Extreme Resolution

What is Extreme Resolution?

Resolution in a pressure sensor is not a single fixed specification; it is a function of bandwidth. At low output rates, when the sensor can accumulate many internal samples before producing each value, noise partially cancels through averaging, and effective resolution is at its highest. As the output rate increases, fewer samples contribute to each value, noise cancellation diminishes, and effective resolution degrades. For typical pressure sensors, this relationship is approximately linear on a log scale: each doubling of measurement bandwidth costs roughly one bit of effective resolution. This degradation is not a design flaw; it is a direct consequence of how noise behaves in sampled systems.

The distinction between output resolution and effective resolution is critical. A sensor with a 24-bit output does not necessarily deliver 24 bits of useful information at high output rates. Effective resolution is determined by the analog noise floor of the sensing element and the signal-conditioning chain, which sets an absolute limit on how small a pressure change can be discriminated from noise at a given bandwidth. At high output rates, more of that analog noise floor appears in the output, consuming bits that encode noise rather than signal. Increasing the ADC word length without reducing the underlying noise floor does not improve effective resolution; it simply adds bits that carry no additional measurement information.

This trade-off has practical consequences for applications that require both high bandwidth and high resolution. A medical ventilator must respond within milliseconds to changes in patient airway pressure while also resolving the small pressure differences that distinguish normal breathing dynamics from patient-triggering events. A precision flow control loop must update fast enough to prevent instability while still discriminating pressure differences small enough to represent the minimum measurable flow increment. In both cases, a conventional sensor may show impressive resolution figures in its datasheet, but those figures apply only at output rates far below what the application actually requires. At the application’s working bandwidth, the effective resolution is several bits lower.

Extreme Resolution is the first capability in the industry to decouple effective resolution from bandwidth in a pressure sensor. Powered by proprietary algorithms and signal processing within the NimbleSense architecture, Extreme Resolution models maintain approximately 18 bits of effective resolution across the full measurement bandwidth, including at high-bandwidth settings where competing sensors have already degraded to 14 or 15 bits.

The measured performance advantage is not marginal and does not diminish as bandwidth increases. Competing high-volume pressure sensors typically enter the comparison with 13 to 16 bits of effective resolution at low bandwidth and then degrade further as speed increases. Extreme Resolution was introduced with the VN Series, with two models incorporating the capability, and it is planned for additional product families. The applications that benefit most are those requiring both fast pressure response and fine pressure discrimination: medical ventilators, CPAP and APAP devices, precision flow control, aviation instrumentation, and any system that must measure pressure with high resolution at speeds above a few hertz.

Availability

Extreme Resolution is currently available on the VN Series. Two VN Series models incorporate Extreme Resolution (VN026CM and VN131CM). All VN Series products provide 24-bit output resolution and outperform competing sensors across the full bandwidth range. Extreme Resolution is planned for additional Superior Sensor product families in future releases.

Extreme Resolution FAQ

What is the difference between output resolution and effective resolution, and which one matters for my application?

Output resolution is the bit width of the digital word the sensor delivers to the host, such as 24 bits for the VN Series. Effective resolution is the number of those bits that carry actual signal information rather than noise. At high output rates, the sensing element’s analog noise floor consumes part of the output range, reducing the number of bits that represent real pressure changes. Effective resolution is the operationally relevant specification because it determines the smallest pressure change your application can reliably detect at the required measurement speed.

Why does effective resolution degrade with bandwidth in a conventional pressure sensor?

In a sampled system, random noise partially cancels when multiple samples are averaged. At low output rates, the sensor accumulates many internal samples per output value, so noise averages down and effective resolution rises. At high output rates, fewer samples contribute to each output, less averaging occurs, and the noise floor remains high relative to the signal range. The analog front end sets an absolute noise floor; as the output rate increases, the effective noise level approaches that floor because less averaging is available to suppress it.

How does Extreme Resolution maintain effective resolution at high bandwidth?

Extreme Resolution uses proprietary algorithms and signal processing within the NimbleSense architecture to extend effective resolution at high bandwidth beyond what conventional oversampling and averaging alone can achieve. The result is approximately 18-bit effective resolution sustained across the full measurement bandwidth, even at operating speeds where competing pressure sensors degrade to 14 or 15 bits.

How many sensor models include Extreme Resolution, and will it be available on other product families?

Two models in the current VN Series include the Extreme Resolution capability. Extreme Resolution is planned for additional Superior Sensor product families in future releases. Other VN Series models deliver standard VN Series high-resolution performance, which still significantly outperforms competing sensors across the full bandwidth range. Refer to the VN Series product pages and datasheets for model-specific effective resolution specifications.

What applications benefit most from Extreme Resolution?

Applications requiring both fast pressure response and fine pressure discrimination see the greatest benefit. Medical ventilators and CPAP devices must respond quickly to breathing dynamics while resolving small pressure differences that indicate patient-triggering events or airway conditions. Precision flow control systems require high bandwidth for loop stability while discriminating small differential pressures that represent the minimum measurable flow. Aviation instrumentation, process automation, and any application that must capture pressure with high precision at speeds above a few hertz will see meaningful performance improvement compared with conventional sensors.

How does VN Series Extreme Resolution compare to VN Series standard resolution?

The VN Extreme Resolution models maintain approximately 18-bit effective resolution across the full bandwidth range. VN Standard Resolution models also significantly outperform competing sensors at all bandwidths, though they show moderate degradation at higher operating speeds. For low-bandwidth applications, the difference between Extreme and Standard VN performance is small. For high-bandwidth applications, where the resolution-versus-speed tradeoff is most acute, Extreme Resolution provides a meaningful additional advantage on top of the VN Series’ lead over the field. As Extreme Resolution becomes available on additional product families, the same performance advantage will extend to the pressure ranges and interfaces those series address.