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A smart air-quality and light monitoring system can track temperature, humidity, pressure, a gas/VOC-related sensor response and ambient illuminance, then send readings to a dashboard. The Hackster project titled “Smart Air Quality and Light Monitoring System Using IoT” does this with WisBlock hardware, a BME680-based RAK1906, a RAK12019 light sensor and LoRaWAN. Its readings are useful for observing trends in a room, greenhouse or building—but the BME680 does not directly measure PM2.5 or CO₂, so this prototype is not a certified air-quality monitor.
What the system measures—and what it does not
The phrase “air quality” can cover several different measurements. In this project, the BME680-based RAK1906 senses temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure and gas resistance associated with certain volatile compounds and environmental changes. The RAK12019 measures ambient light. These are distinct readings, and a dashboard should display them separately rather than compressing them into an unexplained air-quality number.
| Reading | What it can indicate | What it cannot establish on its own |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | Air temperature where the sensor is installed | Overall comfort or HVAC performance |
| Relative humidity | Moisture in the air at the sensor | Mold risk without duration, surface temperature and ventilation context |
| Pressure | Barometric pressure | Pollution level |
| BME680 gas response | Relative response to some gases and VOC-related changes | A universal pollutant concentration in ppm, direct CO₂, or official AQI |
| Illuminance | Light reaching the sensor, typically expressed in lux | Light at every desk, plant leaf or other point in the room |
| PM2.5 / PM10 | Not measured by the named project | Fine-particle pollution; a dedicated particulate sensor is needed |
Gas-resistance readings can help reveal trends or events—for example, a change after cleaning, cooking or a ventilation adjustment—but temperature, humidity, airflow, placement and sensor history also influence them. Do not label the BME680 value “CO₂ ppm,” treat it as a medical warning, or calculate official AQI from it without an appropriate sensor and validated method. RAK describes the RAK1906 as a BME680-based environmental sensor; that description does not turn it into a direct particulate or NDIR CO₂ instrument.
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How the Hackster project works
The named build connects the RAK1906 and RAK12019 to a WisBlock controller over I²C. The controller packages readings and sends them over LoRaWAN. A gateway forwards the radio packets to The Things Network/Things Stack, and Ubidots provides cloud visualization. The project instructions are available on Hackster.io.
#1 Best Overall
- Know your air – An Alexa air quality monitor that makes it easy to understand what’s in your indoor air.
- Track and measure – Our indoor air quality monitor keeps tabs on 5 key factors: particulate matter (PM 2.5), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), humidity, and temperature.
- Stay informed – Get an indication of current indoor air quality from the color-coded LED, and detailed information and an easy-to-understand air quality score in the Alexa app.
- Real-time alerts - Get notifications on your phone or announcements on Echo devices when Alexa detects poor indoor air quality.
- Automate climate control - Enable Routines to turn on or off your compatible Alexa devices, such as air purifiers, dehumidifiers, and fans, when the indoor air quality sensors detect changes.
RAK1906 BME680 ─┐
├─ I²C → WisBlock controller → LoRaWAN → Gateway
RAK12019 light ─┘ ↓
The Things Network / Things Stack
↓
Ubidots dashboard- Sensing: environmental and light sensors sample conditions at their installation point.
- Controller: reads sensors, applies any basic processing and encodes a payload.
- Network: LoRaWAN carries small periodic messages over a long-range, low-power link.
- Gateway and network server: receive and route uplinks; a LoRaWAN node normally needs compatible gateway coverage and device provisioning.
- Application: Ubidots maps incoming fields into variables, charts and alerts.
LoRaWAN suits periodic telemetry from remote or battery-powered nodes. It is not a replacement for Wi-Fi where the application needs high bandwidth, image transfer, rapid continuous updates or local real-time control. The overall system’s response time depends on sampling and uplink intervals, gateway conditions, network handling and dashboard refresh—not just the sensor.
Hardware and assembly
For the named implementation, gather a WisBlock core/controller and base board, the RAK1906 BME680 module, the RAK12019 ambient-light sensor, a LoRa antenna, power (USB or a suitable battery system), a LoRaWAN gateway and accounts for The Things Network/Things Stack and Ubidots. You will also need a computer and the project’s firmware toolchain.
- Mount the WisBlock core on its base board.
- Attach the RAK1906 and RAK12019 to available I²C slots, following the board and module documentation.
- Connect the LoRa antenna before transmitting or powering radio equipment when its hardware instructions require it. The Hackster project specifically highlights this precaution.
- Provide stable power. Keep the BME680 exposed to room air while protecting it from condensation, dust and direct liquid contact.
- Place the light sensor so its optical face measures the intended surface or direction. Record whether it faces upward, toward a workspace or toward a plant canopy.
