Tag Archives: Field Gateway

Grove-VOC and eCO2 Gas Sensor (SGP30)

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In preparation for a project to monitor the fumes (initially Volatile Organic Compounds) levels around the 3D Printers and Laser Cutters in a school makerspace I purchased a Grove -VOC and eCO2 Gas Sensor (SGP30) for evaluation.

Seeeduino Nano easySensors shield and Grove VOC & eCO2 Sensor

Seeeduino Nano devices have a single on-board I2C socket which meant I didn’t need a Grove Shield for Arduino Nano which reduced the size and cost of the sensor node.

I downloaded the sample code from the Seeedstudio wiki and modified my Easy Sensors Arduino Nano Radio Shield RFM69/95 Payload Addressing client to use the sensor.

My first attempt failed with an issues accessing an Analog port to read the serial number from the Microchip ATSHA204 security chip. After looking at the Seeed SGP30 library source code (based on Sensiron samples) I think the my Nano device was running out of memory. I then searched for other Arduino compatible SGP30 libraries and rebuilt he application with the one from Sparkfun,

/*
  Copyright ® 2019 August devMobile Software, All Rights Reserved

  THIS CODE AND INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY
  KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE
  IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
  PURPOSE.

  You can do what you want with this code, acknowledgment would be nice.
  http://www.devmobile.co.nz

  Seeedstudio Grove - VOC and eCO2 Gas Sensor (SGP30)
  https://www.seeedstudio.com/Grove-VOC-and-eCO2-Gas-Sensor-SGP30-p-3071.html

  Seeeduino Nano 
  https://www.seeedstudio.com/Seeeduino-Nano-p-4111.html
  
  Polycarbonate enclosure approx 3.5" x 4.5"
    2 x Cable glands
    1 x Grommet to seal SMA antenna connector
    3M command adhesive strips to hold battery & device in place
   
*/
#include <stdlib.h&gt;
#include "SparkFun_SGP30_Arduino_Library.h" 
#include <LoRa.h&gt;
#include <sha204_library.h&gt;

//#define DEBUG
//#define DEBUG_TELEMETRY
//#define DEBUG_LORA
#define DEBUG_VOC_AND_CO2

#define UNITS_VOC "ppb"
#define UNITS_CO2 "ppm"

// LoRa field gateway configuration (these settings must match your field gateway)
const byte DeviceAddressMaximumLength = 15 ;
const char FieldGatewayAddress[] = {"LoRaIoT1"};
const float FieldGatewayFrequency =  915000000.0;
const byte FieldGatewaySyncWord = 0x12 ;

// Payload configuration
const int ChipSelectPin = 10;
const int ResetPin = 9;
const int InterruptPin = 2;

// LoRa radio payload configuration
const byte SensorIdValueSeperator = ' ' ;
const byte SensorReadingSeperator = ',' ;
const unsigned long SensorUploadDelay = 60000;

// ATSHA204 secure authentication, validation with crypto and hashing (currently only using for unique serial number)
const byte Atsha204Port = A3;
atsha204Class sha204(Atsha204Port);
const byte DeviceSerialNumberLength = 9 ;
byte deviceSerialNumber[DeviceSerialNumberLength] = {""};

SGP30 mySensor; //create an object of the SGP30 class

const byte PayloadSizeMaximum = 64 ;
byte payload[PayloadSizeMaximum];
byte payloadLength = 0 ;


void setup()
{
  Serial.begin(9600);

#ifdef DEBUG
  while (!Serial);
#endif
 
  Serial.println("Setup called");

  Serial.print("Field gateway:");
  Serial.print(FieldGatewayAddress ) ;
  Serial.print(" Frequency:");
  Serial.print( FieldGatewayFrequency,0 ) ;
  Serial.print("MHz SyncWord:");
  Serial.print( FieldGatewaySyncWord ) ;
  Serial.println();
  
   // Retrieve the serial number then display it nicely
  if(sha204.getSerialNumber(deviceSerialNumber))
  {
    Serial.println("sha204.getSerialNumber failed");
    while (true); // Drop into endless loop requiring restart
  }

  Serial.print("SNo:");
  DisplayHex( deviceSerialNumber, DeviceSerialNumberLength);
  Serial.println();

  Serial.println("LoRa setup start");

  // override the default chip select and reset pins
  LoRa.setPins(ChipSelectPin, ResetPin, InterruptPin);
  if (!LoRa.begin(FieldGatewayFrequency))
  {
    Serial.println("LoRa begin failed");
    while (true); // Drop into endless loop requiring restart
  }

  // Need to do this so field gateway pays attention to messsages from this device
  LoRa.enableCrc();
  LoRa.setSyncWord(FieldGatewaySyncWord);

#ifdef DEBUG_LORA
  LoRa.dumpRegisters(Serial);
#endif
  Serial.println("LoRa Setup done.");

  // Configure the DF Robot SHT20, temperature &amp; humidity sensor
  Serial.println("SGP30 setup start");  
  Wire.begin();
  if(mySensor.begin() == false)
  {
    Serial.println("SQP-30 initialisation failed");
    while (true); // Drop into endless loop requiring restart
  }
  mySensor.initAirQuality();
  delay(1000);  
  Serial.println("SGP30 setup done");

  PayloadHeader((byte *)FieldGatewayAddress,strlen(FieldGatewayAddress), deviceSerialNumber, DeviceSerialNumberLength);

  Serial.println("Setup done");
  Serial.println();
}


void loop()
{
  unsigned long currentMilliseconds = millis();  

  Serial.println("Loop called");

  mySensor.measureAirQuality();

  PayloadReset();  

  PayloadAdd( "v", mySensor.TVOC, false);
     
  PayloadAdd( "c", mySensor.CO2, false);
  
  #ifdef DEBUG_VOC_AND_CO2  
    Serial.print("VoC:");
    Serial.print( mySensor.TVOC ) ;
    Serial.print( UNITS_VOC ) ;
    Serial.print(" Co2:");
    Serial.print( mySensor.CO2 ) ;
    Serial.println( UNITS_CO2 ) ;
  #endif

