Anemoment TriSonica Sphere User manual

USER MANUAL

0 Release Date 1 March 2022 Anemoment LLC

1 Release Date 1 March 2022 Anemoment LLC
ANEMOMENT LLC
TriSonica Sphere: User Manual
2022 Anemoment LLC
1545 Pratt Street
Longmont, CO 80501
Phone [phone] • Fax [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

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NOTES:
Sensor Unit Numbers: ___________________________________________________
Purchase Date: _________________________________________________________

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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Hello World!.............................................................................................................. 5
Guide to User Manual ............................................................................................................. 5
The TriSonica Family of Products.............................................................................................5
Contact Us! ............................................................................................................................. 6
Limitation Alerts......................................................................................................................6
Certifications.......................................................................................................................6
Compact Fluorescent Lamps................................................................................................6
Data Interpretation .............................................................................................................7
Ice and Snow....................................................................................................................... 7
Viewing the Data Stream..................................................................................................... 7
Wind Tunnels & Ultrasonic Frequency.................................................................................7
Chapter 2: Body & Mounting Specifications ...............................................................................9
Sphere Body Composition .......................................................................................................9
Orientation (“N” = Zero Degrees) ............................................................................................ 9
Mounting on a Pipe.................................................................................................................9
Chapter 3: Connecting Up......................................................................................................... 11
Internal Connector ................................................................................................................ 11
Cable Connector ................................................................................................................... 11
Pin-out Diagram and Cable-Wire Colors ................................................................................ 11
Connecting the Sphere to the USB Adapter ........................................................................... 13
Chapter 4: Data Output ............................................................................................................ 15
See the Serial Data Stream .................................................................................................... 15
Serial Data Format ................................................................................................................ 15
Custom Delimiters................................................................................................................. 16
Error Codes ........................................................................................................................... 16
Chapter 5: Customizing the Sphere Configuration.................................................................... 17
Serial Communication - Defaults ........................................................................................... 17
Serial Communication – Access Methods .............................................................................. 17
Serial Menu – Basic Settings .............................................................................................. 17
Command Line Interface – Basic Mode.............................................................................. 18
Command Line Interface - Expert Mode ............................................................................ 21
Application Programming Interface ................................................................................... 23
Additional Communications Information............................................................................... 23

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Triggering ..........................................................................................................................23
Display Command..............................................................................................................24
Show, Hide, Tag, Untag, and Decimal Commands...............................................................24
Tag and Parameter Delimiters............................................................................................25
Horizontal Wind Direction Scale Command (wd540) ..........................................................25
Non-Volatile Parameters – or making configuration changes permanent...............................25
Chapter 6: Calibration Procedures ............................................................................................27
Anemometer Calibration .......................................................................................................27
Level Calibration....................................................................................................................27
Tilt.........................................................................................................................................27
Chapter 7: TROUBLESHOOTING your Sphere ............................................................................29
Common Set-up Errors ..........................................................................................................29
Symptom: The Sphere isn’t doing anything........................................................................29
Symptom: There is no serial data from the Sphere. ...........................................................29
Symptom: The Sphere data is not clear or is all “99”s. .......................................................30
Updating Sphere Firmware ....................................................................................................30
Updating TSM Sphere Bootloader..........................................................................................30
Chapter 8: WARRANTY AND DISCLAIMER .................................................................................31
Limited Warranty...................................................................................................................31
Warranty Returns ..................................................................................................................31
Limitation of Liability .............................................................................................................31
Chapter 9: LISTS OF FIGURES AND TABLES ................................................................................33

