CA-9 Path-Averaging Laser Anemometer

The CA-9 Path-Averaging Laser Anemometer, the first product marketed by Campbell Scientific. 

Campbell Scientific was organized in 1974 by two brothers, Eric and Evan Campbell, in Logan, Utah. Other Campbell family members assisted in the business venture by providing the initial capital, direction, new product definition, and conceptual development.

The first product Campbell Scientific marketed was the CA-9 Path-Averaging Laser Anemometer in 1974. The laser anemometer was followed in 1975 with the company’s first data acquisition system, the CR5 Measurement & Control System. Since the introduction of the CR5 in 1975, Campbell Scientific has manufactured more than 391,000 data loggers.

Building on decades of experience, Campbell Scientific has developed increasingly powerful data loggers that have achieved worldwide use in environmental, research, and industrial markets for diverse applications. Over the years, Campbell Scientific has also established itself as a reputable manufacturer of numerous related product lines for the measurement field, including a wide variety of sensors, as well as devices for the collection, storage, communication, and retrieval of data.

Through innovative product development, the manufacture of high-quality products, and excellent customer support, Campbell Scientific endeavors to meet the instrumentation needs of their customers. To better serve their customers worldwide, in 1980, Campbell Scientific began to open affiliate offices across the globe. Today, affiliate offices operate in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, France, Germany, India, South Africa, Southeast Asia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

From its modest yet high-tech start with a laser anemometer in 1974 in Logan, Utah, Campbell Scientific has become a global company, trusted worldwide for producing accurate and dependable measurement and control instruments. See some of our most noteworthy accomplishments and newsworthy moments in the company timeline below.

2024

  • Global Campbell Scientific social media accounts are consolidated for more streamlined communication with our followers.
  • A groundbreaking ceremony is held for an additional building that is the single largest building expansion project in the history of the company at over 82,000 square feet.

2023

  • Paul Smart is appointed as the new president of Campbell Scientific.
  • Campbell Scientific receives a Large Manufacturer Superior Safety Award from the Utah Manufacturers Association.
  • Joshua Campbell, VP of Strategy and Business Development at Campbell Scientific, is confirmed as the new Chair of the Association of the Hydro-Meteorological Industry (HMEI).

2022

  • The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (Go Utah) awards Campbell Scientific a temporary, marginal tax reduction for its expansion, whereby Campbell Scientific plans, during the next 10 years, to bring up to 268 new high-paying jobs and invest $40 million in rural Utah.

2021

  • The expedition team Campbell Scientific partnered with for the installation of automated weather stations on Mount Everest achieves a Guinness World Record for "highest altitude weather station on land."

2020

  • Coastal Environmental Systems and Campbell Scientific join to have operations located at a single headquarters in Logan, Utah.

2019

  • The Campbell Scientific India office is opened to serve Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
  • Campbell Scientific partners with an expedition team to install automated weather stations on Mount Everest, including the highest weather station in the world.
  • Campbell Scientific introduces the SoilVUE™10 TDR Soil Moisture Profile Sensor with proprietary TrueWave™TDR technology. 
  • Campbell Scientific celebrates their 25-year anniversary of working with their Campbell Scientific do Brasil colleagues.

2018

  • Campbell Scientific receives an award from the Utah Manufacturers Association for exemplifying outstanding safety in the workplace during the past year. 
  • Campbell Scientific is chosen to receive a 2018 Charles A. Caine Award for Workplace Safety from WCF Insurance.
  • Campbell Scientific is awarded the "Outstanding Contribution to Technology & Innovation Award" from the Cache Chamber of Commerce.

2017

2016

2015

  • The Campbell Scientific Southeast Asia office is opened to serve Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.
  • Paul Campbell (company president) is awarded the WTC Utah Champion in International Business Award.
  • The Campbell Scientific Blog is launched.
  • Campbell Scientific has shipped more than 300,000 data loggers since the company's first data logger was sold in 1975.
  • Paul Campbell steps down as president of Campbell Scientific, Inc., and Robert Campbell assumes this leadership position.

2014

  • Campbell Scientific celebrates its 40th anniversary and hosts a customer open house.
  • Building 1 remodeling at Campbell Scientific headquarters is completed.
  • Campbell Scientific introduces the CR6 Measurement and Control Datalogger with universal (U) terminals, which allow virtually any sensor—analog, digital, or smart—to be connected to any U terminal.
  • Campbell Scientific renews its support of trace-gas analzyer systems with the release of the TGA200A and available upgrades to operate older systems with a new, thermoelectrically cooled (TEC) laser.