  #ifdef DEBUG_TELEMETRY
    Serial.println();
    Serial.print("RFM9X/SX127X Payload length:");
    Serial.print(payloadLength);
    Serial.println(" bytes");
  #endif

  LoRa.beginPacket();
  LoRa.write(payload, payloadLength);
  LoRa.endPacket();

  Serial.println("Loop done");
  Serial.println();

  delay(SensorUploadDelay - (millis() - currentMilliseconds ));
}


void PayloadHeader( const byte *to, byte toAddressLength, const byte *from, byte fromAddressLength)
{
  byte addressesLength = toAddressLength + fromAddressLength ;

  payloadLength = 0 ;

  // prepare the payload header with "To" Address length (top nibble) and "From" address length (bottom nibble)
  
  payload[payloadLength] = (toAddressLength << 4) | fromAddressLength ;
  payloadLength += 1;

  // Copy the "To" address into payload
  memcpy(&amp;payload[payloadLength], to, toAddressLength);
  payloadLength += toAddressLength ;

  // Copy the "From" into payload
  memcpy(&amp;payload[payloadLength], from, fromAddressLength);
  payloadLength += fromAddressLength ;
}


void PayloadAdd( const char *sensorId, float value, byte decimalPlaces, bool last)
{
  byte sensorIdLength = strlen( sensorId ) ;

  memcpy( &amp;payload[payloadLength], sensorId,  sensorIdLength) ;
  payloadLength += sensorIdLength ;
  payload[ payloadLength] = SensorIdValueSeperator;
  payloadLength += 1 ;
  payloadLength += strlen( dtostrf(value, -1, decimalPlaces, (char *)&amp;payload[payloadLength]));
  if (!last)
  {
    payload[ payloadLength] = SensorReadingSeperator;
    payloadLength += 1 ;
  }
  
#ifdef DEBUG_TELEMETRY
  Serial.print("PayloadAdd float-payloadLength:");
  Serial.print( payloadLength);
  Serial.println( );
#endif
}


void PayloadAdd( char *sensorId, int value, bool last )
{
  byte sensorIdLength = strlen(sensorId) ;

  memcpy(&amp;payload[payloadLength], sensorId,  sensorIdLength) ;
  payloadLength += sensorIdLength ;
  payload[ payloadLength] = SensorIdValueSeperator;
  payloadLength += 1 ;
  payloadLength += strlen(itoa( value,(char *)&amp;payload[payloadLength],10));
  if (!last)
  {
    payload[ payloadLength] = SensorReadingSeperator;
    payloadLength += 1 ;
  }
  
#ifdef DEBUG_TELEMETRY
  Serial.print("PayloadAdd int-payloadLength:" );
  Serial.print(payloadLength);
  Serial.println( );
#endif
}


void PayloadAdd( char *sensorId, unsigned int value, bool last )
{
  byte sensorIdLength = strlen(sensorId) ;

  memcpy(&amp;payload[payloadLength], sensorId,  sensorIdLength) ;
  payloadLength += sensorIdLength ;
  payload[ payloadLength] = SensorIdValueSeperator;
  payloadLength += 1 ;
  payloadLength += strlen(utoa( value,(char *)&amp;payload[payloadLength],10));
  if (!last)
  {
    payload[ payloadLength] = SensorReadingSeperator;
    payloadLength += 1 ;
  }
  
#ifdef DEBUG_TELEMETRY
  Serial.print("PayloadAdd uint-payloadLength:");
  Serial.print(payloadLength);
  Serial.println( );
#endif
}


void PayloadReset()
{
  byte fromAddressLength = payload[0] &amp; 0xf ;
  byte toAddressLength = payload[0] &gt;&gt; 4 ;
  
  payloadLength = toAddressLength + fromAddressLength + 1;
}


void DisplayHex( byte *byteArray, byte length) 
{
  for (int i = 0; i < length ; i++)
  {
    // Add a leading zero
    if ( byteArray[i] < 16)
    {
      Serial.print("0");
    }
    Serial.print(byteArray[i], HEX);
    if ( i < (length-1)) // Don't put a - after last digit
    {
      Serial.print("-");
    }
  }
}

The code is available on GitHub.

11:32:52.947 -> Setup called
11:32:52.947 -> Field gateway:LoRaIoT1 Frequency:915000000MHz SyncWord:18
11:32:53.085 -> SNo:01-23-21-61-D6-D1-F5-86-EE
11:32:53.118 -> LoRa setup start
11:32:53.118 -> LoRa Setup done.
11:32:53.153 -> SGP30 setup start
11:32:54.083 -> SGP30 setup done
11:32:54.117 -> Setup done
11:32:54.117 -> 
11:32:54.117 -> Loop called
11:32:54.152 -> VoC:0ppb Co2:400ppm
11:32:54.187 -> Loop done
11:32:54.187 -> 
11:33:54.092 -> Loop called
11:33:54.127 -> VoC:0ppb Co2:400ppm
11:33:54.195 -> Loop done
11:33:54.195 -> 
11:34:54.098 -> Loop called
11:34:54.133 -> VoC:17ppb Co2:425ppm
11:34:54.201 -> Loop done
11:34:54.201 -> 
11:35:54.109 -> Loop called
11:35:54.142 -> VoC:11ppb Co2:421ppm
11:35:54.210 -> Loop done
11:35:54.210 -> 
11:36:54.109 -> Loop called
11:36:54.143 -> VoC:3ppb Co2:409ppm
11:36:54.212 -> Loop done
11:36:54.212 -> 
11:37:54.135 -> Loop called
11:37:54.135 -> VoC:12ppb Co2:400ppm
11:37:54.204 -> Loop done
11:37:54.204 -> 
11:38:54.126 -> Loop called
11:38:54.161 -> VoC:11ppb Co2:439ppm
11:38:54.231 -> Loop done

To configure the device in Azure IoT Central (similar process for Adafruit.IO, working on support for losant, ubidots and MyDevices) I copied the SNo: from the Arduino development tool logging window and appended c for the CO2 parts per million (ppm), v for VOC parts per billion (ppb) unique serial number from the ATSHA204A chip. (N.B. pay attention to the case of the field names they are case sensitive)

Azure IoT Central configuration

Overall the performance of the VoC sensor data is looking pretty positive, the eCO2 readings need some further investigation as they track the VOC levels. The large spike in the graph below is me putting an open vivid marker on my desk near the sensor.

eCO2 and VOC levels in my office for a day

Bill of materials (prices as at August 2019)

  • Seeeduino Nano USD6.90
  • Grove – VOC and eCO2 Gas Sensor (SGP30) USD15.90
  • EasySensors Arduino Nano radio shield RFM95 USD15.00

DF Robot Temperature & Humidity Sensor(SHT20) trial

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In preparation for a project to build weather stations to place at a couple of local schools I purchased a DF Robot SHT20 Temperature & Humidity Sensor for evaluation.

