Rooted Soil Shear Apparatus (RSSA) is an open-source laboratory apparatus designed to quantify the effect of plant roots on soil shear strength. Traditional methods used to assess the effect of vegetation on soil strength often rely on expensive proprietary systems and can involve sample disturbance, which may alter the root-soil interactions. This novel apparatus offers both an Arduino-based and a Raspberry Pi solution for data acquisition and control. The device enables laboratory shear testing directly in the same polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pots where the plants grow, eliminating the need to disturb the root-soil structure. Validation experiments demonstrate its effectiveness in capturing shear strength variations in rooted and non-rooted soil samples. By providing an affordable and customizable alternative to conventional shear testing equipment, the RSSA device advances research in geotechnical engineering and soil stabilization.
{"title":"Rooted Soil Shear Apparatus: A low-cost, direct shear apparatus for measuring the influence of plant roots on soil shear strength","authors":"Gianmario Sorrentino, Gerald Innocent Otim, Alena Zhelezova, Irene Rocchi","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00726","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00726","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rooted Soil Shear Apparatus (RSSA) is an open-source laboratory apparatus designed to quantify the effect of plant roots on soil shear strength. Traditional methods used to assess the effect of vegetation on soil strength often rely on expensive proprietary systems and can involve sample disturbance, which may alter the root-soil interactions. This novel apparatus offers both an Arduino-based and a Raspberry Pi solution for data acquisition and control. The device enables laboratory shear testing directly in the same polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pots where the plants grow, eliminating the need to disturb the root-soil structure. Validation experiments demonstrate its effectiveness in capturing shear strength variations in rooted and non-rooted soil samples. By providing an affordable and customizable alternative to conventional shear testing equipment, the RSSA device advances research in geotechnical engineering and soil stabilization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"25 ","pages":"Article e00726"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145665557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-17DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00715
Scott Mayberry, Jinzhi Cai, Ruochu Yang, Junkai Wang, Fumin Zhang
Underwater research is often constrained by the specialized expertise, high costs, and dedicated facilities required for traditional aquatic experiments, limiting participation from smaller research groups. In response, we introduce an open-source miniature underwater robot (MUR) platform that broadens access to aquatic research and exploration while simplifying experimental implementation. Built on a fully networked ROS ecosystem, our platform integrates advanced sensing, control, and versatile communication capabilities to support real-time data acquisition and sensor fusion. Its modular 5-degree-of-freedom propulsion system enables precise position, yaw, and roll control, with passive pitch stability through neutral buoyancy supporting steady station-keeping and dynamic trajectory tracking. Equipped with multiple cameras, the system facilitates advanced perception tasks essential for complex underwater operations. Moreover, WiFi, radio, and high-speed Ethernet tethering ensure communication in shallow water environments, enabling both autonomous operation and tethered deployments. This open, modular architecture reduces barriers to underwater research while promoting collaborative innovation and establishing a shared research infrastructure for marine science and robotics.
{"title":"An open-source underwater robotics platform for aquatic research & exploration","authors":"Scott Mayberry, Jinzhi Cai, Ruochu Yang, Junkai Wang, Fumin Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00715","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00715","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Underwater research is often constrained by the specialized expertise, high costs, and dedicated facilities required for traditional aquatic experiments, limiting participation from smaller research groups. In response, we introduce an open-source miniature underwater robot (MUR) platform that broadens access to aquatic research and exploration while simplifying experimental implementation. Built on a fully networked ROS ecosystem, our platform integrates advanced sensing, control, and versatile communication capabilities to support real-time data acquisition and sensor fusion. Its modular 5-degree-of-freedom propulsion system enables precise position, yaw, and roll control, with passive pitch stability through neutral buoyancy supporting steady station-keeping and dynamic trajectory tracking. Equipped with multiple cameras, the system facilitates advanced perception tasks essential for complex underwater operations. Moreover, WiFi, radio, and high-speed Ethernet tethering ensure communication in shallow water environments, enabling both autonomous operation and tethered deployments. This open, modular architecture reduces barriers to underwater research while promoting collaborative innovation and establishing a shared research infrastructure for marine science and robotics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article e00715"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145568247","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-13DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00722
Nipuna Chamara , Yufeng Ge , Sabrina Russo
Measuring flame, air, and soil temperatures during wildland fires, including wildfires and controlled burns in land management contexts, is crucial for research and applications in fire ecology, safety, and management in a wide array of ecosystems, from grasslands to forests. However, open-source and commercial systems are needed for measuring and logging flame and air temperatures that are user-friendly, economical, modular, and customizable. This paper details the design, development, and validation of the FireLog system. Laboratory validation experiments demonstrated high measurement accuracy, with a minimum coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.98 and the highest observed root mean square error (RMSE) of 29.5 °C when compared with a Campbell Scientific data logger in furnace tests spanning 20–1000 °C. These results confirm the FireLog system’s precision, repeatability, and robustness under controlled conditions. Field deployment during prescribed burns further validated its operational performance, confirming its ability to record temperature dynamics reliably in active fire environments. FireLog represents a practical and scalable tool for researchers and practitioners in fire science and land management.
