Sensors, Transducers and Detectors Reference Materials
Reference Articles 2701 - 2800 of 3086
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Designing Operational Amplifier Oscillator Circuits For Sensor Applications
Description: Operational amplifier (op amp) oscillators can be used to accurately measure resistive and capacitive sensors. Oscillator design can be simplified by using the procedure discussed in this application ...
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Implementing Temperature-Based Variable Fan Speed Control in NLX Power Supplies
Description: The NLX Power Supply Specification released by Intel Corp. defines the requirements for next-generation PC system power supplies. There are several enhancements outlined in this specification as ...
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Inductively Coupled Thermistor
Description: This application note describes a temperature sensor using a PICmicro® microcontroller. This temperature sensor is unique because it can work through non-ferromagnetic walls. Interfacing to a ...
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KEELOQ® Encoders Oscillator Calibration
Description: Several KEELOQ® Encoders of recent introduction, offer the ability to calibrate the internal RC clock oscillator, upon which all the device timings are based. At the time of writing this ...
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LDO Thermal Considerations
Description: Battery-operated equipment (most notably cell phones and notebook computers) have created a strong demand for linear regulators in small packages. While such packages save space, they also have poor ...
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Monitoring Multiple Temperature Nodes Using TC74 Thermal Sensors and a PIC16C505
Description: The TC74 is a serially accessible digital temperature sensor that can determine temperatures in the range of 25°C to 85°C with ±2° absolute accuracy or 0°C to 125°C with ±3° absolute accuracy. ...
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Sensing Light with a Programmable Gain Amplifier
Description: Photo sensors bridge the gap between light and electronics. Microchip's Programmable Gain Amplifiers (PGAs) are not well suited for precision applications (such as CT scanners), but they can be ...
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Simplified Thermocouple Interfaces and PICmicro® MCUs
Description: Thermocouples are the simplest form of temperature sensors. Thermocouples are normally: * Very inexpensive * Easily manufactured * Effective over a wide range of temperatures Thermocouples come in ...
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Solving Sensor Offset Problems (TC7106)
Description: Design engineers sometimes have to interface the TC7106 and similar ADCs to non-ideal sensors.A very common problem is that the sensor often does not give a zero output where the design wants a zero ...
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Solving Thermal Measurement Problems Using The TC72 And TC77 Digital Silicon Temperature Sensors
Description: The TC72 and TC77 are CMOS silicon temperature sensors that provide an accurate digital temperature measurement to solve thermal measurement problems. Data is converted from an internal diode ...
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Temperature Sensing With A Programmable Gain Amplifier
Description: Although it is simple to measure temperature in a stand-alone system without the help of Microchip?s Programmable Gain Amplifiers (PGA), a variety of problems can be eliminated by implementing ...
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Temperature Sensing With A Programmable Gain Amplifier
Description: Although it is simple to measure temperature in a stand-alone system without the help of Microchip?s Programmable Gain Amplifiers (PGA), a variety of problems can be eliminated by implementing ...
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Temperature Sensor Backgrounder
Description: History has shown that consumers have an almost insatiable appetite for even greater computing horsepower. If you're old enough to remember, the mere thought of cryptic DOS software programs creeping ...
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Tire Pressure Monitoring (TPM) System
Description: This document explains a typical tire pressure monitoring(TPM) system specifically intended for automotive use. It serves as a reference to design a real-world system based on various Microchip ...
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Implementation of a DSP-based 20-bit High Resolution Quasi-Absolute Encoder for Low-Speed Feedback Control Applications - White Paper (.pdf)
Description: Absolute encoders using optical technology often face limitations in resolution and size. For example, to achieve a higher resolution of up to 16-bits, the absolute encoder has to be combined with an ...
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Implementing Ohmmeter/Temperature Sensor
Description: This application note describes a method forimplementing an ohmmeter or resistance type temperature sensor using the PIC16C5X series of microcontrollers. The ohmmeter requires only two external ...
