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Technologies in Depth

In-depth technical articles on the various types of sensors and how they work.


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A New Breed of Tilt Sensors   March 1, 2007

High accuracy at a low cost over a wide temperature range makes thermal MEMS accelerometers the hot choice in tilt sensing. Find out whether they're right for your application.More>>

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Power Management: Critical Choices for Wireless   January 1, 2007

Optimal power management in a wireless sensor network is a balancing act of components and processes. Your challenge: Achieve the minimum energy use while meeting application requirements.More>>

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Moving SOA onto the Plant Floor   December 1, 2006

If the sensor manufacturers' products already have the software hooks that allow the sensor data to be accessed by the SOA, the implementation has a quicker ROI.More>>

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Pick the Right Camera Interface   December 1, 2006

Perhaps Camera Link's biggest advantage is blazing speed-up to 3.6 Gbps. Another is deterministic communication back to the camera electronics that allows on-the-fly control of camera functions such as frame rate, zoom, etc.More>>

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A Machine That Watches   December 1, 2006

During an automated manufacturing process, the product typically moves along a production line at either constant or variable speeds. The first task of optoelectronic inspection is to discard that motion. For example, machine vision systems use triggers and shutters and photoelectric sensors use...More>>

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Better Security with Ambient Air Sensing   December 1, 2006

We all want to feel safe in public places, and knowing that there's nothing noxious in the air is a strong step in that direction.More>>

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Irrigation Smarts Tee Up Savings   November 1, 2006

The growing demand for developed property is paralleled by the increasing need for irrigation. In reaction to these trends, local jurisdictions place tighter restrictions on water usage, and the cost of irrigation becomes significant. To reduce the cost of maintaining award-winning greens and...More>>

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No Chips!   November 1, 2006

Who wants to buy a beverage in a chipped bottle or cereal in a box with crushed corners? Sensor Wireless Inc. (www.sensorwireless.com) set about developing a specialized technology to prevent such uglies. Their wireless sensors transmit data on handling and environmental parameters and show the...More>>

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The Ultimate Sensor   November 1, 2006

In the original Star Trek series, DeForest Kelley played ship's surgeon Dr. Leonard McCoy. This character was especially memorable for his frequent medical pronouncement, He's dead, Jim, and for his handheld medical scanner, a device that looked like a pepper shaker with a spinning cap. This...More>>

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Pampering Penguins in the Pittsburgh Zoo   November 1, 2006

The world's 17 species of penguin are indigenous only to the Southern Hemisphere, including the Antarctic. Gentoo, Macaroni, and King penguins are anything but native to Pittsburgh, PA, but nonetheless are very much in their element at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, thanks to a sophisticated...More>>