Smart / Intelligent
Transducers
Smart / Intelligent Transducers
► An intelligent or smart transducer is the integration of an analog or digital
sensor or actuator element, a processing unit, and a communication
interface.
► In case of a sensor, the smart transducer transforms the raw sensor signal to a
standardized digital representation, checks and calibrates the signal, and
transmits this digital signal to its users via a standardized communication
protocol .
► In case of an actuator, the smart transducer accepts standardized commands
and transforms these into control signals for the actuator.
► In many cases, the smart transducer is able to locally verify the control action
and provide a feedback at the transducer interface. With the advent of
modern microcontrollers it became possible to built low-cost smart
transducers by using commercial-off-the-shelf microcontrollers that provide
a standard communication interface, such as a UART (Universal
Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter).
► Thus, the usage of smart transducers can become a cost-decreasing factor for
building embedded control systems.
Smart Transducers Principles
1. Two – Level Design Approach:
The smart transducer technology introduces a two-level
design approach that helps to reduce the overall complexity
of a system by separating transducer-specific implementation
issues from interaction issues between different smart
transducers. The transducer manufacturer will deal with
instrumenting the local transducer and signal conditioning in
order to export the transducer’s service in a standardized
way. Transducer manufacturers are thus liberated from
interoperability issues between sensors, naming
inconsistencies and the network topology of the total system.
The user of a smart transducer’s service can access its data
via an abstract interface that hides the internal complexity of
the transducer hardware and software.
2. Interface Design:
The most critical factor for a smart transducer design is the construction of the
interfaces to smart transducers. The smart transducer interface is an abstract
interface that gives access to the transducer features, such as measurement value or
set value, respectively, but also vendor ID numbers, diagnostic information and setup
parameters.
The following three interface types can be distinguished:
1. Real-Time Service (RS) interface: This interface provides the timely real-time
services to the smart transducer during operation of the system.
2. Diagnostic and Management (DM) interface: This interface opens a communication
channel to the internals of a smart transducer. It is used to set parameters and to
retrieve information about the internals of a component, e. g., for the purpose of fault
diagnosis. The DM interface is available during system operation without disturbing
the real-time service. Normally, the DM interface is not time-critical.
3. Configuration and Planning (CP) interface: This interface is necessary to access
configuration properties of a node. During the integration phase this interface is
used to generate the “glue” between the autonomous smart transducers. The CP
interface is not time-critical.
3. Configuration Support:
Dealing with the large number of transducers in many systems
requires a generic approach for configuration and maintenance. A
smart transducer system should thus provide an automatic or at least
semi-automatic configuration. This requirement for a plug-and-play
like configuration can be justified by three arguments:
➢ An automated configuration saves time and therefore leads to
better maintainability and lower costs.
➢ The required qualification of the person who sets up the system is
lower when the overall system is easier to configure.
➢ The number of configuration faults will decrease, since monotone
and error-prone tasks like looking up configuration parameters in
heavy manuals can be replaced with respective operations done by
a computer.
4. Communication in Smart Transducers:
A smart transducer interface must be very generic to support all present and
future types of transducers. However, it must also provide standard
functionalities to transmit data in a temporally deterministic manner, support a
standard data format, encompass means for fault tolerance, and provide means
for smooth integration into a transducer network and its application. A smart
transducer interface should conform to a world-wide standard. The IEC worked
out the IEC 61158 standard. It is based on the following existing fieldbus
systems:
Foundation Fieldbus: A functional superset of WorldFIP. The IEC
61158 standard defines also a Foundation Fieldbus High Speed
Ethernet type.
ControlNet: ControlNet has been primarily designed to meet the requirements
of high speed real-time applications for automation and control. ControlNet
features the Control and Information Protocol that provides real-time and peer
to-peer messaging.
Ethernet/IP: Ethernet/IP is an open network based on the IEEE 802.3 Physical
and Data Link standard, the Ethernet TCP/IP protocol suite and the Control and
Information Protocol.
Profibus: Profibus is a distributed control system for process automation.
Profibus is one of the most popular fieldbus protocols in this area. In 2001 it
claimed 53.6% of the revenue created in the fieldbus sector in Europe.
