Compensator in a detector device

1. A detector device comprising:

a light source disposed within a chamber;

a sensor disposed within the chamber;

a compensator circuit electrically coupled with the sensor; and

a controller operable to:

receive a sensor signal generated by the sensor;

determine a compensation factor to adjust the sensor signal;

generate a compensation offset signal based on the compensation factor;

output the compensation offset signal to the compensator circuit to produce a compensated sensor signal as an adjustment to the sensor signal;

energize the light source;

determine whether the compensated sensor signal has increased above a baseline value;

increase the compensation offset signal until the compensated sensor signal is at or below the baseline value;

monitor the compensated sensor signal with respect to an alarm limit; and

trigger an alarm event based on the compensated sensor signal exceeding the alarm limit.

2. The detector device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further operable to:

de-energize the light source;

determine one or more error sources of the sensor signal with the light source de-energized; and

determine the compensation factor as an adjustment needed to reach a target baseline value based on the one or more error sources.

3. The detector device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further operable to:

monitor a temperature sensor to determine a current temperature value; and

determine the compensation factor based on the current temperature value and a temperature to compensation offset mapping.

4. A detector device comprising:

a light source disposed within a chamber;

a sensor disposed within the chamber;

a compensator circuit electrically coupled with the sensor; and

a controller operable to:

receive a sensor signal generated by the sensor;

determine a compensation factor to adjust the sensor signal;

generate a compensation offset signal based on the compensation factor;

detect a hush request; increase the compensation offset signal until the compensated sensor signal is below the alarm limit responsive to the hush request;

reset the compensation offset signal after a predetermined period of time elapses from detection of the hush request;

output the compensation offset signal to the compensator circuit to produce a compensated sensor signal as an adjustment to the sensor signal;

energize the light source;

monitor the compensated sensor signal with respect to an alarm limit; and

trigger an alarm event based on the compensated sensor signal exceeding the alarm limit.

5. A detector device comprising:

a light source disposed within a chamber;

a sensor disposed within the chamber;

a compensator circuit electrically coupled with the sensor; and

a controller operable to:

receive a sensor signal generated by the sensor;

determine a compensation factor to adjust the sensor signal;

generate a compensation offset signal based on the compensation factor;

output the compensation offset signal to the compensator circuit to produce a compensated sensor signal as an adjustment to the sensor signal;

energize the light source;

track an average value of the compensated sensor signal over an extended time I period; and

decrease the compensation offset signal based on the average value until the compensated sensor signal is at or below a long-term target value;

monitor the compensated sensor signal with respect to an alarm limit; and

trigger an alarm event based on the compensated sensor signal exceeding the alarm limit.

6. A method of operating a detector device, the method comprising:

receiving, at a controller of the detector device, a sensor signal generated by a sensor in a chamber of the detector device, wherein a light source is disposed within the chamber along with the sensor;

determining, by the controller, a compensation factor to adjust the sensor signal;

generating, by the controller, a compensation offset signal based on the compensation factor;

outputting, by the controller, the compensation offset signal to a compensator circuit to produce a compensated sensor signal as an adjustment to the sensor signal; wherein the compensator circuit is electrically coupled with the sensor;

energizing, by the controller, the light source and monitoring, by the controller, the compensated sensor signal with respect to an alarm limit;

triggering, by the controller, an alarm event based on the compensated sensor signal exceeding the alarm limit;

de-energizing, by the controller, the light source;

determining, by the controller, one or more error sources of the sensor signal with the light source de-energized; and

determining, by the controller, the compensation factor as an adjustment needed to reach a target baseline value based on the one or more error sources.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

determining, by the controller, whether the compensated sensor signal has increased above a baseline value; and

increasing, by the controller, the compensation offset signal until the compensated sensor signal is at or below the baseline value.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

detecting, by the controller, a hush request;

increasing, by the controller, the compensation offset signal until the compensated sensor signal is below the alarm limit responsive to the hush request; and

resetting, by the controller, the compensation offset signal after a predetermined period of time elapses from detection of the hush request.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

monitoring, by the controller, a temperature sensor to determine a current temperature value; and

determining, by the controller, the compensation factor based on the current temperature value and a temperature to compensation offset mapping.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

tracking, by the controller, an average value of the compensated sensor signal over an extended time period; and

decreasing, by the controller, the compensation offset signal based on the average value until the compensated sensor signal is at or below a long-term target value.

11. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

amplifying the sensor signal of the sensor as an amplified sensor signal by an amplification circuit of the compensator circuit; and

summing the amplified sensor signal with the compensation offset signal to produce the compensated sensor signal by a summing circuit of the compensator circuit.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the summing circuit is an analog circuit, the sensor is a photo detector, and the compensator circuit is external to the controller.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

sampling and quantizing, by an analog-to-digital converter, the compensated sensor signal as a digital value; and

converting, by a digital-to-analog converter, the compensation offset signal from a digital signal to an analog signal prior to summing at the summing circuit.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the sensor signal received at the controller is the amplified sensor signal as sampled and quantized through the analog-to-digital converter when the compensation offset signal has a zero offset value.

15. A detector device comprising:

a light source disposed within a chamber;

a sensor disposed within the chamber;

a compensator circuit electrically coupled with the sensor; and

a controller operable to:

receive a sensor signal generated by the sensor;

determine a compensation factor to adjust the sensor signal;

generate a compensation offset signal based on the compensation factor;

output the compensation offset signal to the compensator circuit to produce a compensated sensor signal as an adjustment to the sensor signal;

energize the light source;

monitor the compensated sensor signal with respect to an alarm limit;

trigger an alarm event based on the compensated sensor signal exceeding the alarm limit;

de-energize the light source;

determine one or more error sources of the sensor signal with the light source de-energized; and

determine the compensation factor as an adjustment needed to reach a target baseline value based on the one or more error sources.

16. The detector device of claim 15 , wherein the compensator circuit comprises:

an amplification circuit operable to amplify the sensor signal of the sensor as an amplified sensor signal; and

a summing circuit operable to sum the amplified sensor signal with the compensation offset signal to produce the compensated sensor signal.

17. The detector device of claim 16 , wherein the summing circuit is an analog circuit and the sensor is a photo detector sensor.

18. The detector device of claim 17 , further comprising:

an analog-to-digital converter operable to sample and quantize the compensated sensor signal as a digital value; and

a digital-to-analog converter operable to convert the compensation offset signal from a digital signal to an analog signal prior to summing at the summing circuit.

19. The detector device of claim 18 , wherein the sensor signal received at the controller is the amplified sensor signal as sampled and quantized through the analog-to-digital converter when the compensation offset signal has a zero offset value.