Abstract: To prevent negative influences of a measuring gas on vacuum sensor elements a protective device including one or more deflection elements made of wire, tape, or tube is inserted between the gas port or a vacuum measuring cell and the sensor element or sensor elements therein. The deflection element may be a spiral-shaped member and may be fabricated and deposited by laser melting from pure metal or an alloy on an inlet or outlet plate. The deflection element may react with the sample gas or its constituents. The deflection element extends the path of the incoming measurement gas to the sensor element and deflects the flow direction, whereby contaminant particles carried with the gas are deposited on the deflection element.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a pressure sensor for measuring a fluid pressure, in particular a vacuum pressure. The pressure sensor contains a first and a second diaphragm connected to one another such that they enclose and hermetically seal a fluid space. Fluid can enter and exit the fluid space through a fluid supply element, which is connected to an exterior opening of the sensor. Each of the diaphragms is proximal to a reference electrode and forms a variable capacitor, the capacitance of which depends on the position of the diaphragms, which in turn depends on the pressure in the fluid space.

Abstract: An interoperable vacuum measuring device is presented, which automatically adjusts to one of two or more vacuum sensors having different electrical characteristics. The interoperable vacuum measuring device in a first step detects which type of vacuum sensor it is connected to. In a second step it controls and evaluates the vacuum sensor, using control parameters determined in response to the detection of the first step. Detection of a vacuum sensor type is achieved by measuring the electrical resistance between any two pins of a vacuum sensor's connector and comparing the measured resistance values with stored resistance values of known vacuum sensors. Further, a vacuum measuring device is presented, which automatically identifies a vacuum sensor, and associates a vacuum pressure measurement with a vacuum sensor. The identification of a vacuum sensor is facilitated by an identification disk, which is placed onto and operatively connected to the male terminals of a vacuum sensor's connector.