Wireless Air Quality Monitoring with LoRa Particle Sensor

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Two PCBs from earlier projects were used in this project:

LoRa breakout board
Sensor PCB with Si7013 humidity sensor from multisensor LoRa project
… and particle sensor.

Particle sensors could be cheap and easy to use. Disadvantage of lowest cost PM sensors is lack of “calibration”. The best method to measure particle content dispensed in the air is to collect the air sample and analyse it off-line in the laboratory with proper equipment (not cheap at all). Optical particle counting sensors use the light scattering method to detect and count particles in the operating concentration range in a given environment. A laser light source illuminates a particle as it is pulled through the detection chamber. As particles pass through the laser beam, the light source becomes obscured and is recorded on the photo or light detector. The light is then analyzed and converted to an electrical signal providing particulate size and quantity to predict concentrations in real time. The described particle sensor provides information on the particle concentration for given particle concentration range with statistical methods compared to distribution of some common pollutants, like cigarette smoke. The result depends on position of the particle flying by the light beam, its speed and shape.

I used the Honeywell HPM sensor, which is somehow “calibrated” to the tobacco smoke concentration. The result is not accurate, but is good enough to detect the trends and sudden concentration changes. The HPM sensor is not expensive and gives usable results as far as we know how to interpret the output values.

Required materials

Almost all materials are shown in the following photo:

BOM:

LoRa breakout board
Sensor board from multisensor project with cut away all sensors except Si7013
One 8-wire cable with connector Molex 51021-0800 or equivalent (I found cheap chinese cables on ebay – they are available from 2 to 10 wires, with 1,25mm pitch connector)
One 4-wire cable with same 1,25mm pitch (search ebay for “1.25mm Pitch Electronic Cable Single Header Connector Wire 20cm 2P-10P“)
Two ventilation grills, diameter 70mm (see photo above, check your local hardware store)
Piece of 70mm sewer plastic tube, cut to 110mm long piece
Plastic holder for the 70mm tube
Two 3D printed parts (equal) for holding the HPM sensor in place
Small helical antenna

About The Author

Ibrar Ayyub

I am an experienced technical writer holding a Master's degree in computer science from BZU Multan, Pakistan University. With a background spanning various industries, particularly in home automation and engineering, I have honed my skills in crafting clear and concise content. Proficient in leveraging infographics and diagrams, I strive to simplify complex concepts for readers. My strength lies in thorough research and presenting information in a structured and logical format.

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