Sensors Catalog

Encyclopedic catalogue of measurement transducers used in industrial automation, robotics, scientific instrumentation, automotive, medical, and consumer electronics. Each family lists physical principle, common product lines + part numbers, performance bands, vendors. SI units primary.

1. Optical Sensors

1.1 Visible-Light Image Sensors (CMOS + CCD)

CMOS — dominant since ~2010:

Sony Starvis (back-illuminated, low-light surveillance): IMX585 (4K 1/1.2”, 2.9 µm pixel), IMX462 (2 MP 1/2.8” 2.9 µm, IR-sensitive), IMX415, IMX678
Sony Pregius (global shutter, industrial): IMX296 (1.6 MP 1/2.9” 3.45 µm), IMX392 (2.3 MP 1/2.3”), IMX264 (5 MP 2/3”), IMX540 (24.5 MP)
Sony IMX477 (12 MP Raspberry Pi HQ Camera), IMX708 (Camera Module 3), IMX500 (intelligent vision with on-sensor neural net)
OmniVision OV2640, OV5640, OV9281 (global-shutter mono), OS08A20
onsemi (ON Semiconductor) AR0234, AR1335
ams + Osram, GalaxyCore

Pixel sizes: 0.7 µm (consumer phone) → 16 µm (scientific cooled sCMOS like Andor Zyla 4.2)

Resolutions: VGA (0.3 MP, embedded vision) → 100 MP+ (Phase One IQ4 150 MP medium-format CCD-replacement back; Sony IMX461 100 MP 33.2×44 mm)

ISO / sensitivity: 100 (low noise sunlit) → 100 000+ (Sony α7S III)

Shutter type:

Rolling — most CMOS, sequential row readout; artefacts on fast motion
Global — simultaneous exposure all rows; required for robotics + fast motion; Pregius IMX296/392, OnSemi AR0234

HDR: dual-conversion-gain (DCG), staggered HDR (DOL), quad bayer remosaicing (smartphone). Sony Starvis 2 (IMX678/989) 84 dB SNR.

CCD legacy: still in scientific (cooled E2V CCD42 / CCD201 EMCCD; Hamamatsu ORCA-ER), surveillance retrofits, defense.

1.2 Industrial Machine Vision Cameras

Basler — ace2 (Pro, R, B), dart (M12), boost (GigE/CoaXPress), ace (legacy); €300–€3 000
FLIR / Teledyne FLIR — Blackfly S (USB3/GigE), Grasshopper3, Oryx (25 GigE up to 31 MP), Forge 10GigE
Allied Vision — Alvium 1800 U/C/G, Mako, Manta, Goldeye SWIR
IDS Imaging — uEye SE / CP / LE / GV, uEye+ (latest), Ensenso 3D stereo
Cognex — In-Sight 9000/8000/7000/2000 smart cameras (vision + PLC integrated)
Keyence — CV-X, IV3, IM-8000 series (Japan, premium)
Omron / Microscan / SICK / Banner / Datalogic — barcode + machine vision
Lucid Vision Labs — TritonHDR, Atlas10 GigE
Photonfocus, JAI, e2v (Teledyne), Pixelink

1.3 Thermal IR Cameras

Uncooled microbolometer arrays (long-wave IR ~8–14 µm):

FLIR (Teledyne FLIR) — ThermaCAM E/T/A series handheld (E54: $4000), T 1 k p ro f ess i o na l ($ 30 000), A615/A655sc science, A50/A70 industrial, Lepton 3.5 (160×120 OEM module $200), Boson (640×512 OEM)
Seek Thermal — Compact Pro (320×240 phone-attach $499), CompactXR, S330 OEM
Hikmicro (Hikvision) — H-series, M-series; M30 $500
Teledyne FLIR / Lynred (formerly ULIS) — QVGA, 640×480, 1024×768 microbolometer arrays (sensor only, OEM)
Opgal — Therm-App
InfiRay (China) — Tiny1-B, P2 Pro

Cooled IR (mid-wave InSb / HgCdTe MCT; Stirling cooler to ~80 K; ~$25 000+):

Telops, IRCameras, Sofradir (now Lynred), Teledyne FLIR Cooled, Santa Barbara Focalplane, SCD (Israel)
320×256 InSb to 1280×1024 MWIR; NEDT < 25 mK; integration time µs

Applications: predictive maintenance (motor + bearing temp scans), building diagnostics, gas leak detection (FLIR GF320 SF6), fire detection, autonomous driving (FLIR ADK / Mobileye thermal-fused), medical fever screening, firefighting, military FLIR pods.

