Method for detecting contamination of a mems sensor

A system for detecting contamination of a micro-electromechanical sensor of a sensor module, the system comprising:

• a heater;
• and
• a sensor module, the sensor module including:
• a micro-electromechanical sensor, and
• a temperature sensor arranged at a distance from the heater and from the micro-electromechanical sensor;
• and
• a device configured to detect contamination of the micro-electromechanical sensor, the device configured to:
• output control signals for controlling the heater so that the heater generates thermal energy to heat the micro-electromechanical sensor,
• receive sensor output signals representing physical quantities measured by the micro-electromechanical sensor at different times during the generation of the thermal energy by the heater, and
• temperature sensor output signals representing temperatures measured by the temperature sensor at the different times during the generation of the thermal energy by the heater,
• compensate the sensor output signals based on the temperature sensor output signals to generate compensated sensor output signals representing the compensated physical quantities measured at the different times, and
• ascertain based on the compensated sensor output signals and the temperature sensor output signals whether the micro-electromechanical sensor is free of contamination or has contamination.

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium on which is stored a computer program for detecting contamination of a micro-electromechanical sensor of a sensor module using a heater, wherein the sensor module has a temperature sensor arranged at a distance from the heater and from the micro-electromechanical sensor, the computer program, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform the following steps:

• outputting control signals for controlling the heater so that the heater generates thermal energy to heat the micro-electromechanical sensor;
• receiving sensor output signals representing physical quantities measured by the micro-electromechanical sensor at different times during the generation of the thermal energy by the heater, and temperature sensor output signals representing temperatures measured by the temperature sensor at the different times during the generation of the thermal energy by the heater;
• compensating the sensor output signals based on the temperature sensor output signals to generate compensated sensor output signals representing the compensated physical quantities measured at the different times;
• and
• ascertaining based on the compensated sensor output signals and the temperature sensor output signals whether the micro-electromechanical sensor is free of contamination or has contamination.