Flammable Gas Sensor
(Model:MQ-4)
Manual
Version: 1.3
Valid from: 2014-05-01
Zhengzhou Winsen Electronics Technology Co., Ltd
Statement
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written permission, any part of this manual shall not be copied, translated, stored in database or
retrieval system, also can’t spread through electronic, copying, record ways.
Thanks for purchasing our product. In order to let customers use it better and reduce the faults
caused by misuse, please read the manual carefully and operate it correctly in accordance with the
instructions. If users disobey the terms or remove, disassemble, change the components inside of
the sensor, we shall not be responsible for the loss.
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right to improve the products without notice. Please confirm it is the valid version before using this
manual. At the same time,
users’ comments on
optimized using way are welcome.
Please keep the manual properly, in order to get help if you have questions during the usage in the
future.
Zhengzhou Winsen Electronics Technology CO., LTD
Zhengzhou Winsen Electronics Technology Co., Ltd
www.winsensor.com
MQ-4 Semiconductor Sensor for Flammable Gas
Profile
Sensitive material of MQ-4 gas sensor is SnO
2,
which
with lower conductivity in clean air. When the target
flammable gas exist, the sensor’s conductivity gets
higher along with the gas concentration rising. Users
can convert the change of conductivity to correspond
output signal of gas concentration through a simple
circuit.
MQ-4 gas sensor has high sensitivity to methane, also
has anti-interference to alcohol and other gases.
Features
It has good sensitivity to methane in wide range, and has advantages such as long lifespan, low cost and
simple drive circuit &etc.
Main Applications
It is widely used in domestic gas leakage alarm, industrial flammable gas alarm and portable gas detector.
Technical Parameters
Model
Sens or Type
Sta nda rd Enca ps ul a ti on
Ta rget Ga s
Detecti on ra nge
Loop Vol ta ge
Sta ndard Ci rcui t
Condi ti ons
Hea ter Vol ta ge
Loa d Res i s ta nce
Hea ter Res i s ta nce
Hea ter
Sensor character
under standard
tes t conditions
Output Vol ta ge
Concentration Slope
Tem. Humi di ty
Sta nda rd tes t
condi ti ons
Sta nda rd tes t ci rcui t
Prehea t ti me
Vs
α
cons umption
Sens i ti vi ty
V
c
V
H
R
L
R
H
P
H
S
Stable.1
MQ-4
Semi conductor
Ba kel i te, Meta l ca p
Metha ne
300½10000ppm(CH
4
)
≤24V DC
5.0V±0.1V AC or DC
Adjus ta bl e
26Ω±3Ω(room tem.)
≤950mW
Rs (i n a i r)/Rs (i n
5000ppmCH
4
)≥5
2.5V½4.0V (i n 5000ppm
CH
4
)
≤0.6(R
5000ppm
/R
1000ppm
CH
4
)
20℃±2℃;55%±5%RH
Vc:5.0V±0.1V;
V
H
:5.0V±0.1V
Over 48 hours
Fig1.Sensor S
tructure
Unit: mm
NOTE: Output voltage (Vs) is V
RL
in test environment.
Tel: 86-371-67169097/67169670
Fax: 86-371-60932988
Email:
sales@winsensor.com
Zhengzhou Winsen Electronics Technology Co., Ltd
www.winsensor.com
Basic Circuit
Fig2. MQ-4 Test Circuit
Instructions: The above fig is the basic test circuit of MQ-4.The sensor requires two voltage inputs: heater
voltage (V
H
) and circuit voltage (V
C
). V
H
is used to supply standard working temperature to the sensor and
it can adopt DC or AC power, while V
RL
is the voltage of load resistance R
L
which is in series with sensor. Vc
supplies the detect voltage to load resistance R
L
and it should adopts DC power.
Description of Sensor Characters
CH
4
Air
Alcohol
C
3
H
8
Concentration(ppm)
Fig3.Typical Sensitivity Curve
The ordinate is resistance ra tio of the sensor (Rs /R
0
),
the abs cissa is concentra tion of gases . Rs means
resistance in ta rget gas wi th di fferent concentra tion,
R
0
mea ns resistance of sensor in clean ai r. All tests
a re fi nished under standard test conditions.
Fig4.Typical temperature/humidity characteristics
The ordi nate is resistance ra tio of the sensor (Rs/Rs o). Rs
means resistance of sensor in 5000ppm methane (CH
4
) under
di fferent tem. and humidity. Rs o means resistance of the
s ensor i n 5000ppm methane under 20℃/55%RH.
Tel: 86-371-67169097/67169670
Fax: 86-371-60932988
Email:
sales@winsensor.com
Zhengzhou Winsen Electronics Technology Co., Ltd
www.winsensor.com
Concentration
Fig5.Sensitity Curve
Fi g5 shows the V
RL
in methane with different concentra tion.
The resistance load R
L
is 4.7 KΩ and the test is finished in
s ta ndard test conditions.
Time(s)
Fig6.Responce and Resume
Fi g5 shows the changing of V
RL
i n the process of putting
the s ensor i nto target gas and removing i t out.
5000ppm CH
4
(RL=4.7k)
Time(day)
Fig7.long-term Stability
Tes t i s finished in standard test conditions, the a bscissa i s observing time a nd the ordinate is V
RL
.
Cautions
1 .Following conditions must be prohibited
1.1 Exposed to organic silicon steam
Sensing material will lose sensitivity and never recover if the sensor absorbs organic silicon steam.
Sensors must avoid exposing to silicon bond, fixature, silicon latex, putty or plastic contain silicon
environment.
1.2 High Corrosive gas
If the sensors are exposed to high concentration corrosive gas (such as H
2
S, SO
X
, Cl
2
, HCl etc.), it will
not only result in corrosion of sensors structure, also it cause sincere sensitivity attenuation.
1.3 Alkali, Alkali metals salt, halogen pollution
The sensors performance will be changed badly if sensors be sprayed polluted by alkali metals salt
Tel: 86-371-67169097/67169670
Fax: 86-371-60932988
Email:
sales@winsensor.com