LI-COR TriSonica LI-560 User manual

Using the LI-560
TriSonica™ Sphere Ultrasonic Anemometer
LI-COR Biosciences
4647 Superior Street
Lincoln, Nebraska 68504
Phone: [phone]
Toll free: 800-447-3576 (U.S. and Canada)
[email protected]
Regional Offices
LI-COR Biosciences GmbH
Siemensstraße 25A
61352 Bad Homburg
Germany
Phone: [phone]
[email protected]
LI-COR Biosciences UK Ltd.
St. John’s Innovation Centre
Cowley Road
Cambridge
CB4 0WS
United Kingdom
Phone: [phone]
[email protected]
LI-COR Distributor Network:
www.licor.com/envdistributors

Notice
The information 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 held liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in con-
nection 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.
The LI-550 and LI-560 sensors are protected by U.S. Patent Nunbers 10,551,406, 11,268,974 and 11,543,427. The user may
not copy or reverse engineer any physical, software, algorithm, or other component of the TriSonica™ device.
Windows® is a trademark of Microsoft, Inc. TriSonica is a trademark of LI-COR, Inc.
Printing History
© Copyright 2023, LI-COR, Inc. All rights reserved.
Publication Number: 984-20375
Created on Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Notes on Safety
This LI-COR product has been designed to be safe when operated in the manner described in this manual. The safety of
this product cannot be assured if the product is used in any other way than is specified in this manual. The product is
intended 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 that a direct current (DC) power supply is
required.
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.
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CE Marking:
This product is a CE-marked product. For conformity information, contact LI-COR Support at [email protected]. Out-
side of the U.S., contact your local sales office or distributor.
California Proposition 65 Warning
WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
Federal Communications Commission Radio Interference Statement
WARNING: This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed in accordance
with the instruction manual, may cause interference to radio communications. It has been tested and found to comply
with the limits for a Class A computing device pursuant to Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC rules, which are designed to
provide a reasonable protection against such interference when operated in a commercial environment. Operation of this
equipment in a residential area is likely to cause interference in which case the user, at his own expense, will be required to
take whatever measures may be required to correct the interference.
Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) Notice
This symbol indicates that the product is to be collected separately from unsorted municipal waste. The fol-
lowing applies to users in European countries: This product is designated for separate collection at an appro-
priate collection point. Do not dispose of as household waste. For more information, contact your local
distributor or the local authorities in charge of waste management.

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Contents
Section 1. Welcome to the LI-560
Accessories 1-2
USB interface adapter 1-2
LI-570 Data Logger 1-2
Mounting adapter 1-2
Data and power cables 1-3
Software 1-3
TriSonica™ ultrasonic anemometer comparison 1-3
Section 2. Mounting the LI-560 anemometer
Orientation 2-1
Mounting the LI-560 2-1
Pipe mount 2-2
560M mounting adapter 2-3
Tilt and level considerations 2-3
Environmental considerations 2-3
Interference considerations 2-4
Other sonic anemometers 2-4
Compact fluorescent lamps 2-4
Wind tunnels and ultrasonic frequency 2-4
Section 3. Connecting the power and data cable
Power and data wire assignments 3-1
Connecting the LI-560 to the USB interface adapter 3-3
Section 4. Connecting to the anemometer
Serial communication settings 4-1
Connecting with the TriSonica™ application 4-1
Connecting with a terminal emulator 4-3
Connecting to the LI-570 Data Logger 4-4
Configuration options 4-4
TriSonica™ Application 4-4
Menu interface 4-4

Command-line interface 4-4
Serial data format 4-5
Parameters 4-5
Custom tags 4-6
Custom delimiters 4-6
Error codes 4-6
Section 5. Configuring with the menu interface
Main menu 5-1
Serial setup 5-2
Data output setup 5-2
Instrument setup 5-2
Calibration 5-3
Diagnostic 5-3
Instrument reset 5-3
Enter command line 5-3
Exit without storing changes 5-3
Exit 5-4
Section 6. Configuring with the command-line interface
Applying configuration changes 6-1
Restoring default settings 6-1
Basic mode commands 6-2
Expert mode commands 6-8
Application programming interface 6-11
Section 7. Troubleshooting
The sensor seems unresponsive 7-1
Connection issues, no serial data, or the connection fails 7-3
Unexpected readings or errors 7-5
Section 8. Calibration and maintenance
User calibration 8-1
Anemometer calibration 8-1
Level calibration 8-2
Recovering from a bad calibration 8-2
Firmware updates 8-2
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Updating firmware 8-2
Updating the bootloader 8-3
Cleaning the sensor 8-3
Section 9. Specifications
Appendix A. Lists of tables and figures
Tables A-1
Figures A-1
Standard Terms and Conditions
Index

