Acclima SDI-12 User manual
USER MANUAL
Sensor Reader User Guide | Dec. 27, 2022 © 2023 Acclima, Inc. https://acclima.com
SDI-12 Sensor Reader
User Guide
Introducing Waveform Capture
USER MANUAL
1
Table of Contents
Connecting a Sensor .................................................................2
Powering the Reader On or Off .................................................2
GPS and Time Settings .............................................................2
General Setup............................................................................5
Reading the Sensor ...................................................................6
Water Thresholds ......................................................................9
Data Options............................................................................13
Retrieving Your Data ...............................................................15
Upgrading the Reader's Firmware ...........................................16
Icon Tray Legend.....................................................................16
Charging the Reader Battery ...................................................16
USER MANUAL
2
Connecting a Sensor
Plug the keyed male M-12 connector on the end of the sensor cable into
the M-12 port on the Acclima Sensor Reader.
Tighten the lock nut by turning it clockwise until it is finger-tight.
Powering the Reader On or Off
You can turn the Reader on or off at any time by pressing the red power
button.
Note: Whenever you press any button, do so firmly, then release.
GPS and Time Settings
To turn on the GPS radio, if you are on the 'Home' screen you will see a
menu of selections above the blue and white-striped membrane buttons.
Press (and release) the soft button under 'Radio'.
USER MANUAL
3
Another screen will appear with one menu option 'GPS On'. Press the
same button to turn the GPS on.
Subsequently, you will see a stop-watch counter run as the Reader
synchronizes with GPS satellites overhead. (The time on your reader will
be updated by the satellites, but you may need go to the 'Home' screen,
choose 'Settings', then choose 'Set time' to change your time zone). It
usually takes 10 to 15 seconds to sync up and acquire the signal.
USER MANUAL
4
This may vary depending on your geographic location and other factors
such as dense cloud cover and/or tall obstructions such as buildings and
trees with dense foliage. Try to have a direct line-of-sight to the sky from
horizon to horizon when turning on the GPS Radio. If a clear line-of-sight
from horizon to horizon isn't available try to find an area with a lot of
viewable sky.
Once the Reader has synced up with the GPS satellite system, you will
see the GPS coordinates and an estimated accuracy (given in meters).
It's also here on this screen that you are able to turn off the GPS Radio by
pressing the menu button under 'GPS Off'. When the GPS contacts the
satellite system the time on the Reader will also sync.
USER MANUAL
5
To return to the 'Home' screen at any time you simply need to press the
blue 'Home' button as shown below and the screen on the left will appear .
General Setup
To ensure that your sensor is properly connected to the Reader, press the
'Sensor' button on the 'Home' screen.
Then press the 'Detect' button on the subsequent 'Sensor Setup' screen.
An address, model, and serial number should be detected and show on
the screen. The length of the sensor waveguide rods, the hardware and
firmware versions will also be displayed.
USER MANUAL
6
When you press the 'Settings' button on the 'Home' screen, the following
screen will appear.
You can configure the sleep or power down time settings by toggling the
'Sleep' button through eight different options. One of the options is to
disable sleep mode. Toggle the '12/24 Hr' button for one of those two
preferences. For setting the time, refer back to GPS and Time Settings.
Reading the Sensor
Any time you want to take a sensor reading, press the green 'Read
Sensor' button.
USER MANUAL
7
A screen like the following will appear.
When you are on the 'Sensor Reading' screen, you can generate a
waveform of the latest reading by pressing the button on the right, 'Show
Waveform'. A waveform will be presented within about five seconds. To
return to the 'Reading' view, just press the 'Show Reading' button.
USER MANUAL
8
Only Acclima sensors with WAVEFORM CAPTURE labeling
will be able to provide waveform data.
To look at the statistics, press the 'Stats' button.
To show the last reading, press 'Show Reading' from the menu. If you
select the 'Stats' button notice that it will display the number of readings
from which the averages, maximums and minimums are taken.
USER MANUAL
9
To disregard previous readings and begin a new set you will need to press
the 'Clear' button.
If you are on any four of the 'Sensor Reading', 'Waveform',
'Reading Statistics', or 'Reading Analysis' screens,
pressing the 'Read Sensor' button will refresh that
particular screen with the newest data taken into account.