1.4 LiDAR

Mechanical spinning:

Velodyne Lidar (merged with Ouster 2023; brand retained): HDL-32E ( $30 k l e g a cy), V L P - 16 P u c k ($ 4–8k), HDL-64E (DARPA-era), Alpha Prime VLS-128 (128-channel, 300 m range)
Hesai Technology — Pandar 40/64/128, AT128 (long-range automotive, 200 m @10% reflectivity), QT128 (short-range), XT16/32; Hesai $1B+ revenue 2024
Robosense (Suteng) — RS-LiDAR-16, M1 solid-state, Helios 32-channel, Bpearl hemispherical, M3 (latest 2024)
Ouster — OS0-32/128 ultra-wide (180° vertical), OS1-32/64/128 mid-range, OS2-32/64/128 long-range; Dome series (post-Velodyne merger)
Innoviz — InnovizOne (MEMS scanner 250 m), InnovizTwo (BMW iX5 first auto)
Luminar Iris — 1550 nm long-range (Volvo EX90, Polestar 3)
Aeva — Aeries II FMCW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave; instant velocity per point)
Cepton Vista-X / Nova / Helius — MMT solid-state
LeddarTech — Pixell (solid-state), LeddarVision software
Quanergy — bankrupt 2022 (re-emerged briefly under new owner)
SiPM-based (Silicon Photomultiplier) detectors emerging — Hesai AT128, Ouster digital lidar (replaces APD)
Valeo Scala 3 — Mercedes Drive Pilot Level-3 production

Solid-state / MEMS / OPA (Optical Phased Array):

Innoviz, Luminar, Aeva, Cepton, Quanergy, Mobileye, Hesai AT (semi-solid)
Tigris (Voyant Photonics) FMCW chip-scale

FMCW (vs ToF):

ToF: pulsed; measures time delay
FMCW: linear-chirp continuous; coherent detection → per-point Doppler velocity, immune to interference + sun blinding
FMCW vendors: Aeva, Aurora (FirstLight), SiLC Technologies, Voyant, Mobileye True FMCW

Wavelengths: 905 nm (silicon-detector, low-cost, eye-safety power-limited), 1550 nm (InGaAs detector, eye-safer at higher power → longer range; pricier)

1.5 Time-of-Flight (ToF) Cameras

PMD Technologies CamCube (legacy)
Microsoft Azure Kinect DK (2019; 1 MP ToF + 12 MP RGB + 7-mic array; discontinued 2023 → replaced by HoloLens roadmap)
Intel RealSense L515 (LiDAR camera; discontinued 2022)
Sony IMX516/520/556 ToF sensor chips → Samsung phones, iPhone Pro LiDAR scanner (front Face ID + rear scanner LWIR pulsed)
Texas Instruments OPT8241 ToF
ESPROS epc660, epc611
Lucid Helios 2+ (Sony IMX556)

Range typically 0.3–10 m; precision 1–10 mm at short range. Used in robotics navigation, gesture, AR.

1.6 Structured Light Depth Cameras

ASUS Xtion / Xtion Pro (PrimeSense — Apple acquired 2013; PS1080 chip — discontinued, basis of Kinect v1)
Intel RealSense D415/D435/D435i/D455/D457 (active IR stereo with structured-light projector); D435i adds IMU
Mech-Mind Mech-Eye, Photoneo PhoXi (industrial 3D)
Zivid Two, Cognex DS1000 — industrial high-precision (10 µm depth at 1 m)

1.7 Stereo Depth (Passive + Active)

Stereolabs ZED, ZED 2i, ZED X (passive stereo)
e-con Systems Tara, See3CAM
Roboception rc_visard (industrial)
Allied Vision Goldeye + Stereo

1.8 Event-Based Cameras (Dynamic Vision Sensor — DVS)

Per-pixel asynchronous, log-illuminance change events; no frames.

Prophesee — EVK4 (1280×720 IMX636 jointly with Sony, 2020), Metavision SDK, GenX320 (sub-1 mW)
iniVation — DAVIS346 (346×260 + APS), DVXplorer (640×480)
Samsung DVS Gen3 (mobile R&D)
Insightness (acquired by Sony 2019)

Applications: high-speed motion capture (10 µs latency), spacecraft attitude, gesture, particle physics tracking, autonomous drone landing.

1.9 Polarization Cameras

Sony IMX250MZR (mono) / MYR (Bayer) — 5 MP, on-chip 0/45/90/135° polarisers per 2×2 pixel block
Lucid PHX050S (Sony IMX250)
FLIR Blackfly S BFS-U3-51S5P-C — polarized

Applications: glare reduction, stress birefringence (photoelasticity), road-surface detection (autonomous driving), biology.

