The Bluetooth

Weatherstation


By Myles Daniel




Submitted to the




Department of Information Technology and Electrical
Engineering,
University of Queensland


For the degree oI :

Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Electrical Engineering

II
Statement of Authorship.
I declare that the work contained in this document is my own, except as acknowledged in
the text, Iootnotes or reIerences, and has not been previously submitted Ior a degree at the
University oI Queensland or at any other institution.


Myles Daniel

III
AcknowIedgements

The Bluetooth Weather Station could not have been researched, developed and
documented without the help oI many people. The author would like to thank :


ProIessor Neil Bergmann, Ior supervision oI the project throughout the year,

Nia Pemberton, Ior her hard work as part oI the development partnership,

Keith Bell Irom the Electronics Workshop, Ior help with PCB Iabrication and surIace
mount soldering.

Friends and Family


IV

This thesis details the development oI a Wireless Weatherstation using Bluetooth

TM

wireless technology. From a Bluetooth
TM
enabled device (LAN Access proIile ie PC,
PDA or Laptop) with a Java enabled web browser, a user is able to view weather
conditions at a distance oI up to 20 metres Irom the Weatherstation. Although there are
several Wireless Weatherstations already available on the market, none take advantage oI
new Bluetooth
TM
wireless communications Ior data acquisition. Bluetooth
TM
oIIers a
more Ilexible approach to these products due to its low power consumption, high data
rates (742kbps) and its ability to make several simultaneous connections.

The Weatherstation incoporates a HCV Wireless BlueMod
TM
, which is a single board
computer based on the Motorola ColdIire microprocessor chipset running the linux
Operating System with an embedded Bluetooth
TM
stack. An accessory board with an 8-
channel MAXIM 186 A/D converter routes sensor Ieedback to the Bluemod device via
the QSPI bus Ior data processing and communications. A LM335Z temperature sensor,
HU10 humidity sensor, integrated wind speed and direction sensor and tipping bucket
rainIall sensor have been implemented Ior weather analysis. The accessory board and
Bluemod
TM
are enclosed in an IP65 weather prooI plastic enclosure, and sensors are
interIaced to the enclosure via Weathertight plugs and sockets.

The developed prototype is Iully Iunctional, and tests have been successIul in
ascertaining the accuracy oI sensors, transmission rates and distances between the
weather station and client.
V

Statement oI Authorship. ................................................................................................................................II

Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................................... III
Abstract......................................................................................................................................................... IV
List oI Figures..............................................................................................................................................VII
List oI Tables............................................................................................................................................. VIII
Chapter One.................................................................................................................................................... 1
1.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 1
2.0 Background............................................................................................................................................... 2
2.1 Bluetooth .............................................................................................................................................. 2
2.2 HCV Wireless BlueMod....................................................................................................................... 3
2.3 Weather Stations................................................................................................................................... 4
2.3.1 WWRL Wireless Weather Station................................................................................................. 4
2.3.2 Rainwise Inc MKIII Weather Station. ........................................................................................... 5
2.3.3 Davis Wireless Vantage Pro .......................................................................................................... 6
2.3.4 WWN-WM2 Long Distance Weather Station ............................................................................... 7
2.3.5 Davis Wireless Weather Monitor II............................................................................................... 7
2.36 Comparison / Review ..................................................................................................................... 9
2.4 Bus InterIaces ..................................................................................................................................... 11
2.4.1 1 - Wire........................................................................................................................................ 11
2.4.2 QSPI ............................................................................................................................................ 11
Chapter Three. .............................................................................................................................................. 12
3.0 SpeciIication........................................................................................................................................... 12
3.1 SpeciIication Overview ...................................................................................................................... 12
3.2 SoItware SpeciIications ...................................................................................................................... 13
3.3 Sensor SpeciIications.......................................................................................................................... 14
3.4 Enclosure SpeciIications..................................................................................................................... 14
3.5 Communications and Processor SpeciIications .................................................................................. 15
3.6 Power SpeciIications .......................................................................................................................... 15
Chapter Four................................................................................................................................................. 16
4.0 Design..................................................................................................................................................... 16
4.1 System Overview................................................................................................................................ 16
4.2 Hardware Design Overview................................................................................................................ 16
4.3 Temperature Sensor ............................................................................................................................ 17
4.3.1 Thermocouples (Analogue).......................................................................................................... 18
4.3.2 Thermistors (Analogue) ............................................................................................................... 18
4.3.3 Semiconductors (Analogue)......................................................................................................... 18
4.3.4 Digital Sensors (Digital).............................................................................................................. 18
4.3.5 Sensor Selection........................................................................................................................... 19
4.4 Humidity Sensor ................................................................................................................................. 20
4.5 Wind Speed & Direction Sensor......................................................................................................... 21
4.6 RainIall Sensor ................................................................................................................................... 23
4.7 Data Bus ............................................................................................................................................. 24
4.8 Analog to Digital Converter ............................................................................................................... 25
4.9 Voltage Regulation............................................................................................................................. 28
4.10 Accessory Board - Final Implementation ......................................................................................... 30
4.10.1 HARDWARE IMPLEMENTATION........................................................................................ 30
4.11 Weather Station Enclosure................................................................................................................ 32
4.11.1 Main Enclosure.......................................................................................................................... 32
4.11.2 Connecting Plugs ....................................................................................................................... 33
4.11.3 Temperature / Humidity Module ............................................................................................... 33
Chapter Five ................................................................................................................................................. 34
5.0 Results .................................................................................................................................................... 34
5.1 Sensor PerIormance............................................................................................................................ 34
VI
5.1.1 Temperature Sensor ..................................................................................................................... 34
5.1.2 Humidity Sensor .......................................................................................................................... 36
5.1.3 RainIall ........................................................................................................................................ 37
5.1.4 Wind Speed.................................................................................................................................. 38
5.1.5 Wind Direction ............................................................................................................................ 39
5.2 Power PerIormance............................................................................................................................. 40
5.3 Transmission PerIormance ................................................................................................................. 40
Chapter Six................................................................................................................................................... 41
6.0 Discussion............................................................................................................................................... 41
6.1 Results Discussion.............................................................................................................................. 41
6.2 Personal PerIormance Evaluation....................................................................................................... 42
Chapter Seven............................................................................................................................................... 43
7.0 Conclusions and Future Work ................................................................................................................ 43
7.1 Future Work........................................................................................................................................ 43
7.1.1 Wind Direction Sensor ................................................................................................................ 43
7.1.2 Mechanical Switch....................................................................................................................... 43
7.1.3 Design oI Solar Panel and Recharging Circuitry......................................................................... 43
7.2 Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................... 44
ReIerences .................................................................................................................................................... 45
Appendices ................................................................................................................................................... 48
Appendix A - LM335Z Temperature Sensor Implementation Schematic ................................................ 48
Appendix B - HU10 Humidity Sensor Implementation Schematic.......................................................... 48
Appendix C - Wind Speed Sensor Conversion Table............................................................................... 49
Appendix C - Pull Up Network Schematic............................................................................................... 51
Appendix D - Accessory Board Schematic .............................................................................................. 52
Appendix E - Accessory Board PCB........................................................................................................ 53
Appendix F - Pull Up Network PCB........................................................................................................ 54

VII
List of Figures
2.1 Bluemod Board 3
2.2 WWRL Weather Station 4
2.3 Rainwise MK3 Weather Station 5
2.4 Davis Vantage Pro Weather Station 6
2.5 WWN-WM2 Weather Station 7
2.6 Davis Wireless Weather Monitor II 7
3.1 Overview oI System 12
4.1 HU10 Humidity Sensor 20
4.2 Wind Sensor 22
4.3 Tipping Bucket Rain Gauge 23
4.4 WX-918 RainIall Sensor 24
4.5 Design Overview 30
4.6 Mechanical Layout 31
4.7 Enclosure Layout 32




































