Internet of Things

A NASSCOM Certification Training Programme

for the Students of
BVM Engineering College
under TEQIP-III
Faculty Trainer : Dharita K. Patel
Electrical Engineering Department
Birla Vishvakarma Mahavidyalaya (Engineering College),
Gujarat
 Module 2
SIGNALS, SENSORS,
ACTUATORS, INTERFACES
Prof. Dharita K. Patel
Asst. Prof.
Electrical Dept
BVM
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Outline
• SENSORS
• What are Sensors
• Characteristics of Sensors
• Classification of Sensors
• Types of Sensors
• Applications of Sensors
• READ OUT CIRCUITS
• Noise bandwidth power trade off
• CIRCUIT COMPONENT MISMATCH AND MITIGATION TECHNIQUES
• Calibration, chopping
• POWER ENERGY CONSIDERATIONS
• SIGNAL PROCESSING
• ACTUATORS
• CASE STUDIES
• SUMMARY
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Internet of Things

● In the simplest terms, the Internet of Things (IoT) is how we

describe the digitally connected universe of everyday physical
devices.
● These devices are embedded with internet connectivity,
sensors and other hardware that allow communication and
control via the web.
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Internet of Things
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Internet of Things

● In a nutshell, IoT works in the following way:

● Devices have hardware like sensors, for example, that
collect data.
● The data collected by the sensors is then shared via the cloud
and integrated with software.
● The software then analyzes and transmits the data to users via
an app or website.
● Sensors are one key factor in IoT success.
SENSORS
Prof. Dharita K.Patel
Asst. Prof.
Electrical Dept
BVM
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Background
● Human beings collect information of the surrounding using sense organs
such as Nose, eyes, ears, skin,etc.

● A sensor is used to make measurement of a physical variable.

● Output of a sensor is a signal, to human readable form.

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Sensors
● Sensors are sophisticated devices that are frequently used to
detect a stimulus and responds with an electrical signal.

● A Sensor converts the physical parameter

(for example: temperature, blood pressure, humidity, speed, etc.)
into a signal which can be measured electrically.
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Electrical Signal means…

Electrical signal that can be channeled, amplified and modified by
electronic devices:
● Voltage

● Current

● Charge

The voltage, current or charge may be described by:

● Amplitude

● Frequency

● Phase

● Digital code
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Stimuli Examples
● Acoustic - Wave: Amplitude, phase, polarization; wave velocity
● Electric - Charge, current, potential, voltage, Electric filed,
permittivity and conductivity
● Magnetic - Magnetic field, permeability, magnetic flux
● Optical - Wave: Amplitude, phase, polarization, spectrum; Wave
velocity; Refractive index; Absorption; Reflectivity
● Mechanical - Position: angular and linear; acceleration; force;
stress; pressure; mass; density; moment; torque; Viscosity
● Radiation - Type, energy, intensity
● Thermal - Temperature, specific heat; Thermal conductivity
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Sensor Examples
● Radar guns utilize motion sensor to bounce microwaves off moving cars.

● A burglar alarm may use a photosensor to detect when a beam of light has been
broken, or may use ultrasonic sound waves that bounce off moving objects.
● Still other sensors may detect pressure (barometers) or chemicals (Breathalyzers and
smoke detectors).
● Stud finders, used by carpenters to locate wooden studs under a wall, may employ
magnets or radar.

Chemical sensor
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Sensor Examples
● Wired gloves, which relay information about the position of the fingers, are used in
virtual-reality environments.
● A cheap car alarm may be nothing but a shock sensor, in which a strong vibration will
cause two metal surfaces to come together.
● Image sensors are used in digital cameras.
● Infrared sensors can track an object's movement.
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Sensor Examples
● Smart Parking has designed and developed a range of in-ground, surface-mount and overhead
indicator vehicle detection sensors.
● Monitoring of vibrations and material conditions in buildings, bridges and historical monuments.
● Sound monitoring in bar areas and centric zones in real time.
● Smartphone Detection to detect iPhone and Android devices and in general any device which
works with WiFi or Bluetooth interfaces.
● Landslide and Avalanche Prevention by monitoring of soil moisture, vibrations and earth density
to detect dangerous patterns in land conditions.
● Portable water monitoring to monitor the quality of water.
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Sensor Examples
● Smart Grid
Energy consumption monitoring and management.
● Medical Fridges
Control of conditions inside freezers storing vaccines,
medicines and organic elements.
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Definition
● A device that detects the changes in physical quantities and
thereby produces an output as an acknowledgement of change
in the quantity is called as a Sensor.

