International Frequency Sensor Association (IFSA) Annual Report September

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1 Sensors & Transducers ISSN by IFSA International Frequency Sensor Association (IFSA) Annual Report September Nikolay V. KIRIANAKI International Frequency Sensor Association (IFSA), Bandera str., 12, 79013, Lviv, UA, I. Main Aim and Objectives The International Frequency Sensor Association (IFSA) was founded in 1999 as professional association and Smart Sensors Network of Excellence, with the aim to promote research and development, standardization, production and application of modern smart sensors with frequency (period), duty-cycle, time interval, pulse number or digital output and digital sensors on its basis through worldwide, thus preparing industries for the world market in this promising field. The IFSA was registered by the Union of International Associations (UIA) in Brussels (Belgium) in 2000 and since then it expanded to serve universities, companies and research institutions. The main aim of IFSA is to provide a forum for academicians, researchers and engineers to present and discuss the latest research results, experiences and future trends in the area of design and application of different smart sensors and create the network of excellence. The main IFSA objectives are: Bring together the key players in industries and R&D working on mentioned scientific topics and provide platform for the mutual exchange of information within those communities and end-users; Stimulate cooperation and research by providing an appropriate infrastructure; Increase the number of practitioners and users by stimulating effective links between customers, R&D providers, manufacturers and supplies to help IFSA members improve the market profitability of their existing products and develop new ones; Establish strong link between R&D in instrumentation, sensors and modern technologies including nanosensors, as well as working partnerships between industry and academia; Convert new technology or ideas into industrial design and productions processes; The rapid dissemination of important results in the multidisciplinary fields of smart sensors and transducers, including but not limited to: - modern microelectronics technologies; - soft sensors; - novel processing algorithms; - advanced methods of measurements; - wireless sensor technologies; - new physical effects and principles; - smart sensor systems. II. IFSA Membership The International Frequency Sensor Association membership is open to all companies, universities, organizations and individuals worldwide that are able to contribute expertise in sensor-relevant areas. Our 447 members (on September 2005) represent today 61countries. 62 % of our members are from the industry, 34 % - from universities and 4 % from research institutions (Figure 1). Among IFSA members are big corporations like ABB, Analog Device, Bell Technologies, Bosch, Honeywell, IMEC, Keller, Mazda, Melexis, Memsis, Motorola, PCB Piezotronics, Sandia Labs and Yokogava as well as government institutions as NASA, US Navy, National Research Councils, etc. The number of members per continent is shown in Figure 2 and Table 1, and the membership growth in Figure 3. In comparison with 2004, the growth of number of members from Asia and Africa is observed. 406

2 Academy 34% Asia 18% North America 29% Research 4% Fig. 1. IFSA members. South America 2% Africa 2% Australia & Pacific 1% Fig. 2. IFSA members per continent. Table 1. Number of members per continent. Continent Members Europe 218 North America 128 Asia 79 Africa 9 South America 7 Australia and Pacific 6 Total Number: Industry 62% Europe 48% Fig. 3. IFSA membership growth. The number of members per country is shown in Table 2. Table 2. Number of members per country. Country Number of Members % USA UK Germany India Italy Spain Canada Taiwan France Poland Belgium Netherlands Ukraine Romania Russia Korea South Singapore Finland Turkey Australia Portugal China Sweden Switzerland Hungary Israel Egypt Ireland Japan Malaysia Czech Republic Belarus Iran Indonesia Greece Venezuela Austria Thailand Brazil Slovakia Colombia Croatia Denmark Nigeria Scotland Lithuania Pakistan Norway Hong Kong Serbia Mexico Armenia Algeria Bangladesh Luxembourg Ecuador Slovenia Chile Jordan Yugoslavia Bulgaria The members interest in sensors types is shown in Table

