How often does the microcontroller read the output signals from the four detector heads?

• A. 1 second
• B. 2 seconds
• C. 5 seconds
• D. 0.5 seconds

Answer: (D)

Sampling interval is how often the microcontroller checks the detector outputs. Here, it’s set to a half-second, so the microcontroller reads all four detector heads about every 0.5 seconds. This quick update gives fast detection of any change, so an alarm can be raised with minimal delay, while still keeping processing overhead reasonable and avoiding excessive noise from ultra-fast polling. If the system scanned slower (every 1, 2, or 5 seconds), a leak could go undetected or be reported too late; scanning faster would add little practical benefit for safety and could waste processing cycles. So reading every half-second offers a good balance for timely and reliable monitoring of all four heads.