A new approach to test set for SAW delay line based gas sensors

Authors

  • Jarosław Wrotniak Silesian University of Technology, Faculty of Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science, Gliwice
  • Mirosław Magnuski Silesian University of Technology, Faculty of Automatic Control, Electronics and Computer Science, Gliwice
  • Wiesław Jakubik Silesian University of Technology, Institute of Physics CSE, Gliwice

Abstract

The paper presents a new switchable test set
dedicated to dual delay line surface acoustic wave (SAW) gas
sensors. The described network is a switchable oscillator
operating at frequency of approximately 205 MHz adopting dual
delay line fabricated by SAW Components. It was successfully
applied to detect traces of dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP)
being the simulator of combat poisoning agents in the air. The
oscillator discussed in the paper adopts a single active network,
multi-state phase shifter and electronics switches to alternate
excitation of two delay lines, so that it offers much better
temperature properties in comparation to the existing solutions
using two separate temperature sensitive oscillators. The
measured frequency to temperature sensitivity of the discussed
test set is 10 times lower than the one built of two separated
oscillators. Moreover, the proposed circuit, thanks to its alternate
operation, eliminates the interaction between two delay lines
placed on the same substrate.
This work was presented at the 53th Winter School on Wave
and Quantum Acoustics [1] February, 24 – 27, 2025, DOI
10.5162/20WWonAE/A7.

Additional Files

Published

2025-10-13

Issue

Section

Acoustics