Sensors Magazine articles from May 2004

Sensors Magazine archives from May 2004

The next American Idle.(Guest Editorial)(Hybrid cars)
May 1, 2004... Hybrid cars, such as Toyota's Prius and Honda's Insight and Civic Hybrid, have been sold in the U.S. for several years. A hybrid, which runs off a rechargeable battery in addition to gasoline, was traditionally designed to achieve higher fuel...

Medical miracles in the making.(Business Sense)(Knee replacement surgery)
May 1, 2004... MicroStrain Inc. (Williston, VT, www.microstrain.com) reports that for the first time, a patient has received a full artificial knee replacement that can transmit real-time data on the total amount and the distribution of the forces across the...

The google of engineering?(Business Sense)(Search engine)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Part of the trend to "verticalize" search content, the SpecSearch search engine by GlobalSpec (Troy, NY, www.globalspec.com) has expanded its offerings and enhanced its interface. Since 1995, GlobalSpec has allowed engineers to conduct in-depth...

More on wireless.(Business Sense)("Wireless Overview--Machine-to-Machine Applications" a course offered by Ennovasion)
May 1, 2004... You didn't think this month's wireless news was limited to health care, did you? "Although networking machines can be wired or wireless, the cost, reliability, and security improvements in wireless technology are driving tremendous interest and...

MEMS uptake is no small thing.(Business Sense)(Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems )
May 1, 2004... According to Coventor (Cary, NC, www.coventor.com), MEMS is being increasingly accepted as real and valuable. The company says that MEMS technology is being incorporated into more commercial products; is the target of increasing corporate R & D...

Calendar.(Calendar)
May 1, 2004... Sensors Expo & Conference June 7-10, Detroit, MI www.sensorsexpo.com Magnetics 2004: Advancements in Magnetic Applications, Technology & Materials June 9-10, Denver, CO www.magneticsmagazine.com/mag_conf_index.htm ...

Dual radars could help aircraft avoid in-flight icing.(Research & Developments)
May 1, 2004... In-flight icing on aircraft, especially small and commuter planes, is a serious winter hazard. Alerting pilots to areas in the sky likely to produce icing conditions would go a long way toward making air travel safer. Accordingly, scientists at...

Wireless ad hoc nets go to war.(Research & Developments)(Battlefield communications)
May 1, 2004... Battlefield communication was once a matter of a lot of shouting and trying to keep your side's flag in view. It's far more complicated now, as is war itself. A six-university effort led by principal investigator James Seidler of the University...

Portable IR spectrometer has no moving parts.(Research & Developments)
May 1, 2004... Anewly patented spectroscopy analyzer will be the underlying technology of a variable filter array spectrometer under development by Wilks Enterprise. The analyzer consists of a detector array with the linear variable filter placed over it,...

Radar tag sensors tell who's who.(Research & Developments)
May 1, 2004... Did you know that, according to the DOD, 24% of the 146 American military forces killed in battle and 15% of those wounded during Operation Desert Storm were victims of friendly fire? Or that historically, fratricide accounts for 10%-15% of...

Nano: belts, springs, and now rings.(Research & Developments)
May 1, 2004... Georgia Tech researchers led by Zhong Lin Wang have created another nanoscale structure based on single crystals of zinc oxide. Nanorings join the previously announced nanobelts (Sensors, May 2001) and nanosprings (Sensors, February 2004). ...

Short takes.(Research & Developments)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The proposed manned expedition to Mars has taken its rightful place on the back burner these past few months as the country focuses on perilous ventures far closer to home. But a recent news item reminded us of the fragile nature of such a...

A magic eye on the carpet.(AppSnaps; photosensors)
May 1, 2004... Collins & Aikman (C & A), with mills in the Carolinas, makes carpet sets for the automotive industry. The sets consist of high-quality carpet material and up to four vinyl wear pads affixed to the surface for increased durability. All the...

Hit the brakes--and do your part for science.(AppSnaps)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Most automotive testing is done by professional drivers in test vehicles. But how do average motorists driving their own cars handle emergency braking maneuvers? 10tech helped find out in a project designed to study safe stopping distances....