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Section 1.
Welcome to the LI-560
Welcome, and thank you for your purchase of the LI-560 TriSonica™ Sphere
Ultrasonic Anemometer. The LI-560 measures 3-dimensional wind speed and dir-
ection, air temperature. It also features an accelerometer that measures tilt.
Figure 1-1. The LI-560 TriSonica™ Sphere
Ultrasonic Anemometer
The spherical design provides balance and
a full third dimension wind measurement.
The LI-560 is made of solid aluminum
and weighs 225 grams. The insets of the
transducer nubs are filled with ultraviolet
resistant silicone rubber.
This instruction manual provides basic
operating information for the sensor.
Mounted on a hollow ½” DN15 Schedule
10 pipe or 22-mm carbon fiber tube, the
LI-560 is ideal for deployment on sta-
tionary or mobile outdoor platforms, but
should be protected from sustained heavy
rainfall and high condensing humidity.
A mounting adapter is available to mount
the LI-560 to a camera tripod or custom
platform with ¼-20 threads.
1-1Using the LI-560 TriSonica™ Sphere Ultrasonic Anemometer

Section 1. Welcome to the LI-560
Accessories
A variety of accessories are available for the LI-560.
USB interface adapter
Part number
550USB
USB interface adapter for the TriSonica™ sensors. Used for configuration and view-
ing data on a computer. Not for outdoor use.
LI-570 Data Logger
Part number
LI-570
The LI-570 Data Logger powers and logs data from up to four LI-550s, up to three
LI-560s, or a combination of up to two LI-550s and two LI-560s. It features two 6-pin
connectors to connect to 3rd party equipment (radio or GPS receiver), and one 3-pin
connector for power.
Mounting adapter
Part number
560M
The mounting adapter is to mount the LI-560 to a camera tripod or other platform
that uses ¼-20 threads.
1-2 Using the LI-560 TriSonica™ Sphere Ultrasonic Anemometer

Data and power cables
Several cables are available for power and to transfer data from the device (see Table
1-1 below).
Part
Number Description
571D-10 10-meter data and power cable with connectors at each end. Connects a
TriSonica™ sensor to the LI-570 Data Logger.
571D-1 1.25-meter data and power cable with connectors at each end. Connects a
TriSonica™ sensor to the LI-570 Data Logger.
571S-1 1.25-meter data and power cable with connector at one end and blunt cut
at the other.
571D-C Two connector assemblies for a customer-built cable connecting a
TriSonica™ sensor and the LI-570 Data Logger. 25-meter maximum length.
Table 1-1. Cables available for the LI-550 and LI-560 TriSonica™ anemometers.
Software
A simple Windows®-compatible user-interface application is available for download
from licor.com/env/support/LI-560/software.html.
Note: This application is not suitable for data logging functions.
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. The data stream from
the LI-560 can be received, stored, and interpreted by an appropriate device of your
choice, so long as it is connected to the LI-560 by the proper communication pro-
tocol. The LI-570 is ideal for logging the output from the LI-560.
TriSonica™ ultrasonic anemometer comparison
The LI-550F and LI-550P TriSonica™ Mini and the LI-560 TriSonica™ Sphere share
many features, as shown in the table below.
Section 1. Welcome to the LI-560
1-3Data and power cables

Section 1. Welcome to the LI-560
Instrument Mount Connection Protocols Outputs Measurements
LI-550F
TriSonica™
Mini
Flat
Base
4 Wires EIA232 ASCII
String
Wind Direction,
Wind Velocity,
Air Temperature,
Air Pressure,
Humidity, Tilt,
Orientation
LI-550P
TriSonica™
Mini
Pipe
Mount
12-wire
Connector
EIA232,
EIA422,
EIA485,
LVTTL-UART
ASCII
String
Wind Direction,
Wind Velocity,
Air Temperature,
Air Pressure,
Humidity, Tilt,
Orientation
LI-560
TriSonica™
Sphere
Pipe
Mount
12-wire
Connector
EIA232,
EIA422,
EIA485,
LVTTL-UART
ASCII
String
Wind Direction,
Wind Velocity,
Air Temperature,
Tilt
Table 1-2. TriSonica™ family comparison guide.
If you have an old TriSonica™ model, or an Anemoment sensor that is not
described here, documentation for your product is available at licor.-
com/env/support/Anemometers/docs.html.
Did you spot a bug, a spelling error, or something that just doesn't make sense to
you? We'd love to hear about it. Please send feedback to [email protected] with
a detailed explanation of your concern. Screen shots and photos can be extremely
helpful!
1-4 Using the LI-560 TriSonica™ Sphere Ultrasonic Anemometer

Section 2.
Mounting the LI-560 anemometer
This section describes how to install the LI-560 and covers considerations for deploy-
ment.
Orientation
The LI-560 has a north indicator Non the cap at the top of the mounting post.
Airflow passing directly into the Nwill return zero degrees for the wind direction,
regardless of the actual orientation of the LI-560. Adjustment of wind direction for
orientations other than pointing to true North can be done in post processing of
data.
Figure 2-1. The North indicator
Mounting the LI-560
The LI-560 can be mounted to a user-supplied pipe, a custom platform, or a tripod
with the 560M adapter.
2-1Using the LI-560 TriSonica™ Sphere Ultrasonic Anemometer

