Abstract: A mass flow controller includes a display unit; an operation unit; a basic functional section that realizes a basic function as the mass flow controller; a display control unit that causes the display unit to display a screen in an orientation corresponding to an instruction on an orientation from an operator; a layout-orientation setting unit that sets the vertical direction of the function layout of the operation unit to match the vertical direction of display by the display unit; and an orientation-instruction acquiring unit that acquires an instruction to specify an orientation of display by the display unit or an orientation of the function layout of the operation unit.

Abstract: A thermal flowmeter includes: a first thermal resistive element disposed on a pipe and sensing a first temperature of a fluid; a second thermal resistive element disposed on the pipe downstream relative to the first thermal resistive element and sensing a second temperature thereof; a control unit causing the second thermal resistive element to generate heat so that the second temperature is kept higher than the first temperature by a predetermined value; a power measurement unit measuring a power supplied to the second thermal resistive element; a temperature difference gradient calculation unit calculating a gradient of a difference between the second and first temperatures; a power compensation unit compensating the measured power based on the gradient of the difference and a value of the power when no fluid is in the pipe; and a flow rate calculation unit calculating a flow rate of the fluid based on the compensated power.

Abstract: An electromagnetic flow meter includes a measurement tube, an excitation coil, an excitation current supplying unit supplying an excitation current with an excitation frequency fex to the excitation coil, a pair of electrodes disposed inside the measurement tube, a measuring unit measuring a flow based on an emf that arises between the electrodes, a first A/D converting unit that converts the emf to a digital signal, a sampling unit sampling the digital signal, a noise evaluation value calculating unit, based on at least the sample data sampled by the sampling unit, calculating as a noise evaluation value the magnitude of the impact of a noise component owing to adherence of foreign matter to the electrodes upon the measurement of the flow, and an electrode scaling diagnosing unit determining an electrode foreign matter adherence state by comparing the noise evaluation value and a predetermined diagnostic threshold value.

Abstract: A thermal type flowmeter includes a sensor, a correcting unit, and a flow-rate calculating unit. The sensor outputs a sensor value (first value) corresponding to the state of thermal if fusion in a fluid heated by a heater which is being driven in such a manner that the difference between the temperature of the heater and the temperature of the fluid at a location free from thermal influence of the heater is equal to a predetermined temperature difference. The correcting unit calculates a corrected sensor value (second value) by correcting the sensor value output by the sensor, in accordance with the temperature of the fluid, and outputs the corrected sensor value. The flow-rate calculating unit calculates the flow rate of the fluid from the corrected sensor value calculated by the correcting unit.

Abstract: A sensor unit includes a heater that heats a measurement target fluid, and outputs a sensor value that corresponds to a thermal diffusion state of the fluid heated by the heater when the heater is driven so that a difference between a temperature of the heater and a temperature of the fluid at a position where there is no thermal effect of the heater is to be equal to a set temperature difference. A processing unit calculates an estimated value obtained by multiplying the sensor value by a value obtained by dividing the set temperature difference by a difference between the temperature of the heater and a measured temperature of the fluid. A flow rate calculation unit calculates a flow rate of the fluid from the estimated value.

Abstract: A thermal flowmeter includes: a first thermal resistive element disposed on a pipe and sensing a first temperature of a fluid; a second thermal resistive element disposed on the pipe downstream relative to the first thermal resistive element and sensing a second temperature thereof; a control unit causing the second thermal resistive element to generate heat so that the second temperature is kept higher than the first temperature by a predetermined value; a power measurement unit measuring a power supplied to the second thermal resistive element; a temperature difference gradient calculation unit calculating a gradient of a difference between the second and first temperatures; a power compensation unit compensating the measured power based on the gradient of the difference and a value of the power when no fluid is in the pipe; and a flow rate calculation unit calculating a flow rate of the fluid based on the compensated power.

Abstract: A thermal flowmeter includes a first thermal resistance element that detects a first temperature of a fluid, a second thermal resistance element disposed downstream to detect a second temperature of the fluid, a control unit that causes the second thermal resistance element to heat to make the second temperature higher than the first temperature by a fixed value, a power measurement unit that measures a power applied to the second thermal resistance element, a power conversion unit that multiplies the power measured by the power measurement unit, by a constant uniquely determined depending on the fluid, thereby converting the power to a power required when the fluid is water, and a flow rate calculation unit that calculates a flow rate of the fluid, by converting the power converted by the power conversion unit to a value of the flow rate, using a flow rate conversion characteristic formula applicable to water.

