Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!psuvax1!rutgers!rochester!newkodak!ornitz
From: ornitz@newkodak.kodak.com (Barry Ornitz)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: looking for sensor (Tilt Sensors)
Summary: expensive if accurate
Keywords: tilt sensor, angular displacement, electrolytic sensor
Message-ID: <1990Jun26.192024.17036@newkodak.kodak.com>
Date: 26 Jun 90 19:20:24 GMT
References: <6452.26874295@umiami.miami.edu>
Sender: Barry L. Ornitz
Followup-To: sci.electronics
Organization: Eastman Kodak Co, Rochester, NY
Lines: 39

In article <6452.26874295@umiami.miami.edu> bud@umiami.miami.edu writes:
>I am looking for a very high-precision tilt sensor.  It must be fairly small
>and operate off of low voltage DC or AC.  The Spectron company makes such a
>sensor for avionics applications, but $150 is quite expensive.  I would 
>appreciate any help on locating another source of such sensors.
>   	Bud Pinder
>	University of Miami

Unfortunately you have asked for very high precision but consider $150 quite
expensive.  The following companies make tilt or angular displacement sensors.
Your university library certainly should have a Thomas Register where you can
look up addresses and telephone numbers (don't expect cheap, however):
	Aerodyne Controls Corp.
	Honeywell Visitronic
	Humphrey Inc.
	Pace Transducer Co.
	Precision Level Vial Company
	Robinson Halpern
	Schaevitz Engineering
	Sundstrand-Sauer
	Systron Donner, Inertial Div.
	Xecutek
Another approach that is considerably cheaper but far less accurate is that 
taken by Universal Photonix of Laguna Hills, CA.  This utilizes an "electronic"
bubble cell which is essentially an electrolytic sensor.  As the cell is tilted
more of an electrode is immersed on one side of the cell; the electrode on the
opposite side of the cell is immersed less.  A conductive electrolyte is used.
Wiring the sensor into a bridge circuit with an op-amp, you should get an
output voltage propportional to tilt.  There was an article on this sensor in
Automotive Electronics earlier this year you might want to check out.
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|  ___  ________  |       Dr. Barry L. Ornitz          WA4VZQ
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| | / /         | |       Eastman Kodak Company
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