Motivational theories applied in the workplace Essay

Within this assignment I will be looking at the various motivational theories that organisations may use in order to more their workforce more efficient. The organisation I will look at is Tesco as they now employ over 468,000 employees worldwide and have adopted various methods in order to give their employees increased knowledge, skills and job satisfaction by using training and relevant rewards and recognition schemes. Motivation is very important within an organisation that relies heavily on their employees as this will determine how efficiently they work. Motivation can be given in many ways such as personal interest in the job they are doing or other factors such as rewards, other factors include recognition of hard work, a sense of achievement, responsibility within the workplace, opportunity of promotion and also a sense of challenge and enjoyment. By motivating employees in this way they will be able to work harder and achieve a high quality of work in less time. If this is applied within Tesco, the same task will take a shorter period of time meaning a reduced labour cost for the business. The first motivational theory I am going to look at is Taylor’s theory which suggests that employee’s main incentive to work is for money purposes only. Although Taylor’s theory is based upon a production line where workers are paid for each item that is produced which creates an incentive to work faster. Although this meant that work would be completed quicker, it may also lead to lower quality work. Some positive aspects of this theory include that people are able to work for longer periods, and workers feel rewarded for putting in more effort although negative features may include not being suitable to everyone as people may feel less secure in their job. This motivational theory has been adopted within Tesco in order to motivate their staff by offering incentives, these incentives are varied according to lifestyle and includes free shares, pension scheme, private healthcare and contract mobile phones. Tesco offer varied incentives so that every employee has something to work towards as there are different rewards for different people. Although one disadvantage of adopting this method within Tesco is that only the floor staff will benefit as it will relate to the amount of work they complete, whereas mangers do not have the same type of work and will miss out on the same rewards, this means Tesco must adopt multiple theories to suit all employees. The next motivational theory I will look at is the Hawthorne study which suggests that there were various factors which created motivation at work and this included; greater communication, good teamwork, showing an interest in others and ensuring work was non-repetitive. This is due to Elton Mayo suggesting that receptiveness will make employees bored and become less motivated. Which means employees should be given freedom to make choices within their workplace. Although a disadvantage of using this theory is that employees will not get any financial benefits such as bonuses. This is apparent within Tesco as communication within this company is an important factor in order to motivate staff, examples of this include 1-to-1 discussions between floor staff and managers and also with the use of the company’s intranet which is used to offer jobs to current employees before they go out to the public. Another motivational theory I will focus on is Maslow, which includes a pyramid style of motivation where basic or physical needs must be met before the other stages can be dealt with. The other stages include security within the business, social needs which include teambuilding and a sense of belonging between employees, self-esteem which may include promotions and also self-fulfilment that may consist of a constant challenge they face within the workplace. This motivational theory is used within Tesco to motivate all employees within the organisation, such as ensuring each worker has a regular monthly pay and the use of facilities such as a restaurant. The next stage Tesco focus on is the need for security at work, this is in the form of formal contracts of employment to ensure employees feel secure in the job they have taken, security within Tesco also includes pension schemes, union options and also health and safety within the workplace. In addition to this, the Herzberg theory is also used within workplaces such as Tesco, and this includes both motivators and hygiene factors. Some motivational factors that are used within Tesco include: 1. Achievement 2. Responsibility 3. Promotion 4. Growth Also including hygiene factors such as: 1. Pay and benefits 2. Company policy 3. Supervision 4. Job security 5. Working conditions Tesco uses each of these factors in order to motivate its staff by delegating responsibility and decision making which will help to improve the communication within the business and ensure staff are working to the best of their ability. Although by following these factors no social needs are looked into which can be important within a large business such as Tesco. The McGregor theory implies that workers are one of two types which are labelled theory X which include: 1. Individuals who dislike work and avoid it where possible 2. Individuals who lack ambition, dislike responsibility and prefer to be led 3. Individuals who desire security For Theory X workers in order to achieve organisational objectives, a business would need to include a management system, control and correct penalties where needed. And Theory Y workers can be described as: 1. Consider effort at work as just like rest or play 2. Ordinary people who do not dislike work. Depending on the working conditions, work could be considered a source of satisfaction or punishment 3. Individuals who seek responsibility The implications for Theory Y workers are that to achieve organisational objectives, various rewards can be used to motivate workers. Although in order for the workers to show development the workplace must create a working environment. The McGregor theory is used within Tesco by providing a management system for workers on the shop floor by offering one to one talks with their own sector manager which will help to establish objectives for their work and also gives the employees a chance to express any enquiries they may have about their job. The next theory I will look at is the McClelland theory which suggests that there are three main types of motivational needs: 1. The need for achievement 2. The need for authority and power 3. The need for affiliation. Tesco makes use of this theory as each employee and manager has differencing levels of needs, and this influences them within their working environment. Tesco do this by ensuring all employees feel a part of a group and a part of the company, this can be achieved by giving employees responsibility to complete tasks and also have a chance at promotion. The final theory I will explore is the Vroom theory which proposes that employees will work harder if they can see that the overall outcome of their work will benefit them more. This is shown using a formula that can be used to show how motivated someone is likely to be. Tesco are able to use this by offering greater rewards for the work that their employees complete, which may include additional discounts on all areas of the company such as food and electronics and also offering their employees’ private health memberships.

Women To The Status Of A “Second Class Citizen”

It is undeniable that women, in general, have suffered all sorts of discrimination and have been treated poorly by every society around the world for as long as history has been recorded. All countries in the world have announced their support to equal rights for women. Yet, on a daily basis, various forms of discrimination and violence against females take place around the world. Sometimes, men install glass ceilings to separate women, which prevent them from moving up in their careers.Sometimes, it is manifested through salaries with women being paid less than men. Discriminatory laws and social norms, which give preference to men in different fields, also reduce women to the status of a â€Å"second class citizen†. Most societies have a patriarchal system, which governs relations between men and women. Patriarchy, which literally means the rule of the men, is a social system where men play the dominant role. It also means that men are seen as the heads of households.In patr iarchal societies millions of women are forced to deal with different forms of discrimination and abuses at their work places and in their homes. Women take a subordinate or second-class role. This is usually reinforced through the following systems: 1. The economic system Men are regarded as breadwinners and therefore paid more than women. Women perform unpaid labour such as rearing children. With regards to property and inheritance rights, women are often discriminated against. 2. Culture and social norms and religiousCulture is everything in society which is socially rather than biologically transmitted. For example, gender roles and certain types of behavior are learned and allocated to men and women – boys don't cry, men must protect ‘their' girls and women, men are the heads of households and so forth. Girls must be kind and nurturing, not aggressive or too pushy. Gender refers to the social system, which governs the relations between men and women. It is the diff erent roles that societies prescribe for men and women.Unlike sex, which is biological, gender is determined by a given society's values and norms, the social, political and economic system. So a man's sex determines that he cannot have babies, but it is his gender role in most societies that determines that he should not feed babies and change nappies. Gender roles are cultural and culture is something that changes over time. The social role men play is linked to power and control and many people in our communities see it as part of the social order (the way things should be).Women can be good as a doctor but not a manager or president. Women are the top students in university but men professor are in majority. Some think that the feelings of superiority by men can be traced back to the biblical times of Adam and Eve as Adam was created in God's image and Eve came from Adam. 3. Political systems Men write and pass the law. Until as late as the 1970's, women were not allowed to vote in many countries, it also went without saying that governments, big business and international institutions were run mostly by men.Amazingly, many studies have shown that women who are subjected to violence and abuse are from all segments of society, including those from well-educated and well-off social classes. Yet, they don't speak about it because of shame, fear or out of concern that it would negatively affect their social status. Societies and women alike share the blame for the situation by accepting the abuse and, in some cases, justifying it. On the other hand, women activists say that many females, regardless of their education, feel â€Å"insulted† when activists speak to them about the need to end the abuse they are being subjected to.It is common knowledge that almost every language and culture tends to be male-dominated though believe me women do have a part to play some times ago my cousin gave birth to her second child a second girl so i tell my friend about it and she says â€Å"oh the poor parent's a second girl† i was applauded What the hell is that supposed to mean when both of us are second girls in the family. It’s truly a thing we as women need to improve who cares what the men think. Women to the Status of a â€Å"Second Class Citizen† It is undeniable that women, in general, have suffered all sorts of discrimination and have been treated poorly by every society around the world for as long as history has been recorded. All countries in the world have announced their support to equal rights for women. Yet, on a daily basis, various forms of discrimination and violence against females take place around the world. Sometimes, men install glass ceilings to separate women, which prevent them from moving up in their careers.Sometimes, it is manifested through salaries with women being paid less than men. Discriminatory laws and social norms, which give preference to men in different fields, also reduce women to the status of a â€Å"second class citizen†. Most societies have a patriarchal system, which governs relations between men and women. Patriarchy, which literally means the rule of the men, is a social system where men play the dominant role. It also means that men are seen as the heads of households.In patr iarchal societies millions of women are forced to deal with different forms of discrimination and abuses at their work places and in their homes. Women take a subordinate or second-class role. This is usually reinforced through the following systems: 1. The economic system Men are regarded as breadwinners and therefore paid more than women. Women perform unpaid labour such as rearing children. With regards to property and inheritance rights, women are often discriminated against. 2. Culture and social norms and religiousCulture is everything in society which is socially rather than biologically transmitted. For example, gender roles and certain types of behavior are learned and allocated to men and women – boys don't cry, men must protect ‘their' girls and women, men are the heads of households and so forth. Girls must be kind and nurturing, not aggressive or too pushy. Gender refers to the social system, which governs the relations between men and women. It is the diff erent roles that societies prescribe for men and women.Unlike sex, which is biological, gender is determined by a given society's values and norms, the social, political and economic system. So a man's sex determines that he cannot have babies, but it is his gender role in most societies that determines that he should not feed babies and change nappies. Gender roles are cultural and culture is something that changes over time. The social role men play is linked to power and control and many people in our communities see it as part of the social order (the way things should be).Women can be good as a doctor but not a manager or president. Women are the top students in university but men professor are in majority. Some think that the feelings of superiority by men can be traced back to the biblical times of Adam and Eve as Adam was created in God's image and Eve came from Adam. 3. Political systems Men write and pass the law. Until as late as the 1970's, women were not allowed to vote in many countries, it also went without saying that governments, big business and international institutions were run mostly by men.Amazingly, many studies have shown that women who are subjected to violence and abuse are from all segments of society, including those from well-educated and well-off social classes. Yet, they don't speak about it because of shame, fear or out of concern that it would negatively affect their social status. Societies and women alike share the blame for the situation by accepting the abuse and, in some cases, justifying it. On the other hand, women activists say that many females, regardless of their education, feel â€Å"insulted† when activists speak to them about the need to end the abuse they are being subjected to.It is common knowledge that almost every language and culture tends to be male-dominated though believe me women do have a part to play some times ago my cousin gave birth to her second child a second girl so i tell my friend about it and she says â€Å"oh the poor parent's a second girl† i was applauded What the hell is that supposed to mean when both of us are second girls in the family. It’s truly a thing we as women need to improve who cares what the men think.

