Development of polymer-based sensors for integration into a wireless data acquisition system suitable for monitoring...

In this work, the pressure sensing properties of polyethylene (PE) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer films were evaluated by integrating them with a wireless data acquisition system. Each device was connected to an integrated interface circuit, which includes a capacitance to frequency converter (C/F) and an internal voltage regulator to suppress supply voltage fluctuations on the transponder side. The system was tested under hydrostatic pressures ranging from 0 to 17 kPa. Results show PE to be the more sensitive to pressure changes, indicating that it is useful for the accurate measurement of pressure over a small range. On the other hand PVDF devices could be used for measurement over a wider range and should be considered due to the low hysteresis and good repeatability displayed during testing. It is thought that this arrangement could form the basis of a cost-effective wireless monitoring system for the evaluation of environmental or physiological processes.