From the solar panels the data from the sun gets collected through the current sensor which was connected to the arduino and sent data through the Xbee or “transceiver” to the server, which will also later be used to communicate between each weatherbox in the future. Also the solar panels were used and a renewable source of energy. They were connected to the charging chip which had 2 different functions. One function was to allow the power load to charge the battery. The other function of the charging chip was to power the weatherbox. From the charging chip the power goes to the boost converter which powers the on/off switch for the sensors; also powers the transceiver after going through a 3.3 volt regulator which is all connected to the arduino.
Question 2
There are two temperature sensors used for the weatherbox. One is located on the outside of the box and the other located on the inside. The reason for the extra temperature sensor on the inside of the box is to monitor the heat resonating from the PCB board and make any adjustments necessary for the housing to combat any problems created from too much heat. All other sensors/hardware components are located on the inside of the weatherbox housing to prevent the electrical components from getting wet and shorting out. Currently the weatherbox is mounted on the roof of Holmes Hall using a mounting clamp that is clamped to a railing on the roof, which is sufficient, but since we want to build multiple boxes on multiple roofs in the future; the goal is to find new ways to mount the different weatherboxes that elevate the box off the roof and stay sturdy enough to withstand natural weather in Hawaii without drilling the box down or using more mounting clips.