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SENSORS

WHAT IS SENSOR?

– a device that detects or measures a physical property and records, indicates, or otherwise
responds to it.

– a device that detects and responds to some type of input from the physical environment. The
specific input could be light, heat, motion, moisture, pressure, or any one of a great number of
other environmental phenomena.

CLASSIFICATION OF SENSORS

1. Active and Passive sensors

Active sensor

– A sensor that requires external power to operate, e.g. carbon microphone,


thermistors, strain gauges, capacitive and inductive sensors, etc.

– Also called as parametric sensor.

Passive sensor

– It generates its own electric signal and does not require a power source, e.g.
thermocouples, magnetic microphones, piezoelectric sensors, photodiode.

– Also called as self-generating sensors.

2. Contact and non-contact sensors

Contact sensor

– A sensor that requires physical contact with the stimulus, e.g. strain gauges,
temperature sensors

Non-contact sensor

– It requires no physical contact, e.g. most optical and magnetic sensors, infrared
thermometers, etc.

3. Absolute and relative sensors

Absolute sensor

– A sensor that reacts to a stimulus on an absolute scale, such as thermistors,


strain gauges, etc., (thermistor always reads the absolute temperature)

Relative scale

– The stimulus is sensed relative to a fixed or variable reference, for example


thermocouple measures the temperature difference; pressure is often measured
relative to atmospheric pressure.
4. Others

Classification based on broad area of detection:

– Electric sensors, Magnetic, Electromagnetic, Acoustic, Chemical, Optical, Heat,


Temperature, Mechanical, Radiation, Biological etc.

Classification based on physical law:

– Photoelectric, Magnetoelectric, Thermoelectric, Photoconductive,


Photomagnetic, Thermomagnetic, Thermooptic, Electrochermical,
Magnetoresistive, Photoelastic etc.

Classification based on Specification:

– Accuracy, sensitivity, Stability, response time, hysteresis, Frequency response,


input, resolution, linearity, hardness, cost, size, weight, conduction materials,
temperature etc.

Classification as per Application:

– Agriculture, Automotive, Civil engineering and construction, Domestic


appliances, Commerce, Finance Environment, Meteorology, security, Energy,
Information and Telecommunication, Health and medicine, Marine, Military and
Space, Recreation and toys, Scientific measurement, Manufacturing and
Transportation.

TYPES OF SENSORS

Temperature Sensor

– One of the most common and most popular sensor

– It measures the changes in the temperature.

Proximity Sensor

– A non-contact type sensor that detects the presence of an object. Proximity Sensors can be
implemented using different techniques like Optical (like Infrared or Laser), Ultrasonic, Hall
Effect, Capacitive, etc.

Accelerometer

– Are integrated circuits or modules used to measure the acceleration of an object to which they
are attached. They are used in applications including: vehicle dynamics, mobile phone
orientation detection, image stability, tilt, tap detection and anti-theft devices.

IR Sensor (Infrared Sensor)

– Are light based sensor that are used in various applications like Proximity and Object Detection.
IR Sensors are used as proximity sensors in almost all mobile phones.
Two types:

1. Transmissive Type

2. Reflective Type IR Sensor

Pressure Sensor

– A device that senses pressure and converts it into an electric signal where the amount depends
upon the pressure applied.

Light Sensor

– An electronic device used to detect light.

Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) or photoresistor

– a special type of light sensor which is used in this automatic light sensor circuit.
These light dependent resistors are passive and doesn’t produce any electrical
energy.

Ultrasonic Sensor

– A non-contact type device that can be used to measure distance as well as velocity of an object.
An Ultrasonic Sensor works based on the properties of the sound waves with frequency greater
than that of the human audible range.

Smoke, Gas and Alcohol Sensor

– Achieved by using a basic unit with different sensors for smoke, LPG and alcohol. So, different
alarms can be made by simply changing the input sensor.

Touch Sensor

– A type of equipment that captures and records physical touch or embrace on a device and/or
object. It enables a device or object to detect touch, typically by a human user or operator.

Color Sensor

– Detects the color of the surface, usually in the RGB scale.

Humidity Sensor

– Also known as hygrometer.

– Senses, measures and reports both moisture and air temperature.

Tilt Sensor

– An instrument that is used for measuring the tilt in multiple axes of a reference plane.
Flow and Level Sensor

– A device for determining the level or amount of fluids, liquids or other substances that flow in an
open or closed system.

Two types:

1. Continuous level sensors

2. Point level sensors

Optoelectronic Sensor

– A device that produces an electrical signal proportional to the amount of light incident on its
active area.

Three types:

1. Through-beam sensor Type T


– Consist of a light transmitter (light source) and a spatially separated receiver.
The light emitted by the transmitter is analyzed by the receiver. An interruption
in the light path, e.g. by an object, is evaluated and causes the output to switch.

Advantages:

– Long sensing distance; the light beam needs only to travel in one
direction from the transmitter to the receiver.
– High operational reliability; interference reflections rarely trigger the
receiver.
– Detection of even the smallest objects by additionally mounting lenses
or screens.

Disadvantages:

– High installation cost with two devices having to be mounted, wired and
adjusted.
2. Retro-reflective sensor Type R
– The light transmitter and receiver in retroreflective sensors are
accommodated in one enclosure. The light beam emitted by the transmitter is
reflected back to the receiver by a reflector (e.g. triple reflector or reflective
film). An interruption in the light paths is evaluated and changes the output
signal at the receiver.

Advantages:

– Easy installation of light barrier and reflector


– The reflector can be used as a moving signal generator, e.g. in conveyor
systems

Disadvantages:
– Shorter sensing range than a through beam system since the light beam
has to travel from the transmitter (light source) to the reflector and back
to the receiver
– Highly polished objects can act as reflectors and may cause
malfunctions

Retro-reflective sensors with polarization filter

– A special type of retro-reflective sensor. A special linear or circular


polarized filter element (film) is placed between the transmit or
receive elements and the glass light emitting face of the sensor

Advantages:

– Reflections from specular or transparent objects are suppressed

Disadvantages:

– The sensing range is reduced compared to standard sensors


without polarization filter
3. Diffuse-reflection sensor Type D
– The light transmitter and receiver in a diffuse-reflection sensor are
accommodated in one common enclosure. The light emitted from the transmitter
is reflected diffused from the detected object. A part of this diffused reflection
returns to the receiver and changes the switching status at the output when a
certain intensity is exceeded. Accordingly, the texture and the colour of the object
surface has a considerable influence on the object detection characteristics
(presence – absence).
Advantages:
– Easy installation
– No reflector necessary
Disadvantages:
– Different sensing distances and sensitivity settings are required for different
objects (surface, color)

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