bullet On-line Magazine 'Sensors & Transducers' (S&T e-Digest)

    (ISSN 1726- 5479)

 


 

No. 1, January 2004

 

Bullet

Table of Contents

 

EDITORIAL

 

A Letter from the President

 

Dear Colleagues !

 

The year 2003 has been a successful year for IFSA and Sensors Web Portal Inc., marketed by growth at every type of our activities. Launched one year ago our sensors B2B and B2C online store has become very popular among both: manufacturers and customers.

 

IFSA also expand its members in 58 countries and now it is my great pleasure to welcome our 334 members from academia and industry.

 

Sensors and MEMS industry itself has undergone incredible growth in 2003 after the last crisis in high technologies. IFSA will introduce further innovations in smart sensors and advanced signal processing in upcoming industry. In 2004, sensors community will have a new chip, designed by IFSA research team, that should be a revolution in analog-to-digital conversion, moving sensor’s output from analog to frequency-time signal domain and creating the basis for really intelligent sensors and transducers.

 

On the business side, Sensors Web Portal Inc. demonstrated another profitable, high growth year and its web portal again was recognized as a primary Internet recourse devoted to sensors, transducers and MEMS.

 

What’s next in 2004 ? Certainly another dynamic year as we continue growth, expand and innovate with the aim to make smart sensors and MEMS one of the biggest and most exciting technologies of 21st century. We are going to continue the series of NATO Advanced Study Institutes and Advanced Research Workshops, successfully started in 2003 by NATO ASI ‘Smart Sensors and MEMS’ in Povoa de Varsim (Portugal). The updated popular training course ‘Advanced Signal Processing for Smart Sensors and MEMS’ will be given again in many European universities.

 

Many thanks to our faithful customers, members and visitors and may the 2004 year bring success to all in your endeavors.

 

IFSA President's signature

 

Prof., Dr., Nikolay V. Kirianaki

IFSA President

 

 

RESEARCH

 

Detect Different Gases with a Single Sensor by Dynamic Measurements

 

Abstract: Gases have different active energy when adsorbing and reacting on the surface of sensitive materials. And the active energy will be changing along with temperature's change. According to this thought, a new method of knowledge acquisition is presented in this paper to test the dynamic gas sensitive characteristics of gas sensor. This novel measurement can get characteristic curves for different gases, so that it is possible to Detect different gases with a single sensor by Dynamic Measurements.

 

Click <here> or title of paper to start free download the full pages article.

Zheng Jiao, Minghong Wu, Jianzhong Gu, Deqing Wang, Yanli Wang

Shanghai Applied Radiation Institute, Shanghai University, 

Shanghai 201800, China

E-mail: jiaozheng@yahoo.com

 

 

Gas-sensing Properties of a Field-Effect Transistor with a Bis[phthalocyaninato]

Samarium Complex/SiO2/Si Structure

 

Abstract: Based on the conventional metal-oxide-semiconductor-field-effect transistor (MOSFET), a new chemical field-effect transistor (ChemFET) gas-sensing device was fabricated by depositing organic gas-sensing material on the gate area of MOSFET replacing the gate metal. Sandwich-like bis[2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octakis(octyloxy)phthalocyaninato] samarium complex Sm[Pc*]2 (Pc*=Pc(OC8H17)) was used as the gas-sensing material for detecting nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Using Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technology, Sm[Pc*]2 LB film was prepared and deposited on the gate area forming the gas-sensing film/oxide/semiconductor structure with a sensitive gate area of 50mm×50mm. The gas-sensing property and response-recovery property of Sm[Pc*]2 LB film/SiO2/Si structural ChemFET sensor to NO2 gas was studied by the change of drain current (IDS) during gas exposure. The results show that ChemFET gas sensor with Sm[Pc*]2 LB film can detect NO2 gas down to 2.5ppm. And the response and recovery time to 40ppm NO2 gas was about 15 s and 3 min. The mechanism of sensitivity of Sm[Pc*]2 LB film ChemFET to NO2 was also discussed in this paper.

 

Click <here> or title of paper to start free download the full pages article.

