LI-COR LI-3000C User manual

LI-3000C Portable
Area Meter
Instruction Manual

LI-3000C Portable Area Meter
and LI-3050C Transparent Belt Conveyer
Instruction Manual
LI-COR Biosciences
4647 Superior Street
Lincoln, Nebraska 68504
Phone: [phone]
Toll free: 800-447-3576 (U.S. and Canada)
[e-mail]
Regional Offices
LI-COR Biosciences GmbH
Siemensstraße 25A
61352 Bad Homburg
Germany
Phone: [phone]
[e-mail]
LI-COR Biosciences UK Ltd.
St. John’s Innovation Centre
Cowley Road
Cambridge
CB4 0WS
United Kingdom
Phone: [phone]
[e-mail]
LI-COR Distributor Network:
www.licor.com/env/distributors

CE Marking:
This product is a CE-marked product. For conformity information, contact LI-COR Support at [e-mail].
Outside of the U.S., contact your local sales office or distributor.
NOTICE
The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice.
LI-COR MAKES NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND WITH REGARD TO THIS MATERIAL, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
LI-COR shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the
furnishing, performance, or use of this material.
This document contains proprietary information which is protected by copyright. All rights are reserved. No part of this
document may be photocopied, reproduced, or translated to another language without prior written consent of LI-COR,
Inc.
Doc. #53-15997-A
June 23, 2016
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(Pb) (Hg) (Cd) (Cr(VI)) (PBB) (PBDE)
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(indicates that the content of the toxic and hazardous substance in all the Homogeneous
Materials of the part is below the concentration limit requirement as described in GB/T 26572).
X = GB/T 26572
(indicates that the content of the toxic and hazardous substance in at least one Homogeneous
Material of the part exceeds the concentration limit requirement as described in GB/T 26572).
LI-3000C Portable Area Meter/LI-3050C Transparent Belt Conveyor Accessory
LI-3000C / LI-3050C
X
O
O
X
X
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
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Printing History
New editions of this manuals will incorporate all material since the previous edition. The manual printing date indicates
its current edition. The printing date changes when a new edition is printed. (Minor corrections and updates which are
incorporated at reprint do not cause the date to change.)
Copyright © 2006-2019, LI-COR, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Publication No. 984-08429
Created on: July 31, 2019
ii

iii
Notes on Safety
LI-COR products have been designed to be safe when operated in the manner described in this manual. The safety of this
product cannot be guaranteed if the product is used in any other way than is specified in this manual. The product is inten-
ded to be used by qualified personnel. Read this entire manual before using the product.
Equipment markings:
The product is marked with this symbol when it is necessary for you to refer to the manual or
accompanying documents in order to protect against injury or damage to the product.
The product is marked with this symbol when a hazardous voltage may be present.
The product is marked with this symbol if a Chassis Ground connection is required.
The product is marked with this symbol to indicate the presence of moving parts entanglement risk.
The product is marked with this symbol to indicate a warning not to get hair or clothing caught in
the pulleys and rollers while inserting a leaf.
WARNING Warnings must be followed carefully to avoid bodily injury.
CAUTION Cautions must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment.
Manual markings:
WARNING Warnings must be followed carefully to avoid bodily injury.
CAUTION Cautions must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment.
NOTE Notes contain important information and useful tips on the operation of your equipment.
How to Use This Manual
This manual contains the operation instructions for both the LI-3000C Portable Area Meter and the LI-3050C Transparent
Belt Conveyer Accessory. If you purchased an LI-3000C but not an LI-3050C, you may wish to skip Section 6, which con-
tains information on the LI-3050C.
LI-COR products have been designed to be safe when operated in the manner described in this manual. The safety of this
product cannot be guaranteed if the product is used in any other way than is specified in this manual. The LI-3000C and
LI-3050C are intended to be used by qualified personnel. Read this entire manual before using the products.

