Field Report - Hardware/Firmware @Sensirion

I have been working as an electrical engineer in the Hardware/Firmware group at Sensirion for a bit more than 18 months. During that time I was mainly involved in the SHTC1 project. The SHTC1 is Sensirion's newest product for measuring humidity and temperature. The sensor is the smallest of its type in the world, and it is especially suitable for applications in mobile devices.

My main task in the SHTC1 project was to refine the electronics and firmware of the internal test and calibration platform and adapt them for the new sensor chip. After a thorough familiarization period, I developed and implemented the new chip tests and calibration algorithms. Every sensor undergoes 70 or so tests during production and is individually programmed with 100 bytes of data. Along with the high quality requirements of the various tests, the shortest possible test time is very important because very large quantities of the new humidity and temperature sensor are planned to be produced in future. One of the things I had to do to reduce test times was to increase the speed of the test circuitry. This led to various problems with electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), which first had to be solved. I also put a lot of time into developing the test algorithms in order to optimize the speed of the firmware.

Following this, the handover of the calibration systems to Production was a very interesting and educational phase of the SHTC1 project. As part of this, I experienced first hand the big difference between a first prototype and a reliable 24/7 operational test system. Right now the ramp-up for the new humidity and temperature sensor is underway, and pretty soon several million SHTC1 sensors a month will be fabricated in Sensirion's production buildings in Stäfa.

Along with the technical challenges, what makes my job at Sensirion so attractive is the interdisciplinary sharing and contact with other employees. Sensirion gives me the opportunity to work in an expert team and to participate in the research and development of new sensors. I am very proud to have been involved in the development of the world's smallest humidity and temperature sensor and to have been responsible for all of the hardware and firmware. That sort of project is incredibly motivating.

Innovation and your own ideas are fostered and encouraged at Sensirion. For me it is very important that my good ideas are put into practice and that I can count on the effective support of the company and my colleagues.