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.

Inductosyn: End of an Era, New Opportunities or Both?

Recently, obtaining the Inductosyn and components for maintenance has become more difficult. For decades the Inductosyn from Farrand Controls / Ruhle Companies sat near the top of the rotary sensor hierarchy. Providing sub 2 arcsec (0.5 mdeg) accuracies, it combined the robustness of a resolver with the performance of the best optical encoders. Despite its shortcomings, it found plenty of customers, from airborne infrared and radar systems, to telescopes, satellite communication antennae (SATCOM), machine tooling and low-pressure vacuum chambers.

Intrinsically Safe Absolute Rotary Encoders

In the most hazardous environments, where an explosive atmosphere consisting of flammable gas or vapor is regularly present and a sensor fault cannot be risked, Intrinsically Safe (IS) sensors may be the best sensing option. Generally, these sensors are paired with a barrier which limits the amount of electrical and thermal energy that can enter the Hazardous Area to an amount that is so small that even in the situation of a sensor fault, there is not enough energy to cause an ignition.

NEW PRODUCT – VLH-35 ELECTRIC ENCODER FOR DC SERVO MOTORS

Netzer Precision Position Sensors is introducing the VLH-35, a new product designed to meet the needs of the servo motor industry and its requirements for the next generation of industrial rotary motion control.