Sensors Magazine articles from November 2002

Sensors Magazine archives from November 2002

Who cares about the technology? (Editorial).(overview of Commercialization of Microsystems 2002 conference)(Editorial)
November 1, 2002... At a conference such as COMS (Commercialization of Microsystems) 2002, focused as it is on a particular technology, especially a "disruptive technology" that has the potential for phenomenal impact, it's easy to become myopic and...

Kaman Instrumentation. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc.).(Smart Sensing Systems wins 2002 Technology Innovation award)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... The Smart Sensing System, K[micro}DA (Kaman's Micro Digital Advantage), from Kaman Instrumentation (Colorado Springs CO, www.kamansensors.com), has won the 2002 Technology Innovation award by Frost & Sullivan in its Market Engineering Awards....

Halliburton Energy Services. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc.).(purchases assets of Pruett Industries Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... In an effort to better serve its oil and gas company clients through reservoir performance monitoring solutions, Halliburton Energy Services (Houston, TX, www.halliburton.com) has acquired the assets of Pruett Industries, Inc. (Bakersfield,...

The Crystal Consortium. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc.).(provides research and development service)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... The Crystal Consortium (TCC) (Glasgow, Scotland, www.crystalconsortium.co.uk) offers a research and development service for single crystal growers, users, and system designers, with cooperation from QinetiQ, a European R&D lab, and the...

The Sensors Technology Committee. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc.).(separarting from the Diagnostics and Signal Analysis Committee )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... The Sensors Technology Committee, established several years ago, became a subcommittee of the Diagnostics and Signal Analysis Committee and is currently in the process of being re-established as a separate committee. Its mission is to provide...

DVT Corp. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc.).(posts record sales)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... DVT Corp. (Norcross, GA, www.dvtsensors.com), maker of smart camera technology for machine vision, has followed up its record sales in Q2 2002 with the highest monthly bookings in the company's history in July. DVT had also posted record sales...

National Instruments. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc.).(reaches deal with Tektronix)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... National Instruments (Austin, TX, www.ni.com), maker of virtual instrumentation software, and Tektronix (Wilsonville, OR, www.tek.com), the leading manufacturer of oscilloscopes, have agreed to deliver NI LabVIEW software preinstalled on the...

Honeywell Automation and Control Solutions. (Agreements, Acquisitions, Etc.).(reaches deal to acquire Invensys Sensor Systems)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Honeywell (Morris Township, NJ) and Invensys plc (London, U.K.) have announced that Honeywell Automation and Control Solutions (www.honeywell.com/acs) has signed an agreement to acquire Invensys Sensor Systems (Shelby, NC,...

Microchip Technology. (People).(appointment of Kathy Clevenger )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Microchip Technology (Chandler, AZ, www.microchip.com) has appointed Kathy Clevenger director of manufacturing at its new Fab 4 wafer facility in Gresham, OR. She will have overall responsibility, for the new facility, including startup through...

Sandia and Los Alamos. (Big Deals).(laboratories receive funding for new buildings)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Sandia (Albuquerque, NM, www.sandia.gov) and Los Alamos (Los Alamos, NM, www.lanl.gov) national laboratories will jointly receive $75.8 million for the design and construction of buildings to house the new Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies...

Laser spectral analysis automates plastic sortation. (Research & Developments).
November 1, 2002... The town where we live is very, very green -- we've been recycling nearly everything for quite a few years. Of course, the town is also very, very small by national standards (5500 residents, about a quarter of whom are children, judging from...

Burn that slash! (Research & Developments).(Correction Notice)
November 1, 2002... In our eagerness to bring you a scientific paper we posted at our Web site (Sensors, July 2002, pages 3 and 10), we managed to give it an incorrect URL by adding a trailing forward slash. Naveen Sinha's work, "Bubble-Based Resonance-Doppler...

