Home
Open Scientific Research >> Real-time validation of Experimental Data Origins: A Swarm of DAQ devices able to Deliver Unique Experimental Data using Blockchain-like Fingerprint ID to a Data Repository
Change Language
Last update: 16-07-2024
Development Status & Update History
current project Total: > 8000 work.h
🆕 There's a new Discord Server for all other projects. To join click here.
I start working again on this project later this year in 2024. In the meantime looking for sponsors to pay for the required work necessary for the successful completion of this project.
The initial idea for a smart device able to do live data measurements happened during an informal Google Meet meeting, first with Alexandre S. Vargas, next with Carlos Jesus on WhatsApp voice and later with Gihad Mohamad and Liseane Thives also on Google Meet. All meetings happened over the course of 2020 and 2021, amidst Covid19 and lockdown. During those days we also got the time and opportunity to record an informal podcast about current trends and technology in the construction industry where we talked about concerns and challenges scientific research in civil engineering faces, in particular excesses of automation.
Early concept versions of this smart DAQ were simple component assemblies of ready-to-buy and install modules for the Arduino Nano series. Finally, I decided to put my effort into it and design from the ground up a new layout PCB using the well-known ESP32 microcontroller from ExpressIF systems. For the next (almost) 2 years, the PCB design and initial concept went through many changes and revisions before it matured into the current state of development. March 2023 PCB revision, utilizes a Tensilica XTensa LX7 32bit MCU with the capability to store locally up to 4GB of data. It is capable of LIVE experimental data measurements, storing them with a blockchain-like unique FingerPrint ID. Do LIVE dataset uploads to a data repository, in particular into a dataverse (compatibility with other open repositories will be added in the future) In such a way never seen before.
Technologies being developed are all based on OPEN guidelines and work methodologies and include, for instance, experimental data redundancy as a form of remote data validation.
Support all these open hardware projects and become a GitHub sponsor for this project
If you like this open science project, consider contributing by raising an issue, here on GitHub, or sponsoring it with a small donation. If nothing else for a cup of coffee or a slice of pizza. Thank you.
Below is the index with all the information needed to start and deploy this smart DAQ in any Laboratory and do LIVE experimental research.
I can already see students in a laboratory all dressed up and equipped with their tablets and smart device kits, all sending the experimental data to a public data repository while at the same time receiving experimental data from other students. All inside that tablet cooperating and without the need to get to know each other.
Current scientific methods use traditional dataloggers (DAQ) to collect and measure experimental data. This means collected data many times is stored in a paper format, and most of the time in a conventional CSV Excel data file. This is prone to errors and even worse, forgery of experimental data. To this date, no dataloggers can automate experimental data acquisition in a scientific experiment, making it less transparent and less trustworthy.
The very first prototype for a Smart Data Acquisition Device (SDAD) back in 2021
The overall objective for this open project is to provide open hardware electronics for sensor data measurement acquisition capable of being used in a controlled environment, such as a scientific research laboratory and also outside, on-site. These smart DAQs have the capability to generate a Unique Fingerprint ID on all sensor data measurements collected for a more Trustworthy and authentic collection of experimental data. Dubbed S.D.A.D., these devices have the required specifications and capabilities to enable real-time validation of Experimental Data Origins. For a more detailed explanation of how this smart device is used please navigate to the document (paper) currently being written "Real-time validation of Experimental Data Origins: A Swarm of DAQ devices able to Deliver Unique Experimental Data using Blockchain-like Fingerprint ID to a Data Repositor".
This Sci. research presents an innovative method for experimental data acquisition and management of collected data in real time and is compatible with any open environment. The proposed smart DAQ device prototype has the minimum hardware characteristics to handle data measurements collected from sensors locally connected to it, store it on a local CSV or SQLite database file, and finally connect and synchronize data measurements collected with a data repository hosted remotely on a Dataverse.
These Smart DAQ devices are of type "Internet of Everything" (IoE) Smart Devices and are able to connect with each other using swarm intelligence. The main purpose is to increase data integrity and trustworthiness among DAQ devices connected and on all experimental data collected during an experiment or research project.
Experimental data collected is stored in a block format, meaning, a single block stores an individual piece of experimental data written to it, the hash of the previous block, and its own hash.
