USB barometer: some applications
An atmospheric pressure sensor on a chip is a complex object to use. Fortunately, Dracal Technologies lets you directly access precision barometric data through its USB solution on several devices. We offer air pressure sensors: the BAR20 and its BAR20-N variant, as well as temperature, relative humidity, and atmospheric pressure sensors with the PTH series. In the following, we illustrate some use cases of a USB atmospheric pressure sensor in contexts from our customers' real applications.
Navigation systems
On-chip atmospheric pressure sensors are being added to cell phones in conjunction with the navigation system to determine altitude. If you want to learn more about the link between atmospheric pressure and altitude, we advise you to read the article on digital barometers.
Our USB barometers can be integrated into the GPS navigation systems of several devices, such as drones, to determine the altitude with an accuracy of nearly 10 cm. For this application, we recommend the BAR20-N, which has an NMEA output, since it is the computer language of GPS navigation systems.
Weather stations
An air pressure sensor that can transmit its data to a computer for recording or viewing offers the possibility to observe changes in atmospheric pressure easily. Our precision barometers effectively replace barographs that work with an aneroid barometer. Additionally, by plugging the instrument into our remote logging station, it is possible to remain sheltered from the elements while data collection occurs.
Our USB barometers greatly simplify acquiring atmospheric pressure data, making weather forecasts more accurate. With a 3-in-1 instrument like those of the PTH series, obtaining temperature and humidity data harmonized with atmospheric pressure is easy.
Climate chambers
A climate chamber is a device that allows a product's resistance to environmental impacts to be tested acceleratedly. They come in all sizes for everything marketed. It is a container where all climatic parameters are controlled. It determines the lifespan of a product or its resistance to land or air transport, for example. Temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure are three climate components that must be monitored in a climate chamber. We talked about the relationship between these three parameters in an article covering the topic of relative humidity.
Integrating a 3-in-1 precision instrument into the climate chamber's design makes monitoring its temperature, humidity, and pressure easy. In addition, if these data come from the same instrument, the compensation for each of these parameters is automatically considered in the data processing.
Atmospheric pressure compensation
We know that the BAR20 is used to accurately know the atmospheric pressure to take it into account in several industrial applications. For example, since the air volume is inversely proportional to atmospheric pressure, knowing this data makes it possible to measure a small volume of liquid in a container placed on a scale with minute precision.
In other applications, measuring atmospheric pressure allows the calculation of pressure compensation. For example, when combined with temperature and relative humidity data, pressure compensation provides the most accurate measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) percentage in the air.
In summary
Our USB barometers can transmit pressure readings reliably and efficiently to a computer. In addition to weather stations and environmental chambers, USB barometers can be integrated into a navigation system to know the altitude.
In closing, it is relevant to remember that the link between relative humidity, temperature, and atmospheric pressure is undeniable. These three factors influence several physical phenomena, and it is essential to consider them for other types of measurement.
Do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or comments. We will be happy to answer you.
References
Barometer | Definition, Types, Units, & Facts | Britannica. (2023). In: Encyclopædia Britannica. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/technology/barometer [Accessed 8 Feb. 2023].
Industrial Quick Search (2023). Climate Chambers: Uses, Types, Design, and Benefits. [online] Available at: https://www.iqsdirectory.com/articles/environmental-chamber/climate-chambers.html [Accessed 22 Feb. 2023].