Post by thread:[PIC]: Weather Sensors

> Anybody done a weather station with a PIC? Yes. > What did you use for a barometric pressure sensor? Wind speed sensor? 1. Barometric pressure - Motorola MPXA4115A - very nice, but requires a good output filter and averaging for a steady output. 2. Temperature -Dallas/Maxim DS18S20 1-wire digital thermometers (can bus them if needed). 3. Lightning Detector - LSU-2002 from http://www.stormwise.com 4. Rain guage from Dallas Semiconductor (was later picked up by another company). 5. Combination windspeed and direction unit also from Dallas (I wouldn't buy another one of these for several reasons, but that's another story). 6. Ming RF tx and rx modules (also wouldn't use these again) 7. All tied together with 2 PICs of course (1 outside, 1 inside). {Original Message removed}

part 1 754 bytes content-type:text/plain; (decoded 7bit) >> What did you use for a barometric pressure sensor? Wind speed sensor? I used a Motorola MPXA6115A6U, which sells for $17.57 in single lot quantities from DigiKey. I compared it with the NOAA official readings at Dulles Airport (10 miles airline from here) as well as the reading of my Davis weather station. I found a mean error of about 0.17 inches of Mercury when compared against the NOAA data (corrected for differences in elevation between my house and the NOAA sea level adjusted data). See attached plot. The constant error can be easily calibrated out. Jack -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email .....listservKILLspam@spam@mitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body part 2 13219 bytes content-type:application/octet-stream; (decode)

Lawrence, I am working on some weather modules for the VSCP (http://www.vscp.org) project of mine. Don't now if they ever will be finished but it's fun to work with... I will post the stuff I developed on the mentioned site with the first being a temperature & Humidity module. I use the SH11 http://www.sensirion.com/humidity for this module with a 18F258. For wind speed there is an interesting kit from kitsrus ( http://www.kitsrus.com/pdf/k168.pdf ) using Ultrasonic. Interesting with something without moving parts. For pressure you have the Motorola parts. You have some 1-wire stuff here http://www.simat.enta.net/v3barocal.html that can easily be adopted for a pic. For visibility I am looking into some scattering sensors. Should be doable with a PIC and some IR transmitter/sensors. I would love to be able to monitor lightning. Some stuff is abailable on the net but the nicest solution would be to be able to detect distance as well as a strike. For rain AAG have some solutions. I think its hard to come up with a solution here that is without moving parts. The simplest and possibly the most low cost solution is to use 1-wire and the weather station from AAG http://www.aagelectronica.com . Maybe letting a PIC do the 1-wire part. Regards /Ake -----Ursprungligt meddelande----- Fran: pic microcontroller discussion list [PICLISTKILLspamMITVMA.MIT.EDU]For .....llileKILLspam.....SALTONUSA.COM Skickat: den 14 maj 2004 20:35 Till: EraseMEPICLISTspam_OUTTakeThisOuTMITVMA.MIT.EDU Amne: [PIC]: Weather Sensors Anybody done a weather station with a PIC? What did you use for a barometric pressure sensor? Wind speed sensor? Of course there are some stock sensors that come to mind (motorola?) mostly targeted at the industrial lab market ($$$). I am looking for low cost consumer solutions that have already been tried. -- Lawrence Lile -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email listservspam_OUTmitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email @spam@listservKILLspammitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body