Source :- https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/sensor
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● The specific input could be light, heat, motion, moisture,

pressure, or any one of a great number of other environmental
phenomena.
● The output is generally a signal that is converted to human-
readable display at the sensor location or transmitted
electronically over a network for reading or further processing.
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● The transducer is a device that changes the physical attributes

of the non-electrical signal into an electrical signal which is
easily measurable.
● The process of energy conversion in the transducer is known as
the transduction.
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Smart sensors are built as IoT components that convert the real-world
variable that they’re measuring into a digital data stream for transmission to
a gateway.

Source: https://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/tb/pub/features/articles/33212
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What are smart sensors?

● Basic sensors can detect changes in their environments and

convert measured data into a digital format for the external
microcontroller to process.
● The “smart” is in the microcontroller.
● Combining the microcontrollers in a single package makes it
possible for the sensors to become “smart.”
● Modern technology enables this combination to be
accomplished within small packaging.
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WHAT DOES THE IOT EXPECT OF ITS SENSORS?

● Low cost, so they can be economically deployed in large numbers

● Physically small, to “disappear” unobtrusively into any environment
● Wireless, as a wired connection is typically not possible
● Self-identification and self-validation
● Very low power, so it can survive for years without a battery change, or
manage with energy harvesting
● Robust, to minimize or eliminate maintenance
● Self-diagnostic and self-healing
● Self-calibrating, or accepts calibration commands via wireless link
● Data pre-processing, to reduce load on gateways, PLCs, and cloud
resources
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Leading IoT Sensors Manufacturers:

● Infineon Technologies (Germany),
● STMicroelectronics N.V. (Switzerland),
● IBM (U.S.),
● Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany),
● Honeywell International Inc. (U.S.),
● Ericsson (Sweden),
● InvenSense Inc. (U.S.),
● Libelium (Spain),
● ARM Holdings Plc. (U.K.),
● Digi International Inc. (U.S.)
● Microchip
● Murata
● Vishay
● Texas Instruments Incorporated
● TE Connectivity Ltd.
● NXP Semiconductors N.V.
● Broadcom Limited (Avago)
● Analog Devices, Inc.
● Omron Corporation
● Sensirion AG
● Smartthings, Inc.
● Konux Inc.
● Renasas Electronics
● Rohm Semiconductors
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Classification of Sensors
The sensors are classified into the following criteria:
● Primary Input quantity (Measurand)

● Transduction principles (Using physical and chemical effects)

● Material and Technology

● Property

● Application
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Classification of sensors

Direct: A sensor that can convert a non-electrical stimulus into an electrical signal with intermediate
● stages, e.g. Thermocouple (temperature to voltage)
● Indirect: A sensor that multiple conversion steps to transform the measured signal into an electrical
● signal, for example a fiber-optic displacement sensor (Light Current photons current)
● Types of Sensors
● Classification of Sensors
● Based on physical laws or convenient distinguishing property
● 1. Active and Passive sensors
● 2. Contact and non-contact sensors
● 3. Absolute and relative sensors
● 4. Others
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● Transduction principle is the fundamental criteria which are followed for an efficient approach. Usually, material
and technology criteria
● are chosen by the development engineering group.
●
● Classification based on property is as given below:
● · Temperature – Thermistors, thermocouples, RTD’s, IC and many more.
● · Pressure – Fibre optic, vacuum, elastic liquid based manometers, LVDT, electronic.
● · Flow – Electromagnetic, differential pressure, positional displacement, thermal mass, etc.
● · Level Sensors – Differential pressure, ultrasonic radio frequency, radar, thermal displacement, etc.
● · Proximity and displacement – LVDT, photoelectric, capacitive, magnetic, ultrasonic.
● · Biosensors – Resonant mirror, electrochemical, surface Plasmon resonance, Light addressable potentio-
metric.
● · Image – Charge coupled devices, CMOS
● · Gas and chemical – Semiconductor, Infrared, Conductance, Electrochemical.
● · Acceleration – Gyroscopes, Accelerometers.
● · Others – Moisture, humidity sensor, Speed sensor, mass, Tilt sensor, force, viscosity.
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● Active sensor: A sensor that requires external power to operate, e.g. carbon microphone, thermistors,
● strain gauges, capacitive and inductive sensors, etc.
● The active sensor is also called as parametric sensor (output is a function of a parameter - like resistance)
● Passive sensor:It generates its own electric signal and does not require a power source, e.g.
● thermocouples, magnetic microphones, piezoelectric sensors, photodiode.
● Also called as self-generating sensors
●
Contact sensor: A sensor that requires physical contact with the stimulus, e.g. strain gauges,
● temperature sensors
● Non-contact sensor:It requires no physical contact, e.g. most optical and magnetic sensors, infrared
● thermometers, etc.
● Sensors can be classified based on power or energy supply requirement of the sensors:
● · Active Sensor – Sensors that require power supply are called as Active Sensors. Example: LiDAR (Light
detection and ranging), photoconductive cell.
● · Passive Sensor – Sensors that do not require power supply are called as Passive Sensors. Example:
Radiometers, film photography.

