The right materials are essential to achieve the desired sensor electrical performance, especially in many more demanding, high performance applications. Part 1 showed the performance impact of different sensor materials on infrared (IR) optical sensors. Radio frequency (RF) sensors also provide some interesting examples of a material’s impact on sensor performance. With expanding RF applications […]
How can force sensing be integrated for Industry 4.0 upgrades?
Upgrading facilities to industry 4.0 standards is one of the most significant trends in the manufacturing industry today. To do this, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are pushing hard to renovate their facilities with connected, automated devices and machines to create greater efficiency and cost savings. Smarter devices can ease the transition. For example, force measurement […]
How do materials impact a sensor’s performance?
For harsh environments, materials provide the difference between survival and failure by addressing thermal, chemical and mechanical operating requirements. However, the right materials are also essential to achieve the desired sensor electrical performance, especially in many more demanding, high performance applications. This starts with the sensing element and extends to the packaging. As one of […]
How do microphone sensors fit into a smart home?
A quick search for “sensors in the smart home” can easily identify dozens of sensors – primarily for sensing physical properties. The results could be one of many specific sensing technologies or specific products. For example, one search showed: Fire/CO detection Leak/moisture detection Window & door open and close Video doorbell Smart thermostat Motion sensors […]
What sensors make the latest Waymo Driver smarter?
You may read about the 5th-generation Waymo Driver but until you see one on the road, it is hard to appreciate the extent of its sensing capabilities. Sensors are visible everywhere on the all-electric Jaguar I-Pace SUV. In fact, each visible mounting location has more than one sensor. To consistently obtain the amount of information […]
What is the newest use for radar in automobiles?
The use of radar in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) including adaptive cruise control (ACC), automatic emergency braking (AEB), pedestrian and cyclist detection and more has been widespread for many years. In these external vehicle applications, radar detects the speed and range of objects in the vicinity of the vehicle and typically operates at 77 […]
What is the difference between variable reluctance and eddy current speed sensors?
Both variable reluctance (VR) and eddy current (EC) technologies provide contactless speed sensors based on interaction with a magnetic field. A variable reluctance sensor can be thought of as an ac generator with an output voltage proportional to speed. With its self-generating electrical signal, a VR sensor does not require an external power supply. The […]
How can environmental monitoring be improved?
With its recently announced Exo Sense Pi, Sfera Labs s.r.l. provides its answer to this question. It is a multi-sensor module with the Raspberry Pi 4 as its computing core. Offering specialized sensors and interfaces, the system provides easy and versatile integration with wide communication protocols support. Sensors for the Exo Sense Pi include: temperature […]
How is the MEMS industry doing?
It was a tough year in 2020 and now there are semiconductor shortages in 2021. So, with all that has and is going on, how is it impacting the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) industry? MEMS technology accounts for many different types of sensors as well as actuators. To find out, Roger Grace, president of Roger Grace […]
How is human-powered wearable electronics progressing?
Researchers continue to search for improved solutions to power the many wireless, wearable sensing devices that are being developed to avoid frequent, or as frequent, charging and/or battery replacement. Two of the prominent research areas include thermoelectric generators (TEGs) and piezoelectric energy harvesters. With wearable thermoelectric generators (TEGs), the amount of thermo‐generated power strongly depends […]