1.10 Hyperspectral Imaging

Specim (Finland; pioneer) — IQ (handheld VNIR), FX series (FX10/17/50 push-broom), AisaIBIS
Headwall Photonics (USA) — Micro-Hyperspec, Nano-Hyperspec
Resonon Pika series
HinaLea (US) — snapshot hyperspectral
IMEC snapshot (Belgium; on-chip Fabry-Perot)
Cubert (Germany) ULTRIS
Surface Optics, BaySpec
ChemImage (USA) — Raman hyperspectral

Spectral ranges:

VIS 400–700 nm
VNIR 400–1000 nm
SWIR 900–1700 / 2500 nm (InGaAs / extended InGaAs / HgCdTe MCT)
MWIR 3000–5000 nm
LWIR 8000–14000 nm

Space: EnMAP (DLR launch 2022; environmental + minerals), EMIT (NASA-JPL on ISS, mineral dust + GHG 2022), HISUI (Japan 2019), PRISMA (Italy 2019). Resolution 30 m, ~250 bands.

1.11 SWIR Cameras (InGaAs)

Sensors Unlimited (Collins Aerospace) — GA1280JS, Mini-SWIR-512
Princeton Lightwave / Argo AI (acquired) — geiger-mode SWIR LiDAR
Teledyne Princeton Instruments NIRvana, FLIR Triton SWIR
Allied Vision Goldeye G/CL series
InfraTec, SCD Hermes

Used for moisture imaging, recycling sorting (plastic ID), photovoltaic inspection, see-through-fog/cloud.

1.12 Scientific / High-Speed Cameras

EMCCD + sCMOS (low-light, science):

Andor (Oxford Instruments) — Zyla 4.2 sCMOS, iXon Ultra 888 EMCCD (single-photon detection)
Photometrics — Prime BSI, Iris 15
Teledyne Princeton Instruments — Sophia 4096B CCD, Kuro sCMOS
Hamamatsu ORCA-Fusion, ORCA-Quest qCMOS (single-photon counting; 2021)

High-speed cinematography / scientific high-speed:

Vision Research Phantom — v2640 (1 Mfps reduced ROI), TMX series (75 kfps full HD)
Photron Fastcam — SA-Z (21 kfps @ 1 MP), Mini AX200, NOVA S20
IDT Motion Pro, Specialised Imaging Kirana, Shimadzu HPV-X2 (10 Mfps)
AOS Technologies, Mikrotron EoSens

1.13 Photodiodes + Phototransistors

Hamamatsu — S1336/S1337/S2386 silicon, G12180 InGaAs
OSI Optoelectronics, Vishay BPW34, Thorlabs FDS series
Avalanche photodiode (APD) — Hamamatsu S8664, Excelitas SLiK
SiPM (Silicon Photomultiplier) — Hamamatsu MPPC, SensL/onsemi C-Series, Broadcom AFBR
Photomultiplier tube (PMT) — Hamamatsu R3478 (low cost), R7600U (multi-anode), R9420 (large area), R11102 (PET); Electron Tubes (ET Enterprises)

2. Mechanical Sensors

2.1 Strain Gauges

Foil resistive:

Vishay Micro-Measurements (USA) — CEA, EA, EP, WK, J2A series; gauge factor ~2.1; resistances 120/350/1000 Ω
HBM (now HBK, Hottinger Brüel & Kjær) — LY/RY series
Tokyo Sokki / Tokyo Measuring Instruments Laboratory — FLA, FLAB
TML, Kyowa, Showa Measuring

Semiconductor: gauge factor up to 200; temperature-sensitive

Kulite Semiconductor — silicon
Honeywell, Endevco

Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG):

Luna Innovations — ODiSI distributed sensing
HBM FiberSensing
FOS&S, Os Sensing, FBG Sensing Systems
FBG sensor at wavelength λ_B = 2 n_eff Λ; Λ grating period; strain shifts λ_B linearly. Ideal for long civil-structure monitoring + harsh EM environments.

2.2 Load Cells

Vishay (BLH, Tedea-Huntleigh, Sensy)
HBM (HBK) — Z6, U10, S2M, C16, RTN (off-shore)
Honeywell — Model 41/43/53
Interface — 1010, 1210 platinum standard
FUTEK — LCM, LSB, LCB
Mettler-Toledo — IND series weigh modules
Sensing Systems, Transducer Techniques, Sensor Solutions

Form factors: S-beam (tension/compression up to 10 kN), button (compact 10 N–10 kN), canister (5–50 ton compression), pancake (low-profile high-cap), bending beam (platform scales), single-point (retail scales)

Capacities: 1 gram (analytical balance) → 1000+ ton (large compression cells; bridge weighing in motion)

Accuracy class (OIML R60): A (best, e.g., laboratory), B, C (commercial scales), D

2.3 Accelerometers

Piezoelectric (IEPE / ICP) — industrial vibration:

PCB Piezotronics (Amphenol) — 352, 356 triaxial, 393B12 (1 V/g); $300-$ 3 000
Endevco (Meggitt now PCB sister) — 27, 256 high-temp aerospace
Brüel & Kjær (HBK) — 4517, 4533
Kistler 8702, 8705
Wilcoxon — 786A, 793 industrial

MEMS capacitive — consumer/IMU:

