International Frequency Sensor Association (IFSA) Newsletter

   (ISSN 1726-6017)

This monthly e-newsletter, written by the editors of Sensors & Transducers Magazine (ISSN 1726-5479), delivers the product and research news you asked for, and updates you on happenings in the sensor science and industry. Who should read this Newsletter ? All who are interested in the newest information and trends in sensors, transducers, MEMS and sensor instrumentation, including DAQ.

IFSA Newsletter (ISSN 1726-6017), No.2, February 2009

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In this Issue:

1.   Sensors & Transducers Magazine (e-Digest), No.2, February 2009

2.   Sensors Web Portal Up-dates Briefs

3.   Recently Published Sensors Books

4.   Electronic Pressure-Sensing Device Market: Slow but Consistent Growth

5.   MEMS Energy Harvesting Devices: Technologies & Markets Report

6.   Subscribtion

7.   Additional Information, Comments, Suggestions

Plus lots more information to be found on Sensors Web Portal: http://www.sensorsportal.com

The deadline for articles, press releases and sponsored White Papers for the next  issue of S&T Journal (e-Digest) No.3, Vol.102, March 2009 is 16 March 2009. You can submit your article or press release online. For more information and instructions of preparation click <here>.

  Sensors Web Portal Up-Date Briefs

News:

• New issue of Sensors & Transducers e-Digest, Vol.101, Issue 2, February 2009 is in the DIGEST section with products news

• IFSA Newsletter (February 2008) online

• Design of an Integrated Low-Power Capacitive Sensor Readout Circuit - a new book reports the development of an integrated low-power readout circuit for a capacitive sensor with 40 - 60 pF basic capacitance

• An Energy-efficient Architecture for Wireless Sensor Networks: Theoretical and Experimental Research - recently published book from VDM Verlag

Up-dated:

• Sensor Industry News subsection in NEWS section

• Sensor Industry News Archive section

• Sensor Industry News Syndication page (an opportunity to put latest Sensors Industry news feeds in your own blog, web site or get it on you mobile phone)

• Measuring and Control News page

• Accelerometers section

• Biosensors section

• Chemical Sensors section

• Humidity Sensors section

• Others 2 Sensors section (Sensors Interfaces, Buses, Networks and Signal Conditioning)

• Proximity Sensors section

• Torque Sensors section

• Ultrasonic Sensors section

• Marketplace 2 section with new level sensors market report

• Training Courses section with up-dated section about course on Effective Online Advertising for High Technological Sensor and Instrumentation Products, 20-21 April 2009, Barcelona, Spain (online registration is opened).

• Links Section with most detailed, monthly up-dated calendar of sensors related events in 2009

• New contents of 'Sensors and Actuators'  A: Physical:

•     - Vol. 149, Issue 2 (16 February 2009)

•     - Vol. 150, Issue 1 (16 March 2009)

• New contents of 'Sensors and Actuators'  B: Chemical:

•     - Vol. 135, Issue 2 (15 January 2009)

•     - Vol. 136, Issue 1 (2  February 2009)

•     - Vol. 136, Issue 2 (2  March 2009)

• New contents of Biosensors and Bioelectronics Journal:

•     - Vol.24, Issue 7 (15 March 2009)

• New contents and abstracts of 'Sensors and Systems' Journal:

•     - No.1, January 2009

New Published Sensors Books

For more sensors books please visit our Online Bookstore

Electronic Pressure-Sensing Device Market: Slow but Consistent Growth

Natick, Massachusetts – February 13, 2009 – Global shipments of electronic pressure transmitters and transducers are forecast to increase from $US 5.6 billion in 2008 to $US 7.1 billion in 2013, according to recent research from VDC Research Group, covering process pressure transmitters and non-process pressure transducers and transmitters.

