Sensors Magazine articles from June 2004

Sensors Magazine archives from June 2004

A sure thing for homeland security.(wireless sensors for transport security)
June 1, 2004... According to the European Transport Forum (ETF), $12.5 trillion of merchandise is traded worldwide each year, using more than 200 million intermodal containers. Ninety percent of these shipments are between seaports--and about 2% are inspected....

Sensors add value to supply chain.(Business Sense)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... While pricier than barcode labels, sensors deliver far more data--and are increasingly seen as key to supply chain operations. For instance, Visible Inventory, Inc. (Salem, NH, www.visibleinventory.com), now offers a family of sensor-based...

Calendar.(meetings of interest to the sensor community)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
June 1, 2004... System Engineering for Project Managers Short Course July 7-9, Los Angeles, CA www.uclaextension.edu/shortcourses Toxic Industrial Chemical Symposium July 20-22, Richmond, VA www.ticsandtims.com Intl. Symposium on...

Speeding MEMS design and production.(Business Sense)
June 1, 2004... According to Sandeep Akkaraju, CEO of IntelliSense (Woburn, MA, www.intellisense.com), the process technology behind piezofilms has matured but modeling tools have lagged. The company feels its new piezoMEMS modeling tools will enable...

Where's the wireless?(Business Sense)
June 1, 2004... Surely there's wireless news, no? Of course! Check out Sensors' Wireless for Industry supplement (sponsored by WINA, the Wireless Industrial Networking Alliance) at www.sensorsmag.com/wireless.

Specific support for tool and die.(Turck introduces sensors for metal-forming industry)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Supporting the notion that the metal-stamping industry is ripe for sensor adoption (see the article contributed by U.S. Automation, "Photoelectric Sensors: The Untapped Advantage for Tool and Die Stamping,"...

Automotive drivers.(automotive sensor use expected to increase)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... A new report from the Freedonia Group (Cleveland, OH, www.freedoniagroup.com) says that while automotive sensor demand has experienced only moderate growth over the past five years, it is expected to accelerate rapidly over the next five....

Free technical help.(Business Sense)(Tangidyne Corp)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Did you know that the NASA-funded Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP, www.spacetechsolutions.com) provides small businesses with free technical assistance? Various organizations, including the U.S. Space Program, aerospace...

Bus protocols open wider.(Schneider Electric transferred its copyright in the Modbus protocol to Modbus-IDA )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Schneider Electric (www.schneider-electric.com) transferred its copyright in the Modbus protocol to Modbus-IDA (www.modbus-ida.org), a nonprofit organization formed in 2002 to advance industrial communications. Modbus was originally developed...

Quantum tunneling: from lab to shop to space.(Research & Developments)
June 1, 2004... We had never heard of anything like quantum tunneling composite (QTC) pills, and are in a hurry to bring this strange new technology to your attention. A quick review of quantum tunneling will be very helpful here. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Short takes.(Research & Developments)
June 1, 2004... There's an alarming new ad on TV in which the driver of a van of some sort squeezes into a curbside parking space by oil-canning the bumpers of two vehicles already parked in front and behind the open spot. Next shot: Outfitted with proximity...

Samarium-cobalt magnets will undergo space-conditions testing.(Research & Developments)(Electron Energy Corp.)
June 1, 2004... NASA has awarded Electron Energy Corp. (EEC) a one-year, $94,400 Small Business Technology Transfer Research contract to study the effects of the high temperatures and radiation of space on the physical and magnetic properties of...

Spotting oil slicks.(AppSnaps)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Oil spills are, alas, frequent occurrences. But early detection and response can prevent the kind of oil-drenched wildlife and major environmental impact caused by a major spill. InterOcean Systems has created a maintenance-free oil spill...

Too hot, too cold?(AppSnaps)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Condensers and evaporators are clever pieces of engineering but, to make sure they're working efficiently, you need to be able to monitor the temperature of the refrigerant as it flows through the heat-exchanger coils. Clamping a temperature...

It's green! Now it's black!(AppSnaps)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... So what do you do when you want to study the ability of a snake to change color? And the snake in question is an Australian Copperhead? And it's one of the most venomous snakes in the world? (No, you don't run away screaming.) If you're Dr. Ted...