Reading heads on the run.(AppSnaps)
May 1, 2004... When a medical emergency indicates head trauma or stroke, the patient's best chances for recovery--or even survival--lie with the first responders on the scene. They have about an hour to begin treatment for a head injury and three to initiate...

A hybrid magnetic field solver: using a combined finite element/boundary element field approach; magnetic analysis is a key component of motor design. Here's an explanation of a hybrid finite element/boundary element approach to solve for the magnetic fields involved.(Intelligent Systems)(Cover Story)
May 1, 2004... You can use two fundamentally different approaches to solve magnetic field problems. Both involve solving Maxwell's equations, but you can choose to solve them in either integral or differential form. The most common methods for solving...

Reducing scrap with wireless data and power: integrating a wireless sensing system on machining centers reduces scrap for a manufacturer of automotive transmission housings.(Putting Sensors to Work)
May 1, 2004... Automotive transmission housings require a number of machining operations after the casting process, and a machining error at this late stage of production is costly. Ryobi Die Casting (USA), Inc., a Shelbyville, IN, producer of transmission...

An introduction to classical sinusoidal vibration: sinusoidal vibration is the simplest and easiest to understand of all the forms of vibratory motion. So don't let the math scare you.(Sensor Technology and Design)
May 1, 2004... What is sinusoidal vibration? Sinusoidal (or sine) vibration smoothly varies with time. Let's first review a few terms that pertain to unidirectional motion and then extend them to sinusoidal vibration. Visualize your automobile, parked at...

Solving humidity caliblration challenges in today's metrology lab: as a metrologist, you know you need to calibrate your humidity sensing equipment. But do you know how easy this exercise can be?(Sensor Technology and Design)
May 1, 2004... Because your end product is only as good as the calibration step, your calibration equipment must be based on reliable and proven technology. It should also be easy to use and validate--preferably in your own lab. These guide-lines apply to...

Power over the 1-Wire net: the 1-Wire fusion of network connection and power offers great economy, but the question of how to provide energy for the occasional indicator or sensor must be addressed.(Sensor Technology and Design)
May 1, 2004... The 1-Wire net is an economical bus based on an open-drain master/slave multidrop architecture that uses a resistor pull-up to a nominal 5 V supply at the master. The net contains three main elements: the bus master, wiring and associated...

Preview 2: second-round conference picks, plus 20-year anniversary fun.(Sensors Expo & Conference)
May 1, 2004... First, some invitations. Please join me and my colleagues--and loads of other people--at Sensors' 20th anniversary party during Sensors Expo & Conference, June 7-10 in Detroit (www.sensorsexpo.com). We'll be celebrating on Wednesday June 9,...

Applying PID control algorithms in sensor circuits: although modern proportional-integral-derivative control is associated primarily with microprocessors, the fundamental principles of the technique can and should be applied to sensors as well.(Sensor Technology and Design)(proportional-integral-derivative)
May 1, 2004... PID (proportional-integral-derivative) controllers are widely used in sensors and industrial automation. One traditional format of their control algorithms is: OUTPUT(t)=PE(t) +[1/I][integral]E(t)dt + D[d/[dt]]E(t) (1) where: ...

Understanding solar cell physics: key to better testing methodology; Solar cell development and production requires extensive material and device evaluation to improve efficiency and match individual cells for panel construction. This makes fast testing highly desirable, but requires an understanding of cell physics and its measurement implications.(Sensor Technology and Design)
May 1, 2004... Solar cells operate in a manner similar to the way plants perform photosynthesis to convert solar energy into nutriments. Both systems are limited by quantum mechanics. Energy comes from the sun in packets, expressed as E = hv, where E is...

Sensor display.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The TDD2 from Rapid Controls Inc., Rapid City, SD, can be used with all types of magnetostrictive sensors and most SSI sensors. Configurable to measure start/stop, PWM, SSI, and MTS CANbus sensors, including multiple magnets, the display has...

Wireless DA systems.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... TRANSCAT, Inc., Rochester, NY, offers the full line of wireless DA systems from Hanwell Instruments, Ltd. The wireless systems include all components required to sense, collect, transmit, receive, record, store, and graph obtained data....

