[neilh20]

Hi Stephanie
This is a great area to collaborate… I’m personally working on something …. and built some devices in the past see
http://www.azonde.com:8080/azondeView/hydroGraph.htm?nodeAddress=401
So as ever partly depends on budget.
I only know about Android based “GSM Field Test Pro” – for techy stuff the iPhone is a more closed environment – not open source.
The 3G(4G+) devices modems are evolving, the cellular network is cellphone driven – and the big industry players are a bit sticky about the lower revenue data M2M (machine2machine).. however the IoT (Internet of Things) is driving new products.
I’d be interest in what you are doing as I’m working on powering in remote instruments … so particularly interfaces and what instruments you are hoping to interface to would be interesting.
Physical sensors are a major budgetary challenge – scientists can sense elements on Pluto – but not many places have a Nasa budget to do it
The specific challenges in sensors are accuracy, long term stability, calibration and powering. Each physical sensor has its own unique challenges to turn the real world sensing into traceable units.:(
The Nutrient sensor challenge is one example of trying to solve the problem with I hear 28teams trying to create a Nitrate or Phosphate sensor
http://www.act-us.info/nutrients-challenge/

Neil

[neilh20]

Hi Bamboohydraulics
I’d be interested in what you are teaching and what yous see as benefits in using automated monitoring.
Using Arduino controllers is challenging and one has been written up on this board,
– you might have a look at something I wrote here

Datalogger build

here is someone trying something
https://edwardmallon.wordpress.com/

Paying attention to the community “software” – the local habits and beliefs and using mapping (free) tools that build a local student knowledge base may provide a lot of bang-for-buck in your watershed.
http://oaec.org/publications/basins-of-relations-a-citizens-guide/
http://www.sscrcd.org/rainwater.php

regards
Neil

[neilh20]

I’m using systems from Onset U30 which have been upgraded – see a post I made elsewhere. The sensor interaface is typically 20mA current or Voltage.

If you are after an Arduino shield its only going to be the typical Arduino distributors.
For “coming soon” that should be Arduino suppliers you could make a downpayment on
https://www.particle.io/prototype#electron

For currently available – but probably not recommended for small project runs, ie if you buy a lot the price could drop
NimbeLink, LLC Skywire
http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en?FV=fff40036,fff803ec,fffc05c5&chp=0

For professional grade with power available these might work.
http://www.embeddedworks.net/wwan723.html
and they have lots of data plans

[neilh20]

Hi Brandon,
I’d Be interested in who your contact is at SWRC that you heard it from.

I’d say if you want to start monitoring ASAP you’ll need to buy the “value added” system that has had the work done for you.
You need to pay attention to the specification sheets.
This should be integrated piece of equipment with all functions, logger,SD card/USB drive, solar panel and sensor – so that if there is any queries you have one place to ask questions “How do I make this work per specification sheet”
This would be used by the “stream monitors/biologists?” – and it would need to teach reliable data measurements and management – reading integrity and traceability – and of course offer the chance of a fact based opinion on water quality in a specific locatiion/stream.
This could become a “reference test system” for putting your own lower cost systems together later – probably by a different group of students as its different skills. Teaches team work as well.

My suggestion for an RS485 based logger with solar power:
arduino.cc development environment,
I recommend ARM based processor (thats where its heading) and for students to be able to have the most extensible environment – 65Kram is good.
https://forum.pjrc.com/ – have ARM based processor with great detailed technical support, including low power.
Teensy3.1 – Processor with 65Kram /256K program memory
http://www.pjrc.com/store/teensy31.html
http://www.pjrc.com/store/sd_adaptor.html

RS485
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10124

Solar Cell
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9241

Solar Charger & Battery needs to be same technology – either LiPo (LiFePO4) or LiIon. LiIon is used through out cell phones but can explode/catch fire if discharged too fast
Solar Charger
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/12885
http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/LiPo-Rider-Pro-p-992.html Max1A $15

LiPo battery
http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/Crazyflie-Nano-Quadcopter-Spare-battery-BCBL01A-p-1362.html

However, your mileage is likely to vary, these are parts that can fit together lego like, but need an analysis of data and power flow.
If used wrongly they can break/smoke, but other then LiIon batteries are not dangerous.

To start, I would get the Teensy3.1 and RS485 and power supply and Decagon CTD – and get the data from the sensor Decagon CTD. This would verify your toolchain (prjc variant of Arduino) and data flow. I’ve used it and its worked well for me and lots of other people – however your mileage may vary.

Then you build the other parts in “brick by brick”

Hope that overview is useful?

[neilh20]

Wow Brandon, sounds like a great project. I’ve just got back from a music festival – and have a whole pile of work to get through – but hopefully can get back tomorrow with some ideas.
Since its a school, and I’ve been talking to some local teachers about a similar thing and I’m being introduced to the language of cirriculum, do you have specific items you are hoping to teach – is it focused on the biology? and/or what level of “maker” or “computer science” skills – or is it too early for all of that.
I guess what I’m thinking of is this type of project could be multi-year – an emphasis first on getting something working – Arduinio.cc with simple instrumentation output and primarily lab based testing.
– then project evolution and focusing on refining different parts of the system that could be split into different projects and moving to stream side and longer term monitoring.?

[neilh20]

Hello Brandon
Can you say a little about your application/project – is it something you are collecting data to supply to others or a kick-off learning project, how urgent is the project, is it outdoors with no power, does it have a cabinet, what range of water level/accuracy and placement (a well or a stream?). What range of conductance and whats the analysis you are looking to do with the data. Conductance can have simple and complex interpretations.
What is the most critical parameter you are measuring?

If you are looking to experiment with the Decagon CTD, then looking at its protocol interfaces SDI12 is the starting point,
http://www.decagon.com/support
http://www.sdi-12.org/
I’d have to scout around for and SDI12 logger at this point, though I do have something I purchased but haven’t used yet. I do have a plan to make an SDI-12 logger that would interface to amongst other things the CTD.
http://www.vegetronix.com/Products/SDI-12.phtml
regards

[Author]

Posts