Sensor Description of sensor Example applications

measures temperature of  control of a central heating

the surroundings by system
sending signals; these
Temperature
signals will change as
 control/monitor a chemical process
the temperature  control/monitor temperature in a
changes greenhouse
measures water levels in,  control/monitor moisture levels in soil
for example, soil (it in a greenhouse
is based on
Moisture
the electrical resistance
 monitor the moisture levels in a
food processing factory
of the sample
being monitored)
this is slightly different to  monitor humidity levels in a
moisture;this measures building
the amount of
water vapour in,
 monitor humidity levels in a
factory manufacturing microchips
for example, a
sample of air  monitor/control humidity levels in the
Humidity air in a greenhouse
(based on the
fact that the
conductivity of air
will change depending
on the amount of
water present)
these use  switching street lights on or off
photoelectric cells depending on light levels
that produce an
output (in the
 switch on car headlights
Light automatically when it gets dark
form of an
electric current) depending
on the brightness
of the light
these use an  turn on car windscreen wipers
invisible beam of automatically when it detects rain
infrared radiation picked up on the windscreen
by a detector; if
the beam is
 security alarm system (intruder breaks the
Infrared infrared beam)
broken, then there
(active)
will be a
change in the
amount of infrared
radiation reaching the
detector (sensor)
these sensors measure  security alarm system (detects body
the heat radiation heat)
given off by an
Infrared object, for example,
 monitor the temperature inside an
industrial freezer or chiller unit
(passive) the temperature of
an intruder or
the temperature in
a fridge
a pressure sensor is a
transducer and  weighing of lorries at a
generates different weighing station
Pressure
electric currents depending  measure the gas pressure in a
on the pressure nuclear reactor
applied
 these are basically  pick up the noise of footsteps in
microphones that a security system
Acoustic/sound convert detected sound  detect the sound of liquids
into electric dripping at a faulty pipe joint
signals/pulses
most common ones  monitor pollution levels in the air
are oxygen or at an airport
carbon dioxide sensors;
they use various
 monitor oxygen and carbon dioxide
levels in a greenhouse
methods to detect
Gas the gas being  monitor oxygen levels in a car
monitored and exhaust
produce outputs that
vary with the
oxygen or carbon
dioxide levels present
these measure acidity  monitor/control acidity levels in the
through changes in soil in a greenhouse
pH
voltages in, for  control acidity levels in a
example, soil chemical process
these sensors measure  detect magnetic field changes (for
changes in magnetic example, in mobile phones and CD
fields – the players)
Magnetic field signal output will
depend on how
 usedin anti-lock braking systems in cars
the magnetic field
changes
these are sensors  usedin cars to measure rapid
that measure deceleration and apply air bags
acceleration and in a crash
motion of an
application, i.e.
 usedby mobile phones to change
between portrait and landscape
the change in
Accelerometer mode
velocity (a
piezoelectric cell is
used whose output
varies accordingto
the change in
velocity)
these sensors detect  • detect when a face is
the presence of a close to a mobile phone
Proximity nearby object screen and switches off screen
when held to the ear
these sensors measure  usedin respiratory devices and
the flow rate of inhalers in hospitals
a moving liquid or
gas and produce an
 measure gas flows in pipes (for
example, natural gas)
Flow (rate) output based on
the amount of
liquid or gas
passing over the
sensor
these sensors use
ultrasonics (to
 monitor levels in a petrol tank
in a car
Level detect changing liquid
levels in, for  in a pharmaceutical process where
example, a tank) or powder levels in tablet production
capacitance/ conductivity
(to measure static
levels (for example,
height of water in need to be monitored
a river) –  leak detection in refrigerant (air
note, level sensors conditioning)
can also be
optical or mechanical
in nature