Best tools for multimedia reporting Mon, 01 Aug 2016 13:37:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://s0.wp.com/i/webclip.png 32 32 239681374 https://geojournalism.org/2015/09/dustduino-cookbook-recipes-for-configuring-hardware/ Willie Shubert Thu, 10 Sep 2015 20:15:56 +0000 Crowdsourcing Data Data collection DustDuino Sensors https://geojournalism.org/?p=1468 <p>The DustDuino is a customization of Arduino designed to help makers create&#160;low-power, highly customizable sensor projects. By basing the system on Arduino,&#160;the DustDuino can use &#8220;out of the box&#8221; block of code to program the&#160;device to do a number of tasks. Those blocks of code are known as libraries.&#160;For more information and background on Arduino, [&#8230;]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://geojournalism.org/2015/09/dustduino-cookbook-recipes-for-configuring-hardware/">DustDuino Cookbook: Recipes for Configuring Hardware</a> appeared first on <a href="https://geojournalism.org">geojournalism.org</a>.</p> <p>The DustDuino is a customization of Arduino designed to help makers create low-power, highly customizable sensor projects. By basing the system on Arduino, the DustDuino can use “out of the box” block of code to program the device to do a number of tasks. Those blocks of code are known as libraries. For more information and background on Arduino, visit the free <a href="https://www.arduino.%20cc/en/Guide/Introduction" target="_blank">Intro to Arduino</a> guide.</p> <p>The first step in preparing the DustDuino is to download the Arduino IDE on to your computer. IDE stands for “Integrated Development Environment.” This is the software needed to directly program the board. You can <a href="https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software" target="_blank">download the latest version of the Arduino IDE</a> for your operating system.</p> <p>The DustDuino currently supports 3 different configurations for sending and/or storing the data generated by the dust sensor.  All of the custom code needed to process, transmit, and store particulate matter data is available for download on the <a href="https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software" target="_blank">DustDuino website</a> ,the <a href="https://github.com/opendustmap" target="_blank">OpenDustMap GitHub</a> repository, or from this tutorial.</p> <p>These programs are referred to as a “sketches,” and each configuration recipe listed below corresponds to a sketch available to download and install on your DustDuino. Sketches that are built inside the Arduino IDE may be saved with the “.ino” file extension.</p> <h2 class="summary-item" id="read-dust-levels-directly-on-your-computer"><a href="#read-dust-levels-directly-on-your-computer">Read dust levels directly on your computer</a></h2> <p><a href="https://geojournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_1248.jpg"><img alt="DustDuino Serial_Hello World" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1489" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" height="575" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" src="https://geojournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_1248-1024x575.jpg" srcset="https://geojournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_1248-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https://geojournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_1248-300x168.jpg 300w" width="1024"/></a></p> <p>Making sure that your DustDuino and the dust sensor are communicating properly is an important first step before setting setting up other configurations. The DustDuino board comes pre-loaded with the following sketch so you only need to programming the following steps if you’re using another Arduino compatible board.</p> <a class="small-button smallblue" href="https://github.com/dustduino/dustduinoserial" target="_blank">Download DUSTDUINO Serial Sketch</a> <ol> <li>Attach UartSBee programmer to DustDuino</li> <li>Attach UartSBee to computer using USB cable</li> <li>Open the Arduino IDE</li> <li>Find and select the correct serial port where your DustDuino and UartSBee<br/> are connected</li> <li>Open the DustDuinoSerial sketch in the Arduino IDE</li> <li>Compile the DustDuinoSerial sketch and upload to the DustDuino</li> <li>Open the serial monitor to watch the output from the DustDuino</li> </ol> <p>To visualize data copy your dust readings and paste into a spreadsheet program, such as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets, to save and graph your dust readings.