Understanding Smart Sensors - Nomads.usp

Smart Sensor Basics 11capability of the computing element and the imagination of the designer.Chapters 5, 6, and 7 explain and develop some of those possibilities. In additionto signal transmission in distributed control systems through a variety ofprotocols described in Chapter 6, the possibilities of portable, wireless, andremote sensing are explored in Chapter 8. A broad variety of micromechanicalelements and additional system components are investigated in Chapter 9.Among the challenges and limiting factors to higher levels of integration arepackaging, testing, and reliability. Chapter 10 reveals the progress being madein these areas for production sensors. However, packaging, testing, and reliabilityare some of the formidable challenges that must be addressed for smart sensors.The combination of the previously discussed aspects is already beingresearched, as discussed in Chapter 11, with the addition of the system outputand sensing systems.Chapter 12 presents what could be the milestone in the future for theturning point in the evolution of smart sensors. The availability and acceptanceof standards can accelerate the development and use of smart sensors.Chapter 13 provides some examples and explores the implications of standardsthat affect sensing. Finally, based on the system-level complexity already possibleand continuously evolving, a look into the not-too-distant future of smartsensing is shared in Chapter 14.1.4 Integration of Micromachining and MicroelectronicsIncreasing the performance and reliability and reducing the cost of electroniccircuits through increased integration are standard expectations for semiconductortechnology. In the area of semiconductor sensors, however, that integrationhas been limited to Hall-effect and optoelectronic devices. The recentcombination of micromechanical structures, sensing elements, and signal conditioningis the beginning of a new chapter in sensor technology. The combinationof microelectronics with micromechanical structures promises to changefuture control systems and enable entirely new applications that previouslywere too costly for commercial purposes. The term microelectromechanical systems,or sometimes simply microsystems, is used to describe the structures andfunctions provided by micromachining and the addition of microelectronics tothose structures.A sensor with its own dedicated interface circuitry has several advantages.The sensor designer can trade off unnecessary performance characteristics forthose that will provide desirable performance advantages to the sensor-interfacecombination. Normally, interface ICs are designed for a broad range of applicationsand such tradeoffs are not possible. The combination allows the sensor