Closing the Data Gap on Black Carbon.
The bcMeter is a precise, open-source black carbon measurement device. From citizen scientists to NGOs and environmental research ā we provide the data you need to understand air pollution.
Why Measure Black Carbon?
Black carbon (soot) poses serious health risks and contributes significantly to global warming (IPCC 20-year COā equivalent factor of 2421). Yet, measurement sites remain scarce due to high costs.
bcMeter solves this. It offers a cost-effective, open-source platform to establish a global network of measurements.
Self-Assembly Kit
For Makers & Education
A kit designed for citizen scientists and private users (non-commercial). Build it yourself and learn.
- Complete electronics design
- Requires soldering & assembly
- 3D print files included
Tested & Validated
Lab-Validated Performance
The bcMeter has been tested and validated against professional-grade aethalometers by independent laboratories, universities and environmental agencies.
- Validated against MAAP, AE33, microAeth
- Field-tested by NGOs and research institutions
- Evaluated in the VMM CompAIR project
Pro & IoT
Certifications in progress
Enhanced configurations for emission monitoring and IoT integration.
- 3G/4G Mobile Support
- PM2.5
- Optional GNSS/GPS
Open Source ā Build Your Own
The bcMeter is open source under the CC BY-NC 4.0 License. All design files are freely available to build your own for private, educational or research use.
Validated Precision
Performance comparison against established professional aethalometers.
Note: MAAP comparison was in early testing stage. Noise has since been significantly reduced.
Independent Research & Validation
š Hofman, J. et al. (2024): Portable Sensors for Dynamic Exposure Assessments in Urban Environments: State of the Science. Sensors, 24(17), 5653. Benchmarking study by researchers from VITO and VMM assessing 10 portable sensor systems under laboratory and real-world conditions. Strong BC measurement performance (RĀ² = 0.82ā0.83, MAE = 0.2ā0.3 Āµg/mĀ³), confirming filter-based light attenuation as a robust method for black carbon quantification. Read the full paper ā
š Doldi, A. et al. (2025): Evaluating the performance of the low-cost black carbon sensor bcMeter at an urban background site. Gefahrstoffe ā Reinhaltung der Luft, 85(1-2), 5ā11. Independent evaluation against an AE33 aethalometer at an urban background site in Germany (University of Milano-Bicocca / Institut fĆ¼r Energie- und Umwelttechnik). Daily averages showed good correlation with the reference instrument (RĀ² = 0.77ā0.79). View publication ā
š Konrat, F. (2025): Evaluating the performance of low-cost BC sensors for air pollution measurements. Master Thesis (not peer-reviewed), University of Potsdam / Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS). 32-day multi-site collocation study against a reference AE33 aethalometer at peri-urban and traffic locations. bcMeter accuracy was found comparable to the well-documented ABCD low-cost BC sensor. A newer hardware revision achieved better MAPE and outperformed the microAeth AE51 (adj. RĀ² ā 0.8 vs AE33) on several measurement days.
Downloads & Getting Started
2. Installation Steps
- Flash: Unzip file and use Balena Etcher to write
.imgto microSD. - Boot: Insert card, wait 2-3 mins. Device creates WiFi.
- Connect: Join WiFi
bcMeter(Pass:bcMeterbcMeter). - Setup: Go to
http://bcmeter.local. - Important: Trigger an update immediately after login to expand storage!
Development Log
December 2025
I recently fixed numerous software bugs in the bcMeter’s frontend and backend. It is recommended to download the new file image for microSD-Cards below and do a fresh installation after backing up your logs (and config, if needed).
The parallel workload from my freelance activities is resulting in a rescheduled release date for the multi-wavelength bcMeter.
May 2025
Time goes by and just like that the plannings for bcMeter began 5 years ago. Since then, components and availabilities have changed a LOT. And as well our and your needs – the current development focuses on sampling 2-3 wavelenghts to further determine the source of black carbon pollution.
This includes a different hardware setup with a new analogue/digital converter over SPI instead of i2c, being able to technically sample 8 channels. The release is planned for fall.
11.10.2024
Over the last months bcMeter was part of the VMM CompAIR project which has now concluded.
01.05.2024
Released new Board Revision 2024.2 and case for 3d printing – major updates in accuracy, usability and interface.
28.11.2023
Great news! The VMM (Flanders Environment Agency) decided to support the further development of the bcMeter for improved accuracy and usability. New revision planned for early 2024.
27.02.2023
New Update uploaded to github! The main concern was the connectivity (AP Mode added). The next big thing was the control of air volume, which is now possible.
* Optional Access Point Mode
* Timestamp correction
* PWM 5V via Software for basic pump control
* Tantalum filter added for ADC
10.05.2022
New Gerbers for PCB manufacturing uploaded!
* Header for heating-plate
* Port for DSB18B20 temperature sensor
* 1602 Display Connector
* Case optimizations (more tolerance)
01.08.2021
First release of the bcMeter open-source black carbon measurement project! Thanks to DUH (Environmental Action Germany).