a sensor is an electronic component, module, or subsystem whose purpose is to detect events or

changes in its environment and send the information to other electronics, frequently a computer
processor. A sensor is always used with other electronics, whether as simple as a light or as
complex as a computer.

Sensors are used in everyday objects such as touch-sensitive elevator buttons (tactile sensor)
and lamps which dim or brighten by touching the base, the uses of sensors have expanded
beyond the traditional fields of temperature, pressure or flow measurement, [1] for example into
MARG sensors. Moreover, analog sensors such as potentiometers and force-sensing resistors
are still widely used. Applications include manufacturing and machinery, airplanes and
aerospace, cars, medicine, robotics and many other aspects of our day-to-day life.

A sensor's sensitivity indicates how much the sensor's output changes when the input quantity
being measured changes. For instance, if the mercury in a thermometer moves 1 cm when the
temperature changes by 1 C, the sensitivity is 1 cm/C (it is basically the slope Dy/Dx
assuming a linear characteristic). Some sensors can also affect what they measure; for instance,
a room temperature thermometer inserted into a hot cup of liquid cools the liquid while the
liquid heats the thermometer. Sensors are usually designed to have a small effect on what is
measured; making the sensor smaller often improves this and may introduce other advantages.
[citation needed]
Technological progress allows more and more sensors to be manufactured on a
microscopic scale as microsensors using MEMS technology. In most cases, a microsensor
reaches a significantly higher speed and sensitivity compared with macroscopic approaches

Types of sensor : Active Sensor

An active sensor is a sensing device that requires an external source of power to operate; active
sensors contrast with passive sensors, which simply detect and respond to some type of input
from the physical environment.

Types of sensor : Passive Sensor (three wire)

 A passive sensor is a device that detects and responds to some type of input from the physical
environment. Passive sensor technologies gather target data through the detection of vibrations,
light, radiation, heat or other phenomena occurring in the subject's environment.

The internal resistance alters with a change in environment these are usually used to
sense movement (i.e. throttle position)

Inductive

Capacitive

Optical

Magnetic

Ultrasonic

 Normally open

Normally closed

Sensor properties
A sensor should represent a physical variable as fast and as accurately as possible
A sensor is represented by its characteristic.
Ideally, the sensor characteristic is a straight line

SENSOR CHARACTERISTIC
Sensitivity: change in output for unit change in input
Resolution: the smallest change in the signal that can be detected and accurately indicated by a
sensor.
Linearity: the closeness of the calibration curve to a straight line.

Drift: the deviation from the null reading of the sensor when the value is kept constant for a
long time.

A position sensor is any device that permits position measurement. It can either be an absolute
position sensor or a relative one (displacement sensor). Position sensors can be linear, angular,
or multi-axis.
What is a Linear Position Sensor?
A linear position sensor measures the linear position of a device. The sensor reads the
measurement in order to convert the encoded position into an analog or digital signal. This
position can then be decoded into position by a digital readout or a motion controller. Motion
can be determined by change in position over time. One very common type of linear position
sensors is the linear variable differential transformer, or L.V.D.T (linear variable differential
 transformer) It is a type of electrical transformer which is used for sensing and measuring linear
displacement.

What is an Angular Position Sensor?

An angular position sensor (also referred to as a rotary sensor) measures the relation by which
any position with respect to any other position is established. It calculates the orientation of an
object with respect to a specified reference position as expressed by the amount of rotation
necessary to change from one orientation to the other about a specified axis.

Some position sensors available today:

Capacitive transducer
Capacitive displacement sensor
Eddy-current sensor
Ultrasonic sensor
Grating sensor
Hall effect sensor
Inductive non-contact position sensors
Laser Doppler Vibrometer (optical)

resistive sensor

A force-sensing resistor is a material whose resistance changes when a force or pressure is

applied. They are also known as "force-sensitive resistor" and are sometimes referred to by the
initialism "FSR".
The measurand directly or indirectly alters the electrical resistance of a resistive element.
Electrical resistance is a parameter that we use to relate voltage and current.
Sensing takes advantage of changes in resistance to infer changes in others physical quantities.
Keep in mind that: Resistance changes because of material or geometry changes.
 For example, for the simple uniform conductor, with the resistivity, L the length and A the
constant crosssectional area through which current flows. This is only for simple case, but it is
helpful in understanding trends.
Resistance is altered either by a geometric (A, L) or material change () in the resistive
element.
Resistance can be directly measured (by an ohmmeter) or through a signal conditioning circuit
(e.g., a voltage-divider)
What is an optical sensor?
An optical sensor is generally part of a larger system that integrates a source of light, a
measuring device and the optical sensor. This is often connected to an electrical trigger. The
trigger reacts to a change in the signal within the light sensor.
optical sensor
An optical sensor converts light rays into electronic signals. It measures the physical quantity
of light and then translates it into a form that is readable by an instrument. An optical sensor is
generally part of a larger system that integrates a source of light, a measuring device and the
optical sensor.
Type: Through-beam
Long sensing distance : up to 30 metres with some devices Will detect all but very transparent
materials Must be accurately aligned
Type : Retro reflective
through-beam typeNot suitable for reflective or transparent targetsTarget should be larger than
the reflector
Type : Diffuse
much less than reflex type, actual distance depends on colour and reflective nature of the
surface Larger targets result in longer sensing distances Not suitable for dirty environments

Inductive sensors

, a system has inductive types if it has facilities for creating a new type along with constants
and functions that create terms of that type. The feature serves a role similar to data structures in
 a programming language and allows a type theory to add concepts like numbers, relations, and
trees. As the name suggests, inductive types can be self-referential, but usually only in a way
that permits structural recursion.

The standard example is encoding the natural numbers using Peano's encoding

Will detect any conductive material Quoted distances are for mild steel Sensor performance can
be affected by:
Temperature
Target material
Target dimensions