Sfera Labs’ Exo Sense Pi is a device with multiple environmental sensors based on the 2GB version of the Raspberry Pi CM4 module designed for residential and commercial applications such as environmental monitoring and data gathering, BLE positioning, indoor people and assets tracking, rooms management and access control, voice control, and more.
The Exo Sense Pi devices include optional WiFI 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 LE connectivity depending on the RPI CM4 module selected, and ships with temperature, humidity, air quality (VOC), light intensity, microphone, and PIR motion sensors by default, but there’s also an optional earthquake sensor.
- SoM – Raspberry Pi CM4 (16GB eMMC flash) or CM4 Lite module with 2GB RAM by default. But obviously compatible with other models.
- Storage – MicroSD card socket for CM4 Lite module
- Wireless connectivity – 2.4 GHz, 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ac wireless; Bluetooth 5.0, BLE depending on installed Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 board
- USB – Micro USB port for updating the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4’s eMMC flash
- Serial – Standard RS-485 interface with electrostatic discharge protection; up to 115,200 bps (higher speeds are possible but there’s no guarantee to meet EMI requirements)
- I/Os via 7-pin fast snap-in terminal block
- 2x digital inputs (0 to 40V) or 5V TTL level I/O (1-Wire, I2C, Wiegand support)
- 1x open collector output with 100 mA MAX output current
- Sensors – Temperature, humidity, air quality (VOC), light intensity, microphone for sound intensity monitoring, recording and processing, PIR motion sensor, optional earthquake sensor based on OMRON D7S vibration sensor.
- Misc – User LED, piezoelectric buzzer, real-time clock (RTC) with replaceable backup battery, Microchip ATECC608A secure element chip, internal temperature sensors for heat compensation
- Power supply
- 10 to 28 VDC
- Reverse polarity protection with 1.1 A resettable fuse. Surge protection up to ±1000V/2ohms 1.2/50μs
- Current consumption
- At VS+ 12 V including Raspberry Pi CM4, with active Wi-Fi, no other connections
- Low CPU load: 140 mA
- 100% CPU load, before throttling: 380 mA
- At VS+ 24 V including Raspberry Pi CM4, with active Wi-Fi, no other connections
- Low CPU load: 95 mA
- 100% CPU load, before throttling: 210 mA
- At VS+ 12 V including Raspberry Pi CM4, with active Wi-Fi, no other connections
- Dimensions – 80x80mm wall mount ABS case
- Weight – 90 grams including CM4 module
- Temperature Range – Operating: -10…+50°C; storage: -20…+70 °C
- Relative humidity – 5% to 90% noncondensing
- Protection rating – IP20
- Electromagnetic immunity compliance
- EN 61000-4-2 (ESD)
- EN 61000-4-3 (Radiated RF Field)
- EN 61000-4-4 (Burst/fast transient)
- EN 61000-4-6 (Conducted)
- EN 61000-4-8 (Power frequency magnetic field)
The Italian company provides a kernel module for Raspberry Pi OS on Github together with instructions in order to support all sensors and I/Os from the device. Exo Sense Pi is not the first device from Sfera Labs that relies on a Raspberry Pi Compute Module, as we previously covered Iono Pi Max industrial controller featuring a Raspberry Pi CM3+ module.
Exo Sense Pi environmental sensor is currently sold for €229.00 or €245.00 excluding taxes for respectively the model with Raspberry Pi CM4 Lite Wireless with 2GB RAM, and RPi CM4 Wireless with 16GB eMMC flash. Note the latter is on backorder with availability scheduled for June. You’ll find documentation and a purchase link on the product page.
Finding product names is apparently hard, as Exo Sense Pi should be confused with the earlier Exo Sense Py environmental monitoring system that offers many of the same features but instead run MicroPython on an ESP32 board, namely either one of the following Pycom boards: WiPy 3.0, SiPy, LoPy4, GPy, or FiPy.
Via LinuxGizmos and EENews Europe
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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