seeed studio RG-9 User manual

Rain Gauge Model RG- 9
Installation and Mounting
1. Set DIP switches .
2. Mount the Rain Gauge
Mount the rain Gauge where it gets a clear measurement of
precipitation– away from overhangs, etc. The mounting arm
is designed to fit over a strap 0.75” (19 mm) wide. Two holes
0.25” (6.35 mm) are placed 0.75” (19 mm) apart. The gland
style connector goes in the bottom hole. Be sure to use wire
rated for outdoor (high-UV) use. For conduit applications, the
mounting arm may be removed, and the wiring hole drilled
out using a step drill to accommodate a ½” EMT
compression connector or similar style of conduit connector.
3. Assemble the Rain Gauge as shown above. The silicone O-
ring fits nicely in the lens groove, but it can fall or slip out
during assembly. After the unit is assembled, visually verify
that the O-ring is properly seated all the way around.
Specifications
Parameter
Value
Input Voltage
Range 5-16 VDC on J1
Reverse polarity protected to 50V
Alternative
3.3V though pin 8 on J2. Note if this
isn’t a stable supply it could induce
false indications or affect accuracy.
An overvoltage to this pin will
destroy the device.
Current Drain
110 μA nominal. (No outputs on, dry
not raining)
2 - 4 mA when raining
Output
NPN Open Collector Output
100 mA / 80V Max
Operating
Temperature
range
-40°C to +60°C
Rain Gauge Model RG-9 Instructions
LED
The LED in the center of the circuit board turns on at
power up and when OUT is on, as an aid to debugging.
On power up:
3 Flashes = > Normal Power Up
4 Flashes = > Lens is not very transmissive, but can still
run at a reduced accuracy
5 Flashes => The Lens is not able to get sufficient light through for
reasonable readings, it will still try to run but at a significantly reduced
accuracy. This will also print a LensBad message to the Serial
interface.
J1 Connector
OUT - Open Collector Output, Pulled to ground during
rain event V+ - Input Voltage, 5 - 16 VDC
GND - Ground
J2 Connector
J2 is a pin-field on 0.1” centers, used for Serial
communication, and optionally powering the RG-9.
Connector field is 0.025” square pins on 0.1” centers. An
example compatible connector is Molex part number 22-
01-3067. This is available from Digi-Key as part number
WM2004-ND. The necessary crimp-on wire terminals are
Molex 08-55-0131 / DigiKey WM4591-ND.
J2 Pin assignments
1 - GND, Same as J1 GND
2 - V+ 5- 16V, Same as J1 V+
3 - OUT, Same as J1 OUT
4 - Serial OUT
5 - Serial IN
6 -
7 - MCLR
8 - V+ 3.3V
DIP Switches
1 = On, 0 = Off
Switch
Behavior
1
2
3
4
0
0
Sensitivity 1 (Rain Drops)
0
1
Sensitivity 2 (Very Light)
1
0
Sensitivity 4 (Medium)
1
1
Sensitivity 6 (Heavy)
0
0
Monostable Extend - None
0
1
Monostable Extend - 5 min
1
0
Monostable Extend - 10 min
1
1
Monostable Extend - 15 min

Sensitivity
This is a qualitative value relative to other intensities.
Monostable Extend
This extends the Open Collector output to hold for X mins after
the intensity has ended.
Accuracy
We do not claim an accuracy spec for the RG- 9.
Maintenance
Th i s i s designed to be a low maintenance rain gauge.
Af t e r s e v e r a l y e a rs (typically 7-10) the lens will n e e d
to b e replaced.
RS232 Communication
Th e R G - 9 supports communication through 3 . 3 V TTL
Se r i a l ( R S 232).
All lines are terminated with a carriage return followed by
a new line, this is used for all output. But only the new
line is required for commands. The command is processed
following the new line.
Cmd (case
insensitive
)
Description, example response
R
Read available data.
Responses:
“R 0”
“R 1”
“R 0 TooCold”
TooCold = appended to message if it is
too cold to reliably sense, this will also
set the R value to 0.
K
(Kill) Restarts the device, this will output
the header, readjust the emitters and
read the DIP switches again.
B <baud
Code>
Set the baud rate, if
none is specified
responds with the
current baud rate.
Response:
“ Baud < baud rate> ”
sent just before it is
changed
Ex: “Baud 9600”
Baud Codes:
0 = 1200
1 = 2400
2 = 4800
3 = 9600 (Default)
4 = 19200
5 = 38400
6 = 57600
P
Set to polling only mode, outputs a
new R message only when requested
by the ‘ R’ command.
Response: “ p”
C
Set to continuous mode, outputs a
new R message when the intensity
changes. Response: “c”
Sensitivity Levels
Sensitivity 0 (None)
Sensitivity 1 (Rain Drops)
Sensitivity 2 (Very Light)
Sensitivity 3 (Medium Light)
Sensitivity 4 (Medium)
Sensitivity 5 (Medium Heavy)
Sensitivity 6 (Heavy)
Sensitivity 7 (Violent)
Rain Gauge Model RG-9 Instructions
The output keywords can be comma delimited such as
“Emitters 9 10, Emtotal 19”, with a space following the
comma.
Output
Keywor
d
Description, example output
Reset
Shows the reason the device was reset.
Possible
variations:
Reset N
Reset M
Reset W
Reset O
Reset U
Reset B
Reset D
N = Normal Power Up
M = MCLR
W = Watchdog Timer
Reset O = Stack
Overflow
U = Stack Underflow
B = Brownout (Low
Voltage/ disconnected)
D = Other
SW
Firmware version & build date
Ex: SW 1.000 2020.06.05
Emitters
Emitter 1 & 2 Levels
Ex: Emitters 9 10
EmTotal
Sum of emitters
Ex: EmTotal 19
DIP
DIP Switch positions 1234
Ex: DIP 1010
PwrDays
How many days the device has been
powered on Ex: PwrDays 13
;
The semicolon is used to indicate that this
line doesn’t include any data, this is not
always followed by a space.
LensBad
The Lens is not able to get sufficient light
through for reasonable readings.
EmSat
Emitter is saturated. Can be useful for
diagnostics.
SAFETY, LIMITS OF RAIN GAUGE LIABILITY,
AND WARRANTY
Only the rain sensor is covered-- absolutely no
consequential damages. If this policy is unacceptable in
your installation, do not use the RG-9.
Apply engineering judgment: Seeed does not claim the
RG-9 is a perfect rain sensor. It is what it is, and senses
what it senses.
CASE and COSMETIC POLICY
Some amount of yellowing or discoloration of the case is
considered normal cosmetic aging of the device, and
sensors so affected will not be replaced under warranty.
Tiny cracks or crazing within the lens is also considered
cosmetic, and units so affected will be replaced only if
they are deemed by S e e e d corporation to be
considered to be of a functional nature.