's Alcohol and Gas Sensor Breakout board
The MQ-3 Alcohol Gas Sensor part of Pololu's Alcohol and Gas Sensor Breakout board is a gas-sensing device that can detect the presence of ethanol in the air and convert it into an electrical signal. It has low power consumption and can detect ethanol at concentrations as low as 10ppm. The board is made up of a sensing element, circuitry, and a microcontroller. The sensing element consists of a porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) layer, an aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer, and an electrolyte layer. The circuitry transfers the current generated by the sensing element to the microcontroller. The microcontroller decrypts the digital signal from an analogue output from the MQ-3 Alcohol Gas Sensor and conveys the data stabilized to the outside world. The board also comes with a heater which helps in the activation of the sensor. The board is used for a wide range of alcohol detection applications such as air quality monitoring, safety and security systems, breathalysers and more.