</p> <h2 class="summary-item" id="log-dustduino-readings-on-an-sd-card"><a href="#log-dustduino-readings-on-an-sd-card">Log DustDuino readings on an SD card</a></h2> <p> </p> <a class="small-button smallblue" href="https://github.com/dustduino/DustDuinoSD" target="_blank">Download DUSTDUINO SD Card Sketch</a> <ol> <li>Attach UartSBee programmer to DustDuino</li> <li>Attach UartSBee to computer using USB cable</li> <li>Program DustDuino with the SD card sketch using the UartSBee</li> <li>Attach SD card shield</li> <li>Attach dust sensor</li> <li>Insert SD card</li> <li>Power with 5 volts</li> </ol> <h2 class="summary-item" id="transmit-dustduino-readings-over-the-internet-wirelessly"><a href="#transmit-dustduino-readings-over-the-internet-wirelessly"> Transmit DustDuino readings over the internet wirelessly</a></h2> <p>The DustDuino can be configured to connect with wireless networks, so that it can send data to remote servers, which can then store and visualize the data.</p> <p>To use the DustDuino to connect and transmit data over a wireless network using, some setup of the wireless module is required.  The advantage is the DustDuino can be set up and as long as the network remains the same, it will stay connected. The Xbee wireless module, not the DustDuino microcontroller chip, does the vast majority of the work when it comes to connecting to networks and sending data.</p> <h2 class="summary-item" id="set-up-a-wi-fi-connected-dustduino"><a href="#set-up-a-wi-fi-connected-dustduino">Set up a Wi-Fi Connected DustDuino</a></h2> <p><a href="https://geojournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC_0345.jpg"><img alt="Programmer + WifiBee" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1491" decoding="async" height="678" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" src="https://geojournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC_0345-1024x678.jpg" srcset="https://geojournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC_0345-1024x678.jpg 1024w, https://geojournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC_0345-300x199.jpg 300w" width="1024"/></a></p> <a class="small-button smallblue" href="https://github.com/dustduino/" target="_blank">Download DUSTDUINO WiFi Sketch</a> <ol> <li>Make sure the UartSBee is in both programmer mode and is set to provide 5 volts</li> <li>Attach the RN-XV to the UartSBee programmer, and connect the UartSBee <div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_1492" style="width: 160px"><img alt="5V_Programmer UartSBee" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1492" class="wp-image-1492 size-thumbnail" decoding="async" height="150" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" src="https://geojournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_1236-150x150.jpg" srcset="https://geojournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_1236-150x150.jpg 150w, https://geojournalism.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_1236-260x260.jpg 260w" width="150"/><p class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-1492">The switches are at the bottom of the UartSBee.</p></div> <p>programmer to your computer using a USB cable.</p></li> <li>Launch the Arduino IDE, and locate the correct serial port.</li> <li>Once the correct serial port is designated, open the serial monitor.</li> <li>Select “no line ending” in the serial monitor</li> <li>Enter “$$$”</li> <li>RN-XV will respond with “CMD”</li> <li>Change serial monitor to “carriage return”</li> <li>Send “set wlan ssid &lt;id&gt;” (when entering your network’s ID here, substitute<br/> any spaces with the character “$”)</li> <li>Send “set wlan phrase &lt;phrase&gt;”</li> <li>Send “save”</li> <li>Send “reboot”</li> </ol> <p>The RN-XV should return something like the following:</p> <div class="et-box et-info"> <div class="et-box-content">*Reboot*WiFly Ver 2.38, 12-11-2012 on RN-171 MAC Addr=##:##:##:##:##:## Auto-Assoc ssid chan=5 mode=WPA2 SCAN OK Joining ssid now.. *READY* Associated! DHCP: Start DHCP in 3195ms, lease=86400s IF=UP DHCP=ON IP=###.