●
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● Absolute sensor: A sensor that reacts to a stimulus on an absolute scale, such as thermistors, strain
● gauges, etc., (thermistor always reads the absolute temperature)
● Relative scale: The stimulus is sensed relative to a fixed or variable reference, for example
● thermocouple measures the temperature difference; pressure is often measured relative to
● atmospheric pressure.
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● lassification based on broad area of detection: Electric sensors, Magnetic, Electromagnetic, Acoustic, Chemical,
● Optical, Heat, Temperature, Mechanical, Radiation, Biological etc.
● Classification based on physical law: Photoelectric, Magnetoelectric, Thermoelectric, Photoconductive,
● Photomagnetic, Thermomagnetic, Thermooptic, Electrochermical, Magnetoresistive, Photoelastic etc.
● Classification based on Specification: Accuracy, sensitivity, Stability, response time, hysteresis, Frequency
response,
● input, resolution, linearity, hardness, cost, size, weight, conduction materials, temperature etc.
● Classification as per Application: Agriculture, Automotive, Civil engineering and construction, Domestic
appliances,
● Commerce, Finance Environment, Meteorology, security, Energy, Information and Telecommunication, Health and
● medicine, Marine, Military and Space, Recreation and toys, Scientific measurement, Manufacturing and
● Transportation and many more…
● Classification based on Application is as given below:
● · Industrial process control, measurement and automation
● · Non-industrial use – Aircraft, Medical products, Automobiles, Consumer electronics, other type of sensors.
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● In the current and future applications, sensors can be classified into groups as follows:
● · Accelerometers – These are based on the Micro Electro Mechanical sensor technology. They are used for
patient monitoring which includes pace makers and vehicle dynamic systems.
● · Biosensors – These are based on the electrochemical technology. They are used for food testing, medical care
device, water testing, and biological warfare agent detection.
● · Image Sensors – These are based on the CMOS technology. They are used in consumer
electronics, biometrics, traffic and security surveillance and PC imaging.
● · Motion Detectors – These are based on the Infra Red, Ultrasonic, and Microwave / radar technology. They are
used in videogames and simulations, light activation and security detection.
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Criteria to Choose a Sensor

● Type of Sensing: The parameter that is being sensed like temperature or pressure.
● Operating Principle: The principle of operation of the sensor.
● Power Consumption: The power consumed by the sensor will play an important role
in defining the total power of the system.
● Accuracy: The accuracy of the sensor is a key factor in selecting a sensor.
● Environmental Conditions: The conditions in which the sensor is being used will be a
factor in choosing the quality of a sensor.
● Cost: Depending on the cost of application, a low cost sensor or high cost sensor can
be used.
● Resolution and Range: The smallest value that can be sensed and the limit of
measurement are important.
● Calibration and Repeatability: Change of values with time and ability to repeat
measurements under similar conditions.
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Basic Requirements of a Sensor or Transducer

● Range: It indicates the limits of the input in which it can vary. In case of temperature measurement, a
thermocouple can have a range of 25 – 250 0C.
● Accuracy: It is the degree of exactness between actual measurement and true value.
● Accuracy is expressed as percentage of full range output.
● Sensitivity: Sensitivity is a relationship between input physical signal and output electrical signal. It is the ratio of
change in output of the sensor to unit change in input value that causes change in output.
● Stability: It is the ability of the sensor to produce the same output for constant input over a period of time.
● Repeatability: It is the ability of the sensor to produce same output for different applications with same input
value.
● Response Time: It is the speed of change in output on a stepwise change in input.
● Linearity: It is specified in terms of percentage of nonlinearity. Nonlinearity is an indication of deviation of curve of
actual measurement from the curve of ideal measurement.
● Ruggedness: It is a measure of the durability when the sensor is used under extreme operating conditions.
● Hysteresis: The hysteresis is defined as the maximum difference in output at any measurable value within the
sensor’s specified range when approaching the point first with increasing and then with decreasing the input
parameter. Hysteresis is a characteristic that a transducer has in being unable to repeat its functionality faithfully
when used in the opposite direction of operation.