article · FUOYE Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences (FJPAS)
A portable three-component seismograph system has been developed using an ESP32 microcontroller and a 12-bit analog-to-digital converter. Connected to a 4.5 Hz geophone measuring across three axes, the instrument is designed to record ground vibrations generated by quarry blasting, landslides, and earthquakes, with a focus on monitoring vulnerable buildings located near quarries. To optimize signal amplification, the system incorporates a power-efficient operational amplifier, while data is recorded onto an SD card and transmitted to cloud storage in spreadsheet format. Calibration against a standard commercial seismograph confirmed the system reliably measures peak particle velocity during blasting events. The device supports two operational modes: capturing time-domain peak particle velocity during blasts and logging ambient ground noise for site resonance frequency estimation through horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio analysis. Although dynamic range limits the detection of low-amplitude microseisms, the prototype effectively captures higher-amplitude industrial blast signals.
Quarry blasting and ground vibrations can cause significant structural damage to neighbouring communities and infrastructure. Standard commercial monitoring equipment is often expensive, limiting widespread deployment. Developing an affordable, portable system capable of accurate peak particle velocity measurement and site resonance analysis enables broader, cost-effective environmental and safety monitoring around active excavation sites.
This technology offers an affordable ground vibration monitoring tool for quarry operators, civil engineering firms, and environmental regulators assessing blast impacts on nearby structures. Currently functioning as an applied and tested field prototype calibrated against commercial units, moving toward commercialisation would require refining the hardware casing, improving dynamic range or user interfaces, and packaging the cloud logging workflow for routine industrial use.
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A portable seismograph was developed using an ESP32 Development Kit V1 microcontroller with a 12-bit Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) to digitize seismic data from a 4.5 Hz three-component geophone (Vertical Z, Inline X, Crossline Y axes, following SEG nomenclature). The instrument is designed to measure ground vibrations from quarry blasting, landslides, and earthquakes, particularly near structures susceptible to damage from neighboring quarries. While the 12-bit ADC provides a cost-effective solution for medium-to-high amplitude blast signals, its dynamic range (~72 dB) limits detection of low-amplitude microseisms. A power-efficient LMC6462 operational amplifier was incorporated to optimize signal amplification and enhance subsurface imaging. Data is stored locally on an SD card and remotely on the cloud in Excel format for worldwide accessibility. Calibration against a standard commercial seismograph confirmed the instrument's capability to measure Peak Particle Velocity (PPV) in quarry environments. The performance of this device may not be as good as high-end digitizers with 24 bits; however, it would be sufficient for measuring blast-induced seismic signals that have amplitudes way beyond the quantization threshold. This device acts as a prototype which proves that a low-cost seismograph with a microcontroller can be used for field operations at quarries. There are two modes of operation of this device: (1) measurement of PPV in the time domain during the blast-induced seismic event, and (2) recording of ambient noise for estimation of the site resonance frequency by HVSR analysis.
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DOI: 10.55518/fjpas.paak7724
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