SwiftNet: SwiftNet is a high performance fieldbus that was created as a
synchronous, high speed flight data bus for Boeing Commercial Airplane.
SwiftNet provides high data efficiency and clock synchronization among the
communicating nodes.
WorldFIP: WorldFIP is designed with a strictly real-time capable control
scheme based on a producer-consumer communication model. WorldFIP was
published as a French standard in the late 80s. No significant change has
taken place since the first French standard.
Interbus: Interbus is a digital, serial communication system for
communication between control systems and transducer devices. Interbus is
optimized, but not limited to factory automation applications.
P-NET: The P-NET Fieldbus has been used for many years, and has more than
5000 applications in the process industry environment and in discrete parts
manufacturing plants. P-NET supports also configuration of transducers by
downloading of programs.
ADVANTAGES OF SMART TRANSDUCERS
1. Compact
2. Higher reliability
3. Lower cost
4. Can be done using existing CMOS processes
5. Ease of use
6. Electronic data storage
7. Self indication
8. Auto correction
9. Auto display
IEEE 1451
IEEE 1451 is a set of smart transducer interface standards developed
by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Instrumentation and Measurement Society's Sensor Technology
Technical Committee describing a set of open, common, network
independent communication interfaces for connecting transducers
(sensors or actuators) to microprocessors, instrumentation systems,
and control/field networks.
One of the key elements of these standards is the definition of
Transducer electronic data sheets (TEDS) for each transducer.
The goal of the IEEE 1451 family of standards is to allow the access of
transducer data through a common set of interfaces whether the
transducers are connected to systems or networks via a wired or
wireless means.
The family of IEEE 1451 is:
1. IEEE 1451.1 - Network Capable Application Processor Information Model. It defines
a network independent common object model for networked smart transducers.
2. IEEE 1451.2 - Transducer to Microprocessor Communication Protocols & TEDS
Formats. It specifies an electronic data sheet and a digital interface to access that data
sheet, read sensors, and set actuators. It defines transducer electronic data sheets
(TEDS) that describe the smart transducer properties in a machine-readable format.
3. IEEE 1451.3 - Digital Communication & TEDS Formats for Distributed
Multidrop Systems. It specifies properties for distributed multidrop systems in
hazardous environments. It is based on the Home Phoneline Networking
Alliance (HPNA) communication protocol.
4. IEEE 1451.4 - Mixed-Mode Communication Protocols & TEDS Formats. It covers
a mixed-mode service of analog and digital transducers, whereas analog
transducers shall be enhanced with self-identification and configuration
capabilities.
5. IEEE 1451.5 - Wireless Communication Protocols & Transducer Electronic Data
Sheet (TEDS) Formats
6. IEEE 1451. 6 – It defines interfaces and TEDS for using the CAN open [27] network
interface.
Figure depicts a sample IEEE 1451 network with three STIMs (Smart Transducer Interface
Modules). The first STIM contains a sensor, the second one an actuator and the third one
contains both, e. g., for a distributed control application (actuating based on local
measurements). The STIMs are interfaced by a 10-wire connection that is standardized in IEEE
1451.2 as Transducer Independent Interface (TII). IEEE 1451.1 specifies an information model for
Network Capable Application Processors (NCAPs). The NCAP may contain application software
that can access the transducer(s) through a set of standardized functions.
System On a Chip (SoC)
A system on a chip (SoC) is an integrated circuit (also known as a "chip") that
integrates all or most components of a computer or other electronic system. These
components almost always include a central processing unit (CPU), memory,
input/output ports and secondary storage, often alongside other components
such as radio modems and a graphics processing unit (GPU) – all on a single
substrate or microchip. It may contain digital, analog, mixed-signal, and often
radio frequency signal processing function.
In general, there are four distinguishable types of SoCs:
1. SoCs built around a microcontroller,
2. SoCs built around a microprocessor, often found in mobile phones;
3. Specialized application-specific integrated circuit SoCs designed for specific
applications that do not fit into the above two categories, and
4. Programmable SoCs (PSoC), where most functionality is fixed but some
functionality is reprogrammable in a manner analogous to a field
programmable gate array.
