Portable Weather Station

Abstract

In this thesis a foundation is laid for a low cost, energy efficient and a fully automatic weather station. The novelties of the station are its ability to acquire GPS coordinate information automatically in addition to weather data and send it via the GSM network to a communication server. It is also portable and includes most common weather sensing options and good accuracy. The station can be beneficial for receiving and collecting data at relatively low cost and transmits the data wherever there is a GSM coverage.The station is comprised of several components that, when assembled, are called an embedded system. Its main components are a microcontroller, a GSM communication module, a GPS module and weather sensors. Key terms and technology behind the system are explained and defined.The station’s main requirements and specifications of components are analyzed. Suitable and task specific components are compared to find the most appropriate ones for the system. The highest ranking components compared and thus, most appropriate are the STM32L053R6 ARM M0+ microcontroller from STMicroelectronics, the SIM908 GSM GPS combination module from SIMCom, a digital thermometer and an aerovane wind sensor.A prototype of the station was constructed that simulates its functionality. The construction was split into two phases, a hardware circuitry design and construction phase and a firmware design and development phase. Weather sensors are simulated with potentiometers that send signals that are acquired and interpreted by the MCU. The MCU also acquires GPS coordinates and sends the information to a communication server, via the GSM network, for storage and from there the data can be viewed online.Expected power consumption analysis of the prototype reveals that the station can run autonomously for several months.