Sensors Magazine articles from June 2006

Sensors Magazine archives from June 2006

A grander challenge.(goode sense)
June 1, 2006... Now that the Grand Challenge autonomous vehicle race has been won, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is raising the bar. Last month DARPA announced plans to hold a new competition (www.darpa.mil/grandchallenge) on November...

With honors: innovators recognized for product and service achievements.(Celestron International's SkyScout, Savi Technology and Aeris.net honored)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The Consumer Electronics Association has named Celestron's SkyScout the "Best of Innovations" in the personal electronics category. The handheld device instantly identifies and/or locates more than 6000 celestial objects viewable to the naked...

Threat detection and communication.(HOMELAND SECURITY)
June 1, 2006... Unprecedented biochem sensing, discreet concealed weapons detection, and impervious communications are new developments for homeland security applications. "Sionex has developed a revolutionary biological and chemical sensing platform that...

Contracts improve maintenance, sight, and security.(MILITARY/AEROSPACE)
June 1, 2006... The Land Forces Group, Acquisition Div., of MTC Technologies has won task orders to help U.S. Marine Corps engineers and managers integrate sensors on light armored vehicles to collect real-time data that will streamline maintenance....

Progress pushes packaging.(WHOLESALE/RETAIL)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... A new report from NanoMarkets LC, "Smart Packaging Markets: 2006-2013" says that smart packaging can make a major contribution to combating counterfeiting, especially in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical sectors. And, a broad range of...

Walk this way.(street crosswalks with sensors)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Scotland's Scotsman reports that street crosswalks in Edinburgh have been fitted with sensors able to cancel requests for pedestrian crossing lights in cases where the walker has moved on. The intersections sport IR cameras, too, to allow more...

NJ newspaper busts ghost.(Infrared Radiation sensors)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... New Jersey's Asbury Park Press reports that the ghost of Bruno Hauptmann, convicted of kidnapping and killing the toddler son of Charles Lindbergh, is rumored to be turning on lights at the Hunterdon County Courthouse, where he was tried in...

What is your engineering specialty?(QUICK POLL)
June 1, 2006... What is your engineering specialty? Electrical Engineering 33% Computer Science 18% Mechanical Engineering 14% I'm not an engineer 10% Systems Engineering 9% Something else 8% Industrial Engineering...

Calendar.(Calendar)
June 1, 2006... Get an updated list of sensor-relevant industry events: www.sensorsmag.com/events

Analog input module.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2006... The USB-1408FS from Measurement Computing Corp., Middleboro, MA, provides 8 single-ended or 4 differential analog inputs, 14-bit resolution in differential mode (13-bit single-ended), and 8 software-selectable input ranges. Sample rates are up...

22-bit [DELTA][SIGMA] ADC.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2006... The MCP3550 from Microchip Technology Inc., Chandler, AZ, is a 22-bit [DELTA][SIGMA] ADC available in an 8-pin MSOP package. Features include 120 [micro]A typ. current draw, noise rejection >120 dB in either the 50 or 60 Hz line frequencies, [+...

Sonar range finder.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2006... The MaxSonar-EZ1 from Maxbotix, Tucson, AZ, is a sonar range finder capable of detecting objects from 6 in. to 254 in. with 1 in. resolution. Objects from 0-6 in. will read as 6 in. The device features continuously variable gain for beam...

MEMS accelerometers.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2006... Freescale Semiconductor, Austin, TX, offers the MMA6270Q (XY axis), MMA6280Q (XZ axis), and MMA7261Q (XYZ axes) accelerometers with selectable sensitivities. The devices consume 500 [micro]A (3 [micro]A in sleep mode) and offer 2.2-3.6 V...

USB DA module.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2006... USB-DAQ-Box MF16080 Series portable USB DA modules from Hacker-DatenTechnik, Bad Breisig, Germany, offer 16 analog inputs, 8 analog outputs, and 10 digital I/O in a small and durable aluminum enclosure. Input voltage ranges are from 4-24 V max....

Portable diagnostic unit.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2006... The HMG 3000 from HYDAC USA, Bethlehem, PA, is a handheld portable unit for measuring jobs in hydraulic and pneumatic systems during commissioning, service, maintenance, troubleshooting, or in test labs. The device can record up to 10 sensor...

