Space constraints that characterize electric vehicle systems put special demands on connectors that must handle high power and rising data rates. Giorgio Potenza • Harwin There are six main systems directly associated with an electric vehicle (EV) powertrain. They consist of the onboard charger (OBC), the battery pack, the battery management system (BMS) that monitors […]

Powerful statistical techniques can discern a desired audio signal from a jumble of inputs. Dave Betts • AudioTelligence Most of us live and work in the midst of noise. We have become used to contending with the sounds of other people talking, music playing, the TV blaring, traffic roaring… Our brains are pretty amazing at…

The low-cost, reliable, ubiquitous smoke detector is an example of complex physics and optics made real by semiconductors. Technology is always improving and adding features to existing products, and that’s true of smoke detectors and alarms. At the same time, the “protection” world is very cautious about adding features and frills which may detract, impede, […]

The low-cost, reliable, ubiquitous smoke detector is an example of complex physics and optics made real by semiconductors. Given the huge market for smoke alarms of both types – easily tens of millions of units per year for new and replacement/upgrade units – it’s no surprise that many IC vendors offer components and reference designs […]

The low-cost, reliable, ubiquitous smoke detector is an example of complex physics and optics made real by semiconductors. This part looks at the two widely used approaches to smoke detection. Q: How do smoke detectors actually detect smoke? A: There are two basic and very different approaches, one based on photoelectric principles and the other […]

The low-cost, reliable, ubiquitous smoke detector is an example of complex physics and optics made real by semiconductors. We’ve come to accept the basic residential smoke detector, which retails for just $15 to $30, as a standard home-safety accessory. Most building codes now require these in or near designated areas such as the kitchen, bedroom […]

Since 3D scanners have become more affordable, 3D scanning has changed the world of custom 3D printing. Once, 3D scanning was only used in military equipment and spacecraft parts production. With desktop and handheld 3D printers available for a few hundred dollars, 3D scanning has found a place in home fun and hobby projects. You […]

RF connectors for mmWave are shrinking to accommodate higher performance and higher densities in 5G communication networks and devices. This FAQ begins by looking at today’s 4.3-10 coaxial connectors, which were developed to solve the performance issues inherent to the previous 7-16 connectors. It then examines how the technologies unveiled in the 4.3-10 are further […]

Miniature connectors for wearables continue to shrink, and they are increasing in performance, carrying higher bandwidth signals and more power. Wearables add functionality, resulting in more components and interconnects in the same size package. Applications range from smartwatches and health monitoring devices to augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) devices, as well as medical and military systems. […]

Fiber optic connector trends include a proliferation of new and smaller designs and, according to NTT, optical connector standardization activities are one of the most active areas at the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). As of February 2021, IEC SC 86B (Fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components) published the second largest number of documents in […]

Woven electronics and electronic textiles (e-textiles) are emerging areas of technology. E-textiles are being developed that can monitor physiological conditions, deliver medical treatments, or be used as human machine interfaces (HMIs). Maintaining reliable connections between electronic devices embedded into clothing or other soft materials is challenging. There are issues related to washability and durability, in […]

Space-grade connectors are generally spin-offs of military-grade designs. Compared with common commercial connectors, there’s a much smaller variety of space-grade connectors. However, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) and COTS+ connectors are increasingly used in cost-sensitive missions such as CubeSats. This FAQ begins with a look at the unique operating conditions in space and how those conditions impact […]

The dependence of smart vehicle features on sensing technology has manufacturers thinking about how to field devices that combine functions in economical ways. Estimates are that today’s vehicles can have between 60 and 100 sensors onboard. And over the next decade the number of sensors is expected to double. No wonder, then, there are efforts […]

The PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturer’s Group (PICMG) is developing a series of specifications to enable plug-and-play interoperability of smart sensors and effectors. The effort includes the large installed base of legacy non-IoT (not IP-enabled) devices and newer IoT-enabled smart sensors. The PICMG program includes development of a family of three IoT specifications. PICMG IoT.1 is […]

The difference is measurement accuracy. Using 2-wire resistance temperature detector (RTD) sensing provides good accuracy (maybe), the accuracy of 3-wire sensing is better, and 4-wire sensing provides the best accuracy. In addition, there’s the option of using Wheatstone bridge topologies to improve the performance of 2- and 3-wire RDTs. This FAQ begins with a review […]

Position sensing is a critical function across a wide range of applications, from robot drive chains to conveyor belts in supply chain operations to the swaying of wind turbine towers. It can take many forms, including linear, rotary, angular, absolute, incremental, contact, and non-contact sensors. Specialized sensors have been developed that can determine positions in […]

Agriculture 4.0 is emerging and requires an expended sensor suite. Agriculture 4.0 refers to systems that employ drones, robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), vertical farms, artificial intelligence (AI), renewable energy, and advanced sensor methodologies. Agriculture 4.0 is similar to Industry 4.0 in some ways: Where Industry 4.0 is designed to support automation and mass […]

By Charles Pao, Senior Marketing Specialist at CEVA Mobile phones and tablets are getting more powerful, but if you’re serious about doing work (remotely), the dedicated work laptop still reigns supreme. Privacy and productivity have become increasingly important in this new paradigm of working anywhere. To help with both in the age of mobile computing, […]

A wide range of sensor technologies is required to support augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) systems. Today’s AR/VR implementations are mostly focused on visual and audio interfaces and rely on motion tracking and listening/voice recognition sensors. That’s beginning to change with new types of sensors and various types of haptics being introduced. This FAQ […]

Acoustic leak detection sensor technologies rely on the fact that liquid and gas leaks are noisy. However, it’s not necessarily a noise that the human ear can detect, it can be in the ultrasonic region. Leaky water pipes are a significant environmental challenge – UN Sustainable Development Goal No. 6 states that clean (drinking) water […]

Wind turbines are very complex machines. It takes a lot of sensors to ensure their continuous operation generating green energy. This FAQ reviews some of the sensors used to monitor wind turbine operations, such as: Eddy current sensors monitor the lubricating gap of the shaft, how the turbine shaft rotates both axially and radially inside […]

Gesture recognition is a user interface that allows computers to capture and interpret non-verbal communication, including facial expressions, head movements, body positioning, and hand motions as commands. Hand gestures are an increasingly common mode of computer control, and the types of sensors used to recognize hand gestures is growing. This FAQ briefly reviews how hand […]

Radio detection and ranging (radar) uses reflected radio waves to detect and determine the distance, angle, and velocity of objects relative to the radar system. A basic radar system consists of a transmitter producing electromagnetic waves in the radio or microwave spectrum (these can be pulsed or continuous), a transmitting antenna, a receiving antenna (often […]

If you go to the Wikipedia page on absolute encoders, you’ll find descriptions of these devices mentioning multiple code rings, glass or plastic discs, and configurations of sliding contacts arranged so each contact wipes against a metal disc at a different distance from a turning shaft. Actually, you’d be hard pressed to find any of […]

Sensors are becoming ubiquitous as their price and availability continue to improve. However, sensor data is not that simple and is prone to noise and other interference. The complexities of sensor data have led to sensor fusion that aims to perform better than a single sensor by improving the signal-to-noise ratio, decreasing uncertainty and ambiguity, […]