###.#.##:#### NM=###.###.###.# GW=###.###.#.### Listen on ####</div></div> <p>If the red LED on your RN-XV disappears after the reboot, congratulations! You’ve connected to the network. Now, time to load the actual sketch for your sensor node or what have you:</p> <ol> <li>Exit the Arduino IDE</li> <li>Unplug your UartSBee from the computer</li> <li>Detach the WiFi module from the UartSbee</li> <li>Program the DustDuino board separately by installing the WiFi DustDuino<br/> sketch</li> <li>Attach the the WiFi module and dust sensor to the DustDuino board</li> <li>Plug DustDuino into 5V power source</li> <li>Enjoy!</li> </ol> <div class="et-box et-info"> <div class="et-box-content">because you are sending your DustDuino data to a server that will store your unique information, you need to make sure that the DustDuino is sending the right identifying information and credentials. Only you will know this identifing information, and the DustDuino sketches provided online do not contain your specific credentials. Therefore your DustDuinoWiFly sketch will need to be edited inside the Arduino IDE to include your unique information, such as a Feed ID, API Key, server address, and/or Arduino Key. See the README.md documentation or the comments inside the sketch for information on how to include your credentials in the sketch.</div></div> <meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"/> <p>The post <a href="https://geojournalism.org/2015/09/dustduino-cookbook-recipes-for-configuring-hardware/">DustDuino Cookbook: Recipes for Configuring Hardware</a> appeared first on <a href="https://geojournalism.org">geojournalism.org</a>.</p> 1468 https://geojournalism.org/2014/04/dustduino-arduino-uno-edition/ Matthew Schroyer Mon, 07 Apr 2014 20:18:05 +0000 Crowdsourcing Data Mobile Data collection environmental data Open Hardware Particulate Matter Sensors https://geojournalism.oeco.org.br/?p=1025 <p>Why Focus on Particulate Matter? The World Health Organization (WHO) took a major step by announcing that air pollution is carcinogenic to humans.WHO also announced they are considering particulate matter, a major component of indoor and outdoor air pollution, as carcinogenic to humans as well. International Agency for Research on Cancer announced today: outdoor&#160;#airpollution&#160;is leading [&#8230;]</p> <p>The post <a href="https://geojournalism.org/2014/04/dustduino-arduino-uno-edition/">DIY air pollution monitoring with DustDuino: Arduino Uno Edition</a> appeared first on <a href="https://geojournalism.org">geojournalism.org</a>.</p> <h1 class="summary-item" id="why-focus-on-particulate-matter"><a href="#why-focus-on-particulate-matter">Why Focus on Particulate Matter?</a></h1> <p>The World Health Organization (WHO) took a major step by announcing that air pollution is carcinogenic to humans.WHO also announced they are considering particulate matter, a major component of indoor and outdoor air pollution, as carcinogenic to humans as well.</p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;">International Agency for Research on Cancer announced today: outdoor <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23airpollution&amp;src=hash">#airpollution</a> is leading environmental cause of <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23cancer&amp;src=hash">#cancer</a> deaths</p> <p style="padding-left: 60px;">— WHO (@WHO) <a href="https://twitter.com/WHO/statuses/390771647461859328">October 17, 2013</a></p> <p>The <a href="https://www.iarc.fr/">International Agency for Research on Cancer</a> (IARC), a special unit inside WHO tasked with promoting international collaborations on cancer research, reached that conclusion after reviewing more than 1000 scientific papers on the carcinogenicity of air pollutants.</p> <p>Air pollution and particulate matter will be included in IARC’s Monograph, which is an encyclopedia of known carcinogens. Particulate matter will be classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, along with tobacco smoke and asbestos. In an IARC press release, the Deputy Head of the Monographs Programme, Dr. Dana Loomis, said that the group’s goal was to “evaluate the air everyone breathes rather than focus on specific air pollutants.”