This is the main principle of operation behind blockchain technologies, to make it really difficult to modify experimental data once it’s written to a block since hashes are interconnected among each other since the beginning of an experiment, experimental campaign, and even since the beginning of a research project. Every block written references the hash of its previous block. This way, for any modification to the data stored in a block, the hash it stores changes forcing the following blocks to also indicate a change (since they must have the hash of the previous block). To modify a block is needed a rewrite on all blocks.
In everyday science at a laboratory these Smart DAQ devices are able to connect among each other, in a swarm-like manner, and when doing so, increase experimental data trustworthiness and authenticity in an experiment part of a research project or experimental campaign. Setting up a Swarm network of smart DAQ devices not only increases the quality of research results, by tagging each individual piece of experimental data collected from each individual sensor, with a unique data fingerprint ID (hash) at the exact same moment of data collection, broadcast it to other nearby smart DAQ devices and finally do data upload to a repository where a new, additional data fingerprint is added to existing ones (generated locally). This way is maintained and guarantees data collection integrity locally, from the laboratory, until the moment is received and stored in a data repository in a cloud server.
Summary of advantages of these Smart Data Acquisition Devices (S.D.A.D.)
- Ability to collect sensor measurements in real-time / LIVE and generate a unique fingerprint identification (UFPID) from and for a sensor data record;
- Ability to store sensor measurement records on a dataset (Excel CSV file, SQLite Database) using blockchain technologies;
- Ability to connect with other SDADs on the same experiment using SWARM technology to increase experimental data authenticity and trustworthiness;
- Ability to exchange data with a data repository in real-time / LIVE, for instance www.dataverse.org, autonomously and without any human intervention with the purpose of increasing experimental data authenticity and trustworthiness;
- Ability to upload individual experimental data records to a data repository in real-time / LIVE;
- Ability to connect to other SDADs on other experiments and link experimental data in a Blockchain-like manner with the purpose of increasing experimental data authenticity and trustworthiness on a scientific project or research campaign. For instance, link experimental data measurements from two or more ongoing experiments on the same project;
A document is currently being written, vis-à-vis a "paper", in an open-environment format. See the Index below to access it. Is also available as a preprint draft document at Elsevier's SSRN platform, here: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4210504, and as a MS Word .docX document with embedded 360 videos of both hardware electronics and test specimens. To access it click here.
07-2024 update
To expedite the deployment of this type of data origins validation, I've designed and made available this month of July, some of the EDA design files for a module with built-in "Unique Fingerprint Identification" UFID using Espressif Systems ESP32-C3 microcontroller, to expedite and facilitate the design and deployment of smart hardware electronics capable of delivering validated sensor data that can be used for publishing on higher-ranked sci. journals and also for usage in cases of legal dispute. This module is only 26x19mm and it can be soldered into an existing PCB as any other component. It has available for usage all GPIO pins the original ESP32 C3 MCU offers. Anyone can download the Footprint and Symbol for KiCad EDA in the folder "KiCad Footprints & Symbols" of this repository.
Interactive view of the PCB Layout
Interactive view of the circuit schematic
Click to view the latest revision
The KiCad Project files for the most recent revision (rev. 12-2023) of this open hardware electronics are now available! Find it on the Index below "Smart DAQ Specifications". This revision is fully tested and fully working with known hardware #bugs listed. If you're not into KiCad, the circuit schematics are available in PDF format.
Interactive view of the PCB Layout
Interactive view of the circuit schematic
Click to view the latest revision
StatusThe next PCB revision of the S.D.A.D. is a complete redesign of the electronics and component placement in the PCB. This hardware electronics includes improvements in power management that allow the device to consume around ~400nA when waiting between sensor measurements during an experiment. For cases where the S.D.A.D. is only battery powered, this will improve immensely battery life. This will be the last final PCB revision for the current PCB layout. Next, I'll be moving to 24-bit data acquisition capabilities.
Current available revision is 12-2023. See the hardware specifications on the Index below, to view a specific hardware revision operational status.
Most recent update
The L.D.A.D. was renamed to S.D.A.D. and the latest hardware electronics revision has one channel with 16-bit precision and power consumption of around ~400nA, only! The very first release candidate of the firmware, on this code revision, the electrical resistance and voltage and measurements are being correctly measured by the built-in multimeter. This means the smart DAQ is now ready to be installed on all specimens in an experimental campaign after configuration with the correct calibration curves (temperature compensated). From now on all changes will be towards improving usability and user experience in a laboratory.
The C firmware code now includes SRAM support for temporary storage of measured data in RAM ( 64Mbit IC) before flushing it into the onboard Flash storage. See this stack overflow question for more info. The 1.69" Display is now also available and a standard layout design and configuration are now shown when the smart DAQ is powered.
