Design of a hybrid modular sensor system for gas and odor analysis

We present a new very flexible design of a sensor system for gas and odor analysis, which may easily be optimized for specific applications. The core part contains a digital bus system that connects individual sensor modules with a central processor. By using dedicated microcontrollers onboard the modules it is possible to use any kind of transduction principles (“hybrid system”), with typical numbers of individual sensor elements for each transducer of the order of 8, as well as actuators. The measured sensor parameters are transmitted via a standard protocol on the digital bus system, hence all types of modules are interchangeable. This allows an easy adaption of new technologies to new applications. The specifications of the interface are available to developers and researchers, thus offering them the possibility to introduce their own specific technologies for certain applications. The system allows one to combine self made sensors with a growing range of other available technologies and can thus be used as a benchmarking tool