MTP60-A: Carbon dioxide (CO2) gas detection technology and performance analysis

1. Introduction to Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a colorless, tasteless, and odorless gas with a density of about 1.5 times that of air and stable chemical properties at room temperature. As one of the components of the atmosphere (accounting for about 0.04%), CO2 is a key link in the natural carbon cycle and an important greenhouse gas, playing an important role in regulating the earth's climate.

In the human living environment, CO2 concentration directly affects indoor air quality: when enclosed spaces (such as offices, classrooms, and cars) are not adequately ventilated, human breathing will cause CO2 concentration to increase (normal range is about 400-1000ppm); if the concentration exceeds 1500ppm, it may cause dizziness, decreased attention and other discomforts; long-term exposure to high concentrations (>5000ppm) may pose a potential threat to health. Therefore, real-time monitoring of CO2 concentration is crucial to ensuring indoor environmental safety.

2. Application scenarios of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas monitoring

With the popularization of the concepts of "healthy home" and "smart environment", CO2 monitoring technology has been deeply integrated into our daily scenarios:

Air purification equipment: Link purifiers to dynamically adjust wind speed according to CO2 concentration to balance purification efficiency and energy consumption;

Fresh air system: Real-time perception of CO2 concentration, intelligent start and stop of fresh air devices to avoid "ineffective ventilation";

Smart home: Collaborate with air conditioners, humidifiers and other equipment to create a "breathing" living space;

In-car environment: Monitor CO2 levels in closed compartments to prevent driving fatigue and protect driving safety;

Commercial scenarios: Used for air quality assessment in public spaces such as shopping malls and classrooms to assist in health management.

In these scenarios, the performance of the sensor directly determines the "perception" of the system.

3. Principle of carbon dioxide (CO2) detection technology

The current mainstream CO2 detection technologies in the market include non-dispersive infrared (NDIR), electrochemistry, semiconductors, etc. The technical advantages are compared as follows:

 By comparison, it can be seen that although electrochemical and semiconductor technologies are low-cost, they have defects such as short life and poor stability. NDIR technology (non-dispersive infrared) detects the absorption characteristics of CO2 in specific infrared bands, and has the advantages of high measurement accuracy, strong anti-interference ability, and long life. It is the preferred solution for CO2 concentration detection.

4. Advantages of MTP60-A CO2 Sensor

The MTP60-A from MFrontier is a single-channel CO2 sensor based on NDIR technology. It is optimized for indoor environment monitoring needs. Its core advantages are as follows:

Long-term stability advantage :  the stability of NDIR sensors basically depends on the light source. When there is no abnormality in the light source, the long-term stability of NDIR is extremely excellent compared to other types of gas sensors.

Wide measurement concentration range : the working principle of the NDIR sensor is to detect the infrared energy size of the characteristic infrared absorption band of the measured gas. Its signal characteristics are: when there is no measured gas, the signal intensity is the largest, and the higher the concentration, the smaller the signal. The measured concentration can reach 10000PPM.

Built-in "dual calibration system" : the default self-calibration is once every 7 days (adjustable cycle), which automatically corrects long-term drift; supports manual calibration, and users can quickly adjust the accuracy according to their needs. Even if there are fluctuations in transportation, installation and other links, it can quickly restore to the best state.

Low power consumption + multiple interfaces, no pressure to adapt : the average working current is only 20mA, supporting 4.2V-5.5V wide voltage power supply, adapting to batteries or low-voltage devices; providing three output interfaces of UART, IIC, and PWM, compatible with various main control chips (MCU), and more flexible development and docking.

Anti-interference + high reliability, strong environmental adaptability :  verified by 8 reliability tests such as high temperature and high humidity storage, high and low temperature shock, simulated transportation vibration, etc., it can still work stably in -20℃~60℃, 0-90%RH (non-condensing) environment, and still performs well under harsh conditions.

4. MTP60-A CO2 sensor performance parameters

Customers who need MTP60-A carbon dioxide sensor, please contact us for more product details and jointly promote the application and development of intelligent environmental monitoring technology!