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Interfacing the TC77 Thermal Sensor to a PICmicro® Microcontroller
Description: Silicon temperature sensors offer an easy-to-use alternative to traditional temperature sensors, such as thermocouple, thermistors and RTDs. The TC77 SPI™ Thermal Silicon Sensor is especially ...
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Motor Control Sensor Feedback Circuits
Description: Sensors are a critical component in a motor control system. They are used to sense the current, position, speed and direction of the rotating motor. Recent advancements in sensor technology have ...
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Oscillator Circuits For RTD Temperature Sensors
Description: This application note shows how to design a temperature sensor oscillator circuit using Microchip's low-cost MCP6001 operational amplifier (op amp) and the MCP6541 comparator. Oscillator circuits can ...
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Solving Thermal Measurement Problems Using The TC72 And TC77 Digital Silicon Temperature Sensors
Description: The TC72 and TC77 are CMOS silicon temperature sensors that provide an accurate digital temperature measurement to solve thermal measurement problems. Data is converted from an internal diode ...
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Temperature Measurement Circuits for Embedded Applications
Description: This application note shows how to select a temperature sensor and conditioning circuit to maximize the measurement accuracy and simplify the interface to the microcontroller. Practical circuits and ...
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Thermistor Temperature Sensing with MCP6S2X PGA
Description: This application note shows two circuits that use a precise, negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor for temperature measurement. The thermistor is placed in a resistive divider to linearize ...
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Application Circuits of the TC620/TC621Solid-State Temperature Sensors
Description: The TC620/TC621are solid-state temperature sensors that are easy to program and interface with control equipment. The TC620 senses the temperature internally, while the TC621 uses an external ...
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Applications of the TC62X Solid-State Temperature Sensors
Description: Sensing temperature and comparing that temperature to preset limits is the basis for a variety of problems that designers face in system design and process control. Conventional temperature sensing ...
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KEELOQ Code Hopping Decoder Using Secure Learn
Description: All KEELOQ encoders use the KEELOQ code hopping technology to make each transmission by an encoder unique. The encoder transmissions have two parts. The first part changes each time the encoder is ...
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KEELOQ® CRC Verification Routines
Description: All of the KEELOQ Encoders share the same standard code word format composed of a basic set of 65 bits of information. Although, the Advanced Encoders (e.g. HCS360, HCS361) supplement that set with ...
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Precision Temperature-Sensing With RTD Circuits
Description: The most widely measured phenomena in the process control environment is temperature. Common elements, such as Resistance Temperature Detectors (RTDs), thermistors, thermocouples or diodes are used to ...
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Thermistors in Single Supply Temperature Sensing Circuits
Description: There is a variety of temperature sensors on the market all of which meet specific application needs. The most common sensors that are used to solve these application problems include the ...
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Analog Sensor Conditioning Circuits - An Overview
Description: Analog sensors produce a change in an electrical property to indicate a change in its environment. This change in electrical property needs to be conditioned by an analog circuit before conversion to ...
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Interfacing a TC1047A Analog Output Temperature Sensor to a PICmicro® Microcontroller
Description: Analog output silicon temperature sensors offer an easy-to-use alternative to traditional temperature sensors, such as thermistors. The TC1047A offers many system-level advantages, including the ...
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Interfacing a TC1047A Analog Output Temperature Sensor to a PICmicro® Microcontroller
Description: Analog output silicon temperature sensors offer an easy-to-use alternative to traditional temperature sensors, such as thermistors. The TC1047A offers many system-level advantages, including the ...
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Interfacing the MCP9800 I2C Digital Temperature Sensor to a PICmicro Microcontroller
Description: The MCP9800 is a digital CMOS silicon temperature sensor that provides an accurate digital temperature measurement. Data is converted from an internal diode temperature-sensing element to a digital ...
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Can Design Example: Simple Sensor Node
Description: The CAN bus (Controller Area Network) protocol was designed to be a high-speed, reliable communication protocol for command and control network applications. Microchip offers a complete line of ...