{"title":"FireLog: An open-source, low-cost system for temperature logging during wildland fires with high spatial and temporal resolution","authors":"Nipuna Chamara , Yufeng Ge , Sabrina Russo","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00722","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00722","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Measuring flame, air, and soil temperatures during wildland fires, including wildfires and controlled burns in land management contexts, is crucial for research and applications in fire ecology, safety, and management in a wide array of ecosystems, from grasslands to forests. However, open-source and commercial systems are needed for measuring and logging flame and air temperatures that are user-friendly, economical, modular, and customizable. This paper details the design, development, and validation of the FireLog system. Laboratory validation experiments demonstrated high measurement accuracy, with a minimum coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.98 and the highest observed root mean square error (RMSE) of 29.5 °C when compared with a Campbell Scientific data logger in furnace tests spanning 20–1000 °C. These results confirm the FireLog system’s precision, repeatability, and robustness under controlled conditions. Field deployment during prescribed burns further validated its operational performance, confirming its ability to record temperature dynamics reliably in active fire environments. FireLog represents a practical and scalable tool for researchers and practitioners in fire science and land management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article e00722"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145568248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-12DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00721
Giovanni Barbera , Nicholas J. Beacher , Da-Ting Lin
Here we present and validate an open-source motorized swivel which allows simultaneous neural and behavioral recording from rodents during drug infusion experiments. Cable and drug line tangling represents a limiting factor for neural recordings in freely moving rodents. This limits the scope of experiments that can be carried out using currently available commutators.
The proposed device offers a cost-effective solution to the problem of cable twisting and line tangling during experiments in freely moving rodents, enabling in vivo recordings for new experimental paradigms such as drug self-administration. Additionally, it requires minimal human supervision, simplifying the experimental design pipeline and facilitating scalability.
To demonstrate the usefulness and functionality of the device, we performed in vivo miniscope imaging in rat during a drug self-administration task, showing individual neurons’ response to drug seeking and consumption.
{"title":"A device for simultaneous neural recording and drug infusion in rodents","authors":"Giovanni Barbera , Nicholas J. Beacher , Da-Ting Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00721","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00721","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Here we present and validate an open-source motorized swivel which allows simultaneous neural and behavioral recording from rodents during drug infusion experiments. Cable and drug line tangling represents a limiting factor for neural recordings in freely moving rodents. This limits the scope of experiments that can be carried out using currently available commutators.</div><div>The proposed device offers a cost-effective solution to the problem of cable twisting and line tangling during experiments in freely moving rodents, enabling in vivo recordings for new experimental paradigms such as drug self-administration. Additionally, it requires minimal human supervision, simplifying the experimental design pipeline and facilitating scalability.</div><div>To demonstrate the usefulness and functionality of the device, we performed in vivo miniscope imaging in rat during a drug self-administration task, showing individual neurons’ response to drug seeking and consumption.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article e00721"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145519559","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-04DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00719
David Sarabia-Jácome, Eduard Grasa, Marisa Catalán
The proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT) has exposed fundamental challenges in scalability, security, and management within conventional network architectures. The Recursive InterNetwork Architecture (RINA) presents a “clean slate” alternative, promising inherent solutions to these issues by redesigning networking from first principles. However, the practical exploration and adoption of RINA have been hampered by a lack of accessible, low-cost, and open-source hardware tailored for resource-constrained IoT environments. This paper introduces the RINAsense node, an open-source hardware platform designed to bridge this gap. The hardware is based on a low-power ESP32 microcontroller and integrates environmental sensors for temperature, humidity, and carbon monoxide, all managed by a custom RINAsense firmware designed specifically for embedded systems. The hardware was deployed and validated in an operational smart building testbed, demonstrating its capabilities as a reproducible scientific instrument. The validation confirmed the hardware’s successful operation, achieving low-latency communication with an average round-trip delay of 2.05 ms and a remarkable 82% reduction in energy consumption compared to non-optimized operation, a critical factor for battery-powered IoT devices. By providing a fully documented and replicable design, the RINAsense node lowers the barrier to entry for practical RINA research and experimentation, contributing directly to the open science and reproducibility goals of the research community.
