What are they talking about “you are not locked in to any specific data platform but can connect the data to any server, that is Home Assistant, or use the AirGradient data platform, a data platform specifically made for air quality monitoring.”
I just want to look at the the monitor (prob will get the outdoor one) and see what it says. I am not going to track anything. If it goes out on wifi for others to see that’s ok but what is the data platform/home assistant they refer to?
I’m not sure about the category but saw some of the same terminology.
Thanks for answering.
Hi @Lint14 and welcome to the community!
Sorry for the confusion. Our monitors are open source and support several optional integrations, which can make the setup sound more complicated than it is.
You do not need Home Assistant, and you do not need a paid subscription just to use the monitor and view its readings. Our platform, the AirGradient dashboard, is free to use.
For an outdoor monitor, you would normally connect it to WiFi and register it on the AirGradient Dashboard using its serial number. The Dashboard is the AirGradient data platform mentioned in the description. It lets you view the monitor’s current and historical readings in a web browser.
Home Assistant is simply an optional third-party smart-home platform. It is only relevant if you already use Home Assistant and want to display the monitor data there. It is not mandatory.
Our indoor monitor also has a built-in screen and can be used without Wi-Fi if you only want to look at the readings directly on the device:
https://www.airgradient.com/documentation/kb/airgradient-one-offline-mode
For the outdoor monitor you will need to register it on the Dashboard to view its readings. We have all the setup steps documented in our Knowledge Base, are I am also happy to help if needed. Feel free to email us via the support form whenever needed!