Sensors & Detectors
We produce PID Sensors at our factories in both China and Taiwan and our FIDs at facilities in the USA and Taiwan.
PID Sensor Products
HeatwaveTM is produced in Taiwan and is equivalent to the Rainbow Series sensors made and sold in China
Full Range sensors are manufactured by Senqi in our China factory and can be shipped globally
Arc-Light is currently being produced in China and will soon be available from our Taiwan factory
Rainbow 2 will soon be available to select customers. Wide availability is expected in Q1 of 2027
Rainbow 2 Data Sheet
Our Unique PID Technologies
AU is the leader, developing world class PID sensor technology.
Following are areas where we excel in producing and applying the best technologies.
Heatwave
The most significant development in photoionization detection since the invention of the PID Sensor!
Everybody wants to use simple PID sensors but they have ALWAYS had problems…
** CONDENSATION OF WATER **
- Heatwave has arrived… and it is a GAME CHANGER.
- This newly patented technology is changing the world of Environmental TVOC monitoring.
- For the past 20 years there has been a struggle to find a way to make PID sensors useful in ambient TVOC monitoring applications.
- Use of PID for monitoring is preferred by users. It is inexpensive compared to other monitoring approaches and it is simple to use…but ambient moisture kills ordinary PID sensors!
- Just about everybody tried to use PID sensors in ambient TVOC applications and just about EVERYBODY FAILED.
- AU has changed the game completely. The new HEATWAVE PID SENSOR is greatly immune to the negative effects of moisture condensation.
Heatwave is the newly patented, revolutionary, Moisture Tolerant VOC sensors. They’re simple 3-pin devices (PWR, GND & 0-2.5V signal) that sense VOCs in their environment via diffusion. These sensors can be enclosed in a special housing and adapted for flow-thru sampling configurations if desired.
Most importantly, these sensors do not allow moisture to condense inside on their internal critical components.
- Heatwave PID Sensors work where other PID Sensors have repeatedly failed.
- Direct replacement for expensive, low performance sensors
- Affordable & Long Life (15,000 lamp hours) 10.6 eV lamp
- Temperature Stable & Humidity Tolerant
- Sensitive and Repeatable
- Fast Warm-Up
- Operation at 100% RH
In the words of one of our first Heatwave customers:
“I tried PID and I had given up. I never thought PID sensors would perform well enough for use in ambient TVOC measurement.
The Heatwave sensor has changed my mind because it works. It is the simple solution we always wanted “.
~ Dr Wei Zhaoliang
ELT Lamps
Extended Lifetime (ELT) coated Lamp technology is standard in all AU PID sensors (except for Arc Light). This miniature vacuum ultraviolet lamp has a 2 year warranty. The proprietary coating greatly extends the life, reduces maintenance, provides higher stability of the life of the lamp and improves the value proposition.
Cera-Lamp VUV Lamp
AU has developed and produced the first ceramic body VUV lamp. It is now available in our Arc Light PID sensor. The ceramic body lamp extends the life of the lamp even beyond that of our world class ELT lamp technology. Lifetime of the ceramic body lamp is in excess of 3 years and the stability and repeatability of this technology is truly outstanding.
FID Products
Cyclone FID
Organic Compound Detector
Cyclone is an innovative new flame ionization detector design with extraordinary performance specifications.
FID is well known as a universal hydrocarbon (organic compounds) detector. It can be configured to sense gas phase propane to as low as 1 ppb (by volume) or with various dynamic ranges, up to 100% propane. The detector is virtually unaffected by hot and wet samples and will operate with reasonable particulate loads. This makes the FID a very good choice for many environmental monitoring applications. It Features:
- Manifold Mounted for compact design
- Inclusion of focus electrode greatly improves performance.
- Extremely Stable vs Temperature (to 200 Deg C)
- Linear over 6 Orders of magnitude in single fixed configuration
- Highly Sensitive (1 ppbv or 2mg/m3 as propane)
Fireworks II – Stand Alone Smart Sensor – Electronic FID
Fireworks is an organic compound sensor based on the Cyclone FID. This sensor includes the necessary electronic circuitry to provide easy adjustment of various configuration parameters and to operate without the need for custom circuits. It Features:
- Cyclone FID with support electronics
- 24 bit A/D signal conversion
- Communications via I2C or standard UART
- Operates in Polling or Streaming modes
- Onboard Calibration for reporting directly in units of concentration
- Polarizing voltage control
- Flame lighting and monitoring
- Requires only flow-controlled fuel and combustion air in addition to flow controlled sample.
Fireworks can be delivered with Microscope Dashboard to facilitate OEM product development
Ask us about this feature.
Terminology
In our product offering, we discuss both sensors and detectors:
- A sensor requires power (and possibly support gases) to operate and it produces a signal proportional to the amount of the target compounds present in the sample.
- A detector generally requires more than just power. It may require special external circuitry to activate operation, configure range and sensitivity and possibly other specialized external controls which enable it to operate in a useful manner.
The difference between a sensor and a detector may seem insignificant but it is important to understand these differences when developing OEM products that incorporate them.
