Environmental / Air Quality Sensor

PM2.5 / PM10 Particulate Matter Sensor

A particulate matter sensor measures suspended dust and fine particles in air, especially PM2.5 and PM10. It is used in industrial air quality monitoring, HVAC control, pollution detection, clean room support, and smart city systems.

Explore Page Related Sensors

Detects fine dust and particulate concentration in real time

Useful in HVAC, factories, smart cities, and clean environments

Supports alarms, ventilation, filtration, and reporting

Ideal for IoT air quality dashboards and environmental systems

What is Particulate Matter Monitoring?

Particulate matter monitoring means measuring suspended solid and liquid particles in the air. PM2.5 refers to very fine particles, while PM10 refers to larger inhalable particles that still affect health and process performance.

Industrial Meaning

Dust and particles may come from grinding, cutting, conveyor systems, combustion, material handling, roads, and construction. A sensor helps monitor these conditions continuously and supports safe operations.

Why it Matters

High particle concentration can harm health, clog filters, reduce machine life, contaminate products, and indicate poor ventilation. Continuous sensing supports ventilation and filtration control.

Air enters sensor

Ambient air flows through the sensing chamber.

Light scattering / sensing

Particles are detected by optical or laser methods.

Signal is processed

Electronics calculate PM values and trends.

Alarm / action

Filtering, ventilation, and notifications can start.

Working Principle

Most particulate sensors use optical scattering. A light source, often LED or laser, shines through the air stream and the scattered light is used to estimate particle concentration and size distribution.

Typical Measurement Methods

Laser scattering / optical scattering
Photodetector-based particle counting
Size estimation for PM2.5 and PM10
Threshold-based alarm electronics

Where the Signal Goes

IAQ / air quality panel
PLC / relay controller
HVAC control system
IoT gateway and cloud dashboard

Industrial Applications

Particulate matter sensing is valuable wherever dust, smoke, or suspended particles can affect health, product quality, or equipment performance.

HVAC Systems Supports air filtration and ventilation control.

Factories Monitors dust exposure in production spaces.

Clean Rooms Useful for maintaining controlled air environments.

Smart Cities Tracks outdoor pollution and urban air quality.

Construction / Mining Helps monitor suspended dust from operations.

IoT Air Quality Systems Provides alarms, trends, and remote visibility.

Typical Technical Specifications

Exact values depend on the sensing technology and detector design. The table below reflects common industrial particulate sensor expectations.

Parameter	Typical Range	Notes
Measured Particles	PM2.5 / PM10	Fine and inhalable airborne particles
Measurement Range	0–1000 µg/m³ or higher	Depends on detector and use case
Accuracy	Application dependent	Industrial versions may include calibration
Output Types	4–20 mA, 0–10 V, RS485, Relay	Suitable for PLC and gateway integration
Communication	Modbus RTU / TCP, UART, Ethernet	Common in industrial monitoring
Supply Voltage	12/24 VDC typical	Depends on architecture
Alarm Levels	Pre-alarm / alarm / fault	Configured for air-quality response
Operating Environment	-10°C to +55°C typical	Industrial models may vary

IoT Integration

Particulate monitoring becomes much more powerful when connected to cloud dashboards, alarm systems, and event logs.

Gateway Integration

The sensor can feed a gateway through analog output, relay status, RS485, or direct digital monitoring. The gateway then forwards readings to the cloud for monitoring and reporting.

Dashboard Logic

Dashboards may show live PM2.5, PM10, air quality index, alarm timestamps, maximum level, and sensor health diagnostics.

Common Alarm Conditions

PM2.5 above warning threshold
PM10 above alarm threshold
Rapid dust increase during a process event
Filter blockage or ventilation failure
Sensor fault or communication failure

Frequently Asked Questions

A few common questions that help users understand particulate monitoring quickly.

Why is PM2.5 monitoring important?

PM2.5 particles are very small and can penetrate deep into the lungs, so monitoring helps protect health and air quality.

Can particulate sensors be used in factories?

Yes. They are commonly used in factories, clean rooms, HVAC systems, and dust-generating environments.

Can PM values be monitored remotely?

Yes. Sensor data can be sent to an IoT gateway and displayed on remote dashboards with alarms and logs.

Hexitronics Industrial IoT Integration

Particulate monitoring is a strong part of industrial environmental architecture. When connected with cloud alerts and control logic, it becomes a powerful protection layer for plants, buildings, and utility areas.

Contact Hexitronics Back to Sensors