Analog Devices — ADXL345 (3-axis ±16 g $5), ADXL357 (low-noise tactical-grade), ADIS16505 IMU
STMicroelectronics — LSM6DSL/DSO/DSM/DSV IMU 6DoF, LIS3DH
Bosch Sensortec — BMA456 (mobile wearable), BMI270 (IMU; in Pixel 6+), BMA400 (always-on)
InvenSense (TDK) — MPU-6500/9250, ICM-20948, ICM-42688P
Murata — SCC2230 high-precision

MEMS piezoresistive (shock):

PCB Piezotronics 350, Endevco 7270A (60 000 g shock), Meggitt EGCS

2.4 IMUs (Inertial Measurement Units)

MEMS consumer/automotive (low cost):

Bosch BMI270 (6-axis IMU), BMI323
ST LSM6DSV16X (latest 2024, integrated AI core)
InvenSense / TDK ICM-42688P, IIM-42652

Tactical grade:

Analog Devices ADIS16470 (industrial), ADIS16500 (tactical)
Honeywell HG1700 (artillery), HG4930 (UAV)
Northrop Grumman LN-200 (legacy GPS-aided nav)
Inertial Labs IMU-P (tactical), MRU-P (marine)
VectorNav VN-100/200/300, Microstrain (Parker Lord) 3DM-GX5/GQ7
Xsens (Movella) MTi-1/100/600 series
iXBlue / Exail Phins

Navigation grade (RLG / FOG):

Honeywell HG9900 (commercial aviation INS) — strapdown FOG/RLG
Northrop Grumman LN-100 (precision INS)
Safran (Sagem) Sigma 40 (naval RLG)
KVH FOG (DSP-1750, DSP-3000)
iXBlue Phins (subsea + missile)

Gyroscope physics:

MEMS Coriolis vibrating ring (consumer; bias stability 1–100 °/h)
FOG (fibre optic gyroscope) — Sagnac effect in fibre coil; 0.001–0.1 °/h
RLG (ring laser gyroscope) — counter-propagating lasers in evacuated ring; 0.0001 °/h (ballistic missile)
HRG (hemispherical resonator gyroscope) — Northrop Grumman; satellite attitude
Cold-atom interferometer gyroscope — emerging (Sandia / iXBlue)

2.5 Position Sensors

LVDT (Linear Variable Differential Transformer):

Macro Sensors (now Trans-Tek subsidiary) — DC-LVDTs
Trans-Tek — 200/300/400 series
Honeywell, RDP Group, Schaevitz (Measurement Specialties / TE)
Range µm to 0.5 m; resolution 0.01% FS; infinite cycles (non-contact)

Inductive proximity:

Pepperl+Fuchs, IFM Electronic, Balluff, Sick, Omron E2E
Sense ferrous targets; flush/non-flush; 1–60 mm range; M5–M30 housings

Capacitive proximity: detects any dielectric (liquids in tanks, plastics, biomass). Pepperl+Fuchs, IFM, Balluff, Carlo Gavazzi.

Hall Effect:

Allegro MicroSystems — A1324 linear, ACS712 current
Honeywell SS series
Diodes Inc, Melexis Triaxis
Magnetic position, contactless, throttle/pedal in autos, current sensing

Eddy-current proximity (Bently Nevada (Baker Hughes) 3300, Emerson PR6422): turbomachinery shaft displacement (5 mm range, 5 µm resolution).

Ultrasonic distance:

MaxBotix HRLV-EZ4 (consumer), MB7389 industrial
Murata transducer pairs, SensorTechnics, SICK UM18/UM30 industrial
Endress+Hauser Prosonic
Range 20 mm–10 m, ±1% accuracy

2.6 Encoders

Incremental optical/magnetic:

Heidenhain (German precision) — ERA, RON, ROD series; angular ±0.5″
Renishaw — RESOLUTE absolute (fibre optic readhead, ATOM linear)
Magnescale (Sony-Magnescale) — laser interferometric linear
Sick — DBS, DFS
Pepperl+Fuchs — ENI/ENA series
Allied Motion Kollmorgen — Inland Motor

Absolute single-turn / multi-turn:

Heidenhain EnDat / SSI interface
Sick AHS (Hiperface-DSL)
Hengstler RA58 multi-turn
Posital Fraba IXARC absolute
ifm electronic RM

Resolvers: variable-reluctance or wound; rugged, high-temp; Tamagawa Seiki, Moog, LTN.

