Accurate measurement of rotary shaft motion, including position, velocity, and acceleration, is crucial in numerous applications. This is typically achieved by incorporating a rotary encoder into the motor or shaft assembly. While “rotary encoder” is often abbreviated to “encoder,” it should not be confused with other electromechanical or electronic encoding devices used for data format […]
FAQ
FAQ on thermistors for temperature sensing
The thermistor is a widely used temperature sensor and an attractive alternative to thermocouples and RTDs — but only in some applications. Temperature is the most commonly assessed and measured physical parameter; if you add all the consumer, industrial, commercial, medical, food-related, product tests and measurements, and other places where it needs to be sensed. […]
Sensors in American football can help the game
By Anson Yeganegi and Song Li, InvenSense, a TDK company Sensors can improve player safety and performance through data collection. Both soccer and American football have embraced advanced technologies to varying degrees, including the use of sensors to elevate tracking and data collection in both games. For instance, the first sensor-enabled game ball using Connected […]
What sensors are used in pizza ovens and prep areas?
Sensors monitor the temperature of pizza ovens and preparation (prep) areas. They also monitor and control the speed of pizza movement in conveyor ovens. A variety of sensor technologies are used in specific types of pizza ovens and for specific purposes. This article briefly reviews the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Safety Modernization […]
What are the types and uses of position and angle sensors in an EV?
Position and angle sensors are used in several electric vehicle (EV) components, including the traction motor and drivetrain, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning (HVAC) compressor, steer-by-wire, brake-by-wire, regenerative braking, accelerator position, active headlight aiming, active suspension systems, and more. This FAQ reviews some position and angle sensing technologies and how the use cases differ between internal combustion […]
Automotive airflow analysis reveals virtues & limits of sensors, models, and simulations
Design verification requires sophisticated models, the simulation they offer, and real-world validation of their results. Sensors and sensing for real-world physical parameters form a large part of the electronics scene, but it’s easy to confuse them. A senior project leader I once worked with always reminded us that “sensors are easy, but sensing is hard,” […]
The why and how of 4-wire Kelvin sensing: part 2
Early electricity investigators cleverly solved the challenge of measuring milliohm resistances or microvolt changes in voltage across a resistor over 150 years ago. This part continues the exploration of 4-wire Kelvin sensing. Read Part 1 here. Q: What did Lord Kelvin do? A: He realized that using a single combined path for forcing the current […]
The why and how of 4-wire Kelvin sensing: part 1
Early electricity investigators cleverly solved the challenge of measuring milliohm resistances or microvolt changes in voltage across a resistor over 150 years ago. Engineers, scientists, and researchers must often reduce imperfections and associated inaccuracies in test and measurement situations. Among the techniques they have used to do this are: Use better, more accurate components with […]
What kinds of sensors use superconducting Josephson junctions?
Bolometers based on superconducting Josephson junctions (JJs) can be used for several types of sensors, including transition edge sensors, Josephson escape sensors, and radiation threshold detectors. This article first presents the structure of a basic bolometer and then looks at how that structure can be varied to produce different types of sensors. A bolometer is […]
How is a transition edge sensor used in astrophysics?
A transition edge sensor (TES) is a microcalorimeter based on superconductivity. Compared with alternative technologies like energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), a TES can provide higher resolution measurements and resolve emission lines at closely adjacent energies. In astrophysics, TES is used to measure the relative abundance of elements like boron, carbon, and oxygen versus silicon […]
