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.

Accuracy, Resolution and Repeatability

There are several key terms that are critical to specifying the optimal position sensor for a given application. This application note defines these key terms and how they relate to the sensor’s role in the overall system performance. It is important to consider that precision is very much a system issue and can be dominated by mechanical errors such as eccentricity. This paper discusses the most significant mechanical error for rotary applications (eccentricity) and presents eccentricity tolerant position sensor solutions.

NASA Lunabotics Challenge

Nearly fifty University Teams recently gathered in Florida for the NASA Lunabotics Challenge. The robots are tasked with driving, digging, and depositing regolith—the fragmented rock material that covers the moon’s surface—in a lunar simulant. Beyond robotics and mechatronics, the program teaches team work, project management and industry collaboration.

MEMS Inclinometer Specifications

Inclinometers, also called tilt sensors, clinometers, or slope sensors, are designed to measure the angle of an object with respect to the force of gravity. These tilt or level meters determine the pitch and/or roll angle and output these values via the appropriate electrical interface.