Sensors Expo visits Detroit

Gary A. Mintchell, senior editor -- Control Engineering, 10/1/2000

Detroit, Mich.—Wireless communications and smart sensors highlighted products unveiled at the semiannual Sensors Expo held here on Sept. 19-21:

Advantech Automation (Cincinnati, O.) introduced its ADAM-4550, a DIN-rail mountable direct-sequence spread spectrum radio modem, for sensor data transfer through wireless serial communication. Crossbow Technology (San Jose, Calif.) demonstrated CrossNet. This wireless sensor architecture transmits sensor data using Bluetooth technology. National Instruments (Austin, Tex.) showed a strain gauge module, SCXI 1520, that removes offset programmatically in the hardware to increase ease of use and maximize dynamic resolution for more accurate measurements.

On Semiconductor (Phoenix, Ariz.) introduced two ultra-small, low-cost temperature switches that assert a logic signal when their die temperature rises above a factory-programmed threshold. Motorola Sensor Products Division (Phoenix, Arix.) unveiled M-Pak (mini-pak) pressure sensor providing linear voltage output proportional to applied pressure and a new 5g accelerometer. Model 8515C piezoresistive pressure tranducer from Endevco (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) expands the company's line of OEM products. As an aid to maintenance personnel, Kistler Instrument Corp. (Amherst, N.Y.) developed the 5110 DMM coupler transforming any common digital multi-meter into a hand-held relative vibration system. Omron Electronics' (Schaumburg, Ill.) new vision sensor, F150-3, has dual camera capability allowing users to perform two camera inspections/measurements simultaneously. MTS Systems (Cary, N.C.) introduced the Temposonics S Series ServoSensor, a closed-loop control system that includes servocontroller, drive module, and sensor electronics.