Thanks guys, that really sets me on the path! -- Lawrence Lile Ake Hedman <KILLspamakheKILLspamEUROSOURCE.SE> Sent by: pic microcontroller discussion list <RemoveMEPICLISTTakeThisOuTMITVMA.MIT.EDU> 05/14/2004 02:09 PM Please respond to pic microcontroller discussion list To: spamBeGonePICLISTspamBeGoneMITVMA.MIT.EDU cc: Subject: SV: [PIC]: Weather Sensors Lawrence, I am working on some weather modules for the VSCP (http://www.vscp.org) project of mine. Don't now if they ever will be finished but it's fun to work with... I will post the stuff I developed on the mentioned site with the first being a temperature & Humidity module. I use the SH11 http://www.sensirion.com/humidity for this module with a 18F258. For wind speed there is an interesting kit from kitsrus ( http://www.kitsrus.com/pdf/k168.pdf ) using Ultrasonic. Interesting with something without moving parts. For pressure you have the Motorola parts. You have some 1-wire stuff here http://www.simat.enta.net/v3barocal.html that can easily be adopted for a pic. For visibility I am looking into some scattering sensors. Should be doable with a PIC and some IR transmitter/sensors. I would love to be able to monitor lightning. Some stuff is abailable on the net but the nicest solution would be to be able to detect distance as well as a strike. For rain AAG have some solutions. I think its hard to come up with a solution here that is without moving parts. The simplest and possibly the most low cost solution is to use 1-wire and the weather station from AAG http://www.aagelectronica.com . Maybe letting a PIC do the 1-wire part. Regards /Ake -----Ursprungligt meddelande----- Fran: pic microcontroller discussion list [TakeThisOuTPICLISTEraseMEspam_OUTMITVMA.MIT.EDU]For RemoveMEllileTakeThisOuTSALTONUSA.COM Skickat: den 14 maj 2004 20:35 Till: PICLISTEraseME.....MITVMA.MIT.EDU Amne: [PIC]: Weather Sensors Anybody done a weather station with a PIC? What did you use for a barometric pressure sensor? Wind speed sensor? Of course there are some stock sensors that come to mind (motorola?) mostly targeted at the industrial lab market ($$$). I am looking for low cost consumer solutions that have already been tried. -- Lawrence Lile -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email EraseMElistservmitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email RemoveMElistservEraseMEEraseMEmitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email RemoveMElistservspam_OUTKILLspammitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body

Elektuur (Elektor in English?) has published a wind speed & direction meter in their magazine this month. It uses only 2 hall sensors (and of course that thingie that has to turn round in the wind). Direction sensing is done with an algorithm, I believe it compares the strenght sensed by both hall sensors and then calculates the orientation. You should check it out, it looks quite nice. Website: http://members.lycos.nl/anthonyvh --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! - Internet access at a great low price. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList EraseMEpiclist-unsubscribe-requestspamspamBeGonemitvma.mit.edu

Is this article in English or in Dutch? Anyone who could send me a copy? /Ake -----Ursprungligt meddelande----- Fran: pic microcontroller discussion list [RemoveMEPICLISTKILLspamMITVMA.MIT.EDU]For Anthony Van Herrewege Skickat: den 15 maj 2004 11:33 Till: PICLISTSTOPspamspam_OUTMITVMA.MIT.EDU Amne: Re: SV: [PIC]: Weather Sensors Elektuur (Elektor in English?) has published a wind speed & direction meter in their magazine this month. It uses only 2 hall sensors (and of course that thingie that has to turn round in the wind). Direction sensing is done with an algorithm, I believe it compares the strenght sensed by both hall sensors and then calculates the orientation. You should check it out, it looks quite nice. Website: http://members.lycos.nl/anthonyvh --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! - Internet access at a great low price. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList spamBeGonepiclist-unsubscribe-requestSTOPspamEraseMEmitvma.mit.edu -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList KILLspampiclist-unsubscribe-requestspamBeGonemitvma.mit.edu

Elektuur is a Dutch magazine, but it's published in English and German (and possible other languages) too. I could scan the article for you, but I'm afraid you don't understand Dutch :). Maybe someone's got an English version? Anthony Ake Hedman <EraseMEakheEraseMEEUROSOURCE.SE> wrote: Is this article in English or in Dutch? Anyone who could send me a copy? /Ake -----Ursprungligt meddelande----- Fran: pic microcontroller discussion list [@spam@PICLIST@spam@spam_OUTMITVMA.MIT.EDU]For Anthony Van Herrewege Skickat: den 15 maj 2004 11:33 Till: spamBeGonePICLISTKILLspamMITVMA.MIT.EDU Amne: Re: SV: [PIC]: Weather Sensors Elektuur (Elektor in English?) has published a wind speed & direction meter in their magazine this month. It uses only 2 hall sensors (and of course that thingie that has to turn round in the wind). Direction sensing is done with an algorithm, I believe it compares the strenght sensed by both hall sensors and then calculates the orientation. You should check it out, it looks quite nice. Website: http://members.lycos.nl/anthonyvh --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! - Internet access at a great low price. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList .....piclist-unsubscribe-requestspam_OUTmitvma.mit.edu