Water Thresholds
The 'Sensor Reading' screen presents the volumetric water content as a
percentage, soil temperature in Celsius (will only be accurate if sensor is
in subsurface soil for several hours or longer), permittivity, and bulk
electrical conductivity in μS per centimeter.
If you press the 'Analysis' button you will be presented with the 'Reading
Analysis' screen which can be useful for indicating the fill level of the soil's
field capacity (FC).
To be accurate you must push the 'Thresholds' button and select the
proper settings for the soil you are reading.
USER MANUAL
10
This includes selecting the closest soil type which will automatically set an
approximate field capacity, managed allowable depletion (MAD), and the
range between the MAD and FC.
All of these settings can be manually overridden and edited by pressing
each respective 'Change' button. For instance, to change the default field
capacity, press the 'Change FC' button for a screen and controls that allow
you to adjust it up or down at your discretion.
Note: If you select 'loamy sand' as depicted below, your default field
capacity is set to 15 % VWC which can be edited and overridden by
selecting 'Change FC' as shown in the preceding menu control illustration.
USER MANUAL
11
This wetness scale gives a depiction of the important stages of soil water
content starting with saturation at the top where soil water content
exceeds the surface tension of the soil particles driving the water down
into the subsoil washing away critical nutrients with it and potentially
rotting the roots. Field capacity is the ideal soil water content that allows
moisture, nutrients, and oxygen to stay around the roots. The Managed
Allowable Depletion level is the lowest that soil moisture can go without
permanently harming or killing the plant.
USER MANUAL
12
The customized 'Allowed depletion limit' can be set to a chosen value
using the options shown below.
USER MANUAL
13
Data Options
The screen on the left is accessed by pressing the 'Data' button on the
'Home Screen'. It provides you with the memory usage information (must
be at least 1% to show up).
You can select your preferred 'Data Output' by pressing that button and
toggling through ‘CSV’ only, ‘CSV and binary’, or just ‘binary’. This data
will then be able to be transferred to your micro-USB drive in the preferred
format when it is plugged into the Reader.
The 'Erase Logs' button allows you to erase all log data, but requires you
to confirm by pressing a 'YES' or 'NO' button. Similarly, the 'Erase All'
enables you to erase all log and configuration data, also with a
confirmation of 'YES' or 'NO'.
USER MANUAL
14
On the 'Data' screen, you can access the 'Data Tag' screen to by pressing
'Tag'.
The 'Data Tag' screen gives you control to group your readings with a
specified identification number. Once a number has been selected all
subsequent readings will be associated with that number which will show
up in your exported data.
USER MANUAL
15
Retrieving Your Data
To retrieve your data for viewing on a computer, insert the micro-USB
connector on the 32-gigabyte Acclima thumb drive into the micro-USB port
on the side of the Sensor Reader.
All of the Reader's records will be transferred to the Thumb drive, which
can then be connected to your computer's USB port for downloading to
the PC and viewing in CSV format. Important: Please allow the Reader
time to synchronize. Do not disconnect the thumb drive until the Reader
indicates the synchronization is complete. It will only take a moment to
synchronize.
Please note that data can only be transferred using a thumb drive. A direct
connection between the PC and the Reader will only charge the Reader's
battery, not transfer data.
USER MANUAL
16
Upgrading the Reader's Firmware
If you desire to apply a new firmware update that becomes available for
the Sensor Reader on the Acclima.com website, you should download it
into the Acclima\RD1200\Updates folder on the thumb drive. Then when
you plug the thumb drive into the micro-USB port on the Sensor Reader
(while powered on), it will automatically update.
Caution: Let this process complete uninterrupted by waiting until you see
the message 'Synchronization Complete' before removing the thumb
drive. The Reader will only automatically update if there is a newer
firmware file version than it currently has.
Icon Tray Legend
Charging the Reader Battery
Use the USB cable and proper international power adapter for your area
(included) to charge the internal 18650 Lithium-ion battery by connecting
the micro-USB end of the cable into the Reader's micro-USB port and
plugging the other end of the cable into the USB port on the power
adapter.
The battery will be fully charged when the small lightning bolt no longer
appears in the battery icon.
USER MANUAL
17
Acclima, Inc.
1763 W. Marcon
Lane, Ste. 175
Meridian, Idaho, USA
83642
www.acclima.com
call toll free within
the USA: 866-
887-1470
© 2023 Acclima, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Other manuals for SDI-12
1
Table of contents
Other Acclima Data Logger manuals
