Sensors Magazine articles from November 2004

Sensors Magazine archives from November 2004

Wireless, tiny tech, and security.(EDITORIAL)
November 1, 2004... The one event I didn't make this fall but wish I had: SensorsGov (www.sensorsgov.com). This inaugural conference and expo, geared to government and military types, was a crowd pleaser by all accounts. Thank goodness Executive Editor Stephanie...

IBM's foray into sensing.(Business Sense)
November 1, 2004... According to a recent New York Times article, IBM (www.ibm.com) plans to invest $250 million over the next five years and employ 1000 people in a new business unit to support products and services related to sensor networks. The new unit will...

Read the fine (finger) print.(Business Sense)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Announcements such as the one IBM made about its ThinkPad T42 help explain why AuthenTec, Inc., maker of semiconductor fingerprint sensors, has found it necessary to expand its staff by 20% to help meet growing demand. In August, AuthenTec...

Home sweet homeland security.(Business Sense)
November 1, 2004... The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) recent selection of Memphis as a "best practices" model for high-tech security measures could speed the implementation of similar technologies to other cities. As the third of four sites to be...

Optical detector reveals 10 nm motion.(Research & Developments)
November 1, 2004... Say you've built a very tiny actuator--a gear train, for instance--and you want to watch it work. You can sit and grow round-shouldered over a microscope, or you can check out something that a Sandia team led by Dustin Carr (of nanoguitar fame)...

Nanotubes make polymers go with the flow.(Research & Developments)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Certain materials retain a "memory" of their original shape that makes them want to warp and distort once out of the nozzle in an extrusion process. This is called die-swell and it's generally considered a nuisance. The remedies heretofore have...

Plasma antennas are shapeshifters.(Research & Developments)
November 1, 2004... Is everyone out there familiar with plasma antenna technology? Well, neither were we. So we were intrigued to read the following explanation provided by physicist Ted Anderson, who is doing theoretical and experimental work in that field. ...

Short takes.(Research & Developments)
November 1, 2004... We read with mixed emotions that rats with three electrodes implanted in their brains are being trained to prowl through rubble left by building collapses, earthquakes, and other catastrophes. Why? To sniff out unfortunate souls trapped in and...

My thumb is my passport?(AppSnaps)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... A USB Flash drive (aka thumb drive) is an extremely handy piece of equipment. For sheer data portability between PCs, it's hard to beat. But sometimes the data you're toting around on your thumb drive is very sensitive, and that portability and...

Shake, rattle, and roll.(AppSnaps)(Air Force Institute of Technology)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... As engineers at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) at Wright Patterson AFB in Ohio work on developing unmanned aerial vehicles and other aerospace and vehicular structures, they want to measure the vibration characteristics of the...

Rock solid.(AppSnaps)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... As wet concrete sets, it gives off heat--the water hydrating the cement causes an exothermic chemical reaction as the mixture changes from aggregate, cement, and water, to nice, solid concrete. The heat given off isn't necessarily a problem,...

IC thermal sensors simplify your design: silicon-based IC temperature sensors may be the new kids on the block, but with their small size, integrated signal conditioning, and easy interfacing to microcontrollers, they're rapidly increasing in popularity.(SENSOR TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN)(integrated circuit)
November 1, 2004... There are a wide variety of temperature sensors available, from thermocouples to thermistors to RTDs, each with its own strengths: RTDs are accurate, thermistors are low cost, and thermocouples have wide operating ranges, for instance. However,...

Modeling a MEMS gyro to determine the maximum operational angular rates and g-forces: a "virtual" MEMS gyro's behavior was analyzed using software capable of modeling the mechanical and electrical effects of high rates and high accelerations.(INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS)(Cover Story)
November 1, 2004... The MEMS tuning fork gyro is an electromechanical device that measures angular rotation rate. It works as follows: A proof mass attached to springs is forced to oscillate in the horizontal plane (see Figure 1). A voltage is applied to a sensing...

A magnetostrictive torque sensor: a new fabrication technique solves the problem of an external magnetic field's adverse effects on a magnetostrictive torque sensor.(SENSOR TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN)
November 1, 2004... In 1842, the English physicist James Joule observed that a sample of nickel changed shape when placed in a magnetic field. This effect is called magnetostriction. The reciprocal effect, the change in the magnetization of a material when...

