Noise level chart card with background
Who it’s for
Environmental compliance officers, city planners, and building managers ask “how has noise changed over the selected period?” They want the trend and delta in one card displayed over a background image for dedicated environmental monitoring or public information screens.
What it does
A sensor averaging 58 dB this week versus 45 dB last week shows an orange value — Moderate — with a +29% delta and a +13 dB absolute change, plus a chart of readings, displayed over the preset background image.
- Large current noise level value color-coded across four bands from Quiet to Hazardous
- Delta percentage and absolute delta comparing the current period to the previous one
- Time-series chart of noise readings averaged per interval
- Decorative background image bundled with the widget, with a white overlay that keeps the text readable
- Shows one sensor’s data; it does not compare multiple monitoring points
How to set up
Data keys
| Key | Role | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
noise | Chart series | Timeseries | Ambient noise level in dB; drives the chart and all derived overlays |
| Latest | Latest value | Timeseries | The headline figure above the chart. Its own color ranges are where the band colors are edited |
| Delta percent | Percentage change | Timeseries | Change against the previous period, as a percentage |
| Delta absolute | Absolute change | Timeseries | Change against the previous period, in the key’s own unit |
The widget ships with a simulated function datasource key labeled Noise level, so it draws random values until you point the datasource at a device and rename the key.
To point it at your own device: open the dashboard in edit mode, open the widget’s Datasources, pick the entity or entity alias, and replace the function key with the key your device reports.
If the key has never reported for the selected time window, the chart is empty and all overlays show no data.
Value ranges
| Range | Level | Color |
|---|---|---|
| 0–50 | Quiet | Green |
| 50–70 | Moderate | Orange |
| 70–90 | Loud | Dark Orange |
| 90+ | Hazardous | Red |
How to customize
- To swap the background image — open the widget settings and set Background to a different image or switch to a solid color.
- To adjust how much the background shows through — change the Overlay opacity; lower values reveal more of the image, higher values push it further back.
- To use your own noise thresholds — edit the color ranges on the Latest data key; adjust the four default bands to match your site’s regulatory limits.
- To change the comparison period — adjust the Time window on the dashboard; the delta automatically compares to the equivalent preceding period.
- To hide or show the chart — toggle Show chart in the widget settings.
- To change the chart line color — set Chart color.
- To hide the entity name subtitle or the timestamp — turn off Show subtitle or Show date.
Tips
- Because dB is a logarithmic scale, a +10 dB delta is perceived as roughly twice as loud — watch the absolute dB value, not just the percentage change.
- If the background image reduces contrast, raise the Overlay opacity to keep the text readable from a distance.
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