Encyclopedia of Electronic Components Volume 3

Preface

This third and final volume of the Encyclopedia of Electronic Components is devoted entirely to sensors.

Two factors have caused very significant changes in the field of sensors since the 1980s. First, features such as antilock braking, airbags, and emissions controls stimulated the development of low-priced sensors for automotive applications. Many of these sensors were fabricated in silicon as MEMS (microelectromechanical) devices.

The second wave began in 2007 when MEMS sensors were installed in the iPhone. A modern phone may contain almost a dozen different types of sensors, and their size and price have been driven down to a point that would have been unimaginable 20 years previously.

Many MEMS sensors are now as cheap as basic ...