Section 2. Mounting the LI-560 anemometer
Pipe mount
The LI-560 has a circular connector to mount over a standard ½” DN15 Schedule 10
pipe or 22 mm OD/20 mm ID 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 LI-560 on the pipe, route the cable through the pipe. Then con-
nect the cable connector to the base connector. Place the LI-560 over the pipe and
tighten the three set screws to secure. Do not overtighten the set screws.
Figure 2-2. The LI-560 TriSonica™ Sphere. Set screws are tightened with a 5/64 inch hex
key.
2-2 Using the LI-560 TriSonica™ Sphere Ultrasonic Anemometer

560M mounting adapter
The 560M is an optional mounting adapter for attaching the LI-560 to a custom plat-
form. It features a brass ¼-20 threaded insert that is compatible with most camera tri-
pods.
Figure 2-3. 560M mounting adapter dimensions.
Tilt and level considerations
If you intend to use data from the accelerometer, either with a single anemometer or
to compare with other anemometers, it should be calibrated in the environment in
which it will be deployed.
The accelerometer in the LI-560 measures offsets from level. Because the mounting
of the LI-560 affects the tilt, offsets are not set during manufacturing. Persistent off-
sets in the data could indicate that the calibration needs to be adjusted. Calibration
can be initiated in the menu interface (see Calibration on page5-3) or command-line
interface (see levelcalibrate on page6-4). See Level calibration on page8-2 for more
details. The raw accelerometer outputs are also available.
Environmental considerations
Be mindful of environmental conditions that may affect the performance of the
sensor. The LI-560 is designed for outdoor use, but some limitations apply.1Protect
1The 550USB adapter is not for outdoor use, and must be protected from dust and wet conditions.
Section 2. Mounting the LI-560 anemometer
2-3560M mounting adapter

Section 2. Mounting the LI-560 anemometer
the instrument from sustained rainfall and persistent high humidity (condensing
conditions). If the device will sit outdoors unused for long periods, you can cover it
to reduce the accumulation of dust, pollen, and other contaminants.
Ice and Snow
The LI-560 has no on-board heaters. The LI-560 is designed for outdoor use, how-
ever, if ice or snow accumulate on the transducers or within the LI-560, the acoustic
pathways between transducers can be blocked. The LI-560 may not be the best
choice for sustained use in wintery weather.
Not submersible
The LI-560 is not submersible in water.
Interference considerations
Be aware of these potential sources of interference as you plan your project and inter-
pret data.
Other sonic anemometers
If using more than one anemometer, maintain at least one meter separation distance
between the two devices to prevent ultrasonic interference. Two TriSonica™ anem-
ometers that are close to each other may appear to work fine, but over time, the two
clocks will come into phase with each other, leading to spikes in the measurements.
Avoid the situation by maintaining at least one meter of separation.
Compact fluorescent lamps
Some compact florescent lamps (CFL) make ultrasonic noise that can interfere with
the operation of a LI-560. Erroneous readings may result if the LI-560 is operated
near compact florescent lamps. Turn off the CFL or move the sensor away from the
CFL to reduce interference.
Wind tunnels and 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 meas-
urements can be disturbed by external noise sources in or near the same frequency
2-4 Using the LI-560 TriSonica™ Sphere Ultrasonic Anemometer

band used by the ultrasonic anemometer’s transducers. The LI-560 operates in the 60
KHz ultrasonic frequency range.
We have found that some wind tunnels generate ultrasonic noise that can cause erro-
neous 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 envir-
onment.
Section 2. Mounting the LI-560 anemometer
2-5Wind tunnels and ultrasonic frequency

Section 2. Mounting the LI-560 anemometer
2-6 Using the LI-560 TriSonica™ Sphere Ultrasonic Anemometer

Section 3.
Connecting the power and data cable
The LI-560 features a 12-pin socket connector as shown in Figure 3-1 on the next
page.
Important: Do not twist the cable during installation or removal. Doing so will
damage the connector pins. To remove the cable, grasp the collar and pull it away
from the anemometer.
Pre-made cables with connectors may be purchased from LI-COR in 1.25 and 10
meter lengths. Customized cables up to 25 meters in length can be made with the
571D-C custom cable kit. Because this detachable cord carries both data and power,
replacement cords or user-built cords must comply with the wiring and insulation
specifications set out in the EIA Standard appropriate for the selected com-
munication protocol.
Power and data wire assignments
Figure 3-1 on the next page shows the socket assignments for the signal connections
and positions within the connector in reference to looking at the bottom of the
LI-560. The cable internal wire colors and pin description are given in Table 3-1 on
the next page.
3-1Using the LI-560 TriSonica™ Sphere Ultrasonic Anemometer

Section 3. Connecting the power and data cable
Figure 3-1. 12-pin socket connector and assignments for the LI-560.
Caution: The Power In wire is the only one that can handle voltages exceeding
five volts. Applying excess voltage to other wires can damage the LI-560. Such
damage is not covered by the warranty.
Pin # Wire
Color
Signal
Name Description
1 Brown VIN Voltage Input of 5V to 32V
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 White 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.
Table 3-1. LI-560 socket descriptions and wire colors.
3-2 Using the LI-560 TriSonica™ Sphere Ultrasonic Anemometer