2.7 Tilt + Inclinometers

Murata SCA series MEMS tilt
Crossbow, US Digital
Posital ACS series

3. Pressure Sensors

3.1 Piezoresistive Silicon

Honeywell — MicroPressure MPR, RSC, MIP, ABP series; medical $20-$ 60
TE Connectivity / Measurement Specialties — MS5611 (altimeter), MS5803
Druck (Baker Hughes) — DPI 620 + PACE calibrators
Sensata — Klixon (legacy)
All Sensors, First Sensor (acquired by TE 2018), SMI, Bosch BMP388 (consumer altimeter)

3.2 Capacitive

Setra — 26x series HVAC differential
MKS Instruments — Baratron capacitance manometer (vacuum/process); ranges 1 mTorr → 1000 Torr; ±0.05% reading
Inficon, Pfeiffer Vacuum

3.3 Industrial Process Transmitters

Rosemount (Emerson) — 3051S, 3051C differential, 2088 absolute; ATEX/IEC explosion-proof; 0.025% accuracy reference
Endress+Hauser — Cerabar PMP series, Deltabar PMD75
Yokogawa — EJX, EJA-E DPharp digital
ABB — 266 series
Siemens SITRANS P

3.4 Specialised

Diaphragm seal isolators (sanitary, corrosive)
Bourdon tube mechanical gauges (Wika, Ashcroft) — 0–1000 bar
Strain gauge pressure (high pressure 1 GPa+; Vishay)
Vacuum: Pirani (gas thermal conductivity 10⁻³–1000 mbar), thermocouple gauge, capacitance manometer, ionization (cold/hot cathode 10⁻¹¹–10⁻³ mbar)
Edwards Vacuum AIM-S/AIM-X, Inficon BPG402, MKS HPS

3.5 Signals + Protocols

4–20 mA analog (legacy industrial)
0–10 V
HART (digital atop 4–20 mA)
Modbus RTU/TCP
PROFIBUS PA, PROFINET
FOUNDATION Fieldbus
IO-Link (smart device-level, 2010+, growing share)

4. Temperature Sensors

4.1 Thermocouples

Type K (Chromel-Alumel; −200 to +1260 °C, the workhorse)
Type J (Iron-Constantan; oxidising/reducing; −40 to +750 °C)
Type T (Copper-Constantan; cryogenic + low temp food)
Type E (Chromel-Constantan; highest emf, sub-zero)
Type N (Nicrosil-Nisil; stable high-temp alternative to K)
Type R, S (Pt-Pt/Rh; precious metals; high temp 1450 °C; calibration reference)
Type B (Pt6%Rh-Pt30%Rh; up to 1700 °C; glass furnaces)
Type C (W-Re; up to 2300 °C, vacuum/inert)

Vendors: Omega Engineering, JMS Southeast, TC Direct, Watlow, Tempco, Pyromation, Heraeus.

Accuracy: Class 1 ±1.5 °C (Type K standard) or ±0.4% reading; better with calibration.

4.2 RTD (Resistance Temperature Detector)

Pt100 (100 Ω @ 0 °C; α=0.003851 IEC standard or 0.003923 American)
Pt500, Pt1000 (higher resistance, better for long wire runs)
Heraeus M222/M422 platinum thin-film elements
Innovative Sensor Technology (IST AG) — Pt elements + custom assemblies
Omega Engineering, JMS, Burns Engineering, Minco
Class A ±0.15 °C @ 0 °C; Class B ±0.3 °C
3-wire / 4-wire connections cancel lead resistance

4.3 Thermistors

NTC (negative temp coefficient) — Vishay NTCLE100, EPCOS B57, TDK, Vitec; β = 3000–5000 K; 1 kΩ to 1 MΩ @ 25 °C; medical body temp, automotive
PTC — switching (overcurrent protection PolySwitch / PPTC; Tyco RUE, Bourns MF-R); silistor (linear, BMS battery monitor)

4.4 IR Pyrometers (Non-Contact)

Fluke Process Instruments (ex-Raytek) — Raynger, MI3, Marathon
Optris — CT, PI ImagerS, Xi
LumaSense / Advanced Energy — IGAR, Modline
Heitronics, AMETEK Land
Single-wavelength (broadband 8–14 µm typical) + two-colour ratio (cancels emissivity)
Range −40 °C to 3000 °C

4.5 Fibre-Optic Temperature (EMI-immune, MRI/RF, high voltage)

LumaSense / Advanced Energy Luxtron — GaAs band-edge
Opsens — fluorescent decay
Rugged Monitoring, FISO Technologies

4.6 Silicon Bandgap / IC Sensors

Texas Instruments TMP102/117/119, LMT01 (±0.1 °C class)
ADI ADT7410, AD590 (current-output classic)
Microchip MCP9808 (±0.25 °C)
Maxim Integrated DS18B20 (1-Wire, ubiquitous in DIY)
Sensirion STS3x/4x

4.7 MEMS Thermal Flow + Mass Flow

(See §7)

5. Humidity Sensors

5.1 Capacitive RH (most common)

Sensirion (Switzerland) — SHT3x ($3, ±2% RH), SHT4x (±1.8%), SHT85 (calibrated 0.1 °C), SHT45
Vaisala — HUMICAP HMP155 industrial, HMP60 OEM (±1.5% RH reference); originated humidity-sensing capacitive polymer 1973
Honeywell — HIH-4000, HIH8000, HumidIcon HIH9000
E+E Elektronik — EE07, EE08
Bosch BME280/BME680 (consumer; combined T+RH+P+VOC)

5.2 Resistive (legacy)

Conductive polymer; cheap but slower + less accurate.