Yes, I agree. My Dutch is't that good.. ;-) Is the same projects published in the German and English versions? We used to a have variant of the paper here in Sweden as well for some years ago but the projects where often published a year or so after the Dutch version. /Ake -----Ursprungligt meddelande----- Fran: pic microcontroller discussion list [TakeThisOuTPICLIST.....TakeThisOuTMITVMA.MIT.EDU]For Anthony Van Herrewege Skickat: den 15 maj 2004 14:46 Till: TakeThisOuTPICLISTKILLspamspamMITVMA.MIT.EDU Amne: Re: SV: SV: [PIC]: Weather Sensors Elektuur is a Dutch magazine, but it's published in English and German (and possible other languages) too. I could scan the article for you, but I'm afraid you don't understand Dutch :). Maybe someone's got an English version? Anthony Ake Hedman <.....akheRemoveMEEUROSOURCE.SE> wrote: Is this article in English or in Dutch? Anyone who could send me a copy? /Ake -----Ursprungligt meddelande----- Fran: pic microcontroller discussion list [RemoveMEPICLISTspamBeGoneMITVMA.MIT.EDU]For Anthony Van Herrewege Skickat: den 15 maj 2004 11:33 Till: spamBeGonePICLIST@spam@spam_OUTMITVMA.MIT.EDU Amne: Re: SV: [PIC]: Weather Sensors Elektuur (Elektor in English?) has published a wind speed & direction meter in their magazine this month. It uses only 2 hall sensors (and of course that thingie that has to turn round in the wind). Direction sensing is done with an algorithm, I believe it compares the strenght sensed by both hall sensors and then calculates the orientation. You should check it out, it looks quite nice. Website: http://members.lycos.nl/anthonyvh --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! - Internet access at a great low price. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList TakeThisOuTpiclist-unsubscribe-requestspammitvma.mit.edu -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList piclist-unsubscribe-requestEraseMEmitvma.mit.edu

Anthony Van Herrewege wrote: > Elektuur (Elektor in English?) has published a wind speed & direction meter in their magazine this month. It uses only 2 hall sensors (and of course that thingie that has to turn round in the wind). Direction sensing is done with an algorithm, I believe it compares the strenght sensed by both hall sensors and then calculates the orientation. > > You should check it out, it looks quite nice. > > I checked out the parts list, looks like it could be interesting, but can't get Elektor any place I shop. And at at $88US for a subscription....... Wish they had an e-version like Circuit Cellar and EPE. Jim -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList RemoveMEpiclist-unsubscribe-requestEraseMEspam_OUTmitvma.mit.edu

part 1 1765 bytes content-type:text/plain; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-466357EB; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed (unknown type 8bit not decoded) Elector is a PITA to find, I wanted last month's and went hunting. The "big box" bookstore's corporate folks claimed they never heard of it (despite being listed as such)so I emailed the local distributor who was able to tell me where they had shipped some copies. Called the specialty magazine store in question verified they had some ,then drove twenty miles to get it. maybe a subscription is cheaper... In summary, -my point: I found the distributor via Elector webpage Dave At 11:20 AM 5/15/04 -0500, Jim Korman wrote: {Quote hidden}>Anthony Van Herrewege wrote: > >>Elektuur (Elektor in English?) has published a wind speed & direction > >meter in their magazine this month. It uses only 2 hall sensors (and of > >course that thingie that has to turn round in the wind). Direction sensing > >is done with an algorithm, I believe it compares the strenght sensed by > >both hall sensors and then calculates the orientation. >> >>You should check it out, it looks quite nice. >> >I checked out the parts list, looks like it could be interesting, > >but can't get Elektor any place I shop. And at at $88US > >for a subscription....... Wish they had an e-version like > >Circuit Cellar and EPE. > >Jim > >-- >http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList >@spam@piclist-unsubscribe-requestRemoveMEEraseMEmitvma.mit.edu > > > > >--- >Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. >Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). >Version: 6.0.683 / Virus Database: 445 - Release Date: 5/12/04 -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList EraseMEpiclist-unsubscribe-request@spam@mitvma.mit.edu part 2 273 bytes content-type:text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-avg=cert; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-466357EB --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.683 / Virus Database: 445 - Release Date: 5/12/04 -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList @spam@piclist-unsubscribe-requestspam_OUT.....mitvma.mit.edu