</p> <p>“The results from the reviewed studies point in the same direction: the risk of developing lung cancer is significantly increased in people exposed to air pollution,” he said. This finding elevates the urgency to clean up the air, both outdoors and indoors. But how does one find out the condition of the air in the first place? How healthy is your air?</p> <p><a name="more"></a>Finding that answer can be difficult and expensive. Most Environmental Protection Agency-quality particulate matter monitors send air through a filter, which must be precisely weighed, and produce only one reading a day. Other EPA monitors that sample continuously cost more than <a href="https://wireless.ece.drexel.edu/research/sd_air_quality.pdf">$14,000 each to deploy</a>.</p> <p>Mass concentration is the norm for quantifying airborne particulate matter worldwide, and is usually expressed in micrograms of particulates per cubic meter of air (μg/m3). However, there are an increasing number of affordable particulate sensors coming on the market which rely instead on lasers and LEDs to count the number of particles instead.</p> <p>For <a href="https://www.mentalmunition.com/2013/09/understanding-air-pollution-with-simple.html">more background</a> on the specifics of particulate matter sensing, <a href="https://www.mentalmunition.com/2013/05/dustduino-plan-to-crowdsource.html">please refer</a> to earlier work on Mental Munition regarding particle counting sensors. This post will focus on hacking together your own <a href="https://www.mentalmunition.com/2013/05/dustduino-plan-to-crowdsource.html">DustDuino</a> prototype, which will allow you to monitor dust levels in your home (or back yard) from anywhere you have internet access, for about $100.</p> <p>What will the end product look like, online? <a href="https://xively.com/feeds/499600824">It will look a little like this (my own live DustDuino feed).</a></p> <h1 class="summary-item" id="required-materials"><a href="#required-materials">Required Materials</a></h1> <p>To make a DustDuino, you will need:</p> <div><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4VxDLuDJfP8/UmCoqUufsLI/AAAAAAAABzE/03lt24VK5H4/s1600/DustDuino+guts.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" decoding="async" height="215" loading="lazy" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4VxDLuDJfP8/UmCoqUufsLI/AAAAAAAABzE/03lt24VK5H4/s640/DustDuino+guts.jpg" style="border: 0px;" width="384"/></a></div> <p>1) A WiFi network in your home<br/> 2) <a href="https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11021">Arduino Uno development board</a><br/> 3) <a href="https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Arduino/A000064/?qs=Cvel0QnFNSJK4W8LtutgWg%3D%3D&amp;gclid=CLvD8cGAn7oCFeYWMgodYEEAtA">Arduino Wireless Proto Shield</a><br/> 4) <a href="https://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/grove-dust-sensor-p-1050.html">Shinyei PPD-42 Dust Sensor </a><br/> 5) <a href="https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10822">Sparkfun Roving Networks RN-XV WiFi module</a><br/> 6) <a href="https://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/typeb-usb-cable-for-arduino-diecimila-and-freeduino-p-130.html?cPath=98_100">USB type B cable</a> (for programming the Arduino)<br/> 7) <a href="https://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/wall-adapter-power-supply-9vdc-1a-p-1509.html?cPath=1_4">9V DC power supply</a> (or a 5V USB cell phone charger along with your USB-B cable)<br/> 8) <a href="https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11367">22AWG solid core hookup wire</a> (M/M jumper wires can be used in a pinch)<br/> 9) Soldering equipment (soldering iron, solder, and soldering paste)<br/> 10) Arduino sketch from the <a href="https://github.com/NodeJournalism/DustDuino">DustDuino GitHub repository</a> (<a href="https://github.com/NodeJournalism/DustDuino/archive/master.zip">zipped repo</a> also contains background literature on the PPD-42, mass concentration algorithms, and the DustDuino logo).</p> <h2 class="summary-item" id="step-1-program-the-wifi-module"><a href="#step-1-program-the-wifi-module">Step 1: Program the WiFi module</a></h2> <div><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vOlrwmM9lwE/UQ6lUWp4pAI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/4WUGJ2uioMM/s1600/RNXV_PIC.