The evolution of the Humanitarian Intervention doctrine with a focus Dissertation

The evolution of the Humanitarian Intervention doctrine with a focus on the most important developments of post 90's - Dissertation Example No, doubt the notion for HI has received some flash light in recent years but the inclination trend has been notifies only among western countries while G-77 which consists of 133 states and among them 122 states have rejected the doctrine of humanitarian intervention. Endorsing humanitarian intervention has been controversial only due to the lack of consensus and willingness about the legitimacy and legality of this doctrine which has contained HI doctrine. Regarding the practice of Humanitarian Intervention during 1990s in Iraq, Haiti, Rwanda Bosnia, Chechnya and Somalia showered the interests and willingness of Security Council to sanction Chapter VII of the UN Charter for enforcing operations in reaction to interior conflicts and human rights abuses but in purview of disorder to international peace and security and yet the authorization and legitimacy remained in function of the authorization from SC and use of force was called justified and legal. However, this harmony among per manent member states of the Security Council does not represent the voice of the global community. Although this harmonization among permanent member states was apparently dissipated during the crisis when China and Russia showed intentions for rejection of the resolution for humanitarian intervention which later was conducted by NATO without any authorization from the Council. This illustration of use of force against the norms of the International Law provoked another frenzied debate about whether this unilateral military action was symptomatic of the legality of humanitarian interventions which has not been authorized by the Security Council. Undeniably, the Kosovo intrusion was questionable which aggravated the present niggle with this regime because it was inimitable and it raised the problems of the legitimacy while some analysts asserted that this use of force against humanitarian violence was a new emerging norm and custom of International Law by which states practice use of force to eliminate human rights violations , on the other hand some scholars simply admitted the fact that this humanitarian intervention can gradually be accepted as legal and justified practice because considering the sufferings of Albanians it can be sanctioned as legitimate. 25 Humanitarian intervention in Kosovo soon became the renowned action of NATO against human rights violations, which then ended up with Independent International Commission on Kosovo (IICK) . No doubt that under the Article 51 and Article 52 of United Nations states that the ultimate legitimacy of any humanitarian intervention rests within the powers of Security Council. The purpose of this commission was to inquire the legitimacy of NATO’s intervention and analyse the implications of this intervention whether it can be declared legitimate or NATO’s actions require further punishment for its violation of UN Charter. Although the intervention was declared illegal but appropriate in accordance with International Law. However the Commission’s definition of legality turned seemingly narrow and irrespective of its illegalities, the commission focused exclusively on the moral and ethical aspects besides respecting the preferences of super power USA under whose

Muti media marketing Indiviual Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Muti media marketing Indiviual Report - Essay Example The factors that will be considered for carrying out this report will be based on the internal audit for multimedia marketing, situational analysis (marketing audit) of the multimedia marketing campaign as well as the competitor analysis of the campaign. For conducting internal audit for multimedia marketing, a detailed study about the overall marketing environment about the company will be done and also stress will be laid upon all the marketing activities that the company follow and can follow in the future. Moreover, stress will also be laid upon the other competitive strategies that can be adopted by the company in order to further enhance the online marketing campaigns. In order to design these campaigns, a thorough study about other online marketing campaigns will be studied upon. The report will be primarily based on a poster which has been created to demonstrate a new APP. Rigorous studies about the APP i.e. SHAT will be done and the implications and the uses of the APP will be highlighted. Apart from that the report will be based on the effectiveness of the use of multimedia marketing campaigns in the company and the level upon which these strategies can fetch effective marketing results. It will also highlight about the factors upon which the multimedia marketing campaigns such as the use of poster can be relied upon for promoting a new APP and the comparison of offline marketing campaigns with the online campaigns will be done as well (Westwood, 2010). I. Reasons for Selecting Multimedia Marketing with Situational and Competitor Analysis The main reason a poster campaign has been prepared for Samsung is to incorporate a multimedia marketing approach to build a strong network of information over the internet which will prove to be user friendly for many clients (Shelly & Fermat, 2012). Moreover, the poster campaign has been desired to expand the company’s marketing operations by actively involving in building virtual marketing campaigns as it i s in high demand in the marketplace in today’s marketing environment. Samsung, being one of the top-most mobile companies required to make certain radical technological changes in order to equip itself with the ever-changing business environment. In order to conduct the situational analysis, the stress is laid upon the overall business environment of the company, the business process that the company is following, and the overall business situation of the company i.e. Samsung. It is found that Samsung as a company is undergoing its business operations in a very dynamic business environment. Samsung has cemented itself as a top company for consumer electronics products. It is considered as one of the topmost mobile phone brands in the whole world. Based on the situational analysis of the company, it stands as a major player in the mobile world and the company is continuously striving to improve its product features and launching new and successful devices, for instance, Samsun g Galaxy series (Clarke, 2005). The market standing of the company is excellent and it is continuously striving for further development. Also, the company is co

Detroit Economic Bailout Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Detroit Economic Bailout - Essay Example Microeconomics has been described as the scientific field focusing on the ‘behavior of individual households and markets’ (Saunders and Gilliard 18); emphasis is given on ‘the criteria used for defining the level of prices and for allocating resources’ (Saunders and Gilliard 18). Microeconomic variables have a critical characteristic: they refer to economy as related to the level of households and not to the level of a region (Dow and Hillard 6). At the level of households the performance of economy can be evaluated through variables such as consumer spending, prices and wages (Dow and Hillard 7). These variables will be used below in order to justify the potential positive effects of bailout on the daily life of people in Detroit. Certain microeconomic concepts will be also used, as appropriate, for making clear the relationship between economic decisions and economic performance at household’s level. The decision of Detroit’s governors to ask for a Federal bailout has faced strong criticism. The success of a similar plan used for the city’s two major auto companies, Chrysler and General Motors (Maynard 2013) is often used for justifying the necessity of Detroit’s bailout. ... At a first level, an aid of $300m has been decided to be granted to Detroit (Isidore 2013). This sum of money will not be used for paying part of the city’s debt, which is estimated to $18-$20 billion (Isidore 2013, Proctor 2012); about $150m of the total aid to Detroit will be given as a program for ‘refurbishing/ cleaning abandoned properties’ (Isidore 2013) and about $140m for the improvement of the city’s transportation system (Isidore 2013). Other programs referring to indirect benefits for the city, such as the hiring of public servants, have been also approved aiming to help the city to recover (Isidore 2013). So far, the Congress has been opposed to the provision of financial aid to Detroit on the basis that such claims could be set by other cities (National Report 2013). President Obama has decided to bypass Congress and proceed to the financial support of Detroit so that the expansion of the crisis is controlled (National Report 2013). The value o f the bailout of Detroit can be understood by presenting the statistics related to the city’s economic performance at household level. In 2009 the average household income in Detroit has been declined by a percentage of about 92% compared to 2000 (Figure 1). Detroit, Michigan: -92.2% Michigan: -98.8% Figure 1 - Median Household income in Detroit and in Michigan in general, from 2000 to 2009 (Source: City Data) The scheme for the bailout of Detroit could enhance the city’s average household income in the following way: by increasing the public servants working across the city households across Detroit could be given an important financial relief, a fact that would lead to the

Discuss with reference to current working practice how the Essay

Discuss with reference to current working practice how the implementation of good risk management practice on the part of the en - Essay Example In addition, possible contractual disputes deserve to be resolved timely in order to avert possible financial losses that may be annexed upon their eventuality. On that note, it is wise to examine the possible risks that may amount to financial losses will undertaking a construction contract. Evaluation However, prior to venture into this quest, a reflection of the activities that comprise of a construction-engineering venture is essential for the provision of an insight on the study matter. Construction engineering entertains a fleet of events, including the assembly of materials from the sources or suppliers to the field of construction. This is a rather demanding activity since it involves the development of a safety store in the construction area prior to the establishment of the real facility described under the project. Apparently, a significant proportion of possible financial losses that may be annexed to construction contracts are built on the grounds of safety compromise. T he assessments of the possible risks that may be associated to this development include the loss of the facilities/ equipment utilized in construction. Such loss is realized under incidents such as theft and natural calamities; an eventuality that may cause severe dents to the financial archives of the proposed project (S.C.P.C.U. (2000). Subsequently, construction engineering involves the development of the designs that are to see the realization of substantial buildings with regard to their durability. This formulates the central reasons upon which the project contract is developed. All these elements amount to platforms that may eventuate to serious occurrence of significant financial risks during or before the contract period. This assertion calls for the development of ultimate measures towards their address. Subsequently, the involvement of a spree of diversified experts in the acquisition of the mentioned tasks, for examples the raw materials, implies that the process of cons truction is a mammoth task by its own self. Challenges amounting to logistical concern can lead to serious financial losses while procuring the contract. The details of the contract make a sincere effort towards the address of the possible risk that may eventuate from the execution of the project, including accidents to the deployed employees. However, the provided cover cannot be described as sufficient for the whole construction project in terms of the expenses that may be accrued from the occurrence of the anticipated risks. This observation prompts the evaluation of the possible risks that may be associated to construction in terms of the expenses they may annex to the whole exercise. The nature of risks associated to a construction-engineering project is grossly pegged on the magnitude of the project. This assertion can be utilized in the categorization of the whole concept, in that various projects can be characterized in accordance to the stipulations of the exercise. On this regard, the projects can be classified as either high financial risk or low financial risk projects. High financial risk projects involve the projects pursued under public environment, for example, road construction, stadia establishment and events of such relation. The financial risks that may be associated to such projects proceeds beyond the captions that may be availed

Behaviour for Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Behaviour for Learning - Essay Example Autistic children also have problems in communication. These are as follows: 1. Two – way communication process. These people find it difficult to express their language to others. 2. They also have problems in receptive language. In other words, these people cannot understand what others say to them. 3. These people also have problems understanding non – verbal communication like body language and facial expressions An autistic child also has problems in dealing with social situations due to the problems faced in communication. Social situations may be extremely stressful and demanding for these children as they find it difficult to communicate with other people. Such people may not even understand the general social rules that govern the social situation. For example, they may not understand how close one needs to stand in front of another person in order to communicate. Children may find it extremely daunting especially if they are in an unfamiliar or new situation. There may be some who may avoid contact with others due to these difficulties. Participant description: A thirteen year old autistic boy is having problems in behavior and learning. He is currently working on P levels in autism. He exhibits tantrums, screams, mouths objects, non – compliance, grinds his teeth, rocks, throws objects, spits and bolts. His tantrums usually last for about 20 – 30 minutes and repeats this at least 4 – 5 times a day. The thirteen year old scored a rating of 49 on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale which puts him in the severely autistic range. This boy was sent to a special school wherein he learnt the functional use of five American Sign Language signs. However he did not learn any other communication skills including gestures. The Children Act and its aims: The Children Act 2004 (the Act) provides the legislative spine on which Every Child Matters. It aims to promote early intervention, integrate and improve children's services, prov ide strong leadership and bring together different professionals in multi-disciplinary teams in order achieve positive outcomes for children and young people and their families. Five key outcomes for children and young people are emphasized in the Act and Change programme. The act aims to attain, 'being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well-being'. (Surrey County Council, 2011). Behavioral and communication strategies: For autistic children and adolescents IQ and speech level is not questioned. However, many studies suggest that outcomes can be affected by intervention. Intensive behavioral intervention program is very effective in getting better results out of autistic people. An important component of prognosis is the type of intervention used for achieving desirable outcomes. The intervention also depends on the clinical traits and attributes of an autistic child and the best outcomes are derived from children ha ving high cognitive levels. Intervention is administered via multidisciplinary, comprehensive approaches that may include speech therapy, psychotherapy, educational sessions and psychomotor rehabilitation. Approaches are eclectic and vary considerably across individuals. Speech levels and autism severity are widely acknowledged as two of the prognosis factors irrespective of the methodology used. A predictive factor of outcomes is the presence or absence of speech in an autistic child. Higher level of autism is also responsible for

IT15 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IT15 - Essay Example In addition, it engages the investigation of typing patterns. Moreover, according to vendors and pleased clients it is protected, acceptable, and reasonably invasive (Galea, 2011) and (Wagley, 2011). In this scenario, companies can use customer relationship management software to manage the records of their customers. The basic purpose of customer relationship management (CRM) is to recognize, attain, and maintain customers and mutual relationship. Additionally, customer relationship management software or system comprises a lot of tools and facilities such as services, marketing, sales, call centers, customer care, order management and sales force automation systems. In addition, in the past few years, software development firms have attempted to combine some of these useful technologies into an integrated application. In view of the fact that the CRM system is client centered, thus it uses a multi-channel policy to carry out operations. In this scenario, all the latest communicatio n devices like that fax machines, handheld computers and cellular phones can provide an interface for accessing CRM systems. Along with them, availability of internet turns out to be an essential need for the majority CRM systems. In addition, a very important element of CRM software is known as a B2C system.

