TDK introduces revolutionary MEMS-based CO2 gas sensor platform

Written by Glyn High Tech

January 22, 2021

TDK Corporation recently announced the InvenSense TCE-11101, a miniaturized ultra-low power MEMS gas sensor platform for direct and accurate detection of CO2 in home, automotive, IoT, healthcare, and other applications. The TCE-11101 introduces new technology that expands TDK’s sensor leadership into new applications and solutions, as part of the new SmartEnviroTM family. Its small size and low power enable consumer and commercial devices of all form factors that do not need to be wall-powered. The TCE-11101 is housed in a 5 mm x 5 mm x 1 mm 28-pin LGA package and requires minimal external components to complete the design.

Currently available gas sensors use bulky, power-intensive, and expensive optical techniques; or an intrinsically inaccurate “eCO2” approach. TDK’s TCE-11101 is based on a ground-breaking technology platform made possible by TDK’s unique combination of novel materials development, MEMS process technologies, and AI and machine learning capabilities, delivering a solution that is orders of magnitude smaller than traditional sensors, consumes less than 1mW of power, and provides accurate measurement of CO2 gas concentration.

The TCE-11101 significantly expands the use cases for CO2 detection in a wide variety of new and existing applications where traditional sensors fail due to size and power concerns or simply the economics of their usage, while “eCO2” solutions fail to provide the required performance. For example, the TCE-11101 is ideal for applications such as fixed or robotic indoor air quality monitoring due to its ability to provide accurate CO2 readings, doing so at extremely low power, in a very small form factor, and in a low cost, easy-to-integrate digital device. Further, in applications such as Demand Controlled Ventilation (DCV), the TCE-11101 allows granular control of a HVAC system by accurately measuring CO2 levels that precisely indicate occupancy in a room or given space – information which can be used to optimize energy consumption for HVAC in Smart Buildings or Smart Homes.

Features and benefits of the SmartEnviro products include:

  • Ultra-low power
  • Direct CO2 sensing
  • Digital interface (I2C)
  • Miniaturized form factor
  • Technology that offers very wide sensing range (400 ppm to 50,000ppm)
  • Integrated solution with on-board programmability via 16-bit microcontroller
  • Background calibration for long-term stability
  • RoHS and Green compliant

“In addition to IoT consumer solutions, the TCE-11101 enables a wide range of health and commercial applications such as leakage detection, while also ensuring high accuracy,” said Dr. Sreeni Rao, Senior Director, Emerging Business, InvenSense, a TDK Group Company. “Furthermore, easy integration and programmability help simplify final system design and deployment.”

The gas sensor platform solution includes:

  • TCE-11101
    • The TCE-11101 is a 5 mm x 5 mm x 1 mm 28-pin LGA package, with a metal cap and integrated particle ingress filter to ensure long life operation. It includes an ASIC that provides automatic calibration, reporting, and a serial interface for data output and configuration, making it incredibly easy to integrate into nearly any application, with the low power consumption enabling its use in battery-powered devices.
  • DK-11101
    • TDK offers a comprehensive evaluation kit with supporting software so developers can quickly evaluate the TCE-11101 and integrate it into their next design.

Interested? Email us at sales@glyn.com.au

Information extracted from invensense.tdk.com (link)

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