Home Forum Hardware A3 remarks ?

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  • #4611
    ON1GL
    Participant

    This morning removed the cover of the outdoor unit (8200007B around 11:35 – some spikes) as test after noticing some abnormality’s to give it a bit more ‘air’…
    Temperature and humidity on the urad website and the json data from the unit are not the same ! which one is correct ?
    The “noise” sensor… always around the same vallue (there was construction work going on 3 houses down the road) day and night always around the same vallue is not possible….
    For a outdoor unit ch2o sensor is useless, O3 sensor would be nice
    Just some things i’ve noticed the last days…

    Luc

    #4618
    uRADMonitor
    Keymaster

    Hello Luc,

    Please use the values on the website, there’s a post processing on the server side, compensating for some temperature and humidity aberrations caused by the metal enclosure. Also, as you know, the sensor for these is the Bosch BME680. Bosch has an Air-Quality library that we just received, and we are in the process of integrating it on the server side. Its purpose is similar to what we have already, but designed specifically for their hardware. This will impact VOC readings too, returning Air Quality scores instead of sensor resistance.

    For the Noise sensor, I will get back to you later. Please keep the feedback coming! This only helps improve things. Thanks! Radu

    #4624
    ON1GL
    Participant

    with the “post-processing” it’s useless to try to store the date and make local graphs, so will stop my efforts trying to create graphs, correct gaphs are now out of my league, perhaps some software guru will come up with a solution in the future, ex on a raspberry-pi 🙂

    Also have to rethink the plastic housing, that is certainly also influencing some mesureaments.

    One (software) option that is missing is a possebility to silence the beep… the unit is outdoor at the streetside … (can always remove it from the pcb if needed).

    Keep up the good works !

    Luc

    #4625
    uRADMonitor
    Keymaster

    currently there’s a macro in the firmware that if set will mute the device, but you’re right , we need a config option instead! Added to todo list, thanks.
    use the server API to retrieve and store data (www.uradmonitor.com/dashboard).

    #4638
    ON1GL
    Participant

    Noise sensor,
    I wonder if removing the mic from the pcb and placing it outside the metal housing(away from the build in fan) would improve the measurments ?
    How did you got that nice noise graph Radu ?

    #4640
    uRADMonitor
    Keymaster

    This one?
    https://hackaday.io/project/12066-uradmonitor-a3/log/59583-hw105-succes

    These were two units placed on the outdoors one next to the other, very close to a moderate traffic road. Daytime traffic became visible due to elevated noise levels.

    #4642
    ON1GL
    Participant

    Yes that one 😉
    The levels my unit is now recording is close to the fan noise level (35-40 dBA)
    Inside the metal housing and inside a plastic weatherproof housing will dampen the noise perhaps to much, will try to move the mic to a hole at the bottom of the outside plastic housing.

    #4662
    ON1GL
    Participant

    managed to get the mic at the outside of the plastic box, but the results are disappointing 🙁
    Noise level without mic connected are around 47 dBA, much to high, is there something wrong with the amplifier circuit or is that software ?
    Included are a few pic of the modification.

    #4666
    ON1GL
    Participant

    the only unit i see on the map with an acceptable noise graph is Unit 8200006E in NZ (except for the levels…)

    #4670
    uRADMonitor
    Keymaster

    Reading high values without the mic connected is normal in some circumstances. The middle point of the PCM signal would produce a 0 on noise level, but that is not the case with the mic removed we can sometimes be situated at the bottom of the PCM signal, approaching us to a maximum noise value.
    Even so, your noise level data doesn’t seem right. It might be a problem with the microphone, it might be a problem with the amplifier, I can’t tell. We would need to arrange shipping the unit back so I can have a look at it.

    #4671
    ON1GL
    Participant

    just checked all other A3’s with noise chips on the map and they are all the same 🙁

    #4702
    uRADMonitor
    Keymaster

    The noise sensor feature is currently experimental and got a bit too much exposure, also thanks to the forum community here (https://www.uradmonitor.com/topic/voice-sensor/). We got to roll it out a bit too soon, and there are major two issues:

    1.Apparently, the issue is with the builtin fan, that creates too much noise in the same enclosure with the noise sensor. What happens is sounds below 45dBA cannot be detected.
    2.Then the first boards was using an amplifier gain configuration of 100, a bit too much. This created some saturation, that we can see on the data from the various units.

    The fix for 2 involves only changing a resistor on the PCB (R28 from 100K to 39K) and updating the firmware. The fix for 1 doesn’t have a solution with the current design.

    Attached please see noise-1.jpg illustrating the first issue. 82000071 and 82000088 are assembled and PCB is in the enclosure, while the 82000089 PCB is at first left unassembled.
    Probably the best solution is to do the fix with the resistor+firmware, and install the microphone via a longer cable, away from the FAN.

    Attachments:
    #4704
    uRADMonitor
    Keymaster

    If the sound level of interest is above 45dBA, then all is good, here is an example with a grass cutter machine operating a few meters away from 3 test detectors.

    Attachments:
    #4706
    Terje Andersen
    Participant

    I think the cost of the A3 is above what most people feel they can afford, so I guess most will choose the lowest cost option.

    Could it be an idea to remove the sound sensor from the A3 unit and try to reduce the cost further by maby removing more sensors from it? Then add a connection that let you add an external module to the A3, so it it possible to upgrade it.

    With a sound sensor in this external module the problem would be solved, and the entry cost for the A3 would be cheeper.
    Tho it would be more costly to buy a complete set, I guess more people would upgrade over time.

    Or maby add the sound sensor and connection option to the uRADMonitor model A, and have an upgrade that give what the A3 provides today? I think maby fewer models, but with upgrade option, would be easier to handle in the future.

    #4707
    Terje Andersen
    Participant

    Would be nice if all options could be added via 1 or two upgrades.

    uRADMonitor model options

    After comparing the options, please let me know the price of the City model as well 🙂

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