Sensorelement

A sensorelement, or sensor element, is the core part of a sensor that directly converts a physical quantity into a measurable signal. It is the sensing portion of the device and responds to the quantity of interest, such as temperature, pressure, light, or chemical concentration. The sensorelement is typically complemented by transducers, signal conditioning, and electronics that convert the raw signal into a usable output.

Common sensorelement types include thermoelectric elements (thermocouples) and resistive elements (RTDs and thermistors) for temperature, piezoresistive or capacitive elements for pressure, photodiodes or phototransistors for light, and electrochemical or optical elements for chemical sensing. Magnetic, acoustic, and humidity sensing also rely on dedicated sensorelements. Each element is designed to have specific sensitivity, range, and response characteristics suitable for its intended application.

Key performance properties of a sensorelement include sensitivity, linearity, resolution, response time, hysteresis, and drift, as well as temperature dependence and long-term stability. Design choices balance accuracy, speed, size, power consumption, and robustness in the intended environment. Calibration is often required to relate the element signal to the physical quantity, especially when changes in temperature or other conditions affect the response.

In practice, the sensorelement is part of a larger sensor assembly that may include protection, packaging, and signal processing circuitry. In modern devices, sensorelements are frequently fabricated using MEMS technology or other microfabrication methods to achieve small size and integrated functionality.