Sensors Magazine articles from June 2003

Sensors Magazine archives from June 2003

Imposing change.(sensors; terminology)(Editorial)
June 1, 2003... Does the word "sensor" have a synonym? We as an industry seem determined to provide one. The "sensor vs. transducer" debate isn't dead yet, and here is a new debate elbowing its way in, asking whether probes are sensors, and vice versa....

GE Druck. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc.).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Until June 30, GE Druck (New Fairfield, CT,www.druck.com/usa/new.htm) will offer a $1000 trade-in allowance toward the purchase of a DPI 515 digital pressure controller/calibrator. The offer covers Druck DPI 500 and 510 products as well as...

MTS Sensors Corp. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc.).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... MTS Sensors Corp. (Cary,NC,www.mts.com), supplier and developer of magnetostrictive sensing technology, has been serving mobile hydraulics customers for years and is now dedicating new resources to it. Fred Emanie, the new Mobile Hydraulics...

NanoVia IP. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc.).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... With its NanoTag patented ballistic tagging technology slated as a key component, NanoVia IP (Londonderry,NH,www.nanovia.com) will assist California in writing its state ballistic identification legislation. NanoVia's micro-embossing technology...

COMSOL, Inc. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc.).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Barbara G. Goode COMSOL, Inc. (Burlington,MA,www.comsol.com), maker of FEMLAB, which solves systems of partial differential equations via the finite element method in 1D, 2D, and 3D, is offering a free FEMLAB introductory kit. The kit...

Gems Sensors Inc. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc).(Pressure Devices Inc.)(Danaher Corp. )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Gems Sensors Inc. (Plainville, CT, www.gemssensors.com) a Danaher Corp. business, has acquired Pressure Devices Inc. (West Union, SC, www.pressuredevices.thomasregister.com), manufacturer and distributor of industrial pressure switches. Gems...

MaxStream. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc.).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... For products and services related to the radio frequency (RF) device-to-device (d2d) market, MaxStream (Orem, UT, www.maxstream.net) proposes the acronym "RFd2d" and has founded the RFd2d Consortium (www.RFd2d.org). The nonprofit institution...

Danaher Controls. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc.).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Danaher Controls (Gurnee, IL, www.dancon.com) says it has released the first encoder to use BiSS (bidirectional sensor interface), a nonproprietary high-speed communications bus that is all-digital, includes a cyclic redundancy check, and...

Aromat Corp. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc.).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Aromat Corp. (New Providence, NJ, www.aromat.com/acsd) has added the entire line of Sunx Sensors to increase its sales in North America. The general-purpose Aromat-Sunx Sensors assist in applications involving fiber sensing, simple wiring...

MicroStrain. (Big Deals).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The U.S. Navy has contracted with MicroStrain (Burlington, VT, www.microstrain.com) to develop the next generation of energy harvesting for wireless sensing networks and to include improvements for shipboard health monitoring. Instead of using...

The World MEMS Fab. (Market Trends).(includes multiple articles)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The World MEMS Fab report by Yole Developpement (Lyon, France , www.yole.fr) provides technological and economical information on MEMS markets for more than 340 MEMS fabs, including start-ups in Eastern and Western Europe, Israel, North...

Customs gets AID from Pacific Northwest. (Research & Development).(Pacific Northwest Laboratory acoustic inspection device)
June 1, 2003... Here's the scene: U.S. Customs inspectors want to verify that a cargo of kegs coming into this country really do contain roofing tar. So what the inspectors do is haul a few of the kegs up to a second story and drop them to the ground. If it's...

Boom. (Research & Development).(Massa Products Corp.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Why would someone want to build lobster? Well, those ancient crustaceans do a pretty good jot of walking along the sea floor and searching out clams, starfish, sea urchins, marine worms, and other tasty snacks. Moreover, they have very...

Oxygen regulation keeps produce at peak. (APP Snaps).(Satlantic's Harvestwatch system)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Low oxygen levels can increase the storage life of produce. But too-low levels can encourage anaerobic volatile growth, with disastrous effect. How low can controlled atmosphere (CA) storage operators safely go? Satlantic's HarvestWatch system...

