sensors Related Articles

A while back,MEMS and Sensors Executive Congress that many designers,researchers and industry reoresentatives argued for putting MEMS devices such as accelerometers and microphones, and a wide variety of other sensors in just about everything was held in San Jose,Calif.. We heard about an electric snowboard with traction control, voice-controlled garbage cans, and accelerometers placed on the nose to listen for speech in noisy environments.But sometimes the simplest example is the most memorable. In this case, that was a MEMS accelerometer—like the one in your step-counter—that thwarts car thieves.  "Passive keyless entry (PKE) systems can be made more secure with an inexpensive accelerometer." Lars Reger, chief technology officer for NXP's automotive division said,"PKE systems unlock a car—and allow it to start with a button push—by recognizing when the “key” is close to the car, either right next to it or inside of it. This is convenient for drivers, who don’t have to remove the key from a pocket or purse. But PKEs are ridiculously easy to hack—at least when a car is sitting in a driveway and the owner is at home." This hack which demoed by Swiss researchers in 2011 and still being used by car thieves around the world today,works because most people toss car keys in a basket or on a counter fairly close to their front door—close enough that a thief with a radio outside can pick up signals from the key. An accomplice with another radio stands near the front door of the car to pick up signals from the key and transmit those signals to the car. The system, concluding that the key is nearby, unlocks the car. Earlier this year, researchers pulled off the hack with US $22 worth of gear in a demo at a security conference reported in Wired. The team suggested that changing the timing of the calls and responses from the car and key could address the problem. At the sametime, PKE key holders were advised to keep their car keys in their refrigerators, whose metal exteriors would block the key's signals. NXP put forward another solution--Enter the accelerometer (and, of course, the company is bringing it to market soon, which is why representatives are willing to talk about it). Business development manager Marc Osajda told me that NXP had initially been working on a mechanical switch to turn the radio in the PKE key on and off. Then, after the company merged with Freescale Semiconductor in 2015, engineers at Freescale made the case for using a MEMS device instead, arguing that its lower power consumption made it a good fit for a gadget with an expected battery life of a year or more.    The 50-cent component works on the assumption that if your PKE key has been sitting in one place for a while, you aren’t going anywhere, so it can turn off its radio and the microcontroller that was listening to the car’s radio; it will turn back on as soon as you pick it up. Osajda said that instead of reducing battery life, putting an accelerometer in the PKE key ends up extending battery life, because the accelerometer uses far less power than the parts it is allowing the key to turn off. It's not a easy work. Osajda said "mostly because car keys take a lot more abuse than wrist wearables". He also He pointed out that people frequently drop their keys (sometimes even out of second story windows onto concrete) or toss them into washing machines (not a surprise for keys designed to stay in your pocket). According to Osajda,NXP's MEMS switch is going into production and they will be incorporated into PKE keys from a variety of manufacturers during 2018. 

As the development of socialty and technology,wearables are becoming an essential part of the tech world.They not only measure all manner of vital data,but alsw are somewhat of a styly trend.Because of the big need of wearables, A new chemical sensor designed for particularly hazardous applications -- "Smart ring" has been invented. This "smart ring" can detect invisible threats to the wearer, scanning for explosives and nerve-agents that may be present in vapour or liquid form. The technology is designed to be affordable and portable, to provide rapid alerts of any possible security threats nearby. According to IDC, 24.7 million devices were purchased in the first quarter of this year alone, with Fitbit and smartwatches, etc. accounting for the lion’s share of sales,these data have clearly explained that the wearables market is worth billions. These cool, colorful wristbands and watches measure your heart rate and blood pressure, count the number of steps you take and can even stop you from snoring. Specialist wearable devices which can alert you to chemical or biological threats in the environment are considerably less lucrative.Currently, wearables come in a number of non-invasive forms, from wristbands and headbands to tattoos. However, equipping such devices with advanced sensors would be a costly process, making them difficult to produce, the researchers explain. By putting the sensors in a ring, however, they say they’ve managed to create a device that’s both wearable and affordable. The ring can perform voltammetry and chronoamperometric analyses, and uses interchangeable screen-printed sensing electrodes that can quickly detect different chemicals. What's more,that could all be about to change as demand is steadily growing. In order to be successful though, the sensors will have to be compact, non-invasive and affordable. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, have therefore integrated their “chemical alarm” into a ring which sits neatly and fashionably on your finger. The 3D-printed housing contains an electrochemical sensor cap and the electronics for the data processing and wireless communication to a smartphone or laptop.  Use "Smart ring" to measure electric currents The ring can perform voltammetry and chronoamperometric analyses. The first is an electroanalytical method for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the chemical composition of substances using current-potential curves. Chemical components lead to a sudden rise in current in the event of voltage which is typical for them. In chronoamperometry, however, chemical substances are identified using characteristic current-time curves. Together, both processes cover a broad spectrum of chemical threats. Researchers have already tested the prototype with explosive mixtures and neurotoxic substances both in gaseous and liquid form, and the ring reacted very sensitively and selectively. Applications could be relatively easily expanded in the future to include dangerous environmental conditions of all kinds. In addition to individuals who work in safety and security sensitive environments, the police and the military as well as airport and train station staff could, in particular, benefit from using the sensor ring.  "Smart" ring's Function: The ring contains an electrochemical sensor cap and a small circuit boardCan detect chemical and biological threats, send data to a smartphone or laptopThe researchers say it can provide rapid alerts of possible security threats This could include explosive material or nerve-agents in vapour or liquid form  

“For the living room, a sensual green with temperature and motion sensors.” In the future, you may be able to order that or something similar for your smart home. Sometime soon, new types of sensors could become a reality on your four walls.Science or fiction? More and more often, we find ourselves having to answer that question with science. That also applies to tiny new sensors that—hidden in wall paint—could make smart homes even smarter. On the one hand, they would have to be very, very small, and on the other, they would have to work without a battery. Researchers at the University of Eindhoven have already found an elegant solution. Their tiny temperature sensor gets its energy from the same radio waves that it uses to transmit its measuring results. First it receives radio waves from a special router via an antenna and stores it as energy. Starting at a certain energy level, it then measures the temperature and sends the results to the router. And it does so at exactly the same frequency that was chosen in advance for the measured temperature value. The router then uses the information to calculate the actual temperature. The walls have earsThe range of the tiny sensor, which measures just two square millimeters in size and weighs just 1.6 milligrams, is limited to 2.5 centimeters. But researchers hope to reach one meter during the next year. They are aiming for up to five meters in the future. Because the sensor also works under a coat of paint, pavement or concrete, there are only a few restrictions to its applications. For example, in smart homes or production environments, it could be “painted” onto the building’s walls with paint. And not just as a “thermometer”. The technology can also be used for sensors that measure motion, light and moisture. Right now the sensor stems from a 65-nm CMOS process. Produced in mass, the cost of production should come in at around 30 cents. Ref.KY45-LM35DTKY45-AMB2402

This article will introduce to you how RFID sensors are applied to detecting food quality and monitoring food safety.   Catalog I. Brief Introduction II. General Principles of Design and Operation of RFID Food Sensors III. Example of Applications FAQ I. Brief Introduction   Radio frequency identification (RFID) sensors are finding their diverse applications when an unobtrusive sensor form factor, battery-free design, and minimal sensor cost are the top three requirements for a new sensor. Examples of diverse applications include pharmaceutical, warehousing, agricultural, industrial, food safety, and security.    Benefits of RFID sensors for food quality and safety, as compared to tethered sensors, include the non-obtrusive nature of their installations, higher nodal densities, and lower installation costs without the need for extensive wiring.   In addition, a significant advantage of RFID and other electronic sensors over optical sensors is in the ability to perform measurements through non-transparent packaging.   There are several developed battery-free wireless sensing technologies based on magnetoelastic,16 thickness-shear modes, surface acoustic wave, magnetic acoustic resonance, and resonant LCR (inductor-capacitor-resistor) transducers. Several approaches for battery-free RFID sensing have been explored, e.g. based on chipless RFID sensors.   