Hello out there.
I am new to this forum and to the fantastic wolrd of Env. Measurements. I have limited experience in electronics and some years in computer sicnetific programming.My new assignment is now set up the wweather station and get it running.
I am having some hard times trying to establish a communication between my wind anemometer (GILL ultrasound wind sensor, OPTION 4, therefore SDI12) and a CR1000 datalogger. I have gone trough the webpage and manuals, have watched the video tutorials and what I could achieve, so far, is frustratingly close to zero.
I could succesfully connect the cr1000 to my PC, via 200W sotware, I can read temperature and voltage, supplied via a generator. So I know that reading on my PC and input volts are consistent. The video tutorial about SDI12 helped me a lot. I could enter the SDI mode on the terminal and, when prompting the sensor identity, I got GILLINSTR. So I know there actually is some kind of alive connection. Now the point is getting my data over my PC.
1) Wiring
The sensor has 4 open end wires. The red one is V+, 12V, which I connected to the datalogger output. The black one, goes into G. The green one, i.e. the signal, was connected to C7 ("Tx" of COM4 slot). I did not connect the other silver cable, coloured in silver. Where shloud I put that?
2) Programming
In order to read in data, I guess, the datalogger and its onboard unit need to programmed and told: "Pleas, at every step don't forget to read in data over channel 7". As far as I have understood that, SHORT CUT is an user friendly interface that will prepare this and, then, compile a routine that will be sent to the datalogger. I did that. COuld include the wind parameters in the datareading interface on the datalogger output. Unfortuntely I only see NaN (Not a Numer, like in MatLab?). Where is the problem? Wiring? Programming? Both?
3) Special "NO-GO".
I am, as said, very new to all this. What are the thing I should absolutely avoid to burn down my very expansive datalogger? What should I take care of?
Thank you, anyone, for any input ou will be willing to give. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Kind regards
Mark
Hello Mark,
First off, the CR1000 is in my experience a tank. I've done some stuff to it that it has survived. Follow the principles of electronics, don't give it too much juice and don't short out the power connectors and you'll pretty much be fine.
The silver is most likely meant to be the shield or ground contact for the SDI-12 dataline. Connect it to a G port on the datalogger.
But which Gill instrument are you working with? I'm guessing it's the WindSonic? Did you follow the wiring diagram that Short Cut gave you?
I spent the better part of 3 months trying to get the older brother, WindObserver, to send data reliably to my datalogger so you're doing alright.
-Angu