PAID: PMON Alarm Indication Device

The Hartman Systems Integration Lab at Boise State University is currently maintaining and improving a wireless environmental sensor network for use in various applications by the FAA and Boeing. The devices which make up the network, called Personal Monitors (PMON), use various sensors to monitor and record data about the environment in which they are placed. The recorded data is currently stored on flash memory card (secured digital) and can be viewed in various formats by using computer software. This solution works well for analysis of data after it has been recorded. However, a system that can monitor incoming data (in real-time), as it is taken, would be desirable in order to alert a user to hazardous conditions. Our research has led us to design the solution known as the Personal Monitor Alarm Indication Device (PMON AID, or PAID). PAID is a compact device that will wirelessly monitor all active PMON units within its range and indicate if a hazard exists in the current environmental conditions. As it receives data, the PAID will compare the incoming value to a preset limit. If the incoming value is above this limit, the PAID will alert the wearer using an LED and an audible alarm. As an additional feature, the PAID will record the data from all units onto a micro secured digital memory card for off-line processing. Other features include the ability to turn off or silence the audible alarm, a rechargeable battery via USB, and an LED to indicate the operational status of the PAID