USER MANUAL
Solar DataSnap | Sep. 30, 2021 © 2021 Acclima, Inc. https://acclima.com
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Peaks of slopes, south or west facing hillsides, and areas where
reflected light is focused tend to dry out more quickly.
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If monitoring plant conditions, the sensor must be buried among the
roots of the plant of interest. Otherwise, the effects of transpiration
will not be measured.
Physically Installing Acclima Moisture Sensors
The Acclima Soil Moisture sensors report soil moisture as a percentage of
the total volume measured. This means that the measured volume of soil
should be free of foreign objects or variations that may alter the
measurement made by the sensor. Consider the following conditions:
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Avoid placing the sensor near rocks or other similar objects
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Small roots near the sensor are acceptable. Avoid large woody
roots
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Do not create air pockets or voids near the sensor rods during
installation
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Compact the soil firmly around the sensor rods. Attempt to
duplicate the original compaction before the sensor was installed so
that the moisture reading will be representative of the surrounding
soil. (Lighter compaction means more air in the soil which means
lower water content by volume since the water is displaced by air).
Wiring Sensors to the SDI-12 Port
SDI-12 sensors communicate and
draw power from the same wires.
They share the connection to the
Solar DataSnap with all other
sensors connected to the same
Solar DataSnap. This type of a
connection is sometimes called
‘parallel’ or ‘bussed’. Sensors can
be spliced or connected together at
a single common point or as taps
into a longer run of wire. Upon
wiring completion:
Figure 5 – Five SDI-12 Ports
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every sensor red wire has electrical contact with the red
‘Power’
terminal
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every sensor white wire has electrical contact with the white
‘Com’
terminal
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every sensor blue wire has electrical contact with the blue
‘Data’
terminal
Figure 5 – SDI-12 Port
