ams’ CCS811 is an ultra-low power digital gas sensor solution in a small 2.7 mm x 4 mm LGA package. This sensor integrates a metal oxide (MOX) gas sensor for monitoring indoor air quality (IAQ) plus a microcontroller unit (MCU) and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). Communication is digital through I²C interface. The lower power consumption makes the CCS811 ideal for battery and wearable applications such as smart phones, medical and air monitoring applications.

The SparkFun CCS811 air quality breakout board utilizes ams’ digital gas sensor solution to sense a wide range of total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), including equivalent carbon dioxide (eCO2) and MOX levels. Intended for indoor air quality monitoring the sensor provides the parts per million (PPM) readings of CO2 and parts per billion (PPB) readings of TVOCs, which are often categorized as pollutants and/or sensory irritants and can come from a variety of indoor sources like construction materials (paint, carpet, etc.), machines (copiers, processes, etc.), and even people (breathing, cigarettes, etc.). SparkFun’s breakout board has also broken out each necessary pin on the CCS811 as well as additional pins to add an NTC thermistor to determine the temperature of the CCS811’s surroundings, which can be used to help compensate the readings.