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User`s Manual Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge

1. Rigid mounting pole In beam lens aperture horizontal to 2 degrees Receiving RX lens facing away from sun north in Northern Hemisphere No overhanging trees wires or roof lines Distance between sensor and closest obstruction at least 2 times obstruction height As far from road runway and contamination sources as possible The 6030 Optical Rain Gauge is packed in two heavy walled corrugated cartons One carton contains the electronics enclosure and the larger narrow carton contains the sensor head and cables Also packed in this carton are the sensor head U bolt mounting hardware and electronics enclosure mounting hardware When opening the cartons be careful to avoid spilling the contents Report any shortages or shipping damage to All Weather Inc within 3 days CAUTION Do NOT drill holes in any portion of the sensor head or electronics enclosure Doing so will void the warranty and may allow water to enter the enclosure Site Preparation 1 Choose the site using the guidelines in Section 4 2 1 2 Following applicable electrical and building codes install a concrete mounting base mast or tower AC power cable RS 485 signal cable and ground rod Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual 4 2 2 Mount the Sensor Head The sensor must be securely installed and correctly oriented to work properly 1 POLE CAP CABLES TO CONTROL BOX Figure 3 Mounting Sensor Head Attach the sensor head usin
2. NUT UNISTRUT 1 4 20 5S REF CLAMP M408149 01 M408506 00 40 UNISTRUT SS ENCLOSURE REF ASSY REF section B B ENCLOSURE ASSEMBLY REF SECTION A A Figure 7 Mounting Hardware Details 11 Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual These additional steps will help keep the mounting secure and corrosion resistant e Apply anti seize compound to all external threaded connections e Once the installation of the enclosure has been completed apply a light spray of corrosion block to all metallic connectors and threaded fasteners 4 3 ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS Figure 8 shows the external connections at the bottom of the enclosure e AC power conduit e Signal cables from sensor head e Serial connection to DCP AC POWER CONDUIT FROM SERIAL CABLE SENSOR HEAD TO DCP Figure 8 External Connections at Enclosure Bottom Route the cable from the sensor head to the bottom of the electronics enclosure Secure the cable to the mast using tie wraps or other straps 1 Route the cable from the sensor head into the electronics enclosure as shown in Figure 8 2 Connect the wires to the connector on the DIN rail shown in Figure 9 according to the wiring diagram in Figure 10 12 Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual Figure 9 shows the layout of the various electronics subassemblies inside the electronics enclosure SERIAL SENSOR INTERFACE Figure 9 Optical Rain Gauge Subassemblies Inside
3. 115 230 V AC 50 60 Hz 50 W Transient Protection AC power and RS 485 signal lines fully protected z 9 Operating Temperature Mote ape d 9 Storage Temperature on an Relative Humidity 0 100 noncondensing Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual Parameter Specification Mechanical Controller Assembly Enclosure NEMA 4X fiberglass Sensor Assembly 2 5 6 35 cm dia mast Mounting Controller Assembly Unistrut mounted 11 5 cmH x 26 4cm W x 73 0 cm D Sensor Assembly 4 5 H x 10 4 W x28 75 D Dimensions Controller 36cmW x41 cmH x 20 cm D Assembly 14 W x16 H x8 D Sensor Assembly 4 kg 8 8 lb Weight Controller Assembly ROER Shipping Weight 2 boxes 16 kg 35 Ib 23 Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual 8 WARRANTY This equipment has been manufactured and will perform in accordance with requirements of FAA Advisory Circular 150 5220 16B Any defect in design materials or workmanship which may occur during proper and normal use during a period of 1 year from date of installation or a maximum of 2 years from shipment will be corrected by repair or replacement by All Weather Inc 24 allweatherinc All Weather Inc 1165 National Drive Sacramento CA 95818 Fax 916 928 1165 Phone 916 928 1000 Toll Free 800 824 5873 6030 001 Revision B December 2011
