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A system and method is presented for a multi-sensor component for an HVAC system. The multi-sensor component includes a sensor assembly, having one or more detectors, including a plurality of temperature detectors operable to measure a temperature of an object or a medium, a presence detector operab

A system and method is presented for a multi-sensor component for an HVAC system. The multi-sensor component includes a sensor assembly, having one or more detectors, including a plurality of temperature detectors operable to measure a temperature of an object or a medium, a presence detector operable to detect the presence of the object or medium, and a pressure detector operable to measure a pressure of the medium. The multi-sensor component also includes a sensor monitor operably coupled to the detectors of the sensor assembly and configured to use a detection algorithm operable to detect one or more of the temperature, pressure and presence of the object or medium, the sensor monitor configured to verify a health of the one or more detectors of the sensor assembly, and also includes a sensor housing or thermo-well or combination thereof having the sensor assembly and the sensor monitor affixed therein.

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1. A multi-sensor component for an HVAC system operable to perform in a fail-safe manner, comprising: a sensor assembly, having one or more detectors, comprising: a plurality of temperature detectors operable to measure a temperature of an object or a medium;a presence detector operable to detect th

1. A multi-sensor component for an HVAC system operable to perform in a fail-safe manner, comprising: a sensor assembly, having one or more detectors, comprising: a plurality of temperature detectors operable to measure a temperature of an object or a medium;a presence detector operable to detect the presence of the object or medium in contact with the multi-sensor component; anda pressure detector operable to measure a pressure of the medium against the multi-sensor component;a sensor monitor operably coupled to the one or more detectors of the sensor assembly, the sensor monitor configured to use a detection algorithm operable to detect one or more of the temperature, pressure and presence of the object or medium in contact with the multi-sensor component, the sensor monitor configured to verify a health of the one or more detectors of the sensor assembly; anda sensor housing, thermo-well, or a combination thereof having the sensor assembly and the sensor monitor affixed therein,wherein the sensor monitor is configured to verify the health of the plurality of temperature detectors of the sensor assembly by: periodically selecting one of the plurality of temperature detectors for the health verification, the selected temperature detector comprising a temperature sensor and a respective heater affixed together on a substrate and having substantially close thermal union with one another,heating the selected temperature detector with a predetermined energy using the respective heater, or heat the selected temperature detector for a predetermined period of time using the respective heater,determining if the selected temperature detector has increased in temperature as measured by the temperature sensor to exceed one of an allowable temperature change, rate of change, and time constant of a thermal rise rate of the selected temperature detector, the determination thereof corresponding to a health verification of the selected temperature detector, andencoding the health verification into a formatted sensor signal, based on the health verification determination. 2. The multi-sensor component of claim 1, wherein the plurality of temperature detectors individually comprise a temperature sensor and a respective heater affixed together on a substrate and having substantially close thermal union with one another, wherein each heater comprises one or more resistive elements,wherein the plurality of temperature detectors reside on the same substrate affixed within the same sensor housing, thermo-well or combination thereof of the multi-sensor component. 3. The multi-sensor component of claim 2, wherein the presence detector comprises a heater operable to heat the multi-sensor component to an expected temperature as measured by the temperature detector or to heat the multi-sensor component with a predetermined energy, and wherein in a heating mode the multi-sensor component is either heated by the heater to the expected temperature or is heated with the predetermined energy, and wherein in a cooling mode the multi-sensor component cools toward a temperature associated with the object or medium, and the temperature detector provides temperature data indicative of a temperature response comprising one of a temperature change, a rate of change, and a time constant of a thermal decay rate of the multi-sensor component and the presence of the object or medium. 4. The multi-sensor component of claim 2, wherein the plurality of temperature detectors comprises two temperature detectors comprising two negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistors or resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) and two heaters individually comprising at least one resistive element; andthe pressure detector comprises four vapor-deposited Platinum resistive elements interconnected in a full-wave strain gage bridge configuration;wherein the two temperature detectors provide redundancy for fail-safe operation of the temperature measurements. 