LI-COR LI-3100C User manual

LI-3100C
Area Meter
Instruction Manual
®

LI-3100C Area Meter
Instruction Manual
Publication No. 984-07704
June, 2004
LI-COR
4421 Superior St.
P.O. Box 4425
Lincoln, NE 68504 USA
Telephone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
Toll-free 1-800-447-3576 (U.S. & Canada)
[email protected]
www.licor.com
© Copyright 2004. LI-COR, inc.

ii
LI-COR, inc.
Environmental
4421 Superior Street
P.O. Box 4425
Lincoln, Nebraska 68504 USA
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
Toll-free: 1-800-447-3576 (U.S. & Canada)
E-mail: [email protected]
Declaration of Conformity
Manufacturer’s Name: LI-COR Inc.
Manufacturer’s Address: 4421 Superior Street
Lincoln, Nebraska USA 68504
declares that the product
Product Name: Area Meter
Model Number(s): LI-3100C
Product Options: None
conforms to the following Product Specifications:
Safety: EN61010-1 : 1993
EN61010-1 : Amendment 1 : 1995
EMC: FCC CFR Part 15.109 Radiated Emissions, Class ?
FCC CFR Part 15.107 Conducted Emissions, Class ?
IEC 61326 : 1997/A2:2001 Radiated Emissions, Class ?
IEC 61326 : 1997/A2:2001 Conducted Emissions, Class ?
IEC 61000-4-2 : 1995/A2:2000: ESD, 8KV/15KV Contact/Air
IEC 61000-4-3 : 1995/A2:2000: Radiated RF Immunity, 10V/m
IEC 61000-4-4 : 1995/A2:2000: EFT/Burst
Supplementary Information:
The product herewith complies with the requirements of the EMC Directive 89/336/EEC.
Dave Dilley
Director of Engineering
Document #53-07670
December 1, 2003
®

iii
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.
Copyright 2004, LI-COR Inc.
Publication Number 984-07704
Printing History: 1st Printing June, 2004
Printing History
New editions of this manual will incorporate all material since the previous
editions. Update packages may be used between editions which contain
replacement and additional pages to be merged into the manual by the user.
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).
LI-COR, Inc. • 4421 Superior Street • Lincoln, Nebraska 68504
Phone: [phone] • FAX: [phone]
Toll-free: 1-800-447-3576 (U.S. & Canada)
E-mail: [email protected]
www.licor.com

v
Table of Contents
Section 1. General Information
1.1 Instrument Function ............................................................ 1-1
1.2 Operational Features ............................................................ 1-2
Section 2. Pre-operation
2.1 Rear Housing Removal ........................................................ 2-1
2.2 Transparent Belt Tension Adjustment ................................... 2-1
2.3 Fluorescent Tube Installation ............................................... 2-2
2.4 Camera Installation .............................................................. 2-4
2.5 Voltage Selector Operation and Characteristics .................... 2-5
Section 3. Operation
3.1 Instrument Activation .......................................................... 3-1
3.2 Display Response ................................................................. 3-1
3.3 Belt Tension and Tracking Adjustment ................................. 3-2
3.4 Calibration ........................................................................... 3-2
3.5 Pressing Roller Adjustment ................................................... 3-4
Section 4. Changing Measurement Resolution
4.1 Choosing Measurement Resolution ...................................... 4-1
4.2 Changing from 1.0 mm2to 0.1 mm2Resolution.................. 4-1
4.3 Changing from 0.1 mm2to 1.0 mm2Resolution.................. 4-2
Section 5. Maintenance
5.1 Changing the Fluorescent Tube ............................................ 5-1
5.2 Changing the Transparent Belts ............................................ 5-1
5.3 Cleaning the Transparent Belts ............................................. 5-4
5.4 Cleaning the Mirror or Camera Lens..................................... 5-5
5.5 Cleaning the Interior of the Camera...................................... 5-5
5.6 Cleaning the Motor and Belt Drive System ........................... 5-6

