MOVEMENT Sensor

Type of sensors

potentiometer

gravitational

inductive

Eddy Current

magnetic

Magnetostrictive Detector

Magneto-resistive

effect Hall

capacitive

optic

ultrasound

radar

otentiometer sensor
otentiometer sensor can !e linear or rotary
T"e sensor #or$ as a voltage divisor% in all of t"e case t"e sensor is
po#er supply #it" a voltage reference% t"e output is a voltage
depending !y t"e movement d
V&Vref'd(D #"ere D is t"e ma)im movement*
T"is sensor is !uild as a coil or a t"in film resistance
T"e resolution of coil resistance sensor is give !y coil dimension
and !y #ire diameter
T"e #ire diameter in all of t"e case is +*+,mm% a good accuracy is
!y +*,-
Displacements sensed !y t"e angular potentiometers range from
appro)imately ,+ to over .+++/ for t"e multi-turn pots
E)ample0 12-3-45-1,M 6analogical7% 12-E 8 digital output digital


9ravitational Sensors

9ravitational-level transducer is used in a toilet tan$*

:nclination detectors% #"ic" measure t"e angle from t"e

direction to t"e Eart";s center of gravity

T"is sensor can !e #it" digital output on off 6s#itc"7% or #it"

analog output t"e angel is proportion to resistance*

T"e s#itc" is made of a nonconductive 6often glass7 tu!e

"aving t#o electrical contacts and a drop of mercury

<"en t"e sensor is positioned #it" respect to t"e gravity force

in suc" a #ay t"at t"e mercury moves a#ay from t"e contacts%
t"e s#itc" is open* 3 c"ange in t"e s#itc" orientation causes
t"e mercury to move to t"e contacts and touc" !ot" of t"em%
t"us closing t"e s#itc"*

To measure angular displacement #it" "ig"er resolution% a

more comple) sensor is re=uired*

:t is called t"e electrolytic tilt sensor* 3 small slig"tly curved

glass tu!e is filled #it" a partly conductive electrolyte*

T"ree electrodes are !uilt into t"e tu!e0 t#o at t"e ends% and
t"e t"ird electrode at t"e center of t"e tu!e* 3n air !u!!le
resides in t"e tu!e and may move along its lengt" as t"e tu!e
tilts* Electrical resistances !et#een t"e center electrode and
eac" of t"e end electrodes depend on t"e position of t"e
!u!!le*

T"e electrolytic tilt sensors are availa!le for a #ide spectrum

of angular ranges ,+ - >+
3ngular Displacement


3ngular optic sensor

T"e detector is useful in civil

and mec"anical engineering
for t"e s"ape measurements
of comple) o!?ects #it" "ig"
resolution

Hemisp"erical spirit level

mounted on a p-n ?unction
p"otodiode array* 3 s"ado#
of t"e !u!!le in t"e li=uid
is pro?ected onto t"e surface
of t"e p"otodiode array*

T"e outputs of t"e diodes

are converted in to digital
form and cali!rated at
various tilt angles*

Capacitive Sensors
d
A
C =
h
c
b
C =
ln
2
lane and cylindrical capacitor
T"e a!ility of capacitive detectors to sense virtually all materials ma$es t"em an
attractive c"oice for many applications 3 typical capacitive pro!e operates
at fre=uencies in t"e .-MH@ range and can detect very fast-moving targets*
3 capacitive pro)imity sensor can !e "ig"ly efficient #"en used #it" t"e electrically
conductive o!?ects* T"e sensor measures a capacitance !et#een t"e electrode and t"e
o!?ect*
3 met"od of measurement is t"e comparative met"od* :s used t#o capacitor one is a
reference and t"e second is un$no#n capacitor* T"e output voltage depend !y t"e
ration !et#een t"em*

= 1
0
r
v
ref
C
C
KV V
T"e operating principle of a capacitive gauge% pro)imity% and position sensors is
!ased on eit"er c"anging t"e geometry 6i*e*% a distance !et#een t"e capacitor
plates7 or capacitance variations in t"e presence of conductive or dielectric
materials* :n t"is type of sensor t"e "umidity affect t"e sensor #or$s% "umidity
variation #it" ,+ and >A- at 4,BC introduce a error !y +%.A- from Cull Scale*
Conditionare
semnal
Cv
Cr
Vo