{"title":"RINAsense: An open-source, low-power IoT sensor node for Recursive InterNetwork Architecture (RINA) Experimentation","authors":"David Sarabia-Jácome, Eduard Grasa, Marisa Catalán","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00719","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00719","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT) has exposed fundamental challenges in scalability, security, and management within conventional network architectures. The Recursive InterNetwork Architecture (RINA) presents a “clean slate” alternative, promising inherent solutions to these issues by redesigning networking from first principles. However, the practical exploration and adoption of RINA have been hampered by a lack of accessible, low-cost, and open-source hardware tailored for resource-constrained IoT environments. This paper introduces the RINAsense node, an open-source hardware platform designed to bridge this gap. The hardware is based on a low-power ESP32 microcontroller and integrates environmental sensors for temperature, humidity, and carbon monoxide, all managed by a custom RINAsense firmware designed specifically for embedded systems. The hardware was deployed and validated in an operational smart building testbed, demonstrating its capabilities as a reproducible scientific instrument. The validation confirmed the hardware’s successful operation, achieving low-latency communication with an average round-trip delay of 2.05 ms and a remarkable 82% reduction in energy consumption compared to non-optimized operation, a critical factor for battery-powered IoT devices. By providing a fully documented and replicable design, the RINAsense node lowers the barrier to entry for practical RINA research and experimentation, contributing directly to the open science and reproducibility goals of the research community.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article e00719"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145466667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-27DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00718
Siluo Chen , Yu Chen , Jing Huang , Chengyu Liu , Kan Luo
Continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring is essential for the early detection of cardiac arrhythmias and other heart conditions. However, conventional wet electrode-based systems often cause skin irritation and signal degradation, making them uncomfortable and unsuitable for long-term daily use. In this study, we present a fully open-source, low-cost (∼$14), miniaturized (∼50 × 35 × 28 mm3), and lightweight (∼60 g), wearable ECG monitoring platform that uses non-contact, active, dry electrodes based on capacitive coupling. The system integrates ultra-high input impedance electrode circuitry, an analog front-end integrated circuit, Bluetooth wireless communication, and an Android mobile application for real-time signal visualization and storage. Comprehensive validation shows that the system reliably acquires ECG signals through light to moderate clothing, with clear preservation of key features, such as QRS complexes, and accurate heart rate estimation. Comparative experiments with a commercial, clinical-grade ECG monitor demonstrate excellent agreement in rhythm tracking, and systematic module-level power analysis highlights further opportunities for low-power optimization. All hardware designs, firmware, and software are openly released to accelerate innovation and reproducibility in the field of wearable, non-contact ECG monitoring. The proposed platform provides a practical, extensible, and accessible reference for researchers aiming to advance next-generation cardiac monitoring technologies.
{"title":"Open-source low-cost non-contact ECG monitoring system using active dry electrodes","authors":"Siluo Chen , Yu Chen , Jing Huang , Chengyu Liu , Kan Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00718","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00718","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring is essential for the early detection of cardiac arrhythmias and other heart conditions. However, conventional wet electrode-based systems often cause skin irritation and signal degradation, making them uncomfortable and unsuitable for long-term daily use. In this study, we present a fully open-source, low-cost (∼$14), miniaturized (∼50 × 35 × 28 mm<sup>3</sup>), and lightweight (∼60 g), wearable ECG monitoring platform that uses non-contact, active, dry electrodes based on capacitive coupling. The system integrates ultra-high input impedance electrode circuitry, an analog front-end integrated circuit, Bluetooth wireless communication, and an Android mobile application for real-time signal visualization and storage. Comprehensive validation shows that the system reliably acquires ECG signals through light to moderate clothing, with clear preservation of key features, such as QRS complexes, and accurate heart rate estimation. Comparative experiments with a commercial, clinical-grade ECG monitor demonstrate excellent agreement in rhythm tracking, and systematic module-level power analysis highlights further opportunities for low-power optimization. All hardware designs, firmware, and software are openly released to accelerate innovation and reproducibility in the field of wearable, non-contact ECG monitoring. The proposed platform provides a practical, extensible, and accessible reference for researchers aiming to advance next-generation cardiac monitoring technologies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article e00718"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145416973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-19DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00717
A. Escobar-Díaz , A. Villarreal , B. Zárate-Nicolas , A. Rojas-Olivos
Electrodes that measure the oxidation–reduction potential (ORP) assess the relationship between oxidized and reduced substances that may exist in water disinfection processes. This work presents the implementation and characterization of an ORP measurement system using the Atlas Scientific ORP sensor, integrated with an Arduino R4 development board as the control and data transmission unit. The main objective is to develop an economical, fast, and reliable solution for the continuous monitoring of the bacteriological quality of water in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The system operates in real time, transmitting information to remote platforms. The manufacturing and integration stages of the system, as well as its calibration and experimental validation, are described. The results indicate that a properly calibrated sensor provides accurate measurements, making it a viable and cost-effective alternative to traditional laboratory equipment or bacteriological analyses that require long processing times. Additionally, by monitoring the ORP variable in a WWTP, alerts can be generated for variations related to microbial load in the wastewater treatment process, enabling immediate corrective actions before discharge into surface water bodies.
