directives will immediately affect is electronic equipment,...

3D endoscopy reveals hidden lesions.(Genex Technologies Inc. won the contract of National Institutes of Health)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... Genex Technologies, Inc., a property of Technest Holdings, Inc., has received an SBIR contract from the National Institutes of Health to develop a new way of viewing the small intestine. Cringe factor aside, the research promises to...

Rotary position hall IC.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... A monolithic programmable Triaxis Hall IC, the MLX90316 from Melexis Microelectronic Integrated Systems, Concord, NH, is designed for absolute noncontacting 360[degrees] rotary position sensors. The device, which features Sentron's integrated...

Chemically resistant sensors.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... Banner Engineering Corp., Minneapolis, MN, has added chemically resistant models to its U-GAGE line of ultrasonic level sensors. The devices have a Teflon flange and film coating bonded over the transducer and are available in all QT50U and...

Handheld calibrator.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... The DPI 880 from GE Industrial, Sensing, Billerica, MA, measures and sources milliamps, millivolts, volts, ohms, frequency, thermocouples, RTDs, pulses, and pressure; captures switch values; and provides 24 V loop power, allowing you to test...

Hybrid ultrasonic flowmeter.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... The Fuji Electric Duosonics from TTI Instruments, Williston, VT, is a noninvasive, clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeter that automatically switches between Pulse Doppler and Transit Time technologies, depending on fluid conditions in the pipe. Pulse...

Trace gas measurement.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... The ESP-1000 from Picarro, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, uses cavity ring-down spectroscopy to perform ultrasensitive trace gas measurement. The high-resolution laser absorption technique results in ppb sensitivity levels without extensive sample...

Integrated motion sensor.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... The iSensor ADIS16201 from Analog Devices Inc., Norwood, MA, combines a [+ or -]1.7 g ADXL203 2-axis accelerometer, a digital temperature sensor, power management circuitry, and embedded firmware and is designed for industrial applications such...

Design, control, test software.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... LabVIEW 8 software from National Instruments, Austin, TX, now offers capabilities to let you design, distribute, and synchronize intelligent devices and systems; a new project-based environment for large-scale applications; and simplified...

Wireless sensor telemetry systems.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... Series 500 Wireless Link sensor telemetry systems from SRI PMD, Inc., Melbourne, FL, communicate over the 915 or 868 MHz ISM bands, providing real-time connectivity between sensors or transducers and instrumentation. The ST-540 transmitter and...

Modular data logging system.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... The HOBO FlexSmart logger from Onset Computer Corp., Bourne, MA, was designed in conjunction with Architectural Energy Corp., and uses snap-in signal conditioning modules to convert signals from almost any type of sensor. System measurements...

Wireless mesh network platform.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... Crossbow Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA, offers the MICAz OEM Edition wireless mesh networking module that lets OEMs develop enterprise-class wireless sensor systems. The U.S. postage-stamp-sized module includes a 2.4 GHz, IEEE...

Multithreat detection system.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... MSA Instrument Div., Pittsburgh, PA, offers the SAFESITE multithreat detection system designed to monitor, detect, and communicate the presence of up to six potential threats, including chemical warfare agents, gamma radiation, VOCs, toxic...

CMOS image sensor.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... The Dynastron ET8E99-AS 3.2 Megapixel CMOS color image sensor chip from Toshiba Electronic Components, Inc., San Jose, CA, has a 2.7 [micro]m pixel pitch, a 1/2.6 in. optical format, and incorporates an ADC. Features include low power...

PC/104 analog output board.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... The Model 104-DA12-8A from ACCES I/O Products, Inc., San Diego, CA, is a PC/104 board with a configurable arbitrary waveform generator (ARB) and 8 channels of 12-bit analog output with an independent DAC on each channel. The board also features...

16-bit, 80 Msps ADC.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... Maxim Integrated Products, Sunnyvale, CA, offers the MAX19586 ADC featuring 16-bit resolution, 80 Msps sampling, a -82 dBFS noise floor, 80 dB SNR, and 96 dBc spurious-free dynamic range. The ADC can also sample input frequencies beyond 170...

Temperature, humidity meter.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
January 1, 2006... The 971 from Fluke Corp., Everett, WA, is a rugged, pocket-sized test tool that measures temperature, dew point, or wet bulb, from -20[degrees]C to 60[degrees]C and RH from 5%-95%, [+ or -]2.5% RH. The device stores up to 99 data points and...