VIII




List of TabIes

2.1 Weather Station Comparison 9
3.1 Sensor SpeciIications 14
4.1 Temperature Sensors 19
4.2 Humidity Sensors 20
4.3 RainIall Sensors 24
4.4 Analogue to Digital Converters 26
4.5 Sensor Precision 27
4.6 Component Power Consumption 28
4.7 Voltage Regulators 29
5.1 Temperature Sensor Results 35
5.2 Humidity Sensor Results 36
5.3 RainIall Sensor Results 37
5.4 Wind Speed Sensor Results 38

1
Chapter One

1.0 Introduction
Meteorological activity has extreme inIluence upon the behaviour oI all liIe Iorms.
Personal comIort is impacted by the temperature and humidity oI surrounding
environments, water stocks are dependent upon the rate oI precipitation, and wind
patterns can markedly inIluence the properties oI the two.
In response to the eIIect that weather has upon humankind, various Iorms oI technology
have been developed to Iacilitate the analysis oI weather patterns. On a large scale, the
Bureau oI Meteorology use capital-intensive equipment including satellite imaging to
analyse present conditions and Iormulate predictions to Iorecast upcoming weather
patterns. Analysis at this level is usually generalized to a broad land area, neglecting the
Iluctuating weather conditions within these generalized zones. This lack oI resolution in
weather analysis has created a niche Ior home weather monitoring.
The motivation Ior this thesis is to explore the capabilities oI the HCJ Wireless Bluemod
development board and the Bluetooth
TM
communications protocol, through its
implementation in the development oI a home wireless weather station. The scope oI its
development allows Ior a user to wirelessly view weather conditions and graphs Irom the
weather station via a Java enabled web browser Irom a Bluetooth
TM
enabled PC. This
includes the development oI all required Weather Sensor circuitry, and soItware to
analyse and present weather data to the user.
The development oI the weather station is shared between myselI and Nia Pemberton.
Nia is responsible Ior all soItware aspects oI the design, whereas I am responsible Ior all
hardware aspects oI the design. Consequently, this document will Iocus mainly upon the
hardware research and decision making process implemented to yield the Iinal prototype.
SoItware elements oI the design can be read in Iurther detail in Nia's thesis document.
2
Chapter Two.
2.0 Background
BeIore Iormulating a conclusive speciIication Ior the end design oI the weatherstation,
extensive research was initially conducted into various Iacets oI the subject area. These
areas included the HCJ Wireless Bluemod, Bluetooth
TM
protocol that is implemented Ior
wireless communications, and the current state oI the art oI wireless weather stations.
Although Bluetooth has not yet been utilised in a weatherstation, it is important to review
the current state oI the art oI weather stations to build an understanding oI what
characteristics are required oI a commercial grade home weather station.
2.1 Bluetooth
Bluetooth
TM
wireless technology |1|, a standard developed by the Bluetooth Special
Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG) provides a worldwide speciIication Ior radio connectivity
between mobile computers, mobile phones, other portable handheld devices, and
connectivity to the Internet. Operating in the license Iree 2.4GHz ISM band, Bluetooth
TM

is a low power (10mW) radio medium with data rates ranging up to 723.2 Kbps at ranges
oI up to 50m. Within the 2.4Ghz band, Irequency hopping spread spectrum
communications are utilised to minimise interIerence Irom other users within the band.

Within the Bluetooth
TM
speciIication |2|, several profiles are utilised as templates Ior
deIined types oI data or voice transmission. These include General Access, Service
Discovery, Cordless Telephony, Intercom, Serial Port, Headset, Dialup Networking, Fax,
LAN, File TransIer and Synchronization ProIiles.






3
2.2 HCV Wireless BlueMod

Figure 2.1 : Bluemod board.

The HCJ Wireless Bluemod
TM
|3| is a single board computer based on the Motorola
ColdIire microprocessor chipset running the Clinux Operating System with an
embedded Bluetooth
TM
stack. ManuIactured in Toowong, Queensland, the Bluemod
TM

provides a completely integrated embedded development solution to wireless computing,
as all data processing and communications hardware (including integrated antenna) are
combined onto the one board.

Key Ieatures include :
Motorola ColdIire Processor |4|
48MHz, 32-bit, 63 MIPS RISC processor with DSP instructions
8 MB oI SDRAM, 2MB oI Flash
Queued Serial Peripheral InterIace (QSPI)
2 Iull duplex RS232 UARTs
USB 1.1
General Purpose I/O (LVTTL 3.3V), PWM and 16bit bus via two external 64pin
accessory ports
Clinux v2.4 Operating System
Java Virtual Machine and onboard Web Server (BOA).
Bluetooth Stack and inbuilt Antenna.

4

2.3 Weather Stations

Several Wireless Weather Stations were reviewed at the commencement oI research to
establish an understanding oI common capabilities. Research was concentrated upon the
weather sensor capabilities and communication range oI each product. This portion oI
Nia Pemberton's Thesis Iocuses Iurther upon the soItware and console attributes oI each
product.
2.3.1 WWRL Wireless Weather Station



Figure 2.2 : WWRL Weather Station

The WWRL Texas Instruments Weather Station |5| presents a product most probably
geared towards agricultural/commercial use, Iundamentally due to price (Approximately
$3400). Sensors include wind speed, direction, barometric pressure, temperature,
humidity, rainIall, pyrometer and lightning sensor. Readings are transmitted Irom the
weather station back to the PC via a 418MHz radio link (interIaced to RS-232) at a
maximum distance oI approximately 350m. Non-volatile memory is used to provide data-
logging capabilities. Power is provided to both the weather station and the PC interIace
Irom wired sources.


5
2.3.2 Rainwise nc MK Weather Station.




Figure 2.3 : Rainwise MK3 Weather Station

The MKIII |6| provides a totally wireless weather solution as the unit communicates to
PC via a 418MHz radio link (interIaced to RS-232), and power is provided by a solar
charged battery. Sensors are provided to measure wind speed, direction, temperature,
barometric pressure, rainIall and relative humidity. The wireless range is limited to 150m
and the battery is capable oI powering the unit without sun Ior 60 days. At an entry price
oI $2000, the MKIII is marketed towards agricultural/commercial use. The respective
accuracies and precision oI each sensor are detailed in Table 2.1.













6
2.3.3 Davis Wireless Vantage Pro


Figure 2.4 : Davis Vantage Pro Weather Station

This Davis Wireless Vantage Pro |7| provides a totally wireless solution (solar powered)
that suits commercial and home use. Sensors include rain collector, temperature, and
anemometer. An inbuilt radiation shield helps to minimise ultraviolet interIerence oI
temperature and humidity readings. Radio transmission to PC Base (RS-232 interIace) is
limited to 50m, which can be extended through the installation oI radio repeaters. Pricing
oI $1200 markets this unit closer to home use. The respective accuracies and precision oI
each sensor are detailed in Table 2.1.











7
2.3.4 WWN-WM2 Long Distance Weather Station


Figure 2.5 : WWN-WM2 Weather Station
The WWN-WM2 system |8| is Iully wireless (30W Solar Panel) with a long range
monitoring capability oI 50km. Sensors include temperature, humidity, anemometer,
barometer and rainIall. Due to its extremely high price ($6000) and long wireless range,
the WWN-WM2 is clearly reserved Ior commercial and agricultural use.

2.3.5 Davis Wireless Weather Monitor


Figure 2.6 : Davis Wireless Weather Monitor II
The Davis Wireless Weather Monitor II |9| contains a sensor array including an
Anenometer (Wind Direction and Speed), rain collector, radiation shield with
temperature/humidity sensor, weather-resistant shelter, and galvanized steel mounting
pole. Wireless communication is conducted between the weather station and a receiving
monitoring station / PC via 900 MHz low-power radio waves. Typical transmission range
is between 30 and 120m, although repeaters can be used to increase this distance.
8

The receiving station includes an in-built barometer and overviewing display / controls.
The receiving station can be linked to a PC via RS-232 serial communications, allowing
overview Irom Weatherlink soItware. Power is supplied either Irom AC or Irom the
supplied solar panel and battery. The weather station markets Ior $1790AUD.

