By Applied Electronics And Instrumentation 7th Semester,2008 Purushottam Institute of engg.

& Technology

First things first : What Is A Sensor ?

A sensor is a device that measures a physical quantity and converts it into a signal which can be read by an observer or by an instrument.

What exactly is an Inteligent Sensor

Sensors and instrument packages that are microprocessor driven and include features such as communication capability and on-board diagnostics that provide information to a monitoring system and/or operator to increase operational efficiency and reduce maintenance costs.

Smart (Digital) Sensor Features

Analog/Digital Converter Typically 10-14 bits, usually internal Microcontroller (embedded) PIC or similar 8-bit micro with appropriate features Sensor Identification (serial # etc) Calibration information Compensates for sensor variations; conversion to engineering units Data logging and real-time clock (optional)

Requirements:

Intelligent sensors

Data Accuracy and confidence Self diagnostic Self calibration

How to do it?

Uncertainty management Learning ability Adaptation ability Fault detection mechanism

Network + database

Associated software sensors

Intelligent Sensor Systems

System A combination of two or more elements, subsystems and parts necessary to carry out one or more functions [PAW91] To interact with the real world, a system requires Sensors: inputs devices Actuators: output devices Processing: signals, information and knowledge Sensor A device that receives and responds to a stimulus [Fdn97] Stimulus: mechanical, thermal, magnetic, electric, optical, chemical Response: an electrical signal (in most cases) Intelligence The ability to combine A prior knowledge (available before experience) and Adaptive learning (from experience)

Building blocks of Intelligent Sensors

What are Smart Sensor Systems?

A "smart sensor" is a transducer (or actuator) that provides functions beyond what is necessary to generate a correct representation of a sensed or controlled quantity (e.g., temperature, pressure, strain, flow, pH, etc.). The "smart sensor" functionality will typically simplify the integration of the transducer into applications in a networked environment. For example, a measurement from a temperature transducer requires the network controller to make a voltage-to-temperature conversion to represent the data in either degrees fahrenheit or degrees celcius. An intelligent temperature transducer (smart sensor) has a built-in transducer electronic data sheet (TEDS) to make the measurement conversion and provide the data in units of temperature to the network controller. To do this, the smart sensor module also contains the digital interface to provide a communication channel between the network control and the smart sensor. There are two main components of a functional smart sensor: 1) a transducer interface module (TIM) and 2) a network capable application processor (NCAP)

Applications:
Aerospace applications require a range of chemical sensing technologies to monitor conditions in both space vehicles and in aircraft operations. Industrial development in harsh environments or applications where it may not be safe or feasible for people to work efficiently - in some underground mining operations, for example.

Application of intelligent imaging sensors to image guided and intensity modulated radiotherapy Nano technology Enabled Sensors In almost all fields like transportation, communications, building, medicine, safety and security, Nanosensors can play a vital role (Mainly by reducing the area of the sensor system).

Application in areas

Automotive aerospace defense industrial intelligent house wear medical homeland security.

The Upstream Series of UV Water Purification Systems

Intelligent Sensors Patented dual-sensor system monitors both UV output and water quality. Optional solenoid valve shuts water off in unsafe conditions.

BIO-Sensors

Biosensors, designed for the detection of interesting biological signals. Biosensors usually yield a digital electronic signal which is proportional to the concentration of a specific biological or chemical

Biosensors have been applied to a wide variety of analytical problems including in medicine, health care, environmental monitoring, drug discovery, the environment, food, process industries, security, defense, bioprocess monitoring and control. Personal monitoring devices such as glucose sensors for diabetics. Biosensors for Environmental Monitoring.

Rohde & Schwarz NRP RF Power Sensors

Potentiometr ic Titration]
857 Titrando with intelligent sensors Intelligent titrator plus intelligent sensors

Conclusion
To support the requirements of distributed sensor networks, sensors must possess greater functionality than simply gathering data and blindly transmitting the data to a centralized sensor node. Intelligent sensors are an extension of traditional sensors to those with advanced learning and adaptation capabilities. The system must also be re-configurable and perform the necessary data interpretation, fusion of data from multiple sensors and the validation of local and remotely collected data. Intelligent sensors therefore contain embedded processing functionality that provides the computational resources to perform complex sensing and actuating tasks along with high level applications.

References
http://www.ee.unimelb.edu.au/ISSNIP/re search_prog/intel_sensor/nanosesors.html Ricardo Gutierrez-Osuna, Intelligent Sensor Systems, Wright State University A. Sachenko, V. Kochan and V. Turchenko. Instrumentation for Data Gathering. IEEE Instrumentation & Measurement Magazine , September 2003, pp. 34-41.