Applying Taguchi dynamic characteristics to the robust design of a piezoelectric sensor

It is important that measurement systems provide an accurate and robust performance over a wide range of input conditions. Under these conditions, the measurement system is said to have a robust design with dynamic characteristics. This paper adopts Taguchi's signal-to-noise ratio analysis to optimize the dynamic characteristics of a piezoelectric gas sensor system whose output response is linearly related to the input signal. The goal of the present dynamic characteristics study is to increase the sensitivity of the measurement system while simultaneously reducing its variability. This study focuses upon the conventional quartz crystal nanobalance (QCN) gas sensor. A time- and cost-efficient finite element analysis method is utilized to investigate the effects of the deposited mass upon the resonant frequency output of the QCN biosensor.