Laser ultrasonic sensor provides elasticity data to papermakers. (Research & Developments).
November 1, 2002... For want of a noncontact method of testing paper during manufacture, the product is frequently over-engineered. Paper is currently analyzed for its elastic properties by taking a small sample from a three-ton roll and bending it. Fail to meet...

Knowledge is power. (APP Snaps).(SSI Technologies Inc. offers Acu-trac ultrasonic fuel level sensor )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Managers of semi-tractor truckload carrier fleets need to know accurately how much fuel their trucks have and are using, since it's one of their largest operating expenses. Most fleets have fuel cost-reduction programs, trying to get the best...

Multitasking, conveyor-style. (APP Snaps).(Weigh-Tronix Inc. offers weighing system)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Looking at your conveyor system one day as you're zipping boxes and crates around the place, you ask yourself, wouldn't it be nice to be able to weigh them as they're traveling along, preferably with minimal disruption to the system itself?...

Keeping it cool. (APP Snaps).(Selco Products Co. offers liquid temperature controller for wine)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Fine wine is a notoriously temperature-sensitive best, from its life as a grape on a vine to its existence as wine decanted into bottles for aging. For those with underground wine cellars, the thermal mass of the earth helps to maintain the...

EFAB a new approach to MEMS fabrication. (Intelligent Systems).
November 1, 2002... Success in microsensor and microactuator applications depends on understanding the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of fabrication approaches. EFAB opens new application areas not well suited to silicon micromachining. Silicon...

Synchronizing Measurement and control systems: IEEE 1588 defines a protocol that enables the precise synchronization of clocks in the components of a networked, distributed measurement and conrol system.
November 1, 2002... Test, measurement, and control systems involve the exchange of information among one or more controllers and numerous sensors and actuators. Correct operation of these systems requires that the temporal relationships of the sensor readings,...

The many roles of polyphenyl ethers. (Putting Sensors to Work).
November 1, 2002... Whether it's faced with high temperatures, ionizing radiation, or other harsh conditions, this rugged compound is useful in a wide range of applications, from lubrication to guiding light. In 1906, a German scientist named F. Ullman...

A magnetic linear position transducer for fail-safe target tracking. (Sensor Technology and Design).
November 1, 2002... Whether the application calls for detecting flap position on an aircraft or product level in a closed vessel, NCL position sensors can continue to produce an accurate signal even in the event of component failure. Sensors that require...

The hall monitor wants to see you. (Research & Developments).(Pacific Northwest Laboratory research)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Like a perfect tan, security clearance is hard L to get and easy to lose. Pacific Northwest Laboratory researchers have come up with a way to remind you not to leave your office with a coffee cup in your hand and your safe drawers open. Secure...

High-temperature data logger. (Product News).(MadgeTech Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... The Temp 1000P from MadgeTech, Inc., Warner, NH, is a waterproof SS logger with an attached 180mm SS probe; it can operate in temperatures from -40[degrees]C to 150[degrees]C and records up to 32,767 time-stamped temperature measurements in...

Hall sensor microsystems. (Product News).(Sentron AG)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Type CSA-1 (single-axis) and Type 2SA-1 (2-axis) microsystems from Sentron AG, Zug, Switzerland, distributed in the U.S. by GMW Associates, San Carlos, CA, respond to magnetic fields parallel to the chip sufface. The products are complete...

Magnetic sensor. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Omron Electronics LLC, Schaumburg, IL, offers a magnetic sensor with a 0-1mm sensing distance and Use ability to sense nonferrous and ferrous metals. The sensor measures position and rotation; by changing its excitation frequency you can change...

Small personal gas detectors. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Sensidyne, Inc., Clearwater, FL, introduces SensAir personal gas detectors for carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, and oxygen deficiency. Vibrating, light, and sound alarms are standard for both low and high alarm levels. The detectors can be...