Of the two markets VDC researched, non-process pressure transducers and transmitters will experience the fastest growth over the next five years, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) 6.3%

According to Jim Taylor, a Director at VDC Research, “The market for multivariable-type electronic pressure sensors is expected to grow due to the advantages that are offered in terms of size reduction, space-saving, and less weight. Choosing a multivariable type sensor is likely to be most beneficial where there are several sensors at the same location that can be replaced with multi-variable units.”

VDC found that medical applications will have the fastest-growing worldwide market for electronic pressure sensors through 2013. A major portion of the medical application market is to suppliers who package these as disposable-invasive blood pressure monitors and catheters.
 

It was found that the market for process pressure transmitters will grow through 2013 at a CAGR of 2.5%. Lead analyst on VDC’s study, Chaitanya Ravula, notes that, “There is an increasing trend toward smart electronic pressure transmitters due to the high demand for digital networking. Customers are increasingly switching to digital measuring devices from analog devices as they offer remote diagnostic capabilities, self calibration, and lower costs for wiring, operation and maintenance.”

For further information about VDC’s Electronic Pressure Transmitters and Transducers: Global Market Analysis, 10th Edition, contact:

MEMS Energy Harvesting Devices: Technologies & Markets Report

Lyon, February 24th - Yole Développement releases its new report dedicated to MEMS energy harvesting devices. Special attention has been given to the market drivers for adopting MEMS energy harvesting devices in different market segments, factoring the progress of competing technologies and cost constraints. It appears that the numerous opportunities for energy harvesting devices must be analyzed carefully, taking into account all aspects of the final application from power consumption profiles to lifetime and size constraints. Applications screened cover automotive, medical, industrial machine monitoring and process control, home automation and defense.

Main challenges

Within an environmentally conscious world, MEMS energy harvesting devices promise in principle a cleaner and almost perpetual solution to powering small systems avoiding the use and waste of polluting batteries.

Ever optimistic market projections are predicting billions of dollars in revenue for ubiq-uitous sensor networks in the next five to ten years and derive from these numbers large energy harvesting sales and volumes.

And indeed, MEMS energy harvesting devices have been a hot topic in MEMS R&D for some years with spectacular developments driven by DARPA programs within the Hi-MEMS cyborg insects.

“The reality is that beyond the technological buzz, commercial applications are slowly starting to get to market for industrial applications and home automation appliances. This is driving the first volumes for energy harvesting applications, but not necessarily at the micro scale”, explained Ridha Hamza, Project Manager at Yole Développement. Hot market segments in 2007 and 2008 such as tire pressure monitoring systems where batteries are currently the dominant solution have driven enormous efforts but the market dynamics have not made it possible to accept a premium price for alternative solutions.

Yole has focused his efforts in this report into a fine analysis of the market drivers for using MEMS energy harvesting devices, in comparison to micro batteries, micro fuel cells, or even solar cells. Different application fields from medical to home automation, industrial process control, machine monitoring or automotive have been analyzed in this report.

The challenges facing this technology were examined in a broad view, from a technology but also from a whole product point of view. There are needs for better power density but also for less power consuming electronics and wireless communications!

Market metrics

Market acceptance of MEMS energy harvesting devices is a function of several parame-ters that are studied in the report.

These parameters include, but are not limited to: size, cost, amount of power gener-ated versus amount of power needed by the system and projected lifetime for the energy harvesting device compared to the system parts lifetime.

A major factor to be taken into account is whether there is enough power harvested for a particular application from a particular environment, and whether the scavenged power needs to be stored. As piezoelectric MEMS energy harvesting devices can cur-rently power sensor nodes requiring 60 uW according to the latest developments, a companion energy storage device would be necessary for most applications.

Commercial success will come from a full understanding of all aspects of the system to be powered and of the data receiver nodes. Challenges include ultra low power electronics and wireless data transmissions rates and standards.

Contact:

Ridha Hamza, Laurent Robin

Yole Développement

45 Rue Ste Geneviève, 69006 Lyon, France

Tel : +33 (0) 472 83 01 80, fax: +33 (0) 472 83 01 83

E-mails: Hamza@yole.fr, robin@yole.fr

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Addition Information

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