{"title":"System design for monitoring REDOX potential in treated water using an ORP sensor","authors":"A. Escobar-Díaz , A. Villarreal , B. Zárate-Nicolas , A. Rojas-Olivos","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00717","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00717","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electrodes that measure the oxidation–reduction potential (ORP) assess the relationship between oxidized and reduced substances that may exist in water disinfection processes. This work presents the implementation and characterization of an ORP measurement system using the Atlas Scientific ORP sensor, integrated with an Arduino R4 development board as the control and data transmission unit. The main objective is to develop an economical, fast, and reliable solution for the continuous monitoring of the bacteriological quality of water in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The system operates in real time, transmitting information to remote platforms. The manufacturing and integration stages of the system, as well as its calibration and experimental validation, are described. The results indicate that a properly calibrated sensor provides accurate measurements, making it a viable and cost-effective alternative to traditional laboratory equipment or bacteriological analyses that require long processing times. Additionally, by monitoring the ORP variable in a WWTP, alerts can be generated for variations related to microbial load in the wastewater treatment process, enabling immediate corrective actions before discharge into surface water bodies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article e00717"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145362741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-15DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00716
Ryan T. Chaffer, Joseph Johnson, Matthew J. DiDomizio, Mark B. McKinnon
As some materials are heated they undergo thermal decomposition, resulting in a change in the material’s physical structure and chemical composition through a process called pyrolysis. During pyrolysis, flammable vapors are driven off the material; if those vapors are released in the presence of oxygen, flaming combustion may occur. Combustion can accelerate the decomposition process, making it difficult to isolate and harvest partially decomposed material samples for subsequent analysis. Due to this difficulty, the thermo-physical changes to materials undergoing pyrolysis have not been extensively studied. A new apparatus, termed the Anaerobic Pyrolysis Chamber (APC), was designed to produce gram-scale samples of partially decomposed materials by pyrolyzing those materials under a defined heating protocol and in an inert atmosphere. The APC consists of a decomposition chamber positioned within a muffle furnace, and an instrumentation package designed to monitor and control the temperature, pressure, and oxygen concentration within the decomposition chamber. The driving purpose of the APC was to produce solid products of pyrolysis for study in other measurement apparatus. The performance of the apparatus has been characterized, and the APC has been used to support property measurement in research studies.
{"title":"Anaerobic Pyrolysis Chamber: An atmosphere-controlled furnace for controlled-atmosphere thermal decomposition","authors":"Ryan T. Chaffer, Joseph Johnson, Matthew J. DiDomizio, Mark B. McKinnon","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00716","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00716","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As some materials are heated they undergo thermal decomposition, resulting in a change in the material’s physical structure and chemical composition through a process called pyrolysis. During pyrolysis, flammable vapors are driven off the material; if those vapors are released in the presence of oxygen, flaming combustion may occur. Combustion can accelerate the decomposition process, making it difficult to isolate and harvest partially decomposed material samples for subsequent analysis. Due to this difficulty, the thermo-physical changes to materials undergoing pyrolysis have not been extensively studied. A new apparatus, termed the Anaerobic Pyrolysis Chamber (APC), was designed to produce gram-scale samples of partially decomposed materials by pyrolyzing those materials under a defined heating protocol and in an inert atmosphere. The APC consists of a decomposition chamber positioned within a muffle furnace, and an instrumentation package designed to monitor and control the temperature, pressure, and oxygen concentration within the decomposition chamber. The driving purpose of the APC was to produce solid products of pyrolysis for study in other measurement apparatus. The performance of the apparatus has been characterized, and the APC has been used to support property measurement in research studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article e00716"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145362740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-08DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00713
Julius Korsimaa, Martin Weber, Edward Hæggström, Ari Salmi
Wireless sensor networks require time synchronization to operate in a coordinated manner. Synchronizing the clock of each sensor node by using a network protocol can be sufficient for millisecond accuracy, whereas precision in the range of nanoseconds can be achieved by using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers.
