Decagon Devices AccuPAR LP-80 User manual

AccuPAR PAR/LAI
Ceptometer
Model LP-80
Operator’s Manual
Decagon Devices, Inc.
Version: December 13, 2013 — 08:29:36

AccuPAR LP-80
Decagon Devices, Inc.
2365 NE Hopkins Court
Pullman WA 99163
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Website: www.decagon.com
Email: supp[email protected] or [email protected]
Trademarks
AccuPAR and Ceptometer are registered trademarks of
Decagon Devices, Inc. c 2006-2013
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AccuPAR LP-80 CONTENTS
Contents
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Customer Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 About This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.3 Warranty ......................... 2
1.4 Seller’s Liability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2 About the LP-80 3
2.1 AccuPAR LP-80 Instrument Specifications . . . . . . . 3
2.2 Overview of the LP-80 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.3 Components of the LP-80 System . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.4 Turning on the instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3 Definitions 8
4 PAR/LAI Menu 12
4.1 Taking Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.2 Saving and Annotating Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
5 Log Menu 15
6 Data Menu 17
6.1 View............................ 17
6.2 Download ......................... 18
6.3 Description of Outputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
6.4 Erase............................ 22
7 LP-80 Utility Software 23
7.1 Downloading Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
7.1.1 Data File Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
7.1.2 Data Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
7.2 ErasingData ....................... 25
7.3 Setting the Date and Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
7.4 Viewing LP-80 Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
7.5 The Preferences Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
7.5.1 Data File Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
7.6 Communications Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
7.7 Application Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
7.8 Software and Firmware Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
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CONTENTS AccuPAR LP-80
8 Config Menu 30
8.1 Calibration ........................ 31
8.1.1 Location...................... 32
8.1.2 Date and Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
9 PAR and LAI Theory 37
9.1 PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) . . . . . . 37
9.2 Average and Intercepted PAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
9.3 Using PAR to determine Leaf Area Index . . . . . . . 40
9.4 Applications and Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
9.5 Extinction Coefficient and Canopy Structure . . . . . 42
9.5.1 Correction of PAR for Sun Angle . . . . . . . . 45
9.6 LAI measurements & Non-Random Distribution . . . 47
9.7 Zenith Angle and Equation of Time . . . . . . . . . . 49
10 Measurement Tips 53
10.1 Above Canopy (External) Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
10.2SampleSize........................ 53
10.3 Clumping in Canopies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
10.4 LAI Sampling in Row Crops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
11 Care and Maintenance 56
11.1Batteries.......................... 56
11.2 Cleaning the Probe and Controller . . . . . . . . . . . 56
11.3 Recalibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
11.4 General Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
12 Troubleshooting 58
13 Support and Repair 67
13.1RepairCosts ....................... 68
14 Further Readings 69
15 Declaration of Conformity 74
16 Appendix A 75
16.1 External Sensor Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
16.2 Spectral Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
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AccuPAR LP-80 1 INTRODUCTION
1 Introduction
Welcome to Decagon’s AccuPAR model LP-80 PAR/LAI Ceptome-
ter. The AccuPAR measures Photosynthetically Active Radiation
(PAR) and can invert these readings to give Leaf Area Index (LAI)
for your plant canopy. This manual is designed to help you accom-
plish your research goals, and understand how to get the most out
of your AccuPAR.
1.1 Customer Support
If you ever need assistance with your AccuPAR or have any questions
or feedback, there are several ways to contact us. Decagon has Cus-
tomer Service Representatives available to speak with you Monday
through Friday, between 7am and 5pm Pacific time.
Note: If you purchased your AccuPAR LP-80 through a distribu-
tor, please contact them for assistance.
Email:
supp[email protected] or [email protected]
Phone:
509-332-5600
Fax:
509-332-5158
If contacting us by email or fax, please include as part of your message
your instrument serial number, your name, address, phone number,
fax number, and a description of your problem or question.
1.2 About This Manual
This manual includes instructions for setting up your AccuPAR LP-
80, verifying the calibration of the instrument, preparing samples,
and maintaining and caring for your instrument. Please read these
1

