New Conference Addresses Smart Sensors Technology Industry

The inaugural SENSORS Tech Forum will be held October 10-12, 2011 at the Sheraton Hotel, Boston Massachusetts.  Focusing on sensors and sensor-based systems, the conference targets Product and System Design Engineers providing 32 conference sessions with four separate tracks: Aerospace, Defense and Harsh Environment; Optics and Imaging; Smart Sensors; and Wireless Technology/Sensor Networking and Integration.

In addition to the technical conference and exhibit, the forum includes all-day pre-conference session on Monday, October 10 that will address MEMS-Enabled High Volume Commercialization Opportunities. Organized by well-known sensor and MEMS industry expert,and marketing consultant, Roger Grace of Roger Grace Associates, the pre-conference session will have presentations from representatives of leading international companies who are bringing new and unique MEMS technologies to the market that will address quickly emerging application opportunities.

For more information on the SENSORS Tech Forum, click here.

Sensor Market Grows with Consumer and Automotive Demands

Market research firm Databeans forecasts the sensors and MEMs market to reach $19.1 billion by 2016 with a 10% compound annual growth rate. Driven by strong growth trends in consumer and automotive applications, the consumer segment is forecasted to increase to $853 million by the end of 2012 and automotive to $203 million. Different forces are impacting the growth in the two market segments.

In automotive, U.S. regulations requiring Electronic Stability Systems (ESC) and Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) in every production vehicle provide a guaranteed increase. However, other systems such as powertrain also require increased sensors as well.

For consumer applications, growing demand for smart phones and tablet PCs that have gyroscopes, accelerometers, touch sensors, GPS, and magnetic field sensors has made consumer the largest market for sensors.

For more information about Databeans market tracker report “Q3-2011 Sensors and MEMS”, click here.

A Single-Chip Passive IR Temperature Sensor

Analog Devices Offers Trio of New Gyros

Three new gyroscopes from Analog Devices, Inc. provide new design options. Using differential quad-sensor technology to reject the influence of linear acceleration and vibration, the MEMS gyros have exceptionally accurate and reliable rate sensing even in severe shock and vibration ambients.

Rated at ±250°/s, the ADXRS642 brings improved vibration and shock immunity performance to existing ADI iMEMS gyroscope applications.

The ADXRS646 gyro has a measurement range of ±250°/s with 1 kHz bandwidth and 8°/hr drift with low broadband noise.

The ADXRS649  offers the highest rate of rotation sensing available with ±20,000°/sec and fast 3 millisecond (ms) start-up time for quick power cycling.

Monitoring the Quality and Blending Accuracy of Fuels

If you can measure fuel density what else can you do? One thing is make a fuel density meter. That’s exactly what Integrated Sensing Systems, Inc. (ISSYS) has done. Using its microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology, ISSYS FuelSense meter can measure the different densities of ethanol, biodiesel and gasoline and monitor their purity and mixing ratio. 

With UL, cUL and ATEX certification for flammable liquid and gas applications, airports will be among the first places to start using these meters to monitor jet fuel. The technology can also be used for hydrogen and methane applications for density and concentration of binary gas mixtures.  

For more information on ISSYS FuelSense Density Meter, click here.

Motion Sensing Monitors Swimming Activity

Using motion sensing technology, FINIS Swimsense Performance Monitor automatically detects and distinguishes stroke types, and records the number of laps swum, total distance, calories burned, lap time, pace and stroke count. The monitor fits in a watchband form factor and uses accelerometers, magnetometers and patent-pending proprietary algorithms to identify the user’s swim. The swimmer simply uploads swim data to the Swimsense Training Log to analyze distance, calories, different stroke types, pace, stroke count and SWOLF (swimming efficiency) score. Designed for fitness enthusiasts and recreational swimmers to elite swimmers and triathletes, they can view their current workout while they swim and up to 14 past workouts/swims on the Swimsense monitor

For more information about FINIS Swimsense Performance Monitor, click here.

Measure Industrial Differential Line Pressures up to 2,000 PSI

It’s amazing how much information a sensor’s package conveys regarding its application. American Sensor Technologies, Inc. (AST) AST5400 screams industrial, high pressure. In fact, the wet / wet differential pressure sensor can measure line pressures up to 2,000 PSI. With microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology as the sensing mechanism, the package uses Krystal Bond Technology to avoid silicone oil, O-rings or welds. 

To measure differential pressure across a filter, monitor level in a sealed or vented tank, or calculate flow across an orifice plate, the sensor has turndown ratio of 15 to 1 and can be used in place of two gauge pressure sensors.

For more information the AST5400, click here.

A MEMS Update from Roger Grace

Highly Integrated MEMS-Based Motion Sensing

Motion sensing is at the heart of several new features in consumer products including cell phone, tablet PCs and games. InvenSense has been a major player in these applications but its newest product family makes motion sensing even easier to design and manufacturer. MPU-6000 product family integrates a 3-axis gyroscope and a 3-axis accelerometer on the same silicon die together with an onboard Digital Motion Processor (DMP). The DMP can process the complex 9-axis sensor fusion algorithms required for motion sensing. Offered in a 4x4x0.9 mm QFN package, the MPU-6000’s sensor fusion algorithms utilize an external magnetometer output through its master I2C bus to provide dead reckoning functionality.

For more information on InvenSense MPU-6000 product family, click here.

An Update on MEMS Sensors

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