Enhancing the 1451.

2 Standard for
Smart Transducers
James Wiczer
Sensor Synergy, Inc.

Sensors Expo 2002 - San Jose, CA

May 20, 2002
Smart Sensors -
Why?
Who Cares?
What are the Economic Drivers?
What are the Technical Drivers?
Why Standards?
Why Smart Sensors ?
Smart Sensors provide features required in order
to further expand applications of sensing
technologies in a cost effective manner
„ Electronic “Data Sheets”
„ Self Identification
„ Smart Calibration & Compensation
„ Digital Sensor Data
„ Sensor Communications for Remote Monitoring
and Remote Configuration
Who Cares ?
Customers
„ Especially end-users who care about ease of use
„ And end-users who see the whole picture
including costs
System Integrators who need to Minimize
Acquisition Costs and Setup Time

System Engineers with Data Acquisition, Signal

Processing Responsibilities, and Maintenance

Sensor Manufacturers who want to supply

technology for today and tomorrow.
What are the Economic
Drivers ?
Total System Costs include Balance of System Costs
and Life Cycle Costs

Balance of System Costs are Reduced when Sensors

Generate High Level Digital Signals – Receiver
Electronics, Noise Considerations, Signal Robustness,
Ease of Calibration – all of these Factors Result in
Improved Performance

Total System Costs Can Be Strongly Impacted by

Connectivity Issues – Networking of Digital Devices
can Reduce Connectivity Costs such as Digital
Network Wiring Installation Costs Compared to
Analog Wiring Costs
What are the Technical
Drivers ?
To utilize sensors in an increasingly larger
number of applications, we need to find a better
way to keep track of sensor properties – id,
calibration factors, correction/ compensation
factors, location, type, data sheet info such as
operational constraints

Sensor signal data becomes useless if the sensor

cannot be: identified, verified to be operating
within the manufacturers recommended signal
range, validated as operating within an allowed
environment, and generally known to be good.
What are the Technical Drivers ?

Read my lips:

It’s the NETWORK!

Why Standards ?
Tower of Babel
“PnP” Plug and Play
“RnR” – Rip and Replace (plug and play?)
Economies of Scale
„ from the Learning Curve …
„ … to the Cost of Hardware
Standards mean adhering to one set of
specifications. This lowers business risks and
increases product acceptance. Increased product
demand creates more business opportunity,
more competition and a healthy business
environment
Is it Unusual to Update/
Change a Standard ?
Stick Around and Find Out –
„ Standards Need to Evolve as the (Technology)
Environment Changes, Standards Need to Morph
to Comply with New Requirements and New Types
of Technical Challenges

„ Consider a “Generic” Smart Sensor Interface, a set

of Functional Requirements, and the main
elements of the IEEE 1451.2 Standard
 A general model of a smart
sensor Network
Network specific

Local user
interface

Analog-to-
Signal Application
Sensor digital Communication
conditioning algorithms
conversion

Data storage

Key “Smart Sensor” features:

• Intelligence is moved closer to the point of measurement/control.
• Requires a combined effort relating to transducers,
communications and signal processing
• Goal - Make sensor systems easier to use, improve performance
and lower overall system cost.
 1451.2 partition
Network
Network independent Network specific

Local user
interface

Analog-to-
Signal Application
Sensor digital Communication
conditioning algorithms
conversion

Data storage

Transducer Hardware
Electronic Data interface
Sheet (TEDS)