When a go-kart racer knows the density of dry air entering the engine, he can tune his carburetor's efficiency accordingly and maximize performance. The problem is weather is always changing. To avoid any guesswork, John Cashon built an on-board weather station for go-karts. It monitors three atmospheric parameters (barometric pressure, relative humidity, and temperature), does the required math, and displays the dry air density on a PDA for quick, on-the-fly carburetor adjustments.
Go-kart weather station parts list
Amt
Part Description
Allied Part #
1
HIH-36010-002 humidity sensor
642-2252
1
MPX4115A barometric pressure sensor
858-4854
1
Trimming potentiometer 100 kOhm
754-1121
1
Voltage regulator +5V
568-3101
1
9V battery strap
839-3096
Additional parts required: PalmOS PDA, OrbForms Designer (OrbWorks Inc.) DAQ-100 data acquisition card (Integrity Instruments), PDA serial cable prototype board, enclosure, 9V battery, various capacitors and resistors.
Safety networks have become more complex, and have actually become simpler and easier to deploy for plant operators. This slideshow highlights developments in plant safety with an emphasis on integrated safety networks.
As the MEMS industry spans a myriad of industries and markets, the future of MEMS in consumer electronics will enable a myriad of functionality, applications, and personalization.
The Nest is a sleek-looking digital thermostat which can actually "learn" its owners' schedule and then continue to regulate temperature to suit the user's preferences and patterns.
Thanks to embedded electronics, medical devices are getting smaller and smarter than ever. Pacemakers and implantable defibrillators are now able to call physicians. MRIs, CT scanners, and ultrasound machines are gaining mobility. And the venerable Band-Aid may soon be able to detect illnesses ranging from fevers to heart arrhythmias. On February 21, join Design News senior editor Charles Murray for a wide-ranging discussion, "Embedded Angles for Medical Products," which will explore the latest developments in medical electronics. The discussion will examine advances in medical device technology and offer an inside look at the embedded electronics behind it.
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
20 