We recently developed a methodology to implement passive RFID tags for physical, chemical, and biological sensing. In our RFID sensing approach, the resonance impedance spectrum of the sensor antenna is measured and further correlated with the chemical, biological, or physical properties of the environment. This correlation is performed using the multivariable response of the RFID sensor computed from the measured impedance spectrum.   The complementary driving forces in successful sensor development are innovative ideas and the market size for new sensors. The market size is often but not always is supported by the regulatory requirements. If both driving forces are strong, the sensor development moves from its initial proof-of-concept technology readiness level to the commercialization of the sensor technology.   The sizes of markets for food safety testing products ($0.25 B) and pathogen detecting sensors ($0.5 B) and provide exciting opportunities for the development of new sensing technologies for food quality and safety.   Intelligent labeling of food products to indicate and report their freshness and other conditions is one of the important possible applications of the developed RFID sensors.   Unlike other food freshness monitoring approaches that require a thin-film battery for operation of an RFID sensor and fabrication of custom-made sensors, our developed passive RFID sensing approach combines advantages of both battery-free and cost-effective sensor design and offers response selectivity that is impossible to achieve with other individual sensors.   In this review, we summarize the result of the development of RFID sensors for food quality and safety. In these sensors, the electric field generated in the RFID sensor antenna extends out from the plane of the RFID sensor and is affected by the ambient environment providing the opportunity for sensing.   This environment may be in the form of a food sample within the electric field of the sensing region or a sensing film deposited onto the sensor antenna. Examples of applications include monitoring of freshness of milk, the freshness of fish, and bacterial growth.   II. General Principles of Design and Operation of RFID Food Sensors     (Figure 1) Operation principle of developed passive RFID sensors. (A) Sensor equivalent circuit described by the inductance LA, capacitance CA, and resistance RA of the sensing antenna coil, capacitance CS and resistance RS of the sensing region, and capacitance ...   In order to assess the broad applicability of the developed sensors for food safety applications, it is critical to understand the general principles of their design and operation (see Figure 1).   The equivalent circuit of the developed sensors forms an inductor-capacitor-resistor (LCR) circuit and is described by the inductance LA, capacitance CA, and resistance RA of the sensing antenna coil, capacitance CS and resistance RS of the sensing region, and capacitance CC and resistance RC of the integrated circuit (IC) chip (see Figure 1A).   Reading and writing of digital information into the RFID sensor and measurement of the impedance of the RFID sensor antenna are performed via mutual inductance coupling between the RFID sensor antenna and the pickup coil of a digital/analog sensor reader.   Impedance spectra Ž(f) of the sensor are measured using a laboratory or a portable network analyzer component and digital data from an IC chip is measured with a digital RFID reader component29 of our custom sensor reader.   Digital data include sensor calibrations, food manufacturing data, end-user data, etc. The network analyzers are used to scan the frequencies over the range of interest (typically centered at 13 MHz with a scan range of ~10 MHz).   The electric field generated in the RFID sensor antenna extends out from the plane of the RFID sensor (Figure 1B) and is affected by the ambient environment providing the opportunity for sensing. This environment may be in the form of a food sample within the electric field of the sensing region or a sensing film deposited onto the sensor antenna.   In both cases, the impedance of the antenna circuit Ž(f) is modulated through the changes in capacitance CS and resistance RS of the sensing region. This sensing region can be in the form of a full antenna or a complementary region in contact with the antenna.32 Numerous types of sensing materials applicable for food quality sensing were recently analyzed.   To achieve accurate and precise measurements using our sensors, we measure the real Zre(f) and imaginary Zim(f) parts of the impedance spectra Ž(f) and calculate several spectral parameters.   A schematic representation of the real Zre(f) and imaginary Zim(f) parts of the impedance spectrum Ž(f) of the sensor without possible effects from a pickup coil is illustrated in Figure 1C. Several calculated spectral parameters include the frequency position Fp and magnitude Zp of Zre(f) and the resonant F1 and antiresonant F2 frequencies of Zim(f).   Additional parameters can also be calculated (impedance magnitudes Z1 and Z2 at F1 and F2 frequencies, respectively, zero-reactance frequency, quality factor, etc). From the measured parameters, resistance, capacitance, and other parameters of the resonant antenna can be also determined. Figure 2 shows examples of RFID sensors applied in our studies for food quality and safety.       (Figure 2) Examples of employed RFID sensors based on (A) Texas Instruments RFID tag, (B) Avery Dennison RFID tag, (C) TagSys RFID tag.   