D-A,+ :Seca 8 "ig" accuracy sensor
deformation0 metallic material D-.4 micrometri(m(BC
silicon material A micrometri(m(BC
T"e dielectric constant is affected !y temperature% "umidity and pressure <:TH
,E+ppm

:nductive sensor 8 1VDT and FVDT
3 magnetic flu) coupling !et#een t#o coils may !e altered !y t"e movement of
and o!?ect and su!se=uently converted into voltage* T"e !asic arrangement of
a multi-induction transducer contains t#o coils0 primary and secondary* T"e
primary carries ac e)citation (Vref ) t"at induces a steady ac voltage in t"e
secondary coil* T"e induced amplitude depends on flu) coupling !et#een t"e
coils*
One is t"e movement of an o!?ect made of ferromagnetic material #it"in t"e
flu) pat"* T"is c"anges t"e reluctance of t"e pat"% #"ic"% in turn% alters t"e
coupling !et#een t"e coils*
8 1VDT 6linear varia!le differential transformer7
8 FVDT 6rotary varia!le differential transformer7
T"e t#o secondary are connected in t"e opposed p"ase* <"en t"e core is
positioned in t"e magnetic center of t"e transformer% t"e secondary output
signals cancel and t"ere is no output voltage* Moving t"e core a#ay from t"e
central position un!alances t"e induced magnetic flu) ratio !et#een t"e
secondaries% developing an output*
Vref
Vo
* *
T"e advantage0 is a non contact sensor t"e
output impedance is lo# t"e error and t"e noise
suscepti!ility is lo#% t"e sensor is solid
T"e disadvantage0 resolution of measurement is
!y micrometrical order

Eddy Current Sensors
T"is sensors use t"e electromagnetic induction principle*
T"e induction of a coil vary #"en a conductive o!?ect is
placed in "is magnetic field* :n t"e conductive o!?ect is
induced a magnetic currents #itc" affect t"e coil
inductivity*
Eddy 6circular7 currents produce a magnetic field #"ic"
opposes t"at of t"e sensing coil% t"us resulting in a
dis!alance #it" respect to t"e reference coil* T"e closer
t"e o!?ect to t"e coil% t"e larger t"e c"ange in t"e
magnetic impedance* T"e dept" of t"e o!?ect #"ere
eddy currents are produced is defined !y0

f
1
=
Naturally% for effective operation% t"e o!?ect t"ic$ness
s"ould !e larger t"an t"e dept"* 9enerally% t"e
relations"ip !et#een t"e coil impedance and distance to
t"e o!?ect x is nonlinear and temperature dependent* T"e
operating fre=uency of t"e eddy current sensors range
from A+ $H@ to ,+ MH@*

Transverse Inductive Sensor
:t is useful for sensing relatively small displacements of
ferromagnetic materials
3 self-induction principle is t"e foundation for t"e
operation of suc" a transducer* <"en t"e pro)imity
sensor moves into t"e vicinity of a ferromagnetic o!?ect%
its magnetic field c"anges% t"us altering t"e inductance of
t"e coil* T"e advantage of t"e sensor is t"at it is a
noncontact device #"ose interaction #it" t"e o!?ect is
only t"roug" t"e magnetic field* 3n o!vious limitation is
t"at it is useful only for t"e ferromagnetic o!?ects at
relatively s"ort distances*
T"e pro)imity sensor is useful for measuring small
displacements only% as its linearity is poor in comparison
#it" t"e 1VDT*
C
I
R
C
U
I
T

D
E

I
N
T
E
R
F
A
T
A
R
E
~
L1
L2
~

Magneto resistive Sensors
Magneto resistive 6MF7 sensors ma$e use of t"e magneto resistive
effect% t"e property of a current-carrying magnetic material to
c"ange its resistivity in t"e presence of an e)ternal magnetic field
T"e magneto resistive sensor is used as a pro)imity% position% or
rotation detector% it must !e com!ined #it" a source of a magnetic
field*
S S
N N N
MRS
N
S
S

S
N
MFS cam !e used as a
incremental position sensor :S
:S "as t#o output #it" D+B p"ase
differences% can !e used to detect t"e
direction and angle of rotation*

