5. Overview
The WindSonic4 is manufactured by Gill Instruments, Ltd. It is an ultrasonic anemometer for
measuring wind direction and wind speed. Two pairs of orthogonally oriented transducers sense
horizontal wind. The transducers bounce the ultrasonic signal from a hood, minimizing the
effects of transducer shadowing and flow distortion.
The WindSonic4 outputs data using the SDI-12 interface, which is compatible with all
contemporary data loggers as well as the CR200(X)-series and CR5000. SDI-12 is a three-wire
digital interface standard used by processor-based sensors and digital recording devices.
The WindSonic4 includes a user-specified cable to interface to a Campbell Scientific data logger.
A serial cable (WINDSONICRCBL-L) is available for interfacing a WindSonic4 to a computer
running the manufacturer’s computer support software. The cable and software are used during
troubleshooting. A copy of this computer support software is available at
www.gill.co.uk/main/software.html
. WindView is used for WindSonic4s with serial numbers of
0810001 or greater, and WindCom is used for WindSonic4s with serial numbers that are less than
0810001.
Features:
l
Low maintenance—no moving parts significantly reduces maintenance cost and time
l
Minimum detectable wind speed of 0.01 meters per second
l
Compatible with Campbell Scientific CRBasic data loggers: CR6, CR3000, CR1000X, CR800
series, CR300 series, CR1000, CR200(X) series, and CR5000
6. Specifications
Output signal:
SDI-12 version 1.3; address factory set to 0
Output variables:
wind direction, wind speed, and diagnostic or u
x
, u
y
, and
diagnostic
Measurement frequency:
40 Hz block averaged to a programmable output frequency,
factory set to 1 Hz
Current drain:
<12 mA @ 12 V
Operating temperature:
–35 to 70 °C
WindSonic4 Two-Dimensional Sonic Anemometer
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