With over 90 forest fires raging along the West Coast, you may feel safe and think you do not need to check the air quality index (AQI) if you don’t live in that region. Think again! A recent satellite image shows that the smoke already extends all the way to Michigan. Don’t smell any smoke? […]
Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)
Smart sensors advancements bring new possibilities to industrial automation
By Cliff Ortmeyer, Global Head of Technical Marketing at Newark Sensors are one of the most critical elements of electronic design for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications as, without them, devices have no input (beyond manual human intervention). The good news is that design engineers can now access state-of-the-art sensors that can radically transform […]
What is the Air Quality Index? Pt 1
Depending on where you live, your age, sensitivity to airborne constituents and other factors, the air quality index (AQI) could be something that you monitor frequently. In the U.S., the AQI developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a nationally uniform color-coded index for reporting air quality. Air agencies use the AQI report and […]
What is the MEMS report card for 2019?
Input for the 21st Annual MEMS Industry Commercialization Report Card Study (for 2019) is currently being requested. Compiled by Roger Grace, President of Roger Grace Associates, the purpose of the Report Card is to provide microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) industry participants with an objective assessment of the critical success factors over time for MEMS and to […]
What are inertial sensors?
Inertial sensors are used to transduce inertial force into measurable electrical signals to measure acceleration, inclination, and vibration of an object. Micromachining technology has made it possible to produce MEMS (Micro Electromechanical System) inertial sensors using single-crystal silicon sensor elements. These micron-sized sensors meet all major system design drivers like low-cost, high performance, high precision, […]
What is a Sensor HAT?
HAT is a three-letter acronym (TLA) for hardware attached on top: the terminology used for a hardware specification for add-on modules for the Raspberry Pi model B+. With a HAT, no soldering is required, so the module simply plugs onto the Raspberry Pi. Taking advantage of this design concept and the popularity of the Raspberry […]
Kelvin 4-Wire sensing solves the “IR Drop” problem
Novice engineers usually don’t learn about this problem and its solution in school, but “practicing” ones learn about it soon enough! Problem: I need to determine the change in resistance of a low-resistance sensor located many meters away. My plan was simply to apply a known voltage across the thin-wire sensor leads and measure the […]
LVDT position sensor, Part 2: Characteristics
The linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) is a widely used, inherently rugged, linear-position sensor offering accurate and consistent performance over a wide span of distances. Part 1 of this FAQ looked at the basic operation of the LVDT. This part looks at some of its other performance attributes and characteristics. Q: What does an LVDT […]
LVDT position sensor, Part 1: basics and principles
The linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) is a widely used, inherently rugged, linear-position sensor offering accurate and consistent performance over a wide span of distances. Sensing of physical position is among the most commonly needed parameters in industrial, military/aerospace, robotics, scientific measurement, and control applications, and there are many sensors in use to accomplish this. […]
How can engineered substrates accelerate sensor designs?
Silicon on insulator (SOI) substrates are the starting point for fabricating many sensors. One company offering a portfolio of advanced engineered substrates presents an interesting design alternative to customers. IceMOS Technology Ltd of Belfast Northern Ireland has a very attractive alternative to unprocessed starting wafers. Outsourced engineered substrates enable a company to expand their MEMS […]