2013

  • Campbell Scientific opens a new office in China to support weather monitoring, geotechnical monitoring, and measurements and monitoring in many different industries.
  • Campbell Scientific introduces new recording sensors (CRS451 and CRS456) that have an integrated time-clock and memory feature.
  • Campbell Scientific introduces the CDM-VW300 and CDM-VW305, which allow dynamic vibrating wire measurements.
  • The board of directors at Campbell Scientific appoints Larry Shirk as the vice president of manufacturing.
  • Campbell Scientific’s IRGASON CO2 and H2O monitor sensor is granted a design patent (U.S. Patent No. D680455).

2012

  • Campbell Scientific begins offering UL-listed data acquisition systems bearing the UL508A listing for enclosed, industrial control panels.
  • Campbell Scientific introduces LoggerLink mobile apps for iOS and Android devices.
  • Campbell Scientific introduces the IRGASON, an infrared gas analyzer and 3-D sonic anemometer combined into a single sensor for eddy-covariance measurements.
  • Campbell Scientific sponsors the ground floor lecture hall in the new Agricultural Sciences Building at Utah State University.

2011

  • Campbell Scientific acquires the SIRCO line of automatic water samplers for stormwater, wastewater, and other water-quality applications.
  • Construction of Building 4 (60,000 sq ft) at the Campbell Scientific headquarters is completed.

2010

  • The board of directors at Campbell Scientific appoints Joshua Campbell as vice president of marketing and sales.
  • Campbell Scientific introduces an open-path gas analyzer (EC150) and a closed-path gas analyzer (EC155) for measuring atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide and water vapor.
  • The U.S. Patent Office awards a patent to Campbell Scientific for the spectral analysis mechanism in the AVW200-series products.
  • In the parking lot at the Campbell Scientific headquarters, a major photovoltaic system for power generation and research is installed.
  • The College of Agriculture at Utah State University presents Paul and Paulette Campbell (company president and wife) with the Distinguished Service to Agriculture award.
  • Campbell Scientific is awarded the Work Place Safety Award by the Utah Manufacturing Association and Utah Labor Commission for having no reportable incidents during the year.

2009

  • Campbell Scientific introduces its own design for a pressure transducer and manufactures the CS450-L.
  • Because of his contributions to various scientific fields over the course of many years, Bert Tanner, past vice president of marketing and customer service, is awarded a posthumous doctorate degree from Utah State University.
  • Campbell Scientific forms a Renewable Energy group to focus on customers working in solar, wind, and geothermal energy applications.
  • Campbell Scientific introduces its CR200X-series dataloggers that feature expanded memory for the program and operating system.

2008

  • Campbell Scientific introduces the AVW200, an interface module that significantly improves vibrating wire measurements.
  • The American Meteorological Society (AMS) grants Campbell Scientific the 2008 Award for Outstanding Services to Meteorology by a Corporation.
  • Campbell Scientific goes green and switches from paper-based product manuals to PDF versions available on CD.
  • Campbell Scientific achieves ISO 9001:2000 certification for its quality management system.
  • The board of directors at Campbell Scientific appoints Larry Jacobsen as the vice president of research.
  • Bert Tanner, vice president of marketing and customer service, passes away.
  • Campbell Scientific opens a new office in Costa Rica (Campbell Scientific Centro Caribe, S.A.) to provide service to Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.
  • Campbell Scientific is awarded the Department of Defense Patriot Award for its support given to employees who participate in the National Guard.

2007

  • The Herald Journal newspaper lists Paul Campbell, president of Campbell Scientific, as one of 10 “most notable entrepreneurs” in Cache Valley, Utah.
  • Campbell Scientific purchases D&A Instrument Company and their OBS product line of sensors that monitor turbidity and suspended-sediment concentrations.

2006

2005

  • Campbell Scientific Ltd. (Germany) opens to provide technical support and sales.
  • Bert Tanner, vice president of marketing and customer service, is named Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy.

2004

  • Campbell Scientific introduces the CR9000X with a new CPU module that processes at least 25 times faster than its predecessor.
  • Campbell Scientific introduces the CR1000, which becomes the company’s most widely used data logger.

2002

  • Campbell Scientific sells its 100,000th data logger since their first data logger, the CR5, was introduced in 1975.
  • Campbell Scientific introduces the CR200-series dataloggers with a PakBus operating system that puts data packets onto the network; many of these data loggers contain on-board spread-spectrum radios.
  • Campbell Scientific introduces LoggerNet 2.0, which becomes their standard data logger support software package, working well in applications requiring telecommunications or scheduled data retrieval in large data logger networks.
  • The Russian module of the International Space Station begins using a Campbell Scientific data logger and two multiplexers as part of a plant-growing experiment.
  • Campbell Scientific is the recipient of a regional safety award presented by the Utah Labor Commission.