 

Dan Xie1, Yadong Jiang2, Tianling Ren1, Litian Liu1

1Institute of Microelectronics, Tsinghua University,

Beijing 100084, P. R. China

2School of Optoelectronic Information,

University of Electronic Science and Technology of China,

Chengdu, 610054 P.R.China

Phone: ++86-10-62789147-304,

E-mail: xiedan@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn

 

 

Lanthanide Doping Bis[octakis(octyloxy)phthalocyaninato] Complexes Based Langmuir-Blodgett Films

for NO2 Gas Sensors Application

 

Abstract: A new series of sandwich-like lanthanide doping bis[2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octakis(octyloxy)phthalocyaninato] complexes Ln[Pc*]2 (Pc*=Pc(OC8H17)8, Ln=Sm, Pr, Er) were used as NO2 gas-sensing materials is described in the article. The gas-sensing films of Ln[Pc*]2 were prepared by Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique and the NO2 gas-sensing properties of Ln[Pc*]2 LB films were studied. The sensitive properties of Ln[Pc*]2 LB films to NO2 gas was monitored by the change of conductivity during gas exposure. Therein, Sm[Pc*]2 has the best sensitivity and responsivity to NO2 gas. The detecting range is from 0~100ppm, and the response and recovery time of 11-layer Sm[Pc*]2 LB film to 20ppm NO2 at room temperature is 16 s and 80 s, respectively. The thinner the film, the faster the response and recovery become. Recovery time in air is longer than that in pure N2.

 

Click <here> or title of paper to start free download the full pages article.

 

Yadong Jiang1, Dan Xie2,

1School of Optoelectronic Information,

University of Electronic Science and Technology of China,

Chengdu, 610054 P.R.China

2Institute of Microelectronics, Tsinghua University,

Beijing 100084, P. R. China

Phone: ++86-28-83202616

E-mail: jiangyd@uestc.edu.cn

 

 

Ferroelectric Ceramic/Polymer Composite for Soil-Humidity Detection

 

Abstract:  Ferroelectric ceramic + polymer composites using castor oil-based polyurethane (PU) as matrix and lead zirconate titanate (PZT) as dispersed powder were fabricated in the thin films form by spin-coating method. The composites were poled with appropriated electric field and its piezoelectric property was studied by conventional method. Using the ability of the composite to response with an electric signal to a variation of pressure, a detection system was made to substitute the manometer to measure the soil humidity.

 

Click <here> or title of paper to start free download the full pages article.

 

Walter Katsumi SAKAMOTO, Josй Antonio MALMONGE,

Sérgio Henrique FERNANDES

Departamento de Física e Química, Faculdade de Engenharia,

Universidade Estadual Paulista – UNESP,

Av. Brasil, 56, 15385-000 Ilha Solteira (SP), Brasil.

Fax: +55 18 3742 4868, tel: +55 18 3743 1081

E-mail: sakamoto@fqm.feis.unesp.br

 

 

Development of a Telemetric System Employing a Passive Force Sensor

and a Resonance Frequency Detector with Intelligent Sweeping

 

Abstract: This paper describes a telemetric system designed to measure muscular force remotely. The sensor is composed by a simple LC resonant circuit assembled inside a silicone rubber tube (sensor final dimensions are 22.0 x 2.15 mm). Small rings that fix the sensor transmit the force to the silicone rubber modifying the inductance value, due to the displacement of a small ferrite rod close to the inductor. The resonance frequency of the sensor, which depends on the applied force, is monitored remotely (few centimeters apart) using a frequency detector with intelligent sweep (sweeping range can be modified to find out the sensor resonance frequency in few milliseconds), presenting the sensor resonance frequency on-line. In this work muscular force was simulated using standard weights, showing that the system presents errors smaller than 65 mgf, on a 0 to 17 gf range.

 

Click <here> or title of paper to start free download the full pages article.

 

Sergio Francisco PICHORIM, Raul Jose Fernandes de OLIVEIRA, Paulo Jose ABATTI

Paraná Federal Center of Technological Education

Av. Sete de Setembro, 3165, 80230-901, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

Phone: +55.41.310-4696, fax: +55.41.310.4683

E-mail: pichorim@cefetpr.br

 

 

PRODUCT NEWS

 

Underwater ICP Blast Pressure Sensors

 

Depew, NY - Series 138 ICP® Underwater Blast Sensors from the Pressure Division of PCB Piezotronics, Inc., provide clean, non-resonant, high-frequency output through long cables in adverse underwater environments. Structured with a volumetrically-sensitive tourmaline crystal suspended and sealed in an insulating, oil-filled vinyl tube, these sensors are designed specifically for measuring shock wave pressures associated with underwater explosion testing. Integral microelectronics provide a low impedance voltage output that can be transmitted through cables sealed directly to the sensor. Five standard ranges are available form 1,000 to 50,000 psi.

 

Transparant

Andrea Mohn, Marketing Assistant

PCB Piezotronics, Inc.