ZigBee-based modem module.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2006... Panasonic Industrial Europe GmbH, European Technology Center, Leuneburg, Germany, offers the PAN4570 low-power transceiver designed to embed ZigBee-based wireless mesh networking capabilities into products. The device uses Ember's EM250...

Wireless sensor software.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2006... Tendril Inc., Boulder, CO, offers its Tendril Service Broker v1.0 on the EmberZNet 2.0 ZigBee-compliant network stack, allowing you to manage wireless sensor and control networks. The software allows you to integrate different types of...

GPS module.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2006... The LEA-4T from u-blox AG, Thalwil, Switzerland, is a high-performance, low-power, precision timing GPS receiver capable of a compensated time-pulse accuracy of 15 ns. In Time Mode, the GPS receiver assumes a stationary position, enabling GPS...

Water quality analyzer.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2006... The WaterPOINT 870 from Seniscore, Ann Arbor, MI, uses a lab-on-chip system to measure 14 water quality parameters on a single test sample in 4 min. The device tests for free and total chlorine, mono-chloramine, pH, conductivity, total...

Light-to-digital converters.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2006... TSL2562 and TSL2563 light-to-digital converters from Texas Advanced Optoelectronic Solutions (TAOS) Inc., Plano, TX, combine a visible light-blocking photodiode with a broadband photodiode on a single CMOS IC, allowing the device to measure...

Radiation detectors.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2006... RAE Systems Inc., San Jose, CA, offers the NeutronRAE II personal, combined gamma and neutron radiation detector that is certified as intrinsically safe. The device, designed for first responders, detects radiation at extremely low levels and...

Candlestick sensor.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2006... The MS 1000-CS-WC candlestick-design sensor from Advanced Thermal Solutions Inc., Norwood, MA, measures both temperature and air velocity for characterizing thermal conditions in electronic systems. Sensors are calibrated for low- (natural...

Slim accelerometer.(HANDY NEW PRODUCTS)
June 1, 2006... STMicroelectronics, Geneva, Switzerland, offers the LIS3LV02DL thin-profile 3-axis digital-output accelerometer with an SPI/[I.sup.2]C digital interface. The MEMS-based sensor can measure both tilt and acceleration along all 3 axes and has both...

Silicon-based laser.(Structured Materials Industries Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Structured Materials Industries Inc. (SMI) has received an Air Force Phase I STTR grant to develop a silicon-based laser. Most electro-optic devices are made of InP and LiNb[O.sub.3] and consist of many discrete components coupled together....

Who goes there?(BlackHawk system checks building security)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... These jumpy times call for ever more building security, and that includes access through revolving doors. The ceiling-mounted BlackHawk system uses active IR and triangulation distance measuring to detect unauthorized entry or exit in a door...

Nano cancer fighters.(SHORT TAKES)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Nanoscale materials and devices have yet to make their formal debut into the real-world marketplace, but the biomedical segment is beginning to show a great deal of interest (http://tinyurl.com/r5pt4). A recent conference attracted...

F-O probes as diagnostic tools.(fibre optics for cancer treatment)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Some 80% of all cancers begin in the epithelium, the cells that line body surfaces including the skin, lungs, and digestive and reproductive tracts. Researchers at Duke's Pratt School of Engineering have demonstrated the use of angle-resolved...

Bluetooth to the rescue.(University College London)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Scientists at the University College London are developing a portable brain scanner that could diagnose brain bleeds, clots, and other causes of stroke early on and relay the information via Bluetooth from an ambulance to a medical facility so...

"Combing" gases optically.(optical comb)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... JILA physicists have designed and demonstrated an "optical comb" capable of performing real-time analysis of the quantity, structure, and dynamics of a variety of atoms and molecules simultaneously, even in minuscule gas samples. The technology...

Tin whiskers--still with us.(SHORT TAKES)
June 1, 2006... Just as we were beginning to think lead-free solder was making serious headway into the electronics industry (http://tinyurl.com/qbyxk), along comes a report from the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative arguing that tin whiskers...

Debugging ZigBee applications: traditional debugging techniques can't handle the inherent complexity of wireless sensor networks. New tools are evolving to address these unique challenges.(INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS)(Cover story)
June 1, 2006... Combining low-cost, spread-spectrum radios with multihop networking, ZigBee addresses a broad set of embedded network applications for home automation, building controls, medical monitoring, industrial automation, automatic meter reading, asset...