Reconfigurable analog circuits. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... By combining EDA software, configurable analog modules (CAMs), and FPAAs (field-programmable analog arrays), Anadigmvortex from Anadigm, Inc., Campbell, CA, significantly reduces analog design and implementation time. FPAAs enable programming...

Mixed-signal flash microcontroller. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... The highly integrated C8051F040 with integrated onchip JTAG debug circuitry from Cygnal Integrated Products, Inc., Austin, TX, offers CAN bus connectivity suitable for industrial control, smart sensor, and DA applications. Each of the 32...

Spectrometer. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Edmund Industrial Optics, Barrington, NJ, offers its CCD-based spectrometer in UV (200-400 nm), VIS (400-700 nm), and NIR (700-1050 nm) wavelength confignrations, all plugging directly into a computer's RS-232 port or into a USB port via a...

Magnetic-field test instrument. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Foerster Instruments Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, offers the handheld Magnetoscop 1.069 for sensitive measurement of magnetic permeability and determination of Use intensity of DC and low-frequency AC magnetic fields. You can quantify the magnetic...

Sensor mounting accessories. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... The Signal-Quick line from Hubbell Inc., Wiring Deviee-Kellems Div., Milford, CT, includes cushioned sensor mounts, modular mounting components, sensor converters, brackets, protective caps, and special application mounts. The components are...

Quick-Disconnect Locking Connector. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... In the Quick-Disconnect Push-Pull Precision Locking Connector Series from Lumberg, Inc., Midlothian, VA, one category carries an IP50 rating while the otiser is rated IP68. Each category Isas 3 sizes; pole count availability ranges from...

DeviceNet interface card. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... The PC/104 2-channel interface card for DeviceNet (part number SST-DNP-104-2) from Woodhcad Connectivity, Waterloo, Ont., Canada, lets users connect a PC/104 computer to 2 DeviceNet networks. Every SST DeviceNet interface card includes...

Mass flow controller. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... The Type 8712 from Burkert USA, Irvine, CA, handles neutral, noncontaminated gases at flow rates of 20 mlpm to 50lpm nominal. CMOSens technology allows sensing of small gas flows, with [+ or -]1% of reading and [+ or -]0.5% F.S. accuracy....

Linux for handhelds. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... InHand Electronics, Inc., Rockvillc, MD, offers InHand Linux for all its StrongARMbased handheld and wireless reference platforms, including the Fingertip, Elf, and Elf2. Support for Xscale-based piatforms is planned. Based on version 2.4.7 of...

Hardened Ethernet connector. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Harting, Inc., Elgin, IL otters the Ethernet Han-Brid RJ-45 connector for industrial environments. Rated for Category 5 transmissions, the connector packages standard RJ-45 plugs and jacks in a variety of hoods and housings for protection from...

Analog temperature sensor. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Maxim Integrated Products, Sunnyvale, CA, offers the MAX6612 high-sensitivity analog temperature sensor in a 5-pin SC70 package. The voltage produced by a 1[degrees]C change in the MAX6612's temperature corresponds to an LSB value of 19.53 mV...

IR thermometer/digital camera. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... The PhotoTemp MX6, an integrated IR thermometer and digital camera from Raytek Corp., Santa Cruz, CA, lets plant maintenance professionals take noncontact temperature measurements while documenting them with digital photographs. The True Spot...

Web server. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Built on the Apache/Tomcat Web server, the PMI-Nexus from Pacific Microinstruments, Inc., Monrovia, CA, is a Web server for PDA and embedded-device networks. PMI-Nexus provides a Web server and firewall between sets of embedded devices and...

Dual/single SBC. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Thales Computers, Raleigh, NC, offers the VMPC6d, a dual/single PowerPC SBC for high-performance data and signal processing applications, including sonar, radar, medical imaging, and machine vision systems. The SBC features one or two 500 MHz...

Magnetic proximity sensors. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... SICK, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, offers Ex-protected MM 12 and MM 18 Series magnetic proximity sensors that conform to NAMUR and maybe used in Explosion Protection Zone 1. These small sensors can sense magnetic objects through nonmagnetizable...