Enclosure design affects both measurements: an enclosed or poorly ventilated gas sensor may respond differently from one in open airflow, while a window, diffuser, shadow or reflection can alter the light reading. Install the node where its readings represent the question you are trying to answer, not merely where it is easiest to mount.
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Configure the board package and sensor libraries, confirm both sensors are detected, then provision the LoRaWAN device with the credentials and regional settings required by the network. Select the frequency plan for the deployment’s geography and make sure it matches the gateway and network configuration; do not assume a US configuration such as one using a different band plan will work in an EU868 deployment. Set a sampling and uplink interval that fits the use case and network rules.
Rank #2
- High Accuracy & Fast Refresh Data: With this smart sensor, the PM2.5 accuracy is ±15 µg/m³ while temperature and humidity accuracies are ±0.54°F and ±3%RH.The two-second correction data feature shows the latest changes in PM2.5, temperature, and humidity.Keep sensor clear for accurate detection.
- Multifunctional Air Quality Detector: The GoveeLife Air Quality Monitor conveniently measures 3 important indexes for indoor air quality, including PM2.5, temperature, and humidity.
- Switchable Display: Press the top button for the clock & PM2.5 display. Long press for 2 seconds to switch to bright screen mode & night mode. The LED indicator displays 4 levels of ambient air quality. 2.4G Wi-Fi is required to display the time.
- Connect with GoveeHome Appliances: Set your target air quality and link with your other GoveeHome smart appliances. GoveeLife air purifiers, humidifiers, and space heaters will turn on and off automatically when the indoor air quality changes.
- H5106 needs to be connected to a power source and supports GoveeLife devices: Smart Air Purifiers - H7126, H7120, H7124, H712C, H7122, H7123; Humidifiers - H7140; Fans - H7100, H7102
The Hackster firmware initializes the BME680 at I²C address 0x76 and uses temperature oversampling of 8×, humidity oversampling of 2×, pressure oversampling of 4×, IIR filter size 3 and a gas heater at 320 °C for 150 ms. These are settings in that project, not universal defaults. Some breakouts use address 0x77; board design, regulators and level shifting also vary. Consult the project instructions and the documentation for the exact modules you have.
On the cloud side, register the device, configure the payload decoder or field mapping, and connect the resulting variables to Ubidots. A useful dashboard keeps the values and context visible:
- Temperature, relative humidity and pressure.
- Gas resistance or another clearly named VOC-related indicator—not an unlabeled “CO₂” or “AQI” value.
- Illuminance in lux, if the sensor and mapping provide that unit.
- Timestamp and device identifier.
- Battery voltage, signal information and packet counters if available.
Charts can reveal day/night patterns and changes around building activities. Light is useful context for interpreting those patterns, but a correlation between light and a gas reading does not prove sunlight, photosynthesis or plant activity caused the change.
Choosing sensors for a building or greenhouse
When a BME680 is enough
Use the BME680 when a compact node for environmental trends and relative gas/VOC response meets the project’s purpose. Its digital I²C interface keeps wiring manageable and combines several measurements in one module. It is not the right sole sensor if the requirement is certified PM2.5/PM10, a direct CO₂ concentration or a regulatory-grade air-quality assessment.
Rank #3
- The information below is per-pack only
- Know your air – An Alexa air quality monitor that makes it easy to understand what’s in your indoor air.
- Track and measure – Our indoor air quality monitor keeps tabs on 5 key factors: particulate matter (PM 2.5), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), humidity, and temperature.
- Stay informed – Get an indication of current indoor air quality from the color-coded LED, and detailed information and an easy-to-understand air quality score in the Alexa app.
- Real-time alerts - Get notifications on your phone or announcements on Echo devices when Alexa detects poor indoor air quality.
When to add dedicated sensors
- Ventilation or occupancy studies: add a dedicated CO₂ sensor, such as an NDIR device. Do not infer CO₂ concentration from BME680 gas resistance.
- Smoke, dust, wildfire or fine-particle monitoring: add a particulate-matter sensor designed to measure PM. Report values in µg/m³ only when that sensor is installed and appropriately characterized.
- Lux monitoring: a BH1750-class digital sensor is a sensible alternative when a project needs standardized illuminance readings. A bare LDR can be suitable for basic light/dark detection at low cost, but its resistance or voltage response is less standardized and needs calibration for meaningful lux comparisons.
Choose the sensor to match the question. Adding sensors also changes power demand, enclosure needs, maintenance and calibration work—important considerations for a battery-operated LoRaWAN node.
