Beginner
10 min

Monitor indoor air quality with RRH46410 and ATmega328P

Total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), indoor air quality (IAQ), and estimated carbon dioxide (eCO2) sensing solution

Air Quality 12 Click with Arduino UNO Rev3

Published Dec 31, 2024

Click board™

Air Quality 12 Click

Dev. board

Arduino UNO Rev3

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

ATmega328P

Indoor air quality monitor based on AI-enhanced gas sensing technology perfect for homes, offices, HVAC systems, and air purifiers

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

Air Quality 12 Click is based on the RRH46410, a digital gas sensor module from Renesas designed for monitoring indoor air quality. This module integrates advanced sensing technology to detect and measure total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), indoor air quality (IAQ), and estimated carbon dioxide levels (eCO2) with precision and reliability. Tailored for indoor air monitoring applications, this sensor module combines a MEMS gas sensing element, a CMOS signal conditioning IC, and an onboard microcontroller, offering a complete, self-contained gas detection solution. Thanks to its low operating power consumption and multiple operational methods, this solution is ideally suited for applications such as indoor air quality monitoring, ensuring healthy environments in homes, offices, and public buildings, and detection of hazardous materials and harmful fumes, including those from construction materials, and automation of air quality-based devices. The RRH46410's MEMS gas sensing element incorporates a heater on a silicon-based structure and a metal oxide (MOx) chemiresistor, capable of

detecting changes in conductivity caused by gas concentrations. The module's signal conditioner regulates the sensor temperature and processes MOx conductivity measurements, while the integrated microcontroller generates a calibrated digital output, eliminating the need for complex data processing on the user's host MCU. The RRH46410 stands out for its intelligent design, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and a machine-learning algorithm to produce accurate air quality measurements. It can detect TVOC contaminants based on established international indoor air quality standards while responding effectively, though not selectively, to hydrogen (H₂) within the parts-per-million range. Its fast response time, measured in seconds, ensures near-instantaneous readings without requiring direct airflow onto the sensor. However, while it can detect gases like carbon monoxide (CO), it is not approved for safety-critical applications and should not be relied upon for life-saving use cases. This Click board™ supports both UART and I2C interfaces for communication with the host MCU. The UART interface operates at a

default baud rate of 115200bps, enabling efficient data transmission and exchange, while the I2C interface supports clock frequencies of up to 400kHz for flexible integration with various systems. In addition to the interface pins, the board includes other control pins such as the RST pin for resetting the module, the INT pin for real-time alerts (set HIGH when data is available and LOW after data is read), and the GP1 pin, which controls the red GP1 LED. This user-configurable LED serves as a visual indicator for various scenarios based on the user's needs. The board also features two unpopulated pins labeled GP3 and GP4, which are general-purpose I/O pins configured as always-inputs and lacking internal pull-ups, providing additional versatility for custom applications. This Click board™ can be operated only with a 3.3V logic voltage level. The board must perform appropriate logic voltage level conversion before using MCUs with different logic levels. It also comes equipped with a library containing functions and example code that can be used as a reference for further development.

Air Quality 12 Click hardware overview image

Features overview

Development board

Arduino UNO is a versatile microcontroller board built around the ATmega328P chip. It offers extensive connectivity options for various projects, featuring 14 digital input/output pins, six of which are PWM-capable, along with six analog inputs. Its core components include a 16MHz ceramic resonator, a USB connection, a power jack, an

ICSP header, and a reset button, providing everything necessary to power and program the board. The Uno is ready to go, whether connected to a computer via USB or powered by an AC-to-DC adapter or battery. As the first USB Arduino board, it serves as the benchmark for the Arduino platform, with "Uno" symbolizing its status as the

first in a series. This name choice, meaning "one" in Italian, commemorates the launch of Arduino Software (IDE) 1.0. Initially introduced alongside version 1.0 of the Arduino Software (IDE), the Uno has since become the foundational model for subsequent Arduino releases, embodying the platform's evolution.

Arduino UNO Rev3 double side image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Architecture

AVR

MCU Memory (KB)

32

Silicon Vendor

Microchip

Pin count

28

RAM (Bytes)

2048

You complete me!