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Detecting Small Capacitive Sensors Using the MCP6291 and PIC16F690 Devices
Description: This application note shows how to use a PICmicro® microcontroller and minimal external circuitry to detect small capacitances. The design is based on an operational amplifier (op amp) ...
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Modular PICmicro® Mid-Range MCU Code Hopping Decoder
Description: This application note describes a KEELOQ® code hopping decoder implemented on a Microchip Mid-Range PICmicro microcontroller (PIC16CE624). The software has been designed as a group of independent ...
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Precision RTD Instrumentation for Temperature Sensing
Description: AN1154 Precision RTD Instrumentation for Temperature Sensing SOLUTION Author: Ezana Haile Microchip Technology Inc. This solution uses a common reference voltage to bias the RTD and the ADC which ...
- Temperature Sensor Design Guide
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Temperature Sensor Strategies Keep System Thermal Problems in Check
Description: Various concerns must be addressed when dealing with temperature sensing applications, which fall into two broad categories: precision temperature measurement and system thermal management. Precision ...
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Voltage Supervisors Design Guide
Description: The wide range of Microchip's family of Voltage Supervisors and Voltage Detectors gives the systems designers many options of the creation of high-reliability systems. To ease the system designer's ...
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Broadcast FM Radio Tuner for Portable Applications
From: Silicon LabsDescription: This document applies to Si4702/03-C Firmware 19 and greater. Worldwide FM band support (76-108 MHz). Digital low-IF receiver. Frequency synthesizer with integrated VCO. Seek tuning. Automatic ...
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Frequency Modulation (FM) Tutorial
From: Silicon LabsDescription: Edwin H. Armstrong, known as one of the founding fathers of radio technology, invented the superheterodyne radio receiver in 1918 and frequency modulation (FM) in 1933 [1]. These two concepts, along ...
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What's the Difference Between Explosion Proof & Intrinsically Safe?
From: RKI Instruments, Inc.Description: Electrical equipment sometimes must be installed in areas where combustible vapors and gases are used or may be present. These are commonly referred to as "hazardous locations", and are defined by the ...
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Criteria for the Selection of the Proper Distance Sensor Technology
From: Baumer Ltd.Description: An efficient selection of the proper sensor technology for distance measurement becomes more and more important. Continuously increasing requirements to machine capacity and reduced budgets requires a ...
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Choosing Sensors for Medical Applications (.pdf)
Description: The population is growing, people are aging, and modern medical miracles are available in plenty. To support this growth as more and more people seek medical help, there is a need to reduce manual ...
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Chocolate Temper Measurement
From: TRICOR Systems Inc.Description: Many fine papers have been delivered and written about chocolate temper by authors far more knowledgeable than this writer as regards to the chemistry and processes involved in producing the ...
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Hall Sensor - Test Geartooth Sensing
From: HamlinDescription: e best ferrous targets are made of cold-rolled low carbon steel. Sintered-metal targets are also usable, although care must be taken to ensure uniform material composition and density. ...
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Quik-Cal Technology Speeds Tension Measurement Setup (.pdf)
Description: One of the new labor-saving features of DFE's tension indicator and controller products is technology. With the indication and control electronics use front-panel push buttons instead of ...
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Tension Amplifier is Stable and Drift-Free Vs Competition (.pdf)
Description: The TI17C and TI18C tension indicators have had their internal components upgraded and ruggedized over previous generations of tension measurement electronics. Thorough testing shows that they deliver ...
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Commutation of a BLDC Motor with Various Pole-Pairs Can Be Simplified By Using Absolute Encoder Feedback - White Paper (.pdf)
Description: Brushless Direct Current (BLDC) motors are gaining popularity and larger market acceptance. BLDC motors are used in industries such as Industrial Automation Equipments, Consumer, Medical, Automotive, ...