4. DESCRIPTION 2 1 MAJOR COMPONENTS 2 1 1 Sensor Head The 6030 sensor head uses a compact optical system to measure precipitation The sensor head frame is an all aluminum welded design The small box TX is the transmitter unit and contains an infrared LED and lens with a disk heater The large box RX contains a receiver assembly consisting of a photo diode a lens with an aperture slit a disk heater electronics an external thermistor probe and a connector for the signal power cable The wiring between the two heads is inside the welded head frame The transmit and receive lenses are heated by self regulating positive temperature coefficient PTC thermistor disks to a temperature above the ambient temperature to reduce dew and frost on the lenses Depending on the ambient temperature the current drain for the lens heaters can change more than 200 mA The sensor head is completely sealed from water intrusion at the factory Exercise care should to avoid drilling or otherwise puncturing the frame A 15 m cable is supplied to connect the sensor head frame to the electronics enclosure A mounting plate an integral part of the sensor head cross arm is provided to install the head to a user supplied mast Two sets of holes in the mounting plate allow the U bolts supplied with the head to clamp the head to either a vertical or horizontal pipe up to 50 mm in diameter Note The sensor head frame contains no user serviceable parts
5. Enclosure 13 Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual Figure 10 summarizes all the signal and power wiring for the Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge Sensor Interface Processor Board E Function Color 4 RS 485 GREEN 5 RS 485 BROWN 6 GROUND BLACK 7 DC RED AC OS Function Color 1 HOT BLACK NEUTRAL WHITE GROUND GREEN from CONDUIT FITTING M404802 1 POWER INTERFACE 2 BOARD SENSOR INTERFACE PROCESSOR DC AND DC CONNECTIONS REFER TO DC POWER SUPPLY HEADER J2 M438210 POWER SUPPLY Figure 10 Optical Rain Gauge Signal and Power Wiring 14 Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual 4 3 1 RS 485 Connections to the AWOS Data Collection Platform RS 485 connections are made to the Serial Sensor Interface located in the upper right side of the electronics enclosure A 3 wire connection to the AWOS Data Collection Platform DCP is used Before proceeding verify that the 6030 electrical power is turned OFF l 4 3 2 If the shielded RS 485 cable is not already connected to the DIN rail connector and the Serial Interface Processor connect the WHITE RS 485 signal cable to terminal 6 connect the BLACK RS 485 signal cable to terminal 7 and connect the RED GND signal cable to terminal 8 of the DIN rail terminal block Feed the free end of the shielded RS 485 cable through the serial cable gland shown in Figure 8 Strip and tin the en
6. Lens Heaters With a clean finger touch the lenses in front of the disk shaped heater that is bonded to the lower inside surface of both lenses The lens surfaces should be slightly warmer to the touch than the ambient temperature 3 Comb Test Using a pocket comb stroke 1t up and down vertically in front of the receiver lens as shown in Figure 11 for 1 minute Do not block the beam for any length of time Look at the data on the DCP screen to make sure it varies as the comb is moved around Figure 11 Comb Test Illustration 20 Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual Maintenance Log Date Date Date Clean Lenses Verify Lens Heaters Comb Test 21 Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge 7 SPECIFICATIONS User s Manual Parameter Specification Rain Dynamic Range 0 1 500 mm h Rain Accumulation 0 1 999 999 mm Rain Accumulation Resolution 0 001 mm Rain Accumulation Accuracy 5 of accumulation Snow Dynamic Range 0 01 50 mm h water equivalent Snow Accumulation 0 001 999 999 mm water equivalent Snow Accumulation Resolution 0 001 mm Snow Accumulation Accuracy 10 of accumulation Time Constant 10s Data Update Rate Once per minute Serial Output RS 485 Output Format ASCII characters Baud Rate 4800 bps Serial P ort Parameter Setting Supply Voltage 8 N 1 8 data bits no parity 1 stop bit Power Requirements
7. requires the return of the standard data reply string Note that the sensor is sampling data continually every 5 seconds and processing the precipitation algorithm once a minute typical In most cases the sensor s response time to a poll will begin within a second or two after receiving the poll but the response time could be several seconds in unusual circumstances Avoid these hang ups by waiting at least 10 seconds before timing out and trying another poll 17 Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual 5 2 DATA FORMAT The raw weather information from the sensor head is encoded in the reply message as follows Description Start of transmission Weather type marker Present weather field Precipitation rate marker Precipitation rate field Status field marker Status field Blank Carrier raw data field marker Carrier 1 min average raw data Low raw data field marker Low 1 min average raw data Particle raw data field marker Particle 1 min average raw data High raw data field marker High 1 min average raw data Temperature field marker Temperature field Blank The various fixed fields used in the above poll response are explained here 1 The capital letters W P S X L K H and T above serve as place markers for the Weather Precipitation Status Carrier Low Particle High and Temperature data fields to follow These markers are fixed in position and coding
