High-performance particulate monitoring for air quality, filtration and dust control

Alphasense optical particle counters (OPCs) provide real-time measurement of particulate matter (PM) and particle size distributions for demanding environmental and industrial applications. The portfolio centres on the OPC-N3 and OPC-R2 particle monitors, which report PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 (with optional PM4.25) and full particle size histograms for accurate, data-rich air quality assessment.

Sensor Product Overview

The OPC family features two complementary sensors:

• OPC-R2 – A compact, low-power OPC designed for portable, battery-powered and indoornair quality applications. It measures particles from 0.30 to 12.4 μm across 16 size bins, with a 0.24 L/min flow rate and up to 10,000 particles/sec maximum count rate.
• OPC-N3 – A high-flow, high-performance OPC engineered for demanding outdoor and industrial monitoring. It measures 0.35 to 40 μm particles across 24 size bins, with a 5.5L/min flow rate and up to 10,000 particles/sec maximum count rate. Supports PM1, PM2.5, PM4.25, and PM10 mass calculations.

Choosing the Right OPC by Application

Outdoor Air Quality and Industrial Process Monitoring

• Urban air quality and roadside monitoring: OPC-N3 offers extended size range up to 40μm and 24 size bins, supporting source apportionment and high concentration events.
• Air quality networks and research campaigns: OPC-N3 with on-board logging (micro-SD) simplifies deployment of distributed sensor nodes without continuous host communications.
• Industrial dust and process monitoring: OPC-N3 or OPC-R2 can be selected depending on required size range, flow rate and system architecture.

Indoor Air Quality Instruments

• Embedded filtration, HVAC and dust monitors: OPC-R2 provides small size, low flow and SPI-only integration for OEM instruments where space and power are constrained.

Key Benefits Across the OPC Portfolio

• True particle counting with size-resolved histograms instead of inferred PM from simple scattering intensity.
• Direct reporting of PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 (with optional PM4.25) for compliance-oriented and health-based indices.
• Class 1 enclosed laser design for safe operation in indoor and outdoor environments.
• Low power consumption and standby modes suitable for battery-powered and remote installations.
• Flexible integration via SPI (both products) plus USB and micro-SD (OPC-N3) for standalone logging.

Why OEMs Choose Alphasense OPCs

Alphasense OPCs combine proven optical particle counting algorithms with robust mechanical design, offering OEMs:

• Stable performance across temperature and humidity ranges typical of outdoor and industrial environments.
• Consistent mass calibration and particle sizing, with documented performance against reference instruments.
• Long-term product availability and dedicated technical support for integration, firmware and data interpretation.

How OPC Sensors Work

Optical particle counters use laser scattering to measure individual airborne particles. As particles pass through the laser beam, scattered light is collected by photodetectors and converted into electrical signals. These signals are processed to determine particle size and count, building a full histogram that can be translated into PM mass concentrations.

How OPCs Support Safety and R&D

For end users, OPC-based particulate measurements complement toxic gas sensors by quantifying airborne dust, smoke and combustion particles that impact worker health and environmental compliance. For R&D engineers, the combination of full particle size distributions, configurable sampling intervals and digital interfaces simplifies development of advanced analyzers, filtration diagnostics and smart building air quality systems.