Differential Pyroelectric Detectors

21 Mar 2018

Pyroelectric detectors are susceptible to line interference and other sources of electromagnetic

interference from non-detector related noise. Several manufacturers of OEM sensor

devices use EMI filters to prevent these noise sources interfering with the operation of the

device but for many gas detection applications a higher level of noise immunity is required.

LASER COMPONENTS has developed a new pyroelectric detector using a differential mode

of operation ensuring that external pick up is eliminated greatly improving the electromagnetic

immunity of the device. Pyroelectric crystals generate positive and negative charges

on opposite faces of the crystal and using appropriate amplification can generate a differential

signal. Differential operation results in a significant increase of the signal to noise

ratio, this is because the output signal is doubled with this configuration while the noise

only grows as the square root, the improvement in signal to noise is approximately 1.41

over a standard single ended pyroelectric detector. The R&D team at LASER COMPONENTS

designed our LD2100 with its use in electrically noisy environments in mind.

These devices are used in NDIR and FTIR spectroscopy as well as flame and fire detection.

The devices are inexpensive, robust and highly sensitive in the IR region of the spectrum.

More Information https://www.lasercomponents.com/uk/product/diff erential-pyroelectric-detector/