3425 Walden Avenue

Depew,NY 14043-2495

Phone: (800)828-8840, fax:(716)684-0987

E-mail: amohn@pcb.com

Underwater pressure sensors 138 Series

 

 

Miniature Triaxial Accelerometer is Ideal for Biomechanics Research Applications

 

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. - December 16, 2003 - Endevco’s Model 7269 is a miniature triaxial accelerometer that is ideal for biomechanics research, studies of head injuries, testing of sport helmets, heads-up displays and ejection seats. The device weighs only 0.4 grams, allowing for measurements on light structures with a minimum of mass loading. Its extremely small size facilitates installation in hard to access areas or on small electronic assemblies. Using three micromachined sensors, the rugged Model 7269 offers exceptional output and high resonance frequency. This sensor includes integral mechanical stops and internal diodes for electrostatic discharge protection.

 

The accelerometer has a full scale output of 400 mV using 10 Vdc excitation. Minimum damping produces negligible phase shift over the specified frequency range. The frequency response extends down to DC (steady state) acceleration, making the Model 7269 ideal for measuring long-duration transient shocks.

 

Endevco’s Model 4430A or OASIS 2000 Computer-Controlled System are recommended as signal conditioner and power supply.

Transparant

Endevco Corporation

Tel: (949) 493-8181

E-mail: applications@endevco.com

Miniature triaxial accelerometer, Model 7269

 

 

High Capacity Three-Component Force Sensors

    

Depew, NY - High Capacity ICP® and charge output Three-Component Force Sensors from the Force/Torque Division of PCB Piezotronics, Inc., simultaneously measure dynamic or quasi-static forces in three orthogonal directions (X, Y, and Z). Sensors are structured with three quartz elements that provide long-term stability, repeatability, and linearity, with a wide dynamic range of 10,000 Ib in the z-axis and 4,000 Ib in the x, y axes. Hermetically-sealed stainless steel construction make these sensors ideal for applications such as force-limited vibration testing, modal analysis, engine mount analysis, cutting tool force monitoring, and impact testing.

 

Model 260A03 ICP® version utilizes built-in microelectronics to convert the high impedance charge to a low impedance voltage, and provides a voltage output of 0.25 mV/lb in the z-axis and 1.25 mV/lb in the x & y axes. Model 260A13 charge output version operates with in-line charge converters or laboratory style charge amplifiers, and provides a charge output of 15 pC/lb in the z-axis and 32 pC/lb in the x and y axes.

 

 Transparant

Peter Munschauer, Division Manager

Force/Torque Division

3425 Walden Avenue

Depew, NY 14043-2495

Tel: (888) 684-0004, fax: (716)684-8877

E-Mail: pmunschauer@pcb.com

Model 260A03 force sensors

 

 

Piezoelectric Sensor Signal Conditioner

 

Depew, NY - The Electronics Division of PCB Piezotronics, Inc. announces the release of Model 482C Series Sensor Signal Conditioner. This unit works with both ICP® and charge output piezoelectric sensors and is available in one, four, or eight channel configurations.

 

The 482C offers keypad control, and utilizes a vivid dot matrix display for enhanced readability with an option for an RS-232 computer control setup. Normal power operation is 10 to 15 VDC, but, with the use of a power adapter, the unit can be used with a 12 VDC, 28 VDC, or 115 VAC/ 230 VAC power source. Optional features include fixed gain (xl, xlO, xlOO), clamped output for repetitive pulses, integration, filtering, and switched output.

Transparant

Bill Andrews, Division Manager

PCB Piezotronics, Inc. Electronics Division

3425 Walden Avenue

Depew, NY 14043-2495

Tel: (800)828-8840, fax: (716)684-0987

E-Mail: bandrews@pcb.com

Multi-channel signal conditioners

 

 

SENSOR TECHNOLOGIES

 

CMP Introducing 0.35 u CMOS-Opto Process

 

Grenoble, December 2003 - CMP announced the introduction of the CMOS-Opto 0.35 u process from austriamicrosystems AG. The optical process C35B301 provides enhanced optical sensitivity for embedded photodiodes. It enables the design of high density photo sensors, APS, and CMOS cameras.

The process is fully compatible with the already supported 0.35 u CMOS, thus enabling IP reuse with the existing CMOS standard-cell libraries. The Peripheral cell libraries are available for 3.3 V and 5 V with high driving capabilities and excellent ESD performance. 

 

The design kit is supported under Cadence CAD tools, and available in Q1 2004. CMP offers 5 MPW runs for this process in 2004: 26 January, 19 April, 05 July, 27 September, 06 December.

Transparant

Circuits Multi-Projects

46 avenue Felix Viallet

38031 Grenoble Cedex, France

Tel. +33 476 5746 17, fax: +33 476 47 38 14

E-mail: cmp@imag.fr

Responsitivity Curve of Photodiode

 

 

   

 

 

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