WEEK 7: pH SENSOR

This time the pH sensor has arrived after a lot of problems faced during the delivery process where the shop assistant does not update the order status of the item. The pH sensor comes with the pH probe, pH module and the buffer pH solution. I have to wait until the buffer pH solution arrived first in order to test the pH sensor because somehow there is no buffer pH solution in the parcel received. 

I have informed the shop assistant about this problem. The shop assistant said that the cost of the delivery will be covered by them and the calibration solution will be arrived in 1-2 working days. 

pH probe.

pH module.

Pin configuration of the pH module.

WEEK 6: DS18B20 WATER TEMPERATURE SENSOR

The DS18B20 water temperature I oredered from Cytron Technologies has arrived.

DS18B20 water temperature sensor.

The hardware used :

• DS18B20 water temperature sensor
• 2.7k resistor

Connection:

Connection between the DS18B20 and CC3200 board

The DATA pin is connected to the pin 10 of the board.

The 2.7k resistor is connected to the VCC and DATA pin of the DS18B20.

I refer to the DS18B20 Testing in circuit constructing and testing where OneWire protocol is used in the providing calibrated digital temperature readings directly which is why the DATA pin is connected to the CC3200 digital pin. For more information about the OneWire protocol can be found here.

The OneWire program can be found in the example tab on the Energia IDE to test the DS18B20 sensor.

Choose the DS18x20_Temperature program from the OneWire tab.

OneWire program.

The output for the program is as shown below. It displays the temperature measured by the DS18B20 water temperature sensor when uploaded into the CC3200 board.

The temperature measured is displayed on the Serial Monitor.

WEEK 5: ANALOG READING- POTENTIOMETER

This is the task that I did to test the board to read the analog input and display it on the serial monitor. A potentiometer is a simple mechanical device that provides a varying amount of resistance when its shaft is turned. By passing voltage through a potentiometer and into an analog input of the board, the amount of the resistance produced by the potentiometer can be measured as an anlog value. The value of the potentiometer resistance is monitored after the serial communication between the CC3200 board and the Energia IDE software on the computer has been established.

Hardware Used :

• CC3200 board
• 10k Potentiometer

Connection : 

Connection between the potentiometer and CC3200 board    

The three pins from the potentiometer is connected to the board where the connection to the board is based on the pin description shown on the picture above. The +5V connected to the 5 volts, the ground is connected to the ground and the signal or also known as data pin is connected to the analog pin on the board where I'm using the pin 2 on the board.

I'm using the program "Analog Read Serial" from the example menu and the output is as shown below.

The program and the output display of the potentiometer resistance value.

WEEK 5: FRITZING - Connection

Below is the list of sensors I'm using:-

a) DS18B20 water temperature sensor

b) SEN0161 pH water sensor 

c) Atlas Scientific dissolved oxygen sensor

So based on the sensors above, I've done the virtual connection which I'm planning to do on the hardware later. I tried using the Fritzing software which I only manage to do the connection on the dissolved oxygen module since I can't find the part for pH and water temperature.

Fritzing of the hardware

WEEK 4: COMPARING THE PRICE OFFERED AT JALAN PASAR

While waiting for the temperature sensor to arrive, I've also surveyed the pH and dissolved oxygen sensor. So, I went to the Jalan Pasar, a well-known place to shops for the electronic components and stuffs related to it. Since I'm in a tight budget, i went a few shops to compare the prices. 

Unfortunately, the dissolved sensor is not available at all the shop i visited and the only solution for that is by ordering the dissolved oxygen sensor online at the trusted website. To ensure that that the websites is trusted, I always done a little bit of research on it by reading all of the customer reviews before deciding whether to buy from the certain website or not.

For the pH sensor, the prices ranged from RM150 to RM180 for the one that includes the pH module whereas the price for the pH probe without the module is only RM60 as offered at the Sigma Electronics. Besides that, the price for the pH sensor with pH module at QQ Trading is RM180 while the shop which I'm not sure what the name of the company offered a lower price than QQ Trading which is RM169.

pH probe without pH module available at Sigma Elcetronics.

                                             

pH sensor (pH module included) at QQ Trading.

In the end, I decided to take a look at the price of the pH sensor offered online since there is not much choices at the shops in Jalan Pasar which the price may be much cheaper than the one offered at Jalan Pasar.

This is the shop which I'm not sure the name of the company.

                                           

The uncle (owner of the shop) checking the component using multimeter.

                                         

                                               

                                  

WEEK 3: TEMPERATURE SENSOR

I've successfully ordered the DS18B20 temperature sensor online on the Cytron website. For your information, Cytron offers free shipping as a part of the benefits when you signed up for their student program which is why I ordered the temperature sensor here.

Order Information on Cytron's Website.

So, as shown in above the total price is RM16.69 (including GST) since i ordered two temperature sensor for me and my friend. The temperature sensor is estimated to be arrived in 2-3 working days unless there's a problem with the item or the process, where the time of arrival may be delay for a few days.

WEEK 3: TEMPERATURE SENSOR

I've decided to use the DS18B20 temperature sensor as it is waterproof. Since my water quality monitoring project requires the sensor to be immersed in the water, so this type of water temperature sensor is very suitable to be used in my project.

DS18B20 Temperature Sensor

The DS18B20 Digital Temperature Probe provides 9 to 12 bit (configurable) temperature readings which indicate the temperature of the device. Information is sent to/from the DS18B20 over a 1-Wire interface, so that only one wire (and ground) needs to be connected from a central microprocessor to a DS18B20. Power for reading, writing, and performing temperature conversions can be derived from the data line itself with no need for an external power source. Each DS18B20 contains a unique silicon serial number, multiple DS18B20 temperature sensors can exist on the same 1-Wire bus. This allows for placing temperature sensors in many different places which is a perfect sensor to be used for monitoring purpose.

The specification of the water temperature is as below:

DS18B20 Temperature Sensor Specification