Low Cost Smart Weather Station Using Arduino and ZigBee

Zaid Khudhur Hussein1 Hadi Jameel Hadi 2 Mousa Riyadh Abdul-Mutaleb3

1
Department of Medical Instrumentation Technical Engineering,
3
Department of Civil Engineering, Al-Esraa University College, Baghdad- Iraq

2
Department of Computer Engineering Techniques, Al-Mustafa University College, Baghdad-
Iraq

1
E-mail: zaid.khudhur@esraa.edu.iq ,2E-mail: hadi.cet@almustafauniversity.edu.iq

3
E-mail: mosa.riyadh@esraa.edu.iq

`Abstract

The paper presents low cost effective weather station with monitoring system by
using ZigBee communication technique, that serve as a communication channel by
using hardware and sensors (to transmit and receive data) in the weather station
system, Using ZigBee over the Bluetooth for the short coverage distance about (1-
10m) and over the (WLAN) (wireless local area network) or WIFI, a WLAN has
limitation like delay, lacking BW of the handover of a large amount of data, and
some Areas have no Internet coverage .

The system was implementation and design, the weather station using Arduino
Uno board and five sensors gives sixth reading data (Rain state, Wind Level, Air
Pressure, Dust Density, Temperature & Humidity), the data can be storage in SD
card on receiving (clouding and main Processing side) from more than one
transmitter node (ZigBee Network), it can be retrieved the data in any time and
date. Results showed the system has no delay and the data reputedly changing ever
second with the new reading.

Keywords: ZigBee, wireless sensor networks, clouding, Arduino.

1.Introduction

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Generally, in all worldwide the weather is very important to people’s life, in some
situation the weather state is (rainy, hot, dry, dusty and windy etc……), we must
know these states before going to some were to take Precautions.

In Iraq the weather states always changing, temperature degree is very hot in
summer, the humidity very high in south of Iraq, Rainy in north of Iraq and to
measure the all these states of data we need devices to measure the weather states
in all area that need to know their states and we used the wireless weather station
device without Internet by using ZigBee Network with Arduino microcontroller
and the sensors to measure the weather states.

Arduino is an open-source board ,Arduino contains individually a physical

programmable circuit boarding (microcontroller) with a part software, or IDE
which works in a PC, and write with upload PC code in the board(Arduino board).

The ZigBee technique is interoperable amongst constructers with maintenances

have main number of nodes. System delivers contacting between several electronic
procedures as a cooperative and graphical interface to control these devices. [1]
The model a parallel processing like joining one or extra microcontroller (built in
proposal system). and Interface of microcontrollers composed to construct in
master/slave procedure that usages one main (master) with one or extra (slave)
microcontrollers. [2]
In this paper, the system was implementation and design, the weather station using
Arduino Uno board and five sensors gives sixth reading data (Rain state, wind
Level, Air Pressure, Dust, Temperature & Humidity) the data transmitted from the
station by using Zigbee communication technique (ZigBee Network) like the
communication channel and got to the receiver.
The main objectives of proposed system are, the weather station provides six reads,
the weather station doesn’t need the Internet therefore we can use it in any location

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and the weather station use ZigBee communication technology that has high
coverage area (from 120m to 64Km).

2.Related Works

In this section, some discussed various approaches that using Arduino and ZigBee
technology System with their features, Shih-Pang Tseng et al [3] present Smart
House Monitor & Supervisor (SHMS), using ZigBee techniques, the sensors with
actuators that attached via ZigBee technique system. The design is smart socket,
that work remote control by Zigbee. The computer host is worked like an
information data with motion sensing, the information transported for VM on the
cloud. Nazrul Nayan, Ili A.M. Ikhsan [1] present designed and improvement of
ZigBee technique, that functions such a communication channel in the hardware
with sensors in a house automation method in smart houses. LCD which worked to
show in system on the receiver. they indication the ZigBee network is used to the
design with implementation effectively on prototype with applies which worked to
improve the house automation system. Bhure Babarao, Sonawane Ramesh [4]
present a system identified as HEMS. It will decrease the power consumption by
working on home energy. And outlet different home appliances connect over
ZigBee communication to turn on or off the home appliance. Proposed architecture
gives power saving and energy organization; and afford a security to the home by
using different sensors & GSM. Zaid Abdulzahra Jabbar, R.S. Kawitkar [5]
introduced cheap commercial with resilient house control with monitoring system,
Smart home interfaces and expedient descriptions to confirm interoperability
amongst ZigBee system for different creators an electrical device, meters with
Smart Energy enables produces for permit manufactured.