3 Table 3. Members interest in sensors types. Sensor Type Number % Acoustic Biosensors Chemical Flow Gas Humidity Magnetic Mechanical Optical Pressure Proximity Resonant Rotation Speed Temperature Ultrasonic Sensor Instrumentation Other As usually, our members are mostly interested in sensor instrumentation (48.6 %), temperature (34.9 %), pressure (34.2 %), optical (34.2%) and biosensors (30 %). III. Membership Benefits All IFSA members have the following benefits: Free access to a wide variety of sensors related information and IFSA Members Area; 10 % discount for all Sensors Web Portal services including advertising and e-commerce; An exclusive 20 % discount for all books published by John Wiley & Sons publisher; Quick publication in Sensors & Transducers Magazine (e-digest), ISSN and IFSA Newsletter (ISSN ); Partner search data base (coming soon); Discount for sensor related events (conferences, workshops and courses) organized or sponsored by IFSA; Free sensors related books published by IFSA. IV. IFSA Activities 1. Researches and Development IFSA not only support research and development in smart sensors but also carry out researches by itself. During the last year, the Universal Frequency-to-Digital Converted (UFDC-1) was introduced to the market. Sample shipments was started in October 2004 and volume shipments in January 2005 by SWP, Inc. (Toronto, Canada). IFSA starts to publish the series of application specific articles about use of the UFDC-1 in different digital sensors and data acquisition systems. The marked study of frequency-time domain sensors segments is also important IFSA task. The market shares of quasi-digital sensors are shown in Figure 4. Duty-Cycle 9% PWM 16% Pulse number 3% Period 1% Phase- Shift 1% Frequncy 70% Fig. 4. Market shares of quasi-digital sensors (studied by IFSA, 2005) Today s intensive development of quasi-digital group of sensors and its growth in the nearest future will also increased the digital market share in the sensors world market. Because of many digital sensors will be made based on quasi-digital sensors. 2. Training Courses and Sensors Related Events The International Frequency Sensor Association is continue to up-date the developed advanced training course on Data Acquisition and Signal Processing for Smart Sensors and MEMS. The IFSA was also sponsors or cosponsors many technical conferences during including Sensors Expo & Conference in Chicago, USA (6-9 June 2005); SensorsGOV Conference & Expo in Hampton Roads, USA (6-8 December 2005); International Symposium on Interdisciplinary Electromagnetic, Mechanic & Biomedical Problems (ISEM 2005), Bad Gastein (Salzburg), Austria (12-14 September, 2005); 17 th Optical Fibre Sensors Conference (OFS-17), Bruges, Belgium (23-27 May 2005), etc. 3. Publications Sensors & Transducers Magazine (e-digest) ISSN provides an advanced forum for the science and technology of physical, chemical sensors and biosensors (Figure 5). It publishes reviews, regular research papers and short notes. Because it is a free online magazine, papers rapidly published in Sensors & Transducers Magazine receive very high publicity. Today it is most popular online magazine related to sensors, transducers, MEMS, instrumentation and DAQ systems. 408

4 Sine 2004 we are publishing also the Sensor Industry News feed (rss, xml) in the Internet. It is syndicated by many web sites, news feeds catalogs, search engines and news aggregators (RSS readers) every week. 4. Sensors Web Portal and Information Dissemination Information dissemination is one of the main IFSA activities. The IFSA s web site was launched at 23 August In 2001, Sensors Web Portal, Inc. was registered (Toronto, Canada) in order to host this biggest Internet specialized recourse devoted to sensors, transducers, MEMS, sensor instrumentation and DAQ systems. Today Sensors Web Portal ( is a primary Internet resource in this high technological area with free regularly up-dating content. Fig.5. Sensors & Transducers Magazine cover. Topics of interest include, but are not restricted to: Digital, frequency, period, duty-cycle, time interval, pulse number output sensors and transducers; Theory, design, standardization and modeling; Smart sensors and systems; Sensor instrumentation; Virtual instruments; Soft sensors; Sensors interfaces, buses and system issue; Signal processing; Frequency (period, time interval, duty-cycle)-todigital converters, ADC; Technologies and materials; Microsystems; TEDS (IEEE 1451) sensors; Wireless sensors; Sensor networks; Data acquisition systems; Applications. Based on some presentations during the NATO Advanced Study Institute (ASI) on Multisensor Data and Information Processing for Rapid and Robust Situation and Threat Assessment (16-27 May 2005, Albena, Bulgaria), the special issue of Sensors & Transducers Magazine Multisensor Data and Information Processing was published in August IFSA Newsletter (ISSN ) is a monthly ezine, written by the editors of Sensors & Transducers Magazine. It delivers the product and research news and updates what happenings in the sensor science and industry. The newsletter is delivered to more than subscribers per month. Today it is most informative online sensors related newsletter in the Net. In 2004 Sensors Web Portal was again awarded by Golden Web from the International Association of Web Masters and Designers (IAWMD) in recognition of creativity, integrity and excellence on the Web and presented to those sites whose web design, originality and content have achieved levels of excellence deserving of recognition. This specialized vertical portal offers the opportunity to place here information about new products, papers, articles, patents, standards and links. It is a snap-short of what is happening now in the field of sensors and measuring instruments. Edited from international printed and electronic media, using research, application, novelty and innovation as key words, it gives the best. This web portal is a concentrator of knowledge, ideas, engineering solutions, new physical effects and principles of smart sensors based on modern technologies. Sensors Web portal contains a variety of useful information: Reports on sensor related projects; Sensors & Transducers e-digest; IFSA Newsletter; Publications (including full pages papers and articles), references, patents, press releases, thesis annotations, etc.; Sensor Industry News; List of manufacturers including links and products specifications; Standardization initiatives; Marketplace; Tools; Calendar of related events; Training courses; Bookstore; B2B and B2C sensor online store; Sensor wish list; Sensor Jobs; Forums and polls; Links to other sensor related web sites; IFSA members area. 409

