MODULAIR-UFP

Product manual for the MODULAIR-UFP ultrafine particle monitor.

Key

Valu

Product Name

MODULAIR-UFP

SKU(s)

MOD-UFP-NORAM

For use in North America.

MOD-UFP-GLOBAL

For use outside North America. Please contact QuantAQ Sales for specific country support.

Datasheet

Download

1. Introduction and Specs

The MODULAIR™-UFP provides real-time, direct measurement of total particle number concentration (~5-3,000 nm), temperature, humidity, pressure, wind direction, and wind speed in an easy-to-use, easy-to-deploy, internet-connected system.

1.1 Specifications

1.1.1 Air Quality Measurements

PARAMETER

RANGE

ACCURACY

Total Number Concentration

0 to 100,000 p/cc

Not yet determined.

Temperature*

-40ºC to 70ºC

+/- 0.3ºC

Relative Humidity

0 to 100%

+/- 2%

Pressure

300 to 1,250 hPa

0.4 hPa

Wind Direction

0 to 60 m/s

3% RMSE

Wind Speed

0º to 360º

+/- 3º

*This is the specification for the temperature measurement itself, not the safe operating temperature of the MODULAIR-UFP.

For more information on the operating principle of the CPC, please refer to Hering et al, 2025.

1.1.2 Power and Communications

PARAMETER

DETAILS

🔋 Power

12V 5W average consumption

📶 Communication

North America LTE Cat M1 with 2G fallback Wi-Fi (2.4GHz or 5GHz) EMEAA LTE CAT1 with 2G/3G fallback Wi-Fi (2.4GHz or 5GHz)

📈 Data

Web interface (quant-aq.com) Programmatic access (QuantAQ API) Local storage (16GB µSD card)

1.1.3 Operating Specifications

PARAMETER

DETAILS

Weatherproof rating

IP67

Operating temperature

5ºC to 45ºC*

Operating humidity

05 to 95%, non-condensing

Dimensions

25.34" x 10.6" x 5.22"

Weight

10 lbs (4.5 kg)

*It is important to note that using the MODULAIR-UFP without proper winterization can lead to permanent, irreversible damage. The MODULAIR-UFP uses water as its operating liquid, and the instrument can be damaged if water internal to the system freezes and expands.

1.2 Certifications

Coming soon.

2. Sensor Overview

Coming soon.

3. Installation and Hardware Setup

3.1 Unpacking

Coming soon.

3.2 Device Registration

You do not need to physically have your sensor present to complete the device registration process. The process can also be completed without powering on your sensor.

Each device ships with a Registration Card containing a QR code and a short confirmation code. Follow the instructions below to register your device.

Scan the QR code

Using an internet-connected phone, tablet, or computer, scan the QR code on your Registration Card. It is best to first log in to quant-aq.com on the same device. The QR code should direct you to the registration page on the QuantAQ Cloud.

Fill out the device registration form

Fill out the form presented to you on your screen.

Enter the claim code

The form will ask you for a Claim Code, which can be found on your Registration Card. It is a 6-digit alphanumeric code. This ensures only the person in possession can register it.

Once completed, press "Register".

3.3 Configuring Wi-Fi

Please note that configuring Wi-Fi is *not* required for operation. All MODULAIR devices have cellular modems, and Wi-Fi is a fallback in the event you are operating in an area that does not have a reliable cellular connection.

To use our web-based configuration tool, you must use a computer operating system and browser that supports WebUSB technology. Examples include Chrome, Edge, and Opera browsers on Windows, Mac, Linux, or Chromebook devices.

To configure Wi-Fi credentials for your device, use our web-based configuration tool or visit https://app.quant-aq.com/wifi-setup. Complete instructions can be found in our Help Center. The MODULAIR can store up to ten separate credentials before they begin to be overwritten.

3.4 Installation

Coming soon.

3.5 Connectivity Considerations

As all QuantAQ products are internet-connected, it is important to consider connectivity when choosing an installation location. There are three primary things to consider:

Antenna Connection. If your device has an external antenna, ensure it is seated securely and placed at a 90º angle pointing toward the sky.
Antenna Placement. Do not place the device near metal objects or other sources of RF (i.e., antenna). Keep the antenna at least 18" away from metal objects as they can cause distortions and reflections.
Location and Cellular Availability. Install your sensor in a location with a known cellular signal on the carriers we support.