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" decoding="async" height="215" loading="lazy" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vOlrwmM9lwE/UQ6lUWp4pAI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/4WUGJ2uioMM/s640/RNXV_PIC.jpg" style="border: 0px;" width="384"/></a></div> <p>For the DustDuino to transmit any data, it needs to be connected to your home WiFi network. <a href="https://www.mentalmunition.com/2013/06/step-by-step-guide-to-programming-rn-xv.html">Consult my post on programming the RN-XV for details</a>.</p> <p>Like the Arduino Uno, which serves as the DustDuino’s “brain,” the RN-XV will be on constantly. The RN-XV is set up to connect to your home’s WiFi network as soon as power is connected, and it will remain connected so long as there is power.</p> <h2 class="summary-item" id="step-2-hook-up-the-shinyei-ppd-42-particulate-sensor"><a href="#step-2-hook-up-the-shinyei-ppd-42-particulate-sensor">Step 2: Hook up the Shinyei PPD-42 particulate sensor</a></h2> <div><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iyoKpH_NNzA/UmCm11WKsHI/AAAAAAAABy0/SAm5evZGfVQ/s1600/PPD42+connector.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" decoding="async" height="215" loading="lazy" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iyoKpH_NNzA/UmCm11WKsHI/AAAAAAAABy0/SAm5evZGfVQ/s640/PPD42+connector.jpg" style="border: 0px;" width="384"/></a></div> <p>When you order the Shinyei sensor, it will come packaged with a connector to interface with the <a href="https://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/base-shield-v13-p-1378.html?cPath=132_134">Seeedstudio Grove Shield</a>. Instead of purchasing a whole new shield just to attach a single sensor, I recommend simply sticking either jumper wires, or stripped 22AWG solid core wire into the end of the Grove connector.</p> <p>The black wire on the Grove cable corresponds to ground, so that wire should be connected to GND on the Arduino Wireless Shield. The red wire on the Grove cable will be connected to 5V on the Wireless Shield, while the remaining white wire will be plugged into the digital “8” pin on the Shield.</p> <div><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V66NnhE8Y1A/UmCngtjIpCI/AAAAAAAABy8/AtYVdVgDVD8/s1600/PPD42+solder+P2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" decoding="async" height="215" loading="lazy" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V66NnhE8Y1A/UmCngtjIpCI/AAAAAAAABy8/AtYVdVgDVD8/s640/PPD42+solder+P2.jpg" style="border: 0px;" width="384"/></a></div> <p>There’s another issue with using the included Grove connector: it doesn’t make use of all the sensor’s available channels. The included connector will only make use of the Shinyei’s P1 channel, which is for counting particles between 1 and 10 microns. But the PPD-42 also has a P2 channel, which counts particles between 2.5 and 10 microns.</p> <p>By measuring both P1 and P2 channels, it’s possible for the DustDuino to differentiate between the PM2.5 and PM10, which are the two major ranges of particles recognized by the EPA and similar agencies. The smaller particulates that measure 2.5 microns and under are of special concern, since those have the potential to enter the blood stream and<a href="https://www.epa.gov/air/urbanair/"> cause the most harm</a>.</p> <p>To measure the P2 channel, strip a solid core 22AWG wire and solder the end of the wire to the second pin on the PPD-42. This is the pin located between GND and 5V. It might be a good idea to use a little hot glue to insulate the connection and provide a little strength.</p> <p>Your new P2 channel will be connected to the digital “9” pin on the Wireless Shield.</p> <h2 class="summary-item" id="step-3-set-up-a-xively-account"><a href="#step-3-set-up-a-xively-account">Step 3: Set up a Xively account</a></h2> <div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eYhwnKz5Le0/UmF-2p8u6-I/AAAAAAAABzw/VNvtQPSwIh0/s1600/xively1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" decoding="async" height="240" loading="lazy" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eYhwnKz5Le0/UmF-2p8u6-I/AAAAAAAABzw/VNvtQPSwIh0/s640/xively1.jpg" style="border: 0px;" width="384"/></a></div> <p>All that data being produced by the DustDuino will have to go somewhere, and it might as well go somewhere you can easily access. Xively is a service that <a href="https://xively.com/whats_xively/">markets itself</a> as a “public cloud specifically for the internet of things,” which allows you to view your sensor data from home computer, tablet, or smartphone.