9
2.36 Comparison / Review
The Iollowing table summarises the various attributes oI the Iive weather stations
reviewed with their respective resolutions (iI available).

WWRL
Wireless 5]
Rainwise
MKIII 6] 10]
Davis
Vantage
Pro 7] 10]
Davis
Weather
Monitor II 8]
WWN-
WM2 9]
Temperature
- Resolution
- Accuracy



Humidity
- Resolution
- Accuracy

1
2

1
5
V

Wind
Direction
- Resolution
- Accuracy


16 points


1 deg
7 deg

Wind Speed
- Resolution
- Accuracy

1.609km/hr
2

1.609km/hr
5

Pyrometer
- Resolution
- Accuracy


RainIall
- Resolution
- Accuracy

0.254mm
2

.254mm
4

Lightning
- Resolution
- Accuracy


Barometer
- Resolution
- Accuracy

.254mm



Range 350m 150m 120m 30 - 120m Up to
50km
Power Mains Power Solar with
Battery
Solar with
Battery
Solar with
Battery
Solar with
Battery
Monitoring PC -
WeatherView
32
PC -
WeatherView
32
Receiver
console &
PC -
Weatherlink
Receiver
console & PC
- Weatherlink

Price $3400 $2000 $1200 $1790 $6000
Note all prices are in $AUD
Table 2.1 : Weather Station Comparison

10
At Iirst observation, it is quite clear that the quantity oI sensors, transmission range, and
the means in which a unit is powered are quite proportional to the cost oI each unit.
Understandably, each manuIacturer Iaces the same costs when acquiring sensor, solar
panels, batteries and communications equipment. On this basis, the lower end oI the price
range between $1000 and $2000 which encompasses the Davis brand weather station
provides the best guide towards common standards in home weather monitoring. This is
in opposition to the other three weather stations which are quite obviously engineered and
marketed Ior commercial / agricultural use.

The two Davis brand weather stations provide a totally integrated home weather station
solution. An adequate range oI weather analysis is provided by temperature, humidity,
wind and rain sensors incorporated into the main weather station unit, with quite
reasonable precision and accuracies as indicated. A radiation shield is also built into the
unit to deIlect direct sunlight interIerence Irom the temperature and humidity sensors.
The Davis Weather Monitor II variation builds upon this speciIication with the addition
oI a Barometer in the receiver console which is linked to the overviewing PC.
UnIortunately the precision and accuracies could only be acquired Ior the Vantage Pro
model.

The transmission range oI both Davis weather units is quite generous when considering
the needs oI home weather monitoring. Transmitting at 900MHz, the 120 metre
transmission range is larger than most suburban residential properties. It is likely that 20
metres would be more than suIIicient distance between the users PC and the weather
station, placed somewhere close by outdoors.

11

2.4 Bus Interfaces
Several protocol standards exist which simpliIy the connection oI auxillary devices to a
microcontroller. Two oI which are supported by the Bluemod
TM
are the 1-wire and QSPI
protocol interIaces.
2.4.1 1 - Wire
The 1-wire protocol |11| details single wire communication between a master and
numerous other slave devices. Ordinarily, a master would be the microcontroller, and the
slaves would be auxiliary devices or sensors. Each slave device has a unique 64-bit
identiIication code, allowing the seamless use oI multiple slave devices on the one
network with a single slave. Further to the speciIication, slaves can be powered Irom the
1-wire data line.
2.4.2 QSP
The QSPI protocol |12| Iacilitates Iull duplex serial communication between a
microcontroller and up to 16 other slave devices. Communication is conducted through
Iour connections, Data In, Data Out, Serial Clock and Chip Select.

The Bluemod's Motorola ColdIire processor |4| provides Iour pins Ior QSPI
communication, which can be enabled with an appropriate uCLinux device driver. 1-wire
communications can also be enabled on a data pin with appropriate device drivers.

Given the simplicity oI single wire communication and powering oI peripheral devices,
1-wire oIIers a Iar more convenient solution to the interIacing oI sensors to a
microcontroller.



12
Chapter Three.
3.0 Specification

The background inIormation researched in this document provides a sound background
oI the current state oI the art oI home weather station equipment. Furthermore, research
conducted into the Bluetooth
TM
protocol and the Bluemod
TM
development environment
provide vision as to how each technology could be used to develop a home weather
station. The Iollowing speciIication is a result oI this research, and provides guidelines
Ior the development oI hardware and soItware components oI the weather station.
3.1 Specification Overview


Figure 3.1 : Overview oI System

The end product will allow a user to wirelessly monitor weather conditions Irom a
remotely placed weather station Irom the comIort oI their home. Monitoring will
normally occur Irom a PC with an attached Bluemod
TM
to Iacilitate Bluetooth
TM

communications, however any Bluetooth
TM
device with a Java enabled web browser
should be able to log into the weather station to monitor results. This could include new
generation handheld PDA's which include Bluetooth
TM
connectivity. Given the home
environment, the weather station will normally be placed somewhere in the close vicinity
oI the user's home.




Laptop computer
Desktop Computer Desktop Computer
Gateway / Router uClinux
Data
Server
Web
server
BIueModTM & Accessory
Board
Device
Drivers
//
13

3.2 Software Specifications

The soItware aims to provide a seamless view oI weatherstation data Ior multiple
simultaneous remote users. The speciIications Ior the overall soItware system are:

Wireless Bluetooth viewing oI data Bluetooth connection established over 20 metres
Lowest data rate oI 1kB/s
SoItware included with product
At least 3 simultaneous users
Recover Irom power loss

The soItware was split into two main sections, one the graphical display oI sensor data to
the user (User InterIace), the other the handling oI the sensor data (On-Board SoItware).
This has been done since completely diIIerent approaches are needed Ior the on-board
soItware which will be handled on the ColdIire compared to the user interIace which will
be run on a users PC.

SpeciIications Ior the user interIace are:

Graphs oI 30 days oI data including maximum and minimum values
Current sensor values displayed and updated every minute
Average, maximum and minimum calculations Ior the current day
User Iriendly: Maximum oI two mouse clicks to view current sensor data, Maximum
oI two mouse clicks to view weather trends the

SpeciIications Ior the on-board soItware are:
No user input
No loss in accuracy
Recording up to 90 days oI data
Updating data at least once per minute.
14

More detail can be Iound in Nia Pemberton's portion oI the combined Thesis.
3.3 Sensor Specifications
The research conducted into weather stations has yielded a speciIication quite close in
comparison to the Davis Jantage Pro, given its obvious Iocus towards home use. Five
categories oI weather sensor have been chosen Ior inclusion in the weather station. They
are detailed as Iollows with respective accuracies, ranges and resolutions, which are
modeled oI the Davis Jantage Pro |7|.


4 Resolution Accuracy Range
Temperature 0.1
o
C 1C -40 to 60
o
C
Humidity 1% RH 5 %RH 0 - 100%RH
Wind Speed 2km/h 5 % 0 - 190km/h
Wind Direction 1 deg 7 deg 0 - 359
o
C
RainfaII 1mm 4% 5000mm
Table 3.1 : Sensor SpeciIications

The resolution oI sensors that give an analog output is highly reliant upon the precision
oI the selected A/D converter that will convert output voltages into a digital
representation Ior the microprocessor. The range oI each sensor will reliant both upon the
perIormance oI the sensor, and the range oI the A/D converter. For digital sensors where
the microprocessor is required to time the duration between sensor pulses, resolution will
be reliant upon the interrupt timing accuracy oI the processor.

3.4 Enclosure Specifications
Seeing as though the weatherstation will reside outside the users home Iully exposed to
the elements, it is oI extreme importance that all sensors and communications/processing
equipment is Iully weatherprooI. By deIinition oI weatherprooI, this must mean that the
weatherstation will not be subject to Iailure given prolonged exposure to water, sand or
dust. All communication and data processing hardware will reside in a solid weatherprooI
enclosure, with power and sensors connected to the unit externally. Where connections
are required between external sensors (ie Wind Gauge), any plugs and sockets used to
15
interIace between the main enclosure and the sensors must also be suitably weatherprooI
so not to compromise the standard oI weather resistance oI the main enclosure.
3.5 Communications and Processor Specifications

As a wireless home weather station, there are several expectations placed upon the
communications and processor perIormance oI the device. Given that the Bluemod
TM
will
be responsible Ior all communications and data processing, these speciIications are
obviously Iocused directly at the Bluemod
TM
.