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Hello World!
Welcome to theUser Manual for the TriSonica Sphere (Sphere)
Wind Flux Sensor from Anemoment.
We hope you (User) find this information useful and wish you every
success in your research. We welcome comments and questions about
this manual by email at [e-mail].
Guide toUser Manual
This User Manual provides technical information tomount, connect,
receive data, andconfigure the Sphere.For specific information on
FUNCTIONALITY, CONFIGURATIONS, andTECHNICAL DATA, use the Table
of Contents inthis User Manual to find information you seek.
The TriSonica Family of Products
1. TSM-WS TriSonica Mini Wind Sensor (discontinued)
2. TSM-FB
3. TSM-PM
4. USB-Interface
5. TriSonica Sphere
6. TSM-FBSK
7. TSM-PMSK
TriSonica Mini Wind and Weather Sensor – Flat Base
TriSonica Mini Wind and Weather Sensor – Pipe-Mount Base
TriSonica Mini USB Interface Module
TriSonica Sphere Wind Flux Sensor (as shipped,includes one
each: Sphere, USB Adapter,USB A-to-B cable, and 2-meter
single terminated instrument cable.
TriSonica Mini Flat Base Starter Kit includes one each:TSM-FB,
USB Adapter, and USB A-to-B cable.
TriSonica Mini Pipe Mount Starter Kit includes one each:
TSM-PM, USB Adapter,USB A-to-B Cable, and 2-meter single
terminated cable.
The TriSonica Mini and TriSonica Sphere share many features,asindicated inTABLE 1 on the next
page.
This manual contains information about the TriSonica Sphere.
The TriSonica Sphere is protected by U.S. Patent No. 11,268,974. The User is not
authorized to copy or reverse engineer any physical, software, algorithm, or other
component of the TriSonica Sphere device.

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TRISONICA MINI SENSOR COMPARISON GUIDE
Table 1: TRISONICA FAMILY COMPARISON GUIDE
MOUNT
STYLE
CONNECTION
TYPE
A
VAILABLE
COMMUNICATION
PROTOCOLS
DATA OUTPUT ON-BOARD SENSOR
TYPES
TSM-WS
(discontinued) Flat Base 4 Wires •EIA232 Configurable
ASCII String
•Wind Direction
& Velocity
•Air Temp.
TSM-FB Flat Base 4 Wires •EIA232 Configurable
ASCII String
•Wind Direction
& Velocity
•Air Temp.
•Air Pressure
•Humidity
•Tilt
•Compass
TSM-PM Pipe-Mount
with 3 Set
Screws
12-pin
Mating
Connector
•EIA232
•EIA422
•EIA485
•LVTTL-UART
•Modbus (future)
Configurable
ASCII String
•Wind Direction
& Velocity
•Air Temp.
•Air Pressure
•Humidity
•Tilt
•
Compass
TriSonica
Sphere
Pipe-Mount
with 3 Set
Screws
12-pin
Mating
Connector
•EIA232
•EIA422
•EIA485
•LVTTL-UART
•Modbus (future)
Configurable
ASCII String
•Wind Direction
& Velocity
•Air Temp.
•Tilt
Contact Us!
Did you spot a bug, a spelling error, or something that just didn’t make sense to you? We’d love
to hear about it. Please send feedback to [e-mail], with a detailed explanation of
your concern. Screenshots and photos can be extremely helpful!
Limitation Alerts
Anemoment wants you to get the best possible use from your Sphere investment, and we
understand that each User has a unique idea they want to create. You know best what you are
trying to accomplish. We know the Sphere can help you get wind and weather data in new
places and new ways, but we cannot promise that it can do everything or go everywhere the
human mind can think up.
We want you to be aware of these points up front as you plan your project.
Certifications
The Sphere is has not yet received CE certification.
Compact Fluorescent Lamps
Many compact florescent lamps (CFL) make ultrasonic noise that can interfere with the
operation of a Sphere. Erroneous readings may result if the Sphere is operated near
compact florescent lamps. Turn off the CFL or move the Sphere away from the CFL to
get correct data.