Accessories

Click Shield for Arduino UNO has two proprietary mikroBUS™ sockets, allowing all the Click board™ devices to be interfaced with the Arduino UNO board without effort. The Arduino Uno, a microcontroller board based on the ATmega328P, provides an affordable and flexible way for users to try out new concepts and build prototypes with the ATmega328P microcontroller from various combinations of performance, power consumption, and features. The Arduino Uno has 14 digital input/output pins (of which six can be used as PWM outputs), six analog inputs, a 16 MHz ceramic resonator (CSTCE16M0V53-R0), a USB connection, a power jack, an ICSP header, and reset button. Most of the ATmega328P microcontroller pins are brought to the IO pins on the left and right edge of the board, which are then connected to two existing mikroBUS™ sockets. This Click Shield also has several switches that perform functions such as selecting the logic levels of analog signals on mikroBUS™ sockets and selecting logic voltage levels of the mikroBUS™ sockets themselves. Besides, the user is offered the possibility of using any Click board™ with the help of existing bidirectional level-shifting voltage translators, regardless of whether the Click board™ operates at a 3.3V or 5V logic voltage level. Once you connect the Arduino UNO board with our Click Shield for Arduino UNO, you can access hundreds of Click boards™, working with 3.3V or 5V logic voltage levels.

Click Shield for Arduino UNO accessories 1 image

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

NC
NC
AN
Reset
PD2
RST
ID COMM
PB2
CS
NC
NC
SCK
NC
NC
MISO
NC
NC
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
LED Indicator Control
PD6
PWM
Interrupt
PC3
INT
UART TX
PD0
TX
UART RX
PD1
RX
I2C Clock
PC5
SCL
I2C Data
PC4
SDA
NC
NC
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Click board™ Schematic

Air Quality 12 Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

Click Shield for Arduino UNO front image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Arduino UNO Rev3 as your development board.

Click Shield for Arduino UNO front image hardware assembly
Arduino UNO Rev3 front image hardware assembly
Charger 27 Click front image hardware assembly
Prog-cut hardware assembly
Charger 27 Click complete accessories setup image hardware assembly
Arduino UNO Rev3 Access MB 1 - upright/background hardware assembly
Necto image step 2 hardware assembly
Necto image step 3 hardware assembly
Necto image step 4 hardware assembly
Necto image step 5 hardware assembly
Necto image step 6 hardware assembly
Arduino UNO MCU Step hardware assembly
Necto No Display image step 8 hardware assembly
Necto image step 9 hardware assembly
Necto image step 10 hardware assembly
Debug Image Necto Step hardware assembly

Track your results in real time

Application Output

1. Application Output - In Debug mode, the 'Application Output' window enables real-time data monitoring, offering direct insight into execution results. Ensure proper data display by configuring the environment correctly using the provided tutorial.

2. UART Terminal - Use the UART Terminal to monitor data transmission via a USB to UART converter, allowing direct communication between the Click board™ and your development system. Configure the baud rate and other serial settings according to your project's requirements to ensure proper functionality. For step-by-step setup instructions, refer to the provided tutorial.

3. Plot Output - The Plot feature offers a powerful way to visualize real-time sensor data, enabling trend analysis, debugging, and comparison of multiple data points. To set it up correctly, follow the provided tutorial, which includes a step-by-step example of using the Plot feature to display Click board™ readings. To use the Plot feature in your code, use the function: plot(*insert_graph_name*, variable_name);. This is a general format, and it is up to the user to replace 'insert_graph_name' with the actual graph name and 'variable_name' with the parameter to be displayed.

Software Support

Library Description

This library contains API for Air Quality 12 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • airquality12_get_sensor_info - This function reads the device product ID, firmware version, and tracking number.

  • airquality12_get_int_pin - This function returns the INT pin logic state.

  • airquality12_get_measurement - This function reads the sensor measurement results.

Open Source

Code example

The complete application code and a ready-to-use project are available through the NECTO Studio Package Manager for direct installation in the NECTO Studio. The application code can also be found on the MIKROE GitHub account.