Seeeduino Nano, EasySensors Shield & DF Robot Sensor test rig

The Seeeduino Nano devices I’m testing have a single on-board I2C socket which meant I didn’t need a Grove Shield for Arduino Nano which reduced the size and cost of the sensor node.

To test my setup I installed the DFRobot Arduino SHT20 library and downloaded a demo application to my device.

I started with my Easy Sensors Arduino Nano Radio Shield RFM69/95 Payload Addressing client and modified it to use the SHT20 sensor.

/*
  Copyright ® 2019 August devMobile Software, All Rights Reserved

  THIS CODE AND INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY
  KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE
  IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
  PURPOSE.

  You can do what you want with this code, acknowledgment would be nice.
  http://www.devmobile.co.nz

  DF Robot SHT20 Temperature &amp; Humidity sensor   https://www.dfrobot.com/wiki/index.php/SHT20_I2C_Temperature_%26_Humidity_Sensor_(Waterproof_Probe)_SKU:_SEN0227  

  Seeeduino Nano 
  https://www.seeedstudio.com/Seeeduino-Nano-p-4111.html
  
  Polycarbonate enclosure approx 3.5" x 4.5"
    2 x Cable glands
    1 x ufl to SMA connector
    3M command adhesive strips to hold battery &amp; device in place
   
*/
#include <stdlib.h&gt;
#include <DFRobot_SHT20.h&gt;
#include <LoRa.h&gt;
#include <sha204_library.h&gt;

//#define DEBUG
//#define DEBUG_TELEMETRY
//#define DEBUG_LORA
//#define DEBUG_TEMPERATURE_AND_HUMIDITY

#define UNITS_HUMIDITY "%"
#define UNITS_TEMPERATURE "°c"

// LoRa field gateway configuration (these settings must match your field gateway)
const byte DeviceAddressMaximumLength = 15 ;
const char FieldGatewayAddress[] = {"LoRaIoT1"};
const float FieldGatewayFrequency =  915000000.0;
const byte FieldGatewaySyncWord = 0x12 ;

// Payload configuration
const int ChipSelectPin = 10;
const int ResetPin = 9;
const int InterruptPin = 2;

// LoRa radio payload configuration
const byte SensorIdValueSeperator = ' ' ;
const byte SensorReadingSeperator = ',' ;
const unsigned long SensorUploadDelay = 60000;

// ATSHA204 secure authentication, validation with crypto and hashing (currently only using for unique serial number)
const byte Atsha204Port = A3;
atsha204Class sha204(Atsha204Port);
const byte DeviceSerialNumberLength = 9 ;
byte deviceSerialNumber[DeviceSerialNumberLength] = {""};

// SHT20 Air temperature and humidity sensor
DFRobot_SHT20 sht20;

const byte PayloadSizeMaximum = 64 ;
byte payload[PayloadSizeMaximum];
byte payloadLength = 0 ;


void setup()
{
  Serial.begin(9600);

#ifdef DEBUG
  while (!Serial);
#endif
 
  Serial.println("Setup called");

  Serial.print("Field gateway:");
  Serial.print(FieldGatewayAddress ) ;
  Serial.print(" Frequency:");
  Serial.print( FieldGatewayFrequency,0 ) ;
  Serial.print("MHz SyncWord:");
  Serial.print( FieldGatewaySyncWord ) ;
  Serial.println();
  
   // Retrieve the serial number then display it nicely
  if(sha204.getSerialNumber(deviceSerialNumber))
  {
    Serial.println("sha204.getSerialNumber failed");
    while (true); // Drop into endless loop requiring restart
  }

  Serial.print("SNo:");
  DisplayHex( deviceSerialNumber, DeviceSerialNumberLength);
  Serial.println();

  Serial.println("LoRa setup start");

  // override the default chip select and reset pins
  LoRa.setPins(ChipSelectPin, ResetPin, InterruptPin);
  if (!LoRa.begin(FieldGatewayFrequency))
  {
    Serial.println("LoRa begin failed");
    while (true); // Drop into endless loop requiring restart
  }

  // Need to do this so field gateway pays attention to messsages from this device
  LoRa.enableCrc();
  LoRa.setSyncWord(FieldGatewaySyncWord);

#ifdef DEBUG_LORA
  LoRa.dumpRegisters(Serial);
#endif
  Serial.println("LoRa Setup done.");

  // Configure the DF Robot SHT20, temperature &amp; humidity sensor
  Serial.println("SHT20 setup start");  
  sht20.initSHT20();
  delay(100);
  sht20.checkSHT20();    
  Serial.println("SHT20 setup done");

  PayloadHeader((byte *)FieldGatewayAddress,strlen(FieldGatewayAddress), deviceSerialNumber, DeviceSerialNumberLength);

  Serial.println("Setup done");
  Serial.println();
}


void loop()
{
  unsigned long currentMilliseconds = millis();  
  float temperature ;
  float humidity ;

  Serial.println("Loop called");

  PayloadReset();  

  humidity = sht20.readHumidity();          
  PayloadAdd( "h", humidity, 0, false);

  temperature = sht20.readTemperature();               
  PayloadAdd( "t", temperature, 1, false);
  