4. Software and Data

4.1 Data Structure and Outputs

There are three ways in which you can access data for the MODULAIR-UFP:

Local Storage. Raw, 10-second resolution data is available for download directly from the onboard 16GB µSD card.
Web User Interface. Data can be downloaded directly from the QuantAQ Cloud in CSV format.
API. Data can be accessed programmatically via the QuantAQ API.

4.1.1 Local Storage

Data is collected and saved to an onboard µSD card every 10 seconds. Each minute, these values are averaged and pushed to the QuantAQ Cloud, where they are available for you to view, interact with, and download. It is unlikely you will ever need the locally stored data, but it is available to you if you would like to use it.

On the µSD card, you will find files with names like DATA_{YYYYMMDD}@FW{VERSION}.csv where YYYYMMDD represents the UTC date and VERSION represents the firmware version of the device. In the event a firmware update takes place mid-day, a new file will be created for that date.

Data files are written each day and can be read or analyzed using any programming language or spreadsheet program (e.g., Microsoft Excel). Each file begins with three metadata rows describing the device model (row 1), device ID (row 2), and device serial number (row 3). Row 4 contains the data header columns, and rows 5 and higher contain data. Each row corresponds to a new record.

Table 4.1 below documents the columns available in the downloaded data, their units, and their description.

COLUMN

UNIT

Description

timestamp

Timestamp, UTC, ISO format

Firmare version

flag

MODULAIR-UFP flag

soc

LiPo battery State of Charge

sample_temp

ºC

Internal box temperature

sample_rh

Internal box relative humidity

wx_ws

m/s

Vector Wind speed, as measured by the MaxiMet GMX500

wx_wd

deg

Vector Wind direction, as measured by the MaxiMet GMX500

wx_ws_scalar

m/s

Scalar wind speed, as measured by the MaxiMet GMX500

wx_u

The u-component of the wind speed/direction

wx_v

The v-component of the wind speed/direction

wx_pressure

hPa

Ambient pressure, as measured by the MaxiMet GMX500

wx_temp

ºC

Ambient temperature, as measured by the MaxiMet GMX500

wx_rh

Ambient relative humidity, as measured by the MaxiMet GMX500

wx_dew_point

ºC

Ambient dew point, as measured by the MaxiMet GMX500

cpc_elapsed_seconds

Seconds since the CPC started up.

cpc_serial_number

Serial Number of the CPC subcomponent.

cpc_particle_number_conc

p/cc

Raw particle number concentration

cpc_particle_number_conc_corr

p/cc

Particle number concentration with nominal correction for high concentrations.

cpc_sample_number

The sample number, auto-incrementing

cpc_flag

The current flag of the CPC subcomponent

cpc_pressure_at_beginning

hPa

Pressure reading in cell when particle counting begins

cpc_pressure_at_end

hPa

Pressure reading in cell when particle counting ends

cpc_pressure_ambient

hPa

Ambient pressure, as measured by the CPC subcomponent

cpc_temperature_ambient

ºC

Ambient temperature, as measured by the CPC subcomponent

cpc_temperature_at_input

ºC

Temperature at the CPC input valve

cpc_humidity_at_input

Relative humidity at the CPC input valve

cpc_dew_point_at_input

ºC

Dew point at CPC input valve

cpc_temperature_at_output

ºC

Temperature at the CPC output valve

cpc_humidity_at_output

Relative humidity at the CPC output valve

cpc_dew_point_at_output

ºC

Dew point at the CPC output valve

cpc_particle_count

Number of detected particles during the count interval

cpc_particle_count_corr

Dead-time corrected particle count

cpc_flush_time_ms

Cell flush time

cpc_humidification_time_ms

Cell humidification time

cpc_expansion_time_start

Time after start of expansion that counting starts

cpc_expansion_time_end

Time after start of expansion that counting ends

cpc_dead_time_corr_factor

Dead-time correction factor

cpc_power_to_pump

Power to the pump

cpc_k_factor

Conversion factor used to calculate the number concentration including cell volume and conversion of pressure reading into appropriate units

