# New project: External Ruuvi sensor boards
**URL:** https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355
**Category:** 🇬🇧 Announcements from the core team
**Created:** [18 March 2019 06:01 UTC](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355 "2019-03-18T06:01:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@lauri](https://f.ruuvi.com/u/lauri)
#### Post date: [18 March 2019 06:01 UTC](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355/1 "2019-03-18T06:01:05Z")
Hi everyone!
We’re planning to build some tiny external sensor boards that could be used with RuuviTags.
I’ll share more info about boards’ dimensions and pinouts later, but before that, would be great to hear if you’ve got some ideas about sensors you’d like to see available.
Currently, following parts are on the list:
- 9-DoF (acc, magn, gyro)
- IAQ VOC air quality sensor
- Temperature
- Relative air humidity
- PIR
- Photodiode
- Buzzer
- High brightness LED
- IR LED
- Push button
Not all the features will be supported simultaneously but a set of different kinds of board variants can be manufactured and made available for order.
Idea behind these external sensor boards is to enable new maker(ish) uses for RuuviTags and also make more serious prototyping with new features quick and easy. These boards and their pinouts are aimed to be be also [Grove compatible](http://wiki.seeedstudio.com/Grove_System/). Additionally, the next RuuviTag PCB revision may gain a connector compatible with these new boards. This would remove the need of soldering.
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### Author:  [@P\_E](https://f.ruuvi.com/u/P_E)
#### Post date: [18 March 2019 18:42 UTC](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355/2 "2019-03-18T18:42:06Z")
What is the planned temperature range? Anything covering +4 … +98 celsius would be awesome
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### Author:  [@Motobiman](https://f.ruuvi.com/u/Motobiman)
#### Post date: [19 March 2019 04:31 UTC](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355/3 "2019-03-19T04:31:00Z")
Sensitive microphone with 3.3v preamp in a sealed enclosure no more than 5mm dia with a lead about 50mm long.
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### Author:  [@lauri](https://f.ruuvi.com/u/lauri)
#### Post date: [19 March 2019 04:54 UTC](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355/4 "2019-03-19T04:54:39Z")
> [@P\_E](#):
>
> What is the planned temperature range? Anything covering +4 … +98 celsius would be awesome
What variables would you like to measure in such high temperatures? Temperature? Almost all electronics IC chips are rated to work at max +85C.
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### Author:  [@otso](https://f.ruuvi.com/u/otso)
#### Post date: [19 March 2019 07:54 UTC](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355/5 "2019-03-19T07:54:07Z")
> [@lauri](#):
>
> What variables would you like to measure in such high temperatures? Temperature? Almost all electronics IC chips are rated to work at max +85C.
That would be a pretty good reason to have an external sensor board 🙂. Maybe a thermocouple or a resistive sensor chip could withstand autoclave-level temperatures?
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### Author:  [@P\_E](https://f.ruuvi.com/u/P_E)
#### Post date: [19 March 2019 09:01 UTC](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355/6 "2019-03-19T09:01:48Z")
This would be just temperature, monitoring the performance and ramping rate of a peltier element.
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### Author:  [@ptrapnes](https://f.ruuvi.com/u/ptrapnes)
#### Post date: [19 March 2019 13:51 UTC](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355/7 "2019-03-19T13:51:08Z")
What about include a power plug (3.6V) on the sensor board that power the board and the Ruuvi?
So its easy to make 3. party boxes to hold all 3 parts (Ruvvi, Sensor , Battery)
like my 1/sec/15 years version
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### Author:  [@aapris](https://f.ruuvi.com/u/aapris)
#### Post date: [20 March 2019 11:10 UTC](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355/8 "2019-03-20T11:10:45Z")
Thermocouple (e.g. Amplifier MAX31855) temperature sensor would be extremely useful for fireplace, grill and sauna use cases! RuuviTag to measure ambient temperature and thermocouple to measure smoke channel or fire place temperature.
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### Author:  [@aapris](https://f.ruuvi.com/u/aapris)
#### Post date: [20 March 2019 11:12 UTC](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355/9 "2019-03-20T11:12:28Z")
Light/lux sensor to measure ambient light.
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### Author:  [@todd](https://f.ruuvi.com/u/todd)
#### Post date: [20 March 2019 15:26 UTC](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355/10 "2019-03-20T15:26:11Z")
Current monitor, with accumulator or averaging. Something like the INA226, or so. Or a Maxim state-of-charge IC.
