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Showing posts from April, 2022

What is thermocouples and how it works?

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A thermocouple is a device that is used to measure temperature. It is made up of two different metal wires, joined together to form a junction. When this junction gets hot or cold, a small amount of voltage is generated in between two junctions of two transistors, depending upon the material and the amount of voltage and we can measure the temperature very accurately.  In theory, a thermocouple can be made up of any two different materials, but to improve linearity, accuracy, and temperature response specific materials are used to make the thermocouples. For example, the thermocouple made up of copper/constantan is known as the Type T thermocouple, the thermocouples made up of iron/constantan is known as the Type J thermocouple, and then finally the most popular K Type thermocouple is made up of combining alumel and chromel. When more than one thermocouples constructed from the same materials are combined they are called a thermopile. Constantan is a proprietary name for a copper-nicke

How Does a Hall Effect Sensor Module Work?

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Hall effect sensors work on the principle of the Hall effect. These sensors consist of a thin piece of rectangular p-type semiconductor material like Gallium Arsenide, Indium Arsenide, Silicon, etc. This p-type semiconductor material is called the Hall element. Continuous current allowed to flow through the Hall element. When the device is placed within a magnetic field, the magnetic flux lines exert a force on the semiconductor material which deflects the charge carriers, electrons, and holes, to either side of the semiconductor. This movement of charge carriers is a result of the magnetic force they experience passing through the semiconductor material.  As these electrons and holes move sidewards a potential difference is produced between the two sides of the semiconductor material by the build-up of these charge carriers. Then the movement of electrons through the semiconductor material is affected by the presence of an external magnetic field that is at right angles to it and this

How does a Flex Sensor Work?

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In layman's terms, a flex sensor is a variable resistor that varies its resistance upon bending. As the resistance of the sensor is directly proportional to the amount of bending, it's often called Flexible potentiometer. This sensor is commonly available in two sizes, the first is 2.2” and the second one is 4.5” long. When the sensor is straight the resistance is about 10K, and when the sensor is bent the value is 22K. When the sensor is bent the conductive layer inside the sensor gets stretched, the cross-section of the sensor gets thinned and the resistance of the sensor increases. For example, shown above, the max resistance we can achieve is 22K. When the sensor is straightened again, the resistance returns to its normal value.