Untouchable!

It doesn’t require a sixth sense to predict developments in the sensor market: product miniaturisation, energy efficiency and increased reliability are the touchstones to which manufacturers are reaching. The challenge they face is to deliver all this, whilst providing greater integration and lower component count. According to Hans-Dieter Huber, LEM components’ vp for industry, the market is concerned with two areas: a desire for a greater degree of comfort; and the need to save energy. “There is a requirement for better and finer regulation,” he begins. “For example in air conditioning units, inverter control offers tighter control of temperature and a reduction in noise. The need to save energy means more mechanical applications are changing to full electronic control, which provides increased reliability, improved regulation and more energy efficiency. Consequently, the inverter control used in these newer systems requires reliable, accurate current measurement. Some of the emerging applications also require a compact sensor which, in many cases, needs to be mounted on a pcb.” Jeff Gurr is electromechanical specialist with Charcroft Electronics, a franchised distributor for Sensata’s sensors and controls. He points to an increasing awareness and drive towards green systems. “Accurate pressure sensors can help to improve system efficiency and improve safety,” he explained. “Sensata’s capacitive humidity/temperature sensors have a faster response time and twice the initial accuracy of traditional resistive sensor technologies. Traditional windscreen anti fogging systems rely on the vehicle’s occupant to activate and adjust defogging functions, which often takes several minutes to defog each time condensation builds up. More advanced systems remove the need for constant human attention and reduce stress on the air conditioning compressor by monitoring humidity and temperature automatically to engage and adjust the system.” C-MAC MicroTechnology’s advanced technology development manager Bob Hunt says the main problem that manufacturers are looking to solve in sensor technology is ensuring the measured parameter is detected reliably and translated to a signal that is precise and uncorrupted by extraneous influences. “C-MAC focuses on signal conditioning and conversion electronics at the point of sensing. We produce reliable and robust electronics that allow sensors to communicate with data bus and wireless interfaces.”