Sensor Antenna Transmitter System for Material Detection in Wireless-Sensor-Node Applications

This paper presents a fully combined sensor-antenna transmitter system for sensing relative permittivity of material at microwave frequencies. The transmit (Tx) antenna senses the relative permittivity of specimen and loads the radio frequency (RF) oscillator which translates the relative permittivity to the operational frequency of the carrier signal. At the same time, independent data, which can be the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) information, are ON–OFF keying modulated over the carrier. At the receiver, a demodulator system extracts the data stream as well as recovers the carrier frequency using a zero-crossing detector. Therefore, the relative permittivity of the sample can be obtained from the extracted frequency shift as a digital number. As all the sensing elements in the proposed structure are passive, the sensor does not increase the power consumption of the system. The sensor-transceiver capability at low powers makes it ideal for sensor nodes in the Internet of Things applications. Since the sensing and demodulation are implemented at the same time, the complexity for detection reduces significantly compared with traditional RF/microwave sensing techniques which need complicated frequency spectrum monitoring equipment. The output of the system is a digital number correlated to the dielectric constant of the specimen and the independent data stream for communication. The proposed sensor node is fabricated at the 2.45-GHz ISM band as an evaluation and the measurement results with some known samples are presented.

[1]  Jun Zhang,et al.  Miniaturization of UHF RFID Tag Antenna Sensors for Corrosion Characterization , 2017, IEEE Sensors Journal.

[2]  Gianfranco Pedone,et al.  Wireless Multi-Sensor Networks for Smart Cities: A Prototype System With Statistical Data Analysis , 2017, IEEE Sensors Journal.

[3]  Wenjing Su,et al.  Smart Test Strips: Next-Generation Inkjet-Printed Wireless Comprehensive Liquid Sensing Platforms , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[4]  Krzysztof Wincza,et al.  Microwave Sensors for Dielectric Sample Measurement Based on Coupled-Line Section , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[5]  Jenn-Hwan Tarng,et al.  Sensor Integrated Antenna Design for Applications in Cold Chain Logistic Services , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[6]  Bülent Tavli,et al.  Packet Size Optimization in Wireless Sensor Networks for Smart Grid Applications , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[7]  Kam-Weng Tam,et al.  A ZigBee-Based Wireless Sensor Network Node for Ultraviolet Detection of Flame , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[8]  M. Hamid,et al.  Equivalent circuit of dipole antenna of arbitrary length , 1997 .

[9]  J. J. Bowders,et al.  Dielectric Constant of Sand Using TDR and FDR Measurements and Prediction Models , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science.

[10]  S. Hranilovic,et al.  Information rates of optical impulse modulation over indoor diffuse wireless channels , 2008, 2008 24th Biennial Symposium on Communications.

[11]  Derek Abbott,et al.  High-Sensitivity Metamaterial-Inspired Sensor for Microfluidic Dielectric Characterization , 2014, IEEE Sensors Journal.

[12]  Beulah Jackson,et al.  A novel method for water impurity concentration using microstrip resonator sensor , 2010, Recent Advances in Space Technology Services and Climate Change 2010 (RSTS & CC-2010).

[13]  Jerzy Krupka,et al.  Frequency domain complex permittivity measurements at microwave frequencies , 2006 .

[14]  Ghassem Mokhtari,et al.  Non-Wearable UWB Sensor for Human Identification in Smart Home , 2017, IEEE Sensors Journal.

[15]  Rashid Mirzavand,et al.  Direct-Conversion Sensor for Wireless Sensing Networks , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[16]  M. M. Honari,et al.  Self-reinforcing graphene coatings on 3D printed elastomers for flexible radio frequency antennas and strain sensors , 2017 .

[17]  M. Tentzeris,et al.  A Fully Inkjet-Printed Wireless and Chipless Sensor for CO2 and Temperature Detection , 2015, IEEE Sensors Journal.

[18]  Gösta. Åkerlöf,et al.  DIELECTRIC CONSTANTS OF SOME ORGANIC SOLVENT-WATER MIXTURES AT VARIOUS TEMPERATURES , 1932 .

[19]  Prasanth Moolakuzhy Narayanan,et al.  Microstrip Transmission Line Method for Broadband Permittivity Measurement of Dielectric Substrates , 2014, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[20]  Rashid Mirzavand,et al.  High-Resolution Dielectric Sensor Based on Injection-Locked Oscillators , 2018, IEEE Sensors Journal.

[21]  Sungjoon Lim,et al.  Microfluidic Eighth-Mode Substrate-Integrated-Waveguide Antenna for Compact Ethanol Chemical Sensor Application , 2016, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[22]  Yang Hao,et al.  Numerical and Experimental Evaluation of a Compact Sensor Antenna for Healthcare Devices , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems.

[23]  Mingfu Li,et al.  Design and Implementation of Smart Home Control Systems Based on Wireless Sensor Networks and Power Line Communications , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[24]  Lauri Sydanheimo,et al.  Optimization of Inkjet Printing of Patch Antennas on Low-Cost Fibrous Substrates , 2014, IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters.

[25]  Humberto Lobato-Morales,et al.  Wireless Sensing of Complex Dielectric Permittivity of Liquids Based on the RFID , 2014, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[26]  H. Arthaber,et al.  Dielectric Characterization of RF-Printed Circuit Board Materials by Microstrip Transmission Lines and Conductor-Backed Coplanar Waveguides Up to 110 GHz , 2018, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[27]  X. Zhang,et al.  Dielectric constant measurement of thin films by differential time-domain spectroscopy , 2000 .

[28]  Satyajit Panda,et al.  Computationally Intelligent Sensor System for Microwave Characterization of Dielectric Sheets , 2016, IEEE Sensors Journal.

[29]  Cheng-Ta Chiang,et al.  A Semicylindrical Capacitive Sensor With Interface Circuit Used for Flow Rate Measurement , 2006, IEEE Sensors Journal.

[30]  黒川 弘海,et al.  718 Time Domain Reflectometryを用いたCFRP構造の損傷検知(OS7-5 非破壊評価と構造モニタリング) , 2010 .

[31]  Luigi Costanzo,et al.  MPPT in Wireless Sensor Nodes Supply Systems Based on Electromagnetic Vibration Harvesters for Freight Wagons Applications , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[32]  Dong Sam Ha,et al.  An overview of passive RFID , 2007, IEEE Communications Magazine.

[33]  Rashid Mirzavand,et al.  High-Resolution Balanced Microwave Material Sensor With Extended Dielectric Range , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[34]  Henry Ott,et al.  Electromagnetic Compatibility Engineering , 2009 .

[35]  Ivana K. Partridge,et al.  A dielectric sensor for measuring flow in resin transfer moulding , 2000 .

[36]  J. R. Wang,et al.  The dielectric properties of soil‐water mixtures at microwave frequencies , 1980 .

[37]  Swades De,et al.  Low-Cost Wake-Up Receiver for RF Energy Harvesting Wireless Sensor Networks , 2016, IEEE Sensors Journal.

[38]  Yang Wang,et al.  Passive Wireless Frequency Doubling Antenna Sensor for Strain and Crack Sensing , 2016, IEEE Sensors Journal.

[39]  M. Jaleel Akhtar,et al.  Novel Microstrip-Based Simplified Approach for Fast Determination of Substrate Permittivity , 2018, IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology.