Sensors and Sensor Circuit Design from Coursera

This course can also be taken for academic credit as ECEA 5340, part of CU Boulder’s Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree.

After taking this course, you will be able to:

● Understand how to specify the proper thermal, flow, or rotary sensor for taking real-time process data.

● Implement thermal sensors into an embedded system in both hardware and software.

● Add the sensor and sensor interface into a microprocessor based development kit.

● Create hardware and firmware to process sensor signals and feed data to a microprocessor for further evaluation.

● Study sensor signal noise and apply proper hardware techniques to reduce it to acceptable levels.

You will need to buy the following components to do the two course projects based on the videos in this module. Note that if you have already purchased the PSOC 5LP PROTOTYPING KIT, you do not need to buy it again.

These parts may be purchased off the Digikey web site, www. Digikey.com. Or, you may obtain the specs from the site, and purchase them elsewhere.

These are the part numbers typed out, so you can copy and paste them into the Digikey web site. You will need one of each part.

428-3390-ND

NHD-0216BZ-RN-YBW-ND

570-1229-ND

A105970CT-ND

Additional equipment needed:

• Wire - various gauges and lengths

• Breadboard

• Oscilloscope – suggested models are:

o PICOSCOPE 2204A-D2 available on www.digikey.com or

o Digilent 410-324 | OpenScope MZ available on www.newark.com

Depending on your budget, you can also investigate these models:

o Hantek HT6022BE20MHz - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009H4AYII

o SainSmart DSO212 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074QBQNB7

o PoScope Mega50 USB - https://www.robotshop.com/en/poscope-mega50-usb-mso-oscilloscope.html

o ADALM2000 - https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/analog-devices-inc./ADALM2000/7019661

What's inside

Syllabus

Thermal Sensors

In module 1 you will learn how to specify and use temperature sensors in an embedded circuit. First, you will learn about common types of sensors and actuators found in common products such as smart phones and automobiles. Then you will get a high-level overview of analog and digital interfaces, followed by a deep dive into thermistors, RTD’s, and thermocouples. For each of these three types of thermal sensors, we define the core theory and formulae, give you examples of how commercial sensors are packaged, and explain what you need to know to purchase them on a web site.

Sensor Development Kit and Prototyping

In module 2 you will learn how to design a complete temperature sensor system within a development kit environment. We will teach you how to assign internal components to the schematic. This includes pins, amplifiers, MUX’s, DAC’s, and ADC’s. Then you will learn how to wire in external parts: resistors, thermistors in particular, to the kit. Finally, you will take a deep dive into interfacing a thermistor and associated front end components to the development kit. This includes lessons on using the schematic portion of the kit, as well as writing application software in c code.

Rotary and Flow Sensors

In module 3 you will learn how rotary sensors work and how to specify them for purchase. In our videos rotary sensors include both optical encoders and resolvers. You will also learn the design intricacies of flow sensors, along with their appropriate applications. The videos will discuss variable area, differential pressure, vortex, ultrasonic, turbine, thermal mass flow, and coriolis flow meters.

Amplifiers and Sensor Noise

In module 4 you will learn the theory and practical application of amplifiers and circuit noise. You will review how gain is calculated in inverting, non-inverting, summing, differential, and instrumentation amplifiers. We will then contrast theoretical vs. real-world amplifier performance, and give examples of how commercial chips specs are interpreted. Then we will discuss the causes of noise in sensor circuits, how the noise affects sensor accuracy, and some steps you can take to reduce noise in your sensor circuit designs.

Course Project

This module contains the materials you need to complete the thermistor lab assignment.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Develops understanding of thermal, flow, and rotary sensors, which is standard in industry

Useful for electrical engineers who need to understand and implement sensors in embedded systems

Suitable for learners with basic knowledge of electrical engineering and embedded systems

Provides practical skills through hands-on labs and projects

Taught by James Zweighaft and Jay Mendelson, who are recognized experts in electrical engineering

Part of a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree from CU Boulder, which adds academic credibility

Reviews summary

Electronics and circuits: sensors

Learners say this well-received course provides a thorough overview of sensors and sensor design. It covers various types of sensors, electronic circuits, and practical applications in a clear and concise manner. Students particularly appreciate the well-structured lectures, engaging assignments, and comprehensive course project. However, some learners note that the quizzes can be challenging and recommend more support for the hands-on labs.

Optional but recommended for practical experience.

"The theory is very interesting. It would have been even better with more examples, mostly for the OpAmp, on when to use what configuration."

"I invested a lot of time to wire up and set up the PSOC with all the hardware that is specified at the beginning of the course. Still had a very hard time, and there were many steps that I couldn't complete even though I was following the instruction step by step."

"I was able to learn some new techniques coming from a mechanical background. I enjoyed the course, but I was disappointed that all of the hands-on activities were squeezed into the last week."

Engaging and help reinforce concepts.

"The course is very interactive, its great chance for me to review my engineering classes study."

"The assignments and course project ensure the students engagement and learning."