</p> <p>That service can get quite expensive, but you can <a href="https://xively.com/signup/">sign up for a free developer account</a>, which can store up to 30 channels of data across five devices (a channel is a single stream of data — like temperature, or humidity, or PM2.5 or PM10). With a free Xively account, any data older than 30 days will be deleted.</p> <p>Xively can walk you through the process of <a href="https://xively.com/dev/tutorials/xively/">setting up an account</a>, but there are some specific things you’ll need to do to make sure it’s set up to receive DustDuino data.</p> <p>You will need to create a device with four channels, named:</p> <ul> <li>PM10</li> <li>PM10count</li> <li>PM25</li> <li>PM25count</li> </ul> <p>PM10count and PM25count channels will store the number of PM10 and PM2.5 particles counted by the Shinyei PPD-42 sensor, while PM10 and PM25 channels will store mass concentration as calculated by the DustDuino code.</p> <p>Record the Feed ID for this device, which you’ll need to insert into the Arduino code later. Also save the name of the device, which you’ll also need for the Arduino code.</p> <p>The last thing you’ll need to do here is to create an API key which will give your DustDuino permission to store data on your Xively account. Every time the DustDuino sends data to Xively, it needs send along this unique key. To make a new API key, or find an existing key, go to “settings,” and then click “Master Keys.”</p> <p>Copy and paste this API key somewhere easy to find, as you’ll need to manually insert it into the Arduino code in our next step.</p> <h2 class="summary-item" id="step-4-code-the-arduino"><a href="#step-4-code-the-arduino">Step 4: Code the Arduino</a></h2> <p>The Arduino is fairly capable “out of the box,” but for more complicated tasks like getting the RN-XV to connect to the Xively server, it’s helpful to have blocks of code already written out. Those blocks of code are known as <a href="https://arduino.cc/en/Reference/Libraries">libraries</a>.</p> <p>Fortunately there’s only one library you’ll need for the DustDuino, and that’s the <a href="https://github.com/harlequin-tech/WiFlyHQ">WiFlyHQ library</a>. The Arduino website has instructions on how to <a href="https://arduino.cc/en/Guide/Libraries">install Arduino libraries</a>.</p> <p>After installing the WiFlyHQ library, open up the DustDuino.ino file in the Arduino IDE. Find the #define APIKEYcode and replace the hash signs with your API Key.</p> <p>Find the very next line, which begins #define FEEDID, and replace the hash signs with the Feed ID.</p> <p>Finally, in the very next line, which begins #define USERAGENT, replace the hash signs with the device name.</p> <p>Save the sketch, and with the Wireless Shield detached from the Arduino Uno, upload the sketch to the Arduino. After the sketch is uploaded, you may re-connect the Wireless Shield. Make sure the switch on the Wireless Shield is set to “Micro” before connecting your DustDuino to a power source.</p> <p>You have several options for powering your DustDuino. You can purchase a separate “wall wart” style 9-volt DC adapter for the Arduino, or you can run power through the Arduino Uno’s USB-B port.</p> <p>If you do decide to supply power through the USB-B port, you may do so with a universal cell charging adapter that has a female USB connector. Most of these chargers supply 5 volts, but just to be sure, make sure to read any text on your cell charger. Another easy way to power the Arduino Uno is to keep it plugged in to your computer’s USB port, but you have to keep your computer powered at all times.</p> <h2 class="summary-item" id="step-5-keep-everything-together"><a href="#step-5-keep-everything-together">Step 5: Keep everything together</a></h2> <div><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ePbhNS-BMe4/UmCpWWtqESI/AAAAAAAABzQ/Av7xqDICOV0/s1600/DustDuino+unboxed.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" decoding="async" height="358" loading="lazy" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ePbhNS-BMe4/UmCpWWtqESI/AAAAAAAABzQ/Av7xqDICOV0/s640/DustDuino+unboxed.jpg" width="640"/></a></div> <p>The Shinyei PPD-42 must be placed upright to work correctly. In other words, it must be placed on a vertical surface, with the connector must be pointing down, and the chrome part of the sensor pointing up.