The onboard processor must be capable oI perIorming the tasks outlined in the soItware
speciIication, which include :
Polling oI Sensor Data once per minute
Logging oI 90 days oI data
Provision oI Web Server Ior data display on client machine.

Reliable communications are an extremely important characteristic oI the weather station.
It is expected that reliable communications oI speeds oI at least 1kB/s at a range oI 20m
will be achievable Irom the weatherstation. This range shall be suIIicient, as the weather
station will most likely be placed in close proximity in the user's backyard.

The previously discussed HCJ Wireless Bluemod has been preselected Ior use as the data
processor in this design. As a result, the other paramaters oI design (sensors, power
regulation etc) must be designed in a suitable way Ior integration with the Bluemod.

3.6 Power Specifications
The weather station will accept a DC power source up to 12 volts through two external
pins (VCC and GND). It is expected that power will be delivered to the unit Irom either a
transIormer Irom mains 240V supply or Irom a 6 or 12-Volt Battery with recharging
circuitry and solar panel. The design oI such transIormers or solar panel speciIications is
not within the bounds oI this design, although the minimisation oI power consumption oI
sensor components and other circuitry is oI most importance.
16



Chapter Four
4.0 Design
4.1 System Overview
The speciIication outlined in Chapter Three has been used as a guideline in the
development oI the Iollowing design. The design provides Iull Iunctionality Ior a user to
be able to wirelessly monitor weather inIormation gained Irom the weather station, which
may be placed up to 20 metres Irom the monitoring PC. Weather inIormation is displayed
by a downloaded Java applet on the user's computer, and weather updates are provided
each minute. The Iollowing sections detail the speciIic decisions made in the design
process oI the hardware elements oI the weather station. This includes the selection and
implementation oI sensors, an analog to digital converter, a voltage regulator and
suIIicient weather prooI housing Ior the equipment.

4.2 Hardware Design Overview
The HCJ Wireless Bluemod
TM
will Iorm the basis oI the weatherstation's
communications and processing inIrastructure. External I/O devices can be connected to
the Bluemods Motorola ColdIire processor Ior computation via two 64 pin accessory
connections |13|. Communications between the weatherstation and monitoring PC will
occur via the Bluetooth
TM
protocol. Bluetooth
TM
hardware and an inbuilt antenna are
already integrated into the Bluemod
TM
development board and interIaced to the Motorola
processor.






17


Given that the Bluemod
TM
is selI suIIicient in its own right, most oI the hardware
development has been Iocused upon the selection and interIacing oI external devices to
the Bluemod
TM
. These include sensors, power regulation Ior both the Bluemod
TM
and the
sensors, and the selection oI an appropriate Analogue to Digital converter as required by
the sensors. The initial speciIication set Ior the weather station's design Iocused upon the
use oI Iive sensors, namely :

Temperature
Relative Humidity
Wind Speed
Wind Direction
RainIall

Each oI these types oI sensor were thoroughly researched to Iind the most suitable
solution given the outlined speciIication. Criteria in this assessment involved price,
availability, range, accuracy, precision and the method in which the sensor would be
interIaced to the Bluemod
TM
Processor.

Given that several oI the sensors involved will be oI an analogue nature, a suitable A/D
converter also had to be chosen. Precision and expandability were the main criteria
guiding its selection.

4.3 Temperature Sensor
Due to their wide ranging applications, temperature sensors are available in a variety oI
accuracy's and methodologies. Research was Iocussed upon contact based temperature
sensors, ie direct contact with air. These include thermocouples, thermistors,
Semiconductor and Digital Temperature Sensors.

18


4.3.1 Thermocouples (Analogue)

Thermocouples are an extremely simple Iorm oI temperature sensor. Based upon the
Seebeck effect, a thermocouple's output is based upon the net thermoelectric voltage
between an open pair oI metal wires |15|. Standard accuracies are usually 2
o
C.

4.3.2 Thermistors (Analogue)
Thermistors are a quite common Iorm oI temperature sensor, whose name originates Irom
thermallv sensitive resistor |14|. Thermistors come in two varieties, speciIically NTC and
PTC, reIerring to negative and positive temperature coeIIicient. Output Irom a thermistor
is usually oI a non-linear nature.
4.3.3 Semiconductors (Analogue)
Temperature sensors can be manuIactured Irom semiconductor materials Ior commercial
use |15|. Such devices are usually oI linear nature, low cost, simple, and accurate within
a limited temperature range.

4.3.4 Digital Sensors (Digital)
Semiconductor temperature sensors can be manuIactured with an integrated digital
interIace. Output Irom such devices can be either parallel out, or through some other
serial data protocol, ie QSPI or 1-wire. These devices take Iull advantage oI
semiconductor sensor characteristics, coupled with a much more convenient connection
interIace to a microprocessor.







19
4.3.5 Sensor Selection

Given the selection criteria outlined in the speciIication, the Iollowing table was created
to aid selection oI the temperature sensor.

Sensor Range Accuracy InterIace Style Price
BC NTC
Thermistor |16|
-40
o
C to 125
o
C 2
o
C Analogue Thermistor $1.38
SGS Thomson
LM335Z |17|
-40
o
C to 100
o
C 1
o
C Analogue Semiconductor $4.59
Dallas
Semiconductors
DS1820 |18|
-55
o
C to 125
o
C 0.5
o
C 1-wire
Digital
Digital $20.98
Table 4.1 : Temperature Sensors

The LM335Z temperature sensor was chosen over and above the other sensors. This was
due to its reasonably low price, linear output and suIIicient range and accuracies Ior its
intended use in a home weather station. While the DS1820 oIIered a greater range and
accuracy, it was ruled out as QSPI was chosen as the preIerred serial bus interIace
between the Bluemod
TM
and peripheral devices, as opposed to 1-wire. Although the BC
NTC Thermistor oIIered quite respectable properties given its low price, the extra
hardware required to interIace this non-linear device was deemed unnecessary.

The LM335Z device operates on a "2 terminal :ener with a breakdown voltage
proportional to the absolute temperature at 10mJ/
o
K" |17|. In normal operating
conditions, it is calibrated to output 2.982V at 25
o
C. Given that it is expected that the
weather station will never endure temperatures above 50
o
C, this will result in a maximum
sensor output voltage oI 3.232 Volts. A schematic oI its implementation is Iound in
Appendix A.

20
4.4 Humidity Sensor

It is widely accepted that most weather reports include a reading oI an environment's
Relative Humidity, as opposed to absolute or speciIic humidity |19|. Hence, selection oI
humidity sensors was concentrated upon a suitably accurate and priced relative humidity
sensor.

Sensor Range Accuracy InterIace Style Price
Resistive
Sensor |20|
0 - 90
RH
5 RH Analogue Resistive $21.29
HU10 |21| 25 - 100
RH
5 RH Analogue Linear
Temperature
Compensated
$47.76
Honeywell
HIH-3605-A-
FE |22|
0 - 100 2 RH Analogue Linear
Temperature
Compensated
$57.35
Table 4.2 : Humidity Sensors









Figure 4.1 : HU10 Humidity Sensor


The HU10 Humidity sensor was chosen Ior use in the weather station. Although the
Honeywell sensor oIIered slightly better characteristics than the HU10, they were deemed
unsuIIicient to warrant the extra cost involved. The HU10's accuracy oI 5RH is within
the bounds oI the speciIication, and although the range does not reach as Iar down to 0,
Australia's humidity rarely dips below 30. While being cheaper than the other two
sensors, the resistive sensor was not selected due to the complications that would arise
during implementation given that the sensor was not already temperature compensated.

