Campbell Scientific 223-L User Manual

223 Delmhorst Cylindrical

Soil Moisture Block

Revision: 5/13

Copyright © 1991-2013

Campbell Scientific, Inc.

Warranty

“PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED BY CAMPBELL SCIENTIFIC, INC. are
warranted by Campbell Scientific, Inc. (“Campbell”) to be free from defects in
materials and workmanship under normal use and service for twelve (12)
months from date of shipment unless otherwise specified in the corresponding
Campbell pricelist or product manual. Products not manufactured, but that are
re-sold by Campbell, are warranted only to the limits extended by the original
manufacturer. Batteries, fine-wire thermocouples, desiccant, and other
consumables have no warranty. Campbell’s obligation under this warranty is
limited to repairing or replacing (at Campbell’s option) defective products,
which shall be the sole and exclusive remedy under this warranty. The
customer shall assume all costs of removing, reinstalling, and shipping
defective products to Campbell. Campbell will return such products by surface
carrier prepaid within the continental United States of America. To all other
locations, Campbell will return such products best way CIP (Port of Entry)
INCOTERM® 2010, prepaid. This warranty shall not apply to any products
which have been subjected to modification, misuse, neglect, improper service,
accidents of nature, or shipping damage. This warranty is in lieu of all other
warranties, expressed or implied. The warranty for installation services
performed by Campbell such as programming to customer specifications,
electrical connections to products manufactured by Campbell, and product
specific training, is part of Campbell’s product warranty. CAMPBELL
EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS AND EXCLUDES ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Campbell is not liable for any special, indirect,
incidental, and/or consequential damages.”

Assistance

Products may not be returned without prior authorization. The following
contact information is for US and international customers residing in countries
served by Campbell Scientific, Inc. directly. Affiliate companies handle
repairs for customers within their territories. Please visit

www.campbellsci.com to determine which Campbell Scientific company serves

your country.

To obtain a Returned Materials Authorization (RMA), contact CAMPBELL
SCIENTIFIC, INC., phone [phone]. After an applications engineer
determines the nature of the problem, an RMA number will be issued. Please
write this number clearly on the outside of the shipping container. Campbell
Scientific’s shipping address is:

CAMPBELL SCIENTIFIC, INC.
RMA#_____
815 West 1800 North
Logan, Utah 84321-1784

For all returns, the customer must fill out a “Statement of Product Cleanliness
and Decontamination” form and comply with the requirements specified in it.
The form is available from our web site at www.campbellsci.com/repair. A
completed form must be either emailed to [e-mail] or faxed to
[phone]. Campbell Scientific is unable to process any returns until we
receive this form. If the form is not received within three days of product
receipt or is incomplete, the product will be returned to the customer at the
customer’s expense. Campbell Scientific reserves the right to refuse service on
products that were exposed to contaminants that may cause health or safety
concerns for our employees.

Table of Contents

PDF viewers: These page numbers refer to the printed version of this document. Use the
PDF reader bookmarks tab for links to specific sections.

1. Introduction.................................................................1

2. Cautionary Statements............................................... 1

3. Initial Inspection .........................................................1

4. Quickstart .................................................................... 2

4.1 Installation............................................................................................2

4.2 Use SCWin to Program Datalogger and Generate Wiring Diagram ....2

5. Overview......................................................................6

6. Specifications .............................................................7

7. Operation.....................................................................8

7.1 Wiring ..................................................................................................8

7.2 Programming........................................................................................9

7.2.1 Control the Multiplexer.................................................................9

7.2.1.1 CRBasic..............................................................................9

7.2.1.2 Edlog ................................................................................10

7.2.2 Excite and Measure the 223........................................................10

7.2.3 Calculate Sensor Resistance........................................................11

7.2.4 Calculate Soil Water Potential ....................................................11

7.2.5 Example Programs ......................................................................14

7.2.5.1 Example CR1000 Program...............................................14

7.2.5.2 Example CR10(X) Program .............................................16

7.2.5.3 Example 21X Program.....................................................18

Figures

7-1. 223 wiring ............................................................................................8

7-2. Polynomial fit to typical block resistance vs. water potential ............13

7-3. Wiring for CR1000 example..............................................................14

7-4. Wiring for CR10(X) example ............................................................16

7-5. Wiring for example 21X program......................................................18

Tables

7-1. 223 Wiring ...........................................................................................8

7-2. Excitation and Voltage Ranges ..........................................................10

7-3. Typical Soil Water Potential, Rs and Vs / Vx......................................12

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Table of Contents

7-4. Polynomial Coefficients for Converting Sensor Resistance to Bars.. 13

7-5. Polynomial Error – 10 Bar Range ..................................................... 13

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223 Delmhorst Cylindrical
Soil Moisture Block

1. Introduction

The 223 is a gypsum block that determines soil water potential by measuring
electrical resistance. When the 223 is wet, electrical resistance is low. As the
223 dries, resistance increases. This gypsum block connects to a datalogger via
an AM16/32-series, AM32, or AM416 multiplexer.

The 223 gypsum soil moisture block is configured for use with multiplexers.
The –L option on the model 223-L indicates that the cable length is user
specified. This manual refers to the sensor as the 223.

Before using the 223, please study

• Section 2, Cautionary Statements

• Section 3, Initial Inspection

• Section 4, Quickstart

2. Cautionary Statements

• The black outer jacket of the cable is Santoprene

support combustion in air. It is rated as slow burning when tested
according to U.L. 94 H.B. and will pass FMVSS302. Local fire codes
may preclude its use inside buildings.

• Avoid installing in depressions where water will puddle after a rain storm.

• Don’t place the 223 in high spots or near changes in slope unless wanting

to measure the variability created by such differences.

• To maximize longevity, remove the gypsum blocks during the winter.

3. Initial Inspection

• Upon receipt of the 223, inspect the packaging and contents for damage.

File damage claims with the shipping company.

• The model number and cable length are printed on a label at the

connection end of the cable. Check this information against the shipping
documents to ensure the correct product and cable length are received.

®

rubber. This jacket will

1

223 Delmhorst Cylindrical Soil Moisture Block

4. Quickstart

Please review Section 7, Operation, for wiring, CRBasic programming, and
Edlog programming.

4.1 Installation

1. Soak blocks in water for one hour then allow them to dry.

2. Repeat Step 1.

3. Make sensor access holes to the depth required.

4. Soak the blocks for two to three minutes.

5. Mix a slurry of soil and water to a creamy consistency and place one or

two tablespoons into the sensor access hole.

6. Place the blocks in the hole and force the slurry to envelope it. This will

insure uniform soil contact.

7. Back fill the hole, tamping lightly at frequent intervals.

4.2 Use SCWin to Program Datalogger and Generate Wiring Diagram

The simplest method for programming the datalogger to measure the 223 is to
use Campbell Scientific’s SCWin Short Cut Program Generator.

1. Open Short Cut and click on New Program.

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223 Delmhorst Cylindrical Soil Moisture Block

2. Select the Datalogger Model and enter the Scan Interval, and then select
Next.

NOTE

A scan rate of 30 seconds or longer is recommended when using
a multiplexer.

3. Under Devices, select AM16/32, and select the right arrow (in center of
screen) to add it to the list.

3