Geophonino-W: A Wireless Multichannel Seismic Noise Recorder System for Array Measurements

Abstract

The characterization of soil is essential for the evaluation of seismic hazard, because soil properties strongly influence the damage caused by earthquakes. Methods based on seismic noise are the most commonly used in soil characterization. Concretely, methods based on seismic noise array measurements allow for the estimation of Rayleigh wave dispersion curves and, subsequently, shear-wave velocity profiles. The equipment required for the application of this technique is usually very expensive, which could be a significant economic challenge for small research groups. In this work, we have developed a wireless multichannel seismic noise recorder system (Geophonino-W), which is suitable for array measurements. Each station includes a microcontroller board (Arduino), a conditioning circuit, an Xbee module, an SD card, and a GPS module. Several laboratory tests were carried out in order to study the performance of the Geophonino-W: A frequency response test (impulse response and noise); synchronization test; and battery duration test. Comparisons of Geophonino-W with the commercial systems and field measurements were also carried out. The estimated dispersion curves obtained using the proposed system were compared with the ones obtained using other commercial equipment, demonstrating the effectiveness of Geophonino-W for seismic noise array measurements. Geophonino-W is an economic open-source and hardware system that is available to any small research group or university.

Design and Implementation of a Wireless Recorder System for Seismic Noise Array Measurements

“…In the work of Soler-Llorens et al [ 33 ], a network of wireless sensors (or nodes) is established using the Zigbee communication protocol to manage the acquisition of seismic signals and the synchronization between the measurements of each sensor. The data are collected locally on each node, so the main drawback is that you have to remove the memory cards from each node and access the files one by one.…”

“…Some of the main novelties and advantages of the developed system are described below: A low-noise signal conditioning circuit, which adapts the low-amplitude seismic noise to the dynamic range of the analog-to-digital converter (ADC). In this sense, for example, the internal noise level of the selected instrumentation amplifier (i.e., INA128) is twenty times lower than the noise of the amplifiers used in [ 30 , 33 ]. An external 24-bit module (i.e., ADS1256), instead of the internal 12-bit ADC of Arduino (e.g., [ 33 ]) or the LaunchPad CC3200 board (e.g., [ 30 ]).…”

“…In this sense, for example, the internal noise level of the selected instrumentation amplifier (i.e., INA128) is twenty times lower than the noise of the amplifiers used in [ 30 , 33 ]. An external 24-bit module (i.e., ADS1256), instead of the internal 12-bit ADC of Arduino (e.g., [ 33 ]) or the LaunchPad CC3200 board (e.g., [ 30 ]). Thus, the resolution of the system has increased, and the quantification error has been reduced considerably.…”

“…A low-noise signal conditioning circuit, which adapts the low-amplitude seismic noise to the dynamic range of the analog-to-digital converter (ADC). In this sense, for example, the internal noise level of the selected instrumentation amplifier (i.e., INA128) is twenty times lower than the noise of the amplifiers used in [ 30 , 33 ].…”

Design and Implementation of a Wireless Sensor Network for Seismic Monitoring of Buildings

“…The high cost of instrumentation and the rise of low-cost microcontrollers, each time with more functionalities, is what motivates the increasing number of proposals for measurement systems developed by the research groups themselves. Thus, wireless solutions can be found in the literature for seismic exploration [ 27 , 28 ], microzonation studies [ 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ] and building monitoring [ 35 , 36 , 37 ], among others.…”