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Raspberry Pi and WiFi App Notes for S8 Sensor

The engineers here at CO2Meter have developed application notes for SenseAir’s S8 small-footprint CO2 sensor. These app notes with source code make it easy to communicate with the S8 using two of the most popular microcontrollers on the market today.

Learn more about the S8 CO2 sensor.

AN168: Raspberry Pi to SenseAir S8 CO2 Sensor via UART

Download AN168 here. Download the source files here.

the Raspberry Pi 3 is a popular credit card-sized computer used in many maker applications. The documentation and included python source code files make it easy for even first-time users to communicate with the S8 sensor.

AN167: TI CC3200 to SenseAir S8 CO2 Sensor via UART

Download AN167 here.

The Texas Instrument CC3200 SimpleLink Wi-Fi LaunchPad makes it easy to show sensor output on a wireless home network or the Internet. We’ve included the source code you need to make this great Wi-Fi board talk to the S8 sensor.

K-30 CO2 Sensor Troubleshooting with Arduino or Raspberry Pi

Customers using SenseAir's K-30 CO2 sensor with an Arduino micro controller or the Raspberry Pi may see the sensor "lock up" during use. Here's how to fix it.

CO2 Oxygen Sensors on Drone

co2 sensor drone

Reading CO2 and oxygen levels in remote areas can be challenging. That's why we were excited to see CO2Meter’s S8 CO2 sensor and UV Flux oxygen sensor installed on a drone for high-altitude atmospheric testing.

The project is the brainchild of RYF Technologies.  Last year, they began testing CO2 sensors to create a handheld CO2 monitor for the Chilean market. A requirement for the new monitor was that it used a built-in barometric sensor to automatically adjust the CO2 level for extreme changes in altitude in the Andes Mountains. The monitor uses a built-in micro pump to quickly change the air around the sensor and improve response time as measurements are taken.

Once the prototype was complete, RYF decided to change to our low-power S8 CO2 Sensor. The S8 is one of the smallest non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) sensors on the market, and is able to measure CO2 levels up to 5% in a very small and low-power package.

In addition to measuring CO2, the monitor was upgraded to measure oxygen using our UVFlux Oxygen Sensor. This low-power sensor is specifically designed for battery powered applications. Temperature and relative humidity sensors were also installed.

The final step in the project was to install the complete package in an off the shelf drone. In field testing, the package has been successfully proven to record CO2, oxygen, temperature, humidity and barometric pressure in real time up to 500 meters (1,640 feet) from the controller. This will make the new drone useful for scientific environmental analysis and studies in cities, fires, volcanos, factory chimneys, or anywhere not easily accessible for field air quality testing.

All sensor data is collected, processed and stored using custom software developed and prototyped on an Arduino microprocessor.

The completed drone package is still a prototype. New case designs are being created and tested at RYF Technologies using their in-house 3D printer.

For more information on this project, visit the RYF Technologies page.

Troubleshooting GasLab® Driver Installation

gaslab software co2meter

If you cannot communicate between your sensor module or CO2 meter and the GasLab® Software on your computer, the problem may be caused by Windows not recognizing the correct drivers needed to create a chain from USB -> FTDI -> UART in order to communicate with the device. The drivers create a virtual COM port. If the device is plugged in before GasLab is installed, the correct drivers will not be found, even if GasLab is installed later.

The solution is to uninstall the old (usually incorrect) drivers manually, install GasLab if it is not already installed, then plug your USB cable in and let the drivers automatically install themselves using the instructions exactly as noted below.

Read the full instructions here.

Verify you are running Windows XP/7/8/10 with Microsoft .NET framework. Otherwise, this solution will not work.

To install the new drivers, first we must uninstall the old drivers.

  1. Close the Gaslab software and any programs that are not required.
  2. Connect the sensor or device to the USB port on your computer.
  3. Open the "Control Panel" on your computer.
  4. Open the "Device Manager".
  5. Find "Ports (COM & LPT)" and expand to see all communication Ports.
  6. Open the Communication Port that is connected to the sensor.
  7. In the "Communication Port Properties" window, select the "Driver" tab.
  8. Select "Uninstall" and select OK. 
  9. Unplug USB cable from the computer, wait 10 seconds, and plug it back in..
  10. Make sure the sensor is connected to the USB port and is powered.  Wait until the computer screen says, “Device ready…”
  11. Restart GasLab software and allow it to acquire drivers and begin communication with the sensor or device

Your sensor or device should now be able to communicate with GasLab.

COM Port to USB Background

A COM port (aka Communication Port) is the original Microsoft MS‐DOS designation for a serial port. Serial ports are, in turn, a serial communication interface which transfers data in or out of a device like a mouse, a keyboard, or a CO2 sensor one bit at a time. It was the preferred communication standard for connecting peripherals to a PC.

As technology evolved COM ports have been replaced by USB ports which send data in streams - a much faster way of communicating. As a result, computers today are often sold with no serial ports at all.

Even though they’ve fallen out of use, all connections by USB are termed COM ports as the designation still applies. Since there are many kinds of peripherals one can attach to a computer, COM port assignation is carried out by software. Because the COM port is virtual and not hardware, the assignation of COM port numbers can allow the connection of dozens of devices simultaneously. The only real practical limit is that any unpowered USB devices all share the same 5V, and if multiple devices are connected, there may not be enough voltage to power them all. For this reason, we often recommend using a powered USB port with our DevKits.

If you connect a device to a PC via a serial‐to‐USB interface, the computer will assign it the next available virtual COM port. If it doesn’t see the correct drivers at the same time, it will assign it the title of “unknown device.” Fortunately, when you uninstall a device, then reinstall it with the drivers present, Windows is smart enough to know how to re-create the proper link between the drivers and the device via the virtual COM port and USB.

Senseair CO2 Sensor Pressure Dependence

All infrared (NDIR) CO2 sensors have a dependence on pressure. This is because of the physics principle used to measure CO2 concentration.

The NDIR type of sensor measures the IR radiation absorbed by CO2 molecules, which corresponds to the mole concentration. When pressure increases, the number of molecules in a given volume also increases linearly. Conversely, when pressure decreases (higher altitudes, for example) the number of molecules decrease.

This app note includes both general information about Senseair sensors and pressure, as well as the equation for computing true CO2 level readings at various pressures useful for any NDIR CO2 sensor.

Click here to read or download the app note (pdf).

Note that like CO2 sensors, oxygen sensors are also pressure and altitude dependent. We had a client in Bangalore, India purchase a CM-0505 O2 Data Logger. He reported that it was reading 18.3% instead of the expected 20.9% when exposed to outdoor ambient air.
I looked up the Bangalore, India Airport information and found that the altitude was 2,890 feet above sea level. Using this chart we found online, we were able to confirm for the client that in fact, his meter was performing within the expected tolerances.

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Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

Still need Help? Talk to an Expert.

We'll be happy to help you find the right product!

Call us at 877.678.4259.

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