Capactive system has you covered. (APP Snaps).(ProSpor Fitness Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Pumping iron has often meant pumping athletes into hospital emergency rooms. Barbells, dumbbells, weight benches, and smith machines are effective for free-weight training but responsible for tens of thousands of accidental injuries each year...

Feeling digital? (APP Snaps).(Immersion Corp. VirtualHand For V5 )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Designers working in Catia version 5 CAD software (Dassault Systemes) can now use their hands to manipulate and feel their virtual 3D models. Really! With VirtualHand For V5 by Immersion Corp., together with an Immersion CyberGlove, designers...

Meet the ZigBee standard: many in the industry are calling for a wireless networking standard that can deliver device-level communications for sensing, data acquisition, and control applications. Will the ZigBee standard make this a reality?
June 1, 2003... The new ZigBee protocol provides an open standard for low-power wireless networking of monitoring and control devices. Working with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard--which focuses on low-rate personal area networking and defines the lower protocol...

Machine condition monitoring, Part 2: using order analysis for condition monitoring.(Gabor expansion)
June 1, 2003... Modern condition monitoring systems require state-of-the-art vibration acquisition as well as powerful analysis capability. In Part 2 of this two-part series, we take a closer look at one of the popular analysis techniques for advanced machine...

Calibrating weight sensors using a dead-weight test stand. (Sensor Technology and Design).
June 1, 2003... Clever electronics can maintain your force sensor's calibration but they're wasted if the sensor isn't properly calibrated in the first place. Here are some practical tips and techniques for using a dead-weight test stand properly. ...

Genetic analysis leaves the lab: wider access to the enormous amount of information contained in DNA and RNA molecules will revolutionize drug discovery, disease diagnostics and control, and medical treatment. (Sensor Technology and Design).
June 1, 2003... One of the most important scientific milestones of recent years has been the sequencing of the human genome. A preliminary report on this project issued in June of 2000 declared that 97% had been decoded; in April 2003, two years ahead of...

Making a space heater smart: OEMs can buy a module, build a circuit, and send a greatly enhanced product out the door.(infrared thermostats)
June 1, 2003... The concept of zone heating is not new, nor is it high tech. In the colder parts of rural Japan, families spend many of their at-home winter hours around a firepit in the center of the main room. In northern New England, even today, some...

NASA builds nanotubes. (Research & Developments).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... NASA Langley researchers have figured out a new way to achieve controlled deposition and alignment of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) onto metallic electrodes, Structural materials incorporating these tiny tubes are already proving...

Microcantilever technology scores again. (Research & Developments).(Sarnoff Corp. and Sarcon Microsystems Inc. collaborate on MEMS-based 320 by 240 pixel uncooled IR detector engine)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Samoff and Sarcon have collaborated and brought forth what is described as the world's first working prototype of a MEMS-based 320 by 240 pixel uncooled IR detector engine. The new engine captures images with an array of heat-sensitive...

Can the big guys run? (Research & Developments).(Stanford University researches elephant gaits)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Elephants are the only mammals that can't jump, and it's probably just as well. But can they he said to truly run? They certainly can hotfoot it. Their ambling speed is 4.5 mph, and when they have occasion to hurry they can .book it at 15 mph...

High-range current sensor. (Product News).(from Airotronics)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The HCS Series current sensor from Airotronics, Gazenovia, NY, is a GO/NOGO device that measures currents from 8-60 AAC and provides a 1 A solid-state 3-50 VDC output for direct interface to a PLC or control relays. Toroidal sensing isolates...

Remote monitoring via the Internet. (Product News).(from Communications Test Instruments)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Compatible with a wide range of sensors, Use HyperConnects Monitor from Communications Test Instruments (CTI), Kennebunk, ME, provides remote sensing via the Internet for electrical or electronic devices and electrical, mechanical, or...

Configurable ultrasonic sensor. (Product News).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The Superprox SC300 from Hyde Pack Electronics, Inc., Dayton, OH, is a field-configurable 12 mm ultrasonic proximity sensor with an extended sensing range of 102 mm. Using the AC441 configurator and the sensor's Windows-based software, you can...

