Renesas introduces a new CO₂ sensor based on a thermopile

     Renesas Electronics has expanded its portfolio of environmental sensors with the introduction of the first thermopile-based detector product family that integrates optical filters for optical (NDIR) CO2 sensors. The four new single-channel and dual-channel CO2 gas simulation detectors are packaged in TO-5 and offer superior performance, quality and service life, making them ideal for a wide range of industrial, medical and iot applications that require high reliability and precision under high operating conditions.

     CO2 levels are a major component of indoor air quality (IAQ) detection, and thermopile based detectors are key to sensing solutions required for applications such as HVAC control, air quality monitoring, and CO2 analyzers in surgical equipment and ventilator systems. Renesas' new detectors provide fast response (with a time constant range of 18-25ms) and a high signal-to-noise ratio of 1,981-4,953 to meet the accuracy requirements of high-reliability mission-critical applications. The equipment is certified for use in high-temperature environments and supports operation in a temperature range of up to 125°C.

     The new thermopile based detector expands Renesas' current portfolio of environmental sensors for air quality detection. Customers can combine the new detector based CO2 sensors with a variety of Renesas sensors, such as the popular ZMOD4410 IAQ platform, which has embedded AI and IP67-rated packaging, and/or HS3001 high-performance, high-precision relative humidity and temperature sensors. In combination with Renesas microcontrollers (MCUS), customers are able to create complete environmental sensing solutions for medical or industrial applications.

     Uwe Guenther, Senior Director, Sensor Solutions, Renesas Electronics iot and Infrastructure Business Unit, said: "In a world where people spend more and more time indoors, many homes, healthcare, education and workplaces are adopting HVAC systems and equipment with sensitive detection capabilities to ensure a healthy level of CO2 in the environment. Renesas' new thermo detector family supports the development of high-performance CO2 sensors that allow manufacturers of HVAC systems and other medical and industrial applications to meet changing CO2 detection requirements at an affordable price, providing real-time feedback for these mission-critical applications while maintaining high accuracy and reliability."