Palm-sized thermal imager. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... The Cyclops PPM+ from Land Infrared, Land Instruments Intl., Newtown, PA, combines a handheld imager with an onboard Compaq iPAQ pocket PC; measuring range is 0[degrees]C-300[degrees]C with [+ or -]2% accuracy, temperature resolution is better...

Variable speed/resolution ADC. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... A 24-bit, no latency, [delta][SIGMA] ADC, the LTC2440 from Linear Technology Corp., Milpitas, GA, features a variable speed/resolution architecture with low noise in each of its 10 speed/resolution modes. Max. output rate is 3.5 kHz. An ultra...

Background suppression sensors. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Pepperl+Fuchs, Inc., Twinsburg, UH, offers the Series 23 background suppression photoelectric sensors that ignore objects just millimeters beyond thc target distance and provide sensing distances of up to 2 m. Sensors detect black and white...

360[degrees] Inclinometer. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... Rieker electronics Inc., Folcroft, PA, offers the NG360 liquid capacitive-based inclinometer for measuring the tilt of any object with respect to gravity within a 0[degrees]-360[degrees] range. The basic sensor uses 4 separate sensing elements...

Capacitance vacuum guage. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... The compact, variable capacitive Model 720 from Setra Systems, Inc., Boxborough, MA, is offered in vacuum pressure ranges of 2-150 kPa, 10-1000 torr, and 10-1000mb and is suited for use in semiconductor, vacuum distillation, laser, autoclave,...

Ultrasonic level monitors, controls. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... ABB Inc., Warminster, PA, offers [Field.sup.IT] DATUM ultrasonic level monitoring and control instruments for use with liquids and solids. Advanced measurement and control routines include conversion of flow to volume as well as preprogrammed...

Piston position sensor. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... The SL300 from Control Products, Inc., East Hanover, NJ, can sense piston position for stroke lengths up to 80 in. The sensors mount on the inside face of the cylinder end-plug and couple the relatively long translation of the cylinder to the...

Level sensor. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... The LI Series capacitive level sensor from IFM Efector, Exton, PA, works in fluid sensing applications as an independent overflow protection device or with other level sensors for added security against overflow. It also indicates high or low...

Miniature magnetic sensor. (Product News).(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... For compassing and navigation products with tight space constraints, Honeywell, Minneapolis, MN, introduces the HMC1052L, a 2-axis magnetoresistve sensor in a miniature LCC 3 X 3 X 0.9mm package. The device's 2 AMR bridges are positioned for...

MIT has created the OpenCourseWare. (Web Picks).(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2002... MIT has created the OpenCourseWare program, and the pilot is currently open to the public for review and feedback. Why should you care? Because the program's aim is to put MIT's course materials online for self-study and as a resource for other...

Ray Kurzweil. (Web Picks).(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2002... If you're trying to keep track of the latest advances in technology, are looking for insightful essays on the future, or missed out on the Sensors Expo keynote address by Ray Kurzweil, you should go visit his site, www.kurz weilai.net. There's...

Why Files. (Web Picks).(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2002... The Why Files is put out by the graduate school at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and is a peek at the science behind the news. Each week it has an in-depth story on some topic, a brief discourse on some interesting scientific tidbit,...

Quick Poll.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2002... www.sensorsmag.com Who would you bet on in a fight? 51.6% Superman 48.3% Mighty Mouse Total Votes = 122 Quick Poll appears on the Sensors Online site and is updated every two weeks. At left you can see how...

Check these out!(websites)(Brief Article)(Directory)(Illustration)
November 1, 2002... FYI: The following companies have recently created a Web site, redesigned an existing one, or added new materials or tools. E-Commerce FedSmart.com www.fedsmart.com Newchems.com www.newchems.com New/Redesigned ...