CO2 sensor improves building air quality

Infineon Technologies AG has introduced its new XENSIV PAS CO2 5-V sensor. Based on photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) technology, the CO₂ sensor improves building energy efficiency and reduces the carbon footprint by adapting ventilation to actual occupancy. Applications include HVAC systems, building room controller and thermostat units, and IoT and consumer devices such as smart lighting, air purifiers, conferencing systems, smart speakers and a variety of other emerging applications.

Poor building ventilation results in lower oxygen levels and a build-up of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and even moderate CO₂ levels have a negative impact on health and productivity. There is a growing demand for smart indoor air quality sensors that can “smell” rising levels of CO₂ and alert the user or trigger a system response.

(Source: Infineon Technologies AG)

All major components of the XENSIV PAS CO2 5-V sensor are developed in-house, including a dedicated microcontroller (MCU) that runs advanced compensation algorithms for direct ppm readouts of real CO₂ levels. It provides accurate air quality data in real time and its form factor of 14 × 13.8 × 7.5 mm³ is the same size of the XENSIV PAS CO2 12-V sensor to easily adopt dual designs or maintain the same design strategy for both variants.

The sensor’s response time of 55 seconds is down from 90 seconds in the 12-V version for greater efficiency across various applications, faster data acquisition and more responsive performance in dynamic environments. UART, I²C and PWM interfaces enable seamless integration with MCUs and other digital systems, simplifying the design and development process. The sensor includes a dedicated automatic baseline offset calibration (ABOC), pressure compensation, signal alarm, sample rate and early measurement notification for power consumption management.

The XENSIV PAS CO2 5 V is currently available. The SMD package, delivered in tape and reel, allows for easy assembly, even when used in high-speed, high-volume manufacturing. The 5-V version comes with a 5-V power supply, simplifying installation. Its dust-proof design meets ISO 20653:2013-02 requirements and it meets the performance criteria of the international WELL Green Building Standard.