  #ifdef DEBUG_TEMPERATURE_AND_HUMIDITY  
    Serial.print("H:");
    Serial.print( humidity, 0 ) ;
    Serial.print( UNITS_HUMIDITY ) ;
    Serial.print("T:");
    Serial.print( temperature, 1 ) ;
    Serial.println( UNITS_TEMPERATURE ) ;
  #endif

  #ifdef DEBUG_TELEMETRY
    Serial.println();
    Serial.print("RFM9X/SX127X Payload length:");
    Serial.print(payloadLength);
    Serial.println(" bytes");
  #endif

  LoRa.beginPacket();
  LoRa.write(payload, payloadLength);
  LoRa.endPacket();

  Serial.println("Loop done");
  Serial.println();

  delay(SensorUploadDelay - (millis() - currentMilliseconds ));
}


void PayloadHeader( const byte *to, byte toAddressLength, const byte *from, byte fromAddressLength)
{
  byte addressesLength = toAddressLength + fromAddressLength ;

  payloadLength = 0 ;

  // prepare the payload header with "To" Address length (top nibble) and "From" address length (bottom nibble)
  
  payload[payloadLength] = (toAddressLength << 4) | fromAddressLength ;
  payloadLength += 1;

  // Copy the "To" address into payload
  memcpy(&amp;payload[payloadLength], to, toAddressLength);
  payloadLength += toAddressLength ;

  // Copy the "From" into payload
  memcpy(&amp;payload[payloadLength], from, fromAddressLength);
  payloadLength += fromAddressLength ;
}


void PayloadAdd( const char *sensorId, float value, byte decimalPlaces, bool last)
{
  byte sensorIdLength = strlen( sensorId ) ;

  memcpy( &amp;payload[payloadLength], sensorId,  sensorIdLength) ;
  payloadLength += sensorIdLength ;
  payload[ payloadLength] = SensorIdValueSeperator;
  payloadLength += 1 ;
  payloadLength += strlen( dtostrf(value, -1, decimalPlaces, (char *)&amp;payload[payloadLength]));
  if (!last)
  {
    payload[ payloadLength] = SensorReadingSeperator;
    payloadLength += 1 ;
  }
  
#ifdef DEBUG_TELEMETRY
  Serial.print("PayloadAdd float-payloadLength:");
  Serial.print( payloadLength);
  Serial.println( );
#endif
}


void PayloadAdd( char *sensorId, int value, bool last )
{
  byte sensorIdLength = strlen(sensorId) ;

  memcpy(&amp;payload[payloadLength], sensorId,  sensorIdLength) ;
  payloadLength += sensorIdLength ;
  payload[ payloadLength] = SensorIdValueSeperator;
  payloadLength += 1 ;
  payloadLength += strlen(itoa( value,(char *)&amp;payload[payloadLength],10));
  if (!last)
  {
    payload[ payloadLength] = SensorReadingSeperator;
    payloadLength += 1 ;
  }
  
#ifdef DEBUG_TELEMETRY
  Serial.print("PayloadAdd int-payloadLength:" );
  Serial.print(payloadLength);
  Serial.println( );
#endif
}


void PayloadAdd( char *sensorId, unsigned int value, bool last )
{
  byte sensorIdLength = strlen(sensorId) ;

  memcpy(&amp;payload[payloadLength], sensorId,  sensorIdLength) ;
  payloadLength += sensorIdLength ;
  payload[ payloadLength] = SensorIdValueSeperator;
  payloadLength += 1 ;
  payloadLength += strlen(utoa( value,(char *)&amp;payload[payloadLength],10));
  if (!last)
  {
    payload[ payloadLength] = SensorReadingSeperator;
    payloadLength += 1 ;
  }
  
#ifdef DEBUG_TELEMETRY
  Serial.print("PayloadAdd uint-payloadLength:");
  Serial.print(payloadLength);
  Serial.println( );
#endif
}


void PayloadReset()
{
  byte fromAddressLength = payload[0] &amp; 0xf ;
  byte toAddressLength = payload[0] &gt;&gt; 4 ;
  
  payloadLength = toAddressLength + fromAddressLength + 1;
}


void DisplayHex( byte *byteArray, byte length) 
{
  for (int i = 0; i < length ; i++)
  {
    // Add a leading zero
    if ( byteArray[i] < 16)
    {
      Serial.print("0");
    }
    Serial.print(byteArray[i], HEX);
    if ( i < (length-1)) // Don't put a - after last digit
    {
      Serial.print("-");
    }
  }
}

The code is available on GitHub.

20:52:09.656 -> Setup called
20:52:09.690 -> Field gateway:LoRaIoT1 Frequency:915000000MHz SyncWord:18
20:52:09.794 -> SNo:01-23-21-61-D6-D1-F5-86-EE
20:52:09.828 -> LoRa setup start
20:52:09.828 -> LoRa Setup done.
20:52:09.862 -> SHT20 setup start
20:52:09.932 -> End of battery: no
20:52:09.932 -> Heater enabled: no
20:52:09.965 -> Disable OTP reload: yes
20:52:09.999 -> SHT20 setup done
20:52:09.999 -> Setup done
20:52:09.999 -> 
20:52:09.999 -> Loop called
20:52:10.067 -> H:60%T:20.0°c
20:52:10.136 -> Loop done
20:52:10.136 -> 
20:53:09.915 -> Loop called
20:53:10.019 -> H:61%T:20.5°c
20:53:10.088 -> Loop done
20:53:10.088 ->

To configure the device in Azure IoT Central (similar process for Adafruit.IO, working on support for losant, ubidots and MyDevices) I copied the SNo: from the Arduino development tool logging window and appended p10 for PM 1 value, p25 for PM2.5 value and p100 for PM10 value to the unique serial number from the ATSHA204A chip. (N.B. pay attention to the case of the field names they are case sensitive)

When I moved the sensor indoors it appeared to take a while to warm up and after a while the metal body still felt cold. The sensor element is surrounded by quite a bit of protective packaging for outdoors use and I that would have a bit more thermal inertia the than the lightweight indoor enclosure.

