Sensors

LEM has introduced a current transducer series for ac, dc and pulsed rail trackside applications. Called the HTRS-series, they will be available in three current ranges: 10A, 30A and 50A, with peaks up to twice the nominal value, and have a 6kV insulation test voltage. Size is 72 x 29 x 26mm and mounting adapters, including DIN rail, are available ...

Six year-old  Toposens of Munich is shipping its Ultrasonic Echolocation Sensor for 3D Collision Avoidance. The industrial grade sensor development kit, called ECHO ONE DK, is based on the company’s 3D ultrasonic technology, which mimics a bat’s echolocation techniques. Unlike existing sensor technologies that can be negatively impacted by lighting conditions or moisture (such as fog), Toposens’ ECHO ONE DK uses ...

Texas Instruments is claiming “industry’s most accurate 3D Hall-effect position sensor” for one that provides 2.6% full-scale total error at room temperature. The first device in a family of 3D Hall-effect position sensors, TMAG5170 is intended for factory automation and motor-drives. Designed for rotational sensing (diagram below), it has three independent Hall sensors for X, Y, and Z-axes backed by ...

Osram has created an ambient light sensor for mobiles and wearables that includes UV-A light detection. “While the UV-C portion of sunlight is blocked by the earth’s atmosphere, UV-A and UV-B radiation reaches the earth’s surface,” according to the company. “UV-B radiation penetrates only the upper layers of the skin and is responsible for sunburn. UV-A radiation, which accounts for ...

Silicon Designs has introduced two series of industrial-grade single-axis MEMS capacitive accelerometer chips Model 1521 is offered in eight standard ranges from ±2g to ±400g. Each has a ±4V differential output and comes in a choice of 20pin LCC or J-lead surface mount packages, both of which are nitrogen gas-damped, hermetically sealed and RoHS compliant. “The distinguishing feature of Model 1521 ...

Bosch has created an evaluation board that links sensors to hosts using Bluetooth. Called ‘Application Board 3.0’, is can be powered though a lithium-ion battery, and so can stand in for a wireless sensor node. The board, which is 47 x 37 x 7mm, does not have its own sensors (except for temperature), and instead carries a socket for standard format ...

Good quality sleep is linked to behavioural issues in young children. Laurence Weir looks at new sensor technology which tracks sleep patterns. The quality of a child’s sleep can have a huge impact on their lives. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a quarter of children under the age of five do not get adequate sleep. A continual lack ...

Environmental sensing and smart algorithms in a distributed computing architecture can transform automation, says Cliff Ortmeyer. Sensing technologies are critical components that enable industrial IoT (IIoT) applications to capture accurate, real-time data about environmental conditions before transmitting data to computers operating locally and in the cloud. Analytics software running on cloud computers can turn the huge quantities of data into ...

Distributor Display Technology has added the IF444 sensor which can detect a frozen screen and sends an alert if the background lighting is defective or the image signal is missing. Manufactured by Distec, the motion sensor is for mounting on a corner of the active display surface. It checks selected pixels of the active screen and sends a digital and ...

Display Technology has announced a sensor that can detect a frozen display screen. Called IF444 Frozen screen sensor, it requires a small sensing patch to be stuck to the front of a screen in a corner, where it monitors a group of blinking pixels. The sensor does not work on its own, but needs to be used with firmware in ...