Alcohol sensor manufacturers | MQ3 pinouts, working, advantages
Alcohol sensors play a crucial role in various industries, from automotive safety to healthcare. As the demand for reliable alcohol detection technology rises, manufacturers are focusing on innovative solutions to meet safety standards and industry needs. In this guide, we explore the top alcohol sensor manufacturers known for delivering high-quality sensors that ensure accuracy and dependability. We will also understand MQ3 alcohol sensor features, its pinouts, its working and benefits (i.e. advantages).
Introduction: Alcohol also called ethanol is found in alcoholic drinks which include liquor, wine, beer etc. When person drinks this liquid, alcohol is absorbed in blood and processed by liver.
It takes some time for liver to process the alcoholic drink. Person feels drunkenness (i.e. intoxication) if person drinks more drinks before liver processes it. Effects of alcoholic drink vary based on various factors such as age of person, weight, food taken before drinking and so on. Due to more drinking, behaviour of person changes and this will be more dangerous for drivers. Drunked drivers lead to fatal accidents.
To prevent accidents, it is necessary to measure the level of alcohol in the blood of drivers. One method is to collect the blood samples and measure the alcohol. The other method is to use breath analyzer. The breath analyzer gives fast results but it is not as accurate as blood alcohol measurement method.
What is Alcohol sensor ?
The sensor which detects presence of alcohol in the air is known as alcohol sensor or detector. The most common modules available are MQ3 and MQ135.
Let us understand MQ-3 alcohol gas sensor which is simple to use and easy to interface with microcontroller. It provides analog output and corresponding digital output proportional to gas concentration in the air. It requires 5V supply and potentiometer adjustment for effective working to trigger output based on maximum gas concentration. LED on the board can show presence of alcohol gas.
The features of MQ-3 alcohol gas sensor are as follows.
• It has LED Light indicator.
• It has analog and digital output.
• It offers carbon monoxide detection (0.05-10 mg/L alcohol).
• It offers high sensitivity to alcohol gas and small sensitivity to Benzine.

Following are the details of MQ3 alcohol sensor pin outs and their functions.
MQ3 Pinout | Description |
---|---|
AOUT | Analog Output, 0-5 V which is proportional to gas intensity. |
DOUT | TTL format (0 and 1) Digital Output corresponding to analog output (0.1 V and 5V) , threshold value is required to set using potentiometer on board to get the digital output on this pin. |
VCC | This pin powers the module which is normally 5V. |
GND | It is used to connect MQ3 module to the system ground. |
Let us understand working of MQ-3 alcohol gas sensor. MQ3 sensor uses SnO2 material which has lower conductivity in fresh air. When the alcohol gas exists, conductivity of sensor increases. This becomes even higher for more concentration of gas. The sensor provides analog output based on alcohol gas concentration. It also provides digital output as described above proportional to analog output.
Benefits or advantages of alcohol sensor
Following are the benefits or advantages of alcohol gas sensor.
➨It offers long life and higher stability.
➨It is available at low cost.
➨It requires simple driver circuit.
➨It offers higher sensitivity and hence offers fast response.
➨It is very simple to use and easy to interface with microcontrollers.
Alcohol sensor Manufacturers or vendors
Following table mentions popular Alcohol sensor manufacturers or vendors.
Manufacturers | Description |
---|---|
TOSHNIWAL SENSING DEVICES PVT. LTD. |
• Part numbers : TGS822 Gas Sensor, TGS2620 Gas Sensor • Benefits : Higher sensitivity, low power consumption, long life, low cost etc. • Used for alcohol testers, organic vapor detectors, solvent detectors, dry cleaners etc. • Website : https://tsdpl.com/ |
Zhengzhou Winsen Electronics Technology Co., Ltd. | • Alcohol sensors : MQ-3B, MQ-303B, MP-3B, MR513, ME2-C2H5OH etc. • Other sensors such as CO2, Humidity, CO, natural gas, LPG, flow sensors are also available. • Website : https://www.winsen-sensor.com/ |
Amazon.in, Robu.in | Many alcohol gas sensor modules and portable alcohol breath analyzers with digital LCD display are available. |
Conclusion
Choosing the right alcohol sensor manufacturer can significantly impact your project's success, whether it's for automotive integration or industrial safety systems. By partnering with leading manufacturers, you can ensure precision, durability, and compliance with industry standards. Explore these top manufacturers to find the best solutions for your alcohol detection needs.
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