Uncontrolled temperature fluctuations produce independent effects on the different components of the equivalent circuit. These independent effects are correlated with the spectral features of the resonance impedance spectra and are resolved by the multivariable response of the sensor.   For scenarios when the food is irradiated by ionizing radiation as a food safety measure to destroy bacteria, pathogens, and pests,39,40 conventional RFID IC memory chips do not survive the applied radiation dose that can be up to 30 kGy.   We have developed a technical solution to solve this problem where an IC chip is based on the Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FRAM) technology and provides reliable gamma-resistant RFID tags and sensors.   The FRAM memory chips have 2000 bytes of user memory (MB89R118A, Fujitsu Microelectronics Ltd, Japan)42 and are made using a standard RF signal modulation circuitry fabricated using a 0.35-μm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process and a non-volatile FRAM memory.43 A photo of this IC chip is shown in Figure 3A while one of our RFID sensors with such an IC chip is shown in Figure 3B.   (Figure 3) Photographs of (A) FRAM IC memory chip MB89R118A and (B) Developed RFID sensor for gamma-sterilizable applications. Sensor diameter = 10 mm. III. Example of Applications       · Monitoring of milk freshness     · Monitoring of fish condition     · Direct monitoring of bacteria growth FAQ   1. What is RFID used for? Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is the wireless non-contact use of radio frequency waves to transfer data. Tagging items with RFID tags allows users to automatically and uniquely identify and track inventory and assets.   2. What is RFID and how it works? RFID is a method of data collection that involves automatically identifying objects through low-power radio waves. Data is sent and received with a system consisting of RFID tags, an antenna, an RFID reader, and a transceiver.   3. What RFID means? Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) refers to a wireless system comprised of two components: tags and readers. The reader is a device that has one or more antennas that emit radio waves and receive signals back from the RFID tag.   4. Is RFID harmful to human? It is a non-ionizing type of radiation, but some researches show that it could have a negative impact on the human body in a long-term period [11, 12]. So, for the safety reasons, manufacturers of the RFID systems have limited the range of the RFID antennas used in their systems.   5. Is RFID tag and FASTag same? FASTag is a device that employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for making toll payments directly while the vehicle is in motion. FASTag (RFID Tag) is affixed on the windscreen of the vehicle and enables a customer to make the toll payments directly from the account which is linked to FASTag.   6.What is RFID and its advantages? RFID technology automates data collection and vastly reduces human effort and error. RFID supports tag reading with no line-of-sight or item-by-item scans required. RFID readers can read multiple RFID tags simultaneously, offering increases in efficiency.   7. Why is RFID bad? Some negative effects are that its deadly, if RFID tags combine with static electricity you can die. Another negative effect is that the government is slowly taking away surviving resources and giving ultimatums, such as if you don't get the RFID tracking chip your public assistance will be terminated.   8.What are the disadvantages of RFID? a. Materials like metal & liquid can impact signal. b. Sometimes not as accurate or reliable as barcode scanners. c. Cost – RFID readers can be 10x more expensive than barcode readers. d. Implementation can be difficult & time consuming.   9.How do I charge my RFID FASTag? In order to recharge your FASTag sticker, just hit the Add Money option in your Paytm app. FASTag will automatically reserve some amount from your wallet, which can be used at toll plazas later. Do note that FASTag can be used only after 20 mins of adding money to the Paytm Wallet.   10. Can I use existing RFID for FASTag? If a vehicle already has an RFID tag, it might already be activated. When you buy the vehicle, RFID tag payment was also done. It might also have a minimum balance of INR 100 or 200 as is required by the bank. You can recharge it with your Customer ID or Wallet ID of FASTag.   11. How does RFID work without power? Passive RFID tags have no power of their own and are powered by the radio frequency energy transmitted from RFID readers/antennas. The signal sent by the reader and antenna is used to power on the tag and reflect the energy back to the reader.   12. What are the types of RFID tags? RFID tags can be grouped into three categories based on the range of frequencies they use to communicate data: low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF) and ultra-high frequency (UHF). Generally speaking, the lower the frequency of the RFID system, the shorter the read range and slower the data read rate.   13.How do I know if I have an RFID chip? The best way to check for an implant would be to have an X-ray performed. RFID transponders have metal antennas that would show up in an X-ray. You could also look for a scar on the skin. Because the needle used to inject the transponder under the skin would be quite large, it would leave a small but noticeable scar.   14. Does RFID require power? Active RFID tags possess their own power source – an internal battery that enables them to have extremely long read ranges as well as large memory banks. Typically, active RFID tags are powered by a battery that will last between 3 - 5 years, but when the battery fails, the active tag will need to be replaced.   15. What is the difference between a QR code and RFID? QR codes must always be “read-only”, whereas RFID tags can be “read-write”, depending on the radio frequency that's being used. ... So, not only are RFID tags futuristic and have more uses than QR tags, they also have many more applications. The read range is far superior for an RFID tag.   Ref. KY45-R300-F35-M14-C KY78-2867704