Laser displacement sensor.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The Microtrak II from MTI Instruments Inc., Albany, NY, uses laser triangulation to precisely measure displacement, position, vibration, and thickness with resolution from 0.1-20 [micro]m, depending on the laser head used. Features include a...

Filter IC.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The MSLFS from Mixed Signal Integration Corp., San Jose, CA, is a switched capacitor filter IC that operates at a single supply voltage as low as 1.0 V and offers a choice of 6 different filter responses. The low-voltage selectable filter IC...

Silicon thermistors.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... SiMISTOR silicon thermistors from Andigilog, Inc., Chandler, AZ, measure temperature to [+ or -]1[degrees]C and provide a linear output voltage proportional to temperature. Manufactured using mature CMOS processes, the devices can replace...

Wireless industrial products.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... ProSoft Technology, Inc., Bakersfield, CA, offers four frequency-hopping, 2.4 GHz RadioLinx products that provide wireless connectivity for Ethernet, serial, and Ethernet industrial Hotspot communications. The RLX-FHE simultaneously supports...

Digitally programmable signal conditioner.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The Burr-Brown PGA309 from Texas Instruments Inc., Tucson, AZ, is a digitally programmable voltage-output IC that provides amplification, digital calibration, and error compensation for pressure bridge sensors. The chip amplifies a low-level...

Wireless I/O system.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The Adalet N4ANT rugged wireless I/O transmitter/receiver system from AD Products Co., Cleveland, OH, has a range of 600-1000 ft. with obstructed LOS and features a NEMA 4X-rated cast aluminum enclosure to house a transmitter and antenna....

Ultrasonic sensors.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... VEGA Grieshaber KG, Schiltach, Germany, offers the plics VEGASON 60 ultrasonic sensors with measuring ranges from 5-70 m, depending on model and application. Various electrical connection options are available, including 4-20 mA/HART,...

Liquid-level sensor.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... Available to manufacturers for license, the OLS optical level sensor from Product Innovation Ltd., Ware, U.K., measures liquid levels using total internal reflection. The fully encapsulated probe contains a ladder of IR LEDs and optoelectronic...

MEMS flow sensor, flowmeter.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... Siargo, Inc., San Jose, CA, offers the FSI-C MEMS mass flow sensor and FSI-G25 MEMS gas meter. The flow sensor measures flows as high as 300 slpm in a 1 in. dia. tube package or 1000 slpm in a 2.5 in. dia. tube package. Circuitry provides...

Automation controller.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The PACSystems RX3i from GE Fanuc Automation Americas, Inc., Charlottesville, VA, features a single control engine and universal programming environment and uses a high-speed PCI-based backplane and Pentium 300 MHz CPU. The system supports a...

Strain gauges.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., Malvern, PA, offers a series of weldable strain gauges with a temperature rating up to 980[degrees]C, optimized for high-temperature testing applications such as stress analysis. The free-filament wire strain...

Eddy current solver software.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... Integrated Engineering Software (IES), Winnipeg, MB, Canada, offers FARADAY 6.1, a 3D eddy current solver for the design and analysis of magnetic equipment and components such as busbars, reclosures, induction motors, charging fixtures, NDT,...

High-speed Profibus transceivers.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... Intersil Corp., Milpitas, CA, introduces the ISL4486 and ISL81486 LinearLink RS-485/-422 serial data transceivers with data rates up to 40 or 30 Mbps, respectively. Both ICs are half-duplex configurations operating from a nominal 5 V supply...

Miniature triaxial accelerometer.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The 8764A500 from Kistler Instrument Corp., Amherst, NY, has a measuring range of [+ or -]500 g in the X, Y, and Z axes and weighs 1.3 g. Piezoelectric ceramic elements have sensitivity of 10 mV/g/axis and shear element construction provides...

Motion feedback encoder.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The Mercury MI500 from MicroE Systems, Natick, MA, is an 8.4 mm high digital output kit encoder that contains all signal conditioning and interpolation electronics within the sensor head. The system provides quadrature output at the sensor....

