Geolux LX-80S User Manual

Snow level sensor

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LX-80S

Snow Level Sensor

User Manual

v2.5.5

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Page 2 Geolux snow level sensor can be used in various applications and environments. We have created this User manual in order to assist you with setting up and using the Geolux instrument. Should there be any questions left unanswered, please feel free to contact us directly: Geolux d.o.o.
Page 3: Table Of Contents
Serial RS-232 Interface 6.2. Serial RS-485 Interface 7. Data Protocols 7.1. NMEA Protocol (RS-232) 7.2. Servicing Protocol (RS-232) 7.3. Modbus Protocol (RS-485) 7.3.1. Modbus Input Registers 7.4. SDI-12 Protocol 8. Geolux Instrument Configurator 9. Troubleshooting 10. Appendix A – Mechanical Assembly...
Page 4: Introduction
80S offers superior performance compared to traditional ultrasound devices used for snow depth measurement. Installing and maintaining the LX-80S is easy, and the device can cover a long detection distance of up to 15 meters. The radar technology allows for non-invasive measurement from above the snow, ensuring that the snow’s structure is not disturbed in any way.
Page 5: Electrical Characteristics
LX-80S User Manual Electrical Characteristics The electrical characteristics of the Geolux LX-80S snow level sensor are given in Table 1. Table 1. Electrical Characteristics Parameter Unit Communication interface: RS-232 interface speed 9600 115200 RS-485 interface speed 9600 115200 Radar Sensor Frequency 77.000...
Page 6: Connector Pin-Out
Analog 4 – 20 mA output. Negative connector for 4 – 20 mA output loop. 4 – 20 mA LOOP- 4–20 mA LOOP+ and LOOP- is used on devices with serial numbers starting with LX15-4 (e.g. LX15-401234) LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 7: Serial Rs-232 Interface
GND (grey wire) is needed on pin 5 of the DB-9 connector. Optionally, Geolux can supply a cable with DB-9 connector connected to the cable. This requirement must be specified when placing an order.
Page 8: Analog 4 - 20 Ma Output
Picture 4. If a sensing resistor is used, resistance should be selected from the range of 10 Ω up to 500 Ω, with a recommended value of 100 Ω for the sensing resistor. LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 9 (0 – 10 V or -10 to +10 V), or as analog current input (0 – 20 mA or 4 – 20 mA). This is the wiring diagram from the TM3AM6 user manual: LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 10 Geolux instrument to the TM3AM6 module, according to the following schematic diagram: It is important to note that the 4 – 20 mA wire from the Geolux instrument should be connected to negative (-), not positive (+) terminal of the analog input port.
Page 11: Devices With Serial Numbers Starting With Lx15-4
For hydrological applications, SDI-12 communication interface is a valid option and the instrument is natively able to communicate directly with SDI-12 master devices (dataloggers etc.). LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 12: Installing The Snow Level Sensor
Vibrations of the mounting structure can also affect measurements and should be reduced by any applicable means. Picture 5. shows how the snow level sensor should be installed. Picture 5. Installing the Snow Level Sensor LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 13: Rain And Wind
LX-80S User Manual 4.1. Rain and Wind The internal signal processing filters of the Geolux LX-80S snow level sensor are designed to filter out the effects of fog, wind, rainfall and snowfall on the snow depth measurement. These filters, however, have some limitations. The majority of measurement inaccuracies caused by external environemntal factors can be solved by proper sensor installation.
Page 14: Reflections
After setting the sensor height, the relative measurement will be calculated according to the following formula: RM=SH-D, where: RM= relative measurement, SH=sensor height, D=measured distance from the sensor to the snow. LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 15: Units
4.6. Units Default measurement unit of the LX-80S is millimetres. It is possible to change the measurement unit of the device using any of the aforementioned communication protocols. The following measurement units are supported: millimetres, centimetres, metres, feet and inches. When...
Page 16: Radar Settings
Radar Settings To change the radar settings, connect the snow level sensor to the PC computer, and start the Geolux Instrument Configurator PC application. Through the user interface of the application, the following parameters can be configured. Communication Interfaces Parameters...
Page 17 One or two bits may be used. The default setting on most Modbus RTU devices is one stop bit, but some dataloggers may require that the instrument is configured to use two stop bits. Stop bit STOP BITS DATA LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 18 Standard deviation - This type of filter is similar to the moving average filter. It takes a number of raw measurements (as defined by Filter length parameter), then removes 20% of outliers, and calculates the average of the remaining 80% of values. This filter gives the best results. LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 19 If no peak above this value is detected, the sensor will report distance equal to 0. The threshold is used to filter noise and false readings and it is recommended to keep this value between 0 and 1000. LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 20 Active zone max. - It is strongly recommended