Dive Computer Error

[DiveNav]

Are you saying its actually the same transducer or rather that the sensor package contains 2 transducer circuits (pressure and temp) that might interact with each other in a failure mode?

At this level, there is no real difference between a silicon integration or a package integration .... they both produce very tiny products.
Also, the temperature sensor is extremely small (a very very very tiny silicon cell) and it is usually integrated into the same piece of semiconductor device that includes the ADC that reads the pressure sensor.
A temperature sensor - sitting very close to the pressure sensor - is necessary because the response of the pressure sensor is not linear vs. the temperature and as such it needs constant compensation.
If you want to know more about the subject you can read the datasheet of a common pressure sensor such as the MS5535C

Alberto (aka eDiver)

---------- Post Merged at 10:40 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 10:32 PM ----------

...... Can you explain this more fully? .....

The processor in the dive computer uses the temperature to "attempt to correct" the linearity error of the pressure sensor.

Alberto (aka eDiver)

 

[vladimir]

Thanks for the link, Alberto. Pretty interesting.

 

[windapp]

If a temperature sensor is used to compensate a pressure sensor, it only needs to know the temperature of the chip, and not necessarily the exact temperature of the water. Furthermore, they would be calibrated together so any temperature reading error would be calibrated out.

Dive computer thermometers generally work like crap because they don't have good thermal contact with the water.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

At this level, there is no real difference between a silicon integration or a package integration .... they both produce very tiny products.
Also, the temperature sensor is extremely small (a very very very tiny silicon cell) and it is usually integrated into the same piece of semiconductor device that includes the ADC that reads the pressure sensor.
A temperature sensor - sitting very close to the pressure sensor - is necessary because the response of the pressure sensor is not linear vs. the temperature and as such it needs constant compensation.
If you want to know more about the subject you can read the datasheet of a common pressure sensor such as the MS5535C

Alberto (aka eDiver)

---------- Post Merged at 10:40 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 10:32 PM ----------


The processor in the dive computer uses the temperature to "attempt to correct" the linearity error of the pressure sensor.

Alberto (aka eDiver)

That makes sense. Little tidbits of info like this is what makes reading Scubaboard valuable, even after many years of diving.