## Choosing Sensors Often the first step is to look for a sensor for what you're hoping to measure. In the community posts below, we're collecting info on different kinds of air quality sensors, and their: * cost * sensitivity/accuracy * links and documentation Can you afford a sensor? Can it detect what you're looking for? Where can you learn more about it? ### Posts about choosing and evaluating an air sensor [notes:grid:air-sensor-eval] ### Expected ranges and useful detection limits for pollutants of interest This [table](https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-06/documents/air_sensors_webinar_slides_06-29-16.pdf) from an EPA [Air Quality Monitoring and Community Science webinar](https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-06/documents/air_sensors_webinar_slides_06-29-16.pdf) lists the six criteria air pollutants and a couple additional pollutants, with background levels you might see in the environment in the “Range to Expect” column and useful detection limits for sensors. **** ## Wikis about air sensors [wikis:air-sensors] ## Air sensor projects Public Lab pages and posts tagged `air-sensor-projects` will appear here [nodes:air-sensor-projects] ## Questions [questions:air-sensors] ## Further reading and resources + Environmental consultant Tim Dye’s “[4 questions to ask before buying an air quality sensor](http://tdenviro.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/4-questions-when-buying-air-sensors.pdf)” neatly summarizes what to consider when choosing an air sensor. + [Snuffle.org](http://www.snuffle.org/): lots of information on low-cost sensors for various air pollutants. + [Air Quality Sensor Performance Evaluation Center (AQ-SPEC)](http://www.aqmd.gov/aq-spec/evaluations): from the South Coast Air Quality Management District, this program tests and evaluates air sensors “in the field, under ambient conditions, and in the laboratory under controlled environmental conditions.” + [Air Sensor Toolbox](https://www.epa.gov/air-sensor-toolbox): from the US Environmental Protection Agency, this toolbox includes guidance on how to use air sensors and their data, plus information on sensor performance and evaluation results. ...
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MeganKierstead | "@schroyer Putting together my own DustDuino now and heads up, the personal Xively data hosting is buggy as all hell now. Can't even get past creati..." | Read more » | almost 9 years ago | |||
chrisbartley | "@ledi001 All the visualization software is custom stuff we developed at the CREATE Lab. The grapher in the demos is our BodyTrack grapher which w..." | Read more » | about 9 years ago | |||
ledi001 | "Great idea and great monitoring! Please can you post some information about the software you use for the visualization of the data for the grid and..." | Read more » | about 9 years ago | |||
jeffalk | "kevinvivergy's referred to website is a great example of technology in the hands of techies. They need to learn that more data doesn't always tra..." | Read more » | about 9 years ago | |||
kevinvivergy | "@warren @mathew thought this group might enjoy the ongoing testing of another set of low cost PM sensors going on in China! Co-located with the off..." | Read more » | about 9 years ago | |||
tomtobback | "Hi @Willie, thanks a lot for sharing your excellent work. I used your example sketch for my Dustduino with a ESP8266 wifi module, posting to emoncm..." | Read more » | about 9 years ago | |||
liz | "hey @jeff Laut! great to hear from you :) what sensitivity do you need on your particular matter sensors? " | Read more » | about 9 years ago | |||
warren | "Or try to get them all on the same graph? " | Read more » | about 9 years ago | |||
warren | "I pasted Grapherate live graphs for 4 sensors Mathew set up into this page: http://publiclab.org/wiki/open-air -- not sure if these are those used ..." | Read more » | about 9 years ago | |||
warren | "Very cool! Say hi for me if Jen Osha or Rob Goodwin are still at CRMW! We did these maps way back in 2010: http://publiclab.org/map/black-mountain..." | Read more » | about 9 years ago | |||
jeffalk | "It's my understanding that the Dylos is the only monitor of those mentioned that is calibrated by its manufacturer. That implies that some comparis..." | Read more » | about 9 years ago | |||
nicholas | "@mathew Thanks! I had meant to 3D print a container for the Shinyei but didnt have time. I've seen some people have good success by incorporating..." | Read more » | over 9 years ago | |||
mathew | "Real neat! two comments about the setup: the shinyei should have everything but the intake and outlet covered to prevent light leakage. you may w..." | Read more » | over 9 years ago | |||
eustatic | "Girl Scouts are the best! " | Read more » | over 9 years ago | |||
kevintzoa | "@nshapiro @mathew @marlokeno Hey, Kevin here from TZOA. I met Shannon Dosemagen of PublicLab at an EPA event last year. Happy to answer any questio..." | Read more » | over 9 years ago | |||
warren | "@mathew and I spent a week and got some Open Pipe Kit drivers written, including for the Shinyei. Take a look: https://github.com/jywarren/opk-shin..." | Read more » | over 9 years ago | |||
warren | "Last week, @mathew and I worked on standard Open Pipe Kit drivers for a range of different optical dust sensors, to get them all feeding into http:..." | Read more » | over 9 years ago | |||
warren | "@mathew wrote a great overview of lots of different ways that different projects/sensors measure particulates: http://publiclab.org/notes/mathew/05..." | Read more » | over 9 years ago | |||
warren | "We've gotten the Shinyei connected up to the Phant instance at http://data.sparkfun.com, with an open source driver, over USB: http://publiclab.org..." | Read more » | over 9 years ago | |||
nikmhanif | "Hey guys. I'm building a similar system, but instead of Shinyei PPD-42, I am using SHARP GP2Y1010AU0F dust sensor. However, I am not sure whether t..." | Read more » | over 9 years ago | |||
mathew | "awesome! " | Read more » | over 9 years ago | |||
warren | "Hey @mathew - wrote up a driver for the Dylos - it was very simple, just listening and it returns "0,0" every so often. If there's a manual or some..." | Read more » | over 9 years ago | |||
warren | "And taking note that for the Thermofisher and the Speck, we're only doing spot readings, not averages. This should change: https://github.com/jywa..." | Read more » | over 9 years ago | |||
warren | "And the Speck too: https://github.com/jywarren/opk-speck-cli now running. " | Read more » | over 9 years ago |