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MSP-MET - An MSP430-based Meteorological Data Collection System
A low cost compact meteorological data collection system with indefinite runtime and easy installation and operation.
Data Collection Stations
The data collection stations are at the core of the system. They are to be installed at localized or remote sites for in situ meteorological data collection. As of late, the proposed data to be collected is that for temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure. The station will be able to record data at various intervals, though intervals less than 15 minutes would probably not be practical.
The stations are to be powered by solely a small solar panel and a supercapacitor. With these components and a properly configured MSP430, indefinite runtime could easily be achieved. The only limiting factor is how much data can be stored.
Sensors
The data we would like to sense with this system is temperature, humidity, and pressure. Due to high cost, pressure sensors will likely be bought after the initial stages of the system are designed and completed.
Temperature: Dallas DS182x. The DS18S20 (datasheet) is a very small, inexpensive, and precise (+-/0.5C) one wire thermometer. There's also already a library for using it with the MSP430. There are a bunch of other temperature sensors out there, so this is by no means the only one we can use. The MSP430 itself has a built in thermometer, but I do not know how reliable or precise it is.
Humidity: It's a bit harder to find a good looking (and well documented) humidity sensor. These are two I've been looking at:
They're both $10, but have a few fundamental differences.