The BHA250 low-power sensor hub and BHI160 ultra-low power sensor hub from Bosch Sensortec is now in stock at distributor Mouser Electronics . Designed specifically for always-on sensor applications in smartphones running the Android operating system, the BHA250 and BHI160 enable designers to offload sensor processing from the main processor, which can reduce power consumption and extend battery life.  The sensor hubs integrate a best-in-class 3-axis MEMS accelerometer (BH250) or 6-axis gyroscope/accelerometer inertial measurement unit (BH160) with the new Bosch Sensortec digital signal processor, Fuser Core.The Fuser Core is a 32-bit floating-point microcontroller optimised to execute Bosch Sensortec's sensor fusion and activity-recognition algorithms with ultra-low power consumption — up to 95 percent less than that of other microcontrollers.The BHA250 and BHI160 are specifically designed for applications in Android smartphones — implementing a full Android sensor stack inside the devices to provide a flexible, low-power solution for always-on motion sensing and sensor data processing. In both devices, the 32-bit Fuser Core microcontroller features 96 kBytes of ROM, including the BSX sensor fusion library, and 48 kBytes of RAM for additional drivers, local data buffering, or feature updates.The devices provide up to three general-purpose input/outputs (GPIOs) and a high-speed I2C interface with data rates up to 3.4 MBit/s for power-efficient data transfer.They meet the requirements of smartphones, wearables, and other applications that demand highly accurate, real-time motion data at very low power consumption.Mouser also offers corresponding shuttle boards for the sensor hubs. Both the BHA250 shuttle board and BHI160 shuttle board, available to order from Mouser, include four external magnetometers that can be connected to the sensor hubs using the available jumpers on the PCB.The shuttle board allows easy access to the sensor‘s pins via a simple socket and can be plugged into the Bosch Sensortec Application Board. Ref:KY45-AD22293ZKY45-SS16-3KY45-TLE4998P3 

In order to help social-fitness fans stay motivated, STMicroelectronics has introduced smart motion sensors that enable always-on tracking applications to run for longer and record progress more accurately. These sensors, the LIS2DS12 3-axis 'pico' accelerometer, LSM6DSL/M 6-axis inertial module, and the LSM303AH eCompass help track movement continuously with minimal impact on device battery life by performing various motion-related calculations efficiently on-chip instead of using the main system processor. Pre-embedded algorithms that include high-precision pedometer, step detection, step counting, and significant motion and tilt detection effectively reduce engineering effort and accelerate time to market for imaginative new apps on devices such as fitness bands, medical monitors, personal navigation and Internet of Things (IoT) nodes, in addition to smartphones and wearable devices.ST’s smart motion sensors are already integrated in several smartphones to enable WeRun, a new feature of the WeChat messaging app used by more than 90% of people in China’s largest cities. “WeRun turns physical activity into a social pursuit, helping smartphone and wearable device users stay healthy,” commented Andrea Onetti, Group Vice President and General Manager, MEMS Sensors Division, STMicroelectronics. “ST’s smart motion sensors enable WeRun to track movements continuously, never missing a step, while preserving battery energy to power the device for longer. This enhances usability and helps attract more subscribers.”ST’s sensor device with the on-board pedometer suiting the WeRun app, the LSM303AH eCompass combines an accelerometer with a magnetic sensor that more than doubles the heading accuracy of other eCompass or pure magnetometer solutions tested at the same geographical latitudes. Combined with the continuous accurate step monitoring, this ensures precise location awareness by dead reckoning where there is no GPS signal, such as in offices, car parks, or shopping malls. In addition, ST has engineered advanced software that simplifies user calibration of the temperature drift and the magnetic sensor.ST’s smart sensors also implement selectable power modes and resolution that help optimise energy efficiency and performance. Additional features that simplify system design include an embedded FIFO, built-in self-test, integrated temperature sensor, and programmable interrupts for conditions such as freefall. The LIS2DS12, LSM6DSL/M, and LSM303AH smart sensors are in production now.