Output Irom the HU10 sensor is oI a linear nature ranging Irom 1.5 to 3.1 Volts Ior
Humidities between 25 and 100 relative humidity. A schematic oI its implementation is
in Appendix B.
21

4.5 Wind Speed & Direction Sensor

Wind Speed sensors typically comprise a whirly bird device where electronic pulses are
given on each rotation oI the moving apparatus. II Iast triggering reed switches are used
on the rotating shaIt, accuracy is most dependent upon the microcontroller or circuitry
that times the duration between each pulse, and hence the wind speed.

Wind Direction sensors are typically based upon a wind vane mounted upon a precision
potentiometer, where the output voltage is directly proportional to the wind direction.
While this method is commonly quite accurate, small inconsistencies can be Iound at the
crossover region that links the 359
o
and 0
o
section oI the potentiometer. Precision is
largely reliant upon the A/D converter used to convert this voltage into a digital value.

Sensors oI this type are very Iocussed in their intended use (weatherstations), and are
most commonly integrated into the one assembly with whirly bird and wind vain
crossarm. For this reason, complete weather stations were examined to Iind a suitable
wind sensor that could be obtained as spare parts and implemented in this design.














22
Figure 4.2 : Wind Sensor

The Dick Smith WM-918 Weather Station |23|, readily available throughout Australia
contains a suitable integrated WindVane / Wind Speed sensor that was chosen Ior
implementation in this design. Priced at $152.96, the sensor is oI rugged construction and
suIIicient range and accuracy (0 - 200km/hr range and 1m/s accuracy) |24|. Both
sensors work on principles as described above, and comprise internal circuits Ior the
Iiltering oI electrical interIerence.

The Wind Speed Sensor is connected via pull-up diode network |25| Iabricated as part oI
the thesis to the interrupt pin on the processor. A schematic oI the pull-up
network can be Iound in Appendix C. The Java applet onboard the processor times the
duration between each pulse Irom the reed switch in the whirly bird to convert to a
conventional wind speed. The conversion table implemented can be Iound in Appendix D
|25|.

The Wind Direction Sensor outputs an analogue value between 0 and 3.3V (LVTTL)
corresponding to 0 to 360 degrees. This analogue value is converted into digital Iorm by
the Analogue to Digital Converter.










23
4.6 Rainfall Sensor

A common method oI rainIall measurement used commonly in home weather kits is the
Tipping Bucket method. In the Tipping Bucket method, rain Iills up a Iixed volume
repository within the sensor through a hole 1/10
th
the diameter oI the opening at the top
oI the sensor |26|. When the container is Iull, the water is latched through the bottom,
creating a pulse Irom the reed switch on the latch. The volume that is latched through on
each pulse is 10 times the volume oI the actual rainIall Ior that duration, due to the
diIIerence in size between the top opening oI the sensor and the hole Iilling the
repository. As the sensor is selI-emptying, the user is never required to empty the sensor,
as is required in some other sensor methods. Given that the processor need only count
how many pulses have occurred during a set period oI time to calculate rainIall, this is a
very simple and low maintenance solution to rainIall measurement.









Figure 4.3 : Tipping Bucket Rain Gauge









RainIall
Opening 1/10
th

diameter oI main
opening.
Fixed volume
container, which
will empty when
Iull, creating pulse
on reed switch.
24
Two easily obtainable Tipping Bucket rain sensors were researched beIore selection.

Sensor Accuracy
Increment
Output Price
Greenspan TB-
100 |27|
1mm Digital Pulse $900
Rain Gauge
Irom DSE WX-
918 Weather
Station |23| |24|
1.25mm Digital Pulse $99.92
Table 4.3 : RainIall Sensors













Figure 4.4 : WX-918 RainIall Sensor

The Rain Sensor Irom the DSE WX-918 weather station was selected Ior use in the
weather station. Although it is not as accurate as the Greenspan TB-100, the precision
diIIerence oI 0.25mm is irrelevant once price is taken into consideration.

The WX-918 sensor circuitry is Iundamentally identical to that oI the WX-918 wind
speed sensor. Hence, an identical pull-up network |25| is used to switch the LVTTL 3.3V
voltage provided by the Bluemod
TM
through a timed interrupt pin.

4.7 Data Bus
The QSPI protocol was selected Ior serial communication between the Bluemods
Motorola ColdIire processor and peripheral devices. Although 1-wire provides a simpler
solution, only the temperature sensor could be easily obtained in 1-wire speciIication.
Given that the Analog to digital implements the QSPI protocol, it is a more logical
solution to use only the one standard oI serial communication between the
25
microcontroller and peripherals. Hence, QSPI was chosen Ior serial communications
between the microcontroller and peripherals (A/D Converter).
4.8 Analog to Digital Converter

Given that three oI the sensors selected Ior use in the weather station produce an
analogue output (Temperature, Humiditv and Wind Direction), an Analogue to Digital
Converter is essential Ior data acquisition on the Bluemod processor. When selecting an
appropriate Analogue to Digital converter, resolution and accuracy were the most
important Iactors guiding selection, as it is oI utmost importance to preserve the precision
oI the analogue signal provided by the sensor. Given that sensors will only be probed
once per minute Ior updates, conversion speed is oI less importance. Although only three
analogue to digital conversion channels are required by the speciIication oI this thesis, it
is important that extra channels are available on the A/D converter to allow Ior the
addition oI extra sensors in Iurther applications. These could include a Barometer or
Pyrometer, which are usually Iound on higher-end commercial units.

Further to these guidelines, it is essential that the A/D converter is able to give
conversions Ior the Voltage ranges output by the selected sensors, and that the converter
is easily interIaced to the Bluemod
TM
processor via a suitable I/O protocol.


















26
A/D
Converter
Resolut
-ion
Interface Chan
nels
Power
Supply
Package Price Conve
rsion
Rate
Voltage
Range
Maxim
MAX186
|28|
12 bit QSPI 8 5V DIP/SO $56.60 133'000
per
second
0 - 4.096V
Analog
Devices
AD7812
|29|
10 bit Serial 8 5V DIP/SSOP $32.74 350'000
per
second.
0 - 2.5V
Burr
Brown
ADS1211
|30|
24 bit QSPI 4 5V DIP/SO $71.99 10 per
second
0 - 5V
Table 4.4 : Analogue to Digital Converters

The Maxim MAX186 was selected Irom the three Ior use in the weatherstation. It IulIils
all criteria outlined in the speciIication, with excellent resolution (12bits), simple
communication with the Bluemod (QSPI), grossly suIIicient conversion rate, a variety oI
packaging and suIIicient conversion range Ior the sensors that were selected. While
priced at $56.60, Iree samples were easily acquired Irom MAXIM in both packages to
help reduce the cost oI development, which was also advantageous |28|. The Analog
Devices AD7812 was deemed unsuitable as its input range (0 - 2.5V) would not
accommodate the maximum voltage output oI most oI the analog sensors |29|.
Furthermore, the Burr Brown ADS1211 was not considered due to its lack oI channels
which would not leave much room Ior Iurther expansion, and price |30|.

Given the MAX186's 12 bit resolution (4096 Quantisation levels) between 0 and 4.096
Volts, this equates to the Iollowing precision Ior each analogue sensor connected to the
device.






27

Sensor Voltage Range Output Range Precision
Temperature 0 -3.232V 0K - 50
o
C 0.1
o
C
Humidity 1.5V - 3.1V 25 - 100 RH 0.04 RH
Wind 0 - 3.3V 0 - 360
o
0.11
o

Table 4.5 : Sensor Precision

The precision achieved Ior each oI the three sensors is signiIicantly smaller than the
precision oI each respective sensor as indicated in Section 3.3. This ensures that the
Maxim 186 A/D converter will not adversely eIIect the respective accuracy oI each
sensor.

28
4.9 Voltage Regulation
The Voltage Regulator is responsible Ior the regulation and supply oI power to the
Bluemod
TM
, the A/D Converter, all oI the sensors, and any other miscellaneous circuitry.
Maximum current usage oI each component was then totaled to Iind an approximate total
current usage oI the weather station.