8. ATFORM ocne 16 DW Sensor tetas cta tia 16 SEL AS NO 16 iZ E o e AR ROR BD a a a AEE PE 16 Dk Be Frame Ermita ita 16 Sed Protocol ina apa isabel aa ibid idas 17 A NO 18 D2 Precipitation Codes taana ther niesa at aren Mote de dete sa cate eat ceeded and cat wai Nea ees 18 IS E A ost eases EEEE AE 19 6 MAINTENANCE Aincinidigteianietesadsiataalasivciadd A intends 20 641 Tiana Manten a 20 OPE CF OAT O NS A A tad 22 8 WARRANT Yaan ni dnt eet ttt enc et tes a nc ate a a ei 24 Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual 1 OVERVIEW The Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge optically measures precipitation induced scintillation and applies algorithms to determine the precipitation occurrence type rate and water equivalent accumulation automatically The Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge measures precipitation by detecting the optical irregularities known as scintillations induced by particles falling through a beam of partially coherent infrared light in the sample volume The induced scintillations are related to the characteristics to the precipi tation and the precipitation rate is determined based on the intensity of these scintillations In turn the precipitation rate can be used to determine precipitation accumulation The Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge is not affected by many of the environmental factors that cause significant errors with traditional rain gauges Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge offers these features Y Ea
9. Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge Users Manual Rev B allweatherinc All Weather Inc 1165 National Drive Sacramento CA 95834 USA 800 824 5873 www allweatherinc com Copyright O 2011 All Weather Inc All Rights Reserved The information contained herein is proprietary and is provided solely for the purpose of allowing customers to operate and or service All Weather Inc manufactured equipment and is not to be released reproduced or used for any other purpose without written permission of All Weather Inc Throughout this manual trademarked names might be used Rather than put a trademark symbol in every occurrence of a trademarked name we state herein that we are using the names only in an editorial fashion and to the benefit of the trademark owner and with no intention of infringement All Weather Inc and the All Weather Inc logo are trademarks of All Weather Inc Disclaimer The information and specifications described in this manual are subject to change without notice Latest Manual Version For the latest version of this manual see the Product Manuals page under Reference on our web site at www allweatherinc com O aliweatherinc All Weather Inc 1165 National Drive Sacramento CA 95834 Tel 916 928 1000 Fax 916 928 1165 Contact Customer Service e Phone support is available from 8 00am 4 30pm PT Monday through Friday Call 916 928 1000 and ask for Service e Online supp
10. They are included within the format to simplify manual interpretation of the sensor output 2 No present weather data are reported by this sensor so the field displays _ _ pppp is a four byte field indicating the precipitation rate 4 The remaining fields have no data and display zeroes 5 2 1 Precipitation Codes The precipitation rate is reported as a 4 byte field with the number in a floating point format varying from 0 001 to 9999 Zero is formatted as four zeros 0000 The units are millimeters hour for the rain rate averaged over a one minute period 18 Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual 5 2 2 Status Codes The status codes are a convenient way for the sensor to report the sensor condition The status field denoted by s s s s four bytes in the data output format is a four byte field of sensor status bytes The codes can be interpreted as shown in the table below S ss sos BYTE 10 11 12 13 14 DAN BIT STATUS BIT STATUS BIT STATUS BIT STATUS 0 OK 0 OK 0 OK 0 OK 1 Error A status code of 0 in bytes 11 12 13 or 14 indicates no problem while a 1 for byte 12 means there 1s a problem in the sensor head Example Status codes read S0180 Interpret this code as follows Byte11 0 OK Byte 12 1 Error Sensor Head probably bad Byte 13 0 OK Byte 14 0 OK Solution Wait for 5 minutes to verify that the microprocessor resets If the status code still reads S0100 replace the Sensor Head and