2001

  • Campbell Scientific introduces the RF400, a 900 MHz spread-spectrum radio that doesn’t require individual licensing.
  • The Spain office of Campbell Scientific opens to provide sales and technical support to customers in Spain, as well as maintenance and calibration facilities for more than 500 weather stations installed in the area.
  • Campbell Scientific receives the “Bicycle-Commuter Considerate Employer” award from the Cache Valley Veloists, a local bicycle club, in recognition of the company’s encouragement and support of employees who choose to commute to work on their bicycles.

2000

  • Campbell Scientific introduces the CR5000 Measurement and Control Datalogger, their first compact data logger to feature CRBasic programming language and table data storage as standard features.
  • Campbell Scientific completes a 43,000-sq ft addition to their facility to improve product availability and manufacturing efficiency.
  • Campbell Scientific introduces the TDR100 Time-Domain Reflectometer for measuring soil volumetric water content and electrical conductivity, as well as monitoring land form stability.
  • Campbell Scientific’s SAT HDR GOES transmitter becomes the only GOES satellite transmitter certified by NESDIS (National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service) to comply with the High Data Rate (HDR) specification.

1999

  • Campbell Scientific celebrates its 25th anniversary.
  • Campbell Scientific do Brazil becomes an affiliate of Campbell Scientific and focuses on environmental monitoring.

1998

  • Campbell Scientific introduces the CR23X Micrologger with a 23-character-by-2-line alphanumeric display and a built-in optically isolated RS-232 port.
  • Campbell Scientific introduces the CR510 with an additional final storage area and a wind vector instruction.

1997

  • Campbell Scientific Africa (Pty.) Ltd. is established to serve customers in sub-Saharan Africa with sales and technical support.

1996

  • Campbell Scientific introduces the CR500, an inexpensive cousin to the CR10X with fewer input channels.
  • Campbell Scientific introduces the MetData1 preconfigured weather station with a variety of sensor and data retrieval options.

1995

  • Campbell Scientific ships its fastest data logger, the CR9000 Measurement and Control System, which features sampling rates up to 100 KHz and parallel processing capability to better support noise and vibration measurement and turbulence studies.
  • Campbell Scientific introduces the CR10X, their first data logger to use surface-mount technology.
  • Campbell Scientific introduces the CSAT3 3-D Sonic Anemometer to provide precision turbulence measurements with minimal flow distortion.

1993

  • Campbell Scientific sells its first trace-gas analyzer, the TGA100.
  • Campbell Scientific establishes a subsidiary in Australia (Campbell Scientific Australia) for manufacturing, marketing, and customer service in the South Pacific and Southeast Asia.
  • The French office of Campbell Scientific (CSLF) is established to provide product marketing and technical support for France, North Africa, Luxembourg, Belgium, and French-speaking Switzerland.

1992

  • Eric Campbell, co-founder and president of Campbell Scientific, passes away. Paul Campbell, his younger brother, becomes the new president.

1991

  • Campbell Scientific introduces a variety of products to enable data loggers to record volumetric water content using time-domain reflectometry (TDR).

1987

  • Campbell Scientific introduces the CR10 Measurement and Control System, which quickly becomes the standard data logger for most operational weather station applications.
  • Campbell Scientific adds Synchronous Devices for Measurement (SDMs) to its product line.

1985

  • Campbell Scientific’s subsidiary in the United Kingdom (Campbell Scientific Limited) begins operation, combining the technology developed at Campbell Scientific with sensors and peripheral equipment currently manufactured in the U.K.

1984

  • Campbell Scientific introduces the 21X Micrologger to transfer some of the CR7 capability to a lower cost, fully integrated system.

1983

  • Campbell Scientific introduces the CR7 Measurement and Control System, their first modular data logger that enables users to select the number and type of I/O modules to match their particular applications.

1981

  • Campbell Scientific moves to a solar energy efficient building located at 815 West 1800 North on the outskirts of Logan, Utah.

1980

  • The board of directors at Campbell Scientific appoints Bert Tanner as the vice president of marketing and customer service.
  • Campbell Scientific (Canada) Corporation becomes incorporated.

1979

  • Campbell Scientific introduces the CR21 Micrologger, representing a significant reduction in cost for systems requiring a limited number of channels, while providing a vast improvement in flexibility due to software.

1978

  • Campbell Scientific grows to 20 employees and approximately $1 million in annual sales.

1975

1974

  • Campbell Scientific, Inc., is organized by Eric and Evan Campbell with initial capital from themselves, six brothers, and their father, Sanford Campbell. Dr. Gaylon Campbell, the oldest brother, provides direction and help with new product ideas and conceptual development.
  • Campbell Scientific markets their first product, the CA-9 Path-Averaging Laser Anemometer.

1973

  • Several members of the Campbell family meet with Gerald Ochs of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to determine the feasibility of developing a laser anemometer.