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Data Interpretation
The Sphere combines a powerful detection algorithm with a high-speed processor to
produce near-real time data facts about atmospheric conditions at the place where the
Sphere is located. The Sphere sends the data by wire in the form of a User-configurable
ASCII data stream.
It is up to the User, however, to interpret this data in the User’s unique situational
context, which may require combination with additional User-provided data or other
post-processing. Anemoment is not responsible for such additional data or processing.
Ice and Snow
At this time, the Sphere does not have on-board heaters. The Sphere is designed to
function in outdoor conditions; however, if ice or snow accumulate on the transducers
or within the Sphere, the acoustic pathways between transducers can be blocked.
Viewing the Data Stream
The data stream from the Sphere can be received, stored, and interpreted by the User’s
choice of device so long as it is connected to the Sensor by the proper communications
protocol.
We recommend the use of a Terminal Emulator, such as Tera Term, to review the data
stream and to communicate with or configure the sensor.
For the convenience of first-time Users, a very simple Windows ™- compatible User
interface app is available for download at the Anemoment website. PLEASE NOTE:this app
is NOT suitable for data logging functions.
We do not have a timeline for developing an interface app for other operating systems.
Wind Tunnels & Ultrasonic Frequency
Ultrasonic anemometers operate by generating ultrasonic pulses and measuring the
time of flight of those sound pulses between transducers. The time-of-flight
measurements can be disturbed by external noise sources in or near the same
frequency band used by the ultrasonic anemometer’s transducers.
The Sphere operates in the 60KHz ultrasonic frequency range.
We have found that some wind tunnels generate ultrasonic noise that can cause
erroneous readings from the anemometer. This is not an indication of failure of the
anemometer but is a result of using the anemometer in an ultrasonically noisy
environment.

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Body & Mounting Specifications
Sphere Body Composition
The Sphere body is made from solid aluminum. The insets of the transducer nubs are filled with
ultraviolet resistant silicone rubber.
Orientation (“N” = Zero Degrees)
The Sphere has a “north” indicator
“N” marked on the cap on top of the
mounting post.
When air flows directly into the “N”,
the data stream reports ZERO degrees
for the wind direction, regardless of
the physical orientation of the Sphere.
Mounting on a Pipe
The Sphere has a circular connector to mount over a
•standard ½” DIN15 Schedule 10 pipe or
•22-mm Carbon Fiber Tube.
The pipe must be a thin wall type, as indicated by the Schedule 10 designation, to allow an
inside diameter wide enough to let the mating cable connector pass through the pipe.
Before putting the Sphere on the pipe, thread the mating cable through the pipe. Then connect
the cable connector to the Sphere base connector.
Then place the Sphere over the pipe and tighten the three set screws to secure. For a detailed
description of the internal wiring of the connector and cable specifications please see Chapter 3:
CONNECTING UP.
Figure 1: N
ORTH
I
NDICATOR

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Connecting Up
Getting power in and data out – Your Sphere will work best if you
give careful attention to the information in this Chapter.
Internal Connector
The Sphere contains a female 12 Pin circular
connector that connects to a male 12 Pin Circular
IP67 connector.
Cable Connector
Cables with connectors may be purchased from
Anemoment in 2m, 5m, 10m, and 20m lengths.
Customized cables and mating connectors may be
purchased directly from Samtec.com (see
https://www.samtec.com/products/mcp for
information about their line of products and
customizability).
The connector and cable used by the Sphere are the same as
used by the TSM-PM.
Pin-out Diagram and Cable-Wire Colors
Table 2, below, shows the pin-out diagram for the signal connections and positions within the
connector in reference to looking at the bottom of the Sphere, with Pin 1 at upper left.
This pin-out diagram is the same as used by the TSM-PM.
Table 2: Sphere Pin-out Diagram
The cable internal wire colors and pin description are given in Table 3, next page.
Figure 2: 12-Pin Female Connector

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Table 3: Sphere Pin-out Description and Wire Colors
Pin #
Wire Color
Signal Name
Description
1
BROWN
VIN
Voltage Input of 9V to 36V
2 RED GND
Ground connection. Only one of the GND
connections are required for proper
operation. Multiple GND connections are
provided as a convenience for system wiring.
3 ORANGE Trigger
Synchronizing Trigger input. This input allows
multiple instruments to synchronize their
sampling to a common signal.
4 YELLOW TX+
Serial Transmit data output in EIA232 Mode
and TX+ data output in EIA422 mode.
5 GREEN TX-
Serial Transmit data output TX- in EIA422
mode. Not used in EIA232 mode.
6 BLUE RX+
Serial Receive data input in EIA232 Mode and
TX+ data output in EIA422 mode.
7 VIOLET RX-
Serial Receive data input RX- in EIA422 mode.
Not used in EIA232 mode.
8
GRAY
URX
3.3V LVTTL UART Serial Data Input.
9 GND
Ground connection.
See the description for Pin #2
10 BLACK 232
Force Single Ended Serial mode. When this
pin is connected to GND the TSM will start in
EIA232 or LVTTL-UART mode with the
settings of 115200,8,N,1 regardless of the
software settings of the instrument.
11
L
IGHT
GREEN
UTX 3.3V LVTTL-UART Serial Data Output.
12 PINK GND Ground connection.
See the description for Pin #2
Advanced users may connect the wires from the Sphere to the User’s own appropriate
certified power source and data collection/data relay system, as described in Table 3.

