Smart transducer

A smart transducer containing a transducer, processing unit and communication interface
Smart sensor overview

A smart transducer is an analog or digital transducer, actuator, or sensor combined with a processing unit and a communication interface.[1]

As sensors and actuators become more complex, they provide support for various modes of operation and interfacing. Some applications require additionally fault-tolerant and distributed computing. Such functionality can be achieved by adding an embedded microcontroller to the classical sensor/actuator, which increases the ability to cope with complexity at a fair price. Typically, these on-board technologies in smart sensors are used for digital processing, either frequency-to-code or analog-to-digital conversations, interfacing functions and calculations. Interfacing functions include decision-making tools like self-adaption, self-diagnostics, and self-identification functions, but also the ability to control how long and when the sensor will be fully awake, to minimize power consumption and to decide when to dump and store data.

They are often made using CMOS, VLSI technology and may contain MEMS[2] devices leading to lower cost. They may provide full digital outputs for easier interface or they may provide quasi-digital outputs like pulse-width modulation. In the machine vision field, a single compact unit that combines the imaging functions and the complete image processing functions is often called a smart sensor.

Smart sensors are a crucial element in the phenomenon Internet of Things (IoT). Within such a network, multiple physical vehicles and devices are embedded with sensors, software and electronics. Data will be collected and shared for better integration between digital environments and the physical world. The connectivity between sensors is an important requirement for an IoT innovation to perform well. Interoperability can therefore be seen as an consequence of connectivity. The sensors work and complement each other.[3][4]

  1. ^ Elmenreich, W. (2006). "Time-triggered smart transducer networks" (PDF). IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics. 2 (3): 192–199. arXiv:1507.04394. doi:10.1109/TII.2006.873991. S2CID 11764613.
  2. ^ Sheu, Meng-Lieh; Hsu, Wei-Hung; Tsao, Lin-Jie (2012). "A Capacitance-Ratio-Modulated Current Front-End Circuit with Pulsewidth Modulation Output for a Capacitive Sensor Interface". IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement. 61 (2): 447–455. Bibcode:2012ITIM...61..447S. doi:10.1109/TIM.2011.2161929. S2CID 25171486.
  3. ^ Sundmaeker, Harald; Guillemin, Patrick; Friess, Peter (2010). Vision and challenges for realising the Internet of Things. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. ISBN 9789279150883. OCLC 781160155.
  4. ^ Bishnu, Abhijeet; Bhatia, Vimal (2018). "Receiver for IEEE 802.11ah in Interference Limited Environments". IEEE Internet of Things Journal. 5 (5): 4109–4118. doi:10.1109/jiot.2018.2867908. ISSN 2327-4662. S2CID 53434450.