Honeywell HIH-5030-001 Data Sheet

 

Installation Instructions for the 
HIH-5030/5031 Series Humidity Sensors 

 

Sensing and Control 

 

PERSONAL INJURY 
•  DO NOT USE these products as safety or emergency 

stop devices or in any other application where failure of 
the product could result in personal injury. 

•  The sensor’s housing does not provide electrical safety 

isolation. Mount the sensor in a location where it cannot 
be touched, or where a surrounding barrier prevents 
human contact. 

 

CAUTION 

IMPROPER HANDLING 
•  Do not remove the sensor from its original protective 

packaging until it is ready to be installed. 

•  Do not touch the sensor surface. Use latex finger cots. 

Handle the sensor by its package edges or leads. 

•  Do not allow objects to enter the cavity of the sensor 

element. 

Failure to comply with these instructions may result in 
product damage. 

 

•  For HIH-5030 only: Under condensing conditions where 

enough liquid water forms on the sensor to create a 
parasitic leakage path, the HIH-5030 Humidity Sensor 
produces an erroneous reading of 0% humidity. If this 
erroneous reading is assumed to be correct by your 
control function, excess humidity is likely to be introduced 
into the system. Once the liquid water evaporates from 
the sensor and the environment returns to a non-
condensing state, the device returns to normal 
functionality. 

•  Shade the sensor from direct light. Intense direct light 

can flood junctions in the CMOS (Complementary Metal 
Oxide Semiconductor) device and drive the output signal 
to the minimum. This does not harm the sensor or affect 
calibration. Proper operation resumes shortly after the 
direct light is removed. Ambient scattered light normally 
does not affect performance. 

•  At the end of its working life, dispose the sensor in 

accordance with Directive 2002/96/EC (WEEE). 

 
SOLDERING AND ASSEMBLY 

IMPROPER CLEANING 
•  Insert and solder the sensor after the PCB cleaning 

process. 

Failure to comply with these instructions may result in 
product damage. 

 

IMPROPER SENSOR POSITIONING 
•  Position the sensor so that its face is exposed to the 

atmosphere being monitored. 

Failure to comply with these instructions may result in 
product damage. 

IMPROPER SOLDERING 
•  For better product reliability, the HIH-5030/5031 Series is 

factory-shipped with a protective tape on the cover 
(sensing face). This tape must remain in place during 
soldering. 

•  After soldering, remove the protective tape as shown 

below to activate the sensor. 

Failure to comply with these instructions may result in 
product damage. 

 
PROTECTIVE TAPE REMOVAL 
1.  Use proper ESD protection. 
2.  Using covered fingers or tweezers to ensure that no 

foreign debris falls into the filter, sensor cover or die, grip 
the overhanging front edge of the protective tape and peel 
it back from the top surface of the sensor. 

3.  Ensure the complete rectangle of protective tape is 

removed. 

 
Figure 1. Protective Tape Removal 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SOLDERING 
Hand soldering is acceptable. If reflow soldering is required, 
use a no-clean flux. Limit the contact of the flux to the leads 
only. Reflow soldering profile is specified by J-STD-020B for a 
small package with a peak temperature of 250 

o

C [482 

 o

F]. 

 

MOISTURE SEALING THE LEADS 
If, in the presence of intermittent moisture or other 
contaminants, there is the possibility of galvanic paths between 
the leads, moisture seal the leads and exposed pads.