/*!
 * @file main.c
 * @brief Air Quality 12 Click example
 *
 * # Description
 * This example demonstrates the use of Air Quality 12 Click board by reading the
 * IAQ 2nd Gen measurements and displays the results on the USB UART.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 *
 * ## Application Init
 * Initializes the driver and configures the Click board to the default configuration.
 * Then it reads the sensor product ID, firmware version, and the 48-bit tracking number.
 *
 * ## Application Task
 * Checks the data ready interrupt pin and then reads the IAQ 2nd Gen measurements
 * and displays the results on the USB UART. The GP1 LED turns ON during the data reading.
 * The data sample rate is set to 3 seconds for the IAQ 2nd Gen operating mode, and the first
 * 100 samples upon startup should be ignored since the sensor is in the warm-up phase.
 *
 * @author Stefan Filipovic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "airquality12.h"

static airquality12_t airquality12;
static log_t logger;

void application_init ( void )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;  /**< Logger config object. */
    airquality12_cfg_t airquality12_cfg;  /**< Click config object. */

    /** 
     * Logger initialization.
     * Default baud rate: 115200
     * Default log level: LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG
     * @note If USB_UART_RX and USB_UART_TX 
     * are defined as HAL_PIN_NC, you will 
     * need to define them manually for log to work. 
     * See @b LOG_MAP_USB_UART macro definition for detailed explanation.
     */
    LOG_MAP_USB_UART( log_cfg );
    log_init( &logger, &log_cfg );
    log_info( &logger, " Application Init " );

    // Click initialization.
    airquality12_cfg_setup( &airquality12_cfg );
    AIRQUALITY12_MAP_MIKROBUS( airquality12_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    if ( AIRQUALITY12_OK != airquality12_init( &airquality12, &airquality12_cfg ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    if ( AIRQUALITY12_ERROR == airquality12_default_cfg ( &airquality12 ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Default configuration." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }

    airquality12_info_t info;
    if ( AIRQUALITY12_OK == airquality12_get_sensor_info ( &airquality12, &info ) )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, " ---- Sensor info ----\r\n" );
        log_printf( &logger, " Product ID: 0x%.4X\r\n", info.product_id );
        log_printf( &logger, " FW version: %u.%u.%u\r\n", ( uint16_t ) info.fw_ver_major, 
                                                          ( uint16_t ) info.fw_ver_minor, 
                                                          ( uint16_t ) info.fw_ver_patch );
        log_printf( &logger, " Tracking number: 0x%.2X%.2X%.2X%.2X%.2X%.2X\r\n", 
                    ( uint16_t ) info.tracking_num[ 5 ], ( uint16_t ) info.tracking_num[ 4 ], 
                    ( uint16_t ) info.tracking_num[ 3 ], ( uint16_t ) info.tracking_num[ 2 ], 
                    ( uint16_t ) info.tracking_num[ 1 ], ( uint16_t ) info.tracking_num[ 0 ] );
        log_printf( &logger, " ---------------------\r\n" );
    }
    
    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}

void application_task ( void )
{
    airquality12_results_t results = { 0 };

    if ( airquality12_get_int_pin ( &airquality12 ) )
    {
        airquality12_set_gp1_pin ( &airquality12, 1 );
        if ( AIRQUALITY12_OK == airquality12_get_measurement ( &airquality12, &results ) )
        {
            log_printf ( &logger, " Sample number: %u\r\n", ( uint16_t ) results.sample_num );
            log_printf ( &logger, " IAQ: %.1f\r\n", results.iaq );
            log_printf ( &logger, " TVOC: %.2f mg/m^3\r\n", results.tvoc );
            log_printf ( &logger, " ETOH: %.2f ppm\r\n", results.etoh );
            log_printf ( &logger, " ECO2: %u ppm\r\n", results.eco2 );
            log_printf ( &logger, " rel_IAQ: %u\r\n\n", results.rel_iaq );
        }
        airquality12_set_gp1_pin ( &airquality12, 0 );
    }
}

int main ( void ) 
{
    /* Do not remove this line or clock might not be set correctly. */
    #ifdef PREINIT_SUPPORTED
    preinit();
    #endif
    
    application_init( );
    
    for ( ; ; ) 
    {
        application_task( );
    }

    return 0;
}

// ------------------------------------------------------------------------ END

Additional Support

Resources

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