It would be good to run the sensor alongside a calibrated temperature & humidity sensor to see how accurate and responsive it is.

Bill of materials (prices as at August 2019)

  • Seeeduino Nano USD6.90
  • Grove Screw Terminal USD2.90
  • DF Robot SHT20 I2C Temperature & Humidity Sensor USD22.50
  • EasySensors Arduino Nano radio shield RFM95 USD15.00

Grove – Laser PM2.5 Sensor(HM3301) trial

Posted on by

In preparation for a project to monitor the particulates levels around the 3D Printers and Laser Cutters in a school makerspace I purchased a Grove -Laser PM2.5 Sensor (HM3301) for evaluation.

Seeeduino, Grove HM3301 and easysensors shield

The Seeeduino Nano devices I’m testing have a single on-board I2C socket which meant I didn’t need a Grove Shield for Arduino Nano which reduced the size and cost of the sensor node.

To test my setup I installed the Seeed PM2.5 Sensor HM3301 Software Library and downloaded the demo application to my device.

I started with my Easy Sensors Arduino Nano Radio Shield RFM69/95 Payload Addressing client and modified it to use the HM3301 sensor.

After looking at the demo application I stripped out the checksum code and threw the rest away. In my test harness I have extracted only the PM1.0/PM2.5/PM10.0 (concentration CF=1, Standard particulate) in μg/ m3 values from the sensor response payload.

/*
  Copyright ® 2019 August devMobile Software, All Rights Reserved

  THIS CODE AND INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY
  KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE
  IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
  PURPOSE.

  You can do what you want with this code, acknowledgment would be nice.

  http://www.devmobile.co.nz

*/
#include <stdlib.h&gt;
#include <LoRa.h&gt;
#include <sha204_library.h&gt;
#include "Seeed_HM330X.h"

//#define DEBUG
//#define DEBUG_TELEMETRY
//#define DEBUG_LORA

const byte SensorPayloadLength = 28 ;
const byte SensorPayloadBufferSize  = 29 ;
const byte SensorPayloadPM1_0Position = 4;
const byte SensorPayloadPM2_5Position = 6;
const byte SensorPayloadPM10_0Position = 8;

HM330X sensor;
byte SensorPayload[SensorPayloadBufferSize];
  
// LoRa field gateway configuration (these settings must match your field gateway)
const byte DeviceAddressMaximumLength = 15 ;
const char FieldGatewayAddress[] = {"LoRaIoT1"};
const float FieldGatewayFrequency =  915000000.0;
const byte FieldGatewaySyncWord = 0x12 ;

// Payload configuration
const int ChipSelectPin = 10;
const int ResetPin = 9;
const int InterruptPin = 2;

// LoRa radio payload configuration
const byte SensorIdValueSeperator = ' ' ;
const byte SensorReadingSeperator = ',' ;
const unsigned long SensorUploadDelay = 60000;

// ATSHA204 secure authentication, validation with crypto and hashing (currently only using for unique serial number)
const byte Atsha204Port = A3;
atsha204Class sha204(Atsha204Port);
const byte DeviceSerialNumberLength = 9 ;
byte deviceSerialNumber[DeviceSerialNumberLength] = {""};

const byte PayloadSizeMaximum = 64 ;
byte payload[PayloadSizeMaximum];
byte payloadLength = 0 ;


void setup()
{
  Serial.begin(9600);

#ifdef DEBUG
  while (!Serial);
#endif
 
  Serial.println("Setup called");

  Serial.print("Field gateway:");
  Serial.print(FieldGatewayAddress ) ;
  Serial.print(" Frequency:");
  Serial.print( FieldGatewayFrequency,0 ) ;
  Serial.print("MHz SyncWord:");
  Serial.print( FieldGatewaySyncWord ) ;
  Serial.println();
  
   // Retrieve the serial number then display it nicely
  if(sha204.getSerialNumber(deviceSerialNumber))
  {
    Serial.println("sha204.getSerialNumber failed");
    while (true); // Drop into endless loop requiring restart
  }

  Serial.print("SNo:");
  DisplayHex( deviceSerialNumber, DeviceSerialNumberLength);
  Serial.println();

  Serial.println("LoRa setup start");

  // override the default chip select and reset pins
  LoRa.setPins(ChipSelectPin, ResetPin, InterruptPin);
  if (!LoRa.begin(FieldGatewayFrequency))
  {
    Serial.println("LoRa begin failed");
    while (true); // Drop into endless loop requiring restart
  }

  // Need to do this so field gateway pays attention to messsages from this device
  LoRa.enableCrc();
  LoRa.setSyncWord(FieldGatewaySyncWord);

#ifdef DEBUG_LORA
  LoRa.dumpRegisters(Serial);
#endif
  Serial.println("LoRa Setup done.");

  // Configure the Seeedstudio CO2, temperature &amp; humidity sensor
  Serial.println("HM3301 setup start");
  if(sensor.init())
  {
    Serial.println("HM3301 init failed");
    while (true); // Drop into endless loop requiring restart
  
  }
  delay(100);
  Serial.println("HM3301 setup done");

  PayloadHeader((byte *)FieldGatewayAddress,strlen(FieldGatewayAddress), deviceSerialNumber, DeviceSerialNumberLength);

  Serial.println("Setup done");
  Serial.println();
}

void loop()
{
  unsigned long currentMilliseconds = millis();  
  byte sum=0;
  short pm1_0 ;
  short pm2_5 ;
  short pm10_0 ;

  Serial.println("Loop called");

  if(sensor.read_sensor_value(SensorPayload,SensorPayloadBufferSize) == NO_ERROR)
  {
    // Calculate then validate the payload "checksum"
    for(int i=0;i<SensorPayloadLength;i++)
    {
        sum+=SensorPayload[i];
    }
    if(sum!=SensorPayload[SensorPayloadLength])
    {
        Serial.println("Invalid checksum");
        return;
    }    

    PayloadReset();
    
    pm1_0 = (u16)SensorPayload[SensorPayloadPM1_0Position]<<8|SensorPayload[SensorPayloadPM1_0Position+1];
    Serial.print("PM1.5: ");
    Serial.print(pm1_0);
    Serial.println("ug/m3 ") ;