5.3 Thermal Conductivity (high temp + 100% RH applications)

Vaisala HMT360, Michell Instruments.

5.4 Dew-Point (Chilled Mirror — reference standard)

Edgetech Optica, DewMaster
Vaisala DMT143/152
Michell Optidew, S8000

Accuracy ±0.1 °C dew point; primary humidity reference.

6. Gas + Chemical Sensors

6.1 Electrochemical (EC)

Three-electrode amperometric; ppm sensitivity; 1–3 year typical life.

Alphasense (UK; Amphenol) — A-series (O2, CO, H2S, SO2, NO2), B-series (research-grade)
City Technology (Honeywell Analytics) — 4-Series, 7-Series
Membrapor (Switzerland)
SGX Sensortech, Figaro
Applications: portable gas detectors, air quality monitoring (PurpleAir, Aeroqual, BlueSky)

6.2 NDIR (Non-Dispersive Infrared)

Senseair (Sweden; Asahi Kasei) — K-30 CO2 ($60), Sunrise, Sunlight
Vaisala — GMP251/252 CO2 industrial; GMP343 outdoor
Sensirion — SCD30 ($35), SCD40 (compact, no-cal), SCD41 (ppm accurate)
COZIR (Gas Sensing Solutions) — ultra-low-power
Edinburgh Instruments Gascard, ELT S300
Applications: CO2 (HVAC, greenhouses, breath), CH4 (leak detection), CO, refrigerants

6.3 Catalytic Bead (Pellistor) — Combustibles LEL

SGX Sensortech VQ series
Honeywell Sensepoint
Detects combustibles (LEL 0–100%); requires oxygen; degraded by silicones + sulphur

6.4 Photoionization (PID) — VOCs ppb

Ion Science — MiniPID 2 ($600 sensor); 10.6 eV lamp standard, 11.7 eV for halogenated
Alphasense PID-AH (high-sensitivity ppb)
Honeywell RAE / RAE Systems — ppbRAE 3000, MultiRAE
BW Honeywell Gas Detection
Detects VOCs benzene, toluene, gasoline; useful response time < 1 s

6.5 Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (MOS / MOX)

Figaro Engineering — TGS series (TGS2600, TGS2602 air quality)
Sensirion — SGP30/40 VOC index, SGP41
Bosch — BME680 (gas + T + RH + P)
ams — AS-MLV, CCS801
AppliedSensor, e2v Technologies
Low-cost broad VOC; not specific; high power (heater 250–500 °C)

6.6 Laser-Based (TDLAS, CRDS)

Picarro — G2401 (CO2 + CH4 + CO + H2O; cavity ring-down spectroscopy); isotope-resolved CRDS G2201-i
LumaSense INNOVA 1314 photoacoustic
ABB / Los Gatos Research (CRDS / OA-ICOS)
Teledyne — N2O monitor
Particularly precision GHG flux + emissions verification

6.7 Chemiluminescence

Teledyne API T200 — NO/NO2/NOx (O3 + NO → NO2* + light)
Thermo Scientific iSeries 42i

6.8 UV Photometric (Ozone)

Teledyne API T400 — UV absorption @ 254 nm
2B Technologies portable

6.9 Photo + Flame Ionization (Lab)

HC analyzer for emissions testing — Teledyne, Horiba, AVL

6.10 Particulate Matter (PM)

Reference: gravimetric (filter weight)
Optical particle counter (OPC) — Met One, TSI APS 3321
Light-scattering (nephelometer): TSI DustTrak DRX, Aeroqual S500, Alphasense OPC-N3, Sensirion SPS30 ($25)
Atmospheric PM2.5 / PM10 sensors driving low-cost air quality networks (PurpleAir, IQAir)

6.11 Specialty

Breathalyzer: Pt fuel cell (most accurate; police-grade BAC), NDIR, semiconductor (cheap)
pH electrode (combination glass + reference Ag/AgCl) — Mettler-Toledo, Hach, Hanna, YSI
Dissolved oxygen (galvanic, optical fluorescence) — Hach LDO, YSI ProODO
Conductivity — toroidal + contacting electrode
ORP redox

7. Flow Sensors

7.1 Coriolis (direct mass flow)

Emerson Micro Motion — F-series (legacy), CMF series (Elite, Coriolis Mass Flow), R-series
Endress+Hauser — Promass F (high accuracy ±0.05%), Promass A (low-flow), Promass X (large)
Krohne — Optimass 6400/7400/3400
Yokogawa — ROTAMASS Total Insight
Direct measurement of mass flow rate and density; accuracy ±0.1% reading; expensive ( $5 k -$ 50k)