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Cost Effective Gas & Vapor Monitoring in Chemical & Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Facilities
Description: Pharmaceutical facilities use a variety of hazardous gases and solvents in their production processes. Whenever these substances are transported, processed or stored, the potential risks are high for ...
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SIL 101 (Safety Integrity Levels): How Safe Do I Need To Be?
From: General Monitors by MSADescription: The global importance of SIL (Safety Integrity Levels) has grown substantially in the oil/gas, petrochemical and other process industries over the last 10 years. However, for many end users, systems ...
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Accurate Gas Flow Measurement Improves Water Disinfection Process Efficiency
Description: Turning raw water obtained from various ground or surface water supplies into clean potable water fit for human consumption or industrial purposes requires the removal of contamination sources. Such ...
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Flow Switches for Oil/Gas Refinery Water Treatment
Description: The water used in the the cooling units, desalter units, and other water from throughout the plant creates a large amount of wastewater with VOC's that must be treated before it is recycled or ...
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Thermal Mass Flow Meter Improves Refinery Flare Gas Monitoring Accuracy
Description: Releasing combustible vapors and dangerous toxins into the atmosphere can result in emergency plant shutdowns. Such plant closures, which are often mandated by various government agencies, can be ...
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Wastewater Treatment Digester BioGas Flow Measurement
Description: Digester gas is a mixed composition, consisting of methane, CO2 and trace gases. The amount of biogas flowing is a critical process parameter in order to prevent an excessive build-up of gas in the ...
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Ultrasonic Sensors, The Silent Laborers
From: Baumer Ltd.Description: During operation the transducer alternates continuously between transmitting and receiving. If the transmitted switch packets encounter an object the sound is reflected and a small part of the energy ...
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Cold Chain Monitoring - HACCP
From: CAS DataLoggersDescription: Companies that process dairy products, use milk as the main raw material for their production. It is extremely important that milk must be collected, transported and processed under specific ...
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Accelerometer Mounting Considerations
Description: An accelerometer is an instrument that senses the motion of a surface to which it is attached, producing an electrical output signal precisely analogous to that motion. The ability to couple motion, ...
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Back-to-Back Accelerometer Calibration
Description: To calibrate a vibration accelerometer is to accurately determine its sensitivity (in mV/g or pC/g) at various frequencies of interest. The ISA approved back-toback comparison method is probably the ...
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Glossary of Terms
Description: Glossary of common sensor terms. ...
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Infrared Technology
From: Sentry Optronics Corp.Description: Infrared thermometers operate by means of infrared radiation. Infrared occupies a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum between visible light radio waves. The electromagnetic spectrum is a group of ...
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Introduction to Charge Mode Accelerometers
Description: Dytran charge mode accelerometers are designed to measure shock and vibration phenomena over a broad temperature range. These accelerometers, unlike the Low Impedance Voltage Mode (LIVM) types, ...
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Introduction to Impulse Hammers
Description: A transfer function of a mechanical system describes its dynamic behavior in response to an applied stimulus (excitation). There are six major transfer functions used in mechanical systems analysis. ...
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Introduction to LIVM Accelerometers
Description: Low Impedance Voltage Mode (LIVM) accelerometers are designed to measure shock and vibration phenomena over a wide frequency range. They contain integral IC electronics that converts the high ...
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Introduction to Piezoelectric Force Sensors
Description: Low Impedance Voltage Mode (LIVM) force sensors contain thin piezoelectric crystals which generate analog voltage signals in response to applied dynamic forces. A built in IC chip amplifier converts ...
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Introduction to Piezoelectric Pressure Sensors
Description: Dynamic pressure sensors are designed to measure pressure changes in liquids and gasses such as in shock tube studies, in-cylinder pressure measurements, field blast tests, pressure pump ...
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Low Frequency Phase Shift in LIVM Sensors as a Function of Discharge Time Constant and Frequency
Description: Low Impedance Voltage Mode (LIVM) sensors are piezoelectric devices with integral FET impedance converting amplifiers. To bias the amplifier, a high value resistor is placed in parallel with the gate ...
