ST CLEMENT’S SECONDARY

SCHOOL

sensors
SENIOR SECONDARY GRADE 11

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Analogue-to-Digital converters
(ADC) and Digital-to-analogue
converters

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 Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC)
▪ADC is a device that converts smooth continuous
signal such as wave signal into digital number that is
represented by 0s and 1s.
▪An analog-to-digital converter (also known as an
ADC or an A/D converter) is an electronic circuit
that measures a real-world signal (such as
temperature, pressure, acceleration, and speed)
and converts it to a digital representation of the
signal.
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▪The ADC (analog to digital converter) converts
the analog data into digital form.
▪The microprocessor compares this digital data
with stored data that meet the requirements for
maintaining certain conditions.

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Digital to Analogue Converter (DAC)
▪DAC converts a digital signal to into an
analogue signal.
▪An example of a DAC device is a modem. A
modem requires DAC to convert data to
analog signals, which can be carried by a
telephone wire.
▪Another example of a DAC device is a video
adapter.
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Exercise
(a)Describe ADC and DAC
(b)Why DAC is needed?
(c)With the help of the diagram describe how
ADC convert signals.
(d)

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Sensors

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SENSORS
▪A sensor is a device that detects and
responds to some type of input from the
physical environment.
▪The input can be light, heat, motion,
moisture, pressure or any number of other
environmental phenomena.

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▪Sensors are input devices that record data
about the physical environment around it.
▪Sensors send data to a microprocessor
(computer). They do not make judgements,
decisions or control any output devices.

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Active and Passive.
• In the first classification of the sensors, they
are divided in to Active and Passive.
1. Active Sensors are those which require an
external excitation signal or a power signal.
2. Passive Sensors, on the other hand, do not
require any external power signal and
directly generates output response.

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Main types of sensors
▪Pressure Sensors. ▪Position Sensors.
▪Temperature Sensors. ▪Force Sensors.
▪Light sensors ▪Vibration Sensors.
▪Magnetic field sensor
▪Heat sensor
▪Oxygen sensors
▪Gas sensors ▪Volatile organic
▪Humidity Sensors. compound (VOC)
▪Infrared (IR) Security sensors
Sensors.
▪Fluid Property Sensors.
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Exercise
(a)What is a sensor?
(b)List three common sensors
(c)State the difference between passive and
active sensors
(d)Describe how sensors work

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Temperature
Sensor

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Temperature Sensor

▪ A Temperature Sensor, as the name

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How Temperature sensors are used
▪Data is sent about the temperature in form of
signal from the sensors to the microprocessor or
microcontroller and the analogue data is
converted into digital form using ADC (Analogue-
to Digital Converter)
▪If the temperature is found the microprocessor
sends back the signals to be converted back into
analogue signals using DAC (Digital-to-Analogue
converter). To show the temperature or condition

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Application
▪Temperature sensors are devices used to
measure temperature in solids, liquids and
gases.
▪Used in central heating systems

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Exercise
The conditions in the fish tank are being
controlled using sensors and a microprocessor.
To keep the fish healthy, the temperature must
be at 25 ℃ and the Oxygen content needs to
be 20 ppm (parts per million) the tank
contains a heater and an oxygen inlet
controlled by a valve.

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 Oxygen
Heater supply

Sensor A Sensor B

microprocessor
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(a)Name sensors A and B used in this
application.
(b)Describe how the sensors and
microprocessor are used to maintain the
correct conditions in the fish tank.
(c)What safeguards are needed to stop the
fish tank temperature rising too high?

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Infrared Sensor
(IR Sensor)

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 Infrared Sensor (IR Sensor)
▪ The Infrared sensor is a device which uses infrared waves to
sense characteristics of surroundings. It is used to measure
heat emitted by object or human beings.
▪ It is also used to detect motion of the object. It is also used
for data communication for monitoring and control
applications.
▪ IR Sensors or Infrared Sensor are light based sensor that are
used in various applications like Proximity and Object
Detection.
▪ IR Sensors are used as proximity sensors in almost all mobile
phones.
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 Application
▪ Remote controls
▪Automatic doors
▪Gas warning devices
▪Gas analysers
▪Medical gas measurement technology
▪Flame detectors

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How infrared sensor is used
A digital security camera was set up as shown
in the diagram
Computer
CCTV

DAC
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▪ The digital CCTV camera is connected to a computer.
The computer can make the camera move in any
direction by sending out the digital signals. The computer
system has a 500 GB hard disk.
▪ The infrared is the hardware system that is needed to
inform the computer that the camera needs to move to
capture an image. It detects the movement and allow the
computer to decide which direction to move the camera
in.
▪ The camera detects the intruder movements through
infrared sensor. It captures the current image and
compares to the previously stored images and if different,
the image is stored on hard disk for playing back later.
▪ DAC is needed because the output is digital, the
analogue signals are required to operate on the camera
motors.
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 Advantages of Infrared sensor
▪It provides secured communication due to line of
sight or point-to-point mode of communication.
▪The battery used in infrared devices last for long
duration due to lower power consumption.
▪Infrared motion sensors detect motion in daytime
and nighttime reliably.
▪The sensor does not require any contact with the
product to be sensed. The infrared devices are
more appropriate for targets which are close than
10 mm.
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 Disadvantages of Infrared sensor
▪ Infrared frequencies are affected by hard objects (e.g. walls,
doors) , smoke, dust, fog, sunlight etc. Hence it does not work
through walls or doors.
▪ Infrared waves at high power can damage eyes.
▪ In monitor & control application, it can control only one device at
one time. Moreover it is difficult to control things which are not in
LOS (Line of Sight). It requires line of sight between transmitter and
receiver to communicate.
▪ It supports shorter range and hence it performance degrades with
longer distances.
▪ It supports lower data rate transmission compare to wired
transmission.
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 Exercise
The safety system has been developed to stop
vehicles getting too close to each other on the road
by a pupil from St Clements Secondary school.