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### Author:  [@dgerman](https://f.ruuvi.com/u/dgerman)
#### Post date: [26 March 2019 00:13 UTC](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355/11 "2019-03-26T00:13:20Z")
Is there a way to set up a poll on this forum or elsewhere?
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### Author:  [@dgerman](https://f.ruuvi.com/u/dgerman)
#### Post date: [26 March 2019 00:15 UTC](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355/12 "2019-03-26T00:15:31Z")
Is a PIR a
### Passive infrared sensor
([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive\_infrared\_sensor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_infrared_sensor))
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### Author:  [@otso](https://f.ruuvi.com/u/otso)
#### Post date: [26 March 2019 10:31 UTC](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355/13 "2019-03-26T10:31:48Z")
> [@dgerman](#):
>
> Is there a way to set up a poll on this forum or elsewhere?
> **[Create a poll that others can vote on](https://meta.discourse.org/t/create-a-poll-that-others-can-vote-on/77548)**
>
> â„ą By default, polls are enabled in Discourse and users of trust level 1 or above are allowed to create them. Site admins can adjust who can create polls via the poll minimum trust level to create site setting and disable polls using the poll...
> [@dgerman](#):
>
> Is a PIR a
Yes, it detects presence in area.
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### Author:  [@juppe444](https://f.ruuvi.com/u/juppe444)
#### Post date: [27 March 2019 22:14 UTC](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355/14 "2019-03-27T22:14:18Z")
How a about an FSR? That would host for a range of new uses to RuuviTag:-)
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### Author:  [@otso](https://f.ruuvi.com/u/otso)
#### Post date: [29 March 2019 11:33 UTC](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355/15 "2019-03-29T11:33:04Z")
> [@juppe444](#):
>
> How a about an FSR?
Do you mean a force sensing resistor, e.g. a strain gauge?
Adding one on a same board with other sensors would probably expose the other sensors to too high mechanical stress, but we can consider it once the first board is out.
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### Author:  [@juppe444](https://f.ruuvi.com/u/juppe444)
#### Post date: [30 March 2019 09:13 UTC](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355/16 "2019-03-30T09:13:18Z")
Yes, a force sensing resistor - but not actually ON the board. More like a connection that could be easily used for connecting an FSR (or several depending on physical space available) + software support on RuutiTag side to easily utilise it. Currently no board offers integration of FSRs with an easy way to transfer the data in BLE broadcast mode.
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### Author:  [@alexhk](https://f.ruuvi.com/u/alexhk)
#### Post date: [30 March 2019 11:05 UTC](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355/17 "2019-03-30T11:05:54Z")
@lauri In regards to the temp range exceeding 85C, the DS18b20 is a very inexpensive 1-wire temp sensor with a range of -55C to 125C.
> **[DS18B20.pdf](https://datasheets.maximintegrated.com/en/ds/DS18B20.pdf)**
>
> 496.08 KB
Any 1-wire sensors (temp, humidity, etc) are welcome.
I am using PLCs that support 1-wire sensors. I can run a few wires through a facility (or misuse a LAN cable), and then drop sensors anywhere I want… they simply show up on the “1-wire network”.
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### Author:  [@lauri](https://f.ruuvi.com/u/lauri)
#### Post date: [31 March 2019 02:07 UTC](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355/18 "2019-03-31T02:07:44Z")
> [@alexhk](#):
>
> In regards to the temp range exceeding 85C, the DS18b20 is a very inexpensive 1-wire temp sensor with a range of -55C to 125C.
Actually, we’re already prototyping with [TMP117](http://www.ti.com/product/TMP117). It’s a lot more accurate sensor and can measure temperatures from –55°C to +150°C.
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### Author:  [@ptrapnes](https://f.ruuvi.com/u/ptrapnes)
#### Post date: [20 May 2019 09:58 UTC](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355/19 "2019-05-20T09:58:01Z")
what about an Thermocouple interface?
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### Author:  [@otso](https://f.ruuvi.com/u/otso)
#### Post date: [21 May 2019 09:35 UTC](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355/20 "2019-05-21T09:35:32Z")
It certainly would be useful for something like oven thermometers. It might even be enough to activate both pull-up and pull-down resistor on ADC and take differential measurement off the thermocouple, with no extra components required.
[Next page](https://f.ruuvi.com/t/new-project-external-ruuvi-sensor-boards/3355.md?page=2)