For decades, people continue to predict that the application of electromechanical switches will gradually disappear, and the sensor is often regarded as one of its most important alternative technologies. Is this change happening and how common is it? This article explores this. As a long history of electromechanical devices, switches have been around since the Industrial Revolution. A variety of switches have been devised to better match electromechanical devices. These devices have relays , solenoids, motors, incandescent lamps and hundreds of other products on the market today. The sensor, on the other hand, is an electronic device designed to work with electronics such as integrated circuits , transistors and diodes. As microprocessor technology becomes more widely used, sensing technologies that are easy to interface with microprocessors are used in power grids, appliances, power tools, air conditioning and consumer electronics.
Switch application
Switch high reliability, wide range of applications. In machine-to-machine interface applications, the switch often acts as a detection device to indicate the open or closed state of the door or lid; position sensing is another common application where switches can help detect the position of cams and levers; level sensing in production lines The switch is used to indicate whether the bin or hopper is full, low or empty, making the production more efficient.
The sensor can be used for switching applications
With the enhanced functionality, sensors are becoming a replacement for some older mechatronic technologies. The use of sensors to detect objects can promote the miniaturization of equipment. More and more sensing technologies continue to emerge, and presence, level and position sensors are rapidly replacing older electromechanical switches. At the same time, capacitive, inductive, ultrasonic, optical, and Hall-effect sensors find their way into smart grids and consumer markets due to the proliferation of microprocessor-based control technologies in a variety of applications.
Touch sensing technology is also becoming more popular. More common is the touch screen, which provides the operator with a visual interface to communicate directly with a large number of devices. Computer touch screens have been widely used in ATM machines, computer monitors (in some applications to replace the mouse), automotive and building safety facilities, smart grid, mobile phones and PDAs. The continuous expansion of various sensor applications will further stimulate the demand for such technologies.
Although the sensor has the characteristics of miniaturization and simplification as described above, it also shows the durability disadvantage in many applications. It is not easy to use the sensor to directly replace the electromechanical switch. A key advantage of the switch is that it can withstand higher electrical loads than the sensor, which is crucial for electromechanical devices with higher inductive or resistive loads. Sensors typically require secondary switching devices such as relays to handle these types of loads. The switch is usually a two-wire device that does not require external power. The sensor is generally at least three-wire configuration, need to re-design to replace the switch. In all applications, the switch provides power, while the sensor requires power. Obviously, switches and sensors have their own advantages, so for specific applications need careful assessment to determine who is the most suitable.
The cost is very important
Any improvements in technology often require cost considerations. Many types of switches, the price is much lower than 1 US dollar. Although the price of the sensor is declining, it is still well above $ 1. There are other considerations as well: the use of sensors instead of switches may result in a series of cost-intensive tasks such as redesigning the product and circuitry, adding secondary switchgear to enable the product to interface with the sensor, re-engineering the production line, and training the operator, All this may increase the cost of the switch to the sensor transition.
However, the cost of switching is also a factor of change. As environmental regulations become more stringent, cadmium used to make contacts is subject to more stringent restrictions in many markets due to environmental pollution. The cost of redesigning the switch to meet environmental requirements and the rising cost of raw materials for the production switch can reduce the cost gap between the switch and the sensor. Is the cost important? Yes, it is. If the switch from the switch to the sensor cost is too high, manufacturers in pursuit of higher profit margins, may lead to such a transition to death.
As the market for electronic control products increased demand, as well as the cost of new sensor products, manufacturers may use more sensors to replace the switch. Get improved electrical design, the use of fewer sensors to replace multiple switches, sensor reliability in new applications, will open up new doors for the sensor market. The fact that the sensor will completely replace the switch is somewhat impractical, at least not in the near future, as the switch still outperforms the sensor in many applications. However, as sensor technology improves, the sensor may behave more reliably where the switch is likely to fail. Innovative activities are evolving new applications and technologies, we will wait and see, switch and sensor market will be how to better adapt to market demand.
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