7.2 Magnetic (electromagnetic; conductive liquids)

Endress+Hauser Promag — H/L/W series
Krohne — OPTIFLUX 4000/5000/6000, IFC line
Yokogawa — AXF series, ADMAG
Rosemount — 8700/8800
ABB — ProcessMaster FEP/FEH
4 mm to 2400 mm bore; water, slurries, chemicals; ±0.2% accuracy

7.3 Ultrasonic (transit-time + Doppler)

Transit-time (clean liquids/gases): FlexIM Fluxus G601 (clamp-on), Krohne OPTISONIC, Panametrics (Baker Hughes) UTC, Sick FLOWSIC600 (custody natural gas)
Doppler (dirty liquids): Greyline, Dynasonics

7.4 Vortex Shedding (von Kármán street)

Endress+Hauser Prowirl F/R/D
Yokogawa DY series
Rosemount 8800
Steam + clean gases primarily; ±1% accuracy

7.5 Thermal Mass (low gas flow)

Sierra Instruments — SmartTrak 100 mass flow controller
MKS Instruments — MFC for semiconductor (1179A, M100B), GE50A
Sensirion — SLG (liquid) and SFM3x (gas) miniature mass flow
Brooks Instrument — SLA5800 MFC, GF40
Bronkhorst (NL) — EL-FLOW, mini CORI-FLOW
Honeywell, Omega

7.6 Differential Pressure (orifice/venturi/V-cone/nozzle)

Rosemount 3051SFC compact orifice, 405 Annubar
Yokogawa, ABB, Emerson primary elements
Cone Meter (McCrometer V-Cone)
Long history; cheap; lower accuracy (±0.5–1%)

7.7 Positive Displacement

Bopp+Reuther, Brodie International, Veeder-Root
Gear/lobe/oval/rotary-piston; volumetric; ±0.1%; viscous oils (lubricants)

7.8 Turbine

FMC Smith Meter (TechnipFMC), Brodie, Bopp+Reuther, Cox Instruments
High accuracy custody transfer fuels

7.9 Open Channel

ISCO (Teledyne) flumes + Parshall flume + V-notch weir
HACH FL900

7.10 Cryogenic Flow

Cryomag, AMETEK Process Instruments, Endress+Hauser (cryo Coriolis)

8. Bio + Medical Sensors

8.1 Pulse Oximetry (SpO2)

Masimo (USA) — SET, Rad-G/Rad-67/MightySat (best-in-class; FDA gold standard for clinical use)
Medtronic Nellcor (acquired Covidien)
Maxim MAX30102/MAX86150 (wearable IC; basis for many fitness trackers)
Apple Watch SpO2 (since Series 6), Fitbit (Sense series), Garmin

8.2 ECG / EEG / EMG

Clinical 12-lead: Mortara/Hillrom, Philips PageWriter, GE MAC
Wearable ECG: AliveCor KardiaMobile, Apple Watch (Series 4+), Withings ScanWatch
Dry-electrode EEG headsets: g.tec, Cognionics (Quasar) DSI, Neuroelectrics Enobio, OpenBCI Ganglion/Cyton
Lab EEG: Compumedics, Brain Products actiCHamp, BIOSEMI ActiveTwo
Ag/AgCl gel electrode (standard) vs dry (consumer)

8.3 Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM)

Dexcom — G6 (2018), G7 (2022; smaller, 10-day, no fingerstick calibration), G8 (next-gen TBD), Dexcom ONE+
Abbott — FreeStyle Libre 2 (14-day), Libre 3 (smaller, 14-day, real-time alerts 2022), Libre Pro
Medtronic — Guardian 4, Simplera (smaller all-in-one disposable, 2024)
Senseonics — Eversense E3 (180-day implanted; longest)
Glucose oxidase enzyme amperometric; subcutaneous fluid

8.4 Blood Pressure

Oscillometric automated cuff (most home/clinical): Omron Platinum, Withings BPM Connect, Microlife
Auscultatory (manual sphygmomanometer + stethoscope; Korotkoff sounds) — Welch Allyn, Riester
Continuous: Finapres (finger arterial), CNAP (CNSystems), arterial line invasive
Cuffless emerging: PPG-derived (Aktiia, Withings BPM Core experimental), tonometry (Edwards ClearSight)

8.5 Accelerometer / Activity (Wearables)

Apple Watch SE/9/10/Ultra 2 — InvenSense + custom Apple silicon
Garmin Forerunner / Fenix / Epix — Bosch BMI270 + Sony GPS chipset
Polar — Vantage V3, Grit X2
Whoop 4.0 (subscription) — Bosch BMA
Oura Ring Gen3/Gen4 — STMicroelectronics + photoplethysmography (PPG)
Sleep stage from HR variability + actigraphy

