Application Note #2: Understanding Temperature Compensation for Precision Sensor Performance
- John Valentini
- Jul 1
- 2 min read
The second release in AVSensors’ 10-part application note series focuses on a foundational challenge in sensor design—temperature compensation. Despite advances in MEMS and silicon micromachining, piezoresistive pressure sensors remain sensitive to thermal shifts that affect zero offset, span, and bridge resistance. This note presents a clear and practical guide to hardware-based compensation strategies that ensure accuracy and reliability across operating temperatures.
The application note walks engineers through techniques for correcting both the initial offset and its temperature drift using high-stability resistors. It also explains how to achieve span temperature compensation by matching opposing coefficients—pressure sensitivity and bridge resistance—using a simple R₅ resistor network. Engineers working with constant current or constant voltage excitation will find side-by-side trade-offs that help optimize circuit design for thermal stability.
AVSensors' compensation methodology balances theoretical rigor with practical insight, helping engineers understand how temperature affects sensor performance at a fundamental level. While AVSensors provides fully compensated products, this guide offers valuable knowledge for those designing with uncompensated or semi-compensated sensors. It equips engineers with the context needed to make informed decisions on compensation strategies—ultimately leading to lower error and improved stability in thermally dynamic environments.
This application note demonstrates AVSensors' continued commitment to being not just a component provider—but a trusted technical partner for medical, life sciences, and industrial engineers. Download the full note now to build smarter analog output interfaces with precision and confidence.
Why We're Doing This
As a leader in sensor technology, AVSensors is committed to not just delivering high-performance sensors, but also serving as a key research and technical support partner for engineers in medical, life sciences, and industrial processing applications.
By sharing our expertise, we aim to reduce your development time, enhance system performance, and simplify the challenges of working with precision pressure sensors.
Stay Tuned for Our Third Focused Release!
Our second application note will be available next month. This note will describe one method of temperature compensation or more simply minimize the dependence of temperature on pressure characteristics like offset and sensitivity.
AVSensors – Your Partner in Sensor Innovation.
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Ready to experience the next generation of pressure sensing technology? Contact our team today to find the perfect configuration for your application and see why our expanded pressure sensor family leads the industry in performance and innovation.
John Valentini, Business Development AV Sensors (business.development@avsensors.com)
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