AFA event Alm3a8en Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

AFA event Alm3a8en - Essay Example This is important in facilitation of ease of communication. Such auxiliary aids are always given even to the deaf to ease communication. Some of these aids involve the use of interpreters as well as other hearing devices. These include the captions, text telephone systems as well as assistive learning systems. These auxiliary aids as well as the interpreters are always offered to the disabled people free of charge. Some of the accommodation and public access facilities offered by ADA to the people with disabilities include the lodgings as well as health and exercise business areas. These include places like hotels, public conferences as well as entertainment rooms. ADA ensures that the charter bus services cater for the disabled persons through allowing for accessible buses. In addition, it liaises with the insurance companies provide the persons with disabilities with automobile insurances. ADA serves to ensure that government avails the disabled persons with free auxiliary aids. In addition, it ensures that the government agencies provide the disabled with the necessary services. This is done regardless of any relationship that may exist between the individual and the people with disabilities. ADA always ensures that employers provide necessary accommodation services to employees whenever they are declared disabled. The employer may do the declaration of disability on an employee anytime. This may be very beneficial to the disabled employee as well as the employer. This is because the employer may get federal tax credit as well as federal tax deduction from the government following such decisions involving helping the disabled

Managing a Banks Sources and Uses of Funds Essay

Managing a Banks Sources and Uses of Funds - Essay Example The essay "Managing a Bank’s Sources and Uses of Funds" provides an overview of the principal types of deposits offered by TD Bank. Direct deposits offered by TD Bank enable the account holder to avail the designated salary amounts payable through salary checks or social security checks without having to wait for the checks to clear. Funds are made available to the account holder on the designated date. Remote deposits are yet another product offered by the TD Bank. This enables the account holders to deposit their checks from their office by scanning the check and sending the image to the bank. The bank captures the image and the funds are available to the account holder on the very next business day. It has been voted as one of the best national banks that offers its customers high-quality services and convenience in banking through odd hours. The Bank offers competitive rates of interest on its deposits. The bank’s interest rates on savings accounts and other deposit accounts are much higher than other banks. The bank offers its customers a number of value-added benefits that include a waiver on charges on access to online statements for 7 years, free online banking, free bill pay services, access to mobile banking with free mobile deposits, and waiver on purchase fees for a gift card. The non-deposit liabilities of the TD Bank include mortgages, capital notes, and debentures. The interest earned from these products is much higher when compared to the market rates offered by other financial institutions.

Success Seen in ED Study Essay Example for Free

Success Seen in ED Study Essay : The process of learning has become more advanced after the development of the information technology. Students can use technology to study their subjects clearly, so that they can understand it better. The environment of the classroom becomes richer as students access to different types of technologies. Technology can increase the knowledge and achievement of the student. Students can generate impressive results. There are many positive benefits by applying information technology in the education department. Students can do research on several topics and represent information in many forms. Students become independent learners and self starters by using technology in the classrooms. Education technology has shown a tremendous positive effect on the students. Using online telecommunication skills in the classrooms among different regions helps to improve the academic skills of the students as a whole. By using technology in the field of education, student shows more interest in learning, they become motivated towards the subjects. Education technology includes video discs, internet, tele-communication and online education from other parts of the world. â€Å"The most important technologies such as computers, communications systems, internet, and interactive video disc provide an environment in which problem solving can be developed. † Impact of information technology on the society The digital divide is the first step which was considered when reflecting on the social changes coming up with the information technology. There after, it has been held that this information technology is going to produce the differences in the development of society and people. Digital divide is nothing but the gap between people who have effective access to information technology and who do not have the access to it. It’s just the imbalances between the society of people with physical access to technology and also imbalances in the skills needed to have access over the digital and information technology to participate as a digital citizen. Digital divide effects globally also. Global digital divide is the difference between the technology accesses between the countries. There are three types of digital divide – the first is based on the access, which is difference between the society who can access the technology and those who do not have enough access over the technology. The second point is based on the usage that is the difference between the society who know how to use technology efficiently and those who does not have enough skills to use the technology. The third point is based on the usage quality that is the efficient use of the technology among the two groups of societies who has enough access to the technology and who do not have the enough knowledge about the information technology. The scope of digital divide has been changing from time to time. First, digital divide has shown the difference in the connectivity problems. Later, when the technology was developed, it introduced the importance of skills required to use the information technology. In the way, digital divide is changing day by day and the technology is being developed. Digital divide mainly focuses on the infrastructure, capacity building and resource usage. The impact of information technology on the society leads to many technological developments which have an influence on every part of the society. The digital divide has tremendous effect on the society. The prominence of the computers, internet and the other developing technologies had a great consequence on the society. It effects on the age, gender, education and income. In some cases, geographical locations and race also plays an important role. The digital divide helps in restructuring the society as a whole. The digital divide shows more development in the countries and societies which have better access opportunities to the technology. This development differs in different ways, it is based on education, gender, income, geographical locations, race, political, social and cultural conditions. For instance, if we take the age factor, there is usually gap between the generations. Every generation feel the gap in one or the other form like difference in clothing, music, style of living etc. few things are dissimilar among the generations, it is because of the amalgamation of the technology. it was seen in a report that about 8 million Americans use the internet, among those 58% of Americans age 50-64, 75% of 30-49 and 77% of 18-29 year old. In High income countries, with 14% of the world’s population, 79% of the people are using the internet. And in south Asia, which is one-fifth of the world’s population, only 0. 4% are online. Progress should be made in associating the digital divide between the developed and the developing countries. There is a wide and growing information divide between the haves and have-nots, Katz said. Consumerism Consumerism is equating the personal happiness with the purchasing of material possessions and consumption. It is multicultural and non geographical. Online commerce or e-commerce is nothing but buying and selling goods and services through online services such as Internet. A wide variety of work can be done such as electronic funds transfer, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange, etc. through the e-commerce. E-Bay phenomenon is nothing but the transaction between individual to individual (I 2 I). Online auction services like e-Bay help in facilitating these kinds of transactions. Music Industry has also developed a lot due to the advancement of the technology as the cost of equipments has decreased and many new sophisticated instruments have come to the market. Music can be accessed from any part of the World through the Internet or through the Radio and T. V. signals. Development of Information technology has hastened the progress of the world. It is defined as â€Å"the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer- based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware. † With the advancement and progress of the IT sector it has revolutionized the world in a way by increasing the communications between the people of the world; and also having great impact on service sectors like in banking, insurance, transportation, health care, professional and personal services etc. It also facilitates the consumerism, as a person can sale any article or good from sitting at any part of the world to any person located at any other part. The distance barrier is brought down due to this progress in the field of IT and Consumerism. It has tremendous impact on the person’s life as it gives him easier methods to acquire Knowledge, improving the working potential by providing many jobs, as IT has become one the important service sector in many countries. For example, in developed countries like USA it amounts to 74% of GDP.

