Pressure

Measurement excellence

The BAROCAP® sensor’s properties – good low temperature dependence and superior long-term stability – are the result of its single-crystal silicon material.

The capacitive structure gives the sensor its wide dynamic range, very fast response time and provides a built-in mechanism for overpressure blocking.

Vaisala’s pressure offering includes digital barometers and barometric pressure sensors for measuring both barometric pressure and process pressure in industrial applications. BAROCAP® barometers operate over a wide temperature range and perform reliably even in highly demanding applications such as professional meteorology and aviation.

Vaisala offers also multi-parameter products, combining pressure measurements with dew point, humidity and temperature data.

Typical weather-related applications

Barometric pressure measurement has a wide variety of applications within meteorology. It is commonly used in weather, aviation, hydrology, and agrology applications.

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), analyzed pressure fields are a fundamental requirement of meteorology. It is one of the key parameters for numerical weather models as pressure data is required for defining the high and low pressure systems.

For numerical weather modeling it is imperative that these pressure fields are accurately defined as they form the basis for all subsequent preconditions of the state of the atmosphere. Typically a high pressure system indicates nice weather and low pressure system predicts precipitation or cloudy conditions. Thus, accurate atmospheric pressure measurements are crucial.

Barometric pressure is also a crucial parameter in aviation applications where it is used to set the aircraft altimeters. Therefore, it is used as operational safety instrument in aviation systems.

Typical industrial applications

Barometric pressure data is also required in several industrial applications. It is measured in pressure-sensitive industrial equipment, such as laser interferometers and lithography systems, engine-testing benches, and in exhaust-gas analysis.

Metrological applications include laboratory pressure standard measurements and environmental monitoring in calibration laboratories.

Pressure measurements can be critical also in regulated life science and high technology cleanroom applications. In these applications, continuous, documented and redundant data is a required to meet regulations.

Excellent long term stability

Reliable single crystal technology

Accuracy over complete temperature range

Wide measurement range with fast response