What is drift compensation?

• A. Drift compensation
• B. Auto-calibration
• C. Sensor aging
• D. Noise filtering

Answer: (A)

Drifting in sensor readings happens when the sensor’s response slowly shifts over time due to aging, environmental changes, or contamination. Drift compensation is the process of adjusting or correcting the sensor output to counteract that gradual bias so the reported value stays accurate. This keeps measurements aligned with the true condition rather than letting a baseline shift accumulate into false alarms or missed hazards. It’s different from auto-calibration, which is a specific procedure to recalibrate against a known reference; drift compensation is the ongoing correction that happens to maintain accuracy. It’s also distinct from sensor aging, which is the underlying cause of drift, and from noise filtering, which only reduces random fluctuations rather than correcting a steady offset.