Steps toward high-precision torque measurement: here are some guidelines for selecting and mounting a torque flange--and a new digital-type flange--that could save you time and headaches.
June 1, 2006... Rising fuel prices, coupled with tightening regulations on vehicle efficiency and emissions, are creating a global demand for higher levels of precision in torque measurement on test stands for engines and transmissions. On one hand, torque...

Smart humidity control for laundry rooms: an RH sensor-based line-drying technology will save your silks and holds potential for other appliance applications as well.
June 1, 2006... The pressure is constantly increasing to bring ever-smarter products, including white goods, to market more and more quickly while keeping production costs down. New household appliances should have as small an effect on the environment as...

Solving tough strain gauge problems: "what was old is new again" perfectly describes the use of carrier frequency technology in strain gauge measurements. And this approach takes the sting out of problems encountered when using strain gauges.(SENSOR DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY)
June 1, 2006... Before the digital technology explosion of the 1970s and 1980s, carrier frequency (AC) excitation of strain gauge-type devices (e.g., load cells and pressure sensors) was quite common, especially for applications characterized by varying...

Fixed frequency, FHSS, and DSSS.(Frequency-hopping spread spectrum, Direct-sequence spread spectrum )
June 1, 2006... Understanding Radios I've been thinking about making my own radio. I understand fixed-frequency radios are the simplest and easiest, but a colleague is recommending a spread-spectrum radio instead. Now I hear that there are two flavors of...

Your helpful guide to the thermoelectric cooler.(HANDS-ON SENSOR ENGINEERING)
June 1, 2006... In 1834 Jean Peltier discovered that running an electric current across a junction of two dissimilar metals caused heat to transfer across the junction, cooling one side while heating the other. Because of the low efficiency of this effect in...

Web portals--a personalized view of data.(ENTERPRISE INTELLIGENCE FROM YOUR SENSORS)
June 1, 2006... Current information technology inundates you with more data than you can possibly use. To reap the benefits of information, you need some way to personalize or customize the way that data are selected and presented. Rather than having to do a...

Healthier building control.(SNAPSHOTS FOR APPLICATION INSPIRATION)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Imagine that you are the facilities manager of a two-floor, 29,000 sq. ft. building with 88 rooms and no monitoring system. Every morning you check the weather forecast and adjust the temperature accordingly. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? That...

Volcanoes vs. Jet engines.(SNAPSHOTS FOR APPLICATION INSPIRATION)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... At any given time, 20 volcanoes are erupting somewhere on the planet. Volcanic ash and jet engines do not mix well. This wouldn't normally be a problem, but on Unimak Island in Alaska there are six volcanoes, one of which, Shishaldin, has...

Pressure sensors & transduscers.(PRINTED AND DIGITAL INFORMATION)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Kavlico's 4-color, quad-fold capability brochure has just been re-issued detailing the latest information about their standard and custom sensors and transducers. Included are typical performance specifications and features, a company profile,...

Non-contact rotary torque sensor.(PRINTED AND DIGITAL INFORMATION)
June 1, 2006... 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...

Bill's Blog.(RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ODDMENTS)(Bill Greer )(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... I have a good blog to suggest. Bill's Blog, written by Bill Greer from Contemporary Controls, focuses on industrial networking matters. Started in early March of this year, the blog is updated about once a week and so far has discussed Ethernet...

Lantronix Web site.(RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ODDMENTS)
June 1, 2006... Another Web-based candidate for networking knowledge is the Lantronix Web site. The company has updated its online networking tutorials. If you're looking for a better basic understanding of networking protocols, device servers, Ethernet, and...

ThinkGeek.(RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ODDMENTS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Some of you may already know about the ThinkGeek Web site, but for those of you who do not, it's a place to buy geeky things. You can find electronics and books, trebuchet and catapult kits, Albert Einstein action figures, and everything in...

E. E. Cummings.(RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ODDMENTS)
June 1, 2006... The most wasted of all days is one without laughter. --E. E. Cummings, 1894-1962

Networking Wireless Sensors.(NEW TO BOOKSHELVES)(Brief article)(Book review)
June 1, 2006... Networking Wireless Sensors Author: Bhaskar Krishnamachari Publisher: Cambridge University Press ISBN: 0-521-83847-9 To quote the author's preface, this book "aims to provide the reader with a comprehensive, organized survey...