</p> <p>This placement is important to drive air into the sensor. Inside the sensor chamber, at the bottom, is a resistor that heats up when power is connected. With this resistor, the sensor creates a warm updraft of air, which is meant to circulate dust inside the chamber.</p> <p>According to an email from Shinyei customer service, the sensor doesn’t need any kind of fan to blow air inside the sensor chamber. But the chamber must be open to the air you wish to sense.</p> <p>The container doesn’t have to be elaborate. One solution is to secure the sensor to the side of a cardboard box with a pushpin (the sensor has a convenient hole at the top of its circuit board for this kind of thing). If you have a cork board or other board that can be stuck with pins, you also can mount your sensor on a wall.</p> <div><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xWLes9mtr2I/UmCsyJYz7eI/AAAAAAAABzY/FFZlGrbmGnM/s1600/dustduino+proto+2+on+wall.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" decoding="async" height="640" loading="lazy" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xWLes9mtr2I/UmCsyJYz7eI/AAAAAAAABzY/FFZlGrbmGnM/s640/dustduino+proto+2+on+wall.jpg" width="480"/></a></div> <p>At the beginning of this post is a picture of a work in progress: an acrylic cube in which to store the DustDuino. The sides of this cube were cut from an 1/8th inch acrylic sheet using a 50-watt CO2 Epilog laser engraver at the <a href="https://cucfablab.org/">CU Community Fab Lab</a>. The design is not yet perfected, but when finished, the pattern will be made available as a PDF for download.</p> <p>Please note that if you intend to deploy this sensor in your backyard, you will need to make a waterproof housing that still allows the sensor to sample air. You must also ensure the power source to your DIY housing is waterproof, as well. Like the indoor acrylic housing, this is a work in progress.</p> <h2 class="summary-item" id="one-last-word-about-this-prototype"><a href="#one-last-word-about-this-prototype">One last word about this prototype</a></h2> <div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Aav6lLpRvGQ/UmF9eGri4XI/AAAAAAAABzo/STmOFct3W-Y/s1600/dustduino+logo.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" decoding="async" height="230" loading="lazy" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Aav6lLpRvGQ/UmF9eGri4XI/AAAAAAAABzo/STmOFct3W-Y/s640/dustduino+logo.jpg" style="border: 0px;" width="230"/></a></div> <p>The DustDuino is a work in progress. I cannot make any guarantees as to whether your particular project will work. Having said that, this device has worked great for me so far. So given my personal success, and the recent WHO and IARC findings about particulate matter being carcinogenic, I felt it was time to release instructions and code into the wild.</p> <p>If you put together a DustDuino have it working correctly, or have any suggestions, feel free to drop me a line at mschroyer@gmail.com.</p> <p>Also, if this device has proven useful for you, please consider donating to MentalMunition.com. Funds will go to develop ready-to-deploy DustDuino devices.</p> <div class="author-shortcodes"> <div class="author-inner"> <div class="author-image"> <img alt="" src="https://cucfablab.org/sites/cucfablab.org/files/images/MattSchroyer.jpg"/> <div class="author-overlay"></div> </div> <!-- .author-image --> <div class="author-info"> Matthew Schroyer is a drone and data journalist based in Urbana, Illinois. He is developing drone technology and small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (sUAV) for use in journalistic enterprises. To this end, he has founded the Professional Society of Drone Journalists (PSDJ), located at DroneJournalism.org. </div> <!-- .author-info --> </div> <!-- .author-inner --> </div> .author-shortcodes <meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"/> <p>The post <a href="https://geojournalism.org/2014/04/dustduino-arduino-uno-edition/">DIY air pollution monitoring with DustDuino: Arduino Uno Edition</a> appeared first on <a href="https://geojournalism.org">geojournalism.org</a>.</p> 1025