System and method for sensing and analyzing gases
First Claim
1. A device for converting the resistances of an array of N number of metal oxide sensors into digital signals, wherein the sensors respond to the concentration of gases surrounding the sensor array, comprising(a) an electronic excitation source that provides an excitation voltage to each sensor and to a reference resistor associated with that sensor;
- (b) an operational amplifier pair associated with each sensor/resistor pair to output to a comparator pair signals related to the resistance of the sensor and of the resistor; and
(c) a microcontroller having multiple inputs that receives on an input pair signals that are output by a comparator pair, wherein the microcontroller measures as a digital signal the time required for each comparator to change state after a trigger signal.
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a device and method for converting the resistances of an array of metal oxide sensors into digital signals, wherein the sensors respond to the concentration of gases surrounding the sensor array. The device includes an electronic excitation device that provides an excitation voltage to the sensors; analog-to-digital signal conversion devices that convert the resistances of the sensors to digital signals; and means for calculating gas concentrations from the digital signals.
30 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A device for converting the resistances of an array of N number of metal oxide sensors into digital signals, wherein the sensors respond to the concentration of gases surrounding the sensor array, comprising
(a) an electronic excitation source that provides an excitation voltage to each sensor and to a reference resistor associated with that sensor; -
(b) an operational amplifier pair associated with each sensor/resistor pair to output to a comparator pair signals related to the resistance of the sensor and of the resistor; and (c) a microcontroller having multiple inputs that receives on an input pair signals that are output by a comparator pair, wherein the microcontroller measures as a digital signal the time required for each comparator to change state after a trigger signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 27, 28, 29)
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14. A method for converting the resistances of an array of metal oxide sensors into digital signals, wherein the sensors respond to the concentration of gases surrounding the sensor array, comprising
(a) performing an electronic excitation voltage to each sensor and to a reference resistor associated with that sensor; -
(b) outputting from an operational amplifier pair associated with each sensor/resistor pair to a comparator pair signals related to the resistance of the sensor and of the resistor; and (c) receiving on an input pair of a microcontroller having multiple inputs signals as output by a comparator pair, wherein the microcontroller measures as a digital signal the time required for each comparator to change state after a trigger signal. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30)
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Specification