Using the ProximaRF DVK90129 reader and evaluation kit, developers can immediately read and write code to the RFID IC using a plug and play USB high frequency reader without any additional design requirements. In addition to the USB desktop HF RF reader, the kit includes an XML-based API to simplify sensor interface, ready-to-use dashboard demo tools and the RFID-enabled sensor evaluation board with thermometer, light sensor and potentiometer.

For more information about ProximaRF DVK90129 RFID Sensor Kit, click here.

For more information about ProximaRF RFID products & services including starter kits, click here.

For more information on Temperature@lert Cellular Edition go to: http://www.temperaturealert.com/Remote-Temperature/Temperature-Alert-Cellular-Sensor.aspx

In addition to monitoring valve position status, the wireless sensor can also be used for manual process valve position, safety shower and eye bath notification, tank overflow alarms, , gate/door position, and other applications.

For more information on the XYR6000 Wireless Position Sensor go to: http://sensing.honeywell.com/index.cfm/ci_id/157437/la_id/1.htm

The 16-bit precision and on-chip DSP-based linearization make the ZSSC3017 accurate enough for demanding applications such as portable altimeter and barometer systems and weather forecasting equipment. In heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, its precision permits accurate sensing of airflow within buildings, allowing better and more energy-efficient building heating and cooling. New types of consumer items, such as motion sensing sport equipment or multi-function watches also benefit from the ZSSC3017’s precision. In medical products, medical gas control, medical infusion pumps, ambulatory non-invasive pump systems, and occlusion detection systems all require this level of precision.

“We developed the ZSSC3017 based on our proven 12- and 14-bit sensor signal conditioners to enable our customers to increase the resolution and accuracy of their products,” stated Dr. Marko Mailand, project manager at ZMDI. “Intelligent power management capabilities by respective operation modes support the design of energy efficient applications.”

Technical Features

The conversion characteristics of resistive sensor bridges are generally non-linear and temperature-dependent. Sophisticated signal processing for amplification, linearization and compensation of the effects of the temperature is required. To deliver the highest possible accuracy, the ZSSC3017 features an analog front-end with multiple flexible programming options, including an on-chip temperature sensor and fully differential signal paths. The IC topology uses a second-order charge-balancing ADC leading to less than ±0.5% (FSO) accuracy error over the full industrial temperature range of -40 to +85°C.

A fully programmable differential gain amplifier optimally works with sensor signal ranges from 12.5-160mV/V. The device can be adapted to different sensor signal range centres and features an internal auto-compensated temperature sensor. An on-chip 18-bit DSP implements the calibration math and sophisticated second-order error correction for temperature offset, drift, and non-linearity. All calibration data is stored in on-chip EEPROM, and the system can be re-calibrated in the field. Performing all of the error correction in the ZSSC3017 allows the device to deliver a fully-corrected digital output signal, which simplifies designing the rest of the system and minimizes the bill of materials as well as system power consumption.

ZMDI’s unique one-shot calibration concept minimizes calibration costs. Calibration is accomplished easily with a PC-based program using a two-wire, I2C-based interface, and can be done at high speed in production. No external trimming components are required, which reduces the bill of materials and manufacturing costs. ZMDI’s development kit makes it simple to implement calibration routines.

The ZSSC3017 operates on supply voltages from 2.7 to 5.5 volts and over a temperature range of -40°C to +85°C. Accuracy is ±0.50% FSO over the full temperature range. Noise performance of far less than 1.5µV (rms, input-referred) is possible. Power consumption during sleep mode is below 2 µA at 25°C. The layout of the ZSSC3017 is customized for die bonding with a sensor.

www.zmdi.com

Known as the SENSIMED Triggerfish®, the solution is based on a “smart” contact lens that uses a tiny embedded strain gauge to monitor the curvature of the eye over a period of, typically, 24 hours, providing valuable disease management data that is not currently obtainable using conventional ophthalmic equipment.

Glaucoma(3), the second most common cause of blindness around the world, is an irreversible progressive disease of the optic nerve that can eventually lead to blindness.  Although it cannot be cured, its progress can be controlled once it is diagnosed and treated properly. The standard test is the measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP), using an instrument known as a tonometer, during periodic visits to an ophthalmologist. However, the tonometer may fail to detect an elevated IOP, especially in glaucoma patients, because the pressure varies during the day and often peaks during sleep or outside of office hours. As a result, the disease is often diagnosed only after significant damage to the optic nerve has already occurred, and the disease keeps progressing in many patients due to inadequate treatment.

Sensimed’s ingenious solution is a two-part system comprising the smart contact lens and a small receiver worn around the patient’s neck.  In addition to the strain gauge the lens contains an antenna, a tiny dedicated processing circuit and an RF transmitter to communicate the measurements to the receiver. The lens is powered via the received radio waves and does not need to be connected to a battery. The embedded components are positioned in the lens in such a way that they do not interfere with the patient’s vision. The lens is fitted by the ophthalmologist and when the patient returns the next day the ophthalmologist removes the lens and receiver, obtaining a complete record of IOP changes over the preceding 24 hours.

The SENSIMED Triggerfish® has obtained the CE mark(4), is currently running numerous application trials, and is commercially available in selected centers.  ”The device is easy to use and has facilitated and improved patient care substantially,” said Dr.Kaweh Mansouri who has been using the Triggerfish at the University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland.