1 INTRODUCTION AccuPAR LP-80
instructions before operating the LP-80 to ensure that the instrument
performs to its full potential.
1.3 Warranty
The AccuPAR has a one year warranty on parts and labor. Your
warranty is automatically validated upon receipt of the instrument.
1.4 Seller’s Liability
Seller warrants new equipment of its own manufacture against defec-
tive workmanship and materials for a period of three years from the
date of receipt of equipment.
Note: We do not consider the results of ordinary wear and tear,
neglect, misuse, accident and excessive deterioration due to corro-
sion from any cause as defects.
The Seller’s liability for defective parts shall in no event exceed the
furnishing of replacement parts Freight On Board the factory where
originally manufactured. Material and equipment covered hereby
which is not manufactured by Seller shall be covered only by the
warranty of its manufacturer. Seller shall not be liable to Buyer for
loss, damage or injuries to persons (including death), or to property
or things of whatsoever kind (including, but not without limitation,
loss of anticipated profits), occasioned by or arising out of the instal-
lation, operation, use, misuse, nonuse, repair, or replacement of said
material and equipment, or out of the use of any method or process
for which the same may be employed. The use of this equipment
constitutes the buyer’s acceptance of the terms set forth in this war-
ranty. There are no understandings, representations, or warranties
of any kind, express, implied, statutory or otherwise (including, but
without limitation, the implied warranties of merchantability and
fitness for a particular purpose), not expressly set forth herein.
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AccuPAR LP-80 2 ABOUT THE LP-80
2 About the LP-80
The AccuPAR model LP-80 is a menu-driven, battery-operated lin-
ear PAR ceptometer, used to measure light interception in plant
canopies, and to calculate Leaf Area Index (LAI). It consists of an
integrated microprocessor-driven data logger and probe. The probe
contains 80 independent sensors, spaced 1 cm apart. The photosen-
sors measure PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation) in the 400
to 700 nm waveband. The AccuPAR displays PAR in units of micro-
mols per meter squared per second (µmol m−2s−1). The instrument
is capable of hand-held or unattended measurement.
2.1 AccuPAR LP-80 Instrument Specifications
Operating Environment:
0◦to 50◦C (32◦−122◦F)
0 to 100% relative humidity
Probe Length: 86.5 cm
Number of Sensors: 80
Overall Length: 102 cm (40.25 in)
Probe Cross-Section: 19 cm x 9.5 cm (.75 x .375 in)
Micro Controller Dimensions: 15.8 x 9.5 x 3.3 cm (6.2 x 3.75 x 1.3
in)
PAR Range: 0 to 2,500 µmol m−2s−1
Resolution: 1 µmol m−2s−1
Minimum Spatial Resolution: 1 cm
Data Storage Capacity: 1 MB Flash
Unattended Logging Interval: User selectable, between 1 and 60
min
Instrument Weight (w/ Batteries): 0.55 kg (1.21 lbs)
Data Retrieval: direct via RS-232
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2 ABOUT THE LP-80 AccuPAR LP-80
Keypad: 7-Key menu-driven
Clock: 24-hour ±1 minute per month
Interface Cable: RS-232 cable
Power: Four AAA Alkaline cells.
External PAR Sensor Connector: Locking 5-pin sealed circular con-
nector
2.2 Overview of the LP-80
Decagon designed the menu-driven LP-80 interface for ease of use.
There are four menus to choose from: the PAR/LAI menu, Log menu,
Data menu, and Config menu. You navigate between the menus by
pressing the MENU button, and select items within each menu using
the up and down arrow keys, and the ENTER or ESC keys.
The AccuPAR can be operated in environments with temperatures
from 0 to 50◦C, and in relative humidities of up to 100%. The instru-
ment ships with an RS-232 interface cable to allow for downloading
data to a computer, an external PAR sensor to allow for calibration,
and simultaneous above and below canopy PAR measurements. The
AccuPAR operates on four AAA alkaline batteries.
2.3 Components of the LP-80 System
The AccuPAR and its accessories arrive in a durable foam-padded
carrying case. Your shipment should arrive with the following items.
•AccuPAR model LP-80
•RS-232 Cable
•Operator’s Manual
•External PAR Sensor
•#1 Phillips Screwdriver
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AccuPAR LP-80 2 ABOUT THE LP-80
Figure 1: Product Features
Figure 2: LP-80 Keypad
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2 ABOUT THE LP-80 AccuPAR LP-80
The LP-80 keypad is a 7-key panel, designed for ease of use and
intuitive navigability through the operating system. Here is a brief
description of the key functions, refer to Figure 2 for Keypad de-
scriptions.
ON/OFF Key: Located in the upper left corner, it turns the
instrument on or off. The AccuPAR will turn itself off auto-
matically after 10 minutes of inactivity.
MENU Key: Cycles between the four menus.
UP and DOWN ARROW KEYS: In PAR Sampling menu,
they initiate above (up arrow) and below (down arrow) canopy
PAR readings. In other menus, they are used to navigate to
items within those menus and to change numeric values in sub
menus.
Round Green Key: The circular key in the upper right corner
of the keypad (by the AccuPAR logo) also serves the same
function as the Down-arrow key. It is designed as an ergonomic
alternative when taking multiple below-canopy PAR samples
ESC: Cancels the current PAR reading displayed in the lower half
of the PAR sampling menu, cancels out of menu options, and
navigates to the left in the annotation screen.
ENTER: Saves the current PAR readings in the PAR sampling
menu, selects items in other menus, and navigates to the right
in the annotation screen.
2.4 Turning on the instrument
When you first turn on the instrument, it will be in the PAR sampling
menu, in which you will see real-time PAR data displayed in the
center portion of the screen. If you have the external PAR sensor
connected, you will also see its real-time PAR data.
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