Hadi Jameel Hadi [6] present system design use XBee wireless technique
communications, which is able to transmitter / receive a transmission information
among central controller unit and various house sensor nodes to reading and

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sending Temperature, Gas Sensing and IR Security information. The tested results
illustration the wireless monitoring usage for the ability is recognized.

3. System Implementation

The main work in this paper to design and implementation a weather station
system. The work has two parts (hardware and software) implementations, and
block diagram for the weather station is representation and proposed as shown in
Figure 1.

ZigBee Tx

Temperature Rain Sensor

Sensor

Humidity Pressure
Sensor Arduino Sensor
UNO
Wind Speed Dust Density
Sensor Sensor

GLCD Display
(a)

ZigBee Rx

RTC
Arduino Nextion Touchscreen
SD Memory Uno

(b)

Figure.1 Block diagram of the station (a) Tx, (b) Rx.

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3.1 Hardware Implementation

hardware Implementation primarily involves a two Arduino Uno, Temperature and

Humidity (DHT11), a two ZigBee, Wind speed sensor (Type(0-9V) SKU:
SEN0170), BMP180 Digital Barometric Sensor Module – Model GY-68, Rain
sensor, Dust sensor (GP2Y1010AU0F), SD memory, Real Time Clock (DS1307)
sensor, GLCD and Nextion display which are being discussed with their specific
functions.

3.1.1 Arduino Uno:

Arduino is microcontroller boarding built on ATmega328P. the Arduino has 14
digital input/output pins (6 pins which uses as PWM outputs), 6 analog inputs 16
MHz quartz crystal, USB connection, power jack, ICSP header with a reset switch
[7].

Figure 2 Microcontroller Board (Arduino Uno)

Uno boarding has initial on a series for USB Arduino boards, with reference
typical to Arduino boards.
3.1.2. ZigBee Technology

ZigBee technology works on open global standard construct about the IEEE
802.15.4 MAC/PHY. it defines network layer over 802.15.4 layers that supporting
advanced mesh routing capabilities [5].

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The xBee Signal used AES encryption method, The AES method is a symmetric-
key secret message that is in cooperation with the transmitter node and the receiver
to employ a solitary key for encrypting and decrypting, Encryption has procedures
of transforming the text words into a layout that is uneasily decipherable which is
known as cipher. The cipher is acquired by performing a sequential arithmetical
operation based on iteration levels [8].

ZigBee networking element circuit with sensors ZigBee techniques is a modern

category for wireless, short, low power network communication techniques, and
several technological advantages, like a low (complexity, power consumption, and
cost), high (efficiency, and reliability) with the network coverage area is very wide
[5].

TABLE 1. Comparison of characteristics of Bluetooth, WLAN and ZigBee [1].

The XBee module which uses as medium to interaction with the communication
module among microcontrollers and serves like wireless network to information
transfer. There are two kinds of XBee devices are worked on house automation:
XBee S1 and XBee S2[5].

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 Figure 3. XBee S1 and S 2.

As shown in figure 3 the XBee S1 and S2 modules, the characteristics of the XBee
S1 and S2 modules are shown in Table 2.
Table 2. The characteristics of Series 1 and Series 2 Xbee modules [5].

3.1.3 Wind speed sensor

The three-type wind speed sensor is a device that determine wind speed. And using
9v dc voltage, Features: High hardness, Corrosion protection, Waterproofness and
High precision [9].
3.1.4 Barometric Pressure sensor

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The sensor is top low-cost to measure barometric pressure, temperature, And
altitude. The sensor welded on PCB of a 3.3V regulator, with pull up resistors has
I2 pins [10].

3.1.5 Rain sensor

The rain sensor is a tool to detect rain. And can be worked like switch when rain
drop falls over rainy board with the ability to measure the rain fall intensity [11].
3.1.6 Dust sensor

An infrared emitting diode with light depending resistor (LDR) phototransistor

were organized on the hardware. And can used find out the reflected light for dust
in air [12].
3.1.7 Temperature & Humidity Sensor (DHT11)

The board is sensor with the ability for measure temperature with humidity. The
advantage is grants high reliability, excellent long-term stability with very fast
response time [13].
3.1.8 Real Time Clock (DS1307)
The (RTC) is basically similar to the clock. works on the battery with retain time
even when there is a power is off. [14].
3.1.9 SD Memory
The SD Memory used to store the data from sensors Immediately, this data can be
displayed on nixtion touchscreen and search on old data any date and time.
3.2 Software Implementation

The software program for the station is using Arduino C program language. When
the program completed then uploads Arduino program to the microcontroller. The
device transmits information serially to its TX through ZigBee.