A Literature Review On Adventure Tourism Tourism Essay

A Literature Review On Adventure Tourism Tourism Essay Adventure tourism has become more popular as an outdoor recreation activity in the tourism industry (Travel Industry Association of America, cited 2005). The term adventure can actually mean differently to different tourists because things that fill up the fear of one tourist may not fill up for another tourist (Buckly, 2006). Therefore, there is no any specific way to define adventure tourism. The word adventure is described as the risky activities in nature that are taken on by the tourist or the risky destination visited by the tourist and the tourist get an exciting and unusual experience from what the tourist had did (Farlex, The Free Dictionary). Adventure also is where the participants voluntarily putting themselves in a position that the participants believe that they are taking a step into the unknown where challenges will be faced and something valuable from the experience will be discovered or gained (Swarbrooke, Beard, Leckie, and Promfret, 2003). Consequently, adventure tourism is something related to nature and it is consisting of risk taking. Muller and Cleaver (2000) (cited in Swarbrooke et al. 2003, p. 29) defined adventure tourism as the capability to provide tourists with relatively high degrees of sensory stimulation. It is usually contained some physical challenging elements with the (typically short) tourists experience. While Buckley (2006) mentioned that the term adventure tourism is used to mean as guided commercial tours where these major attraction is an outdoor activity that has natural environment features and normally needs specialized sporting or equipment. It must be exiting for the tourists also. This definition does not mean that the tourists or clients have to prepare the equipments themselves, they may purely be travellers and rely on the agents to prepare the equipments for them. For example, tandem parachute harness or white water raft, etc. Therefore, adventure tourism can refer to activities done by the tourists, which have high level of perceived or real risk like diving, hiking, mountaineering, mountain biking, caving, sky-diving, skiing, snowboarding, white water rafting, kayaking, sailing, and sea kayaking. It also refer to a specific location of place with high degree of risk such as visiting desserts, jungles or mountaintops, polar regions and safaris. All these places have strong elements of adventure. Adventure tourism can be divided into soft adventure and hard adventure. These terms are developed by researchers who devised a scale to explain the diversity of behaviour, beginning with mild adventure also known as soft adventure at one end of the scale and progress to hard adventure at the other extreme. This continuum, illustrate in Figure 1.1, involves different degrees of challenge, uncertainty, setting familiarity, personal abilities, intensity, duration and perceptions of control (Lipscombe, 1995: 42). A simpler way to describe soft and hard adventure is that soft adventure does not necessarily require past experience whereas hard adventure requires some experiences and proficiency in the activity prior to the tourism experience (Millington and Locke, 2001). Hard Adventure Refers to activities with high levels of risk, requiring intense commitment and advanced skills. Soft Adventure Refers to activities with a perceived risk but low levels of real risk, requiring minimal commitment and beginning skills; most of these activities are led by experienced guides. Figure 1: The continuum of soft and hard adventure (source: Hill, 1995, cited in Beard et al. 2003, p. 33). Tourist behaviour is an in-depth topic as the behaviour of tourist change from time to time and sometimes it can be difficult to judge because not everyone shares the same behaviour. In order to understand tourist behaviour, psychologists have found that certain concepts are useful to understand the behaviour (Bhatia, 2006). According to Bhatia (2006), tourist behaviour can be understand by determining the motive, drives, or concerns being satisfied by the action and the attitudes and information that the person use to decide what kind of response should be made in a given situation. Motivation is one ways to describe tourist behaviour. Motivation is a verb derive from motivate Motivation is factor that influence or motivate trekkers to travel to Everest Base Camp. Motivation is defined as a reason or reasons for acting or behaving in a particular way or the desire or willingness to do something (Oxford online Dictionary). Hence, motivation of travel is why tourists travel to a place . It is important to know tourist travel motivations because motivations will affect travel decision process (Crompton and McKay, cited in Pan 2009, p. 216) and motivations are drivers that influence and affect the specific behaviour of a person or traveller. Furthermore, it also helps to develop strategies to attract tourists to a particular destination by understanding tourist behaviour. For example, travel agent or local authorities can find a way to increase the volume of tourists visiting a destination by understanding the tourist behaviour when the destination is kind of new in the tourism market or the number of tourists in the destination had decreased. Travel motivation is a wide theory where it can not be understood by looking at one part of the theory only. Figure 2: The Motivation Process (source: Holloway, Humphreys Davidson 2009, p.62). The process of translating a need into motivation to visit a specific destination or undertake a specific activity is quite complex and can be best demonstrated by means of a diagram (refer to Figure 2) (Holloway, Humphreys Davidson 2009, p.62). Potential consumers must be able to recognize their needs and wants and know what kinds of product actually satisfy their needs. Figure 2 shows that consumer perception of what will satisfy their need has to match with consumer perception of the attractions. Only when the consumer agrees on these 2 points, consumer will be motivated to visit a particular destination. For example, customer A and customer B have the same kind of need, where both of them like to do adventure activities and their think that trekking up to a mountain satisfies their need. Both customer A and B have the same interest but their perception on a particular destination may be different. Customer A may think that trekking to Mount Everest actually fulfils what he wants and his perception towards the destination is positive. While customer B may think that trekking to Mount Everest fulfil what he wants but he has a bad perception towards the destination as he think that the destination is very risky to him. Therefore, customer A will be willing to buy the package and climb up to Mount Everest because both the perception of the need and the attraction match. Customer B will not be motivated to go to Mount Everest as the perception of need and attraction do not match. According to Beerli and Martin (cited in Correia, Valle and Moco 2007, p. 46), motivation is the needs that drives and individual to act in a certain way to achieve the desire satisfaction. Therefore, people travel base on many different reasons. Motivation has also been referred as psychological / biological needs and wants including integral forces that arouse, direct, and integrate a persons behaviour and activity (Dann; Pearce; Uysal Hagan, cited in Shin 2009, p. 32). Travel motivators are the factors that create a persons desire to travel and are usually the internal psychological influences affecting individual choices (Bhatia, 2006). Travel motivations usually include a wide range of personal experiences and behaviours. Various studies have been done to find out why people wish to travel after the advent of mass tourism, especially after the Second World War. Macintosh (cited in Bhatia 2006) has group the basic travel motivators into four categories. Physical motivators, which are related to physical relaxation, refreshment of body and mind, sports, pleasure, and special medical treatment. All these are connected with individuals bodily well beings and connected to activities which help to reduce tension. Cultural motivators, which are related to individuals desire to travel in order to know more about other countries, natives of the countries and cultural heritage of the countries which expressed in art, music, dance, folklore, etc. Interpersonal motivators, which are related to individuals desire to meet new people, visit friends and relatives, and to seek new and different experiences. Travel is simply to escape from the daily routine or get away from the usual life or environment. Status and prestige motivators, which are related to the needs of personal esteem and personal development in an individual. Such motivators are more likely to be concerned with the desire for recognition and attention from others, in order to boost personal ego. Under this kind of motivations, people usually travel for business, for the purpose of education and the pursuit of hobbies. Crandall (cited in Hall Page 1999) who did a study on the motivations of the leisure travellers, outlined 17 motivational factors which derived from a synthesis of previous studies in this field. Below are the 17 motivational factors listed by Crandall. 1 ENJOYING NATURE, ESAPING FROM CIVILISATION To get away from civilisation for a while To be close to nature 10 RECOGNITION, STATUS To show other I could do it So other would think highly of me for doing it 2 ESCAPE FROM ROUTINE AND RESPONSBILITY Change from my daily routine To get away from the responsibilities of my daily life 11 SOCIAL POWER To have control over others To be in a position of authority 3 PHYSICAL EXRCISE For the exercise To keep in shape 12 ALTURISM To help others 4 CREATIVITY To be creative 13 STIMULUS SEEKING For the excitement Because of the risks involved 5 RELAXATION To relax physically So the mind can slow down for a while 14 SELF-ACTUALISATION (FEEDBACK, SELF-IMPROVEMENT, ABILITY UTILISATION) Seeing the results of your efforts Using a variety of skills and talent 6 SOCIAL CONTACT So I could do things with my companions To get away from other people 15 ACHIEVEMENT, CHALLENGE, COMPETITION To develop my skill and ability Because of the competition To learn what I am capable of 7 MEETING NEW PEOPLE To talk to new and varied people To build friendships with new people 16 KILLING TIME, AVOID BOREDOM To keep busy To avoid boredom 8 HETEROSEXUAL CONTACT To be with people of the opposite sex To meet people of the opposite sex 17 INTELLECTUAL AESTHETICISM To use my mind To think bout my personal values 9 FAMILY CONTACT To be away from the family for a while To help bring the family together more Table 1: Crandalls list of motivations. Source: Crandall 1980 (cited in Hall Page 1999). Pearce (cited in Pan 2009, p. 218) who had based and expanded on the theory of Maslows hierarchy of human needs, first developed the travel career ladder approach to travel motivation in 1988 and later made conceptual adjustment to the travel career ladder in 2005. The fundamental nature of this model connects the level of travel experiences with the hierarchy of travel needs. According to Pearce (cited in Pan 2009, p. 218), travellers who had more experiences in travel usually seek experiences that meet their higher order of travel needs such as self-esteem and self-actualization. On the other hand, inexperienced travellers will tend to seek experiences that meet their basic travel needs such as security and psychological ones. Tourism industry is a services industry and the products which offer in tourism industry are intangible. It is widely known that to travel is to experience. Consequently, tourist experience is fundamentally a service experience. The five level of travel career ladder, starting from the bottom are (1) concern with biological needs (including relaxation), (2) safety and security needs or level of stimulation, (3) relationship development and extension needs, (4) special interest and self-development needs, and (5) fulfilment of deep involvement needs which formally defined as self-actualization (Pearce cited in Marafa, Ho Chau 2007, p.8). This travel career ladder is later presented graphically by Ryan (cited in Marafa, Ho Chau 2007, p.8), refer to figure 3. It is not necessary that everyone has to start from the bottom because people change from time to time and some may try to seek for activities which satisfy high level of needs in pursuit of leisure and recreation (Marafa, Ho Chau, 2007). Figure 3: Travel Career Ladder by Ryan (cited in Marafa, Ho Chau 2007, p. 9). Another theory which often use by researchers when describing travel motivations is the push and pull theory. This theory shows that people travel because they are pushed and pulled to travel by some factors. Dann (cited in Pan 2009, p. 219) whom had combined and analyzed the relevant travel motivation literature, concluded that travel occurs due to the internal factors of indentified and unfulfilled desires (motivational push) and reinforce by external factors which is destination pull. Push factors are either internally generated or externally induced (Dann, cited in Pan 2009, p. 218). The desire to conquer a mountain by reaching the summit of the mountain is one of the examples of push factors. While pull factors are related to the attributes of the destination that serve to satisfy the needs and wants of travellers. Several authors assume that internal and external factors are factors that motivate human behaviour. For example, Kotler (cited in Correia, Valle and Moco 2007, p. 46) states that motivations can be the result of internal and external stimuli. Internal factors are factors derive from personal needs and wants such as psychological, social egocentric, self-actualization and safety. While external factors are usually result from promotion and publicity. Travel motivation can be either personal (personal training, compensation rest and knowledge) or interpersonal (resulting from social relation) (Crompton, 1979; Dann, 1977; Yoon and Uysal, 2005, cited in Corriea et al. 2007, p.47). Iso-Ahola; Ryan Glendon (cited in Pan 2009, p. 219) argued that travel motivation is closely related to leisure motivation and the former should not be studied independent of the latter. Iso-Ahola (cited in Alexandris, Kouthouris, Funk Giobani 2009, p. 482) defined tourism motivation as a meaningful set of mind which adequately disposes an actor or a group of actor to travel. Approach (seeking) and avoidance (escaping) are the two components in leisure motivation, identified by Iso-Ahola. Therefore, people travel in order to seek friendship, novelty, challenge, achievement, experience, and etc. while at the same time escape from the daily routine or personal problems. While Ryan Glendon (cited in Pan 2009, p. 219) applied an abbreviated version (14 items) of the Leisure Motivation Scale of 1,127 United Kingdom holidaymakers and identified four motivation factors from the scale which were intellectual, social, competence mastery and stimulus avoidance. The first three factors could be categorized as seek components and the last factor as escape component. Crompton (cited in Kao, Patterson, Scott, and Chung 2008, p. 18) studied travel motivation by using push and pull model and developed seven socio-psychological or push motives (escape from a perceived mundane environment, self-exploratory, relaxation, prestige and regression, enhancement of kinship relations, facilitation of social interaction) and two cultural motives or pull motives (novelty and education). This study refers to motives which are more specific and direct that can affect tourists decision on the travel decision or the type of holidays (Crompton, cited in Corriea et al. 2007, p.47). The author identify that psychological or social motives (push motives) sustain the desire to travel. While on the other hand, travel decision if affected by pull motives and pull motives are also associated to the destinations characteristic (Lundberg, cited in Corriea et al. 2007, p.47). A study was done to explore the motivations and satisfactions of Taiwanese Tourists who visit Australia (Kao, Patterson, Scott, and Chung, 2008). Push and pull approach was used to find 17 push motivations and 18 pull motivations for travel in this study. The most important push factor found in this study is Travelling around the world, while the most important pull factor is sunshine and scenery and most of the Taiwanese tourists are satisfied after visiting Australia. Study done by Chang (2007) on travel motivation of package tour travellers suggested that socio-psychological needs were an important motivation for travel, and socio-economic considerations were regarded as a crucial motivation for travel decision making. Furthermore, social relationships friends or relatives recommendations had a strong impact in the decision makings of the Taiwanese travellers (Chang, 2007). This study was done to examine travel motivations and travel decision-making of Taiwanese tourists with a g roup package tour abroad. Therefore, it can be said that tourists travel to a destination is strongly influenced by their socio-psychological needs. Tourist builds his/her perceptions based on intrinsic and extrinsic motivations (Gartner, 1993; Dann, 1996; Baloglu, 1997; cited in Corriea et al. 2007, p.47). Everyone receives and processes information differently. Therefore, individuals perception is also formed differently base on how the information is received and transformed. According to Oxford online dictionary, perception means the ability to see hear, or become aware of something through senses or the way in which something is regarded, understood, or interpreted. Perceptions are also defined as the perceived value of product by many previous researchers (Correia and Crouch, 2004; Correia et al., 2007C; Holbrook, 1996; oh, 2000; Sheth et al., 1991; Zeithaml, 1998; cited in Correia and Pimpao 2008). This concept develops based on cognitive and behavioural perspectives which result from the learning and motivational processes rendered by the tourist. Therefore, perception is the point of views about what the tourist think ab out the destination. Perception of a destination is linked to the destination image. Based on the image of the destination, perception of the destination will be generated and each tourist will have their own perception about the destination. Destination image is described as overall perceptions of individuals regarding a place or total set of impressions about a destination (Bigne et al., 2001; Fakeye and Crompton, 1991; cited in Alvarez and Korzay 2008). Destination image is usually formed through media, either positive or negative images. This is based on how the country promotes the destination in its country and through world news, people can easily know the problems or issues in the country. Hence, the destination image will be easily affected and it changes over time because people build up the destination images and representations based on the information that they receive (Avraham, 2000; So ¨nmez and Sirakaya, 2002; cited in Alvarez and Korzay 2008). In 21st century, internet is the most powe rful media that affect customers perception and destination image. In the world of internet, people can easily source for information regarding the destination and leave comments on the blogs or travel discussion forums after visiting the destination. Therefore, people nowadays not only listen to their friends past travel experiences but also read the worldwide tourists experiences from travel blogs or travel discussion forums. It is important to know what Malaysian trekkers think about Everest Base Camp which can be risky. Corriea et al. (2007) did a research on why people travel to exotic places by combining motivations and perceptions. This is the first time and they are the first few researchers that combine motivations and perceptions in order to understand how people can be pushed to travel to exotic places and how they form their perceptions. In this research, Corriea et al. (2007) try to find the relationship between push and pull motivation, push motivation and perception, and pull motivation and perception, based on a group of Portuguese tourists who go to exotic places such as Brazil, Morocco, Egypt, Sao Tome, and Principe. This study proves that perception of tourist destinations are formed based on push and pull factors but the relationship between push factors and perceptions in not significant and this proves that tourist decides to go for travel because he/she need to solve a conflict arousal (rest, social, and intellectual rewards) (Corriea et al. 2007). After that, the tourist will dec ide where to go based on the destination attributes. Destination attributes (pull motives) are seen as the way to solve intrinsic motives (push motives) in this study, but these constructs are not directly related to the overall perceptionof the destination because they are apparently solved when the tourist turns the attention to specific attributes (Corriea et al. 2007). Gnoth (1997) reports that the perception of a destination may be analysed from a cognitive or behavioural perspective. There are several types of perceptions which are cognitive component (which results from the evaluation of the destination attributes) and personal component (which results from the evaluation of the destination attributes) that a person can have, argued by Gnoth (1997). Travel motivation is an extensive researched area in tourism (Pan, 2009). Consequently, there are many theories that describe about tourist motivation to travel suggest by several authors or researchers as different tourist have different mindset and behaviour. Furthermore, there are many forms of tourism and tourists can be clustered into various types of groups. Perceptions of travellers on a particular destination can be unlikely because everyone thinks differently. Due to different in culture and the way they receive and transform the information will affect the perception of the tourists. Conceptual Framework Figure 4: Conceptual Framework Hypothesis Trekking in Everest region is the dream of most of the Malaysians trekkers. Its part of self-fulfillment of the trekkers and they want to challenge themselves as Malaysia does not have mountains which are more than 5000m and Everest is the highest mountain in the world. Malaysians trekkers travel to Everest Base Camp but not to the summit of Mount Everest because budget and time limit them to trek to the summit of Mount Everest. Additional information Objective To know the factors that motivate them to take Everest base camp trek To understand travelers perception on Everest base camp, Nepal as a tourism destination

