Increasingly efficient building insulation can help to mitigate the effects of climate change, but heavily insulated buildings are not always good for human health.
Poor ventilation can result in lower oxygen levels and a build-up of carbon dioxide (CO2). Even moderate levels of CO2 can have a negative impact on health and productivity.
Even at 1000ppm, people begin to experience drowsiness and have difficulty concentrating.
Consequently, CO2 sensor module manufacturers are facing a growing demand for smart indoor air quality sensors that can “smell” rising levels of CO2 and either alert the user or trigger a system response.
Smart home CO2 sensors enable real-time CO2 monitoring for demand-controlled ventilation systems, air purifiers, and thermostats while allowing users to accurately measure and adjust indoor air quality.
With the recent pandemic, awareness of indoor air quality is rising, making accurate, affordable monitoring solutions such as the XENSIV PAS CO2 sensor more important than ever.
Research shows a correlation exists between the concentration of CO2 and aerosols, one of the transmission pathways of viruses (like COVID-19 or influenza). Therefore, measuring CO2 levels indoors can help manage the risk of virus transmission.
Widespread adoption of CO2 sensors has so far been hampered by size, performance, and cost constraints. T
The XENSIV PAS CO2 sensor from Infineon leverages photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) technology to provide an exceptionally small, real CO2 sensor, overcoming the challenges of existing carbon dioxide gas detectors.
Its small form factor in SMD (Surface Mounted Device) package allows for smooth high-volume assembly and easy system integration.
The unique CO2 sensor intuitively understands its environment, using disruptive and highly accurate CO2 sensor technology when measuring carbon dioxide detector levels.
As a global leader in sensor technology, Infineon has developed a CO2 sensor chip that provides accurate, real-time CO2 measurement thanks to superior MEMS technology.
The MEMS-based CO2 sensor uses Infineon’s MEMS microphone which acts as a pressure sensor and is optimized for low frequency operation. The XENSIV PAS CO2 sensor module integrates a PAS transducer, a microcontroller, and a MOSFET on the PCB.
There are three CO2 sensor types including PAS (photoacoustic spectroscopy) CO2 sensors, NDIR (non-dispersive infrared) CO2 sensors, and EC (electrochemical) CO2 sensors.
Infineon’s XENSIV PAS CO2 sensor matches the performance of NDIR and EC CO2 sensors, while being more affordable and compact, making it the ideal solution for smart home and building automation applications.
Along with size and cost advantages, the sensor delivers superior accuracy, providing a direct readout of the real CO2 level, not simply a correlation.
CO2 measurement and monitoring of indoor air quality, allows users to take control of their environmental conditions and experience improvements in health, productivity, and overall well-being.