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Low Frequency Response and Quasi-Static Behavior of LIVM Sensors
Description: Low Frequency Response - The ability of a sensor to measure very low frquency sinusoidal or periodic inputs (pressure, force and acceleration) with accuracy. This ability is best characterized by a ...
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Piezoelectric Measurement System Comparison: Charge Mode vs. Low Impedance Voltage Mode (LIVM)
Description: Piezoelectric sensors (Transducers) measure dynamic phenomena such as force, pressure and acceleration (including shock and vibration). Inside the sensor, piezoelectric materials such as quartz and ...
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Useful Formulae and Conversion Factors
Description: Low frequency response, piezo sensors ...
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Flow Conditioning Improves Flow Measurement Accuracy and Reduces Plant Process Costs
Description: If you're planning to expand, upgrade or retrofit your plant in the near future, chances are that you'll be facing a real estate crisis when it comes to finding a place for all your new or upgraded ...
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Improve Flow Meter Flexibility and Simplify Maintenance By Combining Wired and Wireless Technologies
Description: While wireless technology has grown rapidly in terms of devices, functionality and availability in the consumer and commercial electronics markets, the wireless revolution is today a bit further ...
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Improving Wastewater Treatment With Air Flow Instrumentation
Description: In wastewater treatment plants, a variety of processes are employed to eliminate organic pollutants from water to ensure its safety and release for future uses. One of the most common processes is the ...
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Monitor Your Pump for Process Efficiency
Description: Pumps are all too frequently one of the most overlooked and abused pieces of equipment in process automation, yet nothing moves without them and a process becomes inefficient when they don't operate ...
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Optimize HVAC and Process System Efficiency by Matching Your Plant and Processes To The Right Flow Measurement Technology
Description: Plant engineers have many flow measurement technology options when selecting flow sensors or flow meters to optimize heating-ventilation-air-conditioning (HVAC) and process control systems. It is ...
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Vibration Isolation of Precision Objects
Description: The need for vibration isolation of precision and vibration sensitive objects is increasing continuously. Vibration isolation systems must comply with contradictory specifications, such as requiring ...
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Playful Control
From: elobau U.S., Inc.Description: There is an increasing demand for joysticks. Managing director of elobau, Michael Hetzer, can see the trend in his order books: "Our joysticks are used to a high degree in various industrial vehicles ...
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Illuminate the Invisible
From: EMX Industries, Inc.Description: Engineers have several choices to sense the presence of objects or information: machine vision systems and photoelectric sensors have been common selections. Recently, manufacturers have enhanced UV ...
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Accelerated Life Testing
From: U.S. SensorDescription: U.S. Sensor Corp. is dedicated to continuous improvement in the design and functionality of our temperature sensing devices. Every batch of thermistors is tested for nominal value, as well as ...
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Renishaw Encoders Ride a Controlled Explosion
From: RenishawDescription: In Stanley Kubrick's classic film Dr. Strangelove Slim Pickens was dropped from the aeroplane riding a bomb. If he'd been riding a motorcycle then he would certainly have been astride a KTM Nitro ...
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Thermistor Terminology
From: U.S. SensorDescription: ZERO-POWER RESISTANCE The zero-power resistance is the dc resistance value of a thermistor measured at a specified temperature with power dissipated by the thermistor low enough that any further ...
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Eaton: Sensor Learning Course
Description: The following pages contain a complete learning course that will take you through the basic operation and application of limit switches, inductive and capacitive proximity sensors, and photoelectric ...
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Resistance Temperature Detectors RTD
From: Acrolab Ltd.Description: ACROLAB RTD assemblies utilize wire wound platinum elements with a reference resistance of 100 Ohms at 0 C and a temperature coefficient of 0.00385 Ohms/Ohm/C degrees. ALL Acrolab RTD probes are of ...
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Mass Flow Meters
Description: Using impact plate, measuring chute and Coriolis technologies, Schenck AccuRate manufactures a family of mass flow meters. Working with Schenck AccuRate application engineers, customers are given the ...
