*2.1. Design of Monitoring Prototype*

The monitoring prototype was designed to detect volatile profiles, temperature and humidity during apple storage. The prototype consisted of hardware, software and mechanical components. The hardware system measured the gas components and included a microcontroller, gas sensor array and display screen. The software system was developed to control the microcontroller and to interface with the computer. The mechanical components involved a gas delivery system that transported the gas components from the storage environment to the sensors array. The design characteristics of the monitoring prototype are further explained in the following sections.