to set the Active zone max. value to the maximum possible distance between the snow and the instrument at the specific monitoring site. Typically, this is the distance between the instrument and the ground. LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 21 Staff Gauge Setting the sensor height relative to the measurement is done using staff gauge. The sensor will output relative measurement of the actual snow level based on its height above the ground. LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 22 For the reconfiguration of the device which is set to operate in SDI-12 mode, it’s necessary to power-cycle the device, and then use the Geolux Instrument Configurator application to connect to the device within 1 minute after power-up. If there is no attempt to connect to the device over RS-232 within one minute, the device will automatically go back to sleep mode.
Page 23: Data Interface
LX-80S User Manual Data Interface Geolux LX-80S snow level sensor offers multiple data interfaces, in order to make the integration of the device with existing SCADA/telemetry systems easy. 6.1. Serial RS-232 Interface Serial RS-232 interface is used for direct connection of a single snow level sensor unit with the computer.
Page 24: Data Protocols
LX-80S User Manual Data Protocols Geolux LX-80S snow level sensor supports the following data protocols: • NMEA-like protocol on RS-232 interface that constantly outputs the detected current snow level and averaged snow level, depending on the active settings for data filtering •...
Page 25: Servicing Protocol (Rs-232)
To make instrument configuration easy, Geolux provides the Geolux Instrument Configurator utility application. Regular users do not need to be concerned about the servicing protocol used between the Geolux Instrument Configurator and the snow level sensor device. Geolux Instrument Configurator is described in the chapter 8 of this user manual.
Page 26 When a remote master transmits the request message, it will use the device ID as a device address. All instruments will receive the request, but only the instrument with matching device ID will answer to the received request. #set_modbus_id=<1-247> LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 27 700 mm to 5000 mm, it is recommended to configure the maximum value to slightly above 5000 mm (for example 6000 mm). Alternatively, if the resolution is not critical, then maximum value for 4 – 20 mA output can be left to the instrument maximum. #set_analog_max=<value> LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 28 If no peak above this value is detected, the sensor will report distance equal to 0. The threshold is used to filter noise and false readings and it is recommended to keep this value in between 0 and 1000. #set_amplitude_threshold=<value> LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 29 It is strongly recommended to set the Active zone max. value to the maximum possible distance between the snow and the instrument at the specific monitoring site. Typically, this is the distance between the instrument and the ground. #set_deadzone_max=<value> LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 30 Under normal conditions, it is not required to force continuous calibration but if the radar measurements are not accurate turning on continuous calibration will improve the radar accuracy. When continuous calibration is turned on, the radar power consumption will increase for approximately 20%. #force_calibration=0 (Turned off) #force_calibration=1 (Turned on) LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 31 # spectrum_amplitude_threshold:0 # peak_detector:0 # RX_gain:216 # unit_type:0 # wave_analysis_lenght:300 # iwr_status:1 # bandwidth:0 # nmea_protocol_flags:2 # force_calibration:1 # level_range:15000.0 # measurement_frequency:1.0 # level_offset:0.0 # deadzone_min:200.0 # deadzone_max:15000.0 # analog_output_min:0.0 # analog_output_max:15000.0 # IR_constant:500.0 # sensor_height:-0.000 LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 32: Modbus Protocol (Rs-485)
Modbus. Modbus is a request-response protocol where a master (such as datalogger) sends out requests, and slave devices (such as LX-80S sensor) respond. The request and response format, with examples is given in Tables 4-7.
Page 33 1 → no parity, 2 stop bits 2 → odd parity, 1 stop bit 3 → odd parity, 2 stop bits 4 → even parity, 1 stop bit 5 → even parity, 2 stop bits default → even parity, 1 stop bit LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 34 2 → Moving average filter postprocessing 3 → Median filter 4 → Standard deviation filter 0x001D 2 bytes 0 → mm Snow depth unit 1 → cm 2 → m 3 → ft 4 → in LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 35 0x002D 2 bytes 0 → All sentences are sent NMEA protocol flags 2 → $ANG is not sent 0x002E 2 bytes 0 → Turned off Force continuous calibration 1 → Turned on LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 36 0 – device range 4-20 mA maximum value in default → device range selected unit 0x0011 2 bytes 0 – device range Level measurement offset 0x0012 2 bytes 0 – 1 IR filter constant value 1000 const LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 37 2 bytes 0x0FAC Factory reset 0x002D 2 bytes 0 → All sentences are sent NMEA protocol flags 2 → $ANG is not sent 0x002E 2 bytes 0 → Turned off Force continuous calibration 1 → Turned on LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 38: Modbus Input Registers
