Besides single element sensors in various packages from SMD to small TO-46 and TO-39, we also produce sensors with two or four elements for gas concentration measurements.
All TO-packaged sensors can be equipped with a lens to reduce the field of view (FOV) to measure from larger distances or to provide a smaller measurement spot for more accurate temperature detection.
The HCS Series provides a single thermopile sensor with application specific optical filter in a leadless SMD ceramic package. The footprint is only 3.8x3.8 mm² and the whole sensor has a thickness of 1.45 mm. The sensor supports a fully modular concept. You can choose a thermopile sensor chip and a top mounted infrared filter according to your application. Additionally, the sensor can be equipped with an optional thermistor providing a temperature reference.
The HTS Series provides single element thermopile sensors in standard TO-39 packages. The sensor supports a fully modular concept. You can choose a thermopile sensor chip and a top mounted infrared filter according to your application. Additionally, the sensor can be equipped with an optional thermistor providing temperature reference.
The HTS L-Series provides single element thermopile sensors with lens optics in standard TO-39 packages for stand-off temperature measurement. The sensor is suited for narrow fields of view and small measurement spots. This allows accurate temperature measurements at greater distances. Like all our single thermopile sensors, it supports any degree of integration favored by our customer. First, choose a thermopile sensor chip and an infrared filter according to your application. Equip it with an optional thermistor providing temperature reference. Add optional in-the-package signal processing in the form of an ASIC for analog ( HIS-Series ) or digital ( HID-Series ) output.
The HMS Series are single element thermopile sensors in small or miniature TO-46 or µ-TO packages. They are primarily used for temperature measurements. Like all our sensors, the HMS sensors support a fully modular concept. You can choose a thermopile sensor chip and a top mounted infrared filter according to your application. Additionally, the sensor can be equipped with an optional thermistor providing temperature reference. Due to the small size of the µ-TO "Z" package, the HMS Z11 is not available as a sensor module with an integrated ASIC for signal processing. All other sensors can be equipped with an integrated ASIC for analog or digital signal conditioning which facilitates the application.
The HMS P-Series is a special design for low heat-shock behaviour. It is a single element thermopile sensors in small TO-46 package and are optimized for temperature measurements (e.g in-ear thermometers). Due to the stable measurements even in heat-shock situations the measurement speed can be increased without loosing accuracy. Like all our sensors, the HMS sensors support a fully modular concept. You can choose a thermopile sensor chip size and an infrared filter which is mounted from the outside to improve the measurement accuracy. Additionally, the sensor can be equipped with an optional thermistor providing temperature reference.
The HMS M-Series are single thermopile sensors in small TO-46 packages with lens optics. They are designed for non-contact, short distance temperature measurements. Two different lens optics are available. In combination with the different thermopile chip sizes, a FOV between 12° and 28° is possible. The sensors are also available as modules with an integrated analog or digital signal conditioning unit for an easier application.
The HTS Multichannel Series provide two or four independent sensor elements for multichannel gas concentration measurements in a small TO-39 metal housing. Typically, one to three channels are equipped with gas specific filters with different center wavelengths (CWL). The other channel serves as a reference and is equipped with a filter with CWL at which no absorption occurs. In general, a broad band filter will result in a high signal output, whereas a narrow band filter with low Half Power Bandwidth (HPBW) will allow high measurement accuracy.
Heimann Sensor has the world's most advanced thermopile technology for building low-cost/high-performance thermal imaging solutions. We offer a wide range of products ranging from small arrays with 8x8 elements, medium sized arrays with 16x16 and 32x32 elements to larget arrays with up to 80x64 and 120x84 elements for higher spatial resolutions. All our thermopile array sensor chips can be combined with different optics. They provide either wide fields-of-view with over 90° or narrow fields-of-view for measurements and detection from a greater distance.
All our thermopile arrays have a built-in EEPROM for storage of calibration data. Our 8x8 arrays are installed inside a tinyTO-46 housing while our medium sized arrays are mounted in a still small TO-39. Due to their digital I²C interface, our small- and medium-sized arrays need only four pins for power supply and data transmission. Our large arrays fit into a TO-8 housing with 6 pins, communicate via an SPI interface and can be operated up to 40 Hz.