    PayloadAdd( "P10", pm1_0, false);
    
    pm2_5 = (u16)SensorPayload[SensorPayloadPM2_5Position]<<8|SensorPayload[SensorPayloadPM2_5Position+1];
    Serial.print("PM2.5: ");
    Serial.print(pm2_5);
    Serial.println("ug/m3 ") ;

    PayloadAdd( "P25", pm2_5, 1, false);

    pm10_0 = (u16)SensorPayload[SensorPayloadPM10_0Position]<<8|SensorPayload[SensorPayloadPM10_0Position+1];
    Serial.print("PM10.0: ");
    Serial.print(pm10_0);
    Serial.println("ug/m3 ");

    PayloadAdd( "P100", pm10_0, 0, true) ;

    #ifdef DEBUG_TELEMETRY
      Serial.println();
      Serial.print("RFM9X/SX127X Payload length:");
      Serial.print(payloadLength);
      Serial.println(" bytes");
    #endif

    LoRa.beginPacket();
    LoRa.write(payload, payloadLength);
    LoRa.endPacket();
  }
  Serial.println("Loop done");
  Serial.println();
  
  delay(SensorUploadDelay - (millis() - currentMilliseconds ));
}

void PayloadHeader( const byte *to, byte toAddressLength, const byte *from, byte fromAddressLength)
{
  byte addressesLength = toAddressLength + fromAddressLength ;

  payloadLength = 0 ;

  // prepare the payload header with "To" Address length (top nibble) and "From" address length (bottom nibble)
  
  payload[payloadLength] = (toAddressLength << 4) | fromAddressLength ;
  payloadLength += 1;

  // Copy the "To" address into payload
  memcpy(&amp;payload[payloadLength], to, toAddressLength);
  payloadLength += toAddressLength ;

  // Copy the "From" into payload
  memcpy(&amp;payload[payloadLength], from, fromAddressLength);
  payloadLength += fromAddressLength ;
}

void PayloadAdd( const char *sensorId, float value, byte decimalPlaces, bool last)
{
  byte sensorIdLength = strlen( sensorId ) ;

  memcpy( &amp;payload[payloadLength], sensorId,  sensorIdLength) ;
  payloadLength += sensorIdLength ;
  payload[ payloadLength] = SensorIdValueSeperator;
  payloadLength += 1 ;
  payloadLength += strlen( dtostrf(value, -1, decimalPlaces, (char *)&amp;payload[payloadLength]));
  if (!last)
  {
    payload[ payloadLength] = SensorReadingSeperator;
    payloadLength += 1 ;
  }
  
#ifdef DEBUG_TELEMETRY
  Serial.print("PayloadAdd float-payloadLength:");
  Serial.print( payloadLength);
  Serial.println( );
#endif
}

void PayloadAdd( char *sensorId, int value, bool last )
{
  byte sensorIdLength = strlen(sensorId) ;

  memcpy(&amp;payload[payloadLength], sensorId,  sensorIdLength) ;
  payloadLength += sensorIdLength ;
  payload[ payloadLength] = SensorIdValueSeperator;
  payloadLength += 1 ;
  payloadLength += strlen(itoa( value,(char *)&amp;payload[payloadLength],10));
  if (!last)
  {
    payload[ payloadLength] = SensorReadingSeperator;
    payloadLength += 1 ;
  }
  
#ifdef DEBUG_TELEMETRY
  Serial.print("PayloadAdd int-payloadLength:" );
  Serial.print(payloadLength);
  Serial.println( );
#endif
}

void PayloadAdd( char *sensorId, unsigned int value, bool last )
{
  byte sensorIdLength = strlen(sensorId) ;

  memcpy(&amp;payload[payloadLength], sensorId,  sensorIdLength) ;
  payloadLength += sensorIdLength ;
  payload[ payloadLength] = SensorIdValueSeperator;
  payloadLength += 1 ;
  payloadLength += strlen(utoa( value,(char *)&amp;payload[payloadLength],10));
  if (!last)
  {
    payload[ payloadLength] = SensorReadingSeperator;
    payloadLength += 1 ;
  }
  
#ifdef DEBUG_TELEMETRY
  Serial.print("PayloadAdd uint-payloadLength:");
  Serial.print(payloadLength);
  Serial.println( );
#endif
}

void PayloadReset()
{
  byte fromAddressLength = payload[0] &amp; 0xf ;
  byte toAddressLength = payload[0] &gt;&gt; 4 ;
  
  payloadLength = toAddressLength + fromAddressLength + 1;
}

void DisplayHex( byte *byteArray, byte length) 
{
  for (int i = 0; i < length ; i++)
  {
    // Add a leading zero
    if ( byteArray[i] < 16)
    {
      Serial.print("0");
    }
    Serial.print(byteArray[i], HEX);
    if ( i < (length-1)) // Don't put a - after last digit
    {
      Serial.print("-");
    }
  }
}

The code is available on GitHub.

