Re: [sensors] Naming of derivative sensors are very inconsistent

> Multiple sensors are ambient, so when should we prefix Ambient or 
not.

I would say _never_. Ambient Light Sensor (often appearing as ALS) is 
not the technically correct name for a device that measures light in 
the immediate area. "Ambient Light Sensor" is a layman's term used in 
product descriptions and marketing materials to describe a luxmeter 
(because, unless you know what lux is, it might not be immediately 
clear what a lux meter is).

> Some use more human readable names (AmbientLightSensor), some don't 
(Accelerometer).

How is "Accelerometer" not human readable? How else would an 
accelerometer sensor be named, to be "more" human readable? As noted 
above, "Ambient Light Sensor" is product description, not a scientific
 tool for measurement. "Triaxial Orthogonal Movement Sensor"? Naw, an 
accelerometer is always just an accelerometer.




>  Hygrometer[Sensor] vs Hygrostat[Sensor]

These are not the same thing and absolutely **must** not be treated as
 such. 

- Hygrometer measures the humidity of a space
- Hygrostat or humidistat regulates the humidity of a space

The sensor is the hygrometer. A hygrostat/humidistat will itself 
contain a hygrometer, for the purpose of monitoring humidity. 


>  Thermometer[Sensor] vs Thermostat[Sensor]

Analogous to "Hygrometer[Sensor] vs Hygrostat[Sensor]".


> Barometer[Sensor] vs BarometricSensor

The sensor is a barometer. The type of pressure it measures is 
"barometric pressure", which is another term for "atmospheric 
pressure"


> AmbientLightSensor vs Photodetector


These aren't "vs": an "ambient light sensor" is type of sensor that 
incorporates a photodetector. Photodetectors represent a "group of 
groups" of various things that are photo-sensory. Another way to think
 about it is: an ambient light sensor can be constructed from a 
photoresistor (or phototransistor, or photodiode), which is a type of 
photodetector. An ambient light sensor would not be constructed from 
photovoltaic solar cells, but those are also considered 
photodetectors. 

The sensor is a lux-meter, which measures visible light level (or 
illuminance) in lux\*, for the immediate surrounding area. (\* Lux 
represents illuminance in a specific area: 1 lux =  1 lumen / 
m<sup>2</sup>).



-- 
GitHub Notification of comment by rwaldron
Please view or discuss this issue at 
https://github.com/w3c/sensors/issues/131#issuecomment-248083910 using
 your GitHub account

Received on Monday, 19 September 2016 18:43:59 UTC