5. Sensors

Syllabus Points Covered

Programming mechatronics

Understanding mechatronic hardware and software

• Identify and describe a range of sensors, actuators and end effectors/manipulators within existing mechatronic systems

  • motion sensors

  • light level sensors

• Use different types of data and understand how it is obtained and processed in a mechatronic system, including diagnostic data and data used for optimisation

Chapter Contents

• 5.1. Overview
  • 5.1.1. Types of Sensors
  • 5.1.2. Sensor Data
• 5.2. Motion and Position
  • 5.2.1. Accelerometers and Gryoscopes
  • 5.2.2. Magnetometer
  • 5.2.3. Optical Encoders
  • 5.2.4. Magnetic Encoders and Distance Sensors
  • 5.2.5. Global Navigation Satellite Systems
• 5.3. Light and Colour
  • 5.3.1. Photoresistors
  • 5.3.2. Photodiodes
  • 5.3.3. Phototransistors
• 5.4. Environmental
  • 5.4.1. Temperature Sensors
  • 5.4.2. Humidity Sensors
  • 5.4.3. Air-Pressure Sensors
  • 5.4.4. Particulate-Matter Sensors
  • 5.4.5. Gas and VOC Sensors
• 5.5. Touch and Proximity
  • 5.5.1. Capacitive Sensors
  • 5.5.2. Hall Effect Distance/Proximity Sensors
  • 5.5.3. Ultrasonic Sensors
  • 5.5.4. Infrared Time-of-Flight Sensors
  • 5.5.5. LiDAR Sensors
• 5.6. Force and Fluid Pressure
  • 5.6.1. Strain-Gauge Load Cells
  • 5.6.2. Hydraulic Pressure Sensors
• 5.7. Exercise: Sensors
• 5.8. Signals
  • 5.8.1. Analog Signals
  • 5.8.2. Digital Signals
  • 5.8.3. Digital Buses
• 5.9. Analog Sensors
  • 5.9.1. Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs)
  • 5.9.2. Example: Reading Analog Values With MicroPython
• 5.10. Buses
  • 5.10.1. Examples
• 5.11. I2C
  • 5.11.1. Addressing
  • 5.11.2. Registers
  • 5.11.3. Data Read
  • 5.11.4. Data Write
  • 5.11.5. Example: BME680 Sensor
• 5.12. Exercise: I2C
• 5.13. Processing Sensor Data
  • 5.13.1. Smoothing and Filtering
  • 5.13.2. Dead Zones and Hysteresis
• 5.14. Case Study: HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor
  • 5.14.1. Properties
  • 5.14.2. Electrical Connections
  • 5.14.3. Working Principle
  • 5.14.4. Measurement Process
  • 5.14.5. Calculating Distance
• 5.15. Exercise: HC-SR04