According to one embodiment, a sensor includes a deformable film portion, and a first sensing element provided at the film portion. The first sensing element includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a first intermediate layer provided between the first and second magnetic layers. The first intermediate layer is nonmagnetic. The first magnetic layer includes a first film including Fe and Co, a second film including Fe and Co, a third film, and a fourth film. The third film includes at least one selected from the group consisting of Cu, Au, Ru, Ag, Pt, Pd, Ir, Rh, Re, and Os and is provided between the first and second films. The fourth film includes at least one selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Sc, Ti, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ba, La, Hf, Ta, and W and is provided between the third and second films.

To provide a controller and a control method for an internal combustion engine capable of performing automatic adaptation of the optimal ignition timing or the optimal control value of the combustion operation mechanism during operating. A controller and a control method for an internal combustion engine changes setting values of a torque characteristics function so that an output torque calculated using the torque characteristics function approaches an output torque calculated based on an actual value of internal cylinder pressure; calculates a plurality of output torques corresponding to respective plurality of combustion control states using the torque characteristics function; and changes setting values of a combustion control target setting function so that a target value of combustion control state calculated using the combustion control target setting function approaches a maximum torque combustion control state where the output torque becomes the maximum.

A bearing detection device comprises a housing body, to be fixed to a stationary ring of a bearing, and a detection arrangement on the housing body, comprising a piezoelectric transducer. The detection arrangement also comprises: a floating body, mounted on the housing body and suitable for mechanically transmitting vibrations of the bearing, and a sensor unit, which is mounted in a stationary position on the housing body and has a detection surface configured for receiving thereon a corresponding surface of the floating body. The piezoelectric transducer defines at least part of the detection surface and is configured for generating an electrical potential difference that is substantially proportional to the magnitude of a stress exerted by the floating body on the piezoelectric transducer.

In an embodiment an electric circuitry includes at least one first ring oscillator and at least one second ring oscillator being arranged on a substrate in different orientations, a time-to-digital converter having a converter ring oscillator and a processing circuit, wherein a first time is determined by a period duration of at least one first ring oscillator, this period duration depending on the propagation delay time of first delay elements, wherein a second time is determined by a period duration of at least one second ring oscillator, this period duration depending on the propagation delay time of second delay elements, and wherein the processing circuit is configured to determine a magnitude of the strain applied on the substrate based on a first state of the converter ring oscillator at the first time and a second state of the converter ring oscillator the second time.

A resonant sensor includes a proof body having a first and a second interface that can each come into contact with an external mechanical structure; two sensitive zones arranged between these two interfaces; a sensitive zone formed by a plate embedded in a frame secured mechanically to the interfaces, the plate able to resonate under the effect of local mechanical excitations produced at particular points by excitation transducers bearing the plate at several resonant frequencies, sensors picking up the resonant signals produced at the particular points, measurement means measuring the resonant frequency shifts of signals which are linear combinations of the resonant signals picked up, the shifts being a function of mechanical stresses induced by the forces and transmitted to the plate by the frame, the components of the torque of forces being determined from the resonant frequency shifts measured on the plates of the sensitive zones.

A textile-based sensor includes a textile triboelectric nanogenerator sensor attached to and overlying a textile piezoresistive sensor, wherein the textile triboelectric nanogenerator sensor is configured to generate an electrical signal indicative of object contact force and/or frequency with the textile triboelectric nanogenerator sensor, object material, and object surface morphology or texture, and the textile piezoresistive sensor is configured to generate an electric signal indicative of the applied external pressure to the sensor, wherein the textile triboelectric nanogenerator sensor overlies the textile piezoresistive sensing.

The potential difference between a piezo-resistive portion and a shield film is to be reduced. A semiconductor device is provided, including: a semiconductor substrate having provided therein a hollowed portion, a piezo-resistive portion provided in a region of the semiconductor substrate above the hollowed portion; an insulating film provided above the piezo-resistive portion; and a conductive shield film provided above the piezo-resistive portion with the insulating film intervening therebetween, wherein two different parts of the shield film are connected to different potentials. In this manner, the potential difference between a piezo-resistive portion and a shield film can be reduced.

A force sensor including a support, a test body, two strain gauges, mechanical transmission means between the test body and the strain gauges so that a movement of the test body applies a strain onto the strain gauges in a first direction of the plane of the sensor, the transmission means being hinged relative to the support about a second direction in the plane of the sensor, the test body being accommodated within a first volume, the strain gauges being accommodated within a second volume, insulated by sealed insulation means. The sensor includes a sacrificial layer, a nanometric layer, a protective layer and a micrometric layer. The test body and at least one portion of the support are formed in the substrate, the sealed insulation means are partially formed by the nanometric layer and by the sacrificial layer, and the strain gauges are formed in the nanometric layer.

An example system comprises a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensor, a strain gauge, and a strain compensation circuit. The MEMS sensor is operable to generate a sensor output signal that corresponds to a sensed condition (e.g., acceleration, orientation, and/or pressure). The strain gauge is operable to generate a strain measurement signal indicative of a strain on the MEMS sensor. The strain compensation circuit is operable to modify the sensor output signal to compensate for the strain based on the strain measurement signal. The strain compensation circuit stores sensor-strain relationship data indicative of a relationship between the sensor output signal and the strain measurement signal. The strain compensation circuit is operable to use the sensor-strain relationship data for the modifying of the sensor output signal. The modification of the sensor output signal comprises one or both of: removal of an offset from the sensor signal, and application of a gain to the sensor signal.

A microelectromechanical mirror device has, in a die of semiconductor material: a fixed structure defining a cavity; a tiltable structure carrying a reflecting region elastically suspended above the cavity; at least a first pair of driving arms coupled to the tiltable structure and carrying respective piezoelectric material regions which may be biased to cause a rotation thereof around at least one rotation axis; elastic suspension elements coupling the tiltable structure elastically to the fixed structure and which are stiff with respect to movements out of the horizontal plane and yielding with respect to torsion; and a piezoresistive sensor configured to provide a detection signal indicative of the rotation of the tiltable structure. At least one test structure is integrated in the die to provide a calibration signal indicative of a sensitivity variation of the piezoresistive sensor in order to calibrate the detection signal.