Basic Setup

Introduction to sensor technology

Sensor technology may be used to gather, process and present scientific data.

Sensor technology is a valuable resource for scientists. It integrates easily with conventional equipment to add a new dimension to experimentation. Sensor technology facilitates an investigative approach to science. Greater speed, accuracy, range of measurement and the capacity to store and retrieve results, are good reasons to use sensors. In addition, the fact that the results are in digital form enable the scientist to present and communicate findings in the most modern and efficient manner.
Elements of a Sensor Technology System

Sensor technology systems vary, but generally speaking a sensor is connected to an interface called a datalogger which can store and display results or transfer them to a computer. Alternatively, the sensor may be connected to a "hand-held" device like a "graphic calculator", where results are processed and displayed.

A Simple Sensors Set-up

To illustrate the use of sensors, consider the following example:

A magnet is dropped through a coil of wire.

This causes an electric current to be induced in the coil. This physical parameter is detected by the Sensor and a signal is sent by cable to the Datalogger (or Graphic Calculator) where the signal is stored in digital form in the memory of the device.

This digital data can then be processed in many ways depending on the software and the wishes of the experimenter.

Very often data may be presented in a graph

...where special software assists in analysis of the data

Data may also be displayed as a table of values as shown...

The graph or table can be saved and printed; they may even be emailed.