Component Current Usage Vin
Bluemod |3| 800mA MAX 5V
MAX186 |28| 1.5mA 5V
LM335Z |17| 5mA MAX 5V
HU10 |20| 2mA MAX 5V
Wind Speed |25| 3.3mA LVTTL 3.3V (From
Bluemod)
RainIall |25| 3.3mA LVTTL 3.3V (From
Bluemod)
Wind Dir |25| 3.3mA LVTTL 3.3V (From
Bluemod)
TOTAL : 1A Max
Table 4.6 : Component Power Consumption

From these tabulated results, it is clear that the Voltage Regulator must give a 5V output
voltage with an output current oI at least approximately 1 AMP. Maximum amp values
were used Irom each components data sheet, as the regulator was chosen at a stage oI
development where not all sensors had been acquired. Suitable regulators were
researched and tabulated Ior comparison.











29
Regulator Output Voltage Max Current
Output
Dropout
Voltage
Price
SGS Thomson
LD1117V50 |31|
5V Fixed 1.2A 1V $2.99
LINEAR
TECHNOLOGY
LT1529 |32|
3.3 or 5V 3A 0.6V $19.54
National
Semiconductor
LM7805CT |33|
5V Fixed 1A 2V $2.69
Table 4.7 : Voltage Regulators

The SGS Thomson LD1117V50 regulator was selected Ior use in the weather station.
Although the LT1529 oIIers superior electrical characteristics, these characteristics are in
excess oI what is required in this development. The LD1117V50 was chosen over and
above the LM7805CT due to its slightly higher current output and lower dropout voltage.
The lower dropout voltage will allow the weather station to operate oII a battery source
Ior a longer period oI time, which is advantageous given that the weather station will
usually run oII a battery source separate to the house's main supply.

30
4.10 Accessory Board - Final Implementation
4.10.1 HARDWARE MPLEMENTATON
Having selected the required sensors, analogue to digital converter and power regulator,
the design was implemented on an accessory board connected to Accessory Port 2 oI the
Bluemod. Through the 64 pin connection, digital sensors were connect the pull up
network directly to the interrupt pins (2 and 3) oI the Bluemod
TM
. The analogue sensors
are connected with some additional circuitry to the MAX186 A/D converter, where digital
conversions are sent to the Bluemod via the Iour QSPI lines. The Iollowing diagram
shows a rough overview oI the connective interIace between each sensor and the
Bluemod.












Figure 4.5 : Design Overview

Header pins connect each sensor to the accessory board. In addition to the A/D converter
and other sensor circuitry contained on the accessory board, power regulation circuitry
with heat sink is also included Ior the sensors and Bluemod
TM
onboard. The Pull Up
Network Ior the digital sensors was a late addition to the design as a result oI Iailed
testing, and is consequently contained on a separate surIace mount PCB that attaches to
MAXIM186
PULLUP NETWORK
Accessory Connector #2
4 Wire QSPI
2 Interrupt Lines
31
the main accessory board. Full schematics oI both designs are contained in Appendix D
and E.

The schematics Iound in the appendices were initially Iabricated into PCBs using
common components and a DIP sized MAX186 A/D Converter. Once debugged, the
design was re-Iabricated using surIace-mount components Ior all resistors, the MAX186
and all but two oI the larger capacity capacitors (4.7 uF). This has resulted in a
signiIicantly smaller PCB (59 x 73 mm), which is quite close to the size oI the
Bluemod
TM
, and hence a more eIIicient use oI space in the selected waterprooI enclosure.

The Iollowing diagram displays the connection structure between the BlueMod
TM
,
Accessory board PCB and the Pull Up Network PCB. The Accessory board and Pull Up
Network are connected via soldered header pins, and sensors are connected Irom the
water tight sockets on the side oI the enclosure to the accessory PCB with locking pin
headers.

Figure 4.6 : Mechanical Layout

BlueMod
Pull Up Net
Accessory Board
B
Accessory
Connector #2
Connectors Ior Sensors
32
4.11 Weather Station Enclosure
Given that the weather station will remain continuously outdoors in Iull exposure oI the
elements, the selection oI a suitable enclosure with weatherprooI external sockets was oI
extreme importance. Figure 4.7 details the connection between the main enclosure,
temperature/humidity module and the external sensors / power supply










Figure 4.7 : Enclosure Layout

4.11.1 Main Enclosure
Given the sensitive electronic nature oI the Bluemod
TM
, Accessory board and Pull Up
Network, the main enclosure must be totally weather prooI and air tight. IP65 standard
enclosures (Dust, Air and Water prooI) are available in a variety oI sizes in either plastic
or die-cast metal construction. While more robust, Die-Cast was unsuitable or Ior this
design as the metal casing produces Iar too much interIerence to the 2.4GHz signal
produced by the BlueMod
TM
, and blocks most radio communication. Consequently a


Main Enclosure
Temp/Humid
Battery /
Power
Supply
WeatherTight Connectors
33
plastic enclosure oI 114 x 90 x 55mm dimensions was a natural selection.

4.11.2 Connecting Plugs
Several sensors and a power supply (either mains or battery) must be connected
externally to the Main Enclosure. To allow a Ilexible solution, these connections must be
easily detachable and Iully weatherprooI. IP68 'WeatherTight connectors were selected
Ior this purpose, due to their excellent water, thermal, and salt resistance. Sensor header
pins on the Accessory board PCB are connected to the WeatherTight sockets Iastened to
the side oI the Main Enclosure. Each oI the external sensors (Wind, Rain,
Temperature/Humidity) and the power supply are connected with WeatherTight plugs,
hence completing a totally weatherprooI solution.

4.11.3 Temperature / Humidity Module
The Humidity and Temperature sensors are not completely weatherprooI, and need to be
encased in some sort oI enclosure. The two sensors could not be enclosed in the Main
Enclosure as both sensors require ventilation as part oI their normal sensing operation. As
a result, a separate smaller IP65 enclosure has been used to store the Temperature and
Humidity sensors. Measuring 63 x 56 x 34 mms, the enclosure has been drilled to allow
some ventilation without Iully compromising the semi-weatherprooI nature oI the
container. Furthermore, the module is coloured white so to deIlect the majority oI ultra
violet sun rays that would otherwise provide a disturbance to both sensors. The module is
attached to the Main Enclosure by WeatherTight connection and cabling.

34

Chapter Five
5.0 ResuIts
The initial goal oI this project was to develop the Bluemod
TM
development board into a
Iully Iunctional wireless weather station. The Iocus oI this document has been the
implementation oI sensor circuitry and other hardware with the Bluemod
TM
to make this
goal reality. Accordingly, the perIormance analysis oI the weather station will be mostly
concerned with the sensor and power perIormance oI the prototype.
5.1 Sensor Performance
All Iive weather sensors implemented in the design were given a thorough test procedure
to ensure a) each sensor and its corresponding circuitry Iunctioned satisIactorily and b) to
gain qualitative analysis oI the accuracy oI each sensor.

5.1.1 Temperature Sensor
The LM335Z temperature sensor was successIully implemented into the design.
Qualitative analysis was conducted over a variety oI temperature ranges including
outdoor temperature, and at reIrigerated temperatures (wirelesss communications allowed
the weather station to be leIt in a reIrigerator). Temperatures gained Irom the
weatherstation web browser are compared with readings gained Irom a Dailv Mate digital
thermometer with 0.1
o
C resolution.









35


Test Run LM335Z Weather
Station Reading (
o
C)
Daily Mate Thermometer
Reading (
o
C)
Difference (
o
C)
1 24.2 24.8 0.6
2 24.5 24.8 0.3
3 24.1 23.8 0.3
4 24.0 24.4 0.4
5 10.4 10.3 0.1
6 11.1 10.4 0.7
7 10.3 10.1 0.2
8 10.3 10.6 0.3
Table 5.1 : Temperature Sensor Results
Average DiIIerence 0.36
o
C

At outdoor and reIridgerated temperatures, the LM335Z yielded accuracy that was well
within the bounds oI the accuracy outlined in the speciIication ( 1
o
C).