Ake Hedman wrote : > Yes, I agree. My Dutch is't that good.. ;-) > > Is the same projects published in the German and English versions? We > used to a have variant of the paper here in Sweden as well for some > years ago... We still have, in "Allt om Elektronik" ("All about Electronics"). See : http://www.alltomelektronik.com/ > but the projects where often published a year or so > after the Dutch version. They are probably about 6-12 months behind in publishing translated Elektor projects (which is more or less the only thing they publish, b.t.w.) I subscripe today, but I'm not sure I'll continue with it, there are just to many F84 projects for my taste :-) Jan-Erik. PS. *My* favourite magazine is : http://www.jeffersonbluesmag.com/ :-) :-) -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList spamBeGonepiclist-unsubscribe-requestEraseMEmitvma.mit.edu

Hm, As far as I know the articles should be the same in any language. Let's see... Yup, the articles are the same as far as I can see: http://www.elektor-electronics.co.uk/ You can see the wind speed/orientation meter mentioned on the cover. I'm sure someone on the list has got the issue and will scan it for you (or you could go and buy the magazine, it's really good, although they tend to use weird/obscure chips sometimes). Anthony Ake Hedman <akhespamBeGoneEUROSOURCE.SE> wrote: Yes, I agree. My Dutch is't that good.. ;-) Is the same projects published in the German and English versions? We used to a have variant of the paper here in Sweden as well for some years ago but the projects where often published a year or so after the Dutch version. /Ake Website: http://members.lycos.nl/anthonyvh --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! - Internet access at a great low price. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList RemoveMEpiclist-unsubscribe-request@spam@spamBeGonemitvma.mit.edu

>We still have, in "Allt om Elektronik" ("All about Electronics"). See : >http://www.alltomelektronik.com/ So they are back again. I used to write for them for a couple of years in the mid eighties when I was at University. There where many more original articles at that time. I know they disappeared for a period anyway. Elektor is definitely know on my investment list. Jan-Erik you should definitely add Sweden Rock Magazine (http://www.swedenrockmagazine.com/) to your favorite magazine list... ;-) Regards /Ake -----Ursprungligt meddelande----- Från: pic microcontroller discussion list [.....PICLIST@spam@EraseMEMITVMA.MIT.EDU]För Jan-Erik Soderholm Skickat: den 15 maj 2004 20:40 Till: .....PICLISTRemoveMEMITVMA.MIT.EDU Ämne: Re: [PIC]: Weather Sensors Ake Hedman wrote : > Yes, I agree. My Dutch is't that good.. ;-) > > Is the same projects published in the German and English versions? We > used to a have variant of the paper here in Sweden as well for some > years ago... We still have, in "Allt om Elektronik" ("All about Electronics"). See : http://www.alltomelektronik.com/ > but the projects where often published a year or so > after the Dutch version. They are probably about 6-12 months behind in publishing translated Elektor projects (which is more or less the only thing they publish, b.t.w.) I subscripe today, but I'm not sure I'll continue with it, there are just to many F84 projects for my taste :-) Jan-Erik. PS. *My* favourite magazine is : http://www.jeffersonbluesmag.com/ :-) :-) -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList .....piclist-unsubscribe-requestSTOPspam@spam@mitvma.mit.edu -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList piclist-unsubscribe-requestEraseME@spam@mitvma.mit.edu

Hm, it looks like that's the German version of Elektuur. The front page is excatly the same as the March issue of Elektuur, the article seem to be a mix of March, April & May issue Elektuur articles. Maybe the weather circuit is featered in it next month? Ake Hedman <RemoveMEakhespamBeGoneEUROSOURCE.SE> wrote: >We still have, in "Allt om Elektronik" ("All about Electronics"). See : >http://www.alltomelektronik.com/ .... Website: http://members.lycos.nl/anthonyvh --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! - Internet access at a great low price. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: PICList Posts must start with ONE topic: [PIC]:,[SX]:,[AVR]: ->uP ONLY! [EE]:,[OT]: ->Other [BUY]:,[AD]: ->Ads

the wind speed sensor looks really interresting. but can you tell me how this works? I think it has always to be adjusted to the wind direction, to get correct results. in addition, the measure path will be in the wind shadow of the transmitter, or there will be turbulences between transmitter and receiver, giving wrong results. further, from my experience, you will get ultrasonic transmission through the chopsticks, if you mount both ultrasonic devices to them. so I don't think that this will work very well. any contrary experience? tino ****************************************************************************************************** >{Original Message removed}