"Great course with plenty of high value videos. One thing that I found unfortunate was that time was spent on interfacing the PSOC unit with an LCD."

"This course is well structured and executed. Definitely a mid- to upper-level difficulty course requiring knowledge and execution of software and hardware skill sets."

"Would have been great if it was possible to share the lab project, and maybe have someone to check if it's working properly"

Covers a wide range of sensor types and applications.

"Excellent course which helps to ubderstand how to design a sensor based on their applications"

"It was a wonderful experience to know practicalities of various sensors and its interfacing with PSoC platform !!!"

"Great course, I was able to learn more on sensors and signal amplification using operational amplifiers"

"A very good course that helps you to learn all types of sensors and their applications in day to day life"

"Great course, Excellent teacher, and overall Fantastic experience. Thankyou University of Colorado Boulder."

Well-structured and easy to follow.

"Clear concise transfer of information! The questions in the graded quizzes are found in the lecture videos. No tricks or confusion. Excellent course. Looking forward to the next three in the Specialization! "

"The teaching style of Jay is really awesome. The concepts covered are really good."

"This class was extremely informative. The instructors are incredibly knowledgeable and articulate."

"Great course, great content and learning material."

"This was such a fun couse. I can't believe how much I learned. Although difficult, the weekly workload is more than managable. The professors are great as well with explaining the material but you'll probably have to watch some of the lectures more than once to fully comprehend the material"

Challenging but helpful for reviewing material.

"I have completed the course and i am waiting for my certificate. Please issue us the certificate. Many are waiting for the certificate."

"This course is very good. Concise, very informative, and provides a lot of useful material. I would like to include more on filtering, both software and hardware."

"It's a very interesting and very knowledge gain able topic and had learned lot of things from this . And I would like to say thank to coursera for providing this."

"The questions should have covered more theory modules."

"The quizzes and homework questions are often poorly worded with no explanation for wrong answers. So you are left guessing yourself over and over if you got it wrong"

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Sensors and Sensor Circuit Design with these activities:

Review basic electronics, including Ohm's Law.

Show steps

The course assumes familiarity with basic electronics. This activity will help refresh those skills.

Browse courses on Electronics

Show steps

Review the concepts of voltage, current, and resistance.
Practice applying Ohm's Law to simple circuits.

Watch video tutorials on sensor signal conditioning.

Show steps

Sensor signal conditioning is crucial for accurate measurements. These tutorials will provide a solid foundation.

Browse courses on Amplifiers

Show steps

Watch videos on different types of signal conditioning techniques.
Understand the advantages and disadvantages of each technique.

Join a study group to discuss course concepts and work on assignments.

Show steps

Working with peers can enhance understanding and retention.

Browse courses on Collaboration

Show steps

Find a group of students to study with.
Meet regularly to discuss course material.
Work together on assignments and projects.

Five other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all eight activities

Review 'Temperature Measurement Techniques' by Jones, J.E.

Show steps

Thermal sensors are the foundation of measuring temperatures to study phenomena and control processes. This text covers all aspects of temperature measurement.

Show steps

Familiarize yourself with common temperature measurement techniques.
Understand the principles of each technique.
Compare and contrast the different techniques.

Offer to help other students in the course.

Show steps

Mentoring others will reinforce your understanding and develop your communication skills.

Browse courses on Mentoring

Show steps

Identify students who may need help.
Offer your assistance.
Provide guidance and support.

Solve practice problems on thermistor and RTD circuits.

Show steps

Solving practice problems will help you develop a deeper understanding of thermistor and RTD circuits.

Show steps

Find the resistance of a thermistor at a given temperature.
Calculate the temperature of a thermistor with a given resistance.
Design a circuit to measure the temperature using a thermistor.

Build a simple temperature monitoring system using a microcontroller.

Show steps

Building a real-world system will reinforce the concepts learned in the course.

Browse courses on Microcontrollers

Show steps

Choose a microcontroller and develop a hardware design.
Write software to read the temperature sensor and display the data.
Test and debug the system.

Write a blog post or article on a topic related to the course.

Show steps

Writing about the course material will help you to synthesize and retain information.

Browse courses on Blogging

Show steps

Choose a topic related to the course.
Research the topic and write a draft.
Edit and publish your post or article.

Career center

Learners who complete Sensors and Sensor Circuit Design will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Sensor Engineer

A Sensor Engineer designs, develops, and tests sensors used in various industries such as automotive, aerospace, and manufacturing. This course helps build a foundation in sensor technology, covering topics such as thermal sensors, rotary sensors, and flow sensors. It also teaches how to interface sensors with microprocessors and reduce sensor signal noise. These skills are essential for Sensor Engineers to develop reliable and accurate sensor systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sensor Engineer

Electrical Engineer

An Electrical Engineer designs and develops electrical systems and components. This course helps build a foundation in sensor technology, which is a crucial part of many electrical systems. It covers topics such as thermal sensors, rotary sensors, and flow sensors, as well as how to interface sensors with microprocessors. This knowledge is essential for Electrical Engineers to design and develop systems that can accurately sense and measure physical parameters.

