Sensirion, a company specializing in digital microsensors and systems, will introduce the new, advanced multi-pixel gas sensor and barometric pressure sensor at the 2015 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Both sensors, which are touted to be the smallest and most accurate products in the world, are designed to measure indoor air quality (IAQ) , barometric air pressure and gases in a person’s breath. They can also be used in indoor navigation applications.
These latest sensors complement Sensirion’s product portfolio for tablets, smartphones, wearables and the Internet of Things (IoT), and reinforces the company’s status as the only manufacturer to provide a complete solution from sensor to cloud. Sensirion has developed temperature and humidity sensors that are already established in the market, and is now expanding its series of environmental sensors to include pressure and gas sensors.
The novel gas sensor is the first of its kind built on multi-pixel technology. This enables the sensor to sense its surroundings by means of various receptors that, with the aid of advanced pattern recognition and smart algorithms, are capable of detecting the concentration and type of gases. With this kind of flexibility, a single sensor is sufficient to detect and differentiate between different types of gases. In fact, the Sensirion multi-pixel gas sensor can be incorporated anywhere as it measures just 2.45 × 2.45 × 0.75mm in size. This small form factor will allow mobile devices to perceive their surroundings in a way that was not possible before, for instance, to detect smells, determine the IAQ, and measure the alcohol content of a person’s breath.
In addition to the gas sensor, Sensirion is introducing an innovative barometric pressure sensor that delivers unparalleled relative precision and is able to detect altitude variations down to ±1 Pa, which is equal to the height of one step on a stairway. With this high level of accuracy, the latest pressure sensor sets a new benchmark in indoor navigation. This sensor is also small and measures only 1.4 × 1.0 × 0.6mm in dimension, making it suitable for use in a wide range of applications.
Barometric pressure sensor
The Sensirion SHTW1 sensor has already been established on the market and continues to be the only humidity and temperature sensor built on wafer-level chip-scale packaging technology. On account of this process, the casing of the sensor is no bigger than the CMOSens® chip itself (1.3 × 0.7 × 0.5mm), and hence is extremely compact.
In addition to its compact size, the sensor consumes a minimum amount of energy, thus allowing it to meet the rigorous standards of the consumer electronics industry.
This compact humidity and temperature sensor will be available on an industrial scale from April 2015 onwards.
The compact size coupled with low energy consumption of all Sensirion sensors make them perfect for use in tablets, smartphones, wearables and various other IoT applications.
The individual sensors are very small and hence can be positioned accurately where they are required.
For instance, if humidity and gas sensors are used to sense the surroundings, they must be integrated close to the casing so that they remain in contact with the ambient air.
At present we are the only company to offer a complete solution, thanks to our many years of experience in sensor technology and consumer products. This means we are a one-stop shop: we provide support in integrating sensors, we supply drivers and software, we take responsibility for all aspects of algorithm-based signal processing, and can even take charge of the further processing of the data in the cloud.
Andrea Orzati, Vice President Mobile & Consumer Business at Sensirion
Visit Sensirion at the 2015 Mobile World Congress, Hall 5, Booth 5D70, to learn more about Sensirion’s new environmental sensors and complete solution.
About Sensirion Inc.
Sensirion is a leading Swiss high-tech company. They develops and produces high-quality sensor components and systems for a variety of OEM applications. Sensirion has established itself in the global market: our sensors are used by the millions in the medical field, in process automation, and in the automotive, HVAC and consumer goods industries. Sensirion owes its success to its unique and innovative CMOSens Technology. This technology integrates sensor elements and evaluation circuitry within a single semiconductor chip. They develope and produces the sensor components are:
- Humidity Sensors
- Liquid Flow Sensors
- Gas Flow Sensor Solutions
- Differential Pressure Sensors.
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Sensirion Inc.
For more information on this source, please visit Sensirion Inc.