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All From One Mold - Optical, Ultra Sound, Inductive and Capacitive Sensors
From: Baumer Ltd.Description: A uniform casing design, the same calibration and start up, as well as standardized mounting - and alignment fixtures are the features of this series of sensors, which encompasses many different ...
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Capacitives with Perspective
From: Baumer Ltd.Description: Unlike inductive proximity switches, which respond exclusively to metals, capacitive sensors react to a wide spectrum of other materials, such as for example: paper, glass, plastics, oil, water, as ...
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Delay Time Measurement with Ultrasonic Sensors
From: Baumer Ltd.Description: Many industrial ultrasonic sensors are based on the delay time measurement. As has been mentioned in the introduction, the "measurement representation" thereby is the propagation velocity of the sound ...
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Magnetic Field Sensors as Speed Monitors
From: Baumer Ltd.Description: Magnetic field sensors are generally based on the magneto-resistive or Hall-principle. Compared to optical speed sensors, resolvers and precision potentiometers, magnetic field sensors do not contain ...
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My-Com and IRPM - The Nut Has Now Been Cracked
From: Baumer Ltd.Description: Contact-free or tactile? Who can make a selection is spilt for choice. However selection of a measuring sensor most suitable for the application will hardly give anyone a headache. In each individual ...
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Small Unit (Sensor) Tackles Large Jobs
From: Baumer Ltd.Description: To some extent today's technical systems and instruments are extremely complex configured puzzles of individual parts. Automobiles consist of dozens of subsystems with a multitude of activators, ...
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Eliminating Damage from Motor Shaft Currents Through Tachometers and Encoders
Description: Since the introduction of variable speed electronic controls for DC and AC motors, users have noted a troubling problem; voltage potential is sometimes induced on the shaft of the motor. ...
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Ammonia Pressure Measurement using Thermal Flash Protection (.pdf)
Description: Situation: Ammonia offers refrigeration pump and compressor manufacturers an improved efficiency over Freon based systems. However, the thermodynamic behavior of ammonia is very different from Freon. ...
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Magnetostriction: Basic Physical Elements
From: Temposonics, LLCDescription: Magnetostriction is a phenomenon only found in ferromagnetic materials such as iron, nickel, cobalt and their alloys. The magnetostrictive principle is based on certain agnetomechanical properties of ...
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Automated (Robotic) Manual Transmissions
From: Temposonics, LLCDescription: Driven by the need to provide the functions of an automatic transmission, along with weight reduction and higher efficiency, many manufacturers are considering conversion of traditional manual ...
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Automotive Suspensions
From: Temposonics, LLCDescription: Active damper and height control can sometimes be combined into a single strut design. By combining an actuator along the same axis as the damper, a complete assembly can be provided to the suspension ...
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Biotechnology Process Vessell (Level)
From: Temposonics, LLCDescription: A west coast biotechnology manufacturer was developing a proprietary process involving blood plasma. The process produced a highly confidential and expensive liquid valued at approximately $100,000 ...
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Blow Molding
From: Temposonics, LLCDescription: MTS Temposonics displacement sensors are the favored method of position sensing in this application because of the need for high performance and continuous operation under demanding environmental ...
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Cantilever Cutting Head
From: Temposonics, LLCDescription: Wood-Mizer®, the number one seller of sawmills worldwide, created portable sawmills in 1982. At that time, Wood-Mizer was the only company to use a cantilever-cutting head for its sawmills. This ...
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Commercial Appliance Damping
From: Temposonics, LLCDescription: Front load washing machines can add useful feedback for load measurement and active damper control, such as with magneto-rheological dampers. By measuring damper compression, loading can be determined ...
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Commercial Off-Road Vehicles
From: Temposonics, LLCDescription: More and more, manufacturers are relying on linear position sensing to support the trend towards the automation of off-road vehicles and their implements. In these demanding applications, MTS ...