The HTPA8x8d is the world's smallest infrared sensor imaging array with a resolution of 8x8 pixels inside a TO-46 metal housing with IR lens as window. It has a 16-bit ADC resolution and built-in EEPROM to store all calibration data. With the digital I²C interface, only four pins are needed for operation. Framerates of 89 Hz and more are possible, depending on the ADC resolution. This is especially interesting for remote temperature measurements as it allows average multiple data frames for a more accurate measurement value. We are able to integrate a variety of optical lenses for a customized field of view and can perform the factory calibration if desired.
For applications like person detection, for which no exact temperature value is required, the detection is based on contrast between target and background, and the array can be delivered without factory calibration at lower cost.
Due to the digital I²C interface, only four pins are needed for operation. The built-in EEPROM stores calibration data, and the integrated ADC has 16-bit resolution. Framerates of 15 Hz to 27 Hz result, depending on the chosen ADC resolution. True shutterless and uncooled operation of the thermopile array ensures very low power consumption with a high performance.
Due to the digital SPI interface, only six pins are needed for operation. It has a 16-bit ADC and built-in EEPROM stores all calibration data. The framerate can be set individually and depends on the sensor clock and ADC resolution.
For high 16-bit resolution, framerates of up to 20 Hz are possible, while lower ADC resolutions allow framerates of up to 30 Hz and more. Different available optical lenses, integrated with the array in TO-8 housing, provide fields of view (FOV) from 12x9 degree up to 120x90 degree.
Due to the digital SPI interface, only six pins are needed for operation. It has a 16-bit ADC and built-in EEPROM stores all calibration data. The framerate can be set individually and depends on the sensor clock and ADC resolution
For high 16-bit resolution, framerates of 9 Hz are possible, while lower ADC resolutions allow framerates of up to 30 Hz and more. Different available optical lenses, integrated with the array in TO-8 housing, provide fields of view (FOV) from 12x9 degree up to 120x90 degree.
The 120x84 array can be used as drop-in solution for the 80x64 array as it provides the same PIN-out and dimensions.
In principle all types of thermopile array sensors from 8x8 to 80x64 pixel resolution can be delivered as module with customized connectivity such as USB, UDP or Power over Ethernet (PoE).
Customized modules are a good choice if you don't have the resources to develop your own module or you need a fast and easy way to integrate our thermopile array sensors in your system. From an economical perspective it is in most cases recommended to develop your own solution if your application is targeted for large volumes. However up to a few thousand units per year the cost for developing your own solution can exceed the cost for just take a module ready to go.
If you are interested in the possible options or there is another kind of connectivity that you are interested in, please contact our sales team through the contact form at the end of the page.
All modules have an integrated linear temperature reference voltage. This voltage (in the analog case) or voltage value (in the digital case) can be obtained from a separate output channel.
The HCM Series provides a thermopile sensor chip and optical filter suited to the application plus an analog ASIC for signal conditioning inside a small SMD package. The gain of the ASIC can be preset to either 2150 or 4300 by an internal pull-up resistor. With the integrated linear temperature reference changing ambient temperature can be compensated for. The sensor supply voltage can be chosen in the range between 2.7 V and 5 V.
The HMM Series provides our smallest thermopile sensor chip and ASIC with digital output in a tiny TO-46 metal housing for non-contact temperature measurements. It features a digital temperature output or voltage readout in a SMBus compatible operation with an output range from -5°C to 115°C. In pulse width modulated (PWM) output mode, a desired output temperature range can be defined with respect to the desired temperature resolution. The sensor provides high accuracy over a wide temperature range with a resolution better than 0.1°C. This sensor is available as an "M-type" with integrated lens (L3.0) which provides a 4:1 distance-to-spot-ratio in comparison to the standard "J-type".
The HIM Series is the miniature version of the HIS Series. It provides a thermopile sensor chip and an ASIC for analog signal conditioning in a small TO-46 housing. The ASIC amplifies the thermoelectric voltage and provides an analog output voltage. The gain can be preset to 4300 or 2150 depending on your application. The HIM Series can be equipped with thermopile chips that are 0.6x0.6mm, 0.76x0.76mm or 1.2x1.2mm. Bigger sensor chips result in a higher sensitivity and output signal. The HIM Series is optimized for non-contact temperature measurements. It can also be used for gas detection and gas concentration measurements.
