Institute for Sensors and Electronics

School of Engineering and Environment

We are the competence centre for sensor technology, with a special focus on aerosol measurement, microelectronics, signal processing and communication technology.

Our competencies are used in many application areas: from environmental measurement technology to industrial electronics and avionics.

We support industrial partners with the execution of research, development and consulting projects up to series production according to industrial standards. We take care of entire projects from system analysis and feasibility studies to specification, modelling, development, verification and implementation. In consultation with our industrial partners, we publish results in national and international journals.

We advise industrial customers, model and verify complex circuits and carry out feasibility studies and concept assessments. We educate engineers in specialised courses and with Master of Advanced Studies (MAS).

Research focus areas

Selected Projects

Safe Wheat Agriculture Towards Sustainable Health – WHEATWATCHER

With precise sensor technology for healthy soil and safe wheat: In the EU project WHEATWATCHER, the FHNW is developing a smart monitoring system for sustainable agriculture. The goal is to intelligently combine environmental protection, resource efficiency, and food security.

Institute: Institute for Sensors and Electronics
Research field: Electrical engineering

Standardisation of Black Carbon Aerosol Metrics for Air Quality and Climate Modelling

Cleaner Air Through Better Measurement

Institute: Institute for Sensors and Electronics
Research field: Energy and environment, Electrical engineering

Dynamic and Static Track Monitoring Using an Innovative Sensor System

A newly developed, high-precision sensor system enables the dynamic measurement of track subsidence during train passage. The project makes a significant contribution to increasing railway safety and to the early detection of changes in the ground structure.

Institute: Institute for Sensors and Electronics
Research field: Electrical engineering

Development of a Monitoring System for Concrete Structures

With a newly developed, energy-efficient data logger, the FHNW – together with DuraMon AG – enables the continuous monitoring of corrosion in reinforced concrete structures. This innovative solution provides precise real-time data, helping to detect damage early and significantly reduce maintenance costs.

Institute: Institute for Sensors and Electronics
Research field: Electrical engineering

DustEar: Detection of single, micrometer sized aerosol particles by acoustic impaction

The FHNW Institute for Sensors and Electronics has developed a new measurement technology that detects aerosol particles by their impaction on a piezo transducer and allows therefore single particle mass characterization.

Institute: Institute for Sensors and Electronics
Research field: Electrical engineering, Energy and environment

Authenticity in Music

Together with the research centre of the Academy of Music, the Institute for Sensors and Electronics is developing a method to simulate electronic equipment such as guitar amplifiers or effect devices in a purely digital environment.

Institute: Basel Academy of Music, Institute for Sensors and Electronics
Research field: Electrical engineering

Periodic technical inspection for diesel soot emissions

In order to check the exhaust gases of road vehicles regularly, researchers from the FHNW have developed a portable measuring device.

Institute: Institute for Sensors and Electronics
Research field: Electrical engineering, Energy and environment

Masks on the experimental test rig: How well do they protect against fine aerosol particles?

The Particle Measurement Technology Group of the Institute of Sensor and Electronics FHNW has developed a test rig to assess the filtering efficiency of various materials used in disposable and reusable masks.

Institute: Institute for Sensors and Electronics
Research field: Electrical engineering

Laboratories

Electronics Teaching Lab

The Teaching Lab has twelve electronics lab stations and computers with dual-boot Windows/Linux. This makes it possible to immerse yourself in both hardware and software. This lab is used by our Bachelor's degree courses, our continuing education courses and for specific workshops (e.g. Young Talent Promotion Programme).

Electronics Lab

We offer you an extensive and well-equipped electronics laboratory for a wide range of electronic activities, e.g. for creating circuits or recording measured variables.

Photonics Laboratory

In the Photonics Laboratory, we develop and validate sensors based on free beam and fiber optics with ultraviolet to infrared light.

Sensors Teaching Lab

This laboratory is used in particular for teaching measurement and sensor technology, which is characterized by the fact that many different sensors can be tested “hands-on”.

Innovation Garden

The FHNW Innovation Garden is an outdoor laboratory covering an area of 35 square meters. It makes it possible to develop sensors and electronics for the assessment of soil, plants and air and to test them in a real environment.

Aerosol Technology Laboratory

In the Aerosol Laboratory, we enable the measurement and production of fine dust from the nanometer to micrometer range using commercial and self-developed devices.

Infrastructure, Tools and Technologies

Industrial software tools used

We have the necessary tool licenses for training purposes, for research and for industrial use:

Cadence Design Systems
Mentor Graphics
Altera and Xilinx
matlab
microwave office

Technologies used

In aerosol measurement technology, we currently focus on electrical and optical measurement methods for the detection of minute particles.

In microelectronics, we have gained experience with various ASIC technologies. Depending on the application and needs of the partners, we use these in a targeted manner or also work our way into new technologies:

FPGA: Altera, Xilinx
ASICs: XFab, espros, AMS, TowerJazz
Microcontrollers: NXP, STM; Arduino, RaspberryPi, BeagleBone

Network and Partners

Some of our partner relationships and networks are listed below.

Commercial

Associations and federations

Authorities

Development of young talent

Publications

The Institutional Repository FHNW (IRF) contains all publications of the institute members.

Publications

The staff of the Institute for Sensors and Electronics publishes regularly in peer reviewed journals.

About us

Team members of the institute

Our interdisciplinary team consists of specialists in electrical engineering and physics, often with extensive industry experience. We are active in research, work closely with industrial partners and exchange information with national and international universities.

Team members of the institute

Contact

Prof. Dr. Gerd Simons

Head of FHNW Institute for Sensors and Electronics

Phone: +41 56 202 75 68 (Direct)
E-Mail: gerd.simons@fhnw.ch

Institute for Sensors and Electronics, FHNW School of Engineering and Environment

Research focus areas

Digital ASIC & FPGA Design

Embedded Systems

Aerosol Measurement Technology

Communication Technology

Mixed Signal ASIC Design

Sensor Technology

Signal Processing

Selected Projects

Laboratories

Infrastructure, Tools and Technologies

Industrial software tools used

Technologies used

Network and Partners

Publications

About us

Contact

Institute for Sensors and Electronics