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Connecting the Sphere to the USB Adapter
For new Users, and for Users who do not wish to use their own power and data collection
system, the USB Adapter that comes with the Sphere lets the User use a computer to power the
Sphere and to get data. This connection uses the EIA232 communications protocol.
To connect the Sphere to the USB Adapter:
•Attach the Single Terminated blunt-cut table that comes with the Sphere to the Sphere.
•Separate out and strip 3mm of the ends
from the Yellow, Blue, Red, Black, and
Brown wires from the blunt-cut end of the
cable.
NOTE: The Brown wire appears mauve or lilac in
color to some Users. If you find it difficult to
identify the Brown wire because you see two
purple-ish wires, the Brown wire is the lighter
“not” rich-violet one.
•Open the adapter case and insert the wires
into the terminal block holes as follows:
Table 4: Sphere to USB PUSH TERMINAL WIRING POSITIONS
CAUTION: Because the cable contains 12 wires to accommodate the
multi-protocol Sphere, these color assignments
do not match the
labels printed on the USB Adapter circuit board.
See a helpful video demonstrating this connection at
Anemoment.com/resources/.
1
2
3
4
BROWN
BLUE
YELLOW
RED &BLACK
Figure 3: Separating the Wires
Figure 4: INSERTING BOTH RED AND BLACK WIRES INTO TERMINAL BLOCK HOLE 4

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Data Output
The Sphere collects a variety of environmental data. This Chapter
explains what you see in the data stream.
Later, Chapter 5 will tell you how to customize which variables appear,
how they are labeled, and how often the information should arrive.
See the Serial Data Stream
With the Sphere connected to a computer by the USB Adapter or similar User-designed device
to both supply power to the Sphere and allow data pass-through, the Serial Data Stream from
the Sphere can be viewed by using a Terminal Emulator app such as Tera Term, or with the
TriSonica Mini User App downloadable at https://anemoment.com/resources/.
PLEASE NOTE:This app is NOT suitable for data logging functions.
Serial Data Format
The Sphere outputs data in an ASCII character string ending with carriage return and line feed
characters.
Each line is a single record of all the measured parameters contained in a single sample.
PLEASE NOTE: Although the User can configure which measurements appear in the data
string, the order in which the measurement data appears is not customizable.
The parameters on an output line are separated by two spaces, or by a single space and a
negative sign.
The User may choose to use optional data tags to indicate the measurement associated with the
value. The data tags can be turned on or off for each individual type measurement. For more
about tags, see Show, Hide, Tag, Untag, and Decimal Commands in Chapter 5.
A sample of the output without tags:
05.2 112 -01.9 04.7 01.1 22.6
05.3 107 -01.5 04.9 01.3 22.2
The columns in this example in order are
Wind Speed Wind Direction U-Vector V-Vector W-Vector Temperature.
A sample of the output data with tags:
S05.2 D 112 U -01.9 V 04.7 W 01.1 T 22.6
S05.3 D 107 U -01.5 V 04.9 W 01.3 T 22.2
S= Wind Speed
D= Wind Direction
U= U-Vector
V= V-Vector
W= W-Vector
T=Temperature