Tino, Again they reefer to an article that I have been unable to get my hands on (Everyday Practical Electronics, January 2003, page 44-51 (*very* interested in a copy if someone have access to it.). I haven't built one and tested it in practice so I'm not sure that it works or how bad/good it is. Still the concept is interesting. Almost the same concept is used for water volume meters though and works quite well. To level the measuring device up with the wind direction would be trivial. Also it would be easy to use something else than a chopstick to mount the sender received on. Turbulence can possibly be a problem. Don't know how much influence it has. Mounting the received/transmitter further apart may improve things. Regards /Ake -----Ursprungligt meddelande----- Från: pic microcontroller discussion list [spamBeGonePICLISTKILLspam@spam@MITVMA.MIT.EDU]För Bühler, Martin Skickat: den 18 maj 2004 14:50 Till: PICLISTspam_OUT@spam@MITVMA.MIT.EDU Ämne: Re: [PIC]: Weather Sensors the wind speed sensor looks really interresting. but can you tell me how this works? I think it has always to be adjusted to the wind direction, to get correct results. in addition, the measure path will be in the wind shadow of the transmitter, or there will be turbulences between transmitter and receiver, giving wrong results. further, from my experience, you will get ultrasonic transmission through the chopsticks, if you mount both ultrasonic devices to them. so I don't think that this will work very well. any contrary experience? tino ************************************************************************ ****************************** >{Original Message removed}

Interesting, What is the theory behind a design like this? Anyone have an idea'? One sender and two receivers or? /Ake -----Ursprungligt meddelande----- Från: pic microcontroller discussion list [spamBeGonePICLIST@spam@MITVMA.MIT.EDU]För David Schmidt Skickat: den 18 maj 2004 16:16 Till: RemoveMEPICLISTEraseMEKILLspamMITVMA.MIT.EDU Ämne: Re: [PIC]: Weather Sensors Here's a company that solved that by using 3 ultrasonic sensors. Gives you direction too. http://www.globalspec.com/FeaturedProducts/Detail?ExhibitID=7419 >Ämne: Re: [PIC]: Weather Sensors >I think it has always to be adjusted to the wind direction, to get >correct results. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

Never mind my last mail. It was all described on the site. /Ake -----Ursprungligt meddelande----- Från: pic microcontroller discussion list [spamBeGonePICLISTspam_OUTRemoveMEMITVMA.MIT.EDU]För David Schmidt Skickat: den 18 maj 2004 16:16 Till: .....PICLISTRemoveMEMITVMA.MIT.EDU Ämne: Re: [PIC]: Weather Sensors Here's a company that solved that by using 3 ultrasonic sensors. Gives you direction too. http://www.globalspec.com/FeaturedProducts/Detail?ExhibitID=7419 >Ämne: Re: [PIC]: Weather Sensors >I think it has always to be adjusted to the wind direction, to get >correct results. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

About sensing weather, a group at my university developed a sensor based on temperature differences: S S R S S A resistor (R) warms the air above it, the four temp sensors (S) measure the difference, giving both wind direction, speed and ambient temperature. All integrated on one chip. Can be compensated with humidity. http://www.hsa.lr.tudelft.nl/~bvo/research/sensor.htm (sorry, no good info on WWW.) -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

Another design I've seen uses 6 sensors, 3 above and 3 below the airstream so the airstream is *completely* unobstructed (unless it has a verrtical component) and any vertical component can be measured (ie, full 3d information). Most of these transmsit in both directions and compute the results to null out speed of sound errors due to temperature, humidity, pressure, etc. -Adam David Schmidt wrote: {Quote hidden}>Here's a company that solved that by using 3 ultrasonic sensors. Gives you >direction too. >http://www.globalspec.com/FeaturedProducts/Detail?ExhibitID=7419 > > > >>Dmne: Re: [PIC]: Weather Sensors >>I think it has always to be adjusted to the wind direction, to get >>correct results. >> >> > >-- >http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different >ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details. > > >. > > > -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.