Open Source Electronics for Water Research and Real-Time Water Monitoring

• When: September 27 and 28, 2022 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.
• Where: Stroud Water Research Center, 970 Spencer Road, Avondale, PA 19311. Google Map
• Cost: $150–$400. See fee table below.

Low-cost, do-it-yourself electronic microcontrollers are revolutionizing hydrologic research by enabling scientists to customize measurement systems and utilize real-time data portals. Along with the possibilities for customized wireless communication and prototype construction, scientists are gaining an unlimited capacity for designing customized hydrologic measurement equipment.

This workshop will instruct participants on how to program a Mayfly Data Logger with open source code that has been created for use with a number of off-the-shelf water sensors and deploy it as part of an EnviroDIY Monitoring Station. Participants will be provided with all the supplies needed to fully participate in the workshop, but the registration fee does not include any hardware for participants to take home. The components used as a part of this workshop will be available for purchase on-site if you would like to buy your own.

Topics Covered

• This workshop will provide an introduction to open source environmental monitoring and measurement with a focus on water. Participants will be exposed to all aspects of Stroud Water Research Center’s EnviroDIY project, including Mayfly Data Logger programming, writing Arduino code for off-the-shelf commercial sensors, and using a free data portal (Monitor My Watershed) for real-time data upload and visualization.

The workshop will provide a hands-on introduction to edit code within the Arduino Interactive Development Environment that is appropriate for beginners. Building on this introduction, the workshop will teach participants how to copy-paste-edit code to run a wifi-connected water monitoring device during the course of the workshop.

• The workshop will use data loggers (that are programmed by the user) to connect with off-the-shelf sensors (that measure an environmental attribute). The course will not provide instruction on building sensors.
• The workshop will provide instruction on integrating data collection and management with CUAHSI’s HydroShare data portal.

Instructors

• Shannon Hicks, Stroud Water Research Center
• Rachel Johnson, Stroud Water Research Center
• Sara Damiano, Stroud Water Research Center
• Scott Ensign, Ph.D., Stroud Water Research Center

Feedback From Previous Workshops

“I feel confident that with the info I learned that I can set up and program the Mayfly to run sensors we already use without the need for high-cost data loggers.”

“I thought that Shannon’s presentation on the Mayfly and the sensor setup was very easy to follow, informative, and useful.”

“Hands-on activities were great in learning how to set up and deploy different types of sensors, also useful to hear about multiple options for hardware/software.”

Prerequisites

Familiarity with Microsoft Excel.

Fees

More information can be found on the registration page.
Registration deadline is September 10.