Unfortunately, the use of GNSS signals requires an unobstructed view of the sky, and thus they cannot be used indoors or underground. Additionally, GNSS is susceptible to jamming and spoofing, and their use depends on the availability of global infrastructure.
To address these limitations, we propose a trigger signal distribution system based on the DWM1000 IEEE 802.15.4-2011 ultra-wideband transceiver module. A network of two or more modules can be configured to wirelessly distribute trigger signals with a typical jitter of less than 4 ns.
This approach can be applied in, e.g., structural health monitoring with ultrasonic guided waves. We used the solution to coordinate signal transmission and reception in a wireless sensor network.
{"title":"Wireless trigger distribution with nanosecond jitter based on ultra-wideband transceiver modules","authors":"Julius Korsimaa, Martin Weber, Edward Hæggström, Ari Salmi","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00713","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00713","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wireless sensor networks require time synchronization to operate in a coordinated manner. Synchronizing the clock of each sensor node by using a network protocol can be sufficient for millisecond accuracy, whereas precision in the range of nanoseconds can be achieved by using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers.</div><div>Unfortunately, the use of GNSS signals requires an unobstructed view of the sky, and thus they cannot be used indoors or underground. Additionally, GNSS is susceptible to jamming and spoofing, and their use depends on the availability of global infrastructure.</div><div>To address these limitations, we propose a trigger signal distribution system based on the DWM1000 IEEE 802.15.4-2011 ultra-wideband transceiver module. A network of two or more modules can be configured to wirelessly distribute trigger signals with a typical jitter of less than <span><math><mo>±</mo></math></span>4<!--> <!-->ns.</div><div>This approach can be applied in, e.g., structural health monitoring with ultrasonic guided waves. We used the solution to coordinate signal transmission and reception in a wireless sensor network.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article e00713"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145320699","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-08DOI: 10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00714
Julius Bernd Zimmermann, Marcus Herbig
When it comes to moisture- or air-sensitive chemicals, often the Schlenk technique is used to achieve safe and reliable results. In this article, we present an open-source and low-cost microcontroller-based alternative for vacuum sensors for this application. In Schlenk technique, the atmosphere in the reaction apparatus is replaced with an inert gas like argon or nitrogen. To do so, the apparatus first needs to be evacuated. To monitor the pressure level, vacuum sensors are used. Commercially available vacuum sensors typically are expensive and hard or even impossible to repair. Thus, we like to present our open-source and low-cost alternative, which uses a Pirani-type sensor and a Wheatstone bridge. The cross-voltage in this bridge circuit is amplified by an OpAmp and converted into a digital signal through a 12-bit ADC. The processing of this data is achieved through an ATtiny84, which also controls a 0.91-inch OLED display to show the current pressure. The device is battery powered and optimized for long runtime.
{"title":"OpenVac: An open-source low-cost fine vacuum sensor","authors":"Julius Bernd Zimmermann, Marcus Herbig","doi":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00714","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00714","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>When it comes to moisture- or air-sensitive chemicals, often the Schlenk technique is used to achieve safe and reliable results. In this article, we present an open-source and low-cost microcontroller-based alternative for vacuum sensors for this application. In Schlenk technique, the atmosphere in the reaction apparatus is replaced with an inert gas like argon or nitrogen. To do so, the apparatus first needs to be evacuated. To monitor the pressure level, vacuum sensors are used. Commercially available vacuum sensors typically are expensive and hard or even impossible to repair. Thus, we like to present our open-source and low-cost alternative, which uses a Pirani-type sensor and a Wheatstone bridge. The cross-voltage in this bridge circuit is amplified by an OpAmp and converted into a digital signal through a 12-bit ADC. The processing of this data is achieved through an ATtiny84, which also controls a 0.91-inch OLED display to show the current pressure. The device is battery powered and optimized for long runtime.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37503,"journal":{"name":"HardwareX","volume":"24 ","pages":"Article e00714"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145320700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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