SensePlex Looks to Shake Up the Seismometer Market with the Open Source AnyShake Explorer
Three-axis geophone partnered with a three-axis accelerometer delivers high-precision shake monitoring.
Open hardware specialist SensePlex has launched a crowdfunding campaign for the AnyShake Explorer, an open source and accessible seismic monitoring station with up to a 250 samples per second capture speed.
"AnyShake Explorer is an open-source, professional-grade seismic monitoring system," explain SensePlex' Joshua Lee and Finch Yuan of the device. "In a category where black box, overpriced systems are the norm, Explorer changes everything. Designed for researchers, engineers, citizen scientists, and enthusiasts alike, offering environmental scientists unparalleled transparency and flexibility. By combining a high-sensitivity three-axis geophone and three-axis accelerometer with advanced, low-noise electronics and our cross-platform AnyShake Observer software, Explorer delivers powerful seismic insights that rival proprietary solutions, making advanced earth science affordable."
Designed for high-accuracy tracking of seismic activity, the heart of the AnyShake Explorer is a three-axis velocity geophone running at 4.5Hz and with a claimed 100V/m/s sensitivity. This is backed up by a 16-bit three-axis ±2g full-scale accelerometer, and connected to a 32-bit analog to digital converter (ADC). All told, the device boasts an instrument period of two seconds, a sampling range of between 50 to 250 samples per second, and features support for both Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Network Time Protocol (NPT) clock synchronization.
Data acquired by the device — in the user's choice of geophone-only, accelerometer-only, or simultaneous-sampling modes — is transferred to the host device over RS232 or RS485, with support for the company's SeedLink software, a local web server, or a raw TCP stream for network connectivity. Data can be exported, meanwhile, in MinSEED, SAC, and WAV formats.
Perhaps the biggest of the board's features, though, won't be found on the spec sheet: it's open source. SensePlex has made the design files, schematics, and firmware source code for the project available on GitHub — though under an unspecified license, which may or may not restrict its reuse. The company's AnyShake Observer software is also available in a separate repository, though again under an unspecified license.
"[The AnyShake Explorer]'s compact size and elegant design make it great for long-term installation and study," Lee and Yuan claim, "like monitoring vibrations and stress indicators on structures. Its ease of use and Observer software make it ideal for citizen scientists and students alike. Wonder if that jolt was your imagination? Now you can look back at the data."
The company is currently crowdfunding production for the AnyShake Explorer on Crowd Supply, with hardware starting at $345; all devices are expected to ship by late November, though SensePlex has not yet received CE or FCC certification.