High-Sensitivity And High-Output Piezoresistive Pressure Transmitter
Features and Advantages
- Extremely High Precision and Stability:
- Modern piezoresistive sensors can achieve ±0.075% or even higher accuracy.
- They have low long-term drift and good repeatability, making them the cornerstone of high-performance industrial applications.
- Excellent Frequency Response:
- The silicon diaphragm is highly rigid and lightweight, providing extremely fast dynamic response, which is suitable for measuring rapidly changing pressures, including pulsating and shock pressures.
- High Sensitivity and High Output:
- The piezoresistive effect is significant, resulting in a strong raw signal (mV/V), which is beneficial for signal processing and improving the signal-to-noise ratio.
- Miniaturization and Low Cost:
- Thanks to mature MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) manufacturing technology, piezoresistive silicon chips can be made very small and produced in large quantities at a very low cost. This makes the technology applicable in a wide range of devices, from industrial transmitters to automotive sensors and barometers in smartphones.
- Wide Measurement Range:
- By designing silicon diaphragms of different thicknesses and structures, sensors can be manufactured to measure pressures ranging from a few centimeters of water column for micro-pressure to hundreds of megapascals for ultra-high pressure.
Typical application scenarios
- Industrial process control (main market): Pressure/differential pressure/absolute pressure measurement for pipelines, tanks, and reactors in industries such as petrochemicals, power. A variety of transmitter forms: general pressure, differential pressure, absolute pressure, remote flange type, etc.
- Automotive electronics: Engine manifold absolute pressure, turbocharger pressure, fuel pressure, brake pressure, tire pressure monitoring.
- Medical equipment: Blood pressure monitors, pressure monitoring for ventilators, infusion pumps, dialysis machines.
- Consumer electronics: Barometers in smart phones/watches (for altitude and indoor positioning assistance), altimeters in drones.
- HVAC and fluid control: Static pressure in air ducts, pressure differential across filters, pump pressure.
- Test and measurement: Laboratory instruments, data acquisition systems, calibration equipment.
Comparison with Other Mainstream Pressure Sensing Technologies
| Characteristics |
Strain Gauge |
Capacitive |
Resonant (e.g., Silicon Resonant) |
| Core Principle |
Pressure changes resistance value |
Pressure changes distance between capacitor plates |
Pressure changes the natural frequency of the vibrating element |
| Accuracy |
Very high (±0.075% typical) |
High (±0.1% typical) |
Exceptionally high (±0.02% or better) |
| Long-term Stability |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Outstanding (minimal long-term drift) |
| Dynamic Response |
Extremely fast |
Fast |
Relatively slow (limited by vibration frequency) |
| Overpressure/Shock Resistance |
Good |
Average (large diaphragm travel makes it prone to damage) |
Good |
| Output Signal |
Analog (mV/V) |
Analog (capacitance change) |
Digital (frequency change) |
| Power Consumption |
Low |
Low |
Relatively high |
| Cost |
Low (especially in large quantities) |
Moderate |
High |
| Main Applications |
General industrial, automotive, consumer electronics |
Differential pressure, liquid level, low pressure |
Trade measurement, high-precision reference, critical processes |
The piezoresistive pressure transmitter is the "backbone" and "technical king" in the field of pressure measurement. It perfectly combines the precision of semiconductor technology, the low cost of large-scale production, and outstanding dynamic and static performance.