Smart Sensors
A smart sensor is a sensor with local processing power that enables it to react to local conditions without having to refer back to a central controller. Smart sensors are usually at least twice as accurate as non-smart devices, have reduced maintenance costs and require less wiring to the site where they are used. In addition, long-term stability is improved, reducing the required calibration frequency.
The functions possessed by smart sensors vary widely, but consist of at least some of the following:
Remote calibration capability Self-diagnosis of faults Automatic calculation of measurement accuracy and compensation for random errors Adjustment for measurement of non-linearity’s to produce a linear output Compensation for the loading effect of the measuring process on the measured system.
Calibration capability
Self-calibration is very simple in some cases. Sensors with an electrical output can use a known reference voltage level to carry out self-calibration. Also, load-cell types of sensor, which are used in weighing systems, can adjust the output reading to zero when there is no applied mass. In the case of other sensors, two methods of self-calibration are possible, use of a look-up table and an interpolation technique. Unfortunately, a look-up tablerequires a large memory capacity to store correction points. Also, a large amount of data has to be gathered from the sensor during calibration. In consequence, the interpolation calibration technique is preferable. This uses an interpolation method to calculate the correction required to any particular measurement and only requires a small matrix of calibration points (van der Horn, 1996).
Self-diagnosis of faults
Smart sensors perform self-diagnosis by monitoring internal signals for evidence of faults. Whilst it is difficult to achieve a sensor that can carry out self-diagnosis of all possible faults that might arise, it is often possible to make simple checks that detect many of the more common faults. One example of self-diagnosis in a sensor is measuring the sheath capacitance and resistance in insulated thermocouples to detect breakdown of the insulation. Usually, a specific code is generated to indicate each type of possible fault (e.g. a failing of insulation in a device).
One difficulty that often arises in self-diagnosis is in differentiating between normal measurement deviations and sensor faults. Some smart sensors overcome this by storing multiple measured values around a set-point, calculating minimum and maximum expected values for the measured quantity.
Uncertainty techniques can be applied to measure the impact of a sensor fault on measurement quality. This makes it possible in certain circumstances to continue to use a sensor after it has developed a fault. A scheme for generating a validity index has been proposed that indicates the validity and quality of a measurement from a sensor (Henry, 1995).
Automatic calculation of measurement accuracy and compensation for random errors
Many smart sensors can calculate measurement accuracy on-line by computing the Mean over a number of measurements and analyzing all factors affecting accuracy. This averaging process also serves to greatly reduce the magnitude of random measurement errors.
Adjustment for measurement non-linearities
In the case of sensors that have a non-linear relationship between the measured quantity and the sensor output, digital processing can convert the output to a linear form, providing that the nature of the non-linearity is known so that an equation describing it can be programmed into the sensor.