Development of Intelligent Sensor System

Development of Intelligent Sensor System Chapter 1 1.1 Introduction What is Automation? Automation in general, can be explained as the use of computers or microcontrollers to control industrial machinery and processes thereby fully replacing human operators. Automation is a kind of transition from mechanization. In mechanization, human operators are provided with machinery to assist their operations, where as automation fully replaces the human operators with computers. The advantages of automation are: Increased productivity and higher production rates. Better product quality and efficient use of resources. Greater control and consistency of products. Improved safety and reduced factory lead times. Home Automation Home automation is the field specializing in the general and specific automation requirements of homes and apartments for their better safety, security and comfort of its residents. It is also called Domotics. Home automation can be as simple as controlling a few lights in the house or as complicated as to monitor and to record the activities of each resident. Automation requirements depend on person to person. Some may be interested in the home security while others will be more into comfort requirements. Basically, home automation is anything that gives automatic control of things in your house. Some of the commonly used features in home automation are: Control of lighting. Climate control of rooms. Security and surveillance systems. Control of home entertainment systems. House plant watering system. Overhead tank water level controllers. Intelligent Sensors Complex large-scale systems consist of a large number of interconnected components. Mastering the dynamic behavior of such systems, calls for distributed control architectures. This can be achieved by implementing control and estimation algorithms in several controllers. Some algorithms manipulate only local variables (which are available in the local interface) but in most cases, algorithms implemented in some given computing device will use variables which are available in this devices local interface, and also variables which are input to the control system via remote interfaces, thus rising the need for communication networks, whose architecture and complexity depend on the amount of data to be exchanged, and on the associated time constraints. Associating computing (and communication) devices with sensing or actuating functions, has given rise to intelligent sensors. These sensors have gained a huge success in the past ten years, especially with the development of neural network s, fuzzy logic, and soft computing algorithms. The modern definition of smart or intelligent sensors can be formulated now as: ‘Smart sensor is an electronic device, including sensing element, interfacing, signal processing and having several intelligence functions as self-testing, self-identification, self-validation or self-adaptation. The keyword in this definition is ‘intelligence. The self-adaptation is a relatively new function of smart sensors and sensor systems. Self-adaptation smart sensors and systems are based on so-called adaptive algorithms and directly connected with precision measurements of frequency-time parameters of electrical signals. The later chapters will give an elaborate view on why we should use intelligent sensors, intelligent sensor structure, characteristics and network standards. Chapter 2 2.1 Conventional Sensors Before talking more on intelligent sensors, first we need to examine regular sensors in order to obtain a solid foundation on which we can develop our understanding on intelligent sensors. Most of the conventional sensors have shortcomings, both technically and economically. For a sensor to work effectively, it must be calibrated. That is, its output must be made to match some predetermined standard so that its reported values correctly reflect the parameter being measured. In the case of a bulb thermometer, the graduations next to the mercury column must be positioned so that they accurately correspond to the level of mercury for a given temperature. If the sensor is not calibrated, the information that it reports wont be accurate, which can be a big problem for the systems that use the reported information. The second concern one has when dealing with sensors is that their properties usually change over time, a phenomenon knows as drift. For instance, suppose we are measuring a DC current in a particular part of a circuit by monitoring the voltage across a resistor in that circuit. In this case, the sensor is the resistor and the physical property that we are measuring the voltage across it. As the resistor ages, its chemical properties will change, thus altering its resistance. As with the issue of calibration, some situations require much stricter drift tolerances than others; the point is that sensor properties will change with time unless we compensate for the drift in some fashion, and these changes are usually undesirable. The third problem is that not only do sensors themselves change with time, but so, too, does the environment in which they operate. An excellent example of that would be the electronic ignition for an internal combustion engine. Immediately after a tune-up, all the belts are tight, the spark plugs are new, the fuel injectors are clean, and the air filter is pristine. From that moment on, things go downhill; the belts loosen, deposits build up on the spark plugs and fuel injectors, and the air filter becomes clogged with ever-increasing amounts of dirt and dust. Unless the electronic ignition can measure how things are changing and make adjustments, the settings and timing sequence that it uses to fire the spark plugs will become progressively mismatched for the engine conditions, resulting in poorer performance and reduced fuel efficiency. The ability to compensate for often extreme changes in the operating environment makes a huge difference in a sensors value to a particular applic ation. Yet a fourth problem is that most sensors require some sort of specialized hardware called signal-conditioning circuitry in order to be of use in monitoring or control applications. The signal-conditioning circuitry is what transforms the physical sensor property that were monitoring (often an analog electrical voltage that varies in some systematic way with the parameter being measured) into a measurement that can be used by the rest of the system. Depending upon the application, the signal conditioning may be as simple as a basic amplifier that boosts the sensor signal to a usable level or it may entail complex circuitry that cleans up the sensor signal and compensates for environmental conditions, too. Frequently, the conditioning circuitry itself has to be tuned for the specific sensor being used, and for analog signals that often means physically adjusting a potentiometer or other such trimming device. In addition, the configuration of the signal-conditioning circuitry tends to be unique to both the specific type of sensor and to the application itself, which means that different types of sensors or different applications frequently need customized circuitry. Finally, standard sensors usually need to be physically close to the control and monitoring systems that receive their measurements. In general, the farther a sensor is from the system using its measurements, the less useful the measurements are. This is due primarily to the fact that sensor signals that are run long distances are susceptible to electronic noise, thus degrading the quality of the readings at the receiving end. In many cases, sensors are connected to the monitoring and control systems using specialized (and expensive) cabling; the longer this cabling is, the more costly the installation, which is never popular with end users. A related problem is that sharing sensor outputs among multiple systems becomes very difficult, particularly if those systems are physically separated. This inability to share outputs may not seem important, but it severely limits the ability to scale systems to large installations, resulting in much higher costs to install and support multiple r edundant sensors. What we really need to do is to develop some technique by which we can solve or at least greatly alleviate these problems of calibration, drift, and signal conditioning. 2.2 Making Sensors Intelligent Control systems are becoming increasingly complicated and generate increasingly complex control information. Control must nevertheless be exercised, even under such circumstances. Even considering just the detection of abnormal conditions or the problems of giving a suitable warning, devices are required that can substitute for or assist human sensation, by detecting and recognizing multi-dimensional information, and conversion of non visual information into visual form. In systems possessing a high degree of functionality, efficiency must be maximized by division of the information processing function into central processing and processing dispersed to local sites. With increased progress in automation, it has become widely recognized that the bottleneck in such systems lies with the sensors. Such demands are difficult to deal with by simply improvising the sensor devices themselves. Structural reinforcement, such as using array of sensors, or combinations of different types of sensors, and reinforcement from the data processing aspect by a signal processing unit such as a computer, are indispensible. In particular, the data processing and sensing aspects of the various stages involved in multi-dimensional measurement, image construction, characteristic extraction and pattern recognition, which were conventionally performed exclusively by human beings, have been tremendously enhanced by advances in micro-electronics. As a result, in many cases sensor systems have been implemented that substitute for some or all of the intellectual actions of human beings, i.e. intelligent sensor systems. Sensors which are made intelligent in this way are called ‘intelligent sensors or ‘smart sensors. According to Breckenridge and Husson, the smart sensor itself has a data processing function and automatic calibration/automatic compensation function, in which the sensor itself detects and eliminates abnormal values or exceptional values. It incorporates an algorithm, which is capable of being altered, and has a certain degree of memory function. Further desirable characteristics are that the sensor is coupled to other sensors, adapts to changes in environmental conditions, and has a discriminant function. Scientific measuring instruments that are employed for observation and measurement of physical world are indispensible extensions of our senses and perceptions in the scientific examination of nature. In recognizing nature, we mobilize all the resources of information obtained from the five senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell etc. and combine these sensory data in such a way as to avoid contradiction. Thus more reliable, higher order data is obtained by combining data of different types. That is, there is a data processing mechanism that combines and processes a number of sensory data. The concept of combining sensors to implement such a data processing mechanism is called ‘sensor fusion 2.2.1 Digitizing the Sensor Signal The discipline of digital signal processing or DSP, in which signals are manipulated mathematically rather than with electronic circuitry, is well established and widely practiced. Standard transformations, such as filtering to remove unwanted noise or frequency mappings to identify particular signal components, are easily handled using DSP. Furthermore, using DSP principles we can perform operations that would be impossible using even the most advanced electronic circuitry. For that very reason, todays designers also include a stage in the signal-conditioning circuitry in which the analog electrical signal is converted into a digitized numeric value. This step, called analog-to-digital conversion, A/D conversion, or ADC, is vitally important, because as soon as we can transform the sensor signal into a numeric value, we can manipulate it using software running on a microprocessor. Analog-to-digital converters, or ADCs as theyre referred to, are usually single-chip semiconductor devices that can be made to be highly accurate and highly stable under varying environmental conditions. The required signal-conditioning circuitry can often be significantly reduced, since much of the environmental compensation circuitry can be made a part of the ADC and filtering can be performed in software. 2.2.2 Adding Intelligence Once the sensor signal has been digitized, there are two primary options in how we handle those numeric values and the algorithms that manipulate them. We can either choose to implement custom digital hardware that essentially â€Å"hard-wires† our processing algorithm, or we can use a microprocessor to provide the necessary computational power. In general, custom hardware can run faster than microprocessor-driven systems, but usually at the price of increased production costs and limited flexibility. Microprocessors, while not necessarily as fast as a custom hardware solution, offer the great advantage of design flexibility and tend to be lower-priced since they can be applied to a variety of situations rather than a single application. Once we have on-board intelligence, were able to solve several of the problems that we noted earlier. Calibration can be automated, component drift can be virtually eliminated through the use of purely mathematical processing algorithms, and we can compensate for environmental changes by monitoring conditions on a periodic basis and making the appropriate adjustments automatically. Adding a brain makes the designers life much easier. 2.2.3 Communication Interface The sharing of measurements with other components within the system or with other systems adds to the value of these measurements. To do this, we need to equip our intelligent sensor with a standardized means to communicate its information to other elements. By using standardized methods of communication, we ensure that the sensors information can be shared as broadly, as easily, and as reliably as possible, thus maximizing the usefulness of the sensor and the information it produces. Thus these three factors consider being mandatory for an intelligent sensor: A sensing element that measures one or more physical parameters (essentially the traditional sensor weve been discussing), A computational element that analyzes the measurements made by the sensing element, and A communication interface to the outside world that allows the device to exchange information with other components in a larger system. Its the last two elements that really distinguish intelligent sensors from their more common standard sensor relatives because they provide the abilities to turn data directly into information, to use that information locally, and to communicate it to other elements in the system. 