36




5.1.2 Humidity Sensor

The HU10 humidity sensor was successIully implemented into the design. A separate
humidity gauge could not be acquired, so outdoor relative humidity readings were
compared to that oI the Brisbane Weather Report |34|.

Test Run HU10 Weather
Station Reading
(RH)
Meteorology
Centre Reading
(RH)
Difference (RH)
1 56 58 3
2 60 54 6
3 62 61 1
4 61 66 5
5 59 61 2
6 60 57 3
7 68 63 5
8 70 67 3
Table 5.2 : Humidity Sensor Results
Average DiIIerence 3.5 Relative Humidity

In normal outdoor conditions, the HU10 sensor exhibits accuracy within 5, which was
required by the speciIication. Although there is considerable margin Ior variation given
that the control humidity value was obtained Irom a remote meteorological source, the
results can still be deemed as satisIactory, given that they were reproducible on eight
separate occasions.





37



5.1.3 Rainfall
The rainIall sensor was successIully implemented into the design. The rain sensor was
tested through the pouring oI a set volume oI water Irom a measuring jug into the sensor
to simulate rainIall. The output Irom the weather station web browser was then compared
with the volume oI water poured into the sensor.


Test Run Rain Sensor
Reading
Volume Poured Difference
1 51mm 500ml 50mm 1mm
2 40mm 400ml 40mm 0
3 30mm 300ml 30mm 0
4 20mm 200ml 20mm 0
Table 5.3 : RainIall Sensor Results
Average diIIerence 0.25mm

In general, the rain sensor was extremely accurate, however an erroneous output occurred
during the Iirst test. II water was poured too quickly into the rain sensor, the tipping
bucket would trigger the reed switch twice instead oI once Ior a set volume. This would
not usually occur in normal conditions with natural rain, however there would be a
possibility that similar erroneous values could be created in extremely heavy rain.










38
5.1.4 Wind Speed

The Wind Speed sensor was successIully implemented into the design. In order to test the
accuracy oI the wind speed sensor, the sensor's reading Irom the weather station browser
was tested against the DSE Air Speed Meter. Tests were conducted outside in various
wind conditions outdoors.

Test Run Wind Sensor
Reading (km/h)
DSE Air Speed Meter
Reading (km/h)
Difference (km/h)
1 8.6 9 0.4
2 10.1 11 0.9
3 16.9 19 2.1
4 10.1 12 1.9
5 7.9 8 0.1
6 20.2 21 0.8
7 10.1 9 1.1
8 13.3 16 2.7
Table 5.4 : Wind Speed Sensor Results
Average DiIIerence 1.25 km/h

In varied conditions, the Weather sensor exhibits accuracy on average within 1.25km/h,
which Ior most oI these values, is quite close to the speciIied accuracy margin oI 5.












39


5.1.5 Wind Direction
The Wind Direction sensor was successIully implemented into the design. To test the
Iunctionality a) the sensor was placed outdoors and observed to see iI it pointed in the
correct wind direction and b) a multitude oI angles were set manually and observed Irom
the monitoring web browser. A protractor was used to validate each manually set angle
against that recorded on the monitoring web browser.

Test Run Wind Direction Sensor Reading
(Degrees)
Actual Angle
(Degrees)
Difference
(Degrees)
1 96 90 6
2 170 180 10
3 265 270 5
4 180 0/360 180
Table 5.5 : Wind Direction Sensor Results
Average DiIIerence : 50 degrees

When placed outdoors, the wind sensor pointed correctly into the direction oI the wind,
proving it to be mechanically sound.

The accuracy oI the wind sensor in most positions is within speciIication (7 degrees),
however the output yielded at 0/360 is concerning. This is the crossover point oI the
potentiometer, and accordingly gives erroneous results (approximately 1.66 volts, halI oI
the LVTTL supplied voltage) Ior a region between 350
0
and 360
o
. Given that this error is
within the sensor, it is impossible to counteract in soItware, and will be prone to incorrect
values when the wind direction is in this region.

40

5.2 Power Performance
A multimeter was utilised to measure the total current usage oI the weather station. Total
usage while in normal operation where sensors were being polled and web pages were
being served wirelessly to the client PC was 1.05A. A signiIicant heat sink had been
adhered to the voltage regulator, so this current consumption will most deIinitely be
sustainable given the speciIications oI the regulator (Section 4.9)

5.3 Transmission Performance
The transmission range and bitrates between the client PC and the weather station was
tested at several diIIerent distances. A maximum range oI 20metres was successIully
tested at a bit rate oI 0.3KB/second. The Iull testing procedure can be Iound in the
Results section oI Nia Pemberton's Thesis.

41
Chapter Six
6.0 Discussion
6.1 Results Discussion
The results gained Irom the previous chapter indicate that the Weather Station's
perIormance is generally in line with the speciIication derived in Chapter Three. The
temperature and humidity sensors were exhaustively tested, and both yielded accuracy
results within the speciIication. Given that both sensors were industry standard
components, this was to be expected. The Wind Direction Sensor, which had been
acquired as a spare part Irom the Dick Smith Electronics WX-918 weather station
however, did not provide as successIul results. The 'deadband' that is Iound in the
potentiometer region between 350 and 360 degrees will provide erroneous readings iI the
wind is blown at this angle. With the current Wind Direction Sensor, there is no remedy
to this error, and hence this will have to become acceptable error in this design. Another
sensor may be used in Iuture designs, possibly one based upon a digital encoder rather
than a potentiometer. Although the use oI a protractor to compare the set wind direction
with the weather station reading might not have been the most technically advanced
method oI testing, quite accurate results were recorded Ior the remaining 350 degrees oI
the sensor.

The Wind Speed sensor provided accuracy roughly on line with target. For Iurther
improvements oI accuracy, a new calibration table may have to be developed in place oI
the one speciIied by the manuIacturer (Appendix C). The RainIall sensor provided
Ilawless results in testing, with the exception oI the test where a double trigger was
recorded. Given that this occurred due to the pouring oI water at considerable Iorce, this
is not considered a problem when the weather station is put to test in natural rain
conditions.

The transmission speed (0.3 KB/S) yielded Irom testing at a range oI 20 metres was
considerably less than what was required by the speciIication. While disappointing, it is
understandable given that Bluetooth's Iocus is upon low power (10mW), short range
42
transmission. As this is a property oI the Bluemod
TM
board and the Bluetooth
TM
protocol,
no stage oI this development could have possibly increased this range.
6.2 Personal Performance Evaluation
Goals and Milestones Ior productivity were set quite early in development to quantiIy
results. For my work, this was Iocused upon the research and implementation oI the
various Iacets oI the hardware oI the weather station, ie integration oI weather sensors,
the design and Iabrication oI PCBs, and the acquisition oI parts. For the research and
design stages oI development, several Iactors stood in the way oI milestones reaching
completion on time :

Bluemod
TM
Development kits arrived late in First Term, which slowed research in the
early stages.
I had no previous experience with Protel or PCB Fabrication, so understandably a
learning curve was endured while I was Iamilliarised with the Protel program and
other processes involved.
The time required by other coursework oIten detracted Irom work that should have
been spent on research and design.

Once the Bluemods had arrived and I had Iamilliarised myselI with Protel, integration
milestones were met more easily. Having worked with my thesis partner previously in
Team Project, team work was quite cohesive and most deIinitely contributed to the
development oI such a high quality product.









43
Chapter Seven
7.0 ConcIusions and Future Work
7.1 Future Work
Although the product developed in this design Iully meets the speciIications derived in
Chapter Three, there are several ways that this design could be Iurther developed in later
research.