Laser thickness sensors. (Product News).(from LAP Laser L.L.C.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Antaris laser sensors from LAP Laser, LLC, Cincinnati, OH, measure the thickness of diffused-reflection materials as well as high-contrast colors and surfaces and offer a measuring range of up to 18 ft. and resolution up to 60,000 steps....

Ethernet switch. (Product News).(from Contemporary Control Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Suited for use in hostile applications with temperatures ranging from -40[degrees]C to 75[degrees]C, the EISX9-100T from Contemporary Controls, Downers Grove, IL, segments an Ethernet LAN into 9 collision domains, acting as a bridge between...

Subminiature load cell. (Product News).(from Omega Engineering Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... LCKD Series compression load cells from Omega Engineering, Inc., Stamford, CT, measure load ranges from 1 kg to 1000 lb. and have SS construction. Temperature compensation is provided by a miniature circuit board included in the load cell's...

Flexible surface sensor. (Product News).
June 1, 2003... RdF Corp., Hudson, NH, offers a flexible high-temperature surface sensor, Part Number 29366, that is rated for continuous service at 348[degrees]C. Features include all-polyamide construction for high dielectric strength, low-profile lamination...

Long-range 3D scanner. (Product News).
June 1, 2003... Offering 3600 horizontal and 900 vertical scanning angles and incorporating both long-range and high-accuracy systems, the LMS-Z360 from Riegl USA, Orlando, FL, captures 3D surface geometry of complex structures, scanning at 6000-18,000...

Steering column load cell. (Product News).
June 1, 2003... Designed to measure 1 force and 2 moments in the steering column during a crash test, the Model 5768 from Robert A. Denton, Inc., Rochester Hills, MI, is a 3-channel device wired per SAE J211 sign convention specifications. Measurements are...

Tiny displacement probe. (Product News).
June 1, 2003... For applications that have very little room for gauge heads, the 3 mm dia., noncontact capacitance displacement probe from Lion Precision, St. Paul, MN, has ranges from 100-300, 100-200, and 75-100 [micro]m, with respective noise of 73, 30, and...

Cylinder position sensor. (Product News).
June 1, 2003... MTS Sensors Corp., Cary, NC, offers the MR magnetostrictive position sensor for use inside mobile hydraulic cylinders in on- and off-highway machinery. The rugged noncontact sensors have a measuring range of 50-1000 mm with 0.005% accuracy;...

RGB color sensor. (Product News).
June 1, 2003... The TCS230 programmable color light-to-frequency converter from Texas Advanced Optoclectronics Solutions, Inc. (TAOS), Piano, TX, is an integrated RCB sensor with a digital-compatible interface suited for colorimeter applications, such as color...

Water analysis test kits. (Product News).
June 1, 2003... Thermo Orion, a Thermo Electron business, Beverly, MA, offers AQUAfast water analysis kits for wastewater and environmental measurements. The kits contain the AQUAfast AQ4000 colorimeter, the company's portable meters, electrodes, and reagents...

Ultrasonic wind sensor. (Product News).
June 1, 2003... Featuring a zero starting threshold and a measurement range to >140 mph, the WS425 from Vaisala Inc., Woburn, MA, uses 3 ultrasonic beads to eliminate the effect of turbulence and provides measurements fully compensated for the effects of...

Cold-end seals for RTDs. (Product News).(Watlow Electric Manufacturing Co.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Watlow Electric Mfg. Co, St. Louis, MO, introduces Enviroseal cold-end seals designed to block oil and other contaminants from infiltrating RTDs. Suited for demanding applications that require greater protection than standard cold-end epoxy...

Digital Output Pressure sensors. (Product News).
June 1, 2003... Digital Output Pressure Series sensors from All Sensors Corp., San Jose, CA, are small PCB-mountable devices with 2 pressure ports and a 12-bit, SPI- and Microwire/Plus-compatible digital serial output. Pressure ranges are available from 5 in....