In this paper, the system is use the ZigBee technology to receive and transmit the
information. ZigBee wireless link is configured, then could accept information for

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other ZigBee units connected to hardware, a flowchart for weather station in figure
4 as shown below.

(a) (b)

Figure 4 Flowchart of Weather station ZigBee system (a) Tx, (b) Rx

4.Experimental Evolution
The weather station system implementation and designed by using Arduino Uno
and ZigBee technology with the sensors. The weather station has two part the
transmitter node weather station which consist from an Arduino Uno and ZigBee
with five sensors (Wind speed sensor, Pressure sensor, Rain sensor, Dust sensor,
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Temperature &Humidity Sensor) and GLCD to show the data is consider the
Transmitter node and the receiver part which is consist form an Arduino Uno and
ZigBee with Nextion to monitor the receiving data the proposed prototype is as
shown in Figure 5a and 5b.

The distance from Arduino based system station (transmitter node) ZigBee,
between 1 mile with the maximum range of ZigBee node (receiver sides or
transmitter sides) is 40 miles.

Figure 5a Weather station transmitter node.

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Figure 5b Weather station receiver node.

5.Result
A useful improved results from data values is determined in proposed weather
system. The obtained results when station worked along one week in Baghdad Iraq
at 8-12-2018 to 14-12-2018 for six reading (Temp, Hum, Rain, Wind, Pressure and
Dust) twice per day (7:00 AM, 4:00 PM) from the transmitter node is shown in
table 3 and table 4.

Tim
Sat Sun Mon Tus Wed Thu Fri
e
7:00
12oc 15oc 14oc 20oc 15oc 12oc 8oc
Tem AM

p 4:00
17oc 13oc 12oc 18oc 18oc 14oc 17oc
PM
7:00
91% 82% 82% 96% 91% 94% 91%
Hum AM
4:00 74% 87% 97% 63% 70% 68% 58%

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 PM

7:00 LIGHT
Sunny RAIN Sunny Sunny Sunny Sunny
AM RAIN
Rain
4:00 NO
Sunny Sunny Sunny Sunny Sunny Sunny
PM RAIN
7:00 18KM 10KM 18KM 11KM
5KMH 8KMH 8KMH
Win AM H H H H
d 4:00 10 10 11 11
3 KMH 5 KMH 3 KMH
PM KMH KMH KMH KMH
7:00 1019M 1021M 1021M 1021M 1020M 1021M 1019M
AM B B B B B B B
Pre
4:00 1020M 1021M 1021M 1021M 1020M 1021M 1019M
PM B B B B B B B
Table -3- Weather data from www.Weather.com.

Tim
Sat Sun Mon Tus Wed Thu Fri
e
7:00
11oc 16oc 13oc 21oc 13.5oc 12oc 8oc
Tem AM

p 4:00
16oc 12.5oc 11oc 18oc 17oc 13oc 16oc
PM
7:00
90% 84% 84% 92% 91% 92% 88%
AM
Hum
4:00
73% 88% 94% 60% 73% 70% 58%
PM
7:00
RAIN Sunny RAIN Sunny Sunny Sunny Sunny
AM
Rain NO
4:00
Sunny Sunny Sunny Sunny Sunny Sunny
PM RAIN

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 7:00 17KM 10KM 17KM 10KM
6KMH 7KMH 8KMH
Win AM H H H H
d 4:00 11KM 11KM 10KM 10KM
3KMH 6KMH 3KMH
PM H H H H
7:00 1018M 1022M 1021M 1021M 1020M 1022M 1020M
AM B B B B B B B
Pre
4:00 1019M 1021M 1021M 1020M 1021M 1020M 1019M
PM B B B B B B B
7:00
0.07 0.06 0.09 0.08 0.07 0.06 0.07
AM
Dust
4:00
0.09 0.07 0.1 0.09 0.07 0.08 0.06
PM

Table -4- Weather data from proposed weather station.