2.3 Types of Intelligent Sensors Intelligent sensors are chosen depending on the object, application, precision system, environment of use and cost etc. In such cases consideration must be given as to what is an appropriate evaluation standard. This question involves a multi-dimensional criterion and is usually very difficult. The evaluation standard directly reflects the sense of value itself applied in the design and manufacture of the target system. This must therefore be firmly settled at the system design stage. In sensor selection, the first matter to be considered is determination of the subject of measurement. The second matter to be decided on is the required precision and dynamic range. The third is ease of use, cost, delivery time etc., and ease of maintenance in actual use and compatibility with other sensors in the system. The type of sensor should be matched to such requirements at the design stage. Sensors are usually classified by the subject of measurement and the principle of sensing action. 2.3.1 Classification Based on Type of Input In this, the sensor is classified in accordance with the physical phenomenon that is needed to be detected and the subject of measurement. Some of the examples include voltage, current, displacement and pressure. A list of sensors and their categories are mentioned in the following table. Category Type Dynamic Quantity Flow rate, Pressure, force, tension Speed, acceleration Sound, vibration Distortion, direction proximity Optical Quantities Light (infra red, visible light or radiation) Electromagnetic Quantities Current, voltage, frequency, phase, vibration, magnetism Quantity of Energy or Heat Temperature, humidity, dew point Chemical Quantities Analytic sensors, gas, odour, concentration, pH, ions Sensory Quantities or Biological Quantities Touch, vision, smell Table 2.3.1: Sensed items Classified in accordance with subject of measurement. 2.3.2 Classification Based on Type of Output In an intelligent sensor, it is often necessary to process in an integrated manner the information from several sensors or from a single sensor over a given time range. A computer of appropriate level is employed for such purposes in practically y all cases. For coupling to the computer when constructing an intelligent sensor system, a method with a large degree of freedom is therefore appropriate. It is also necessary to pay careful attention to the type of physical quantity carrying the output information to the sensor, and to the information description format of this physical quantity or dynamic quantity, and for the description format an analog, digital or encoded method etc., might be used. Although any physical quantities could be used as output signal, electrical quantities such as voltage are more convenient for data input to a computer. The format of the output signal can be analog or digital. For convenience in data input to the computer, it is preferable if the output signal of the sensor itself is in the form of a digital electrical signal. In such cases, a suitable means of signal conversion must be provided to input the data from the sensor to the computer 2.3.3 Classification Based on Accuracy When a sensor system is constructed, the accuracy of the sensors employed is a critical factor. Usually sensor accuracy is expressed as the minimum detectable quantity. This is determined by the sensitivity of the sensor and the internally generated noise of the sensor itself. Higher sensitivity and lower internal noise level imply greater accuracy. Generally for commercially available sensors the cost of the sensor is determined by the accuracy which it is required to have. If no commercial sensor can be found with the necessary accuracy, a custom product must be used, which will increase the costs. For ordinary applications an accuracy of about 0.1% is sufficient. Such sensors can easily be selected from commercially available models. Dynamic range (full scale deflection/minimum detectable quantity) has practically the same meaning as accuracy, and is expressed in decibel units. For example a dynamic range of 60dB indicates that the full scale deflection is 103 times the minimum detectable quantity. That is, a dynamic range of 60dB is equivalent to 0.1% accuracy. In conventional sensors, linearity of output was regarded as quite important. However, in intelligent sensor technology the final stage is normally data processing by computer, so output linearity is not a particular problem. Any sensor providing a reproducible relationship of input and output signal can be used in an intelligent sensor system. Chapter 3 3.1 Sensor selection The function of a sensor is to receive some action from a single phenomenon of the subject of measurement and to convert this to another physical phenomenon that can be more easily handled. The phenomenon constituting the subject of measurement is called the input signal, and the phenomenon after conversion is called the output signal. The ratio of the output signal to the input signal is called the transmittance or gain. Since the first function of a sensor is to convert changes in the subject of measurement to a physical phenomenon that can be more easily handled, i.e. its function consists in primary conversion, its conversion efficiency, or the degree of difficulty in delivering the output signal to the transducer constituting the next stage is of secondary importance The first point to which attention must be paid in sensor selection is to preserve as far as possible the information of the input signal. This is equivalent to preventing lowering of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). For example, if the SNR of the input signal is 60 dB, a sensor of dynamic range less than 60 dB should not be used. In order to detect changes in the quantity being measured as faithfully as possible, a sensor is required to have the following properties. Non-interference. This means that its output should not be changed by factors other than changes in the subject of measurement. Conversion satisfying this condition is called direct measurement. Conversion wherein the measurement quantity is found by calculation from output signals determined under the influence of several input signals is called indirect measurement. High sensitivity. The amount of change of the output signal that is produced by a change of unit amount of the input quantity being measured, i.e. the gain, should be as large as possible. Small measurement pressure. This means that the sensor should not disturb the physical conditions of the subject of measurement. From this point of view, modulation conversion offers more freedom than direct-acting conversion. High speed. The sensor should have sufficiently high speed of reaction to track the maximum anticipated rate of variation of the measured quantity. Low noise. The noise generated by the sensor itself should be as little as possible. Robustness. The output signal must be at least more robust than the quantity being measured, and be easier to handle. Robustness means resistance to environmental changes and/or noise. In general, phenomena of large energy are more resistant to external disturbance such as noise than are phenomena of smaller energy, they are easier to handle, and so have better robustness. If a sensor can be obtained that satisfies all these conditions, there is no problem. However, in practice, one can scarcely expect to obtain a sensor satisfying all these conditions. In such cases, it is necessary to combine the sensor with a suitable compensation mechanism, or to compensate the transducer of the secondary converter. Progress in IC manufacturing technology has made it possible to integrate various sensor functions. With the progressive shift from mainframes to minicomputers and hence to microcomputers, control systems have changed from centralized processing systems to distributed processing systems. Sensor technology has also benefited from such progress in IC manufacturing technology, with the result that systems whereby information from several sensors is combined and processed have changed from centralized systems to dispersed systems. Specifically, attempts are being made to use silicon-integrated sensors in a role combining primary data processing and input in systems that measure and process two-dimensional information such as picture information. This is a natural application of silicon precision working technology and digital circuit technology, which have been greatly advanced by introduction of VLSI manufacturing technology. Three-dimensional integrated circuits for recognizing letter patterns and odour sensors, etc., are examples of this. Such sensor systems can be called perfectly intelligent sensors in that they themselves have a certain data processing capability. It is characteristic of such sensors to combine several sensor inputs and to include a microprocessor that performs data processing. Their output signal is not a simple conversion of the input signal, but rather an abstract quantity obtained by some reorganization and combination of input signals from several sensors. This type of signal conversion is now often performed by a distributed processing mechanism, in which microprocessors are used to carry out the data processing that was previously performed by a centralized computer system having a large number of interfaces to individual sensors. However, the miniaturization obtained by application of integrated circuit techniques brings about an increase in the flexibility of coupling between elements. This has a substantial effect. Sensors of this type constitute a new technology that is at present being researched and developed. Although further progress can be expected, the overall picture cannot be predicted at the present time. Technically, practically free combinations of sensors can be implemented with the object of so-called indirect measurement, in which the signals from several individual sensors that were conventionally present are collected and used as the basis for a new output signal. In many aspects, new ideas are required concerning determination of the object of measurement, i.e. which measured quantities are to be selected, determination of the individual functions to achieve this, and the construction of the framework to organize these as a system. 3.2 Structure of an Intelligent Sensor The rapidity of development in microelectronics has had a profound effect on the whole of instrumentation science, and it has blurred some of the conceptual boundaries which once seemed so firm. In the present context the boundary between sensors and instruments is particularly uncertain. Processes which were once confined to a large electronic instrument are now available within the housing of a compact sensor, and it is some of these processes which we discuss later in this chapter. An instrument in our context is a system which is designed primarily to act as a free standing device for performing a particular set of measurements; the provision of communications facilities is of secondary importance. A sensor is a system which is designed primarily to serve a host system and without its communication channel it cannot serve its purpose. Nevertheless, the structures and processes used within either device, be they hardware or software, are similar. The range of disciplines which arc brought together in intelligent sensor system design is considerable, and the designer of such systems has to become something of a polymath. This was one of the problems in the early days of computer-aided measurement and there was some resistance from the backwoodsmen who practiced the art of measurement. 3.2.1 Elements of Intelligent Sensors The intelligent sensor is an example of a system, and in it we can identify a number of sub-systems whose functions are clearly distinguished from each other. The principal sub-systems within an intelligent sensor are: A primary sensing element Excitation Control Amplification (Possibly variable gain) Analogue filtering Data conversion Compensation Digital Information Processing Digital Communication Processing The figure illustrates the way in which these sub-systems relate to each other. Some of the realizations of intelligent sensors, particularly the earlier ones, may incorporate only some of these elements. The primary sensing element has an obvious fundamental importance. It is more than simply the familiar traditional sensor incorporated into a more up-to-date system. Not only are new materials and mechanisms becoming available for exploitation, but some of those that have been long known yet discarded because of various difficulties of behaviour may now be reconsidered in the light of the presence of intelligence to cope with these difficul ­ties. Excitation control can take a variety of forms depending on the circumstances. Some sensors, such as the thermocouple, convert energy directly from one form to another without the need for additional excitation. Others may require fairly elaborate forms of supply. It may be alternating or pulsed for subsequent coherent or phase-sensitive detection. In some circumstances it may be necessary to provide extremely stable supplies to the sensing element, while in others it may be necessary for those supplies to form part of a control loop to maintain the operating condition of the clement at some desired optimum. While this aspect may not be thought fundamental to intelligent sensors there is a largely unexplored range of possibilities for combining it with digital processing to produce novel instrumentation techniques. Amplification of the electrical output of the primary sensing element is almost invariably a requirement. This can pose design problems where high gain is needed. Noise is a particular hazard, and a circumstance unique to the intelligent form of sensor is the presence of digital buses carrying signals with sharp transitions. For this reason circuit layout is a particularly important part of the design process. Analogue filtering is required at minimum to obviate aliasing effects in the conversion stage, but it is also attractive where digital filtering would lake up too much of the real-time processing power available. Data conversion is the stage of transition between the continuous real world and the discrete internal world of the digital processor. It is important to bear in mind that the process of analogue to digital conversion is a non-linear one and represents a potentially gross distortion of the incoming information. It is important, however, for the intelligent sensor designer always to remember that this corruption is present, and in certain circumstances it can assume dominating importance. Such circumstances would include the case where the conversion process is part of a control loop or where some sort of auto-ranging, overt or covert, is built in to the operational program. Compensation is an inevitable part of the intelligent sensor. The operating point of the sensors may change due to various reasons. One of them is temperature. So an intelligent sensor must have an inbuilt compensation setup to bring the operating point back to its standard set stage. Information processing is, of course, unique to the intelligent form of sensor. There is some overlap between compensation and information processing, but there are also significant areas on independence. An important aspect is the condensation of information, which is necessary to preserve the two most precious resources of the industrial measurement system, the information bus and the central processor. A prime example of data condensa ­tion occurs in the Doppler velocimctcr in which a substantial quantity of informa ­tion is reduced to a single number representing the velocity. Sensor compensation will in general require the processi