Avalanche photodetector.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... Suited for use in high-speed optical communications, laser rangefinders, free-space communications, and optical remote controllers, the FCI-APD-300 from OSI Fibercomm, Inc., Hawthorne, CA, is a silicon avalanche photodetector with a 300...

Mixed-signal SoC.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The CY8C24xxx and CY8C22xxx families of system-on-chip mixed-signal arrays from Cypress MicroSystems Inc., Lynnwood, WA, are high-performance, field-programmable devices for high-volume embedded control functions in automotive, industrial, and...

Portable logger.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The Squirrel 2020 Series from Grant Instruments, distributed by Computer Aided Solutions, Chesterland, OH, features universal inputs and multiple 24-bit ADCs to provide concurrent sampling or multiple sampling schedules at different speeds....

Extended-temperature I/O board.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... Eagle Technology, Cape Town, South Africa, offers an extended temperature range version of its PC104PLUS-30C I/O board, designated the PC104PLUS-30I. This multifunction I/O board features 16 analog inputs, 4 analog outputs, 3 counter/timers,...

Tiny 2-channel ADCs.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The 14-bit LTC1407A and 12-bit LTC1407 from Linear Technology Corp., Milpitas, CA, have 2 simultaneous sampling inputs and are available in a 10-pin MSOP. The LTC1407A features 73.5 dB SINAD, no missing codes, a single 3 V supply, and typical...

General-purpose AC-LVDTs.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... Macro Sensors, Pennsauken, NJ, has added the PRH 812 Series of 0.812 in. dia. general-purpose AC-LVDTs to its line of linear position sensors. Designed for use in legacy OEM applications, the LVDTs are available in F.S. measuring ranges of [+...

Digital I/O boards.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The PCI-DIO48H-RT from Measurement Computing Corp., Middleboro, MA, is a 48-bit digital I/O interface for PCI-bus computers. It joins the 24-bit PCI-DIO24H and 96-bit PCI-DIO96H digital I/O boards. The boards are based on STTL emulations of the...

Display metrology cameras.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... PM-1400 Fast Series CCD-based cameras from Radiant Imaging, Inc., Duvall, WA, are primarily intended for production-line measurements of luminance, illuminance, and chromaticity on a variety of displays, including LCDs, plasma screens, CRTs,...

Ethernet switches.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... Contemporary Control Systems, Inc., Downers Grove, IL, offers the EISC12-100T/FT, EISC12-100T/FC, and EISC12-100T/FCS switches, all with 10 twisted-pair ports that support 10/100 Mbps Ethernet. The EISC12-100T/FT adds 2 multimode fiber (1300...

Mass flow controller.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The Smart-Trak digital mass flow controller from Sierra Instruments, Inc., Monterey, CA, uses a Dial-A-Gas feature and a pilot module interface to change gases and other critical parameters in the field. The controller's microprocessor is...

Combination I/O module.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The SixTRAK combination I/O module (model ST-MIX-16880-D) from SIXNET, Clifton Park, NY, provides 16 discrete inputs, 8 discrete outputs, and 8 analog inputs in a single compact unit. The module features a 16-bit ADC, hot-swap capability,...

Dew point transmitter.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The Pura from Kahn Instruments, Inc., Wethersfield, CT, measures dew point in high-purity and ultra-high-purity gases and was developed for and tested by the semiconductor industry. It is available in 3 models: Pura Premium, which is...

Low-power pressure transmitter.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The LP770 from Viatran Corp., Grand Island NY, draws [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] See us at Sensors Expo

Resolver-to-encoder converter.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... Vigilant Technologies and Vigilant Products, Jupiter, FL, offer the REC resolver-to-encoder converter module for use in CNC retrofit applications. The REC processes resolver signals to emulate a 1024-line encoder, providing 4096 quadrature...

Position transducer.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The MT2A from Celesco Transducer Products, Inc., Chatsworth, CA, is [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] See us at Sensors Expo

Miniature triaxial accelerometer.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... Weighing only 0.4 g, the Model 7269 from Endevco Corp., San Juan Capistrano, CA, is suited for use in biomechanics research; studies of head injuries; and testing sport helmets, heads-up displays, and ejection seats. The sensor has a F.S....