As we shown the difference between reading from table 3 (www.weather.com) and

the reading from table 4 (proposed weather station) is minimum, the difference in
temperature is about 2𝑜 𝐶, the difference in Humidity is about 3%, No difference in
Rain status, the difference in wind speed is about 1𝐾𝑀𝐻, the difference in pressure
is about 1𝑀𝐵.

Now we discussion the first day (8 December 2018) from the week were the
reading for both in www.weather .com and the proposed weather station are
calculated. For the Temperature reading is (11oC) was determined by prototype
weather station and the reading from www.weather.com was (12oC) and the
difference is (1% oC) between them. For the Humidity reading is (90%) was
determined by prototype weather station and the reading from www.weather.com
was (91%) and the difference is about (1% oC) between them. For the Pressure
reading is (1018MB) was determined by prototype weather station and the reading
from www.weather.com was (1019MB) and the difference is about (1) between
them. For the Rain status reading is (Rain) was determined by prototype weather

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station and the reading from www.weather.com was (Light Rain). . For the Wind
Speed reading is (17KMH) was determined by prototype weather station and the
reading from www.weather.com was (18KMH) and the difference is about (1)
between them.

5. Conclusion

In this paper, presented prototype system for low cost effective weather station
with monitoring system by using Arduino Uno and ZigBee communication
technique, to transmit and receive the weather data. And can sixth reading data
(Rain state, Wind Level, Air Pressure, Dust Density, Temperature & Humidity),
the data can be storage in SD card on receiving (clouding and main Processing
side) from more than one transmitter node (ZigBee Network), it can be retrieved
the data in any time and date. The difference in results from proposed weather
system compared with www.weather.com is very good in all the reading that
calculated form the proposed weather station and with difference between (1 to 2)
values.

6.References

[1] Nazrul Anuar Nayan, Ili A.M. Ikhsan Yasuhiro Takahashi. Using ZigBee
Communication Technology in a Smart Home Wireless Sensor Network.
Proceedings of Second International Conference on Modern Trends in Science,
Engineering and Technology. (2014) pp 19-25.
[2] Hadi Jameel, Husam Kareem. Low-Cost Energy-Efficient Smart Monitoring
System Using Open-Source Microcontrollers. International Review of
Automatic Control (I.RE.A.CO.), Vol. 9, (N. 6) (2016) pp 423-428.
[3] Shih-Pang Tseng, Bo-Rong Li, Jun-Long Pan, and Chia- Ju Lin. An
Application of Internet of Things with Motion Sensing on Smart House. IEEE
(2014) 978-1-4799-6284.

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[4] Bhure Babarao, Sonawane Ramesh. Home Energy Management System
with Security Using ZigBee Communication. International Journal of Innovative
Research in Advanced Engineering (IJIRAE) ISSN: Issue 3, Vol 2 (2015) 2349-
2163.

[5] Zaid Abdulzahra Jabbar, R.S. Kawitkar. Implementation of Smart Home

Control by Using Low Cost Arduino & Android Design. International Journal
of Advanced Research in Computer and Communication Engineering Vol. 5, Issue
2, (2016) pp 156-163.

[6] Hadi Jameel Hadi, Zaid Khudhur Hussein, Waail Mahmod Lafta. Design and
Implementation Smart Home Alarm System with Zigbee transceiver.
International Journal of Engineering & Technology, Vol 7(4) (2018) 3914-3917.
[7] Poonam B. Patil1, Rupali R. Patil2, Swati V. Patil3. Home Automation
System Using Android and Arduino Board. International Journal of Innovative
Research in Science, Engineering and Technology Vol. 5, (Issue 4)(2016) pp 5076-
5082.
[8] Estabraq Abd Kadhim, Zaid k. Hussein, and Hadi J. Hadi. AES Cryptography
Algorithm Based on Intelligent Blum-Blum-Shub PRNGs.Journal of
Engineering and Applied Sciences Vol.12 (Special Issue 10) ( 2017)9035-9040.
[9]https://www.dfrobot.com/wiki/index.php/Wind_Speed_Sensor_Voltage_Type(0
-9V)_SKU:SEN0170.
[10]https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/bmp180-barometric-pressure-sensor-
hookup-
[11] https://www.openhacks.com/.../rain_sensor_module.
[12] SHARP Corporation GP2Y1010AU0F datasheet Sheet No.: E4-A01501EN
Date Dec. 1. 2006.
[13] http://www.microbot.it Microbot – DHT11 Humidity and Temperature
Sensor.
[14] https://learn.adafruit.com/ds1307-real-time-clock-breakout-board-kit
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