Development of Intelligent Sensor System Development of Intelligent Sensor System Chapter 1 1.1 Introduction What is Automation? Automation in general, can be explained as the use of computers or microcontrollers to control industrial machinery and processes thereby fully replacing human operators. Automation is a kind of transition from mechanization. In mechanization, human operators are provided with machinery to assist their operations, where as automation fully replaces the human operators with computers. The advantages of automation are: Increased productivity and higher production rates. Better product quality and efficient use of resources. Greater control and consistency of products. Improved safety and reduced factory lead times. Home Automation Home automation is the field specializing in the general and specific automation requirements of homes and apartments for their better safety, security and comfort of its residents. It is also called Domotics. Home automation can be as simple as controlling a few lights in the house or as complicated as to monitor and to record the activities of each resident. Automation requirements depend on person to person. Some may be interested in the home security while others will be more into comfort requirements. Basically, home automation is anything that gives automatic control of things in your house. Some of the commonly used features in home automation are: Control of lighting. Climate control of rooms. Security and surveillance systems. Control of home entertainment systems. House plant watering system. Overhead tank water level controllers. Intelligent Sensors Complex large-scale systems consist of a large number of interconnected components. Mastering the dynamic behavior of such systems, calls for distributed control architectures. This can be achieved by implementing control and estimation algorithms in several controllers. Some algorithms manipulate only local variables (which are available in the local interface) but in most cases, algorithms implemented in some given computing device will use variables which are available in this devices local interface, and also variables which are input to the control system via remote interfaces, thus rising the need for communication networks, whose architecture and complexity depend on the amount of data to be exchanged, and on the associated time constraints. Associating computing (and communication) devices with sensing or actuating functions, has given rise to intelligent sensors. These sensors have gained a huge success in the past ten years, especially with the development of neural network s, fuzzy logic, and soft computing algorithms. The modern definition of smart or intelligent sensors can be formulated now as: ‘Smart sensor is an electronic device, including sensing element, interfacing, signal processing and having several intelligence functions as self-testing, self-identification, self-validation or self-adaptation. The keyword in this definition is ‘intelligence. The self-adaptation is a relatively new function of smart sensors and sensor systems. Self-adaptation smart sensors and systems are based on so-called adaptive algorithms and directly connected with precision measurements of frequency-time parameters of electrical signals. The later chapters will give an elaborate view on why we should use intelligent sensors, intelligent sensor structure, characteristics and network standards. Chapter 2 2.1 Conventional Sensors Before talking more on intelligent sensors, first we need to examine regular sensors in order to obtain a solid foundation on which we can develop our understanding on intelligent sensors. Most of the conventional sensors have shortcomings, both technically and economically. For a sensor to work effectively, it must be calibrated. That is, its output must be made to match some predetermined standard so that its reported values correctly reflect the parameter being measured. In the case of a bulb thermometer, the graduations next to the mercury column must be positioned so that they accurately correspond to the level of mercury for a given temperature. If the sensor is not calibrated, the information that it reports wont be accurate, which can be a big problem for the systems that use the reported information. The second concern one has when dealing with sensors is that their properties usually change over time, a phenomenon knows as drift. For instance, suppose we are measuring a DC current in a particular part of a circuit by monitoring the voltage across a resistor in that circuit. In this case, the sensor is the resistor and the physical property that we are measuring the voltage across it. As the resistor ages, its chemical properties will change, thus altering its resistance. As with the issue of calibration, some situations require much stricter drift tolerances than others; the point is that sensor properties will change with time unless we compensate for the drift in some fashion, and these changes are usually undesirable. The third problem is that not only do sensors themselves change with time, but so, too, does the environment in which they operate. An excellent example of that would be the electronic ignition for an internal combustion engine. Immediately after a tune-up, all the belts are tight, the spark plugs are new, the fuel injectors are clean, and the air filter is pristine. From that moment on, things go downhill; the belts loosen, deposits build up on the spark plugs and fuel injectors, and the air filter becomes clogged with ever-increasing amounts of dirt and dust. Unless the electronic ignition can measure how things are changing and make adjustments, the settings and timing sequence that it uses to fire the spark plugs will become progressively mismatched for the engine conditions, resulting in poorer performance and reduced fuel efficiency. The ability to compensate for often extreme changes in the operating environment makes a huge difference in a sensors value to a particular applic ation. Yet a fourth problem is that most sensors require some sort of specialized hardware called signal-conditioning circuitry in order to be of use in monitoring or control applications. The signal-conditioning circuitry is what transforms the physical sensor property that were monitoring (often an analog electrical voltage that varies in some systematic way with the parameter being measured) into a measurement that can be used by the rest of the system. Depending upon the application, the signal conditioning may be as simple as a basic amplifier that boosts the sensor signal to a usable level or it may entail complex circuitry that cleans up the sensor signal and compensates for environmental conditions, too. Frequently, the conditioning circuitry itself has to be tuned for the specific sensor being used, and for analog signals that often means physically adjusting a potentiometer or other such trimming device. In addition, the configuration of the signal-conditioning circuitry tends to be unique to both the specific type of sensor and to the application itself, which means that different types of sensors or different applications frequently need customized circuitry. Finally, standard sensors usually need to be physically close to the control and monitoring systems that receive their measurements. In general, the farther a sensor is from the system using its measurements, the less useful the measurements are. This is due primarily to the fact that sensor signals that are run long distances are susceptible to electronic noise, thus degrading the quality of the readings at the receiving end. In many cases, sensors are connected to the monitoring and control systems using specialized (and expensive) cabling; the longer this cabling is, the more costly the installation, which is never popular with end users. A related problem is that sharing sensor outputs among multiple systems becomes very difficult, particularly if those systems are physically separated. This inability to share outputs may not seem important, but it severely limits the ability to scale systems to large installations, resulting in much higher costs to install and support multiple r edundant sensors. What we really need to do is to develop some technique by which we can solve or at least greatly alleviate these problems of calibration, drift, and signal conditioning. 2.2 Making Sensors Intelligent Control systems are becoming increasingly complicated and generate increasingly complex control information. Control must nevertheless be exercised, even under such circumstances. Even considering just the detection of abnormal conditions or the problems of giving a suitable warning, devices are required that can substitute for or assist human sensation, by detecting and recognizing multi-dimensional information, and conversion of non visual information into visual form. In systems possessing a high degree of functionality, efficiency must be maximized by division of the information processing function into central processing and processing dispersed to local sites. With increased progress in automation, it has become widely recognized that the bottleneck in such systems lies with the sensors. Such demands are difficult to deal with by simply improvising the sensor devices themselves. Structural reinforcement, such as using array of sensors, or combinations of different types of sensors, and reinforcement from the data processing aspect by a signal processing unit such as a computer, are indispensible. In particular, the data processing and sensing aspects of the various stages involved in multi-dimensional measurement, image construction, characteristic extraction and pattern recognition, which were conventionally performed exclusively by human beings, have been tremendously enhanced by advances in micro-electronics. As a result, in many cases sensor systems have been implemented that substitute for some or all of the intellectual actions of human beings, i.e. intelligent sensor systems. Sensors which are made intelligent in this way are called ‘intelligent sensors or ‘smart sensors. According to Breckenridge and Husson, the smart sensor itself has a data processing function and automatic calibration/automatic compensation function, in which the sensor itself detects and eliminates abnormal values or exceptional values. It incorporates an algorithm, which is capable of being altered, and has a certain degree of memory function. Further desirable characteristics are that the sensor is coupled to other sensors, adapts to changes in environmental conditions, and has a discriminant function. Scientific measuring instruments that are employed for observation and measurement of physical world are indispensible extensions of our senses and perceptions in the scientific examination of nature. In recognizing nature, we mobilize all the resources of information obtained from the five senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell etc. and combine these sensory data in such a way as to avoid contradiction. Thus more reliable, higher order data is obtained by combining data of different types. That is, there is a data processing mechanism that combines and processes a number of sensory data. The concept of combining sensors to implement such a data processing mechanism is called ‘sensor fusion 2.2.1 Digitizing the Sensor Signal The discipline of digital signal processing or DSP, in which signals are manipulated mathematically rather than with electronic circuitry, is well established and widely practiced. Standard transformations, such as filtering to remove unwanted noise or frequency mappings to identify particular signal components, are easily handled using DSP. Furthermore, using DSP principles we can perform operations that would be impossible using even the most advanced electronic circuitry. For that very reason, todays designers also include a stage in the signal-conditioning circuitry in which the analog electrical signal is converted into a digitized numeric value. This step, called analog-to-digital conversion, A/D conversion, or ADC, is vitally important, because as soon as we can transform the sensor signal into a numeric value, we can manipulate it using software running on a microprocessor. Analog-to-digital converters, or ADCs as theyre referred to, are usually single-chip semiconductor devices that can be made to be highly accurate and highly stable under varying environmental conditions. The required signal-conditioning circuitry can often be significantly reduced, since much of the environmental compensation circuitry can be made a part of the ADC and filtering can be performed in software. 2.2.2 Adding Intelligence Once the sensor signal has been digitized, there are two primary options in how we handle those numeric values and the algorithms that manipulate them. We can either choose to implement custom digital hardware that essentially â€Å"hard-wires† our processing algorithm, or we can use a microprocessor to provide the necessary computational power. In general, custom hardware can run faster than microprocessor-driven systems, but usually at the price of increased production costs and limited flexibility. Microprocessors, while not necessarily as fast as a custom hardware solution, offer the great advantage of design flexibility and tend to be lower-priced since they can be applied to a variety of situations rather than a single application. Once we have on-board intelligence, were able to solve several of the problems that we noted earlier. Calibration can be automated, component drift can be virtually eliminated through the use of purely mathematical processing algorithms, and we can compensate for environmental changes by monitoring conditions on a periodic basis and making the appropriate adjustments automatically. Adding a brain makes the designers life much easier. 2.2.3 Communication Interface The sharing of measurements with other components within the system or with other systems adds to the value of these measurements. To do this, we need to equip our intelligent sensor with a standardized means to communicate its information to other elements. By using standardized methods of communication, we ensure that the sensors information can be shared as broadly, as easily, and as reliably as possible, thus maximizing the usefulness of the sensor and the information it produces. Thus these three factors consider being mandatory for an intelligent sensor: A sensing element that measures one or more physical parameters (essentially the traditional sensor weve been discussing), A computational element that analyzes the measurements made by the sensing element, and A communication interface to the outside world that allows the device to exchange information with other components in a larger system. Its the last two elements that really distinguish intelligent sensors from their more common standard sensor relatives because they provide the abilities to turn data directly into information, to use that information locally, and to communicate it to other elements in the system. 