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Custom Delimiters
The delimiters for the tags and parameters are customizable.
In this example a colon is used after the tags in place of the space and a comma is added after
the measurement value. The default values are a space character for both the tags and the
parameters to be compatible with previous versions. Details on how to use this feature are
given with the paramdelim and tagdelim commands in Chapter 5.
S: 05.2,D: 112,U:-01.9,V: 04.7.W: 01.1,T: 22.6
S: 05.3,D: 107,U:-01.5,V: 04.9,W: 01.3,T: 22.2
Error Codes
When the Sphere firmware detects an error, it outputs an error code in the data stream in all
the affected parameters. All error codes appear in the format of “-99.x”. The decimal value of
the error code varies with the error type.
When an error code is in the output, use the “diagnostic” command to get information about
the error.
One of the most common reasons for an error is an ultrasonic pathway blockage. Ice, snow, or
some other physical material is preventing the ultrasonic signal reception. Clearing the blockage
returns the unit to normal operation.

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Customizing the Sphere Configuration
The Sphere collects a variety of environmental data.
This Chapter explains how to communicate with the Sphere to define
which variables appear, how variables are labeled, and how often data
packets arrive.
Serial Communication - Defaults
The Sphere is configured by default to these serial parameters:
•Baud Rate: 115,200
•Data Bits: 8
•Parity: None
•Stop Bits: 1
The Sphere starts generating data about one second after power up, and outputs data
continuously when in sampling mode. You can tell the Sphere is working by listening for a quiet
rapid clicking sound made by the transducers. (This sound is a mechanical artifact from a
transducer initiating an ultrasonic sound, not the ultrasonic sound itself).
Serial Communication – Access Methods
There are several access methods by which the User can enter configuration instructions for the
Sphere. The choice of method is largely up to User preference, though some higher-level
instructions are available only through more expert access methods.
•Serial Menu – Basic Settings
•Command Line Interface – Basic Mode
•Command Line Interface – Expert Mode
•Application Programming Interface
Each access method is explained, including lists of commonly used commands.
Serial Menu – Basic Settings
Pressing the ESC key brings up a serial menu for configuring basic settings.
PLEASE NOTE: not all settings are accessible from this menu.
If no User input is received after the Serial Menu has been inactive for one
minute, the Sphere returns to sampling mode and any changes made are not stored in
the non-volatile memory.

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Table 4: SERIAL MENU FUNCTIONS
MAIN MENU
OPTION
FUNCTIONS AVAILABLE WITHIN SERIAL MENU OPTION
A. Serial Setup
Serial Baud, Parity, and Serial Protocol Selection
B. Data Output
Setup
List of Output Parameters, indicating whether they are Enabled, how
many Decimals are displayed, the Units for the parameters, and the data
Tag.
From this menu, press the menu letter key to access submenus that
control these Output Parameters.
C. Instrument
Setup
Data Output Rate, Orientation, and Trigger parameters
D. Calibration
Walks the User through calibration steps for User-performed wind, and
level calibration.
•To calibrate the wind sensor, the User places the instrument in a
zero-airflow chamber equipped with a temperature sensor, and
the User enters a value for local humidity.
•The level sensor calibration requires the Sphere to be attached
to a pole that is known to be vertical.
E. Diagnostic
Runs built-in diagnostics and displays the results.
G. Instrument
Reset
Resets the instrument, clearing all volatile memory, restoring to non-
volatile memory settings.
X. Exit without
storing changes
Exits the menu with the changes the User has made, allowing the User
to apply the changes temporarily.
These changes are not stored in the non-volatile memory and will be lost
after a system reset/system power-down.
0. Exit
Exits the menu and stores changes in non-volatile memory. These
changes are retained even after a system reset/system power-down
Command Line Interface – Basic Mode
To enter command line interface (CLI) mode, press Ctl+C.
The Sphere stops sampling and provides a User prompt: “>”.
If no user input is given within one minute, the Sphere returns to sampling
mode and changes are not savedin non-volatile memory.
Details of all available commands and their parameters are accessed within the
Command Line interface by typing “help” at the User prompt.
For reference, some of the commands are listed in Table 5. Parameters are
indicated with “<” and “>” characters. You replace the angle brackets and the
text with the parameter value. Parameters shown within square brackets “[“
and “]” are optional.
NOTE: We intend to make the Sphere CLI self-documenting, so
with future Firmware Releases, the detailed help for each
command may differ from what appears in the following table.