4.1.2 Data Stored on the QuantAQ Cloud

Data are pushed to the QuantAQ Cloud with 1-minute time resolution and can be downloaded via the API or via the web app as a CSV. When downloading data, you can select whether you would like to download the raw data, final data, or raw+final data. Generally, the final data is what is desired, as it contains the final, cleaned data that is ready for analysis. The raw data is well-suited for researchers trying to investigate specific questions. When downloaded, the data is exported as a CSV and contains the following columns:

COLUMN

FILE LOCATION

UNIT

DESCRIPTIO

timestamp

rawfinal

timestamp_local

rawfinal

sample_rh

rawfinal

sample_temp

rawfinal

ºC

lat

rawfinal

lon

rawfinal

device_state

rawfinal

wx_ws

rawfinal

wx_wd

rawfinal

wx_ws_scalar

rawfinal

wx_u

wx_v

wx_pressure

hPa

wx_temp

ºC

wx_rh

wx_dew_point

ºC

cpc_elapsed_seconds

cpc_serial_number

cpc_flag

cpc_pressure_at_beginning

hPa

cpc_pressure_at_end

hPa

cpc_pressure_ambient

hPa

cpc_temperature_ambient

ºC

cpc_temperature_at_input

ºC

cpc_temperature_at_output

ºC

cpc_humidity_at_input

cpc_humidity_at_output

cpc_dew_point_at_input

ºC

cpc_dew_point_at_output

ºC

cpc_particle_count

cpc_particle_count_corr

cpc_particle_number_conc

cpc_flush_time_ms

cpc_humidification_time_ms

cpc_expansion_time_start

cpc_expansion_time_end

cpc_dead_time_corr_factor

cpc_power_to_pump

cpc_k_factor

cpc_particle_number_conc_corr

final

p/cc

4.1.3 Data Downloaded via API

For details on how to use the API to download data, please view the API docs here. The names, units, and descriptions for key-value pairs retrieved via the API are identical to those found in the section above, though they may be embedded beneath a key (e.g., all meteorological data is shown under the met key). Data is returned as JSON, as shown in the example below:

// Some code
{
  "data": [
    {
      "cpc_particle_number_conc_corr": 54960,
      "geo": {
        "lat": null,
        "lon": null
      },
      "met": {
        "wx_dew_point": 14.37,
        "wx_pressure": 1011.68,
        "wx_rh": 39.43,
        "wx_temp": 29.6,
        "wx_u": -0.309,
        "wx_v": 2.256,
        "wx_wd": 352.21,
        "wx_ws": 2.28,
        "wx_ws_scalar": 2.35
      },
      "raw_data_id": 1,
      "sn": "MOD-UFP-00003",
      "timestamp": "2025-06-12T23:36:45",
      "timestamp_local": "2025-06-12T19:36:45",
      "url": "https://api.quant-aq.com/v1/devices/MOD-UFP-00003/data/1"
    },
    ...
  ],
  "meta": {
    "first_url": "https://api.quant-aq.com/device-api/v1/devices/MOD-UFP-00003/data/?page=1&per_page=50&limit=3",
    "last_url": "https://api.quant-aq.com/device-api/v1/devices/MOD-UFP-00003/data/?page=1&per_page=50&limit=3",
    "next_url": null,
    "page": 1,
    "pages": 1,
    "per_page": 50,
    "prev_url": null,
    "total": 3
  }
}

4.2 Understanding the Status Flag

Each record contains a status flag, stored as an unsigned integer, that describes the state of the device for that exact record. Flags contain encoded information about each of the sub-components onboard the device. They are generated via a bitmask and can be decoded by reversing the procedure. To determine whether a specific flag is set, you can use the bitwise AND operator. If the value of the flag is returned, then the flag is set. If a zero is returned, the flag is not set.

To make this a bit clearer, let's follow this example. Let's assume the value of the flag is set to "4". We can perform a bitwise AND operation to check the result to see if FLAG_STARTUP is set.

# bit AND - is FLAG_STARTUP set?
>>> 4 & 1
0

# bit AND - is FLAG_NEPH set?
>>> 4 & 4
4

The table below describes the available flags, flag values, and a description of what they mean and what action should be taken when they are set.

Flags are consistent across all QuantAQ products, so there may be flags in the table below that irrelevant to your product.

FLAG

VALUE

WHY IS IT SET?

WHAT TO DO?

FLAG_STARTUP

This flag is set when the device powers on.