Sensor ICs

There are a wide variety of temperature sensor ICs that are available to simplify the broadest possible range of temperature monitoring challenges. These silicon temperature sensors differ significantly from the above mentioned types in a couple of important ways. The first is operating temperature range. A temperature sensor IC can operate over the nominal IC temperature range of -55°C to +150°C. The second major difference is functionality.

A silicon temperature sensor is an integrated circuit, and can therefore include extensive signal processing circuitry within the same package as the sensor. There is no need to add compensation circuits for temperature sensor Ics. Some of these are analogue circuits with either voltage or current output. Others combine analogue-sensing circuits with voltage comparators to provide alert functions. Some other sensor ICs combine analogue-sensing circuitry with digital input/output and control registers, making them an ideal solution for microprocessor-based systems.

Digital output sensor usually contains a temperature sensor, analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a two-wire digital interface and registers for controlling the IC’s operation. Temperature is continuously measured and can be read at any time. If desired, the host processor can instruct the sensor to monitor temperature and take an output pin high (or low) if temperature exceeds a programmed limit. Lower threshold temperature can also be programmed and the host can be notified when temperature has dropped below this threshold. Thus, digital output sensor can be used for reliable temperature monitoring in microprocessor-based systems.

Above temperature sensor has three terminals and required Maximum of 5.5 V supply. This type of sensor consists of a material that performs the operation according to temperature to vary the resistance. This change of resistance is sensed by circuit and it calculates temperature. When the voltage increases then the temperature also rises. We can see this operation by using a diode.

Temperature sensors directly connected to microprocessor input and thus capable of direct and reliable communication with microprocessors. The sensor unit can communicate effectively with low-cost processors without the need of A/D converters.

The temperature sensors have well known applications in environmental and process control and also in test, measurement and communications. A digital temperature is a sensor, which provides 9-bit temperature readings. Digital temperature sensors offer excellent precise accuracy, these are designed to read from 0°C to 70°C and it is possible to achieve ±0.5°C accuracy. These sensors completely aligned with digital temperature readings in degree Celsius.

Digital Temperature Sensors : Digital temperature sensors eliminate the necessity for extra components, such as an A/D converter, within the application and there is no need to calibrate components or the system at specific reference temperatures as needed when utilizing thermistors. Digital temperature sensors deal with everything, empowering the basic system temperature monitoring function to be simplified.

The advantages of a digital temperature sensor are principally with its precision output in degrees Celsius. The sensor output is a balanced digital reading. This intends no other components, such as an analogue to digital converter and much simpler to use than, a simple thermistor which provides a non-linear resistance with temperature variation.