APPLICATIONS OF SoC:
Embedded systems:
SoCs are rising to prominence in the embedded systems market. Tighter system integration
offers better reliability and mean time between failure, and SoCs offer more advanced
functionality and computing power than microcontrollers.
Applications include AI acceleration, embedded machine vision, data collection, telemetry, vector
processing and ambient intelligence. Often embedded SoCs target the internet of things,
industrial internet of things and edge computing markets.
Mobile computing
Mobile computing based SoCs always bundle processors, memories, on-chip caches, wireless
networking capabilities and often digital camera hardware and firmware. With increasing
memory sizes, high end SoCs will often have no memory and flash storage and instead, the
memory and flash memory will be placed right next to, or above (package on package), the SoC
Personal computers
In 1992, Acorn Computers produced the A3010, A3020 and A4000 range of personal computers
with the ARM250 SoC. It combined the original Acorn ARM2 processor with a memory controller
(MEMC), video controller (VIDC), and I/O controller (IOC). In previous Acorn ARM-powered
computers, these were four discrete chips. The ARM7500 chip was their second-generation SoC,
based on the ARM700, VIDC20 and IOMD controllers, and was widely licensed in embedded
devices such as set-top-boxes, as well as later Acorn personal computers.
AI / IoT Based Transducer System
In recent times, new scenarios, many of them futuristic and revolutionary,
have emerged based on technological advances in two areas, the development
of processors with high processing power and high energy efficiency and the
development of communication protocols with high transfer rates and low
consumption.
On the one hand, these advances have stimulated a revolution in the world of
sensors that has been called the “Industrial Internet of Things” (IIOT), where
it is seen that all devices will present, shortly, some kind of intelligence and
interconnection through the Internet. On the other hand, in the industrial
environment, another revolution related to these technological advances has
been establishing, the so-called fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0,
where the physical systems of the factory floor will have their parameters
monitored and digital models of your operative and maintenance condition
will be updated for decision-making and optimization purposes.
Due to concerns about the environmental impact generated by all this
diffusion of consumer electronics and industrial electronics, is the energy
collection from the environment, named “energy harvesting.” This tendency is
based on the energy collection from the environment to drive highly efficient
electronics, avoiding the dependence of the electrical system and eliminating
the use of batteries or significantly reducing it. Another advantageous aspect
of devices with power collection is related to the ease of installation, since
power sources and cables connected to power outlets are not required,
configuring a wireless power supply.
In accordance with those recent trends, a wireless self supplied current
transducer (CT) is proposed as an IIOT application for induction motor
monitoring. The proposed measuring device involves the cable, whose
current is intended to be measured, extracting power from the magnetic field
around the conductor to feed the current transducer itself and the data flow
generator circuit of the measured current (“streaming”) through a wireless
transmission protocol. The measured current can be viewed on a handheld
device such as a “smartphone” or data collector, for example.
While analytics and other Big Data technologies might be the ‘brains’ of the IIOT,
transducer systems are the nervous system; continuously gathering information and
streaming data to processing centres. Industrial internet systems depend on sensors
for continuous, accurate information to measure pressure, temperature, volume,
orientation and other parameters.
A lot of attention has been given to the roles of automation and machine learning in
future industrial technology. However, software advancements will only provide
limited capabilities without cutting-edge sensor technology.
Consider the following examples of industrial transducer technology:
• Temperature - There are several kinds of sensors used to measure temperature.
The two primary kinds are Contact type and Non-contact type. These categories
are divided into mechanical temperature sensors, Electrical temperature sensors,
Thermocouples, Resistance thermometers and Silicon band gap sensors. These
sensors are used for the maintaining of temperature-sensitive systems.
• Force – Strain gauge technology allows measuring force precisely and fast.
Therefore strain gauges measure the deformation of objects and change the
mechanical impact into a change of electrical resistance
• Torque – Similar to force strain gauges allow also the measurement of torque.
