CO2 sensor and real-time plotter

Introduction

This is a simple and fairly inexpensively air quality sensor. It measures CO2 and total VOC (volatile organic content) levels in the air.An LCD display and two status LEDs indicate the CO2 level. If desired, the unit can be connected to a computer to display the evolution of CO2 and TVOC in real-time.

Technical principle

The air quality is measured with the popular CCS 811 sensor, connected to the Arduino via I2C. The communication with the LCD display is also done via I2C (other displays and/or communication modes are certainly possible). Finally, 2 status LEDs connected to pins 2 and 3 give a direct visual indication of air quality.All components are assembled inside an upcycled chocolate box (Ferrero Rocher)! The unit is powered directly by the USB cable, which also transfers the data to the PC.

Real-time data plotter (optional)

If desired, the sensor can be connected to a PC. A Processing application automatically connects to the sensor and displays the data.