High-amplitude accelerometers.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The Model 350B50 from Vibration Div., PCB Piezotronics, Inc., Depew, NY, combines three 10,000 g sensing elements in a single housing and includes a built-in second-order, low-pass filter between sensing element and amplifier to reduce the risk...

DSP-based DA boards.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... Exacq Technologies, Inc., Indianapolis, IN, offers XH Series high-speed DA boards and XM Series multifunction analog I/O boards that use a local 143 MHz, 32-bit DSP, 16 MB of onboard memory, and PCI bus mastering. There are 12 boards in the XH...

Multichannel optometer.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... Providing high-speed parallel signal processing for radiometric/photometric/colorimetric applications that require fast multiple detection capability, the P-9801 from Gigahertz-Optik, Inc., Newburyport, MA, can simultaneously display up to 8...

DA boards.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The PCIM-DAS16JR/16 from Measurement Computing, Middleborough, MA, is for users of the company's CIO-DAS16JR and CIO-DAS16JR/16 who wish to migrate applications to the PCI bus. Offering connector compatibility with the CIO versions, and with...

Programmable encoders.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... Mercury SmartSignal programmable encoders from MicroE Systems, Inc., Natick, MA, allow encoder resolution to be set in integer steps from 4-4096 and have max. linear resolution of 5 nm and max. rotary resolution of 67.1 million cpr....

UV/IR sensor.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The 5002-21NC Quanta-flame flame relay from GN Electronics, Inc., Machesney Park, IL, contains both UV and IR/frequency-based detectors and is designed to work in dual-fuel and other difficult sensing applications where UV or IR sensing alone...

Icp triaxial accelerometers.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... PCB Piezotronics, Inc., Vibration Div., Depew, NY, offers the Model 356B20 for vibration measurements up to 5000 g in 3 orthogonal directions. Sensitivity is 1.0 mV/g. The sensor has built-in signal conditioning, and its shear design offers...

SS temperature data logger.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The HOBO U12 from Onset Computer Corp., Bourne, MA, is a SS food-grade data logger designed for food and beverage, pharmaceutical, autoclave, and other applications that require high-accuracy temperature data. The logger fits into a...

Ring terminal probe.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... Suited for monitoring surface temperature or for applications where the sensor is removed on a regular basis, the PL-LT from Precon Inc., Memphis, TN, contains a temperature sensor encapsulated in the barrel of its metallic ring terminal...

Capacitive sensors.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... Third-generation Tripleshield sensors from Carlo Gavazzi Automation Components, Buffalo Grove, IL, offer a single pushbutton teach mode to set sensing range and output, a remote-teach wire, and a sensing range of 12 mm (M18) and 30 mm (M30)....

Magnetic encoders.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... K Series magnetic encoders from Admotec Inc., Lebanon, NH, operate in harsh environments, including those with shock, vibration, sawdust, oil, grease, salt spray, and excessive moisture, and have resolutions up to 7200 cpr. They incorporate a...

Image analysis software.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... Wells Research and Development, Lincoln, MA, offers PixelScope Professional Windows-based image analysis software, which lets you incorporate live image capture into optical inspection, alignment, or assembly fixtures. The software supports...

Laser rotary encoder.(Product News)
May 1, 2004... The M1-H from Canon U.S.A., Inc., Semiconductor Div., Encoder Products Group, Lake Success, NY, is a heavy-duty encoder designed for factory automation, manufacturing, and robotics applications and is capable of a max. rotation rate of 10,000...

High-voltage amplifiers.(Product News)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... TEGAM, Inc., Geneva, OH, offers the single-channel Model 2340 and the dual-channel Model 2350 amplifiers, which provide high-voltage outputs up to 400 V P-P ([+ or -]200 V). Features include DC-2 MHz small-signal bandwidth (-3 dB cutoff),...

Web picks.
May 1, 2004... Interested in all things wireless? Confused by all the options out there? Skeptical that wireless can work for you? If you're trying to find information about wireless communications, especially as it pertains to industrial uses, then check out...