Many torque meter measure rotating speed simultaneous so that mechanical
power can be calculated
TEDS:
IEEE 1451.4 is the standard that defines the architecture and protocol for
compiling and addressing non-volatile memory embedded within analog
measurement sensors. Once programmed, the data stored in the memory chip
can be downloaded and utilized in an automated test scenario. This digital
information is called a Transducer Electronic Data Sheet (TEDS).
Transducer electronic data sheets (TEDS) are a key element of smart transducers
because they support core features such as plug and play, self-calibration, and
self-diagnostics. The ISO/IEC/IEEE 21451-4 standard defines templates to
describe the most common types of transducers and suggests the use of one-wire
memories to store the corresponding data.
The ability to store information particular to the sensor provides many advantages:
• Multi-channel tests are expedited by permitting sensors to communicate their
calibration value, model number, serial number, and other specifications which are
then utilized by the data acquisition equipment.
• Intelligent signal conditioning equipment may interrogate sensors for their
calibration data and automatically normalize their output signals.
• Paperwork and bookkeeping errors are reduced while maintaining conformance to
ISO 9001 and QS 9000 calibration record-keeping requirements.
• Significant reduction of hardware and software setup time.
• Elimination of tracing through multiple cables to find the properties of the attached
sensor.
TEDS is non-volatile memory within a sensor that is utilized for storing information
about that sensor. The manufacturer can program initial information into the TEDS chip.
This can include manufacturer name, sensor type, model number, serial number, and
calibration data. Memory space allocation permits the end user to add information such
as location identification, latest calibration date, and other unique sensor related
attributes.
Figure : TEDS
Working Of TEDS:
The sensor operates in a mixed mode fashion (analog or digital). The information
stored in the TEDS chip is downloaded when the sensor operates in digital mode.
In analog mode, the sensor functions normally as a measurement device. A
suitable TEDS signal conditioner or data acquisition front end is used to access
the sensor memory.
The digital communication occurs over the same wires ordinarily used for analog
measurement signal transmission. Once the pertinent data has been transferred
from the sensor, the memory circuit is switched off and the sensor resumes
normal analog operation.
A TEDS sensor may be used with a conventional signal conditioner however, there
would be no access to the memory. A conventional sensor may also be used with a
TEDS signal conditioner but there would be no TEDS functionality.
For universal applicability, the architecture of this technology is defined by the
IEEE 1451.4 Smart Transducer Interface standard. By conforming to a universal
standard, any TEDS sensor will be capable of being addressed by any TEDS signal
conditioner, regardless of manufacturer.
Applications of TEDs
1. TEDS are a key element to support advanced features such as self
identification, self-configuration, and self-calibration, which are
distinctive marks of smart transducers
2. The researchers are proposing to store the data of the TEDS tables using
NFC tags and QR codes. Both solutions provide an easy interface with
smartphones and have inherent advantages that can dictate their choice
according to specific application requirements. As main advantages of
NFC tags, we can mention good customer acceptance, discretion, and ease
of use. In turn, the main advantages of QR codes include visibility, broad
consumer knowledge, and wide availability of scanning devices.
3. A mobile TEDS parser, compatible with Android, that can read and parse
TEDS data from one-wire memories, NFC tags, and QR codes is also
presented. In these two cases (NFC and QR codes), TEDS is accessed without
wiring, circuitry, and power supply, which is very useful for all kind of
maintenance and asset management activities, including the commissioning
of equipment in large industrial plants, the verification of sensors in large
structures, or the inspection of complex machinery.
Recent development in sensors and Transducers:
1. Smart lighting sensor solution for smart cities: These smart lighting
sensors measures ambient light (luminosity) with a new set of directed
sensor probes. These Smart Lighting devices are also capable of monitoring
conditions inside tunnels or building or outside in the streets and also has
temperature and humidity sensors.
2. E-Health Sensor Shield: The e-Health Sensor Shield users to perform
biometric and medical applications where body monitoring is needed by
using 9 different sensors: pulse, oxygen in blood (SPO2), airflow (breathing),
body temperature, electrocardiogram (ECG), glucometer, galvanic skin
response (GSR- sweating), blood pressure (sphygmomanometer) and patient
position (accelerometer).
