Public Lab Wiki documentation



Simple Air Sensor

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NOTE: The colored light displayed by this sensor is not related to the Air Quality Index (AQI) colors in any way.

This is a prototyping and onboarding kit for study design around air sensing. It is also part of an effort to develop an open source project and community that functions similarly to #PurpleAir, so that, over time, people can transfer the expertise they've developed as #PurpleAir users regarding installation, organizing, communication, etc to an open source ecosystem. In this way, this kit offers an "offramp" from a corporately controlled, closed source project that lacks public forums for asking and answering questions, or for organizing and advocating around the data collected.

Uses

  • to see immediate qualitative differences in air quality at low cost; by displaying a realtime colored light readout, this kit supports explorations into how the particulate sensor used in the closed source #PurpleAir responds to varying air conditions
  • to build familiarity with the electronic components used in air sensors without having to program
  • to use in groups (with 3+ sensors) to plan out placement of a #PurpleAir or other more expensive sensor, for example with consideration for wind direction and spacing

Context

This project emerged from observations that while many people share an understanding of the importance of "right to know" laws and of the purpose that transparency serves in a society, here is much less awareness of the fragility of technology, and the (inadvertent) gate-keeping role of expertise that leaves people without a pathway to "knowing how they know." This project is part of a longterm effort to encourage a culture of empiricism.

More about what's in the Simple Air Sensor

This sensor circuit uses the same type of particle detector as the #PurpleAir sensor, but only one as compared to #PurpleAir's two; does not include a temperature, humidity and pressure sensor as the Purple Air does; and instead of logging either to the cloud or to the device itself, it displays a red/yellow/green light that illustrates the PM2.5 levels it detects without converting into an Air Quality Index (AQI).

This project is part of an ecosystem

Quite a few people have built simple open source, Arduino-based devices around the cheap #plantower particulate air sensor datasheet, see:

This is a version that is easy to assemble (no soldering, just push wires into a breadboard), and comes pre-programmed. We also offer it assembled and ready to plug in in the Public Lab Store.

Parts List

  1. 1 Arduino
  2. 1 RBG LED Light
  3. 1 Sensor with cable
  4. 1 Breadboard

Activities








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Questions

Title Author Updated Likes Comments
What do the different colors mean on the Simple Air Sensor? @stevie over 4 years ago 5
How could we design a group activity around siting air sensors? @warren almost 5 years ago 9
What do I do next, after using a low-cost or DIY air sensor? @warren almost 5 years ago 5
What happens to the simple air sensor when the battery pack runs low? @stevie almost 5 years ago 9
Can someone clarify the colors on the simple air sensor? (turning white when plugged in) @stevie almost 5 years ago 5
Brainstorm on ways to use colored light to show sensor readings @warren over 4 years ago 7
What are the advantages to using 2 particle sensors at the same time? @warren almost 5 years ago 11
Is there a predictive relationship between the number of PM 2.5 and smaller airborne particulates compared to the mass of the same ug per cubic meter? @Tomp almost 5 years ago 5
What are some activities for using the Simple Air Sensor as part of a broader air quality project? @warren almost 5 years ago 15
Can we log data on an Arduino without an SD card? @warren almost 5 years ago 3
Questions about Plantower sensors from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire @OrionAllgaier about 5 years ago 5


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