20:45:38.021 -> Setup called
20:45:38.054 -> Field gateway:LoRaIoT1 Frequency:915000000MHz SyncWord:18
20:45:38.156 -> SNo:01-23-8C-48-D6-D1-F5-86-EE
20:45:38.190 -> LoRa setup start
20:45:38.190 -> LoRa Setup done.
20:45:38.224 -> HM3301 setup start
20:45:38.292 -> HM3301 setup done
20:45:38.292 -> Setup done
20:45:38.292 -> 
20:45:38.325 -> Loop called
20:45:38.325 -> PM1.5: 10ug/m3 
20:45:38.359 -> PM2.5: 14ug/m3 
20:45:38.359 -> PM10.0: 19ug/m3 
20:45:38.393 -> Loop done
20:45:38.393 -> 
20:46:38.220 -> Loop called
20:46:38.220 -> PM1.5: 10ug/m3 
20:46:38.255 -> PM2.5: 15ug/m3 
20:46:38.255 -> PM10.0: 20ug/m3 
20:46:38.325 -> Loop done
20:46:38.325 -> 
20:47:38.181 -> Loop called
20:47:38.181 -> PM1.5: 10ug/m3 
20:47:38.181 -> PM2.5: 14ug/m3 
20:47:38.216 -> PM10.0: 19ug/m3 
20:47:38.250 -> Loop done
20:47:38.284 -> 
20:48:38.123 -> Loop called
20:48:38.123 -> PM1.5: 10ug/m3 
20:48:38.158 -> PM2.5: 14ug/m3 
20:48:38.158 -> PM10.0: 19ug/m3 
20:48:38.193 -> Loop done
20:48:38.227 -> 
20:49:38.048 -> Loop called
20:49:38.082 -> PM1.5: 10ug/m3 
20:49:38.082 -> PM2.5: 14ug/m3 
20:49:38.117 -> PM10.0: 19ug/m3 
20:49:38.151 -> Loop done
20:49:38.151 -> 
20:50:38.010 -> Loop called
20:50:38.010 -> PM1.5: 9ug/m3 
20:50:38.010 -> PM2.5: 13ug/m3 
20:50:38.045 -> PM10.0: 18ug/m3 
20:50:38.079 -> Loop done
20:50:38.079 ->

To configure the device in Azure IoT Central (similar process for Adafruit.IO, working on support for losant, ubidots and MyDevices) I copied the SNo: from the Arduino development tool logging window and appended p10 for PM 1 value, p25 for PM2.5 value and p100 for PM10 value to the unique serial number from the ATSHA204A chip. (N.B. pay attention to the case of the field names they are case sensitive)

Azure IoT Central telemetry configuration

The rapidly settled into a narrow range of readings, but spiked when I took left it outside (winter in New Zealand) and the values spiked when food was being cooked in the kitchen which is next door to my office.

It would be good to run the sensor alongside a professional particulates monitor so the values could be compared and used to adjust the readings of the Grove sensor if necessary.

Hour of PM1, PM2.5 & PM10 readings in my office early evening
CO2 and particulates values while outside on my deck from 10:30pm to 11:30pm

Bill of materials (prices as at August 2019)

  • Seeeduino Nano USD6.90
  • Grove – Laser PM2.5 Sensor (HM3301) USD29.90
  • EasySensors Arduino Nano radio shield RFM95 USD15.00

Grove – Carbon Dioxide Sensor(SCD30) trial

Posted on by

In preparation for another student project to monitor the temperature, humidity and CO2 levels in a number of classrooms I purchased a couple of Grove – CO2, Temperature & Humidity Sensors (SCD30) for evaluation.

Seeeduino, Grove SCD30 and easysensors shield

Seeeduino Nano devices have a single on-board I2C socket which meant I didn’t need a Grove Shield for Arduino Nano which reduced the size and cost of the sensor node.

I downloaded the seeedstudio wiki example calibration code, compiled and uploaded it to one of my Seeeduino Nano devices. When activated for the first time a period of minimum 7 days is needed so that the sensor algorithm can find its initial parameter set. During this period the sensor has to be exposed to fresh air for at least 1 hour every day.

During the calibration process I put the device in my garage and left the big door open for at least an hour every day. Once the sensor was calibrated I bought it inside at put it on the bookcase in my office.

I modified my Easy Sensors Arduino Nano Radio Shield RFM69/95 Payload Addressing client to use the sensor.

/*
  Copyright ® 2019 August devMobile Software, All Rights Reserved

  THIS CODE AND INFORMATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY
  KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE
  IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
  PURPOSE.

  You can do what you want with this code, acknowledgment would be nice.

  http://www.devmobile.co.nz

*/
#include <stdlib.h&gt;
#include <LoRa.h&gt;
#include <sha204_library.h&gt;
#include "SCD30.h"

//#define DEBUG
//#define DEBUG_TELEMETRY
//#define DEBUG_LORA

// LoRa field gateway configuration (these settings must match your field gateway)
const byte DeviceAddressMaximumLength = 15 ;
const char FieldGatewayAddress[] = {"LoRaIoT1"};
const float FieldGatewayFrequency =  915000000.0;
const byte FieldGatewaySyncWord = 0x12 ;

// Payload configuration
const int ChipSelectPin = 10;
const int ResetPin = 9;
const int InterruptPin = 2;

// LoRa radio payload configuration
const byte SensorIdValueSeperator = ' ' ;
const byte SensorReadingSeperator = ',' ;
const unsigned long SensorUploadDelay = 300000;

// ATSHA204 secure authentication, validation with crypto and hashing (currently only using for unique serial number)
const byte Atsha204Port = A3;
atsha204Class sha204(Atsha204Port);
const byte DeviceSerialNumberLength = 9 ;
byte deviceSerialNumber[DeviceSerialNumberLength] = {""};

const byte PayloadSizeMaximum = 64 ;
byte payload[PayloadSizeMaximum];
byte payloadLength = 0 ;


void setup()
{
  Serial.begin(9600);

#ifdef DEBUG
  while (!Serial);
#endif
 
  Serial.println("Setup called");

  Serial.print("Field gateway:");
  Serial.print(FieldGatewayAddress ) ;
  Serial.print(" Frequency:");
  Serial.print( FieldGatewayFrequency,0 ) ;
  Serial.print("MHz SyncWord:");
  Serial.print( FieldGatewaySyncWord ) ;
  Serial.println();
  
   // Retrieve the serial number then display it nicely
  if(sha204.getSerialNumber(deviceSerialNumber))
  {
    Serial.println("sha204.getSerialNumber failed");
    while (true); // Drop into endless loop requiring restart
  }

  Serial.print("SNo:");
  DisplayHex( deviceSerialNumber, DeviceSerialNumberLength);
  Serial.println();

  Serial.println("LoRa setup start");

  // override the default chip select and reset pins
  LoRa.setPins(ChipSelectPin, ResetPin, InterruptPin);
  if (!LoRa.begin(FieldGatewayFrequency))
  {
    Serial.println("LoRa begin failed");
    while (true); // Drop into endless loop requiring restart
  }

