Entries by Carly Riley

An Introduction to Reflow Soldering and Soldering Methods

The objective of this article is to explain the best techniques for soldering sensors manufactured by Merit Sensor using automated equipment. All profiles must be assessed and tested for best performance. Due to concerns over the safety of lead and new regulations prohibiting its use, such as the Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive in […]

The Value of Calibration for MEMS Pressure Sensors

The value of a measurement tool is dependent on its accuracy. Measurement devices, like sensors, are found everywhere in automotive, healthcare and industrial settings. For a lot of these applications, it is necessary that the sensors are accurate to ensure quality control and guarantee patient safety. On the other hand, for Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors, this is […]

Mounting and Handling of Pressure Die

This article is aimed to describe the best methods for handling and mounting bare die pressure sensors. Merit Sensor manufactures all pressure chips on 4 inch wafers, which are sawn and delivered on Mylar film (foil tape). This foil tape is fixed to a metal wafer frame that is appropriate for the majority of automated […]

Bridge Configurations for Pressure Sensors

This article describes bridge configurations of different pressure sensors, when each can and cannot be used, and the pros and cons of each. Introduction Wheatstone bridge is the core of Merit Sensor’s pressure sensors and is comprised of a group of four resistors on a silicon etched diaphragm. When pressure is applied to the diaphragm, the resistors […]

Pressure Sensors for Medical Applications

Since manufacturers of medical equipment encounter constant pressures to balance cost and quality, pressure sensors present developers with contradictory requirements that can result in dangerous compromises. Pressure sensors pose a common reliability challenge that force manufacturers to depend on expensive ongoing maintenance and component replacement to work around the inherent short lifetime of the sensor. […]

Pressure Sensor for Extended Temperatures

A number of pressure sensor applications in harsh environments such as industrial, automotive, aerospace and even medical equipment present developers with contradictory requirements that result in expensive compromises. Generally, these sensors are employed to measure flow, level and pressure of harsh fluids such as refrigerant, oil, gas or other caustic solvents that can damage the […]

Sensor Modules – Uncompensated But Cost-Efficient

The choice of components in a system, including pressure sensors, is significantly affected by price efficiency. If the components exactly fit into the application without the addition of irrelevant cost or value, then it is possible to achieve the best results. The research on various sensor module configurations led to the discovery of an uncompensated […]

Inside a Car – Oil Pressure Sensor

Examples of a basic automobile go back as early as the 1700s, with the design and engineering of steam-powered engines, built to transport humans. By 1806, the automobile industry started the production of engines running on fuel such as gasoline and petrol. Since 1985, the revolution of car design has resulted in creating a machine […]

Compensated and Uncompensated Pressure Sensors

Take a look at Merit Sensor’s product portfolio, and you will see that the pressure sensors are available fully compensated, passively compensated, and uncompensated. Let’s briefly review the differences. When signal conditioning is used to compensate for a sensor’s non-ideal output, the sensor is considered fully compensated. When laser-trimming technology is used to change a sensor’s […]