Choosing a controller and data path
| Option | Good fit | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| WisBlock with LoRaWAN | Remote, agricultural or multi-node sites; locations without dependable Wi-Fi; low-power periodic telemetry | Requires gateway coverage, regional configuration and network provisioning |
| ESP32 over Wi-Fi | Fast prototyping, Wi-Fi availability, MQTT or HTTP dashboards, local processing | Relies on local Wi-Fi and may draw more power than a sleeping telemetry node |
| Raspberry Pi | Local databases, richer dashboards, edge analytics or camera integration | More power, operating-system maintenance and setup complexity |
An ESP32 alternative might publish sensor values through MQTT or HTTP to ThingSpeak, Blynk, Arduino Cloud or a local MQTT/Home Assistant setup. Choose the data service for the actual needs—retention, device count, alerts, access, local operation and commercial use—and check current plan limits directly, since they can change. A local dashboard can improve privacy and avoid dependence on a cloud service, but it requires its own setup and maintenance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Calibration and validation before relying on trends
A connected sensor is not automatically an accurate one. Before using results to compare rooms, guide building adjustments or support a research claim, document how it behaves in the intended installation.
- Temperature and humidity: allow the sensor to stabilize, compare it with a suitable reference instrument across more than one condition, and record enclosure and airflow effects.
- Gas response: treat the value as relative unless you have a sensor-specific calibration model validated for the target compounds. Record baseline behavior and note relevant events such as cleaning products, cooking, perfume or a change in outdoor air.
- Light: compare against a calibrated lux meter at low, medium and high illumination, including daylight and artificial light. Keep angle, distance, sensor window and measurement location consistent.
- Communications: record uplink success, packet delivery, latency and timestamps under the actual network conditions. These are system measurements, not properties guaranteed by the sensor or controller alone.
- Battery: measure current across sampling, sensor warm-up, transmission and sleep. Battery life depends on the BME680 heater duty cycle, sampling interval, radio settings, signal conditions, regulator losses, battery chemistry and temperature.
Useful reporting metrics include mean absolute error, root mean square error, bias, repeatability and correlation against a reference. State the reference instrument, test conditions and method rather than making an unqualified accuracy claim. Published results from another ESP32 or LoRaWAN study apply only to that study’s hardware, calibration, environment and test conditions.
Rank #4
- BREATHE EASILY: Aranet4 CO2 meter measures CO2 levels, temperature, relative humidity, and atmospheric pressure in real-time, empowering you to make informed decisions for healthy ventilation. No wonder it's the top-rated indoor air quality monitor in Amazon's CO2 monitor segment!
- CABLE-FREE: The power-efficient e-ink display guarantees an extended battery life of up to 4 years for this wireless air quality monitor, ensuring worry-free monitoring without the hassle of cables and cords.
- EASY-TO-USE: The color coding, prominent CO2 number on the display, and optional buzzer of this air quality meter alert you when the CO2 concentration becomes too high.
- FREE & INTERACTIVE APP: A smartphone application for viewing and analyzing up to 90 days of historical data from your indoor air quality meter, complete with user-friendly graphs.
- PREMIUM QUALITY: Aranet4 carbon dioxide detectors use nondispersive infrared sensor (NDIR) technology for the most precise and reliable CO2 measurements. Made in the European Union.
Troubleshooting
Sensor readings are missing or frozen
- Check serial output and confirm the firmware is polling the sensor.
- Verify power, ground, SDA/SCL connections and the I²C address with an I²C scanner.
- Test each sensor independently, then reduce the build to one sensor and one uplink before adding components back.
- Check that the board package, library and dashboard variable mapping match the device and payload.
The BME680 is not detected
Check wiring, supply voltage, pull-ups and address. The named project checks 0x76, but a different board may use 0x77. Confirm that the breakout really contains a BME680 rather than a similar-looking sensor module.
Gas readings drift or jump
Warm-up, humidity, sensor history, airflow, enclosure accumulation and VOC events can all affect the response. Re-establishing a baseline after a firmware or installation change may alter the trend. Do not interpret each numerical change as a measured concentration change.
Lux values look wrong
Check for enclosure shadowing, reflections, sensor angle, distance, direct-sunlight saturation and whether the sensor is measuring incident light or reflected room light. Compare with a lux meter at the same plane.
No LoRaWAN data reaches the dashboard
Trace the chain in order: antenna and node power; regional frequency plan; device identifiers and join credentials; gateway reachability; join events on the network server; uplink counter; payload decoder; Ubidots token and variable names; dashboard device selection and time range. This separates a radio or provisioning problem from a decoding or display problem.
When a DIY node is the right choice
This design is well suited to learning IoT architecture, logging environmental trends, comparing light and room conditions, and experimenting with greenhouse or building monitoring. A Wi-Fi ESP32 is often simpler when the node is near a router; WisBlock/LoRaWAN is more appropriate when nodes are distributed or remote and the gateway infrastructure is available.
For a health-sensitive indoor application, ventilation decisions or compliance work, use sensors and instruments designed for the target measurement, validate them against appropriate references and follow relevant authority guidance. A BME680-based prototype can support exploration; by itself it cannot establish that a space is safe, diagnose exposure or replace certified monitoring equipment.
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