11. ds of the wires Route the cable through a cable gland on the DCP and connect the three wires inside the DCP to TB4 pins 1 WHITE 2 BLACK and 7 RED Ensure that none of the wires are stressed then hand tighten the gland seals on the DCP enclosure and on the Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge enclosure Connecting the Sensor to the AC Power Line Connections are made to the AC interface module inside the electronics enclosure AC power connections are made to the AC Interface Board located in the lower center of the electronics enclosure A 3 wire single phase AC source is required consisting of hot neutral and earth ground connections Install a conduit fitting at the location shown in Figure 8 Feed the power cable through the conduit fitting A 3 wire 16 to 18 AWG cable is recommended Crimp fork type terminals to the ends of the wires Connect the three power cable wires to the AC Interface Board terminal blockTB1 pins 1 LINE 2 NEUTRAL and 3 GND Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual 5 OPERATION WITH AN AWOS DATA COLLECTION PLATFORM 5 1 SENSOR INTERFACE The Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge responds to a poll from the DCP for the setup operation and status of the sensor 5 1 1 Physical Level The serial signal output from the Serial Sensor Processor consists of a three wire RS 485 connection 5 1 2 Link Level Data transfer across the interface is implemented via a serial ASCII encoded half duple
12. er draw is invisible to the eye and presents no radiation hazard to the user The LED is housed in the smaller of the sensor head boxes A lens is used to collimate the LED s carrier wave modulated light into a slightly diverged beam The transmit and receive lenses are both heated by self regulating positive temperature coefficient PTC thermistor disks to a temperature just above the ambient temperature to reduce dew and frost on the lenses The larger sensor head rectangular box houses receive optics DC regulator the AGC signal processing electronics temperature probe and microprocessor The receive lens focuses the transmitted light onto a photo diode The scintillations in light intensity are thus detected and amplified A wide dynamic range Automatic Gain Control AGC circuit normalizes the precipitation induced scintillation signal to the carrier wave modulated light Thus errors from variations in the source intensity caused by LED aging or dirt on the lenses are eliminated The demodulated scintillation signal is then further filtered processed and averaged The statistical average of the measured scintillation signals gives an accurate measurement of instantaneous precipitation rates The microprocessor uses an adaptive baseline technique to optimize the sensitivity of the Optical Rain Gauge continuously This technique ensures that the sensitivity is not affected by normal atmospheric turbulence and it minimizes the chance of fal
13. g the two U bolts to connect the mounting plate on the sensor head and the mounting bracket with the 14 20 hex locking nuts as shown in Figure 3 To mount the head to a vertical mast or tower section install the U bolts and mounting bracket horizontally To mount to a horizontal tower section or boom arm install them vertically using the same holes Note that the metallurgy of the stainless U bolts will cause the nuts to seize to the U bolts and twist them off Lubricate the threads with anti seize compound before assembling Do not tighten the nuts completely until the sensor head is installed on the mast or tower and is oriented on the north south axis as shown in Figure 4 Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual 2 Rotate the sensor head until the receive lens is facing north NN i Figure 4 Sensor Head Orientation When mounting the sensor head on a tower choose the tower leg that gives the larger head an unobstructed view to the North without rotating the head assembly into the tower The head assembly should be completely outside the tower as much as possible 3 Tighten the U bolt nuts when the orientation is correct Do not overtighten such that the mounting plate is bent 4 Use a large diameter 8 12 AWG ground wire to connect the 4 20 ground stud on the bottom of the sensor head to a copper clad ground rod close to the base of the mast see Figure 5 5 Route the cables along the mast or tower to the electr
