Technical Note: Intrinsically Safe vs. Inherently Safe Sensors

Intrinsically safe (IS) sensors are designed to operate safely in hazardous areas where there is a risk of explosion. IS sensors limit the amount of electrical and thermal energy that can be released in the event of a fault, to a level below that which is capable of igniting flammable gases, vapors, or dust.

Application Note: Rotary Encoders for Azimuth and Elevation Feedback in Vision Gimbals

Vision gimbals are critical components in various applications, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), robotics, and surveillance systems. Used in IR, LIDAR, visible light and other frequencies, they stabilize cameras or sensors, providing smooth and accurate footage or data acquisition regardless of platform movement.

Potentiometers That Make Sense for Sensing

Despite their perceived simplicity, potentiometers can still be an appropriate option in today’s ever-complicated automation industry. Fundamentally a variable resistor, modern potentiometers also offer more traditional outputs such as voltage and current which are common to more expensive sensors.

How-to: 2 Point Operation of an Open Collector Switch Output

In this example, the switch point has been set to ‘Full Alarm’. By setting the switch point to 90% with an 80% hysteresis, the switch will come on at 90% and switch off at 10%.