Configuration Guide

The rpi-seism daemon is controlled by a single config.yml file. Settings are strongly typed and cross-validated using Pydantic to ensure the hardware and software stay in sync.

File Location

The daemon looks for config.yml in the ./data directory.

Station Metadata

These settings define your station’s identity in the global FDSN network.

Field	Type	Constraints	Description
network	string	1-2 chars	FDSN Network code (e.g., XX)
station	string	1-5 chars	Station identifier (e.g., RPI3)
latitude	float	-90 to 90	Decimal degrees
longitude	float	-180 to 180	Decimal degrees
elevation	float	N/A	Meters above sea level

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Hardware Epochs (start_date)

Critical Requirement

You must update the start_date ISO-8601 string whenever you change physical hardware (e.g., swapping a geophone or changing the analog gain).

The daemon uses this date to manage StationXML epochs. If you change hardware settings but keep the same start_date, the daemon will refuse to start to prevent corrupting your instrument response metadata.

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MCU & ADC Settings

These values are pushed to the MCU during the Serial Handshake.

PGA Gain Enums

Enum	Value	Range	Best Use Case
PGA_1	0	± 5.0 V	Raw ADC testing / DC signals
PGA_2	1	± 2.5 V	3.3V sensor bypass
PGA_4	2	± 1.25 V	Medium gain staging
PGA_8	3	± 625 mV	High-output piezo sensors
PGA_16	4	± 312.5 mV	Low-noise differential inputs
PGA_32	5	± 156.25 mV	Small signal amplification
PGA_64	6	± 78.125 mV	GD-4.5 Geophone + ×100 Preamp

DataRate Enums

Enum	Value	SPS	Status	Use Case
DRATE_100SPS	8	100	❌ Too slow	Static DC monitoring
DRATE_500SPS	9	500	⚠️ Marginal	Low-bandwidth (20Hz)
DRATE_1000SPS	10	1000	⚠️ Marginal	Standard 50Hz output
DRATE_2000SPS	11	2000	✅ Optimal	Required for 100Hz output
DRATE_3750SPS	12	3750	✅ Stable	High-speed multiplexing
DRATE_7500SPS	13	7500	✅ Low Latency	High-frequency analysis
DRATE_30000SPS	15	30000	⚠️ High Noise	Maximum speed / Burst mode

The 13× Timing Rule

To ensure the MCU can multiplex 3 channels without jitter, the ADC sample rate must be at least 13 times higher than the daemon’s requested output rate.

• Target: 100 Hz output.
• Minimum ADC Speed: 1300 SPS.
• Setting: Use adc_sample_rate: 11 (2000 SPS).

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Channel Definitions

Defines how the physical ADC pins map to SEED-compliant seismic channels.

Field	Type	Description
name	string	3-char SEED code (e.g., EHZ, EHN, EHE)
adc_channel	int	Physical pin index (0, 1, or 2)
orientation	enum	vertical, north, or east
sensitivity	float	Geophone sensitivity in V·s/m
analog_gain	float	Hardware gain (e.g., 100.0 for your InstAmp)

Tip

Validation Check: The last character of the name (e.g., ‘Z’) must match the orientation (‘vertical’).

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Jobs settings

Reader

Configures the serial port settings for the RS-422 link to the MCU.

Field	Default	Description
port	/dev/ttyUSB0	Serial device path
baudrate	250000	UART baud rate (9600–2000000)

Writer

Configures the MiniSEED/SDS flush schedule.

Field	Default	Description
write_interval_sec	1800	10–86400 s

Event Trigger (STA/LTA)

Configures the real-time earthquake detection engine.

Parameter	Recommended	Description
sta_sec	0.5	Short-term average window (seconds)
lta_sec	10.0	Long-term average window (seconds)
thr_on	3.5	Trigger ratio (STA/LTA) to start event
thr_off	1.5	Ratio to end event (Hysteresis)

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Notification Services

The daemon uses Apprise for alerts. You can add multiple notification targets.

Example Notifiers

jobs_settings:
  notifiers:
    - url: "tgram://bot_token/chat_id/" # Telegram
      enabled: true
    - url: "discord://webhook_id/webhook_token/" # Discord
      enabled: false