7.1.1 Wind Direction Sensor
As discussed in Chapter 5 and 6, the WX-918 Wind Direction sensor provides extremely
erroneous results between 350 and 360 degrees. This is a result oI the potentiometer
technology implemented in the sensor. In Iuture development, perhaps a digital encoder
could be implemented as the direction sensor in place oI the potentiometer. This would
provide a Iull 360 degrees oI accurate wind direction readings.
7.1.2 Mechanical Switch
The weather station is turned on via a toggle switch mounted on the Bluetooth
TM
board.
This Iorces the user to open the weather prooI container each time they wish to start the
weather station, which is quite inconvenient. In Iuture designs, perhaps an external
mechanical switch could be interIaced to the Bluemod
TM
to allow the user to turn on the
device externally.

7.1.3 Design of Solar Panel and Recharging Circuitry
Power consumption has already been calculated in the course oI this development.
Perhaps this research could be used in Iurther research to develop a suitable solar panel,
battery and recharging system that could adequately power the Weather Station.





44
7.2 Conclusion
The initial goal oI this thesis was to explore the capabilities oI the HCJ Wireless
Bluemod
TM
through the research and development oI a Wireless Weatherstation. Through
the use oI the Bluetooth
TM
communications protocol, the Weatherstation provides weather
inIormation to a user's client PC wirelessly via a series oI Java Applets served Irom the
Bluemods onboard web server. Via the use oI the Bluetooth
TM
protocol and the onboard
web server which allow multiple simultaneous connections, a more Ilexible solution is
provided than the current state oI the art wireless weather stations which only allow one
connection with the requirement oI speciIic monitoring soItware.

Overall, the hardware and soItware systems implemented by both thesis members to
IulIill this goal have been quite successIul. Five commercially standard weather sensors
have been interIaced to the Bluemod
TM
to provide a varied, accurate sample oI weather
conditions to the user. These weather values are processed onboard the Bluemod
TM
, and
are provided to the user in a series oI easily read data tables and trending graphs in their
web browser, regardless oI operating system. The Weather Station is housed in a weather
prooI enclosure that is designed to withstand the weather elements that it will most
deIinitely exposed.

Exhaustive testing has been conducted upon all elements oI hardware to veriIy
Iunctionality. Sensors were tested Ior accuracy in various weather conditions, and all but
the Wind Direction sensor provided accuracy in line with the current state oI the art oI
home Weather Stations. Power is provided reliably to both the Bluemod
TM
and the
weather sensors given any DC power source up to 15 Volts.

In conclusion, the Wireless Weather Station developed using the Bluemod
TM
board and
the Bluetooth
TM
protocol provides a quite viable and Ilexible solution to Wireless Home
Weather Monitoring, at a standard that is in line with the current state oI the art.
45

*
|1| Bluetooth SIG Inc., 2001, Specification of the Bluetooth Svstem. Core, 1.1, available
Irom www.bluetooth.org

|2| Bluetooth SIG Inc., 2001, Specification of the Bluetooth Svstem. Profiles, 1.1,
available Irom www.bluetooth.org

|3| HCV Wireless Bluemod SpeciIication, HCV Wireless, Online, May 2002, available at
www.hcv.com.au/BlueModSpecs.htm

|4| Motorola Inc., 2002, MCF5272 Coldfire Integrated Microprocessor Users Manual,
available at www.motorola.com/semiconductors

|5| Wireless Weather Stations, Texas Instruments Inc., Online, May 2002, available at
www.txwx.com

|6| Rainwise MKIII Wireless Weatherstation, Rainwise Incorporated, Online, May 2002,
available at www.rainwise.com/mk3/index.html

|7| Wireless Vantrage Pro with Standard Radiation Shield, Davis, Online, May 2002,
available at www.davisnet.com/weather/products

|8| Long Distance Wireless Weather Network - Complete System Packages,
Weathershop, Online, May 2002, available at www.weathershop.com/WWNcomplete.htm

|9| Davis Weather Monitor II, Online, May 2002, available at
http://www.davisnet.com/weather/products/weathermon.asp

|10| Weather Station SpeciIications, Online, May 2002, available at
http://www.weatherconnect.com/SpeciIications/

|11| BrieI Description oI 1-wire protocol, Online, June 2002, available at
http://web.umr.edu/~hwshim/cpe311/description.html

|12| Using the QSPI Ior Analog Data Acquisition, Online, June,
http://www.gel.usherb.ca/mab/gei437/doc/an1062.pdI

|13| Busteed, A, BlueMod Universal Wireless Module Hardware InterIacing Guide,
HCV Wireless, 2001.

|14| Webster, John G, Sensors and Signal Conditioning, John Wiley & Sons Inc, 1991

|15| About Temperature Sensors, Online, June 2002, available at
www.temperatures.com/csensors.html

46
|16| BC NTC Thermistor Data Sheet, BC Components

|17| LM335Z Temperature Sensor Data Sheet, SGS-Thomson Microelectronics, March
1994

|18| DS1820 Temperature Sensor Data Sheet, Dallas Semiconductors, available online at
www.dalsemi.com

|19| USA Today, Understanding Humidity, Online, May 2002, available at
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/whumdeI.htm

|20| Resistive Humidity Sensor Data Sheet, Farnell Order Code 540-985

|21| Humidity Sensor Unit HU10 Data Sheet, Farnell Order Code 732-849

|22| Honeywell HIH Series Humidity Sensor Data Sheet

|23| WM-918 Weather Station, Dick Smith Electronics, Online, May 2002, Available at
http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storeIront/3dab68Ic01cIe564273Ic0a87I9c076c/Product/View/D3960

|24| Howhill Weather Station, WM-918 SpeciIication, Online, May 2002, Available at
http://www.howhill.com/weather/inIo.html

|25| WM-918 Weather Station, Online, May 2002, Available at
http://www.qsl.net/zl1vIo/wx200/wx200.htm

|26| Palmer, Chad, Tipping Bucket Rain Gauge, USA Today, Online, May 2002,
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wtipgage.htm

|27| TB-100 RainIall Sensor, Tyco GreenSpan, Online, May 2002, available at
www.greenspan.com.au

|28| Maxim 186 Analogue to Digital Converter Data Sheet, Online, June 2002, available
at www.maxim-ic.com

|29| Analog Devices AD7812 Data Sheet, Online, June 2002, available at www.analog.com

|30| Burr Brown ADS1211 Data Sheet, Online, June 2002, available at www.burr-
brown.com

|31| SGS Thomson LD1117V50 Data Sheet, Online, June 2002, available at www.st.com

|32| LINEAR TECHNOLOGY LT1529 Data sheet, Online, June 2002, available at
www.linear.com

|33| National Semiconductor LM7805CT Data Sheet, Online, June 2002, available at
www.nsc.com

47
|34| Brisbane Weather Report, Weather Underground, Online, October 2002, available at
http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/94578.html

69
Appendices

Appendix A - LM335Z Temperature Sensor Implementation Schematic

H<5I

Appendix B - HU10 Humidity Sensor Implementation Schematic

H2<I

6C
Appendix C - Wind Speed Sensor Conversion Table.

Revolutions per second. Wind Speed
3%9 @%9
3%C =%@
<%3 =%@
<%< 5%2
<%2 5%2
<%? 5%2
<%6 5%C
<%@ 5%C
<%= 9%=
<%5 9%=
<%9 C%6
<%C C%6
2 <3%<
? <?%?
6 <=%C
@ 23%2
= 2?%9
5 25
9 ?3%=
C ??%9
<3 ?5%6
<< 63%5
<2 66%?
<? 65%@
<6 @<%<
<@ @6%6
<= @9%3
<5 =<%2
<9 =6%9
<C =9%3
23 5<%=
2< 56%C
22 59%@
2? 9<%5
26 9@%?
2@ 99%=
2= C2%2
25 C@%6
29 CC%3
2C <32%=
?3 <3@%9
?< <3C%6
@3
?2 <<2%5
?? <<=%?
?6 <<C%@
?@ <2?%<
?= <2=%6
?5 <?3%3
?9 <??%2
?C <?=%9
63 <63%3
@3 <56%2
@9 23<%=

H2@I

@<
Appendix C - Pull Up Network Schematic

@2

Appendix D - Accessory Board Schematic

@?
Appendix E - Accessory Board PCB

@6

Appendix F - Pull Up Network PCB