There’s a wide range of vibration sensor technologies, and each technology has unique performance characteristics that make it suited for a specific type of applications ranging from mobile devices to machine condition monitoring and automotive safety testing. This FAQ reviews vibration and accelerometer sensor technologies including charge mode versus voltage mode piezoelectric sensors, MEMS devices, […]
Featured
What are ten key parameters of audio system performance?
Ten key parameters of audio system performance include efficiency, frequency response, total harmonic distortion, intermodulation distortion, phase distortion, transient distortion, transient response, dynamic range, sound pressure level, and sound power level. This FAQ reviews how each of these parameters is specified and measured and closes with a look at how safe sound levels are specified […]
What are the subtleties of using accelerometers as vibration sensors?
Accelerometers are deceptively simple-looking devices but are complex electromechanical systems. But there are numerous mechanical, environmental, electronic, and application-related factors to consider when using accelerometers. This FAQ reviews several of the subtleties that need to be considered when using accelerometers as vibration sensors and closes with a look at the ISO/IEC/IEEE 21451-4:2010 standard for Transducer […]
When to use sound pressure and when to use sound intensity measurements
Sound pressure, sound intensity, and sound power are three different ways to quantify sound. This FAQ begins by defining each one, looks at various types of measurement techniques that can be used to quantify them, presents a range of international testing standards for measuring sound, looks at instruments used for measuring sound pressure and intensity, […]
How can sensors protect vulnerable areas? Part 1
Clean air and water are essential for life. Protecting these valuable, essential elements, starts with sensors to detect threats from intentional or unintentional contamination. Today, available sensing technologies target different locations/areas to ensure the safe ongoing supply of fresh air and water. Using a variety of different sensing techniques, the key to broad and localized […]
How can sensors help an electrolyzer provide green hydrogen?
Energy storage is an essential part of the pursuit for the increased use of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, geothermal and hydroelectric power. Electrolyzers allow hydrogen-based storage and avoid the reliance on batteries and their raw materials such as lithium, graphite and cobalt that are frequently sourced from China. When renewable energy sources […]
How do sensors improve home appliances? Part 2
Part 1 of this blog discussed sensors in the laundry room in washing machines and dryers. In the kitchen, similar to the laundry room, basic functions can be designed in using established sensing techniques. In the typical home, the refrigerator is the second-largest consumer of electricity (13.7%), with the air conditioner being number one. So, […]
How do sensors improve home appliances? Part 1
Today’s home appliances are increasingly connected for remote monitoring and control and smarter due, in part, to numerous sensors. The sensors help even lower-end appliances implement their basic functions and, more importantly, enable smarter, top-end appliances. While sensors provide these capabilities for several home appliances, this two-part series will describe sensing functions for large appliances […]
What are submersible sensors?
The International Electrotechnical Commission’s (IEC’s) standard IEC 60529 (and International Organization for Standardization’s ISO 20653) identifies the ability of an electronic device (sensor) to withstand water or dust intrusion with IP68, IP69 and IP69K ratings. An IP68 product should prevent or withstand water ingression for a depth exceeding 1 meter as specified by the manufacturer […]
When should passive or active RFID be used?
The main difference between passive and active radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags is the absence (passive) or presence (active) of an internal power source. Because of these primary differences, there are several secondary differences. Understanding these differences is the key to properly selecting the most appropriate RFID system for a specific application. Passive RFID Since they […]