sensors
B
A

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If vehicle A gets too close to Vehicle B, the brakes
automatically applied by a computer system in
vehicle A.
(a)What type of a sensors could possibly be used on
the vehicles?
(b)Describe what safety system does to constantly
monitor how close the vehicle is to the vehicles in
front and decide when to take action.
(c)Describe two potential problems with this safety
system.
(d)Give two advantages of using computer-
controlled system rather than visual checks by the
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Light Sensor

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Light Sensor
▪Sometimes also known as Photo Sensors, Light
Sensors are one of the important sensors.
▪A simple Light Sensor available today is the
Light Dependent Resistor or LDR.
▪The property of LDR is that its resistance is
inversely proportional to the intensity of the
ambient light i.e., when the intensity of light
increases, its resistance decreases and vise-
versa.
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Common types of light sensors
▪Photodiodes
▪Photoresistors
▪Phototransistors
▪photovoltaic light sensors.

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Application
▪Burglar alarms
▪Monitoring pollution in the river
▪Light sensing in mobile devices
▪Automatic outdoor lighting
▪Proximity sensors
▪Renewable energy.

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 Exercise
(a)Street lighting is controlled automatically. A light sensor
and a microprocessor are used to decide when to
switch each street light on or off. Describe how the
sensor, microprocessor and light interact to switch the
street light on or off.
(b)Name three sensors other than light sensors and describe
an application for each sensor.
(i) Sensor
application
(ii) Sensor
application
(iii) Sensor
application Mario@2023 42
Pressure Sensor

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Pressure sensor
▪A pressure sensor is a device that senses
pressure and converts it into an electric signal
where the amount depends upon the
pressure applied.

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 Application
▪Burglar alarm systems
▪Automotive monitoring solution for hydropower
plants.
▪Controlling Traffic lights
▪ Used in pressure transmitters in seed generating
systems.
▪It comes in handy in electrogenic low meters
applied in wastewater and oil fields.
▪Used as a pressure sensor and a transmitter for
special gas pressure measurement.
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Exercise
A Grade 11 pupils at St Clements designed a weigh
bridge in JETS fair The diagram below shows the
computerised weigh bridge designed by him.

OUTPUT OUTPUT

PROCESSOR X

SIGNAL
STORAGE Mario@2023
CONVERTER 48
(a)Name the sensor that found at X
(b)Explain the purpose of the signal converter
in the circuit illustrated above.
(c)Name one output device suitable for the
circuit.
(d)Give the reason for the output you have
mentioned in (c) above.
(e)State two data that can be collected from
the truck.
(f)State the use of the storage device.
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Heat Sensor

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▪ The main property of a heat sensor is to sense the heat,
which is present around the sensor.
▪ When the set value of the temperature is high, then it is
indicated with the help of a glowing LED.
▪ When the temperature around the heat sensor increases
above its set value, then it senses the heat and gives an
indication, so that we can protect the devices from
damage.
▪ Heat sensor circuit senses the heat from various electronic
devices like amplifiers, computer, etc, and thus generates
the warning alarm.

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Application
They are mainly used for monitoring
▪industrial machines
▪electric boilers
▪ovens

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 Exercise
A computer system is using sensors to monitor and
control a chemical process as shown in the diagram
below.
Gas out
Converter A
Chemical
Converter B computer
process
Heater X
Converter A
Pressure Converter B
Valve

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(a)Name two sensors in this processing.
(b)Name one sensor at heater X
(c)What is the difference in the function of
Converter A and converter B?
(d)Describe the processing that takes place in
the computer for this control.
(e)Give one type of data that can be
collected at heater X

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Humidity Sensor

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Humidity Sensor

▪If you see Weather Monitoring Systems, they

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 Application
• Humidity sensors are used for several applications
for measuring humidity.
▪HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning)
systems,
▪ automobiles,
▪ food processing systems
▪printers
▪Domestic appliances such as refrigerators, ovens,
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Volatile organic compound
(VOC)
Sensors

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Volatile organic compound (VOC)
sensors
▪Volatile organic compound (VOC) sensors are
available that are capable of detecting volatile
chemicals and odorous pollutants.
▪A common device for detecting particulate
matter in the air is. Smoke is detected using two
types of sensor:
(i) ionization detectors
(ii) photoelectric detectors.
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Proximity
Sensors

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Proximity Sensors

▪A Proximity Sensor is a non-contact type

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Application
Proximity sensors are used in
▪phones
▪recycling plants
▪self-driving cars
▪anti-aircraft systems
▪assembly lines.

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Magnetic Sensors

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 Magnetic sensors
▪are often used for security and military applications
such as detection, discrimination and localization
of ferromagnetic and conducting objects,
navigation, position tracking and antitheft systems.
▪Are used in controlling traffic lights

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pH Sensors

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 pH sensor
▪A pH sensor helps to measure the acidity or alkalinity of
the water with a value between 0-14.
▪When the pH value dips below seven, the water starts
to become more acidic.
▪Any number above seven equates to more alkaline.
▪Each type of pH sensor works differently to measure the
quality of the water.
▪Monitoring rivers for pollution
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Exercise
Motion sensors are used in security system to
detect intruders. Name three other sensors
that could be used in the following
applications.
Give a different type of each sensor for each
application.

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 Application Sensor
Controlling street lights
Monitoring rivers for pollution
Controlling traffic lights
In mobile phones
In automobile

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 +260 969 413 288
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