vi
Section 6. Removing the Upper Belt Assembly
6.1 Purpose ............................................................................... 6-1
6.2 Removal Procedure ............................................................. 6-1
Section 7. Using the Windows Interface Software
7.1 Installing the PC Interface Software ..................................... 7-1
7.2 Connecting the LI-3100C to a Computer.............................. 7-2
7.3 Software Basics.................................................................... 7-11
7.4 Creating a Log File............................................................... 7-12
7.5 Missed Data Packets............................................................ 7-15
7.6 Importing a Data File to a Spreadsheet ................................ 7-15
7.7 Using the LI-3000A Readout................................................ 7-17
Section 8. Troubleshooting
8.1 Continuous Spurious Data Accumulation ............................ 8-1
8.2 Belts Not Tracking Properly ................................................. 8-2
8.3 Fluorescent Tube Fails to Illuminate .................................... 8-2
8.4 Excessive Data Variability ................................................... 8-2
8.5 Miscellaneous Malfunction.................................................. 8-3
8.6 Laboratory Conditions ......................................................... 8-4
Specifications
Warranty

1-1
1General
Information
1.1 Instrument Function
The LI-3100C Area Meter is designed for biological, industrial, and
other applications requiring rapid, precise area (length or width)
measurements. Samples are placed between the guides on the lower
transparent belt and allowed to pass through the instrument. As items
travel under the 15 watt fluorescent light source, the object is reflected
by a system of three mirrors to a solid state scanning camera within the
rear housing.
Object width is sensed by the scanning camera. Length information is
provided by the current frequency as related to the belt velocity.
Area integration is accomplished by components of the main printed
circuit board mounted on the instrument rear plate (Figure 1).
Data are presented on the light emitting diode (LED) display. Decimal
location on the display is changed to suit the 1.0 or 0.1 mm2
resolution requirement (Section 4). Alternatively, data can be
collected, displayed, and stored using a PC and the 3100-500
Windows Interface Software (Section 7).

General Information
1-2
1.2 Operational Features
The LI-3100C features interchangeable 1.0 mm2and 0.1 mm2
resolution capability that is furnished with a single 28 mm camera
lens. A 25 cm wide sample guide is provided for both 1.0 mm2and
0.1 mm2resolution configurations.
The upper belt assembly can be removed for operations hindered by
the upper belt. Sample thickness can then be increased to 2.5 cm
(Section 6.)

2-1
2Pre-operation
The following procedures must be performed before using the
LI-3100C for the first time:
●Tighten the transparent belts
●Install the 15 watt fluorescent tube
●Install the camera lens
●Set the voltage selector at the proper position and check to see
if the correct fuse is installed
Each of these procedures is discussed below.
2.1 Rear Housing Removal
The rear housing must be removed in order to adjust the belt tension
and to install the fluorescent tube. Using the 5/32" (4 mm) hexagonal
key provided, remove the four retaining screws (one at each end, one
at the center front edge on top, and one at the center bottom edge at
the rear). Lift the housing from the instrument.
2.2 Transparent Belt Tension Adjustment
Perform the following steps to tighten the transparent belts:
●Loosen the large knurled knobs located on each sliding pulley
bearing block. Rear sliding bearing blocks are visible in Figure 1.
Front sliding bearing blocks are visible in Figure 2.
●Coarse adjustment is performed by simultaneously sliding both
bearing blocks for one pulley. The knurled knobs can be tightened
sufficiently by rotating them with the thumb and index finger while

Preoperation Procedure
2-2
holding tension on the bearing block with the remaining fingers of
the same hand.
Fine adjustments are performed by twisting the block adjustment screw
to push the sliding bearing block. The knurled knobs located on the
pulley bearing blocks must be loosened to allow block movement.
AD
G
FE
B
C
Figure 1. Area Meter with rear housing removed. (A) main printed
circuit board, (B) rear sliding bearing blocks, (C) decimal selector
switch set for 1.0 mm2or 0.1 mm2operation (inset), (D) 28 mm lens,
(E) screws on the outer camera pressure rail, (F) slide this window to
the left to inspect the voltage selector, (G) upper drive pulley gear.
2.3 Fluorescent Tube Installation
●Remove the rear tube connector housing by loosening the two
recessed mounting screws (Figure 3).
●Hold the new tube vertically and gently tap it to cause any internal
debris to collect at one end. Internal debris can cause spurious
counting.

Preoperation Procedure
2-3
C
E
D
B
A
A
Figure 2. Area Meter in 0.1 mm2resolution configuration. (A) front
sliding bearing blocks, (B) "Lamp Start" switch, (C) "Zero" button, (D)
sample guides, (E) screws to be removed in order to detach the front
panel.
●Slide the tube into the exposed hole in the instrument rear plate.
Rotate the tube as needed until it seats in the front connector. Twist
the tube slightly until it snaps into place. You may need to twist in
either direction, depending on the tube's initial position in the front
connector.
●Mount the rear connector housing over the exposed tube end.
●Gently twist the connector while holding the tube at the back edge
of the upper belt. The rotation should be about 1/4 turn.

Preoperation Procedure
2-4
A
Recessed mounting screws; use hex
key to remove
B
Figure 3. Area meter with fluorescent tube connector housing
removed. (A) fluorescent tube connector housing. (B) fluorescent tube
with exposed pins.
2.4 Camera Installation
●Unpack the camera. Do not remove the black light shield tape
adjoining the camera circuit board.
●Loosen the outer camera pressure rail screws (Figure 1).
●Install the lens at the location appropriate to the resolution required.
See Section 4 and Figures 2, 6 and 7.

Preoperation Procedure
2-5
2.5 Voltage Selector Operation and
Characteristics
The voltage selector is located in the power connector module (Figure
1). The selector is inspected for proper voltage by sliding the clear
plastic window to a position over the power connector. The visible
number on the small printed circuit board located under the fuse
indicates the selected voltage as follows:
either 100 or 120 V for 105-126 VAC operation
either 220 or 240 V for 210-252 VAC operation
Notice that the visible number is not the actual operating voltage. The
instrument will not function on 100 VAC.
The voltage selector is changed by sliding the circuit board outward
from its mount and repositioning it so that a different number is visible
as appropriate to the available voltage.
The frequency usually changes from 60 to 50 Hz when the voltage is
shifted from 120 to 240 VAC. This will change the instrument
calibration approximately 0.5%. An instrument calibration should be
performed after changing the voltage (Section 3.4).
At locations with fluctuating main current frequency, calibration
should be checked often during operation.
The proper fuse selection is:
105-126 V, use 1 amp fuse
210-252 V, use 1/2 amp fuse

3-1
3Operation
3.1 Instrument Activation
After reading and performing the procedures in Section 2, the
following steps should be taken to activate the instrument:
●Connect the supplied power cord to the power input connector at
the rear of the instrument. A grounded three prong wall connector
is required for electrical service.
●Move the "ON/OFF" switch to "ON".
●Press the "Lamp Start" button (Figure 2) firmly and release after
holding for approximately 2 seconds. If the fluorescent tube does
not illuminate, repeat the procedure.
●Press the Zero button to clear the display (Figure 2).
3.2 Display Response
The display will rapidly accumulate numbers when the "ON/OFF"
switch is placed in the "ON" position. This accumulation will continue
until the fluorescent tube is activated. If numbers continue to
accumulate, refer to Section 8.1 for possilbe remedies. Data
accumulation may continue to occur if the fluorescent tube output is
not sufficient, such as initial starting in extremely cold conditions.
Excessively low line voltage is also a cause for continued rapid
spurious counting. See Section 8.

Operation
3-2
3.3 Belt Tension and Tracking Adjustment
Belt tracking is adjusted by moving the sliding pulley bearing blocks
(Figures 1 and 2). The belts likely will not maintain alignment without
some adjustment. If a belt progresses toward one end of a pulley, then
tighten that side of the belt. Fine adjustments are performed by
twisting the block adjustment screw to push the sliding bearing block.
The knurled knobs located on the pulley bearing blocks must be
loosened to allow block movement.
3.4 Calibration
3.4.1 General Guidelines on the Need to Calibrate
●After installing a new lamp (let it run for several hours first)
●After replacing extremely worn or cloudy belts
●When a large change in ambient operating temperature occurs
●As a result of obvious misadjustment
CAUTION: Improper adjustment can seriously decrease the accuracy
of finely detailed samples (see discussion below).
3.4.2 Some History
Two calibration discs were included with LI-3100 Area Meters so that
users could make minor adjustments of area readout, using the CAL
screw on the instrument front panel. The smaller disc was used with
the high resolution option, as the larger disc would not fit between the
7.5 cm sample guides used for 0.1 mm2resolution. The calibration
method involved repeatedly measuring the appropriate disc until the
average error was less than 0.5 percent for high resolution, or 1
percent for low resolution.
Due to the optical characteristics of the lamp and lens, the discs read
higher in the center of the measurement zone than nearer the sample
guides, when the LI-3100 was configured for low resolution (1 mm2).
However, samples that have a very high ratio of edge to area (i.e.,
conifer needles, small irregular leaves, roots, etc.) exhibited the

Operation
3-3
opposite effect. In addition, incorrect calibration resulted in larger
errors with these samples.
The LI-3100C now uses the entire 25 cm measurement width for high
resolution (0.1 mm2) mode, so it is important to compensate for the
above-mentioned edge effect for the calibration procedure. While
round discs like those previously used are simple to manufacture with
a precise area, this shape has the least amount of edge (in this case
circumference) compared to its area.
As a result, large changes could be made to the calibration adjustment
with little effect on the resulting readout. A large adjustment that
makes the average reading appear closer to the area of the round disc
could now increase the errors in samples with a high ratio of edge to
area.
To address this issue, LI-COR is providing a new style calibration plate
with a higher edge to area ratio. The user will find that the calibration
adjustment is very sensitive to small changes with this new calibration
standard. This 10 cm2“edge-intensive” standard is run through the meter
in a number of positions along the measurement width, after which the
round calibration discs are run through in a similar fashion; the round
discs should still produce results within the basic accuracy
specifications. Thus, the user can view the response of the instrument
to the different extremes of sample geometry, and is assured of a better
calibration. In addition, for exacting measurements, the user can see
which area of the measurement zone yields the highest precision and
accuracy.
3.4.3 Calibration Procedure
1. Start the lamp and allow it to warm up for 5 minutes or more.
Make sure that the camera position and lens settings match the
marks indicated for 0.1 mm2 resolution (see Section 4.2). If
transparent belt flaws, or debris on the belt is causing spurious
counts on the display, you may need to clean or replace the belt, as
necessary.
2. Run the edge-intensive standard through the area meter at least 10
times, and average the readings. Repeat over all of the areas of the

Operation
3-4
sample width area. For example, use 5 zones from front to back,
and repeat to total 10 readings. If the error exceeds 2%, carefully
turn the CAL screw a small amount, clockwise to increase, or
counterclockwise to decrease. Avoid changing the adjustment too
much. It is better to perform several trials, as normal sampling
statistics will cause each trial to vary slightly.
3. As a confirmation, perform the same 10 measurements with a round
calibration disc. The errors should remain within the specified
limits. It is not necessary to turn the CAL screw until the errors are
zero; turning the screw more than a few degrees can actually
increase errors in measurement accuracy.
3.5 Pressing Roller Adjustment
Curled leaves are effectively flattened and held rigidly between the
transparent belts for more accurate measurements by use of the
adjustable pressing roller. This is nearly essential for small grasses,
legumes and aquatic plants.
In Figures 4 and 5, the front panel is removed to show mechanical
details. The retracted position is for use with thick leaves. The fully
raised position for use with the thinnest leaf types is shown in Figure 5.
To raise the pressing roller, the lower belt tension must be released to
prevent stretching. To do this, simply loosen the knurled knobs on
both sides of the sliding bearing blocks for the lower belt (Figures 1
and 2). Then loosen the knurled knobs on both sides of the pressing
roller and raise to the desired position. After tightening the pressing
roller, refer to Section 3.3 to adjust the lower belt to its proper tension
and alignment.

Operation
3-5
Figure 4. Adjustable press roller in the retracted position.

Operation
3-6
Figure 5. Press roller in position for use with thin leaves.

4-1
4Changing
Measurement
Resolution
4.1 Choosing Measurement Resolution
The LI-3100C utilizes the full measurement width at all times, for both
0.1 and 1.0 mm2resolution. The 0.1 mm2resolution may be
preferable , since it provides the best accuracy, particularly with small
or complex shaped objects to 0.5 mm in width.
The 1.0 mm2resolution may be preferable where large samples are
being measured, and the continuous buildup of debris on the belts
causes excessive spurious counts.
4.2 Changing from 1.0 mm2to 0.1 mm2
Resolution
The procedures for the resolution change are outlined in the following
steps with Figures 1 and 6 as references.
●Disconnect the power.
●Remove the rear housing by removing the four retaining screws.
●Move the decimal selector switch to the 0.1 mm2position (labeled
near the switch). This switch is located at the top right corner (as
viewed from the rear of the display circuit board.
●Loosen all four set screws on the outer camera pressure rail.
●Align the red focus mark to the red lens index mark on the inner
camera alignment rail.