Closing the Data Gap on Black Carbon.
An open-source aethalometer for research institutions, environmental agencies, and NGOs. Validated against professional instruments — at a fraction of the cost.
Why Measure Black Carbon?
Black carbon (soot) poses serious health risks and contributes significantly to global warming (IPCC 20-year CO₂ equivalent factor of 2421). Yet, measurement sites remain scarce due to high costs.
bcMeter changes this — as a cost-effective, open-source platform for a global measurement network.
Real-Time Dashboard
Browser-Based Interface
Monitor measurements live from any device on your network — no cloud account, no subscription.
- Live BC, PM2.5, temperature, humidity
- Interactive charts with zoom and dual axes
- Export to CSV, SVG, or PNG
- 3-step setup wizard
Tested & Validated
Lab-Validated Performance
Validated against professional-grade aethalometers by independent labs, universities, and environmental agencies.
- Compared to MAAP, AE33, microAeth
- R² = 0.77–0.83 against reference instruments
- Published in peer-reviewed journals
Connectivity & IoT
Field-Ready Deployment
Deploy anywhere — from urban monitoring stations to remote field sites.
- WiFi with local web interface
- Optional 4G/LTE for remote sites
- Optional GPS for mobile sampling
- Optional PM2.5/PM10 sensor
Open Source – CC BY-NC 4.0
All design files, firmware, and schematics are freely available for private, educational, and research use. Build your own or contribute to the project.
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
Hofman, J. et al. (2024): Portable Sensors for Dynamic Exposure Assessments in Urban Environments. Sensors, 24(17), 5653. Benchmarking by VITO and VMM — strong BC measurement performance (R² = 0.82–0.83). Read the full paper →
Doldi, A. et al. (2025): Evaluating the performance of the low-cost black carbon sensor bcMeter. Gefahrstoffe – Reinhaltung der Luft, 85(1-2). Independent evaluation by University of Milano-Bicocca (R² = 0.77–0.79). View publication →
Konrat, F. (2025): Evaluating the performance of low-cost BC sensors for air pollution measurements. Master Thesis, University of Potsdam / RIFS. 32-day collocation study — accuracy comparable to established low-cost BC sensors, newer revision outperformed microAeth AE51.
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
Numerous software bugs fixed in frontend and backend. Recommended: download the new image and do a fresh installation after backing up logs.
Multi-wavelength bcMeter release rescheduled — development focuses on 2-3 wavelengths for source apportionment with a new ADC over SPI (8 channels).
October 2024
bcMeter was part of the VMM CompAIR project which has now concluded.
May 2024
New Board Revision 2024.2 and 3D-printed case released — major updates in accuracy, usability, and interface.
November 2023
The VMM (Flanders Environment Agency) supports further development of bcMeter for improved accuracy and usability.
August 2021
First release of bcMeter. Thanks to DUH (Environmental Action Germany).