INTEGRATED SMART SENSORS

Progress in the automation of industrial production machines, such as robots, and of consumer products, such as cars, kitchen and household machines, has hitherto been constrained by the lack of inexpensive sensor systems. Large-scale sensor applications can only be made economically feasible if sensors and circuits are combined in microelectronic chips with standardized digital bus output. This is the concept of integrated smart sensors (ISS). This paper first discusses the industrial relevance of sensors in automated production machines and consumer products. Secondly, the inevitable evolution of sensors into integrated smart sensors is shown. Thirdly, a feasibility study on the possibility of combining sensors and circuits into single microelectronic integrated smart sensors is presented. Though integrated smart sensors with a digital bus output are not yet on the market, it is to be expected that these sensors will become available within the next five years.