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Contents
Section 1. General information
System description 1-1
What’s what 1-2
Scanning head 1-2
Readout console 1-3
Standard RS-232 cable 1-3
USB cable 1-3
Spare parts kit 1-3
Theory of operation 1-4
Instrument calibration 1-5
Section 2. Preparations
Operational check 2-1
Recharging the battery 2-2
Using the waist strap 2-3
Section 3. Instrument operation
Power on 3-1
Basic operation 3-1
The display 3-1
An example measurement 3-3
Scanning head button 3-4
Pulling the string too fast 3-4
Making measurements 3-5
Area measurement of attached leaves 3-5
Using a transparent sheath 3-8
Hints for various leaf types 3-9
Storing data in memory 3-9
Structuring files 3-12
Viewing files on the display 3-14
View mode key definitions 3-15
Deleting a range of files 3-16

The Menu key 3-17
Memory available 3-18
3050 threshold 3-18
3000 threshold 3-18
Set clock 3-19
Config registers 3-19
Realtime capture 3-20
Delete all files 3-20
Print files 3-21
Data communication 3-22
Section 4. Using the LI-3000C Windows software
Installing the interface software 4-1
Connecting the LI-3000C to a computer 4-1
USB connection 4-2
Serial connection 4-3
Software basics 4-4
Logging to a new data file 4-5
Transferring stored data files from the LI-3000C to a computer 4-7
Importing a data file to a spreadsheet 4-9
Section 5. LI-3050C Transparent Belt Conveyer
Setup and adjustment 5-2
Using Realtime Capture Mode with the LI-3050C 5-6
Storage and maintenance 5-8
Section 6. Maintenance and calibration
Cleaning the LED and photodiode windows 6-1
Cleaning the length encoding cord guide 6-1
Length encoding cord 6-1
Knob separation from the length encoding cord 6-2
Replacing the length encoding cord 6-2
Battery replacement 6-6
Power on problems 6-7
Instrument storage 6-8
Test menu 6-8
Updating the instrument (embedded) software 6-18
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Appendix A. LI-3000C Specifications
Appendix B. LI-3050C Specifications
Appendix C. Warranty

viii

Section 1.
General information
This section introduces the LI-3000C Leaf Area Meter.
System description
The LI-COR Model LI-3000C Portable Area Meter uses an electronic method of
rectangular approximation to measure leaf area on intact plants of many species.
The LI-3000C has two components, the Scanning Head and the Readout Console.
Area data are logged by the Readout Console as the Scanning Head is passed over
the leaf.
The LI-3000C has the following features:
lDisplays leaf length, average width, and maximum width in addition to area
and accumulated area.
lReadings can be summed in a secondary summing register at the user's com-
mand. The previous reading added to the register can be subtracted from it.
lReadings can be stored in the console, or output to a computer via Windows®
interface software (RS-232 or USB).
lThe console can be used with the LI-3050C Transparent Belt Conveyer Access-
ory.
lReal-time monitoring and data collection is provided with Windows® interface
software.
lA rechargeable lead acid battery provides power for portable operation. The bat-
tery life is approximately 12 hours.
The LI-3000C is designed for field use; however, care should be taken during oper-
ation and storage. The instrument is not waterproof, and care should be taken to
1-1LI-3000C Portable Area Meter

Section 1. General information
avoid exposure to excessive moisture. The 3000A-02 Carrying Case is recom-
mended.
Optional accessories for the LI-3000C include the 3000A-02 Carrying Case and the
LI-3050C Transparent Belt Conveyer Accessory.
What’s what
If you have just taken delivery of your LI-3000C, check the packing list to verify
that you received everything ordered, including the following items:
Scanning head
The scanning head is calibrated to the readout console at the factory. The cal-
ibration routine computes how much current each of the 128 LEDs requires in
order to achieve a uniform brightness. These calibration values are retained in the
memory of the console. Only scanning heads with serial numbers above #196 can
be used with the LI-3000C.
The scanning head is opened by pressing the thumb lever at the top of the handle
(Figure 1-1 below). The open scanning head is placed over the leaf, after which the
length encoding cord is drawn out and held in a fixed position. The scanning head
reset (white) button is pressed once to clear the X register, the scanning head is
closed, and the head is moved over the leaf while the length encoding cord is held
stationary. After the scanning head has passed over the leaf, the length encoding
cord is allowed to rewind into the scanning head.
Figure 1-1. LI-3000C scanning head.
1-2 LI-3000C Portable Area Meter

Readout console
Area data are logged by the readout console as the scanning head is passed over a
leaf. The console can also be used with the LI-3050C Transparent Belt Conveyer
Accessory. The readout console back panel contains the connections for the scan-
ning head and the LI-3050C, as well as for AC power and RS-232 and USB data out-
put (Figure 1-2 below).
Figure 1-2. LI-3000C readout console.
Standard RS-232 cable
Part Number:
9975-016)
The Standard RS-232 Cable is a DTE to DTE cable with 9-pin connectors on both
ends. This cable mates with the RS-232 connector on the readout console back
panel; the other end should be used to connect to your computer’s 9-pin serial port.
If you want to interface to a computer with a 25-pin serial port, then a 9-pin to 25-
pin adapter must be used.
USB cable
Part Number:
392-06652
The 6’ USB cable is terminated with an A and a B type connector. The (smaller) B
type connector plugs into the back of the readout console; the larger A type con-
nector is used to connect to your computer.
Spare parts kit
Part Number:
9910-309
This box contains replacement parts for your LI-3000C. As you become familiar
with the instrument you will learn which items to keep close at hand and which
Section 1. General information
1-3Readout console

Section 1. General information
items can be stored away. The spares kit contains the RS-232 and USB cables, spare
fuses, and the waist strap assembly, among other items.
Theory of operation
The method by which the LI-3000C measures area is best understood by examining
the technique for manual area measurement. Manual area measurement requires
tracing the outline of the sample on graph paper and methodically counting the
squares where the sample covers fifty percent or more of the area of an individual
grid cell.
The 50% criterion for the acceptance or rejection of grid cells is necessary to main-
tain linearity in the measured area. In other words, if the grid cells with fifty per-
cent or more area covered were not counted, the result would be inconsistent data
on repeated measurements. Similarly, if a sample were cut into pieces and the indi-
vidual pieces summed, the results would likely not equal the measurement of the
whole sample (unless the 50% criterion was used).
The width of the sample at a given point is determined by the number of grid cells
covered across a row. The number of grid cells covered in a column determines the
length. The resolution of this measurement technique is a function of the area rep-
resented by each grid cell.
The LI-3000C Portable Area Meter uses electronic methods to simulate a grid pat-
tern on the leaf. The scanning head uses a row of 128 narrow band, red, light-emit-
ting diodes (LEDs), spaced on 1 mm centers, to examine 128 grid cells across the
width of the leaf. The LEDs are sequentially pulsed (only one LED is lit at a time)
to examine a particular grid cell in the row. The LEDs are located along a line 0.62
cm (0.25 in.) from the edge of the upper section of the scanning head.
The base of the scanning head contains a lens-photodiode system which responds
only to the collimated, pulsed LED light. This design makes the measurements
insensitive to other light sources. These narrow-band red LEDs and associated
digital circuitry provide measurements which are unaffected by leaf transmission
properties.
After each grid cell in the row is scanned, it is necessary to advance to the next row.
Electronically, this is accomplished by pulling the length encoding cord. After each
1 mm of cord travel, a new scan is initiated in which each of the 128 LEDs are
1-4 LI-3000C Portable Area Meter

sequentially pulsed. The scanning process begins only when the length encoding
cord is pulled.
Since 1 mm of cord travel is equivalent to the side of a grid cell, it is apparent that
the length encoding cord must be pulled perpendicular to the row of 128 LEDs.
When the LED light is blocked by a sample, the unit area (1 mm2) is accumulated
on the display. For example, if a 20 ×100 mm sample is being measured, 20 LEDs
will be masked for 100 scans resulting in a display of 20.00 cm2.
Any LED that is diminished by 50% or more is accumulated as 1 mm2of area.
This criteria is determined by Menu parameters ‘3000 Threshold’ when using the
scanning head in normal operating mode, or ‘3050 Threshold’ when using the LI-
3050C Belt Conveyer.
The scanning head accurately measures irregularly shaped leaves or leaves with
holes from insect damage. As a hole in the leaf passes through the scanning head,
the photodiodes sense LED light, and that LED location does not contribute to the
area accumulating on the display until the LEDs are once again masked when the
hole has passed.
The important aspect of this electronic measurement technique is that it requires
that the light emitted from each of the 128 LEDs be uniform in intensity so that
the 50% acceptance/rejection threshold is consistent for each grid cell. This is
accomplished by the autocalibration software during the calibration process.
Instrument calibration
The scanning head is calibrated to the readout console at the factory using the LI-
3000C's built-in calibration routine (see Calibrate on page6-13). If a different scan-
ning head is to be used, the calibration routine must be performed to calibrate the
head to the console. The calibration routine computes how much current each of
the 128 LEDs requires in order to achieve a uniform brightness. These calibration
values are retained as a table in the memory of the console.
Section 1. General information
1-5Instrument calibration

Section 1. General information
1-6 LI-3000C Portable Area Meter

Section 2.
Preparations
Follow the procedure below when you are getting started.
Operational check
The following procedure can be used to connect the scanning head to the readout
console and verify that the LI-3000C is working properly.
1Connect the scanning head to the readout console while the ON/OFF switch is OFF. Mate the
cable connector with the connector on the back panel of the readout console, and then push in
and turn the collar clockwise until it locks into place. Switch the ON/OFF switch to ON.
If the symbol "Lo" appears on the display (see Recharging the Battery) when the
readout console is turned on, the internal battery needs charging. The low battery
message is displayed when approximately 1 hour of operational capacity remains in
the battery. If your battery is low, skip down to the information on recharging the
battery found later in this section.
If the message "CALIBRATION LOST PRESS ANY KEY" is displayed when the
instrument is turned on, the calibration table has been deleted. The scanning head
can be calibrated to the console as described in Section 5.
2Open the scanning head by pressing on the thumb lever on the upper section (Figure 3-2, Section
3). Hold the scanning head inverted and look into the long narrow window near the edge of the
head. Pull the length encoding cord out and retract it. You should be able to see the LEDs as they
rapidly pulse.
NOTE: Retract the cord by holding the knob and allowing the cord to draw into
the head by its own force. The cord should not be allowed to snap back into the
head. Also, do not push the cord and cause slack; internal backlash may result.
If you have been holding the head open while pulling the encoding cord, you will
notice that numbers are being accumulated on the display. This is because the
2-1LI-3000C Portable Area Meter

Section 2. Preparations
photodiodes will only accept the collimated light from the LEDs when the com-
ponents are positioned properly. This characteristic was designed into the instru-
ment to prevent stray light from affecting normal data collection. With the
scanning head open, the LEDs and the photo- diodes are out of alignment, so area
is recorded as the length encoding cord is moved. If the cord is drawn or retracted
at a rate greater than 1 m/second, an error message is displayed (the error message
can be cleared by pressing the CLEAR X key).
3Clear any logged area data by pressing the white reset button located on the scanning head
handle.
Recharging the battery
The LI-3000C uses a sealed lead acid battery. This battery is rechargeable, and gives
about 12 hours of use. The symbol Lo appears on the display (as shown below)
when approximately 1 hour of battery life remains. Using the instrument until auto-
matic shutoff occurs will cause no damage to the instrument; the last measurement
data may be lost, however.
User data are not lost in the event of battery discharge. To prolong the useful life of
the battery, however, charge continuously or at least every 2 months for 5 or more
hours during long-term storage.
To charge the battery, slide the voltage selector on the readout console connector
panel to the proper voltage. Connect a safety agency approved (rated to at least 1
Amp) power cord (such as supplied by LI-COR), which has a three-prong “ground-
ing” plug in good condition, to the readout console, and plug the cord into a prop-
erly grounded or ground-fault protected Mains AC source (115/230 VAC, 50-60
Hz).
The battery should normally be charged overnight. An automatic charge rate adjust-
ment occurs after 12 hours of charging, to allow the battery to be charged indef-
initely. The instrument may be operated while it is charging; however, the time
needed to fully recharge the battery will be increased. Hint: Charging during a
2-2 LI-3000C Portable Area Meter

lunch break can add several hours of operational time on a long day of field meas-
urements.
In the unlikely event of a charging circuit malfunction in which the charging cur-
rent remains at maximum or out of control, a ‘HI’ indicator will appear on the dis-
play, and an audible beep will sound every few seconds. If this occurs, disconnect
the power cord and contact technical support at LI-COR. You can continue to use
the instrument until repairs can be made, but should disconnect the power cord
whenever the ‘HI’ message is displayed.
Using the waist strap
An adjustable strap has been provided so that the readout console can be worn
around the waist for portable operation. The waist strap is connected to the console
using the screws found on the right and left sides of the console.
For maximum comfort, the waist strap should be positioned so that the strap is
about the same level as a belt on a pair of pants. In this position the weight of the
console will rest on the pelvic bones and not on the "fleshy" part of the back.
Figure 2-1. A waist strap is included for portable operation.
Section 2. Preparations
2-3Using the waist strap

Section 2. Preparations
2-4 LI-3000C Portable Area Meter