ST engineers are now working with Sensimed to translate this breakthrough technology into a reliable commercial MEMS product ready for mass production. ST expects the development of the MEMS sensor to be completed in Q2 2010 and manufacturing to start in Q3 2010, with availability outside trials to doctors and patients subject to regulatory approvals. Sensimed and ST anticipate progressively rolling out the product country-by-country across Europe beginning in Q3 and entering the US market by the end of 2011.

www.st.com

Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent and can cause a wide range of symptoms in humans, including lacrimation, irritation of the mucous membranes in the mouth, throat, and bronchial tubes, headaches, coughing and even deterioration in lung function.

The main sources of ozone pollution are industrial and transport emissions. Particularly in warmer weather, these react with intensive UV radiation to form ground-level ozone.

But laser printers and copiers, machines so prevalent in modern-day offices, can also emit ozone.

The European Commission has announced its intention to cut the guideline value for ozone in the air from the current level of 90 parts per billion to 60 parts per billion by 2010, and when this new regulation comes into force, there will be an increased demand for inexpensive ozone sensors.

But, according to project manager Dr. Volker Cimalla of the IAF, “Since ozone is, at the same time, an agent with high application potential, novel sensors are required, which have to be compact and affordable.”

Sensors are essential equipment in industrial settings such as wastewater treatment facilities and water sterilization units, where they are used to monitor the ozone concentration – firstly to ensure the required concentration for the relevant application is maintained, and secondly to guard against exceeding hazardous thresholds for humans.

According to Project manager Cimalla, “The ozone sensors currently available on the market employ extremely laborious and complex measuring procedures such as UV absorption and are therefore very expensive.”

“By contrast, the more affordable ozone sensors have to be heated up to 300 degrees Celsius and produce inaccurate readings or only work in limited areas of application,” he said.

“We’ve done away with the need for heating by instead applying blue/violet light radiation to trigger the chemical process necessary for regeneration on the sensor surface. This allows the sensors to operate at room temperature,” he added.

The scientists built on the existing knowledge that molecules absorbed on the surface of a sensing layer alter its electrical resistance – and can also be removed again by light irradiation.

The result is a highly-sensitive, miniaturized sensor capable of measuring the low ozone levels that occur in environmental and ambient air monitoring just as accurately as the high levels associated with industrial process control.

Since the sensor is extremely small, it can even be integrated into mobile equipment.

www.andhranews.net

National Instruments (UK) has announced the NI wireless sensor network (WSN) platform, a complete remote monitoring solution that consists of NI LabVIEW graphical programming software and new reliable, low-power wireless measurement nodes. The adoption of wireless technology for remote monitoring applications is growing, yet engineers and scientists struggle to find an integrated solution that can provide the
required measurement quality, power management and reliable hardware for longterm, remote deployments. The NI WSN platform takes advantage of more than 30 years of NI data acquisition system leadership to deliver an easy-to-use solution that provides high-quality measurement data, the flexibility to manage power consumption and the ability to customise wireless hardware for added functionality. A key differentiator of the platform is LabVIEW software, which integrates seamlessly with the new battery powered, industrial-rated NI WSN measurement nodes that can be deployed in rugged conditions for long periods of time.

Engineers and scientists worldwide are adopting wireless technology to meet distributed and portable measurement applications challenges, such as structural health and environmental monitoring, where wiring is
difficult or cost-prohibitive. With the flexibility of LabVIEW, the NI WSN platform simplifies and accelerates the development of these applications by delivering a drag-and-drop programming environment for configuring
wireless systems, extracting measurements, performing analysis and presenting data. LabVIEW also offers native Web connectivity for remote interaction with wireless systems.

The device Li developed is about the size of a postage stamp and is designed to be plugged in to an iPhone to collect, process and transmit sensor data. The new device is able to detect and identify low concentrations of airborne ammonia, chlorine gas and methane. The device senses chemicals in the air using a “sample jet” and a multiple-channel silicon-based sensing chip, which consists of 16 nanosensors, and sends detection data to another phone or a computer via telephone communication network or Wi-Fi.

www.nasa.gov

The objective of the SBIR is to develop a comprehensive and networked health management capability that can be embedded directly into rotorcraft components. The project will support the development and demonstration of tiny, wireless energy harvesting radio frequency identification (EH-RFID™) nodes that provide part identification, performance monitoring, on-board storage of component usage history, and remaining useful life.

Energy harvesting combined with advanced wireless sensors represents a breakthrough technology that enables truly autonomous monitoring, reporting, and alerting. The new EH-RFID™ nodes to be developed under this Army SBIR will be compatible with MicroStrain’s new wireless sensor data aggregators (WSDA™), which synch wireless sensor networks and provide a remote portal to a secure server. WSDA™ devices feature an open architecture interface for integration with existing health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS), and stand-alone operation modes for data collection on aircraft without HUMS. WSDAs™ can also be programmed to send e-mail and SMS text message alerts if a potentially damaging event is detected.

“One of the unique aspects of this Phase I SBIR is that the EH-RFID™ sensor nodes consume very little energy, facilitating continuous operation using highly miniaturized energy harvesters. Our wireless, battery free RFIDs will break down the barriers to deploying widely distributed wireless sensor networks. Once embedded, these tiny sensors will reduce maintenance costs, increase mission readiness, and enhance safety”, said Steve Arms, President of MicroStrain.

MicroStrain
www.microstrain.com