Contact vs. Non-Contact Measurement and Linear Displacement Sensors GalleryContact vs. Non-Contact Measurement and Linear Displacement Sensors
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Contact vs. Non-Contact Measurement and Linear Displacement Sensors
Contact vs. Non-Contact Measurements Choosing between a contact measurement system and a non-contact measurement system requires careful evaluation of your application’s performance needs, material properties, environmental conditions, and measurement goals. Each system type offers unique advantages- and understanding these distinctions can help you make a more informed decision. Let's explores how contact and non-contact measurement techniques work, their strengths and limitations, and where they’re best applied. What Are Contact Measurement Systems? Contact measurement systems involve tools and sensors that physically touch the object to determine various physical characteristics. These systems are widely used in dimensional metrology, offering high precision, [...]
Capacitance Sensors vs. Eddy Current Sensors Application Note
Capacitance Sensors vs. Eddy Current Sensors Application Note Capacitance sensors and Eddy current sensors are both used for non-contact measurements. Capacitive probes use electric fields to measure the distance from the sensor face to the surface of a target that is typically conductive and grounded. Eddy current probes use an alternating AC current to induce a magnetic field in a conductive target instead. In turn, the induced magnetic field produces a back magnetic field that is proportional to the gap between the probe face and the target. In a recent application note, MTI Instruments examines the differences between capacitance [...]
Neutrinos Study
Neutrinos Study Customer Case Neutrinos are said to be the most elusive and exotic particles in the universe. They are tiny neutral elementary particles that interact with matter via the weak nuclear force. Scientists are still trying to measure the mass and to characterize their properties. A customer who is studying neutrinos will be using photo multiplier tubes (PMT) coupled to a scintillating material to detect them. The PMT will produce a small electrical pulse when a neutrino is detected. These PMTs are located 2 Kilometers deep, in a mine located in Ontario, Canada. The customer is looking for [...]
Foam Density Measurement: Capacitance Sensors vs. Nuclear Gauges
This application note from MTI Instruments compares two technologies for measuring foam density: capacitance sensors and nuclear gauges. It examines the basic operating principles of each technology and explains why capacitance measurement is recommended for in-line measurement during foam manufacturing. Capacitance Sensors Capacitive probes are non-contact devices that use electric fields to measure foam density. In combination with a thickness value, a density measurement may be calculated. These probes consist of a capacitance sensor inside of a protective housing and are part of a larger measurement system that includes amplifiers, cables, and software. With parallel plate capacitance, the capacitance probe [...]
Laser Excitation of Single Atoms
Laser Excitation of Single Atoms Customer Case The client is an academic department conducting fundamental atomic physics research. The target of a Laser is a single Alkali atom, which enlarges to the size of several microns, upon receiving the pulse excitation. The enlarged atom is called a Rydberg atom and can reach the size of a grain of sand. The enlarged atom has new physical properties that are characterized by a detector that creates fast analog data streams. The setup of the experiment involves generating femtosecond Laser pulses, and capturing a 0 to 15 Volt ramp function with a [...]
Get More Out Of Your Military & Aerospace Applications
When testing the electrical systems for your military and aerospace applications, you need to ensure they are ready for the job and meet all the necessary standards. These specialized systems work to keep the highly sophisticated and advanced technology housed in these applications running at full strength, which requires the right amount of power to do their jobs effectively. Having the right electrical safety and performance testing equipment on hand can help determine the overall effectiveness of your applications. […]
Laser Based Position Measurement System
Laser Based Position Measurement System Customer Case In order to test their Laser Based Position Measurement Systems, the customer needs to characterize an output pulse from his circuitry which lasts for approximately 5 microseconds. According to the customer's estimates, he must use a sampling rate of 50 MSPS or higher in order to be able to analyze the signal completely. An additional requirement of the test system is that a specific number of successive pulses be digitized and then averaged in order to eliminate system noise. The number of such successive pulses must be variable. The repeat rate of [...]
High-Power Laser Lamp Array Tester
High-Power Laser Lamp Array Tester Customer Case The customer is building a tester for an array of high-power laser lamps. These lamps draw 35,000 Amps of current. The test involves sending a control signal to the laser lamp and measuring the time between the signal and the switching on of the lamp (which is picked up by a photodiode). This time is representative of the quality of the lamp. The customer currently has a 16-channel system, and would like to explore increasing the number of channels. In the customer's present system, eight CompuScope 512 cards are installed in a [...]
Capacitance Sensing vs. Strain Gauge Sensing Application Note
Capacitance Sensing vs. Strain Gauge Sensing Application Note Capacitance probes that are embedded in piezo flexure stages can provide significantly greater accuracy than strain gauges. Although some minor mounting modifications are required, capacitance probes with picoscale positioning provide higher linearity, greater long-term stability, and better direct measurement. Capacitance sensors cost more, however, and are limited by sensing distance. Therefore, strain gauge sensors remain a good choice for applications where cost is a consideration, sensing distances are larger, and high resolution or high accuracy are required. In a recent application note, MTI Instruments examines the differences between capacitance probes and [...]
Synchronizing Over A Wide Sampling Speed Range
Synchronizing Over A Wide Sampling Speed Range Customer Case The client has set up an experiment where he needs to generate a stimulus signal and apply it to a He-Ne Laser with some polarizing optics. The response signal is a measurement of the Faraday effect. The signal is noisy and requires averaging over a very long time. The stimulus and response must be synchronized over a wide frequency range. For synchronization, the application requires a wide band of sampling speed from, 1 KS/s to 50 MS/s. GaGe Case Solution While GaGe's CompuScope 14100 provides the required digitizer performance, it [...]