An oxygen sensor is an electronic component that detects the concentration of oxygen molecules in the air or a gas matrix such as in a combustion engine exhaust gas.
For automotive applications, an oxygen sensor is referred to as a lambda sensor, where lambda refers to the airâfuel equivalence ratio, usually denoted by λ). It was developed by Robert Bosch GmbH during the late 1960s under the supervision of GĂŒnter Bauman. The original sensing element is made with a thimble-shaped zirconia ceramic coated on both the exhaust and reference sides with a thin layer of platinum and comes in both heated and unheated forms. The planar-style sensor entered the market in 1990 and significantly reduced the mass of the ceramic sensing element, as well as incorporating the heater within the ceramic structure. This resulted in a sensor that started sooner and responded faster.