Abstract: A magnetic excitation circuit is used as a circuit for providing a magnetic excitation electric current based on a magnetic excitation power supply voltage to a magnetic excitation coil of an electromagnetic flow meter. The magnetic excitation circuit includes four voltage storing circuits that store and output a driving voltage that is charged by a common driving voltage. The voltage storing circuits are connected respectively between the control terminals and the output terminals of four switching elements. When the four switching elements are turned ON in relation to a positive interval or a negative interval, the four switching elements operate by the driving voltages that are outputted from the respective voltage storing circuits.

Abstract: In a signal amplifying circuit, a flow rate signal, inputted between flow rate signal input terminals of a connector, is inputted into one input terminal and the other input terminal of an instrumentation amplifier through resistive elements and subjected to differential amplification. The amplified output signal thereof is outputted to a sample hold circuit through a coupling capacitor. The flow rate signals, inputted between the flow rate signal input terminals, are buffered by buffer amplifiers, and output signals thereof are outputted to a fault detecting circuit. An interconnection, which connects one of the flow rate signal input terminals and a non-inverting input terminal of one of the buffer amplifiers, is guarded by a guard ring pattern. An interconnection, which connects the other one of the flow rate signal input terminals and a non-inverting input terminal of the other one of the buffer amplifiers, is guarded by another guard ring pattern.

Abstract: In a signal amplifying circuit, a flow rate signal, inputted between flow rate signal input terminals of a connector, is inputted into one input terminal and the other input terminal of an instrumentation amplifier through resistive elements and subjected to differential amplification. The amplified output signal thereof is outputted to a sample hold circuit through a coupling capacitor. The flow rate signals, inputted between the flow rate signal input terminals, are buffered by buffer amplifiers, and output signals thereof are outputted to a fault detecting circuit. An interconnection, which connects one of the flow rate signal input terminals and a non-inverting input terminal of one of the buffer amplifiers, is guarded by a guard ring pattern. An interconnection, which connects the other one of the flow rate signal input terminals and a non-inverting input terminal of the other one of the buffer amplifiers, is guarded by another guard ring pattern.

Abstract: A magnetic excitation circuit is used as a circuit for providing a magnetic excitation electric current based on a magnetic excitation power supply voltage to a magnetic excitation coil of an electromagnetic flow meter. The magnetic excitation circuit includes four voltage storing circuits that store and output a driving voltage that is charged by a common driving voltage. The voltage storing circuits are connected respectively between the control terminals and the output terminals of four switching elements. When the four switching elements are turned ON in relation to a positive interval or a negative interval, the four switching elements operate by the driving voltages that are outputted from the respective voltage storing circuits.

Abstract: An electromagnetic flow meter includes a measurement tube, an excitation coil, an excitation current supplying unit supplying an excitation current with an excitation frequency fex to the excitation coil, a pair of electrodes disposed inside the measurement tube, a measuring unit measuring a flow based on an emf that arises between the electrodes, a first A/D converting unit that converts the emf to a digital signal, a sampling unit sampling the digital signal, a noise evaluation value calculating unit, based on at least the sample data sampled by the sampling unit, calculating as a noise evaluation value the magnitude of the impact of a noise component owing to adherence of foreign matter to the electrodes upon the measurement of the flow, and an electrode scaling diagnosing unit determining an electrode foreign matter adherence state by comparing the noise evaluation value and a predetermined diagnostic threshold value.

Abstract: To provide a gas sensor chip, and a gas sensor provided therewith, capable of producing stable output characteristics over an extended period of time even when installed in a harsh environment such as a boiler smokestack carrying exhaust gasses. There is a backside structure wherein a catalyst carrier that contacts a gas to be measured is disposed on one side of a thermal conductor, a temperature sensing portion is disposed in a location that does not contact the gas to be measured, on the other side of the thermal conductor, and the temperature sensing portion measures the temperature corresponding to the temperature of the catalyst carrier through the thermal conductor, to enable the sensing of the amount of flow over an extended period of time without the temperature sensing portion being negatively affected by the gas to be measured.

Abstract: To provide a gas sensor chip, and a gas sensor provided therewith, capable of producing stable output characteristics over an extended period of time even when installed in a harsh environment such as a boiler smokestack carrying exhaust gasses. There is a backside structure wherein a catalyst carrier that contacts a gas to be measured is disposed on one side of a thermal conductor, a temperature sensing portion is disposed in a location that does not contact the gas to be measured, on the other side of the thermal conductor, and the temperature sensing portion measures the temperature corresponding to the temperature of the catalyst carrier through the thermal conductor, to enable the sensing of the amount of flow over an extended period of time without the temperature sensing portion being negatively affected by the gas to be measured.