14. lectro optical components heaters a microprocessor and integral cabling to connect with the electronics enclosure The sensor measures precipitation by detecting the optical irregularities induced by particles falling through a beam of partially coherent infrared light in the sample volume These irregularities are known as scintillation The twinkling of stars is a familiar example of scintillation By detecting the intensity of the scintillations which are characteristic of precipitation the precipitation rate is determined Precipitation is measured using the sensor head in beam optics FALLING DROPS O PHOTODIODE O SAMPLE VOLUME HORIZONTAL LINE APERATURE 2 TRANSMIT MODULATOR SIGNAL MICRO PROCESSOR PROCESSOR Figure 2 Optical Rain Gauge Theory of Operation The Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge consists of these components e A transmit modulator and infrared LED TX e A transmitter optical lens assembly e A receiver optical lens assembly e A photo detector and preamplifier RX Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual e An Automatic Gain Controlled AGC normalizer e A signal processor e A temperature probe e A microprocessor and communications subsystem The transmitter portion of the sensor head uses an infrared LED as a light source that is modulated to eliminate interference in the system caused by background light The LED has a very long life time has a relatively low pow
15. nt FSM S4 1987 makes the following recommendations 1 Distance from Obstructions The distance between the sensor and obstructions such as trees or buildings should be at least 2 times the height of the obstruction on all sides For example if a tree20 m high is located alongside the sensor the sensor should be at least 40 m away from the tree This restriction reduces the effects of wind turbulence created by the nearby obstruc tion and makes the precipitation measurement more representative Do not locate the sensor where tree branches or wires will hang over the sensor 2 Separation from Turbulence and Contamination Sources Do not mount the sensor near building exhaust vents strobe lights or sources of smoke or steam Where possible locate the unit as far away from runways and roads as possible to reduce optics fouling from wind blown road dirt An ideal minimum distance is at least 30 m 3 Sensor Height Rigidity Verticality and Orientation The OFCM recommends that the Optical Rain Gauge be mounted at a height of 10 ft 3 m This height is not always possible because of constraints imposed by the site Mounting the sensor head lower than 2 m or higher than 5 m is not generally recommended 4 For AWOS installations All Weather Inc recommends that the sensor head should be mounted on a mast with a diameter of 50 mm 2 that is set in a concrete foundation is recommended The electronics enclosure should be nearby kee
16. onics enclosure and secure them to the mast or tower every meter using tie wraps or other straps p HO j NEEDED NR MOUNTING __ POLE GROUND CABLE CABLE TO ELECTRONICS ENCLOSURE GROUND ROD paz CONCRETE FOOTER E Asterisked items are supplied by customer Figure 5 Installation of Ground Cable 10 Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual 4 2 3 Install the Electronics Enclosure One mounting kit option is available to mount the electronics enclosure e Standalone Mounting Kit AWI part number M488173 01 Attach the electronics enclosure to the Unistrut brackets using the hardware supplied with the sensor Figure 6 shows the mounting arrangements _ 7 2X MOUNTING RAIL 14 ee M105078 01 7 4 NUT 250 20 M408506 00 7 4X 250 WASHER FLAT 7 M0Q9041 00 17 4X 250 WASHER LOCK M009032 00 777 4X SCREW a A gt SEF A a a i a A i i CA TL 2X PIPE CLAMP FOR 2 1 2 PIPE M408473 Figure 6 Standalone Enclosure Mounting Figure 7 shows the details of securing the mounting hardware 8X SCR 1 4 20 X 1 55 M012004 00 8X WASHER LOCK 1 4 20 SS M009032 00 TOWER LEG REF 2X 40 UNISTRUT SS Micra 8X WASHER FLAT 1 4 20 SS 40 UNISTRUT SS J yl y REF 4X 1 UNISTRUT CLAMP SS Mongo 00 M408149 01 ES A Ss Y O C mmm SES T Se TOWER LEG HARDWARE INCLUDED WITH 8X
17. opening the head will void the warranty Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual 2 1 2 Electronics Enclosure The electronics enclosure contains the processing electronics power supplies and surge protection circuits The electronics enclosure is a fiberglass NEMA 4X type box with a hinged access door One power supply and AC and RS 485 interface modules with surge protection are mounted to the base plate of the enclosure Figure 9 shows the locations of these components inside the enclosure All the units in the enclosure are field replaceable The electronics enclosure is mounted with the supplied fastener hardware using the four 4 mounting holes on the enclosure Note Exercise care to avoid drilling or otherwise puncturing the electronics enclosure 2 1 3 AC Interface Board Two fuses are located on the AC Interface Board see Figure 1 Though installed fuse F2 is not used Replace the fuses only with fuses of the same rating as shown below Fl 10 A 250 V 5x20 mm slow blow F2 5 A 250 V not used 2 not used F2 5A not used F1 10A MAIN ON OFF SWITCH Figure 1 AC Interface Board Note that there is a plastic safety shield over the AC Interface Board The fuses extend through holes in the shield and may be replaced without removing the shield Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual 3 THEORY OF OPERATION 3 1 SENSOR HEAD The sensor head is a self contained unit consisting of e