The realities of dealing with wireless mesh networks: mesh networking has great promise, but you need to understand the subtleties involved to effectively use a mesh network to meet your goals.(Intelligent Systems)
June 1, 2004... Mesh networking is the hot new thing, whether it's of the wired or wireless type. Mesh-networked wireless sensor systems promise an easy way to deploy nodes in various physical environments, and while this topology does offer operational...

A novel force transducer and load cell design: using "leaky" electromagnetic waves; A new technology lets you create high-performance load cells from virtually any material.(Sensor Technology and Design)
June 1, 2004... Force transducers, which include load cells, accelerometers, and pressure sensors, have been designed, manufactured, and commercialized using tried-and-true methods for more than 50 years. Even with the advent of newer materials, electronics,...

Here for you.(Editorial)
June 1, 2004... Industry leaders such as Ford Motor Co. and ExxonMobil have already adopted wireless sensor networks to add value to their operations and solve problems. These two companies are willing to discuss how this technology helps them (see the stories...

Traveling training.(training course "Wireless Overview: Machine-to-Machine Applications" )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... A new one-day training course, "Wireless Overview: Machine-to-Machine Applications," targets management, marketing, and technical personnel interested in deploying wireless networking systems. The session is delivered at customer sites and is...

Collaborations.(Signals)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Ember Corp. is collaborating with Honeywell's Automation and Control Solutions (ACS) on a $10 million cost-share project co-funded by the Department of Energy to pursue development of energy-saving wireless networking applications for federally...

Energy news.(DARPA contract to Konarka Technologies for hybrid photovoltaic research)
June 1, 2004... A Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contract for more than $6 million has gone to Konarka Technologies, Inc. (www.konarka.com), developer of products that convert light to energy. With the contract, Konarka will lead a...

More R & D.(Signals)
June 1, 2004... "Although networking machines can be wired or wireless, the cost, reliability, and security improvements in wireless technology are driving tremendous interest and growth in the government, industrial, and commercial sectors." Wayne...

Companies and products.(Signals)
June 1, 2004... "The potential size of these new wireless markets totally dwarfs anything we have seen so far with early consumer wireless standards." Kirsten West, West Technology Research Solutions Crossbow Technology, Inc. (www.xbow.com) says that...

This changes everything: market observers quantify the rapid escalation of wireless sensing and explain its effects.
June 1, 2004... The Next Big Thing. The Pervasive Internet. Ubiquitous Computing. M2M. All these labels describe--in whole or in part--wireless sensor networks. (For definitions, see the sidebar "What Is It?") "Sensors will be to this decade what...

Why wireless?(wireless technology in the industrial sector)
June 1, 2004... ISM frequencies, 802.11a/b/g, UWB, 1451.x, ZigBee, 802.15.4, cellular telephones, cyber security, spread spectrum, "Can you hear me now?" Messages about wireless communications are often contradictory but are delivered by knowledgeable and...

A universal wireless remote controller for an automotive system: working together, a customer and an engineer discovered a way to reduce component count, shrink package size, and save money, too.(Case Study)(Melexis Inc.)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... A Melexis customer had attempted to implement a universal radio-frequency remote control system in passenger cars. The system as initially designed required multiple transmitters and receivers to accommodate a broad frequency range of dedicated...

Wireless temperature monitoring saves downtime.(Case Study)(GE Infrastructure Sensing )(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Downtime is, at best, expensive and, at worst, a disaster: An unscheduled, 15-minute shutdown caused by overheated equipment cost one semiconductor fabricator $2.5 million. To avoid future outages, that manufacturer and other facilities opted...

The future of presence sensing.(Case Study)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Wireless technology will be among the coming advancements in the arena of presence sensing. Through wireless communications, programming of "smart sensors" will be made easier. Totally wireless sensors will also allow reduction of installation...

Noncontact programmable measurement system.(Case Study)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Lebow's TMS 9000 represents an exciting advancement in wireless telemetry measurement technology. The TMS 9000 integrates the sensor rotor and telemetry into one unit, sending data to the signal processing module (SPM) wirelessly or through...

