Methods, apparatuses, and systems for detecting catalytic pellistor poisoning of a gas sensing apparatus including a resistor, a detector, and a compensator are provided. The method includes sampling a voltage reading of the resistor, calculating an electric current value of a gas sensing apparatus circuit based on the sampled voltage reading of the resistor, sampling voltage readings associated with the detector and the compensator for a duration of time, calculating resistance values of the detector and resistance values of the compensator based on the sampled voltage readings from the detector and the compensator, comparing the resistance values of the detector with the resistance values of the compensator, and identifying poisoning of the gas sensing apparatus based on the comparison.

A sensor device, a method for operating a sensor device and an electronic assembly comprising a sensor device are disclosed. In an embodiment a sensor device includes a first sensor unit and a second sensor unit in a common housing, wherein each of the first and second sensor units comprises a heater element and a temperature sensor element, wherein the housing comprises a cover element having an opening, the cover element covering the first sensor unit, and wherein the opening is arranged over the second sensor unit.

A heat meander is disclosed. In an embodiment a heater meander includes a meander structure, wherein central meander lines of the meander structure are thicker than meander lines in an outer area of the meander structure.

A heat meander is disclosed. In an embodiment a heater meander includes a meander structure, wherein central meander lines of the meander structure are thicker than meander lines in an outer area of the meander structure.

A method of reducing power consumption in portable devices includes providing a sensor producing a sensing signal indicative of sensed entity and powering the sensor. Powering the sensor includes providing a first power value for a first time interval, providing a second power value for a second time interval, the second power value being different from the first power value, and discontinuing powering for a third time interval.

A gas sensor includes a first sensor part that can detect the concentration of the mixture of a first gas and a second gas, a second sensor part having higher detection sensitivity with respect to the second gas than with respect to the first gas, and a signal processing circuit that subtracts the concentration of the second gas detected by the second sensor part from the mixture concentration detected by the first sensor part to derive the concentration of the first gas. The concentration of the second gas detected by the second sensor part is subtracted from the concentration of the mixture concentration detected by the first sensor part, so that it is possible to cancel the influence of the second gas which is miscellaneous gas to thereby work out a correct value of concentration of the first gas to be detected.

A gas sensor includes a first sensor part that can detect the concentration of the mixture of a first gas and a second gas, a second sensor part having higher detection sensitivity with respect to the second gas than with respect to the first gas, and a signal processing circuit that subtracts the concentration of the second gas detected by the second sensor part from the mixture concentration detected by the first sensor part to derive the concentration of the first gas. The concentration of the second gas detected by the second sensor part is subtracted from the concentration of the mixture concentration detected by the first sensor part, so that it is possible to cancel the influence of the second gas which is miscellaneous gas to thereby work out a correct value of concentration of the first gas to be detected.

A particulate matter sensor includes a first sensing electrode and a second sensing electrode spaced away from the first sensing electrode such that an electrode gap is formed between the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode upon which particulate matter is collected, thereby changing conductance between the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode. An ionic conductive material is in electrical communication with the first sensing electrode and the second sensing electrode.

Ultrasensitive, decoupled thermodynamic sensing platforms for the molecular-level detection of target analytes are disclosed, wherein the sensors have a heating resistor decoupled from a sensing resistor. Embodiments of the decoupled sensor comprise a metallic microheater resistor on one side of substrate, and a sensor resistor coupled to a catalyst on the other side of the substrate. A sensor array may be provided including a plurality of sensors each having a different catalyst that, when exposed to an analyte, each experience an endothermic reaction, an exothermic reaction, or no reaction. A comparison of the reaction results to data comprising previously obtained reaction results may be used to determine the presence and the identity of the analyte. Advantageously, the decoupled sensors utilize less power and provide greater sensitivity than other-known systems, and may be used to detect and identify a single molecule of an analyte.

In an embodiment a sensor system includes a first sensor having a first thermistor configured to sense a change in heat flow and a first heater configured to heat the first thermistor and a second sensor having a second thermistor configured to sense a change in heat flow and a second heater configured to heat the second thermistor, wherein a heat conduction path between the first heater and the first thermistor has a higher thermal conductivity than a heat conduction path between the second heater and the second thermistor.