The Sensors section divided into the following subsections: Accelerometers, Acoustic, Biosensors, Chemical, Displacement, Flow, Gas, Inclination, Humidity, Level, Load, Magnetic, Mechanical,

subsections, including DAQ, MEMS and Sensor Instrumentation (Figure 6). Fig. 6. Sensors Web Portal covers almost all type of sensors (http://www.sensorsportal.com).

Topics of discussion on the forum are not limited it is intended to meet the individual needs of all sensors web portal users. Table 4. Visitors per country. Country % USA 20.6 Germany 8.4 Spain 5.

5 The Sensors section divided into the following subsections: Accelerometers, Acoustic, Biosensors, Chemical, Displacement, Flow, Gas, Inclination, Humidity, Level, Load, Magnetic, Mechanical, Moisture, Nanosensors, Optical, Oxygen, Plug-and-Play (TEDS) Sensors, Position, Pressure, Proximity, Resonant, Rotation speed, Temperature, Tilt, Torque, Ultrasonic, Vacuum, Yaw and Others subsections, including DAQ, MEMS and Sensor Instrumentation (Figure 6). Fig. 6. Sensors Web Portal covers almost all type of sensors ( In 2004, two new sections were opened: Data Acquisition Boards section and ph Sensors section. In 2005 we have started Sensors Discussion Forum at the portal (Figure 7). Topics of discussion on the forum are not limited it is intended to meet the individual needs of all sensors web portal users. Table 4. Visitors per country. Country % USA 20.6 Germany 8.4 Spain 5.8 Ukraine 5.6 United Kingdom 4.2 Italy 3.6 Canada 3.2 France 2.7 India 2.4 Netherlands 2.0 Japan 1.9 Poland 1.7 Korea 1.6 Mexico 1.5 Switzerland 1.5 China 1.2 Sweden 1.2 Belgium 1.2 Brazil 1.2 Australia 1.1 Finland 1.1 Taiwan 1.1 Austria 1.0 Russia 1.0 Portugal 0.9 Unknown E-commerce: sensors online store and bookstore During September new showcase with DAQ products, ph-meters, oscilloscopes and digital tachometers were opened in our online store (Figure 8). Fig. 8. Digital oscilloscopes online store. Fig. 7. Sensors Discussion Forum at Sensors Web Portal. Web portal services include free information content, mailing list, monthly Sensors & Transducers e-digest, IFSA Newsletter, on-line members registration and subscription. Visitors from 144 countries have visited the portal. Most active visitors (25 top) per country are shown in Table 4. The online store allows visitors to compare the price and technical performance of sensors, transducers and measuring instruments from different vendors. There are many new sensor-related books, published in in our bookstore. Here visitors can read new book reviews written by Sensors & Transducers Magazine editors. 410

6 V. The Future Plans In the nearest future the International Frequency Sensor Association together with John Wiley & Sons publisher going to start publish of new sensor journal Smart Sensors and Systems. The journal will present and discuss the latest research results, applications, experiences, market and industry trends in the area of design and application of different smart sensors, transducers, MEMS and data acquisition systems. An annual international conference on smart sensors and systems will also take place in the nearest future, as well as NATO Advanced Study Institute (ASI) on Smart Sensor Interfaces, Buses and Networks in Barcelona (Spain) organized together with Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) in New course on Smart Sensor Systems will be given in the same university in IFSA members will have access to our online IFSA database. This database will provide a searchable platform where IFSA members can present their related products, services, technologies and expertise to the worldwide public, in order to be found by potential customers and/or co-operation partners. From 2006, there will be two types of IFSA members: associate members and active members. IFSA going to start publish sensor related books in application specific and design fields to help engineers and developers to create new digital sensor systems and smart sensors based on new technologies and design concepts. These books will be free for IFSA active members. We are planning also new sections at Sensors Web Portal and our members and visitors will see results through the next coming year of our activities. Welcome to IFSA! Additional information about the IFSA and all mentioned services can be found at Copyright, International Frequency Sensor Association (IFSA). All rights reserved. ( 411

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