Temperature sensors: contact or noncontact? First, answer this question: can you touch the object or fluid of interest or not? Now you can begin looking for the temperature sensor that will serve your application best.
January 1, 2006... Temperature is the physical property most widely measured by sensing technology. There are many temperature sensors out there, but you don't want to choose a product based only on its measurement range and its price. The results will not be...

Universal signal conditioning for smart and multiple sensor systems: you don't have to do it all yourself. This signal conditioner is ready for applications where cost, size, power consumption, and time-to-market are the critical factors for product success.(INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS)
January 1, 2006... As the world becomes increasingly networked, digital, and mobile, there is a corresponding need for sensor signal-conditioning and signal-processing products that are smart, inexpensive, and easy to use, and that can reduce the development time...

Readers' choices revealed: at look back at the product crowd pleasers of 2005.
January 1, 2006... Each month, we track which product, originally covered in the e-newsletter, garnered the most reader interest. As you look at this collection of winners from 2005 you may note a couple of themes. First, you really like navigational sensor...

The next generation of color sensors: a new sensor's keen eye for subtle color variations helps line workers correct problems with nearly beige, almost silver, and sort of gray.
January 1, 2006... Color sensors have long been used on assembly lines to detect specific components. The challenge has been to detect subtle differences among similar or highly reflective colors. For example, metallic paint used in the automotive industry makes...

A smarter workout.(Connectivity Systems for Life Fitness)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... One of the biggest challenges facing gym owners is to keep their equipment operational and get optimal use out of it. Consider treadmills. According to Raj Rao, General Manager, Connectivity Systems for Life Fitness, a manufacturer of fitness...

Balancing barrels.(SNAPSHOTS FOR APPLICATION INSPIRATION)(California Polytechnic's Civil Engineering )(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... Imagine a lot of large barrels full of liquid, in racks, during an earthquake. You wouldn't necessarily want to be around, just in case those racks weakened or broke or the barrels rolled right off them. Unfortunately many California...

From a roar to a purr.(reducing car engine noise)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... One of the characteristics of luxury cars is how quiet it is within the passenger compartment. A smooth and quiet ride is an important part of the overall experience of the car. Vibration damping measurement for large diesel engines, as well as...

RoHS and sensors: what this means to you.(Reduction of Hazardous Substances)(Column)
January 1, 2006... Only a few months remain before the European Union's Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directives take effect. As of July 1, 2006, manufacturers will not be allowed to offer many types of new products on the EU market if they contain...

The many faces of integration.(Data integration)
January 1, 2006... Integration involves more than data. It encompasses a myriad of tools, systems, models, standards, and functions. But you can boil down this complex process into three distinct integration models: data consistency, application integration, and...

ZigBee-WiFi compatibility, and nodes at 500 m.
January 1, 2006... WiFi and ZigBee Compatibility Some people say WiFi and ZigBee can work side by side; others say they cannot. What's the truth? Signed, Matchmaker Wise Guy: Some technical details within the 802.11 (WiFi) and 802.15.4 (over which...

Society for experimental mechanics.(RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ODDMENTS)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... The Society for Experimental Mechanics maintains a series of downloadable articles on its Web site. The articles include titles devoted to strain gauges, dynamic strain measurement, automotive applications, modal analysis, and structural...

Weather underground.(National Weather Service)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... Sure, you could visit weather.com or Weather Underground or other sites to get your weather info, but why not go to the source, the National Weather Service? The site is extremely well laid out and has so much wonderful information! You can...

I think we've established that I (a.) love the web and (b.) have a lamentably twisted sense of humor.(Translation software)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... I think we've established that I (a.) love the Web and (b.) have a lamentably twisted sense of humor. Now, I have added a new arrow in my quiver of Web-based trivia skills: the ability to say "My God! I have an axe in my head!" in 112 languages...

Cullen Hightower.(RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ODDMENTS)
January 1, 2006... Saying what we think gives us a wider conversational range than saying what we know.

Foundations of Analog and Digital Electronic Circuits.(Book review)
January 1, 2006... Foundations of Analog and Digital Electronic Circuits Authors: Anant Agarwal and Jeffrey H. Lang Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, an imprint of Elsevier ISBN: 1-55860-735-8 Field-tested on MIT's sophomores in electrical...