Honeywell and National Instruments collaborate on smart sensors

08/16/2004

Sensor and Software Vendors Team up To Drive Implentation Costs Down

Not that many  new sensors are coming onto the market that are compatible with the IEEE 1451.4 Transducer Electronic Data Sheet (TEDS) standard.

               

A smart TEDS sensor contains an integrated EEPROM chip which carries scaling, calibration and user information. Allegedly, a user’s data acquisition system can read both the sensor’s analog output and the configuration information, thus minimizing test and measurement setup.

 

National Instruments (NI, Austin, Texas) and Honeywell Sensotec (Columbus, Ohio) worked together to develop Sensors Plug & Play, that allows NI’s LabVIEW data acquisition software  to read information from Sensotec smart sensors and signal conditioners.

 

“We know from customer feedback that system setup can comprise 25% of overall measurement cost,” says Brian Betts, NI data acquisition product manager. “The combined offering of Sensors Plug & Play…significantly reduces setup time.”

 

It also helps keep track of sensors. “This technology also eases the logistics of managing test and measurement systems that comprise hundreds or even thousands of sensors,” adds Martin Armson, director of marketing and sales for Honeywell Sensotec.

 

“The automatic interrogation feature reduces ‘cabling and labeling’ problems and facilitates inventorying and control of expensive sensors.”

 

Armson noted that customers with legacy sensors can retrofit EEPROMs to older devices.