Sensors

SENSORS are devices which ………………………………………………………. such as temperature,

pressure, acidity, light etc., These physical properties are ANALOGUE in nature. That mean these
values constantly changing and doesn’t have discrete value. Generally sensors can understand only
analogue values. Therefore when sensors coordinate with computer / microprocessor analogue data
should convert ……………………………...

Types of Signals Basically there are two types.

(1) Analog signals : ………………………………………………………………………….

(2) Digital signals :

……………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………

When the computer receive information from the sensors, it should convert in to
digital format using ADC(Analogue to Digital Converter)
 According to the receive information if computer control any device such as a motor or a valve, it is
necessary to use temperature of the surroundings by sending signals; these signals will change as
the temperature changes (Digital to Analogue Converter) since these devices need to analogue data
to operate in many cases. Frequently an Actuator is used in these control applications.

An Actuator is a ………………………………..…………………………………………………….

Sensor Description of sensor Example applications

Temperature control of a central heating system
control/monitor a chemical process
control/monitor temperature in a
greenhouse

measures water levels in, for example, control/monitor moisture levels in soil in
soil (it is based on the electrical a greenhouse
resistance of the sample being monitor the moisture levels in a food
monitored) processing factory
Humidity this is slightly different to moisture; this
measures the amount of water vapor in,
for example, a sample of air (based on
the fact that the conductivity of air will
change depending on the amount of
water present)

Light these use photoelectric cells that

produce an output (in the form of an
electric current) depending on the
brightness of the light

Infrared (active) turn on car windscreen wipers

automatically when it detects rain on
the windscreen
security alarm system (intruder breaks
the infrared beam)

Infrared (passive) these sensors measure the heat

radiation given off by an object, for
example, the temperature of an intruder
or the temperature in a fridge
 a pressure sensor is a transducer and weighing of lorries at a weighing station
generates different electric currents measure the gas pressure in a nuclear
depending on the pressure applied reactor

Acoustic/sound pick up the noise of footsteps in a

security system
detect the sound of liquids dripping at a
faulty pipe joint

Gas most common ones are oxygen or

carbon dioxide sensors;
they use various methods to detect the
gas being monitored and produce
outputs that vary with the oxygen
or carbon dioxide levels present

pH these measure acidity through changes

in voltages in, for example, soil

Magnetic field detect magnetic field changes

(for example, in mobile phones and
CD players) used in anti-lock braking
systems in cars

these are sensors that measure used in cars to measure rapid

acceleration and motion of an application,deceleration
i.e. and apply air bags in a
the change in velocity (a piezoelectric crash used by mobile phones to
cell is used whose output varies change between portrait and
according to the change in velocity) landscape mode

Proximity detect when a face is close to a mobile

phone screen and switches off screen
when held to the ear

Flow (rate) these sensors measure the flow rate of

a moving liquid or gas and produce an
output based on the amount of liquid or
gas passing over the sensor
 these sensors use ultrasonics (to detect monitor levels in a petrol tank in a car
changing liquid levels in, for example, a in a pharmaceutical process where powder
tank) or capacitance/ conductivity (to levels in tablet production need to be
measure static levels (for example, height monitored • leak detection in refrigerant
of water in a river) – note, level sensors (air conditioning)
can also be optical or mechanical in
nature

Sensors are used in both monitoring and control applications. There is a subtle difference between how
these two methods work.
 Examples of monitoring

Examples of control

Advantages of using sensors to collect data are:

1. They can collect data far more frequently than a person.
2. They are more reliable than a person, who may forget to take readings.
3. They are more accurate than a person who may misread the signal.
4. They can collect data from places where it is not possible for a person to go such as inside a
chemical or nuclear reaction vessel.
• The disadvantage of using sensors is that
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Monitoring applications

A burglar alarm monitoring system will carry out the following actions:
• The system is activated by keying in a password on a keypad.
• The ………………. sensor picks up the movement of an intruder in the building.
• The acoustic sensor picks up …………….. such as footsteps or breaking glass.
• The pressure sensor picks up the weight of an intruder coming through a door or through a window.
• The sensor data is passed through an …………. if it is in an analogue form to produce digital data.
• The computer/microprocessor will sample the digital data coming from these sensors at a
given frequency (e.g. every five seconds);
• The data is compared with the ………………………….. by the computer /microprocessor.
• If any of the incoming data values are outside the acceptable range, then the computer
sends a signal to: …………. to sound the alarm, or a light to start flashing.
• A DAC is used if the devices need analogue values to operate them.
• The alarm continues to sound/lights continue to flash until the system is reset with a ………………...

Monitoring of patients in a hospital

• A number of sensors are attached to the patient; these measure vital signs such as: temperature,
heart rate, breathing rate, etc.
• These sensors are all attached to a ……………………………...
• The sensors constantly send data back to the computer system.
• The computer samples the data at frequent intervals.
• The range of acceptable values for each parameter is …………………. to the computer
 • The computer compares the values from the sensors with those values keyed in.
• If anything is out of the acceptable range, a signal is sent by the computer to sound an alarm.
• If data from the sensors is within range, the values are shown in either ……………………… on a
screen and/or a digital read out.
• Monitoring continues until the sensors are disconnected from the patient.

Controlling Applications
Control of street lighting

• The light sensor sends data to the ………………………...

• This ………………. the data and sends it to the microprocessor.
• The microprocessor samples the data every minute (or at some other frequency 103 rate).
• If the data from the sensor < value stored in memory, a signal is sent from the microprocessor to
the street lamp and is ………………………..
• The lamp stays switched on for 30 minutes before the sensor readings are sampled again (this
prevents the lamp flickering off and on during brief heavy cloud cover, for example).
• If the data from the sensor >= value stored in memory: a signal is sent from the microprocessor to
the street lamp to ……………………….
• The lamp stays switched off for 30 minutes before sensor readings are sampled again (this
prevents the lamp flickering off and on during heavy cloud cover, for example)
Central Heating System

Central heating system

• A gas supply is used to ………………………. using a heater.

• A valve on a gas supply is controlled by a ……………………….
• It is possible of heating levels need to be increased.
• A water pump is used to pump hot water around the central heating system whenever the
temperature drops below a ………………………..

Explain how a central heating system works