One sensing tool that has played an important role since the beginning of COVID-19 is data logging. Data loggers use a wide variety of sensors to measure everything from temperature to illuminance. One specific type of data logger equipped with a CO2 sensor has been used since the beginning of the pandemic to monitor and […]
Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)
What is the difference between a pressure sensor and a load cell?
A load cell is a type of force sensor and it has a direct relationship to pressure, since: pressure = force/area Eq. 1 The load cell’s electrical output is proportional to the mechanical force applied to it. The force can be hydraulic or pneumatic and the transducer is normally based on strain gauges. Other types […]
How have drone sensors advanced?
Large Predator B drones, built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and first flown in 2001, are used by the military to perform multi-mission Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions over land or sea. Sensing payloads in the MQ-9A Predator B remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), include: Multi-Spectral Targeting System Model B (MTS-B) Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR), Lynx multi-mode […]
Undersea optical-fiber cables do double-duty as seismic sensors, Part 2: Application
A research team has devised and tested a scheme based on advanced optical-physics principles, which uses active submarine optical-fiber data cables also to sense ocean-floor earthquakes and ocean-surface swells. The previous part of this article established the context for “piggybacking” seismic-sensing capabilities onto an existing undersea fiber-optic cable. This part looks in more detail at […]
Undersea optical-fiber cables do double-duty as seismic sensors, Part 1: Context
A research team has devised and tested a scheme based on advanced optical-physics principles which uses active submarine optical-fiber data cables to also sense ocean-floor earthquakes and ocean-surface swells. Sensing of physical parameters such as temperature, pressure, force, and velocity often brings a “split personality” analysis. On one hand, getting a reading of the basic […]
What is the difference between a thermal IR sensor and a quantum IR sensor?
Infrared radiation (IR) can be detected by thermal IR and quantum IR sensors. A thermal IR sensor uses infrared energy as heat for detection and its sensitivity is independent of wavelengths. Therefore, it can detect objects in the near IR, mid IR, and far IR bands. The non-contact detectors do not require cooling after exposure […]
What is the difference between active and passive RFID?
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags are used to track and identify personnel (including implanted RFID) and inventory/assets in warehouses, work-in-process (WIP) in manufacturing plants, animals in laboratories, on farms or in the wild and to provide access control and for automatic toll collection for vehicles in consumer as well as government applications. The RFID tag is […]
ICs for interfacing inductive sensors, Part 2
Designers who use inductive proximity sensors have a choice of high-performance signal-conditioning interface ICs, each offering different sets of features, functions, and capabilities. The first part of this article discussed some of the sensing opportunities and looked at an IC from Texas Instruments. This part looks at ICs from Renesas and Microchip Technology. Renesas IPS2550 […]
ICs for interfacing inductive sensors, Part 1
Designers who use inductive proximity sensors have a choice of high-performance signal-conditioning interface ICs, each offering different sets of features, functions, and capabilities. In the two preceding features (see Related EEWorld Content), we looked at the inductive proximity sensor and its basic operation but did not look at the electronic interface circuit for this widely […]
How can the new temperature-sensitive COVID-19 vaccines’ temperatures be ensured?
The newly developed COVID-19 vaccines require low temperature storage to ensure their efficacy. For the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) specifically states that it should be stored in an ultra-cold freezer, thermal shipping container or refrigerator. The ultra-cold freezer’s temperature should be maintained between -80°C and -60°C (-112°F and […]