18. ort is available by filling out a request at www allweatherinc com customer support html e E mail your support request to support allweatherinc com Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge Revision B Date 2011 Oct 31 User s Manual Revision History Summary of Changes Removed references to OEM part numbers replaced installation drawing with diagrams in the Installation chapter and better explained options and wiring details Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual TABLE OF CONTENTS OVERVIEW ad AAA csbaciandin idee eae 1 A A II A E ul tones eles 1 2 SYSTEM DESCRIPTION maracas asa aaa dido 2 Zid Major Components a di 2 e A E AEAEE E EAE E E EE 2 21 2 Flectronies Enclosure eann n a a a s 3 213 AC Interface BOM id AAA E E Bas Des Sisk So Bs E i 3 Se THEORY ROF ORERA ON DO Desi 4 3T Sensor A AN 4 AINSTALCATION ora aia 6 4 1 Siting and Installation Guidelines ia A AA 6 4 2 Mechanical Total aa 8 42E A IR OS 8 4 2 2 Mount the Sensor Headissa eiea ee i a i E E E E E 9 4 2 3 Install the Electronics Enclosure cccccccccccccccecsesessecececececeesessnececeseceeeesesseaeeeseeseneees 11 4 3 Electrical Connections a A id 12 4 3 1 RS 485 Connections to the AWOS Data Collection Platform cccononnoonnnnnnnnnnnnnnns 15 4 3 2 Connecting the Sensor to the AC Power Line oooococconcccnoccccnoncnononononnnncnnnnanononcnnonnnnnnnnos 15 5 OPERATION WITH AN AWOS DATA COLLECTION PL
19. ping in mind that the cable extending from the sensor head is 15 m long The installation must be rigid so that wind induced vibration does not cause false alarms This can be accomplished by mounting the sensor to a thick wall pipe such as Schedule 40 type or to a rigid boom arm 1 m in length or shorter The Optical Rain Gauge may be mounted on the top of a building if it located near the center of the building away from the wind turbulence that may occur near the edges The sensor head must be mounted vertical within 2 degrees so that the line aperture on the in beam lens is horizontal Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual 5 The sensor head is generally oriented with the transmitter head on the north side in the Northern hemisphere so that the receiver optics face north Align the sensor head so that the receive lens faces north If the orientation can be altered to either side of north to obtain a view with fewer or more distant obstructions it is generally acceptable to alter the orientation up to 30 degrees from north SUGGESTION Take a picture at the installation site in each direction north east south and west to record the topography and obstructions for future reference Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual 4 2 MECHANICAL INSTALLATION 4 2 1 Preparation The sensor and site should be readied prior to beginning the installation SITING GUIDELINES Sensor head mounted 2 5 m above ground
20. recheck the status code After 5 minutes when the microprocessor resets the status codes should now be S0000 In normal operation excluding the first five minutes after reset or power up the status bytes will be all low 0000 The host system should take action to alert maintenance personnel of a possible problem In addition data from the sensor will be disregarded and a missing report issued Note that the sensor does not necessarily stop outputting data when a status bit flags an error condition 19 Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual 6 MAINTENANCE The Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge is designed for high reliability and low operator maintenance The only scheduled maintenance is to periodically clean the lenses In most locations cleaning the lenses every four months is recommended Historically the sensors have operated unattended for several years without any degradation in performance Use the table provided to record the maintenance performed Equipment Required e Clean Cotton Cloth or Lens Tissue e Common Household Glass Cleaner 6 1 TRIANNUAL MAINTENANCE 1 Clean Lenses Cleaning the lenses should be done with lint free cloth and cleaning solution Clean the lenses by first spraying the lens cleaner on the lens and then wipe gently to prevent scratching the glass optics In actual practice moderate dust buildup and scratches on the lenses will not have any discernible effect on the instrument 2 Check
