Part 1 of this article laid the groundwork by explaining the physics of the light-guiding operations of optical fibers. Now, in the second part, you move from theory to practice with an examination of how these fibers can be used to measure everything from pressure to temperature to strain.More>>

Electrolytic tilt sensors are inexpensive to buy and use, and offer good repeatability and reliability. Their sensitivity to both internal and external influences, however, makes them complex devices that should be understood before installation and operation.More>>

A new generation of current sensors based on the magnetoresistive effect is extremely compact and offers tight measurement tolerances and a high bandwidth—at a low price.More>>

In the last two decades, the development of fiber-optic sensors has led to the creation of devices and systems that can measure more than 60 different parameters. Here's a look at the physical underpinnings of the light-guiding operation of fibers and an overview of the fundamental field...More>>

Analog engineers will appreciate the piezoelectric accelerometer design that provides control over the signal conditioning portion of the measurement. Other engineers will opt for the digital method that allows surface micromachined capacitive accelerometers to practically design themselves.More>>

Built in silicon with advanced MEMS technology, new ultrasonic sensors offer improvements in performance and cost and enable a wider range of applications.More>>

Because of their small size, low power consumption, and relatively low cost, solid-state magnetic field sensors are moving into a growing range of new applications. Today, the new frontier for these sensors is detection of low magnetic fields.More>>

BEI GyroChip, consisting of a unique micromachined double-ended quartz tuning fork and advanced electronics, uses the Coriolis effect to sense yaw rates. It has been widely accepted in automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, and industrial applications.More>>

Semiconductor components that use new signal processing techniques for piezoresistive pressure sensors have enabled precise, automatic, and low-cost electronic compensation of the standard error parameters. The resulting simplification and convenience have opened a wide field of new applications,...More>>

The final chapter of this tutorial takes up the details of surface preparation, mounting options, and recalibration techniques and scheduling, and explores the ways in which the application can help direct the transducer selection process.More>>