32-bit integer Distance to snow 0x0084 - 0x008B 2 bytes Reserved - always 0 0x008C, 0x008D 2 bytes, 2 bytes 32-bit integer Tilt angle, x-axis 0x008E, 0x008F 2 bytes, 2 bytes 32-bit integer Tilt angle, y-axis LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 39 0x0090 - 0x0091 2 bytes Reserved - always 0 0x0092, 0x0093 2 bytes, 2 bytes 32-bit integer 0x04 0x0094 - 0x0099 2 bytes Reserved - always 0 0x009A, 0x009B 2 bytes, 2 bytes 32-bit integer Internal temperature LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 40: Sdi-12 Protocol
Send identification a13GEOLUX LX-80S a – address fffssssss<CR><LF> SDI-12 version – 1.3 vendor identification – GEOLUX sensor model – LX-80S sensor version – fff, where fff is firmware version ssssss - device serial number Start verification a00001<CR><LF> One value is ready imminently...
Page 41 +f – active zone maximum active zone value value, sensor will not report measurement higher than this Set maximum aXGDZ1+f! a+f<CR><LF> +f – active zone maximum active zone value value, sensor will not report measurement higher than this LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 42 1 - report the last peak which corresponds to the furthest reflection from the radar; this may include multipath reflections in typical cases and should be avoided LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 43 Geolux Instrument Configurator PC application. If the connection is established within this 60-second period, the instrument will remain in the active state as long as the PC application is connected to the instrument. LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 44 0 – turned off 1 – turned on Device supports all other commands required by SDI-12 v1.3 and will respond to them but all relevant data can be acquired using the commands from the table above. LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 45: Geolux Instrument Configurator
When started, the Geolux Instrument Configurator displays its main window. Initially, no level data is displayed, as the connection to the instrument is not established. Picture 6. shows the Geolux Instrument Configurator main window on start-up. Picture 6. Geolux Instrument Configurator Main Window To connect the Geolux Instrument Configurator with the instrument, connect your PC to the radar using a serial cable connection.
Page 46 LX-80S User Manual Picture 7. Geolux Instrument Configurator – Data View Clicking the Settings button enables the user to configure the instrument or upgrade the device to a newer firmware version. Instrument settings are sorted into 3 groups: Interfaces, Processing and Measurement, as shown in Picture 8.
Page 47 Picture 8. Geolux Instrument Configurator – Settings View Geolux Instrument Configurator also enables echo curve acquisition. Navigating to the Echo Curve tab and clicking the Load echo curve button loads the current echo curve, as shown in Picture 9. The echo curve plot shows the current echo curve in yellow, as well as the background echo curve in blue.
Page 48 Clear button clears the previously acquired data. The Raw Data View tab includes a command line at the bottom so the user can mannualy send commands to the device. Picture 10. Geolux Instrument Configurator - Raw Data View LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 49: Troubleshooting
COM port number is assigned to the COM port that is being used to establish a connection with the instrument, try setting up the connection with each COM port available in the system, until the connection is established. LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 50 RS-232 line. If the connection is established within 60 seconds after power-up, and as long as the Geolux Instrument Configurator application is connected to the sensor, it will remain in operating mode. To change between regular operating mode (Continuous scanning) and SDI-12 mode (SDI-12 automatic sleep), change the Power management parameter in the Settings tab.
Page 51 ID, a bus conflict will happen and prohibit the master to correctly communicate with the slave devices. To resolve this problem, change the instrument’s slave device ID to a unique number through the Geolux Instrument Configurator PC application.
Page 52 RS-232 and RS-485 (Modbus) connections. To change the instrument’s operating mode from SDI-12 mode to normal mode, first you need to connect the Geolux Instrument Configurator to the device. To establish a RS-232 connection with the device which operates in SDI-12 mode, power off the device and then power it back on.
Page 53 ID, a bus conflict will happen and prohibit the master to correctly communicate with the slave devices. To resolve this problem, change the instrument’s SDI-12 device ID to a unique value through the Geolux Instrument Configurator PC application.
Page 54 (magenta) wire. 4. Check the instrument configuration parameters related to 4-20 mA output Connect the instrument over RS-232 connection to the Geolux Instrument Configurator application. Check the parameters related to 4-20 mA: 4-20 mA min. and 4-20 mA max. Properly configure these parameters.
Page 55 Geolux Instrument Configurator application. After that, “Erasing flash”, or power the instrument back on, re-establish the RS-232 connection to the Geolux there is no reading instrument Configurator PC application, and perform the firmware upgrade after performing procedure again.
Page 56: Appendix A - Mechanical Assembly
Product assembly drawing FINAL Title DWG No. Title DWG No. Geolux LX80 Level Metar Geolux LX80 Level Metar GLX2018118-M001 GLX2018118-M001 Anodized AL6061 Anodized AL6061 Rev. Date of issue Sheet Rev. Date of issue Sheet RevC 08/2021 RevC 08/2021 LX-80S Snow Level Sensor...
Page 57 2023.