See salaries and explore the career path for Electrical Engineer

Mechatronics Engineer

A Mechatronics Engineer combines mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering to design and build products and systems. This course helps build a foundation in sensor technology, which is a key component of many mechatronic systems. It covers topics such as thermal sensors, rotary sensors, and flow sensors, as well as how to interface sensors with microprocessors. This knowledge is essential for Mechatronics Engineers to design and develop systems that can accurately sense and control physical parameters.

See salaries and explore the career path for Mechatronics Engineer

Biomedical Engineer

A Biomedical Engineer designs and develops medical devices and systems. This course helps build a foundation in sensor technology, which is a crucial part of many medical devices. It covers topics such as thermal sensors, rotary sensors, and flow sensors, as well as how to interface sensors with microprocessors. This knowledge is essential for Biomedical Engineers to design and develop medical devices that can accurately sense and measure physiological parameters.

See salaries and explore the career path for Biomedical Engineer

Quality Engineer

A Quality Engineer ensures that products and services meet quality standards. This course helps build a foundation in sensor technology, which is used in many quality control processes. It covers topics such as thermal sensors, rotary sensors, and flow sensors, as well as how to interface sensors with microprocessors. This knowledge is essential for Quality Engineers to design and implement quality control systems that can accurately measure and assess product quality.

See salaries and explore the career path for Quality Engineer

Field Service Engineer

A Field Service Engineer installs, maintains, and repairs equipment in the field. This course helps build a foundation in sensor technology, which is used in many types of equipment. It covers topics such as thermal sensors, rotary sensors, and flow sensors, as well as how to interface sensors with microprocessors. This knowledge is essential for Field Service Engineers to diagnose and repair equipment problems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Field Service Engineer

Product Designer

A Product Designer designs and develops consumer products. This course helps build a foundation in sensor technology, which is used in many consumer products. It covers topics such as thermal sensors, rotary sensors, and flow sensors, as well as how to interface sensors with microprocessors. This knowledge is essential for Product Designers to design and develop products that are user-friendly and meet customer needs.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Designer

Robotics Engineer

A Robotics Engineer designs, develops, and tests robots. This course may be useful for Robotics Engineers, as it covers topics such as thermal sensors, rotary sensors, and flow sensors, which are used in many robots. The course also teaches how to interface sensors with microprocessors, which is essential for controlling robots.

See salaries and explore the career path for Robotics Engineer

Automotive Engineer

An Automotive Engineer designs, develops, and tests automobiles. This course may be useful for Automotive Engineers, as it covers topics such as thermal sensors, rotary sensors, and flow sensors, which are used in many automobiles. The course also teaches how to interface sensors with microprocessors, which is essential for controlling automobiles.

See salaries and explore the career path for Automotive Engineer

Manufacturing Engineer

A Manufacturing Engineer designs, develops, and tests manufacturing processes. This course may be useful for Manufacturing Engineers, as it covers topics such as thermal sensors, rotary sensors, and flow sensors, which are used in many manufacturing processes. The course also teaches how to interface sensors with microprocessors, which is essential for controlling manufacturing processes.

See salaries and explore the career path for Manufacturing Engineer

Aerospace Engineer

An Aerospace Engineer designs, develops, and tests aircraft. This course may be useful for Aerospace Engineers, as it covers topics such as thermal sensors, rotary sensors, and flow sensors, which are used in many aircraft. The course also teaches how to interface sensors with microprocessors, which is essential for controlling aircraft.

See salaries and explore the career path for Aerospace Engineer

Chemical Engineer

A Chemical Engineer designs, develops, and tests chemical processes. This course may be useful for Chemical Engineers, as it covers topics such as thermal sensors, rotary sensors, and flow sensors, which are used in many chemical processes. The course also teaches how to interface sensors with microprocessors, which is essential for controlling chemical processes.

See salaries and explore the career path for Chemical Engineer

Civil Engineer

A Civil Engineer designs, develops, and tests civil infrastructure. This course may be useful for Civil Engineers, as it covers topics such as thermal sensors, rotary sensors, and flow sensors, which are used in many civil infrastructure projects. The course also teaches how to interface sensors with microprocessors, which is essential for controlling civil infrastructure.

See salaries and explore the career path for Civil Engineer

Computer Engineer

A Computer Engineer designs, develops, and tests computer systems. This course may be useful for Computer Engineers, as it covers topics such as thermal sensors, rotary sensors, and flow sensors, which are used in many computer systems. The course also teaches how to interface sensors with microprocessors, which is essential for controlling computer systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Computer Engineer

Software Engineer

A Software Engineer designs, develops, and tests software. This course may be useful for Software Engineers, as it covers topics such as thermal sensors, rotary sensors, and flow sensors, which are used in many software applications. The course also teaches how to interface sensors with microprocessors, which is essential for controlling software applications.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer