7Semi ENS160 Air Quality Sensor Breakout Board with VOC & eCO S

What this module is

The 7Semi ENS160 Air Quality Sensor Breakout Board is an advanced indoor air quality (IAQ) sensor that measures:

• VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds)

• eCO (equivalent CO)

• Air Quality Index (AQI)

• TVOC (Total VOCs)

It gives a complete picture of indoor air quality in real time

Important Concept (VERY IMPORTANT)

This sensor does NOT measure real CO

Instead:

• It estimates eCO based on VOC levels

So:

• Good for air quality trends

• Not for accurate CO measurong> ScioSense ENS160

• Interface: I2C / SPI

• Operating Voltage: ~3.3V

• eCO Range: 400 ppm 65,000 ppm

• TVOC Range: 0 65,000 ppb

• Temperature Range: -40C to +85C

• Humidity Range: 5% 95% RH

• I2C Address: 0x52 / 0x53 (selectable)

What it can detect

This sensor can detect gases like:

• Alcohol

• Smoke

• Breath (CO indirectly)

• Chemicals (cleaning agents, perfumes)

Basically indoor pollution level

Working Principle

• Uses MOX (Metal Oxide) gas sensing

• Gas changes resistance of sensing element

• eCO

• TVOC

Built-in algorithms handle:

• Temperature compensation

• Humidity compensation

• Baseline correction

Pinout

• VCC 3.3V

• GND GND

• SDA I2C Data

• SCL I2C Clock

Key Features

• Multi-parameter air quality sensing

• Built-in smart processing (less coding)

• Fast response

• Compact & IoT-friendly

• Works with Arduino, ESP32, Raspberry Pi

Applications

• Smart home air monitoring

• Aiol

Important Notes (VERY IMPORTANT)

1. Warm-up time

• Needs few minutes initially

• Full accuracy may take longer

2. Needs temperature + humidity compensation

For best results:

• Use with sensors like:

  • SHT40

  • BME280

Improves accuracy significantly

3. Heating effect

• Sensor has internal heater

• Can slightly raise nearby temperature

Keep away from temp sensor

4. Not outdoor-grade

• Designed mainly for indoor air quality

ENS160 vs Other Air Sensors

When to use this

Use ENS160 if you want:

• Smart indoor air monitoring

• HVAC automation

• IoT air quality system

• Pollution detection

When NOT to use

Avoid if:

• You need true CO measurement

• Outdoor pollution monitoring

• Industrial gas detection

Final Understanding

This sensor = smart air quality analyzer (VOC-based)