Configuration

Configuration & Settings

Click Settings (gear icon) to configure the device. Settings are organized into tabs: Network, Measurement, Device, and Email.

Main Controls

• Start: Begins a measurement session. The device runs an initialization phase (20–30 seconds) to prime the pump and stabilize the optical chamber. Data points appear after the "Sample Time" has elapsed.
• Stop: Ends the session and saves the file.
• Log Files: Opens the file manager to download or delete session logs.

Network Tab

Manages wireless connectivity. This is the default view when opening Settings.

Setting	Description
WiFi	Scan for available networks, select a network, and enter a password. Use "Forget Network" to clear stored credentials and switch back to hotspot mode.
Hotspot Mode	Forces the device to create its own WiFi network, even if a known network is available.
Protect hotspot with WPA2 key	When enabled, secures the bcMeter hotspot with a custom password (minimum 8 characters) instead of the default.

Measurement Tab

Controls how the device takes measurements. When Auto Flow Control (AFC) is active, an informational banner summarizes the current AFC configuration.

Setting	Description
Time between samples	Default: 300s (5 min). Adjustable from 30s to 1 hour. Ambient monitoring: 180–600s. Emission monitoring: 10–30s. Increasing frequency may increase noise.
Airflow per minute	Default: 100 mL. Adjustable 50–750 mL. Higher flow improves signal but loads filter faster. Disabled when Auto Flow Control is active.
Auto-adjust airflow	Automatically adjusts airflow based on measured BC concentration. When BC is high, flow is reduced to extend filter life; when BC is low, flow is increased for better signal.
Target filter lifetime	Default: 20 days. Sets the target number of days a filter should last. The AFC algorithm uses this value to balance signal quality against filter longevity.
BC smoothing filter	Selects the algorithm for smoothing the Black Carbon signal: Median3 (3-point median, default — good balance of noise reduction and responsiveness), EMA (exponential moving average — smoother but slower), Kalman (adaptive smoothing that tracks signal dynamics).
Auto-start logging	Automatically begins measurement after device boot. Requires prior calibration. Power-loss recovery: If the device loses power during a measurement, it will automatically resume on next boot — regardless of this setting.
Location	Controls geographic coordinates: Automatic (uses best available source — GPS module (optional, ~5 m accuracy), cell tower lookup (optional, requires 4G module, ~1 km accuracy), or IP-based geolocation (~10–50 km accuracy)), Manual (enter lat/lon), or Off (no location stored).

An Airflow Reference table is shown below the settings, giving estimated filter lifetime (in days) at different BC concentrations and airflow rates.

Device Tab

Setting	Description
Timezone	Select the device timezone for accurate log file timestamps.
Warm-up time	Default: 10 min. Duration for the optical chamber to stabilize before data recording begins. Set to 0 to disable.
Disable blinking LED	Deactivates the status LED on the device.
Device Name	Network hostname (e.g., bcmeter201). Sets the mDNS name — the device becomes reachable as name.local after renaming and rebooting.

Email Tab (Notifications)

The bcMeter can send automated email notifications including periodic log delivery and filter status alerts. On V2 DIY devices, this requires an email service password (API key) — contact jd@bcmeter.org to request one. On V2 sales devices, email is pre-configured and ready to use.

On DIY devices, the API key must be entered and validated before notification options become available. Enter it during the Welcome Screen or later in the Email tab.

Setting	Description
Email Service Password	API key for the mail sending service. Must be validated before other options appear. V2 DIY only — on sales devices, email is pre-configured.
Periodic log sending	Master switch for automatic, timed email delivery of CSV logs.
Send logs every	Adjustable from 3 hours to 7 days. Default: 24 hours.
Recipient addresses	Destination email addresses (comma-separated).
Filter status mail	Sends alert when filter loading exceeds 70%. Alerts repeat every 12 hours and include device name and location.
Share data with bcMeter team	Optionally share measurement data with the bcMeter project for research.