SAW multisensor for a PCMCIA environmental data card

Chemical sensors for gases like NO/sub 2/, NH/sub 3/, SO/sub 2/, CO/sub 2/ sensitive in a wide range are necessary for monitoring of environmental data. SAW chemical sensors exploiting the mass loading effect offer an excellent opportunity to detect gases and vapors within the required concentration range. In this contribution a multisensor device is presented that consists of a PCMCIA card internationally standardized and a system of up to 4 SAW microsensors placed within an air sampling box on the card. This offers a low-cost solution for mobile environmental gas monitoring at highly loaded and exposed places. Single sensor device preparation, experimental setup for testing SAW gas sensors and an ASIC for device control as well as for signal processing has been developed. Results of NO/sub 2/ gas sensor measurements are presented.