COVER STORY

Beyond Temperature Sensors
Sensor Components Division grows into new markets
For years now Heraeus Sensor Technology a division of W.C. Heraeus has been a technology and market leader in the broad field of high quality temperature sensors. Manufactured in platinum thin-film technology, several tens of millions of sensors leave the factory in Germany's Kleinostheim each year. They are destined for continuous use in process technology, in exhaust systems, ovens, buildings or also in calibration laboratories. The accumulated knowledge and expertise, as well as the setting up of production plants, are now returning extremely positive initial experience in new fields of application. We were able to learn about this early experience from the Division Manager and General Manager of Heraeus Sensor Technology Dr. Martin Turwitt and the Director for Marketing & Sales, Dr. Gerold Kerkhoff.

ON FOCUS: SENSORS

CMOS imagers for new applications
Basic performance parameters in discussion
This article aims to shed some light on the reasons for the widespread adoption of imaging in CMOS. We will see what drives development of CMOS imagers and where they are going, with relevance to industrial applications. To understand why, we will take a look at the key performance parameters in a vision application and show how these differ from consumer applications. One clear trend is diversification: the one-size-fits-all image sensor is being replaced by families of sensors where each member is tailored to particular types of applications. We therefore conclude with an application example showing how the right choice of sensor has a decisive impact on overall performance.

Sensing and signal conditioning at 250 °C
No longer a problem due to SOI
Sensing at point of interest including harsh environments as within automobile, geothermal wells, oil drilling, aerospace, space and nuclear power or chemical process control frequently requires electronics with temperature stability beyond 150 °C. The trend towards higher integration density resulting in higher power dissipation is a further reason for increasing temperature requirement.

Piezoresistive pressure sensors for high performance
Robustness from optimised electrical shield protection
The demand of high performance is growing rapidly during last years and even in high volume market, precision and quality is no more secondary factor. This is continuously causing pressure on pressure sensors, which seriously implied to develop and match with the situation.

Low power modes embedded
Accelerometer controls Auto-Wake/Sleep
Accelerometers are commonly used in hand held electronics and/or battery operated electronic devices. Consumption of current in the entire system is a critical feature of the product design. Users do not want to be inconvenienced by continually recharging or changing out batteries. When designing in the accelerometer, battery power usage is often a critical feature which concerns many customer-users.

Microelectronics and packaging technology
Expertise for new applications
Cooperation between Bioengineering Laboratories and Metallux SA is part of the technological innovation process concerning the entire Eltek Group and that will lead to the ISO 13485 certification (Medical Devices) of the group's facilities in 2010.

ON FOCUS: MEASURING AND TESTING

The need for controlled shocks
A new type of shock exciter allows to apply well defined mechanical shocks
Common shock exciters based on the hammer-anvil principle allow only a limited control of shock amplitude and pulse width and a limited repeatability of the applied shocks. Because the impact between hammer and anvil is not completely elastic a certain wear of both parts can be observed. Thus even if parameters like the kinetic energy of the hammer could be controlled well, the shock amplitude and width would change from shock to shock.

Near-Infrared cameras
R&D and other applications
Human eye is sensitive to the so-called “visible” section of the electromagnetic spectrum, from 350 nm to 750 nm. Infrared spectrum starts above this upper limit. Flir Systems designs and manufactures infrared imaging systems that cover the infrared spectrum from Near-Infrared (NIR/SWIR: 0.9 µm to 1.7 µm) up to the “thermal” infrared, also called Middle Wave Infrared (MWIR: 2.5 µm to 5.1 µm) and Long Wave Infrared (LWIR 7.7 µm to 14 µm). NIR/SWIR imaging systems can be used in several industrial and R&D applications. This article presents just a few of the major applications for which NIR/SWIR cameras are particularly well-suited.

APPLICATIONS & PRODUCTS

The high score is four
The right encoder for every application
A striking competitive factor in the field of absolute encoders is so-called multiturn sensing for counting the number of turns completed by the encoder shaft. In the past years many innovative conceptual principles evolved where improved system service life and reliability merged with compact designs. However, it proved unwise to focus on one sensing method. Baumer claims to be the only manufacturer offering four different multiturn sensing principles to cover all facets of application-relevant requirements by the individual task-matching technique.

Wireless Sensor Networks
Applications and Energy Storage Technologies
Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are addressing new applications and reducing wiring and installation costs in existing applications. By removing communication and power wiring, low-power WSN systems address remote monitoring applications. They can also reduce the cost per measurement point incurred when adding monitoring to existing systems.

WDM – PROCESS INSTRUMENTATION

New sensor concepts for effluent treatment
Trends in instrumentation for waste water
How is instrumentation in wastewater technology developing?  One trend appears to be going strong: Sensors are becoming more compact and intelligent. Ever more data processing is finding its way into sensors. Sensors no longer deliver an "end product" of raw, unprocessed signals – rather, the product is genuine and ready process measured values, such as solids content, nitrate or ammonium concentrations.

PANORAMA

SENSOR+TEST 2010
Sensor, Measuring, and Testing Technology to the Point
From the 18th to the 20th of May 2010, the 17th International Trade Fair for Sensorics, Measuring, and Testing Technology will be held on the Nürnberg exhibition grounds. Reflecting the growing economic significance of these cross-cutting thematic areas, the AMA Association counts with about 500 exhibitors despite the recent economic downturn in the major supplied industries. The great demand for innovation by the users is seen as a special challenge for supplier presence.

Events – News – Books
Green ZigBee and RF4CE - 2nd ISAT-Workshop on Sensor Technologies - CiA 302 finalized and CAN product guide – Fascinating experiments on non-contact vibration measurement - Book: Automotive Sensors