Invisible sensors permeate car control

摘要

Modern autos bristle with sensors that contribute to everything from engine control to passenger safety. Sensor technologies are evolving to deliver ease of design, higher reliability, and more functions. Sensors and processors, like alien creatures in science-fiction movies, really have taken over today's cars. They're not only in visible areas, such as the passenger compartment (see "Extra sensor(y) perception, at www.edn.com/article/CA454659), but also in every nook of the car, including the power train and chassis, monitoring and controlling performance, safety, and basic operations. The demand for greater fuel economy, reduced emissions, decreased likelihood of an accident, and increased post-crash safety largely drive the impetus for this sensored vehicle. New sensor technologies both improve on existing sensors and provide sensing that was previously impractical in mass-produced consumer products. Sensors extend from the engine, to the exhaust, to even the fuel tank: Freescale Semiconductor supplies a low-pressure differential sensor that detects gas-tank leakage.