Air Quality And Environmental Board For micro:bit

Air quality and environment board micro:bit

The Kitronik Air Quality Map is a complete air monitoring and reporting solution for the BBC micro:bit. The abundance of on-board sensors and connection ports allows you to collect important air quality data, which can be stored in the on-board memory and displayed on the OLED screen, or transmitted to a computer for review. 

Kitronik has also created online MakeCode lessons to expose you to all the essential functions of the chart; for links, see the "Resources" section below.

The air quality chart is ideal for classroom use. Conduct short or long-term classroom experiments, for example measuring air quality throughout the year, with and without heating. The data obtained can then be used to generate graphs and other tables. It can also be an excellent addition to an office or workshop, informing you when it is time to open the windows or reminding you to ventilate your workspace!

The card contains an integrated Edge connector for simple insertion of your BBC micro:bit. The integrated sensors provide temperature, pressure, humidity, air quality index and eCO2 data. The built-in EEPROM and Real Time Clock (RTC) allow for time-stamped data recording and long-term storage. There are also three on-board ZIP status LEDs for visual data display. Three of the BBC's micro:pins (pins 0, 1 and 2) have been split onto 0.1 inch solder pads, allowing additional sensors or outputs to be included. These devices can also be powered via the 3V and GND pads.

The board is powered by either 3xAA batteries or a micro USB connector. A power switch controls the supply voltage, and a green LED indicates that the board is on. The card also generates a regulated 3V supply which is provided in the on-board connection to power the connected micro:bit BBC, eliminating the need to power the micro:bit BBC separately.

The board also has a connection point for a solar cell, which can be used in conjunction with rechargeable batteries to extend the life of your experiments. NOTE: Before charging the board, check that the correct rechargeable batteries are installed; they should be NiMh.

Kitronik has created custom MakeCode blocks to make the coding process as simple as possible. By clicking on the gear symbol in the upper right corner of the editor and choosing Extensions, you can add our own blocks to the MakeCode editor. Then type Kitronik in the search bar and click on the tile for Air Quality Board blocks. The block menu in the editor will now include the custom blocks. This URL can also be used to add these blocks to the menu: https://github.com/KitronikLtd/pxt-kitronik-air-quality.

Features of the micro:bit air quality and environment board

• For the BBC micro:bit, an all-in-one air quality monitoring and reporting system.
• Temperature, pressure, humidity, air quality index and eCO2 levels all need to be measured.
• Pins 0 to 2 are soldered to solder pads for additional I/O.
• The board features a 128x64 black and white OLED display, as well as three ZIP status LEDs for graphical representation of data.
• The integrated EEPROM and Real Time Clock (RTC) allow time-stamped data to be recorded and stored for long periods.
• MakeCode tutorials that teach you all the basic features of the board are available online.
• Throughout the school year, conduct long-term monitoring experiments in the classroom.
• The micro:bit can be inserted into a built-in edge connection.
• The board also has a connection point for a solar cell, which can be used in conjunction with rechargeable batteries to extend the life of your experiments.
• Kitronik has created special MakeCode blocks to make coding easier and simpler.
• It can be written in MakeCode, Javascript or Python.

Air quality and environment board micro:bit: content, resources and prerequisites

Contents :

• 1 x Kitronik air quality board for BBC micro:bit.
• 1 x 3xAA battery holder.
• 1 x USB cable.
• Attention: BBC micro:bit board not included

Prerequisites :

• BBC micro:bit.
• 3 AA batteries.
• or - Add rechargeable batteries and a solar cell.

Resources :

• Online MakeCode Tutorials;
  • Read temperature, pressure, and humidity.
  • Using the OLED display.
  • Set and display date and time.
  • Data logging and data transfer.
• Tech Talk - Live stream playback.