  // Need to do this so field gateway pays attention to messsages from this device
  LoRa.enableCrc();
  LoRa.setSyncWord(FieldGatewaySyncWord);

#ifdef DEBUG_LORA
  LoRa.dumpRegisters(Serial);
#endif
  Serial.println("LoRa Setup done.");

  // Configure the Seeedstudio CO2, temperature &amp; humidity sensor
  Serial.println("SCD30 setup start");
  Wire.begin();
  scd30.initialize();  
  delay(100);
  Serial.println("SCD30 setup done");

  PayloadHeader((byte *)FieldGatewayAddress,strlen(FieldGatewayAddress), deviceSerialNumber, DeviceSerialNumberLength);

  Serial.println("Setup done");
  Serial.println();
}

void loop()
{
  unsigned long currentMilliseconds = millis();  
  float temperature ;
  float humidity ;
  float co2;

  Serial.println("Loop called");

  if(scd30.isAvailable())
  {
    float result[3] = {0};
    PayloadReset();

    // Read the CO2, temperature &amp; humidity values then display nicely
    scd30.getCarbonDioxideConcentration(result);

    co2 = result[0];
    Serial.print("C:");
    Serial.print(co2, 1) ;
    Serial.println("ppm ") ;

    PayloadAdd( "C", co2, 1, false);
    
    temperature = result[1];
    Serial.print("T:");
    Serial.print(temperature, 1) ;
    Serial.println("C ") ;

    PayloadAdd( "T", temperature, 1, false);

    humidity = result[2];
    Serial.print("H:" );
    Serial.print(humidity, 0) ;
    Serial.println("% ") ;

    PayloadAdd( "H", humidity, 0, true) ;

    #ifdef DEBUG_TELEMETRY
      Serial.println();
      Serial.print("RFM9X/SX127X Payload length:");
      Serial.print(payloadLength);
      Serial.println(" bytes");
    #endif

    LoRa.beginPacket();
    LoRa.write(payload, payloadLength);
    LoRa.endPacket();
  }
  Serial.println("Loop done");
  Serial.println();
  
  delay(SensorUploadDelay - (millis() - currentMilliseconds ));
}
...
}

The code is available on GitHub.

20:38:56.746 -> Setup called
20:38:56.746 -> Field gateway: Frequency:915000000MHz SyncWord:18
20:38:56.849 -> SNo:01-23-39-BD-D6-D1-F5-86-EE
20:38:56.884 -> LoRa setup start
20:38:56.919 -> LoRa Setup done.
20:38:56.919 -> SCD30 setup start
20:38:56.986 -> SCD30 setup done
20:38:56.986 -> Setup done
20:38:57.020 -> 
20:39:06.966 -> Received packet
20:39:06.966 -> Packet size:18
20:39:06.999 -> To len:9
20:39:06.999 -> From len:8
20:39:06.999 -> To:01-23-39-BD-D6-D1-F5-86-EE
20:39:07.034 -> From:4C-6F-52-61-49-6F-54-31
20:39:07.069 -> FieldGateway:4C-6F-52-61-49-6F-54-31
20:39:07.104 -> RSSI -55
20:39:07.139 -> Loop called
20:39:07.139 -> C:730.8ppm 
20:39:07.139 -> T:23.1C 
20:39:07.173 -> H:46% 
20:39:07.173 -> Loop done
20:39:07.208 -> 
20:39:37.123 -> Loop called
20:39:37.158 -> C:529.9ppm 
20:39:37.158 -> T:23.2C 
20:39:37.158 -> H:48% 
20:39:37.228 -> Loop done
20:39:37.228 ->

To configure the device in Azure IoT Central (similar process for Adafruit.IO, working on support for losant, ubidots and MyDevices) I copied the SNo: from the Arduino development tool logging window and appended c for the CO2 parts per million (ppm), h for the humidity % and t for the temperature °C to the unique serial number from the ATSHA204A chip. (N.B. pay attention to the case of the field names they are case sensitive)

Azure IoT Central telemetry configuration

Overall the performance of the sensor is looking pretty positive, the CO2 levels fluctuate in a acceptable range (based on office occupancy), and the temperature + humidity readings track quite closely to the other two sensor nodes in my office. The only issue so far is my lack of USB-C cables to power the devices in the field

CO2, Humidity and Temperature in my office for a day

Bill of materials (prices as at August 2019)

  • Seeeduino Nano USD6.90
  • Grove – CO2, Humidity & Temperature Sensor(SCD30) USD59.95
  • EasySensors Arduino Nano radio shield RFM95 USD15.00

Azure IoT Hub nRF24L01 Windows 10 IoT Core Field Gateway

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This project is now live on Hackster.IO and github.com with sample *duino, Devduino and Netduino clients. While building the AdaFruit.IO field gateway, Azure IOT Hub field gateways and sample clients I changed the structure of the message payload and spent a bit of time removing non-core functionality and code.

The diagnostics logging code was refactored several times and after reading this reference on docs.Microsoft.com I settled on the published approach.

I considered using the built in Universal Windows Platform (UWP) application data class but this would have made configuration in the field hard for most of the targeted users school students & IT departments.

I have the application running at my house and it has proved pretty robust, last week I though it had crashed because the telemetry data stopped for about 20 minutes. I had a look at the Device portal and it was because Windows 10 IoT core had downloaded some updates, applied them and then rebooted automatically (as configured).

I put a socket on the Raspberry PI nRF24L01 Shield rather than soldering the module to the board so that I could compare the performance of the Low and High power modules. The antenna end of the high power module tends to droop so I put a small piece of plastic foam underneath to prop them up.

I had code to generate an empty JSON configuration but I removed that as it added complexity compared to putting a sample in the github repository.

I considered using a binary format (the nRF24L01 max message length is 32 bytes) but the code required to make it sufficiently flexible rapidly got out of hand and as most of my devices didn’t have a lot of sensors (battery/solar powered *duinos) and it wasn’t a major hassle to send another message so I removed it.

I need to tidy up the project and remove the unused Visual Assets and have a look at the automated update support.