Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2021 - ST-23

New Products
Low-Cost Solid-State Rain Detector

Liquid Level Reed Switches

Hydreon Corporation (Minneapolis, MN) has
released the new RG-9 low cost, low power, rugged,
and reliable precipitation sensor. It uses beams of
infrared light to detect rainfall. Consequently, the
sensor is impervious to dirt, dust, insects, birds, and
the other nuisances that can plague sensors. Since
it consumes very little power, it is well suited to solar-powered applications.
The RG-9 readily senses drops smaller than a millimeter and its threshold can be adjusted to trigger at whatever intensity of rainfall the application requires. The device features a serial output, so trip thresholds may be
adjusted as needed by the user's equipment.
The most common type of rain sensor is conductive. This is simple but
prone to being left in an " always on " state if the surface becomes contaminated. Also, conductive rain sensors can generally not sense small amounts
of water, and the threshold is generally not adjustable.

TE Connectivity (Berwyn, PA) is offering a
series of liquid level switches that use reed
switch technology, delivering an extended
product life of 10M+ cycles, high electrical
load capacity, low contact resistance, and UL
approvals. Used in applications such as
HVAC, wastewater systems, chemical and petrochemicals, and in the
food and beverage industry, they require no power source to facilitate
switching action.
The switches can be arranged to have normally closed or normally
open switch indication with the rise or fall of liquid, and they can be
horizontally or vertically oriented. All housings have at least IP65
enclosure rating and are available in materials such as polypropylene,
polyamide, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), PVC, brass, and stainless
steel. The electrical sealing of the level switches allows no direct contact with liquids, which could cause corrosion issues. They can be used
in high temperature environments and no EMC testing is required.

For Free Info Visit: http://info.hotims.com/79411-180

For Free Info Visit: http://info.hotims.com/79411-173

Bluetooth® 5 Beacons and Sensor
Beacons
Fujitsu Component America, Inc. (Sunnyvale,
CA) has added a series of Bluetooth® 5 beacons
and sensor beacons. Their Bluetooth 5 offers reduced
power consumption, faster communication speed, greater
LE advertising data communication capacity, and an increased
number of channels, compared to their Bluetooth 4.1 predecessors. They
also support remote settings using commands from a central unit.
The FWM8BLZ07 beacon features an embedded advertisement function that encrypts data and securely authenticates and decrypts messages
by utilizing an anti-spoofing function known as a message authentication
code (MAC).
The FWM8BLZ07A is a multi-function sensor beacon that includes
embedded temperature, humidity, air pressure, illuminance, 3-axis
acceleration, and sound-level sensors. Multiple sensors in different
combinations can be used in any Bluetooth environment through the
Bluetooth standard beacon protocol to the latest Bluetooth 5 protocol.

Energy Harvesting Wireless Power
The VP3 energy harvesting power source from
Xidas, Inc. (Irvine, CA) captures energy from small
vibrations in industrial machinery (motors, blowers,
pumps, etc.) and converts it into electrical power
that trickle charges a specialized on-board battery. This enables wireless
sensors to have access to a perpetual power source that eliminates the cost
and headache of battery replacement and maintenance.
Wireless sensors have unique power signatures that put a strain on regular batteries. With the increase in intelligent sensing, sensors can now
capture and analyze signatures, monitor for alarms and environment, be
network aware, and transmit to customers' networks. All these wireless
devices must balance what the edge device does with how much power
capacity the battery can provide. Unfortunately, most wireless sensors typically have a 1 to 2-year lifetime, leading to costly and bothersome battery
replacements/maintenance that deem many IoT applications impractical.
For Free Info Visit: http://info.hotims.com/79411-175

For Free Info Visit: http://info.hotims.com/79411-171

Wireless System for Acquiring
Precision Measurement Data

Linear Potentiometer Spring
Loaded Position Sensor

The L.S. Starret Co. (Athol, MA) has
announced the introduction of DataSure®
4.0, an advanced wireless system for acquiring precision measurement data. It uses short-wave radio frequencies
to interconnect cell phones, computers, and wireless electronic
devices, enabling much faster speed, greater bandwidth, and a range
of hundreds of yards.
Features include higher bit rates and less than 50ms of data travel
time. Its ultra-low latency network enables high data volumes to be
processed without delay, even at full capacity. Multiple gateways serve
as central or distributed points for data collection. The compact new
gateways and repeaters can easily fit in the palm of a hand.
Built on a highly secure proprietary wireless platform, transported data
is encrypted using a multi-layered approach that prevents any outside
access to the data, whether passive or active. Data is transmitted from gages
that have either built-in radio transmitters or externally-mounted end
nodes to gateways.

The LPPS-MSL Miniature Spring-Loaded Linear
Potentiometer position sensors from Harold G. Schaevitz
Industries (Bloomfield Hills, MI) are used to monitor and track
the linear motion or position of a target. The captive guided springloaded shaft incorporates an external helical compression spring to
maintain constant contact with the part under measurement. These compact sized sensors are only 16 mm OD making them ideal for installations
with limited space. The LPPS-MSL series sensor is made from industrial
duty materials for resistance to dust, temperature, shock, and vibration and
are engineered for use in a wide range of gauging applications including
laboratory, automotive, industrial, motion control, medical, and aerospace.
Features:
* Spring Loaded Linear Potentiometer
* Stroke lengths available from 5 to 100 mm (0.2 to 4 inches)
* Compact Size, housing is only 16 mm diameter
* Environmental rating of IP61
* -40°C to 95°C operating temperature range

For Free Info Visit: http://info.hotims.com/79411-172

For Free Info Visit: http://info.hotims.com/79411-174

Sensor Technology, March 2021

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Tech Briefs Magazine - March 2021

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