An attitude and heading reference system based on gyros, flux gates, and GPS: taking advantage of both solid-state gyros and GPS satellite data, a new attitude and heading reference system promises increased accuracy for experimental aviation pilots.(INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS)
November 1, 2004... Accurate attitude and heading data are vital in experimental aviation. Conventional gyro-only systems can suffer from bias drift and turn-on instability, producing corrupted data--just what you don't need when you're in the air. Crossbow's...

Flight testing the Black Hawk: a sophisticated software program is helping Army test pilots and data analysts evaluate helicopter airworthiness.(PUTTING SENSORS TO WORK)(United States. Army Aviation Technical Test Center)
November 1, 2004... The flight test engineering team in the U.S. Army Aviation Technical Test Center (ATTC) has a dual mission: Optimize aviation war fighting capability, and give the fighting troops a full-spectrum dominance of the battlefield. The ATTC plans,...

18-bit SAR, 20-bit [SIGMA][DELTA] ADCs.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Analog Devices, Inc., Norwood, MA, offers the 18-bit AD7641 SAR ADC and the 20-bit [SIGMA][DELTA] ADC AD7760 for industrial, medical, and communications applications in instrumentation, imaging, and vibration analysis. The fully differential...

Barrel-style ultrasonic sensor.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The 18 mm barrel-style Virtu18 from Hyde Park Electronics LLC, Dayton, OH, offers sensing ranges from 50-510 mm and features a Valox housing to resist acids, bases, and high-pressure washdowns. Operating from 12-24 VDC, the sensor provides...

Combination sensor.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The CS100 from Kavlico Corp., Moorpark, CA, is a combined pressure and temperature sensor for OEM applications that require a CAN bus interface. Features include a ceramic capacitive sensing element, brass housing, SS outer housing, and a...

Hall effect water meter.(Product News )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... WFP Series paddlewheel flowmeters from Walchem Corp., Holliston, MA, are for use with WCT and WBL controllers and are impeller-type insertion meters for pipe sizes from 0.5-8 in. Suited for chemical proportioning applications, the flowmeters...

Thread detection probes.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Lion Precision, St. Paul, MN, offers two series of eddy current probes developed for thread detection. The T Series detects tapped threads in either ferrous or nonferrous materials, and the R Series detects roll-formed threads in ferrous...

Multiparameter transmitter.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Designed for liquid analytical applications in the chemical, biochemical, and pharmaceutical industries, the modular M 700 transmitter from Mettler-Toledo Ingold, Bedford, MA, lets you measure up to 3 parameters simultaneously. Modules are...

Corrosion transmitter.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... CorrTran corrosion detection transmitters from Pepperl+Fuchs Inc., Twinsburg, OH, let you detect general corrosion or pitting of pipe or vessels and provide a 2-wire, loop-powered 4-20 mA signal with HART for real-time monitoring. The...

Laser ultrasonic receiver.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Designed for component inspection and nondestructive evaluation of material properties, the AIR-532 from Lasson Technologies, Inc., Culver City, CA, uses the company's photorefractive technology and features shock-mounted optics, a fiber...

Handheld meter.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Interface, Inc., Scottsdale, AZ, offers the 9320 battery-powered, handheld meter that has two separate ranges, allowing you to use the instrument with two different load cells or to display two units of measure. A single button press lets you...

Portable chemical analyzer.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The portable, battery-powered Multi-IMS analyzer from Draeger Safety, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, can detect, identify, and measure a variety of chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals/materials. The analyzer uses open-loop ion...

Air quality transmitter.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The Series EE80 from E+E Elektronik GmbH, Engerwitzdorf, Austria, measures C[O.sub.2], RH, and temperature for building control applications. C[O.sub.2] is measured over a range of 0-2000 ppm using IR; self-calibration compensates for the aging...

Vibration meter.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The Model VM from Honeywell Sensing and Control, Sensotec Test and Measurement, Columbus, OH, is a portable, battery-powered device that lets you prevent damage to components or bearings by monitoring machine vibration. You place the probe...

Rotary torque sensors.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Torqsense RWT310/320 Series sensors from Sensor Technology Ltd., Banbury, U.K., use surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices mounted onto a rotating shaft to measure torque and use an RF coupling for power and signal transmission. The SAW devices...

Hydrogen microsensor.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Able to detect hydrogen gas from 0%-100% LEL, the KHS-100 from Kebaili Corp., Laguna Beach, CA, is a micromachined silicon-based microsensor in a standard 4-pin TO18-style package with a metal cap and metal mesh filter. The sensor uses the...

