EmbedSense® Wireless Sensor nodes are tiny, passive wireless sensor and data acquisition modules that are small enough to be embedded in a product, enabling the next generation of smart structures and materials.

Batteries are completely eliminated, which means that the embedded sensors and EmbedSense® node can be queried for the life of the structure. Because they can tolerate extreme g levels and high temperatures, sensor measurements can be made in applications where previously no data could be obtained.

EmbedSense® uses an inductive link to receive power from an external coil and to return digital strain, temperature and unique ID information. A reader coil is energized by an AC electromagnetic field from a 125 kHz signal supplied by the reader unit. The EmbedSense® node picks up this energy and uses it to power its data acquisition circuits. Communication is accomplished by the node shifting the tuning of its internal antenna from a reflective state to an absorptive state, in accordance with data to be sent to the reader. The reader sees these shifts as amplitude modulation (AM) on the power signal and converts the AM to a recovered data stream and passes it on to the computer. When the reader sends a command to the module, it frequency modulates (FM) the power signal with command data, which is detected by the node.

EmbedSense® nodes can read data from multiple types of sensors, including semiconductor temperature sensors, thermocouples, strain gauges, pressure sensors, and load cells.