The HIS Series (Heimann Integrated Sensor) devices include thermopile sensor chip, application specific optical filter and an ASIC for analog signal conditioning in a standard TO-39 metal housing. The ASIC amplifies the chip voltage and generates an analog voltage output signal. An integrated linear temperature reference is used for ambient temperature compensation. In addition to the single channel version (HIS A), we offer a dual version (HIS E222) for gas concentration measurements. For temperature measurements, we have different options of standard temperature filters at our disposal. For gas detection, we offer special filters providing the gas specific center wavelength (CWL) and narrow half power bandwidth (HPBW).
The sensor output is either a digital voltage or a temperature value with a resolution of 0.1°C in a SMBus compatible operation.
The HSL Series (Heimann Sensor Lamp) provides low cost and reliable infrared light sources with a long lifetime for nondispersive infrared (NDIR) gas detection by IR light absorption. These light sources can be used for wavelengths shorter than about 4.5 µm and are operated in DC or AC mode. In combination with our HTS Multichannel Sensors, they can be utilized to detect gases like CO2 or hydrocarbons (HC).
The EMIRS Series of integrated light sources is offered in cooperation with Axetris AG. These high performance infrared light sources have long-term stability and nearly ideal black body spectrum emittance. Due to the small chip sizes, they can be modulated at high frequencies of up to 100 Hz for wavelength ranges of up to 16 µm. With an optional reflector, the light is focused more precisely and consequently has seven times higher power on axis. The standard version is the EMIRS 200, which comes without a window in a TO39 package, while the small EMIRS 50 comes in a TO-46 package. Optionally, sapphire or other window materials are available.
The HVS Series is our vacuum sensing series. These miniature pirani-type vacuum sensors allow measurements in a pressure range from 1000 mbar (atmospheric pressure) down to 10-3 mbar (HVS 04), and 10 mbar down to 10-5 mbar resp. 10-6 mbar (HVS 03k resp. HVS 03g). They come in a small and robust TO-39 or TO-8 metal housing. Assembling the HVS 04 and HVS 03g in a TO-8 housing allows coverage of the full pressure range.
To generate a thermal image, many individual thermopile pixels are arranged in a two dimensional array. Starting with low resolution of 8x8 and 16x16 pixels, we also provide thermopile arrays with 32x32, 80x64 and 120x84 pixels. This allows our customers to generate thermal images with different spatial resolution for different applications. One of the main fields of interest of our customers include person detection in automation and security applications. Another area is hot spot detection, which includes a wide field of applications from engineering to fire suppression to industrial safety up to consumer goods.
Person Detection for building automation, energy savings as well as security and safety applications.
ntrusion Detection, the automated sensing of a new person or animal into a surveilled area, is one of the main applications of low-resolution thermopile arrays like Heimann Sensor's 32x32 or 80x64 array. It is used for safety and security as well as for making life easier and more comfortable. Examples are smart buildings with functions like smart HVAC control and smart lightning for energy savings. The same system can be used as a security alarm. Other functions include wellness checks of invalids and older people living alone, fire prevention and elevated body temperature detection.
The advantages of low-resolution thermopile arrays for these applications are:
So let us have a closer look into some specific applications of person and presence detection. We will give a brief overview of some possible applications and discuss the potential benefits of using infrared thermopile arrays.
Hot spot detection for engineering and safety for industry and consumer applications.
Because thermopile arrays gather thermal images, it follows that they can be easily employed for hot spot detection applications. There are many fields in which the information about existing or developing hot spots is useful regarding fire prevention, predictive maintenance and energy savings. Typical applications for fire prevention and detection are stove top monitoring and fire risk detection in waste sorting plants, transportation or public spaces. Examples for predictive maintenance are bearing temperature monitoring, observation of electrical components and connections as well as hot spot detection in photovoltaic plants.
Kitchen fires starting from the stove are the number one cause in fires at home. In most countries there are no requirements for fire detectors in the kitchen, because normal cooking procedures cause most fire detectors to give false alarms. But infrared thermopile detectors are not affected by haze or fog. So they can potentially make kitchen life safer. They can be used to monitor the stove top and shut it off before a critical temperature (e.g. ignition temperature of cooking oil) is reached.