Crash test accelerometer.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The Model 3901F3HB2000G from PCB Piezotronics, Inc., Vibration Div., Depew, NY, is a lightweight piezoresistive accelerometer suited for use in automotive crash test instrumentation. Max. range is [+ or -]2000 g and frequency range is up to...

Isolated pressure sensors.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... American Sensor Technologies (AST), Inc., Landing, NJ, offers the AST 4000 family of SS isolated strain-gauge pressure sensors for use with hostile media. The sensors provide mV or amplified outputs. Specific models are available to address...

Modbus device simulator.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... ModMultiSim from Wingpath Ltd., Headley, U.K., enables realistic simulation of multiple Modbus slaves in their environment, allowing you to connect your Modbus masters to the software to test and configure them. The software uses a simple...

Mass flow controller.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The CMOSens EcoLine from Sensirion, Zurich, Switzerland, fuses a thermal sensor element with readout circuitry on a single semiconductor chip, creating a mass flow controller with a flow range of 0-100 ln/min., dynamic range of 1:1000, and...

2-axis accelerometers.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... VTI Technologies, Inc., Vantaa, Finland, and Dearborn, MI, offers the SCA1000 (X,Y axis) and SCA1020 Series (Z,Y axis) MEMS accelerometers with analog and digital output and internal temperature measurement and compensation. The first...

USB DA system.(Product News)(DAQ Systems)(Universal Serial Bus )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The DAQ24USB-5V from DAQ Systems, Bozeman, MT, offers four 24-bit analog inputs, 3 auxiliary 10-bit analog outputs, and 6 digital I/O and is aimed at such scientific and engineering applications as seismology, geophysics, and structural...

PXI quick start packages.(Product News)(PCI Extensions for Instrumentation PCI Extensions for Instrumentation PCI Extensions for Instrumentation )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Geotest-Marvin Test Systems, Inc., Irvine, CA, offers two product bundles to help you establish functional test systems using the PXI platform. The basic PXI Quickstart package includes a GX7110 3U/6U combination chassis and a GX799x PXI bus...

Angled photoelectric sensors.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... OG 90 sensors from IFM Efector Inc., Exton, PA, have a right-angle lens and an 18 mm SS housing, and can be mounted in as little as 28 mm of space. Sensors offer preset fixed sensing ranges and use a visible red beam to facilitate alignment...

Incremental rotary encoder.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The ZI-58 software-programmable rotary incremental encoder from TR Electronic Inc., Troy, MI, provides from 5-32, 768 ppr and can be programmed to any value and mechanical zero-pulse position required, even after online installation. The...

UHP flow sensors.(Product News)(Ultra-High Performance)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Using a patented microturbine flow sensor design, U700 Series liquid flow sensors from McMillan Co., Georgetown, TX, measure flow rates from 15 mlpm to 50 lpm, with no zero drift and without particle generation. Repeatability is [+ or -]0.2%...

Temperature recorders.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... MadgeTech, Inc., Warner, NH, offers NIST-traceable thermocouple-based temperature recorders that store data in nonvolatile solid-state memory and can be used with a PC for real-time data monitoring. The OctTemp 8-channel unit reads and records...

Heat flux sensor transmitter.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... RdF Corp., Hudson, NH, offers a 4-20 mA transmitter for use with its heat flux sensors. The transmitter can connect to a computer via a serial port, allowing you to view heat flux readings as they occur. The transmitter lets you interface a...

High-static sensors.(Product News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Rechner Electronics Industries Inc., Niagara Falls, NY, offers the Sensors in Black Series of capacitive sensors designed for level control applications which involve high static charges. Plastic granules and powders such as flour and grain can...

Fiber piezocomposites.(Readers' Choice)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Smart Material Corp., Osprey, FL, offers 1-3 piezoceramic-polymer fiber composites that combine PZT 5A1 and 5H2 piezoceramics with Araldit 2020 and Araldit D polymers. The resulting transducers can operate in both quasistatic and ultrasound...

Mel's picks.(www.arnoldmagnetics.com/mtc/index.htm)(www.palowireless.com/bluetooth)(www.premierpneumatics.com)
November 1, 2004... I've mentioned Group Arnold's Magnetics Technology Center before, but it's well worth mentioning again. Should you find yourself in need of information about magnets and magnetics, this site is an excellent starting point. You'll find white...