IR Sensor Working and
Applications
What is an IR Sensor/Infrared Sensor?
• An infrared sensor is an electronic device, that
emits in order to sense some aspects of the
surroundings. An IR sensor can measure the
heat of an object as well as detects the motion.
Usually, in the infrared spectrum, all the
objects radiate some form of thermal
radiation. These types of radiations are
invisible to our eyes, but infrared sensor can
detect these radiations.
Components of IR sensor
• There are five basic elements used in a typical infrared detection
system: an infrared source, a transmission medium, optical
component, infrared detectors or receivers and signal processing.
Infrared lasers and Infrared LED’s of specific wavelength used as
infrared sources.
• The three main types of media used for infrared transmission are
vacuum, atmosphere and optical fibers. Optical components are used
to focus the infrared radiation or to limit the spectral response.
Types of IR Sensor
There are two types of IR sensors are available and they are,
• Active Infrared Sensor
• Passive Infrared Sensor
• Active Infrared Sensor
Active infrared sensors consist of two elements: infrared source and infrared detector.
Infrared sources include the LED or infrared laser diode. Infrared detectors include
photodiodes or phototransistors. The energy emitted by the infrared source is reflected by an
object and falls on the infrared detector.
• Passive Infrared Sensor
Passive infrared sensors are basically Infrared detectors. Passive infrared sensors do not use
any infrared source and detector. They are of two types: quantum and thermal. Thermal
infrared sensors use infrared energy as the source of heat. Thermocouples, pyroelectric
detectors and bolometers are the common types of thermal infrared detectors. Quantum
type infrared sensors offer higher detection performance. It is faster than thermal type
infrared detectors. The photo sensitivity of quantum type detectors is wavelength
dependent.
IR Sensor Working Principle
There are different types of infrared
transmitters depending on their wavelengths,
output power and response time. An IR sensor
consists of an IR LED and an IR Photodiode,
together they are called as PhotoCoupler or
OptoCoupler.
• IR Transmitter or IR LED
Infrared Transmitter is a light emitting diode
(LED) which emits infrared radiations called as
IR LED’s. Even though an IR LED looks like a
normal LED, the radiation emitted by it is
invisible to the human eye.
Contd...
• IR Receiver or Photodiode
Infrared receivers or infrared sensors detect the radiation from an IR transmitter. IR
receivers come in the form of photodiodes and phototransistors. Infrared Photodiodes
are different from normal photo diodes as they detect only infrared radiation.
Different types of IR receivers exist based on the wavelength, voltage, package, etc.
When used in an infrared transmitter – receiver combination, the wavelength of the
receiver should match with that of the transmitter.
The emitter is an IR LED and the detector is an IR photodiode. The IR photodiode is
sensitive to the IR light emitted by an IR LED. The photo-diode’s resistance and output
voltage change in proportion to the IR light received. This is the underlying working
principle of the IR sensor.
When the IR transmitter emits radiation, it reaches the object and some of the
radiation reflects back to the IR receiver. Based on the intensity of the reception by the
IR receiver, the output of the sensor defines.
Applications of IR Sensor
• Radiation Thermometers
• Night Vision Devices
• Infrared Tracking
• IR Imaging Devices
• Climatology
• Meteorology
• Photobiomodulation
• Flame Monitors
• Gas detectors
• Water analysis
• Moisture Analyzers
• Anesthesiology testing
• Petroleum exploration
• Rail safety
• Gas Analyzers
