The present invention is directed to a filter module that may incorporate sensors to measure various characteristics of fluid flow and filtration. The sensors may be MEMS and may measure the temperature, flow rate, pressure, etc. of the fluid. One or more MEMS sensors may be included in a sensor package which, in turn, may be included in a sensor component. The latter, which may also include a processor, conductor pins, etc. for data communication, may be coupled to a sensor port in such a way as to allow contact between the sensor(s) and the fluid. Sensor measurements may be used to determine the occurrence of harmful events, such as cavitation or particle breakthrough, or to predict the remaining service life of a filter element.