How does it work?

This is the air quality sensor that is hanging outside the window of my apartment:

I started with an air quality sensor from the SensorCommunity project. This is a project that has built a worldwide network of air quality sensors run by volunteers. My sensor also contributes data to this project.

I got the parts, assembled the air quality sensor and flashed the firmware using the instructions from the SensorCommunity project.

These are the internal parts that make up the air quality sensor:

The actual air quality sensor is the square-shaped device on the left.

I have written a programme that collects the data from this sensor every three minutes, which is exactly the interval between the sensor's readings. The data is written to my own database, allowing me to plot my own graphs, check historical data, send email alerts, and most importantly, build this website that is easy to use and updated every three minutes.

Feel free to get in touch if you want more technical details about this project.