JAN - FEB - 20208 CONSIDERATIONS TO HELP SAVE ON YOUR EMBEDDED FORCE SENSOR INVESTMENTBY ROB PODOLOFF, CTO, TEKSCAN, INC.As a decision maker in your company, you know that embedded sensor technologies come with a complex array of direct and indirect costs. First, there are the direct costs associated with sensor piece-price, material sourcing, and custom design and tooling expenses. Nevertheless, even if you find an affordable sensor solution, indirect costs from design revisions, because the sensor may not produce desired results at first, or prove difficult to mass produce, can derail a device's path to market. In the case of force-sensing technologies--an embedded sensor category that is loaded with different sensor forms and vendors--it can be easy to get lost in the multitude of options. However, there are a few considerations to have in mind when evaluating force sensor alternatives that may help you manage both direct and indirect costs.COMMON EMBEDDED FORCE SENSORS USED TODAYLoad cells, strain gauges, and force-sensitive resistors (also known as piezoresistive sensors) are three of the most common force-sensing technologies embedded into devices today. Depending on the type of force feedback, the device needs to capture the component size, or power limitations, some sensing options may be better choices than others.Load cells are generally the most well-known force sensor technology. They offer the highest level of precision among other force sensor types, and are an ideal choice for applications that need to obtain exact force measurements. Load cells tend to be bulky, expensive, and require significant power to operate, making them more challenging to embed into compact devices. Strain gauges are another common force-sensing alternative and are much smaller in size than load cells. Unlike load cells, though, strain gauges measure force as a result of an indirect measurement correlated to the strain of fine conductive wires. Also, strain gauges may require complex electronics to operate, which can be expensive to implement on a large scale. Force-sensitive resistors consist of semi-conductive material sandwiched between two pieces of ultra-thin, flexible polyester. They are not as accurate as load cells, but force-sensitive resistors are effective for detecting and measuring relative change in Rob PodoloffRob PodoloffIN MY OPINION
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