Lithium batteries power wireless sensors.(Case Study)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... American Millenium Corp. (AMCi) recently introduced a new generation of GPS/GEO satellite-based wireless equipment-monitoring (SatAlarm-Sentry) and mobile asset-tracking (SatAlarm-VisTrac) devices powered by an innovative hybrid lithium battery...

The case for advanced wireless security systems: make your data hackproof with AES and dynamic key technology.(Case Study)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Wireless sensor and control signal transmission has become technically and economically attractive. With cabling costs at $100+/ft., wireless signaling provides an economical alternative well within the factory floor geometry. However, concern...

Resources.(for the sensor and wireless communications community)
June 1, 2004... The Wireless Industrial Networking Alliance (WINA) A coalition of companies, industry organizations, technology suppliers, software developers, system integrators, and others interested in the advancement of wireless solutions for industry....

Blade-tip monitoring with through-the-case eddy current sensors: a new eddy current sensor can monitor turbine blade-tip timing and clearance through the housing, in the presence of contaminants, and at temperatures up to 1000[degrees]F. Augmented with a nonintrusive stress measurement system, the sensor can detect both synchronous and asynchronous vibrations as well as the onset of blade fatigue.(Intelligent Systems)
June 1, 2004... Blade-tip sensors are widely used to monitor the behavior of bladed disks in rocket engine turbo pumps, gas turbine engines, and steam turbines. They can also diagnose problems and help predict how much more service life to expect from the...

Verifying sensor response to difficult chemicals with a new test chamber concept: chemicals with low volatility tend to present special problems when it comes to calibrating and verifying sensors that will be used to detect them. The challenge goes up a notch or two if the sensors must be tested under real-world conditions. But it can be done.(Sensor Technology and Design)(Cover Story)
June 1, 2004... Some chemical compounds are so difficult to measure that it is nearly impossible to evaluate and calibrate the sensors designed to detect them. These tricky substances include less- or semivolatile compounds found in pesticides and herbicides,...

Flexible force sensors--in touch with modern technology: thin, flexible, resistive force sensors are proving themselves in manufacturing, virtual reality, medical, and haptics research applications.(Sensor Technology And Design)
June 1, 2004... Our increasing reliance on computers and other electronic devices has opened up a new field of investigation: man-machine interfaces. The chief goals of this discipline are to simplify the interface and to create novel methods of communicating...

Don't overlook UV sensing: ultraviolet fluorescence sensors can solve many assembly and inspection problems simply and inexpensively.(Putting Sensors to Work)(Directory)
June 1, 2004... Industrial assembly and inspection operations benefit from several light-based sensing technologies. Noncontact photoelectric sensors detect product presence/absence at distances from millimeters to meters. Color sensors are essential to...

Temperature Viewer.(ThermaViewer from Two Dimensional Instruments )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The ThermaViewer from Two Dimensional Instruments (2DI), LLC, Crestwood, KY, samples, stores, and displays temperature from 2 channels and can store and display >40,000 samples/sensor in nonvolatile memory. The device uses digital, thermistor,...

Mesh networking.(from AeroComm)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... AeroComm Inc., Lenexa, KS, offers MeshRF peer-to-peer decentralized mesh topology embedded into its 900 MHz RF transceivers. MeshRF lets a wireless LAN system forward traffic between transceiver nodes without the need for a master transceiver....

Handheld spectrum analyzer.( Model 425A from Bantam Instruments)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Model 425A from Bantam Instruments, Sunnyvale, CA, is a wireless LAN (WLAN) spectrum analyzer. The unit covers discrete frequency ranges 1.8-2.9 GHz and 5.0-6.0 GHz with preset frequency bands for coverage of the 2.4-2.5 GHz ISM band as...

Narrow frequency band sensor.(Model PC420VP-10-B3041 from Wilcoxon Research)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Wilcoxon Research, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD, offers the Model PC420VP-10-B3041, a narrow frequency band addition to its 4-20 mA loop-powered sensor series. The sensor trends frequencies between 3 Hz (180 cpm) and 40 Hz (2400 cpm), allowing you to...

