Build a Nanogram Mass Sensor with Arduino Uno & LED

Every part needed, pre-tested for compatibility, with an AI build companion trained on this exact project. Shipped from Bengaluru in 3-5 days.

Construct a functional quartz crystal microbalance that detects mass changes as small as a few nanograms by measuring the frequency shift of a vibrating 10MHz AT-cut crystal. This open-source instrument is ideal for monitoring thin-film deposition in sputtering systems, studying adsorption in liquid cells, or prototyping biosensors in academic labs across India. You'll solder the oscillator, interface a high-resolution ADC, and calibrate the sensor using the Sauerbrey equation, all on a PCB prototype board.

What You'll Build

A standalone frequency counter and mass sensor that displays real-time frequency drift on an OLED screen, logs data to a microSD card, and allows calibration for direct mass readout. The system uses a Schmidt trigger oscillator, precision ADC, and a temperature-compensated DS3231 timebase to achieve research-grade stability. By the end, you'll have a tool capable of resolving sub-microgram mass changes over hours of continuous monitoring.

What You'll Learn

• Design and stabilize a 10MHz crystal oscillator circuit using a 74HC14 Schmidt trigger
• Interface an ADS1115 16-bit ADC to an Arduino Uno for high-resolution frequency counting
• Implement temperature compensation using a DS3231 RTC and polynomial fitting
• Calibrate the sensor using the Sauerbrey equation to convert frequency shift to mass

Kit Contents

Why Buy This Kit Instead of Sourcing Parts Separately

Who This Kit Is For

This kit targets final-year B.Tech (ECE/EEE), M.Tech, and PhD researchers working on thin-film sensors, electrogravimetry, or biosensing projects. It's also suitable for advanced hobbyists prototyping in Smart India Hackathon hardware tracks and research labs at IIT, NIT, VIT, BITS Pilani, and IISc. If you need a cost-effective tool to explore piezoelectric mass sensing without a commercial QCM instrument, this is the right starting point.

Built and Backed by Compoden

Every Compoden kit ships with an AI build companion trained on this exact project - accessible via a QR code on the box, with WhatsApp and email backup. We've spent 10 years building projects for makers, schools, and institutions across India. If a part fails because of a manufacturing defect, replace it free within 7 days.

Choose your assembly option:

• Soldering Kit - 25W soldering iron, 60/40 solder wire, flux, and small perfboard for permanent assembly.
• Breadboard Combo - 800-point full-size breadboard with 65-piece jumper wire pack for solderless prototyping.