bcMeter Pi

Redesigned Raspberry Pi Python codebase for the bcMeter — a portable black carbon measurement device for citizen science and air quality monitoring.

This repository replaces the legacy Raspberry Pi codebase with a redesign focused on maintainability, reliability, and a clearer installation and update workflow. The legacy Raspberry Pi repository remains available at dahljo/bcmeter.

Features

• Optical absorption measurement for black carbon monitoring
• ADS8344E (SPI) + MCP342X (I2C) ADC support
• FastAPI-based web API and configuration interface
• OTA updates via GitHub Releases
• CSV data logging with session management
• Optional BME280 / SHT4x environmental sensors
• Optional SPS30 particulate matter sensor
• Optional GPS positioning
• Optional SIM7080G cellular modem support
• Multi-wavelength measurement support is in development

Installation

Recommended: download the current Raspberry Pi bcMeter image from bcmeter.org, flash it to a microSD card, boot the Raspberry Pi, then complete setup through the bcMeter web interface.

Manual installation is also possible on a fresh Raspberry Pi OS Lite installation. After booting the Pi with network access, log in and run:

wget -N https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dahljo/bcmeter-pi/main/install.sh
sudo bash install.sh

Project Structure

• bcmeter/ — Core modules (sensors, optics, pump, config, measurement engine)
• api/ — FastAPI REST API routes
• interface/ — Web frontend assets
• main.py — Application entry point
• bcMeter_config.json — Default configuration template; installed devices keep their local runtime config during updates

Helper Scripts

• install.sh — Bootstrap wrapper for fresh Raspberry Pi OS Lite installs; it downloads/updates the installer and runs it inside screen.
• install.py — Main installer/updater used by the image, manual installs, OTA updates, and v1-to-v2 migrations.
• bcmctl_pi.py — LAN maintenance CLI for discovering Pi devices, checking status, starting/stopping measurement, syncing time, downloading CSV files, and pushing controlled updates.
• bcmeter-qc.py — On-device QC entry point that runs the Raspberry Pi bcMeter quality-check workflow through the local API.

License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). For commercial licensing, visit bcmeter.org.