8.6 Thermometry (Medical)

Temporal artery (forehead) IR: Exergen TAT-5000
Tympanic (ear) IR: Welch Allyn Braun ThermoScan, Omron Gentle Temp
Axillary digital (NTC thermistor): Vicks SpeedRead
Oral digital
Continuous monitoring (skin patches): TempTraq, VivaLNK

8.7 IOP (Tonometry)

Goldmann applanation (gold standard, clinic)
Reichert Ocular Response Analyzer (non-contact air-puff + ORA)
iCare (rebound) — handheld
Implanted: Eyemate (Implandata)

8.8 Bioimpedance (Body Composition)

Tanita BC-545N, BC-1000
InBody 970, 270, H20N
Withings Body Scan
Measures impedance at multiple frequencies; estimates body fat, water, muscle

8.9 Photoplethysmography (PPG)

Green-LED reflectance (wearables; HR, HRV, SpO2 derivative)
Red + IR transmittance (clinical SpO2)
Maxim MAX30102, MAX86150 reference designs

8.10 Capnography (End-Tidal CO2)

Mainstream IR: Masimo EMMA
Sidestream IR: Philips, GE, Medtronic Microstream
Critical in anaesthesia + emergency intubation verification

9. Magnetic Sensors

9.1 Hall Effect (already in §2.5)

9.2 GMR (Giant Magnetoresistance)

NVE Corporation — AAH002 reference. Lower noise + higher sensitivity than Hall; current sensors, hard-disk read heads (legacy).

9.3 TMR (Tunnel Magnetoresistance)

TDK, Crocus Technology, NVE. Highest sensitivity, used in modern HDD heads.

9.4 AMR (Anisotropic Magnetoresistance)

Sensitec, Honeywell HMC1052/HMC5883L (popular 3-axis magnetometer).

9.5 Fluxgate

Bartington (Mag-03, Mag-13), Magson, Stefan Mayer Instruments. Geomagnetic survey, satellite attitude.

9.6 SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device)

Tristan Technologies, Quantum Design (MPMS biomagnetometer)
Magnetoencephalography (MEG): CTF (CTFMEG), Elekta Neuromag, MEGIN, Kernel Flow (next-gen optically pumped)
Femtotesla sensitivity; requires cryogen (liquid He) or modern cryocooler

9.7 Optically Pumped Magnetometers (OPM)

QuSpin (USA), Twinleaf, Mag4Health, Cerca Magnetics
Room-temperature MEG; growing alternative to SQUID

9.8 Magnetic Gradiometers

For geological surveys + UXO detection — Geometrics, GEM Systems, Scintrex.

10. Adjacent + Less-Common Families

Radar (24/77 GHz automotive): NXP TEF810x, Bosch MRR/LRR, Continental, Aptiv; Texas Instruments AWR1843/AWR2243 mmWave radar
Microwave Doppler motion (Microwave SAW resonators)
Ultra-wideband (UWB) ranging — NXP NCJ29D5, Qorvo DW3000 (Apple U1 / U2 inside)
Time-of-flight ranging — STMicroelectronics VL53L0X / VL53L1X / VL53L8 (consumer/robotics ToF)
Soil moisture — capacitive (METER TEROS 12), TDR (Time Domain Reflectometry; Acclima TDR-310H, Campbell Scientific CS650)
Rainfall — tipping bucket (Davis Instruments, Texas Electronics), optical disdrometer (OTT Parsivel)
Soil pH — Stevens, Spectrum Technologies
Microphones / acoustic (cross-link to microphone-and-synthesizer-catalog) — measurement: Brüel & Kjær 4189, GRAS 40AE, PCB 378A14 IEPE; MEMS: Knowles, InvenSense ICS-43434

11. Common Pitfalls

Thermocouple cold-junction compensation must use isothermal block — ignoring → large errors (Type K ~40 µV/°C)
RTD self-heating: excitation current heats Pt100 ~1 mW gives ~0.1 °C error
Strain gauge temperature compensation: half-bridge / full-bridge dummy gauges essential
Pressure transducer media compatibility — wetted-parts materials (316SS, Hastelloy C, Tantalum, ceramic, PTFE diaphragm)
IMU bias drift: turn-on bias + run-time bias instability (Allan variance characterisation); GPS aiding crucial for inertial navigation
LiDAR — 905 nm power-limited eye safety; 1550 nm permits 40× more power
Hyperspectral cameras: bad pixel correction + radiometric calibration mandatory before quant analysis
Optical CGM and SpO2: skin-tone bias documented in clinical literature (FDA guidance 2024)
Gas sensors: cross-sensitivity (CO sensor responds to H2; PID responds to all VOCs not specific compound)
Flow meters: install length upstream/downstream of disturbance specified by mfr; ignoring → 5–20% error

Compendium

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Sensors Catalog — Optical, Mechanical, Pressure, Temperature, Chemical, Flow, Bio, Magnetic