ENS160 Digital Multi-Gas Air Quality Sensor, I2C and SPI

A sealed room and a stuffy head: that is the point where an air quality figure helps. The ENS160 reads a mix of indoor gases and volatile organic compounds, then reports TVOC, eCO2 and an air quality index over I2C or SPI. For builders adding air sensing to a smart home or purifier.

TVOC, eCO2 and AQI from one gas sensor

✅ Three IAQ outputs TVOC, eCO2 and an air quality index arrive as digital readings, without separate sensors for each.

✅ I2C or SPI wiring Both interfaces are on the device, so the build fits the bus your project already uses.

✅ Baseline correction built in Automatic baseline correction runs on the sensor, so long sessions need less manual recalibration.

✅ Quick to start Warm-up takes under a minute, with the full start-up under an hour, so a prototype shows data quickly.

✅ No library needed No software library is required, so the host CPU keeps its cycles for your own code.

The sensing element is metal oxide, with up to four independent gas sensors on the device, and it responds to reducing gases such as ethanol and hydrogen as well as oxidising gases such as nitrogen dioxide and ozone. What comes out is an index rather than a lab-grade concentration, so the useful move is to watch the trend and act on it: open a window, start the extractor, boost the purifier.

The eCO2 figure is an equivalent value derived from the gas mix rather than a direct carbon dioxide measurement, so it will not track a dedicated CO2 sensor. TVOC is reported as a total for volatile organic compounds, which means one number for the mixture instead of a breakdown per gas.

Wire it over I2C or SPI and check the supply first: the device runs between 1.71 and 1.98 volts, which is low enough to matter on a 3.3 or 5 volt board. It is specified from -40 to +85 C and 5 to 95 percent relative humidity, and resistance to siloxane and humidity is part of the design.

Technical details

• Sensor: ENS160 digital multi-gas, metal oxide
• Outputs: TVOC, eCO2, air quality index (AQI)
• Interfaces: I2C and SPI
• Supply voltage: 1.71 to 1.98 V
• Warm-up: under 1 minute, full start-up under 1 hour
• Operating range: -40 to +85 C, 5 to 95 % relative humidity
• Gases: VOCs including toluene, hydrogen and ethanol; oxidising gases such as NO2 and ozone
• Calibration: factory pre-calibration with automatic baseline correction
• Software: no library required

Wire it to your bus and let the readings show when the room needs air.

See more: explore more smart home devices