Power, signal integrity software. (Product News).
June 1, 2003... SIwave v1.1 from Ansoft Corp., Pittsburgh, PA, is simulation software for advanced modeling of leading-edge IC packages and PCBs. You can simulate higls-speed devices using your own driver/receiver models, as well as model voltage potential...

Exhaust pressure sensor. (Product News).
June 1, 2003... Kavlico Corp., a Solectron co., Moorpark, CA, offers a rugged SS, ceramic capacitive pressure sensor that withstands high temperatures and pressure pulses and tolerates high-soot and acid-rich media found in engine exhaust. Available in a...

Surface-mount microphone. (Product News).
June 1, 2003... A low-profile MEMS microphone, the SiSonic from Emkay Innovative Products, a div. of Kuosyles Electronics, Itasca, IL, is suited for medium- to high-volume applications, sueh as mobile phones, PDAs, digital cameras, and MP3 players. Featuring...

Signal conditioner. (Product News).
June 1, 2003... Eurotherm, Action Instruments, San Diego, CA, offers its Action Pak Model AP4003-000l, a socket-mount, field-configurable device that accepts a potentiometer input and provides a selectable DC output. Powered by 120 or 240 VAC, the isolating...

Handheld Oscilloscope, DMM. (Product News).
June 1, 2003... The 124 ScopeMeter from Fluke Corp., Everett, WA, is a dual-channel oscilloscope that also provides dual-channel, 5000-count teue-rms multimeter functionality and paperless data recorder capability, letting you detect signal anomalies,...

Machine vision appliance. (Product News).
June 1, 2003... A prepackaged machine vision system for checking the placement and quality of labels on packaged goods, iLabel from ipd, Intelligent Products Div., Coreco Imaging, Inc., Billerica, MA, can inspect 300 labels/min., ranging in size from 2.5 cm to...

Handheld thermal imager. (Product News).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Similar in size and appearance to a small digital camera, the IRI 1011 from InfraRed Integrated Systems Ltd. (IRISYS), Towcester, UK, incorporates complete optical imaging and microprocessor systems, laser aiming, and one-hand control. Its...

Hermetic pressure transducer. (Product News).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Texas Instruments Sensors & Controls (TI S&C), Attleboro, MA, offers its 3PP8 Series silicon MEMS attain gauge sensor designed for applications that require proven reliability at pressures from 500-40,000 psig. Suited for [CO.sub.2] refrigerant...

Solids level sensor. (Product News).(from Monitor Technologies LLC, Elburn, IL)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... For point level measurement in powder and bulk solids applications, the VibraRod vibrating rod sensor from Monitor Technologies LLC, Elburn, IL, requires no calibration and is offered in standard length, cable extension, or pipe extension...

Monitoring Unit. (Product News).(from MKS Control & Information Technology Products)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The Remote Monitor Unit (RMU) from MKS Control & Information Technology Products, Andover, MA, incorporates a secure Web server, communications gateway, and DA/monitor into a single device, connecting control systems to Ethernet-based networks...

Embedded communications. (Product News).(from Xecom, Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Xecom, Inc., Milpitas, CA, offers an RF-based communication system consisting of its XE 900 smart transceiver and its XE 924 base access point Together, these elements let you link up to 8 remote microcontroller-based systems to a central data...

TestQuote. (Web Picks).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... If you're in the market for test and measurement equipment and your heart is sinking at the thought of the impending research process, cheer up. Point your browser at TestQuote's site, and you'll be able to submit free test equipment quote...

Nutrition. (Web Picks).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Trying to get in shape to take advantage of the warm weather? Looking for dietary guidelines? Take a look at Nutrition.gov, a site that gives you access to all of the online federal government information on nutrition. That includes accurate...

Jane. (Web Picks).
June 1, 2003... Another excellent source of information is provided by Jane's, that respected chronicler of military, aerospace, and transportation technology. To read the full text of the original articles, you need to be a subscriber; as a nonsubscriber,...

Quick poll.
June 1, 2003... Quick Poll www.sensorsmag.com What format do you prefer for a user manual? 53.3% Prefer a printed manual that I can keep near the installed item. 46.6% Prefer a CD-based manual that I can copy to a...