Traductoare magnetostrictive
3 transducer #"ic" can measure displacement #it" "ig" resolution across long
distances can !e !uilt !y using magnetostrictive and ultrasonic tec"nologies *
T"e transducer is comprised of t#o ma?or parts0 a long #aveguide 6up to E m
long7 and a permanent ring magnet * T"e magnet can move freely along t"e
#aveguide #it"out touc"ing it* 3 position of t"at magnet is t"e stimulus #"ic" is
converted !y t"e sensor into an electrical output signal* 3 #aveguide contains a
conductor #"ic"% upon applying an electrical pulse% sets up a magnetic field
over its entire lengt"* 3not"er magnetic field produced !y t"e permanent
magnet e)ists only in its vicinity* T"us% t#o magnetic fields may !e setup at t"e
point #"ere t"e permanent magnet is located* 3 superposition of t#o fields
results in t"e net magnetic field% #"ic" can !e found from t"e vector
summation* T"is net field% alt"oug" "elically formed around t"e #aveguide%
causes it to e)perience a minute torsional strain% or t#ist at t"e location of t"e
magnet* T"is t#ist is $no#n as t"e <iedemann effect* T"erefore% electric pulses
in?ected into t"e #aveguide;s coa)ial conductor produce mec"anical t#ist
pulses #"ic" propagate along t"e #aveguide #it" t"e speed of sound
specific for its material* <"en t"e pulse arrives at t"e e)citation "ead of t"e
sensor% t"e moment of its arrival is precisely measured* One #ay to detect t"at
pulse is to use a detector t"at can convert an ultrasonic t#itc" into electric
output*


Optic Sensor
3 digital optical encoder is a device t"at converts motion into a se=uence of digital
pulses* Gy counting a single !it or !y decoding a set of !its% t"e pulses can !e
converted to relative or a!solute position measurements*

Absolute encoder
T"e optical dis$ of t"e a!solute encoder is designed to produce a digital #ord t"at
distinguis"es N distinct positions of t"e s"aft* Cor e)ample% if t"ere are > trac$s% t"e
encoder is capa!le of producing 4AH distinct positions or an angular resolution of
,*I+H 6.H+(4AH7 degrees* T"e most common types of numerical encoding used in
t"e a!solute encoder are gray and !inary codes

Incremental encoder
:t consists of t#o trac$s and t#o sensors #"ose outputs are called c"annels 3 and G*
3s t"e s"aft rotates% pulse trains occur on t"ese c"annels at a fre=uency proportional
to t"e s"aft speed% and t"e p"ase relations"ip !et#een t"e signals yields t"e direction
of rotation* T"e code dis$ pattern and output signals 3 and G* Gy counting t"e num!er
of pulses and $no#ing t"e resolution of t"e dis$% t"e angular motion can !e measured*
T"e 3 and G c"annels are used to determine t"e direction of rotation !y assessing
#"ic" c"annels JleadsJ t"e ot"er* T"e signals from t"e t#o c"annels are a ,(I cycle
out of p"ase #it" eac" ot"er and are $no#n as =uadrature signals*

Decoding transitions of 3 and G !y using
se=uential logic circuits in different #ays
can provide t"ree different resolutions of
t"e output pulses0 ,2% 42% I2* ,2
resolution only provides a single pulse
for eac" cycle in one of t"e signals 3 or
G% I2 resolution provides a pulse at
every edge transition in t"e t#o signals
3 and G providing four times t"e ,2
resolution* T"e direction of rotation
6cloc$#ise or counter-cloc$#ise7 is
determined !y t"e level of one signal
during an edge transition of t"e second
signal* Cor e)ample% in t"e ,2 mode% 3&
#it" G &, implies a cloc$#ise pulse%
and G& #it" 3&, implies a counter-
cloc$#ise pulse* :f #e only "ad a single
output c"annel 3 or G% it #ould !e
impossi!le to determine t"e direction of
rotation* Curt"ermore% s"aft ?itter around
an edge transition in t"e single signal
#ould result in erroneous pulses

E)ample

CF+ACM4,3F

CF,43M.43C

CF+ACM,431

S4>++

D4.++

1.++

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31:C3T:E- Measurement of resistive sensor used for inclination
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Hand!oo$ of modern sensors

31:C3T:E- read data from a optical sensor
++ 0 3&, increment counter
++ 0 G&, decrement counter
+, 0 3&, increment decrement
+, 0 G&+ increment counter
,+ 0 3&+ decrement counter
,+ 0 G&, increment counter
,, 0 3&+ increment counter
,, 0 G&+ decrement counter
1
1
1
A
+ +
1
+
+
+
1
1
1
!
+ + +
1
+ +
1
+