2.3 Types of Intelligent Sensors Intelligent sensors are chosen depending on the object, application, precision system, environment of use and cost etc. In such cases consideration must be given as to what is an appropriate evaluation standard. This question involves a multi-dimensional criterion and is usually very difficult. The evaluation standard directly reflects the sense of value itself applied in the design and manufacture of the target system. This must therefore be firmly settled at the system design stage. In sensor selection, the first matter to be considered is determination of the subject of measurement. The second matter to be decided on is the required precision and dynamic range. The third is ease of use, cost, delivery time etc., and ease of maintenance in actual use and compatibility with other sensors in the system. The type of sensor should be matched to such requirements at the design stage. Sensors are usually classified by the subject of measurement and the principle of sensing action. 2.3.1 Classification Based on Type of Input In this, the sensor is classified in accordance with the physical phenomenon that is needed to be detected and the subject of measurement. Some of the examples include voltage, current, displacement and pressure. A list of sensors and their categories are mentioned in the following table. Category Type Dynamic Quantity Flow rate, Pressure, force, tension Speed, acceleration Sound, vibration Distortion, direction proximity Optical Quantities Light (infra red, visible light or radiation) Electromagnetic Quantities Current, voltage, frequency, phase, vibration, magnetism Quantity of Energy or Heat Temperature, humidity, dew point Chemical Quantities Analytic sensors, gas, odour, concentration, pH, ions Sensory Quantities or Biological Quantities Touch, vision, smell Table 2.3.1: Sensed items Classified in accordance with subject of measurement. 2.3.2 Classification Based on Type of Output In an intelligent sensor, it is often necessary to process in an integrated manner the information from several sensors or from a single sensor over a given time range. A computer of appropriate level is employed for such purposes in practically y all cases. For coupling to the computer when constructing an intelligent sensor system, a method with a large degree of freedom is therefore appropriate. It is also necessary to pay careful attention to the type of physical quantity carrying the output information to the sensor, and to the information description format of this physical quantity or dynamic quantity, and for the description format an analog, digital or encoded method etc., might be used. Although any physical quantities could be used as output signal, electrical quantities such as voltage are more convenient for data input to a computer. The format of the output signal can be analog or digital. For convenience in data input to the computer, it is preferable if the output signal of the sensor itself is in the form of a digital electrical signal. In such cases, a suitable means of signal conversion must be provided to input the data from the sensor to the computer 2.3.3 Classification Based on Accuracy When a sensor system is constructed, the accuracy of the sensors employed is a critical factor. Usually sensor accuracy is expressed as the minimum detectable quantity. This is determined by the sensitivity of the sensor and the internally generated noise of the sensor itself. Higher sensitivity and lower internal noise level imply greater accuracy. Generally for commercially available sensors the cost of the sensor is determined by the accuracy which it is required to have. If no commercial sensor can be found with the necessary accuracy, a custom product must be used, which will increase the costs. For ordinary applications an accuracy of about 0.1% is sufficient. Such sensors can easily be selected from commercially available models. Dynamic range (full scale deflection/minimum detectable quantity) has practically the same meaning as accuracy, and is expressed in decibel units. For example a dynamic range of 60dB indicates that the full scale deflection is 103 times the minimum detectable quantity. That is, a dynamic range of 60dB is equivalent to 0.1% accuracy. In conventional sensors, linearity of output was regarded as quite important. However, in intelligent sensor technology the final stage is normally data processing by computer, so output linearity is not a particular problem. Any sensor providing a reproducible relationship of input and output signal can be used in an intelligent sensor system. Chapter 3 3.1 Sensor selection The function of a sensor is to receive some action from a single phenomenon of the subject of measurement and to convert this to another physical phenomenon that can be more easily handled. The phenomenon constituting the subject of measurement is called the input signal, and the phenomenon after conversion is called the output signal. The ratio of the output signal to the input signal is called the transmittance or gain. Since the first function of a sensor is to convert changes in the subject of measurement to a physical phenomenon that can be more easily handled, i.e. its function consists in primary conversion, its conversion efficiency, or the degree of difficulty in delivering the output signal to the transducer constituting the next stage is of secondary importance The first point to which attention must be paid in sensor selection is to preserve as far as possible the information of the input signal. This is equivalent to preventing lowering of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). For example, if the SNR of the input signal is 60 dB, a sensor of dynamic range less than 60 dB should not be used. In order to detect changes in the quantity being measured as faithfully as possible, a sensor is required to have the following properties. Non-interference. This means that its output should not be changed by factors other than changes in the subject of measurement. Conversion satisfying this condition is called direct measurement. Conversion wherein the measurement quantity is found by calculation from output signals determined under the influence of several input signals is called indirect measurement. High sensitivity. The amount of change of the output signal that is produced by a change of unit amount of the input quantity being measured, i.e. the gain, should be as large as possible. Small measurement pressure. This means that the sensor should not disturb the physical conditions of the subject of measurement. From this point of view, modulation conversion offers more freedom than direct-acting conversion. High speed. The sensor should have sufficiently high speed of reaction to track the maximum anticipated rate of variation of the measured quantity. Low noise. The noise generated by the sensor itself should be as little as possible. Robustness. The output signal must be at least more robust than the quantity being measured, and be easier to handle. Robustness means resistance to environmental changes and/or noise. In general, phenomena of large energy are more resistant to external disturbance such as noise than are phenomena of smaller energy, they are easier to handle, and so have better robustness. If a sensor can be obtained that satisfies all these conditions, there is no problem. However, in practice, one can scarcely expect to obtain a sensor satisfying all these conditions. In such cases, it is necessary to combine the sensor with a suitable compensation mechanism, or to compensate the transducer of the secondary converter. Progress in IC manufacturing technology has made it possible to integrate various sensor functions. With the progressive shift from mainframes to minicomputers and hence to microcomputers, control systems have changed from centralized processing systems to distributed processing systems. Sensor technology has also benefited from such progress in IC manufacturing technology, with the result that systems whereby information from several sensors is combined and processed have changed from centralized systems to dispersed systems. Specifically, attempts are being made to use silicon-integrated sensors in a role combining primary data processing and input in systems that measure and process two-dimensional information such as picture information. This is a natural application of silicon precision working technology and digital circuit technology, which have been greatly advanced by introduction of VLSI manufacturing technology. Three-dimensional integrated circuits for recognizing letter patterns and odour sensors, etc., are examples of this. Such sensor systems can be called perfectly intelligent sensors in that they themselves have a certain data processing capability. It is characteristic of such sensors to combine several sensor inputs and to include a microprocessor that performs data processing. Their output signal is not a simple conversion of the input signal, but rather an abstract quantity obtained by some reorganization and combination of input signals from several sensors. This type of signal conversion is now often performed by a distributed processing mechanism, in which microprocessors are used to carry out the data processing that was previously performed by a centralized computer system having a large number of interfaces to individual sensors. However, the miniaturization obtained by application of integrated circuit techniques brings about an increase in the flexibility of coupling between elements. This has a substantial effect. Sensors of this type constitute a new technology that is at present being researched and developed. Although further progress can be expected, the overall picture cannot be predicted at the present time. Technically, practically free combinations of sensors can be implemented with the object of so-called indirect measurement, in which the signals from several individual sensors that were conventionally present are collected and used as the basis for a new output signal. In many aspects, new ideas are required concerning determination of the object of measurement, i.e. which measured quantities are to be selected, determination of the individual functions to achieve this, and the construction of the framework to organize these as a system. 3.2 Structure of an Intelligent Sensor The rapidity of development in microelectronics has had a profound effect on the whole of instrumentation science, and it has blurred some of the conceptual boundaries which once seemed so firm. In the present context the boundary between sensors and instruments is particularly uncertain. Processes which were once confined to a large electronic instrument are now available within the housing of a compact sensor, and it is some of these processes which we discuss later in this chapter. An instrument in our context is a system which is designed primarily to act as a free standing device for performing a particular set of measurements; the provision of communications facilities is of secondary importance. A sensor is a system which is designed primarily to serve a host system and without its communication channel it cannot serve its purpose. Nevertheless, the structures and processes used within either device, be they hardware or software, are similar. The range of disciplines which arc brought together in intelligent sensor system design is considerable, and the designer of such systems has to become something of a polymath. This was one of the problems in the early days of computer-aided measurement and there was some resistance from the backwoodsmen who practiced the art of measurement. 3.2.1 Elements of Intelligent Sensors The intelligent sensor is an example of a system, and in it we can identify a number of sub-systems whose functions are clearly distinguished from each other. The principal sub-systems within an intelligent sensor are: A primary sensing element Excitation Control Amplification (Possibly variable gain) Analogue filtering Data conversion Compensation Digital Information Processing Digital Communication Processing The figure illustrates the way in which these sub-systems relate to each other. Some of the realizations of intelligent sensors, particularly the earlier ones, may incorporate only some of these elements. The primary sensing element has an obvious fundamental importance. It is more than simply the familiar traditional sensor incorporated into a more up-to-date system. Not only are new materials and mechanisms becoming available for exploitation, but some of those that have been long known yet discarded because of various difficulties of behaviour may now be reconsidered in the light of the presence of intelligence to cope with these difficul ­ties. Excitation control can take a variety of forms depending on the circumstances. Some sensors, such as the thermocouple, convert energy directly from one form to another without the need for additional excitation. Others may require fairly elaborate forms of supply. It may be alternating or pulsed for subsequent coherent or phase-sensitive detection. In some circumstances it may be necessary to provide extremely stable supplies to the sensing element, while in others it may be necessary for those supplies to form part of a control loop to maintain the operating condition of the clement at some desired optimum. While this aspect may not be thought fundamental to intelligent sensors there is a largely unexplored range of possibilities for combining it with digital processing to produce novel instrumentation techniques. Amplification of the electrical output of the primary sensing element is almost invariably a requirement. This can pose design problems where high gain is needed. Noise is a particular hazard, and a circumstance unique to the intelligent form of sensor is the presence of digital buses carrying signals with sharp transitions. For this reason circuit layout is a particularly important part of the design process. Analogue filtering is required at minimum to obviate aliasing effects in the conversion stage, but it is also attractive where digital filtering would lake up too much of the real-time processing power available. Data conversion is the stage of transition between the continuous real world and the discrete internal world of the digital processor. It is important to bear in mind that the process of analogue to digital conversion is a non-linear one and represents a potentially gross distortion of the incoming information. It is important, however, for the intelligent sensor designer always to remember that this corruption is present, and in certain circumstances it can assume dominating importance. Such circumstances would include the case where the conversion process is part of a control loop or where some sort of auto-ranging, overt or covert, is built in to the operational program. Compensation is an inevitable part of the intelligent sensor. The operating point of the sensors may change due to various reasons. One of them is temperature. So an intelligent sensor must have an inbuilt compensation setup to bring the operating point back to its standard set stage. Information processing is, of course, unique to the intelligent form of sensor. There is some overlap between compensation and information processing, but there are also significant areas on independence. An important aspect is the condensation of information, which is necessary to preserve the two most precious resources of the industrial measurement system, the information bus and the central processor. A prime example of data condensa ­tion occurs in the Doppler velocimctcr in which a substantial quantity of informa ­tion is reduced to a single number representing the velocity. Sensor compensation will in general require the processi