21. se alarms such as reporting precipitation when none occurs The processor uses the scintillation signal and temperature probe data to determine the precipitation type and calculates the total water equivalent with the following formula W mm k x RR mm h x Time h RR is the precipitation intensity and k is a constant that depends on the ambient temperature T as follows T gt 3 C k 1 T lt 4 C k 0 607 T 3 AC lt T lt 3C k exp gt The microprocessor also provides diagnostic data about the condition of the sensor The output is an RS 232 data string that is converted to RS 485 by the Serial Sensor Processor in the electronics enclosure Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual 4 INSTALLATION 4 1 SITING AND INSTALLATION GUIDELINES The Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge may be installed almost anywhere outdoors An area free and clear of obstructions and contamination sources will hetp insure good sensor performance In general the sensor should be located on level or slightly sloping ground where the sensor site will be exposed to the same environment as the area around it Ideally the area around the site should be free of buildings trees and other obstructions All Weather Inc recommends that the siting and installation follow the general guidelines established by the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology OFCM The Federal Standard for Siting Meteorological Sensors at Airports OFCM docume
22. sy Installation Y Wide Dynamic Range Y High Sensitivity Y Works on Ships and Buoys Y Low Maintenance Y No Evaporation or Splash Errors Y Minimal Wind Effects Y Not Affected by Insects Debris Dust Applications using traditional tipping bucket rain gauges can all be upgraded easily to use the Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge The electro optical design provides for an extremely reliable sensor with a calculated MTBF in excess of 60 000 hours Unlike mechanical gauges which collect the precipitation to measure it the Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge has no collectors or buckets to corrode or clog The sensors use automatic gain control circuitry to eliminate the effects of LED output power or dirty optics In fact sensor performance is maintained even when over 75 of the light is blocked Diagnostics alert the user if the signal strength is too low for normal operation Preventative maintenance suggested every 6 months is as simple as cleaning the two optical windows on the unit 1 1 ACCESSORIES The following accessories and replacement parts are available for the Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge Part Number Description M488173 01 Standalone Mounting Kit M404806 Serial Sensor Interface Board M442071 ae V 5x20 mm slow blow fuse F1 AC Interface 5 A 250 V 5x20 mm slow blow fuse F2 AC Interface M442070 Board used with 230 V setting Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual 2 SYSTEM
23. x 4800 bps asynchronous transfer link Data transfer in the DCP to sensor direction is limited to a poll command PRWX00win Data transfers in the sensor to DCP direction are fixed format ASCII strings terminated with a carriage return lt CR gt 5 1 3 Frame Format The standard output frame format is shown below Details of the data fields are presented in a later section Each of the transmitted characters are eight 8 bit msb bit 7 always 0 no parity ASCII decimal codes 0 to 127 with 1 stop bit The status code and other information is formatted in this way as printable ASCII characters to aid in system debugging and field maintenance The output message from the interface computer in response to the poll consists of the following string of characters Position Contents Description 4 W_ _PppppSssss W plus _ _ no present weather codes P plus rain rate in four digits with floating point decimal 0 001 to 9999 S plus four digit status code see Section 0 amis SO X000L000K000H000T000 no engineering data displayed CET S SESS input msg counter A crc itself 16 Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge User s Manual 5 1 4 Protocol In order to keep the interface design effective and simple the protocol does not support unsolicited messages to the DCP In other words the only time the sensor is allowed to transmit a message to the DCP via this link is in direct response to a poll transmission from the DCP which

User`s Manual Model 6030 Optical Rain Gauge

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