The current PCB design layout is made to fit a well-known waterproof acrylic enclosure and is available with new DAQ capabilities. This new PCB design dimension is the one selected to move forward on this sci. research project. See the photos below.
To view a list of work scheduled to be done on all these open hardware smart data acquisition devices see this page here.
See Development Status & Update History for more detailed information about the status of a particular hardware electronics. Thank you.
The total cost of assembly of one S.D.A.D. (the most recent hardware revision) excluding local taxes and licensing fees is around 270 euros.
The cost above does not include the cost of the firmware (software development and programming) that runs on the S.D.A.D., and the cost of IT support given to the S.D.A.D. (remote support using chat messenger apps or video meeting apps). Finally, it does not include the cost of packaging and expediting to a destination address including customs taxes at the destination country.
- MS Excel Power Query Tutorials on YouTube by Leila Gharani
- Jupiter Notebooks tutorials on YouTube by Roshan
- How to code in Python on YouTube by Programming with Mosh
Available here, an intelligent system that takes a single document and classifies different writing styles within the document using stylometric analysis, that is worth have a run in python.
Research Laboratories currently currently using these open software and open hardware technologies:
- ⌛ Civil Engineering Department of Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil;
- ⌛ Civil Engineering Department of Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil;
- ⌛ Civil Engineering Department of Beira Interior University, Portugal;
Want to join this open science project and start using these technologies?
Send an email to mtpsilva@gmail.com or a WhatsApp message to +32 471 632 520.
Please include in your message the link to your LinkedIn profile. Thank you.
- Wireless sensor networks for temperature and humidity monitoring within concrete structures
- Temperature and moisture monitoring in concrete structures using embedded nanotechnology/microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors
- How accurate is an Arduino Ohmmeter?
- Estimating Soil Moisture and Electrical Conductivity Using Wi-Fi
- A Review of Advances in Dielectric and Electrical Conductivity Measurement in Soils Using Time Domain Reflectometry
🟢 Hardware or firmware fully tested and working
A green circle means the hardware electronics or the firmware programming code was fully tested, each of its functionalities and capabilities. And it can be installed in a vehicle. Keep in mind this does not mean errors won't happen. As in everything related to electronics and software, there are revisions and updates. This open hardware is no different.
🟡 Hardware or firmware not tested. Working capability is unknown, it may work or not.
A yellow circle means the hardware electronics or the firmware programming code was not fully tested, each of its functionalities and capabilities. This does not mean it not working, it simply means testing is needed before giving a green circle of approval.
🔴 Hardware or firmware fully tested but not working.
A red circle means the hardware electronics or the firmware programming code was fully tested, and found some kind of critical error or fault. This means the electronics or firmware code cannot be used in a vehicle.
⌛ Hardware Design/firmware programming not started.
The hourglass means the hardware electronics or the firmware programming hasn't started. Most likely because is waiting for the necessary test components needed for reverse engineering and also engineering of the new open solution.
🆕 New updated contents
The new icon means the link next to it was recently updated with new contents
💬 Comments on the Discussion page
The comments icon means there are useful and even new comments on the discussions page important for what you are seeing or reading.
Join the beta program to test and debug to provide feedback, ideas, modifications, suggestions, improvements. And in return, write your own article blog or post on social media about it. See participation conditions on the Wiki.
The Beta Participant Agreement is a legal document being executed between you and AeonLabs that outlines the conditions when participating in the Beta Program.
Bug reports and pull requests are welcome on any of AeonLabs repositories. This project is intended to be a safe, welcoming space for collaboration, and contributors are expected to adhere to the code of conduct.
- Contributing
Please make sure tests pass before committing, and add new tests for new additions.
You can get in touch with me on my LinkedIn Profile:
You can also follow my GitHub Profile to stay updated about my latest projects:
The PCB design Files I provide here for anyone to use are free. If you like this Smart Device or use it, please consider buying me a cup of coffee, a slice of pizza or a book to help me study, eat and think new PCB design files.
Make a donation on PayPal and get a TAX refund*.
Liked any of my PCB KiCad Designs? Help and Support my open work to all by becoming a GitHub sponsor.
Before proceeding to download any of AeonLabs software solutions for open-source development and/or PCB hardware electronics development make sure you are choosing the right license for your project. See AeonLabs Solutions for Open Hardware & Source Development for more information.