In Scandinavian countries stove top monitoring systems of this type are mandatory. Preventing kitchen fires will also improve independence for people in assisted living situations with one big source of danger is eliminated.
Advantages of low resolution thermopile arrays for stove top monitoring:
Recommended sensors:
Gases like CO 2 are detected and controlled by smart building ventilation solutions.
The level of CO2 concentration is the single most important indicator of indoor air quality and has a great influence on our health. Therefore, it is always a good idea to monitor CO2 levels in any indoor space that is occupied by people at home, in schools, in office or in cars. To keep the CO2 concentration low is vital for health and security. Together with a smart CO2 monitor it is even possible to save energy and protect the environment.
While the outside air CO2 concentration is more or less constant at a level of 400 to 450 ppm, the indoor CO2 concentration can be much higher, which will have significant influence on well-being and the ability to concentrate. A level of 1000 ppm is defined as the comfort threshold. This level should not be exceeded indoors or inside a car. A level of 1200 to 1600 ppm can have significant influence on a person's ability to mentally concentrate and will have large impact on his or her well-being. This could lead to serious danger while e.g. driving a car or operating heavy machinery.
If you are aware that exhaled air has a CO2 concentration of up to 30.000 ppm, you can easily imagine that the indoor air quality can deteriorate rapidly. This is true especially in cases of small rooms with large numbers of people and high activity levels.
air-quality-monitoring station for home automation
If the CO2 levels are monitored in office, class-rooms, at home and inside cars, this will have many positive effects. Besides the higher productivity of employees, it will help to reduce infection risks and can have positive impact on people with asthma or reduce car accidents caused by dizzy drivers.
Detection of dangerous and hazardous gases for safety and environmental protection.
Leaking flammable hydrocarbon gas can lead to health risks, environmental poisoning and high economic costs. The detection of gas leaks will help to limit and prevent these negative consequences. NDIR gas leak detection can be used for many different areas like natural gas (methane) in the fracking, petroleum and petrochemical industry to prevent them from uncontrolled release into environment. Also in households, gas leaks can lead to dangerous situations where gas leak detection can prevent harm from the people. In many HVAC applications, the detection of leaking refrigerants can save money as they are precious gases. Other industry-specific applications of gas leak detection include the food packing industry, where food like raw meat is packaged in a special atmosphere to keep it fresh.
NDIR gas sensors respond very well to most small molecule gases and are highly selective. With a suitable narrow band optical filter, it is possible to measure only the gas of interest. In contrast, other technologies like electrochemical sensors can have high cross sensitivity and might react also to other gases. Therefore, applying NDIR detection can result in high accuracy cost effective measurements.
For leak detection, small concentrations may be of interest and gas detection limits have to be taken into consideration. Due to the fact that thermopiles do not provide the highest detectivity, their detection limits are higher than some other technologies, but they provide the advantage of very affordable prices. The detection limit for a thermopile NDIR CO2 sensor is in the range of 9 ppm, while other technologies can achieve 4 ppm or less.
gas flame
In most cases thermopiles will be sufficient for the measurement task and is therefore often preferred over other technologies.
Recommended sensors for gas leak detection are:
Capnography used in e.g. ventilation machines for premature babies or COVID-19 patients.
Capnography is commonly known as medical respiratory surveillance. It is used to monitor the CO2 concentration of human respiratory gases to detect any lung malfunction during medical treatments such as:
As capnography can give an early warning of hypoxia (low oxygen levels), which can lead to serious brain damage, it is a widely accepted method to ensure the health and safety of patients during many medical treatments. Medical associations like the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland (AAGBI) made capnography mandatory to monitor ventilation e.g. during moderate to heavy sedation.
Besides the use of capnography for intensive care, it can also be used for bodyplethysmography to detect any kind of lung dysfunction like asthma, poor lung compliance or chest breathing. Ever smaller devices make capnography now suitable for home medical usage, e.g. to detect hyperventilation.
Pirani type miniature vacuum pressure sensors based on Heimann MEMS technology.
Besides thermopiles, Heimann Sensor also offers solutions for vacuum sensing for wide pressure ranges. These are MEMS type pirani vacuum sensors.