Scribd
Upload
27 views

CO2 Sensor Calibration Procedure

Co2 sensor calibration

Uploaded by

Vikas Bochre
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
27 views

CO2 Sensor Calibration Procedure

Co2 sensor calibration

Uploaded by

Vikas Bochre
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

5 Types of Calibration Explained

1. Zero Point CO2 Sensor Calibration


Zero-point calibration exposes the sensor to 100% nitrogen. Since 100%
nitrogen means there is no CO2 present, the "zero point" can be updated
in the sensor's internal memory. Resetting the zero-point accounts for
drift over time as the sensor ages.

The advantage of calibrating a CO2 sensor with 100% nitrogen is that it


removes any deviation from the sensor's zero point (0% CO2) as it ages.

The disadvantage is that resetting the zero point, while important, is not
complete factory calibration. For this, 2 point or span calibration is
required.

2. Span CO2 Sensor Calibration


Span or 2-point calibration is performed at the lowest and highest gas
levels for which the product is rated. Typically, this is 0 ppm CO2 using
100% nitrogen, and a special gas mixture of both nitrogen and CO2
called calibration gas. Calibration gases are available from gas suppliers
that contain 1,000 ppm CO2 up to 100% CO2.

Span calibration is performed at the factory immediately after a CO2


sensor is manufactured. It begins by exposing the sensor to a pure gas
like 100% nitrogen. In the case of CO2 sensor calibration, the sensor’s
reading for 0 ppm CO2 is recorded in the sensor’s memory.

Next, the sensor is exposed to the highest CO2 level for which the
sensor is rated. For example, a 5% CO2 sensor would be calibrated with
5% CO2 with the balance of the gas nitrogen or air. After being exposed
to the second known gas, the sensor's response is also recorded in the
sensor's memory.
Once these 2 points are known, a linear response to the gas
concentration between the 2 points can be assumed. This is known as
a calibration curve and is shown in the image above in blue.

In theory, every gas level reading between the 2 calibration points


should fall on the blue line. In reality, some gas sensors do not have a
precise linear response to different amounts of the target gas. In these
cases, the manufacturer may perform 4 or more point calibrations to
create a curved response line instead of a straight line.

Once the calibration curve is known, a calculation is performed in the


sensor's memory so that for every gas level a concentration can be
computed. This calculation may be as simple as a slope intercept for a
straight line, or in the case of a curve, a slope of a curve formula called
the derivative.
During span calibration the zero-point adjustment is also stored in the
sensor's memory. The zero-point adjustment is what the sensor reads
when it is exposed to the zero-calibration gas. This difference (shown as
the red line in the image) is saved as an offset to the sensor’s actual
reading when exposed to 0% gas.

For example, If a CO2 sensor reads 10 ppm when exposed to 0 ppm CO2,
an offset of “-10 ppm” is stored in the sensor’s memory and applied to all
future readings.

Although the terms are used interchangeably, calibration is different


from zero-point adjustment. While zero-point adjustment gives a more
accurate sensor reading, span calibration is first required to match the
sensor’s response curve to a known target gas.

While span calibration is always performed at the factory on every new


sensor, in cases where precise accuracy is required, it may also be
performed again in the field or by returning the sensor to the
manufacturer.

The advantage of doing a span or 2 point calibration is that it is the


closest you can get to the original factory calibration.

3. 3-Point CO2 Sensor Calibration


Calibration is performed at the lowest, midpoint and highest gas levels
for which the product is rated. For CO2 safety Alarms calibration is
performed at the 0.0% CO2 level, default alarm 1 level, and default alarm
2 level.

4. CO2 Sensor Calibration Using Fresh Air


Where maximum accuracy is less important than cost and simplicity,
some CO2 sensors or devices can be calibrated using fresh air. Instead
of calibrating at 0 ppm CO2 using 100% nitrogen, the sensor is
calibrated at 400 ppm CO2, the agreed upon average for outdoor air.

For example, if a CO2 measurement device uses fresh air calibration,


when the “calibrate” button is pressed on the device in fresh air, the
sensor’s software assumes the current stable reading is 400 ppm CO2
and stores the difference between the current reading and the factory
calibration as an offset value it uses until the next fresh air calibration.

Fresh air calibration is best for sensors or CO2 monitors that are used to
measure air quality, are portable, and can easily be taken outdoors.

For example, the CM-500 CO2 Handheld Gas Detector is designed to


quickly spot-check CO2 levels up to 10,000 ppm. Because it is battery
operated and portable, it can easily be calibrated outdoors.

Fresh air calibration is also used by our IAQ-MAX CO2 Monitor and Data
Logger. Even though it is a desktop indoor air quality meter, because it
also runs on battery power it can easily be taken outside for fresh air
calibration.

5. Automatic Background Calibration


Manufacturers of early CO2 sensors used in buildings to measure
occupancy or indoor air quality levels realized the difficulty of
calibrating wall-mounted units. Removing the units from the wall to
bench calibrate was expensive, required trained staff, and with budget
cuts, calibration schedules were often ignored.

To solve the problem of CO2 sensor calibration for IAQ, Sense air in
Sweden developed Automatic Baseline Calibration (ABC). The theory
behind ABC calibration is that for IAQ use, at some point each day a
room is unoccupied. Eventually the CO2 level should return to 400 ppm,
the same as outdoor air. By storing the lowest CO2 readings taken over
time (typically several days) in the EPROM memory, an offset to 400 ppm
could be calculated, then added or subtracted from the actual CO2
readings.

The advantage of Automatic Baseline Calibration is that the CO2 sensor


is virtually self-calibrating over the life of the sensor. The disadvantage
of the ABC algorithm is that it will not work properly if the sensor never
"reads" 400 ppm fresh air. For example, ABC calibration would not work
in an indoor livestock environment or an office building that was staffed
24/7.

ABC calibration is best suited for IAQ or any application where fresh air
CO2 levels can be recorded by the sensor every few days. Otherwise,
known gas (either nitrogen or fresh air) calibration should be used. Most
of our sensors and some of our products have the ability to turn ABC on
or off in the software, depending on how it will be used in an application.

You might also like