The selection of sensors

A systematic method is developed to select the most appropriate sensor for a particular application. A wide range of candidate sensors exist, and many are based on coupled electrical and mechanical phenomena, such as the piez oelectric, magnetostrictive and the pyre-electric effects. Performance char ts for sensors are constructed from suppliers data for commercially availab le devices. The selection of an appropriate sensor is based on matching the operating characteristics of sensors to the requirements of an application . The final selection is aided by additional considerations such as cost, a nd impedance matching. Case studies illustrate the selection procedure. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.