3. Encryption Libraries – AES/RSA Cryptography for Sensor Network:
Encryption Libraries sensor platforms in order to ensure the authentication,
confidentiality (privacy) and integrity of the information gathered by the
sensors. For that different cryptography algorithms including AES 256 and
RSA 1024 have been implemented in the libraries.
4. 3G connectivity to ZigBee, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth sensors: The new
multiprotocol router for wireless sensor networks designed to connect Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth and ZigBee sensors to the Internet through 3G connectivity. These
allows to send the information gathered by hundreds of sensor nodes at the
same time, bandwidth of 5.5 Mb/s more than 10 times faster than compared
with traditional GPRS gateways
5. iPhone and Android Devices Detected by Smart Sensors: Any
Smartphone (iPhone,Android) in the area can be detected by this new
technology by measuring Wifi and Bluetooth activity; allowing to know in
real time people and presence of vehicle. Applications of this new
technology go from street activity measurement to vehicle traffic
management.
6. Flood and water level monitoring system: In order to cope with natural
disasters like earth quakes and floods in a fast and highly coordinated
manner, the system which gives information about concerned situation is
important. WSN technology has newly emerged which can handle these types
of disasters. But deploying these kind of sensor networks for flood
monitoring requires lots of potential
7. Environmental monitoring: It is very important in analysing the important
data for forecasting weather and even for measuring the possible
environmental threat, that to be prevented before they occur. It involves
collecting of information from a large geographical area by which even minute
variations in the environment can be calculated. Seabird habitats can also be
monitored using WSN.
8. Traffic Monitoring and Controlling: The need for having an efficient traffic
controlling and monitoring system is very demanding. Deployment of smart
sensors along with the roadside made many developed countries possible to
collect live data or to monitor irresponsible vehicle violating the speed limit.
Placing sensor nodes at the identified spots with the addition of wireless
communications could help for the development of a smart traffic monitoring
system. Apart from above mentioned system, a simple traffic signal system
could also be equipped with intelligent sensing devices at the road
intersections. The smart sensing device would gather information of
upcoming objects towards the intersection; perform scheduling to determine
the time-towait (TTW) interval for signals to be changed. Time-to-wait is
determined by the time gap between different crossing objects. Hence,
automated signal changing would never keep the motorist waiting in one side
for a longer time.
9. Energy saving in artificial lighting: Saving energy in smart environment
systems is one of the main goals of smart environment research. Wireless
sensor networks (WSNs), large networks of embedded devices, containing
microcomputers, radios, and sensors open new methods and approaches to
saving energy. WSNs are used to retrieve data on lighting conditions. Several
approaches have been proposed to save energy in this scenario. One approach
considers inhabitant preferences about lighting and learns them in order to
automatically adjust lighting to satisfy these preferences. A theoretical
computation of how many lumens are provided by our artificial lighting setup
can be made.
10. Remote system monitoring and equipment fault diagnostics: WSN
provides feasible and cost-effective sensing solutions for these types of
systems. Large scale efficiently monitoring system can provide complete;
information on the conditions of system components, including generation
units, transformers, transmission lines, motors, etc., in a remote and online
manner.
11. Transport and logistics: An intelligent transportation system (ITS) can
be defined as “the application of advanced and emerging technologies
(computers, sensors, control, communications, and electronic devices) in
transportation to save lives, time, money, energy and the environment” (ITS
Canada, 2009). The ITS can be categorised into intelligent infrastructure and
intelligent vehicles (RITA, 2009).
12. Industrial Applications: In industrial field, machines or equipment are
monitored and controlled for checking pressure, overall health, humidity,
temperature and also vibrations. When critical information about any
parameter is achieved the nodes communicates with each other and sends
the information to network where it is processed and then predictive
maintenance is carried out according to the parameter values. H. Precision
agriculture and animal tracking: In precision agriculture, sensor networks can
be used to soil monitoring, climate monitoring, insect-disease-weed
monitoring as well as plant/crop monitoring.
13. Precision agriculture and animal tracking: In precision agriculture,
sensor networks can be used to soil monitoring, climate monitoring,
insect-disease weed monitoring as well as plant/crop monitoring.