Miniature optical encoders.(920 Series from BEI Duncan Electronics)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... BEI Duncan Electronies, Tustin, CA, offers its 920 Series of compact optical incremental encoders that are based on its Opto-ASIC technology and feature an integral 5-pin mating connector compatible with both Amphenol and Molex standard...

Laser level transmitters.(SureShot transmitters from K-TEK)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... SureShot transmitters from K-TEK LLC, Prairieville, LA, are designed for level measurement and positioning applications involving pellets, slurries, and opaque liquids in bins and silos. Measurement range is 1-50 ft. for the SureShot 50 and...

Motor driver/controller.( AS8444 from Austriamicrosystems USA)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Austriamicrosystems USA, Inc., Raleigh, NC, offers the AS8444, a PWM DC motor driver/controller IC for electric motors from 200-700 W that features low RF emissions over its entire frequency range. The unit is designed to interface with a...

Thermocouple instrument.(S16TC from GEC Instruments)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... GEC Instruments, Gainesville, FL, offers the S16TC thermocouple-based temperature data logging system that connects to a PC via a serial port and is supplied with 16 Type T miniature female thermocouple input connectors. The unit features...

Analog front end.(Burt-Brown ADS7869 from Texas Instruments )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Burt-Brown ADS7869 from Texas Instruments Inc., Tucson, AZ, is a complete analog front end designed for motor control applications, and it integrates three 12-bit, I Msps ADCs, including 7 sample-and-hold circuits and 12 fully differential...

Small, rugged DA system.(Mars Labs EBRT DA system)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Mars Labs EBRT DA system, distributed in the U.S. by Bruel & Kjaer North America Inc., Norcross, GA, is a small, lightweight, low-power unit with 32 multifunction input channels, VBI and GPS interfaces, audio I/O channels, and analog...

OEM flow sensors.(180 Series OEM thermal dispersion flow sensors from Fluid Components )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The 180 Series OEM thermal dispersion flow sensors from Fluid Components Intl. LLC, San Marcos, CA, work with air, gases, or liquids in equipment or machinery. They support line sizes from 0.25-6 in., have no moving parts, feature a minimally...

Gear-tooth sensor.(1.5P Series from Honeywell Sensing and Control)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The 1.5P Series from Honeywell Sensing and Control, Freeport, IL, is designed for automotive OEMs and is a Hall effect gear-tooth sensor that detects the movement of ferrous metal targets. The sensor operates from a 4.5-24 VDC supply and...

Optical emitter/phototransistor.(OPB100 from TT Electronics OPTEK Technology)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... TT Electronics OPTEK Technology, Carrollton, TX, offers the OPB100 standard optical emitter/phototransistor pair with DC drive current and variable distance sensing up to 1 m. The 890 nm input diode features forward DC current of 100 mA, 1...

Self-calibrating level sensor.(Multi-Sensor II from Paedia )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Multi-Sensor II from Paedia LLC, San Francisco, CA, concurrently monitors fluid levels and electrical properties, providing continuous level readings over the length of its sensing section. Configurable as a 1-piece probe with built-in...

Big beam sensor.(Product News)
June 1, 2004... The BBS from LMI Technologies (USA), Inc., Southfield, MI, uses a shadow beam technique to measure width and height of solid and opaque targets in various industries. The BBS uses a modulated laser source to backlight an object being measured;...

Open-path spectrometer system.(from Optra)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... OPTRA, Inc., Topsfield, MA, offers its open-path Fourier transform IR (OP-FTIR) spectrometer system for quantifying volatile organic compounds in industrial settings. This includes an encoder-based reference system with an uncooled pyroelectric...

Inertial sensor unit.( BP3010-E OEM from Eagle Technology)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Eagle Technology, Cape Town, South Africa, offers the BP3010-E OEM inertial sensor unit for general-purpose motion sensing, aided navigation, and low-cost attitude reference systems. The unit contains 3 orthogonally arranged [+ or...

Web picks.(of interest to the sensor industry)
June 1, 2004... Jim Turley is the editor and principal analyst for Jim Turley's Silicon Insider, an independent newsletter about microprocessors that's aimed at investors and developers. Come here for business news, technology reviews, and opinion. Oh, and...