5. The multi-sensor component of claim 2, wherein the substrate comprises one or a combination of a printed circuit board material, a ceramic, a composite, a fiber reinforced composite material, and an insulative material. 6. The multi-sensor component of claim 1, further comprising generating a temperature detector alarm if the health verification determination is that the selected temperature detector health is not OK, andmeasuring a temperature of the object or medium using the temperature detector if the health verification determination is that the health of the selected temperature detector is OK. 7. The multi-sensor component of claim 1, wherein the plurality of temperature detectors individually comprise at least one negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor or resistance temperature detector (RTD);the presence detector comprises a heater comprising at least one resistive element; andthe pressure detector comprises a full-wave strain gage bridge. 8. The multi-sensor component of claim 1, further comprising a controller connected to electrical terminals of the multi-sensor component. 9. The multi-sensor component of claim 1, wherein the multi-sensor component is affixed at a location in the HVAC system to provide thermal contact with one of the object and the medium on a wet side of the sensor housing, wherein the location is representative of a fail-safe operation level of the object or medium. 10. The multi-sensor component of claim 1, further comprising a detection algorithm that interprets the temperature data wherein the presence of the object or medium at the multi-sensor component may be determined in a fail-safe manner by calculating a temperature response comprising one of a temperature change, a rate of change, and a time constant of the thermal decay rate of the multi-sensor component upon cooling. 11. A multi-sensor component for an HVAC system operable to perform in a fail-safe manner, comprising: a sensor assembly, having one or more detectors, comprising: a plurality of temperature detectors operable to measure a temperature of an object or a medium;a presence detector operable to detect the presence of the object or medium in contact with the multi-sensor component; anda pressure detector operable to measure a pressure of the medium against the multi-sensor component;a sensor monitor operably coupled to the one or more detectors of the sensor assembly, the sensor monitor configured to use a detection algorithm operable to detect one or more of the temperature, pressure and presence of the object or medium in contact with the multi-sensor component, the sensor monitor configured to verify a health of the one or more detectors of the sensor assembly;a sensor housing, thermo-well, or a combination thereof having the sensor assembly and the sensor monitor affixed therein;a signal processor operably coupled to the one or more detectors of the multi-sensor component, the signal processor configured to amplify and format temperature, presence and pressure signals generated by the respective one or more detectors, and to encode health data regarding the health of the one or more detectors into a formatted sensor signal; anda clamping circuit configured to receive the formatted sensor signal from the signal processor, and configured to shunt any noise, over-voltages or under-voltages on the formatted sensor signal to a supply voltage or a ground voltage associated with a power supply. 12. The multi-sensor component of claim 11, wherein two temperature signals generated by the plurality of temperature detectors are averaged together by the detection algorithm into an average temperature signal before being formatted into the formatted sensor signal, in order to provide temperature measurement redundancy;wherein object or medium presence signals generated by the presence detector are provided to the sensor monitor and utilized by the detection algorithm to generate a presence determination, the level of which provides one or a combination of an indication of a low medium alarm, a medium presence signal and a sensor alarm;and wherein pressure signals generated by pressure detector are provided to the sensor monitor and utilized by the detection algorithm to generate a sensor pressure computation, the level of which provides one or a combination of an indication of a pressure detection, an over-pressure alarm, and a sensor alarm. 13. The multi-sensor component of claim 11, wherein the plurality of temperature detectors, the sensor monitor and the clamping circuit are pre-fabricated together on a single substrate affixed within the sensor housing or thermo-well or combination thereof. 14. The multi-sensor component of claim 11, wherein the sensor monitor is operable to receive one or more sensor parametric inputs provided by the manufacturer. 15. The multi-sensor component of claim 11, wherein the multi-sensor component is operable to digitally communicate the formatted sensor signal comprising one or more of a temperature signal, a pressure signal, a object or medium presence signal, a sensor parametric input, a sensor model, a sensor serial number, a manufacturing date, a calibration temperature and a calibration pressure. 16. The multi-sensor component of claim 11, wherein the formatted sensor signal is formatted for digital communication between the sensor monitor and an HVAC controller.