Texas Instruments WRL-10 User Manual
WRL
Weather Report Logger
The WRL senses wind, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, rainfall and time, then
outputs this data via a RS-232 interface to other devices. The WRL can be programmed
to output current weather, along with minimum and maximum conditions for the day. The
WRL keeps track of two different minimum and maximum values and up to 8000 lines of
data (depending on memory size) in its non-volatile memory clock. The WRL-10 has 2K of
memory and will retain approximately 30 lines of data. The WRL-32 has 32K of memory
and will retain approxomately 2000 lines of data. The WRL-128 has 128K of memory and
retains about 8000 lines of data. All functions of the WRL can be controlled through its RS232 interface.
Included with the standard WRL system is a wind direction and speed sensor, a pagoda
mounted temperature/humidity sensor, a rain collector and a pressure sensor installed in
the display console. Options include solar radiation, lightning and leaf wettness sensors.
Normal Operation
When in normal operation (no buttons depressed) the instrument displays current wind
direction and speed, cycles current time and date, cycles current indoor, outdoor
temperature. In addition, if selected, the optional solar radiation or aux temperature is
displayed when both the indoor and outdoor indicator lights are extinguished. The unit also
cycles current barometric pressure, current relative humidity, and cycles daily, monthly and
term cumulative rainfall. By utilizing the hold buttons associated with each display, the user
may select the most important readings to the user. During wind speeds in excess of 99
miles per hour a small light turns on between the digits of the wind speed display.
Trend indicators (arrows) are located to the right of the temperature, relative humidity, and
barometric pressure displays. If, for example, the current relative humidity is increasing
then the up trend arrow appears on. If there is no change in humidity, then the arrow would
not appear.
Installation
The standard WRL uses three sensors to gather weather data. The wind direction and
speed sensor, the temperature and humidity pagoda and the rain collector (see figure 1).
All are designed to mount to a television type mast (not provided). The cables from the
sensors go into a junction box, where they connect via RJ45’s to two multi-wire cables
(intermediates) that are routed into the building and attached to the console. All cables are
color-coded. The yellow wind sensor cable plugs into the yellow RJ45 connector in the
junction box. The yellow intermediate (wind) also plugs into a yellow RJ45 connector in the
junction box. Plug the temperature/humidity pagoda and the rain collector (both colored
blue) and the blue intermediate into the blue RJ45 connectors in the junction box. You may
place any blue cable into any blue RJ45 connector, the order does not matter.
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There is lightning protection (transient voltage suppressers) built into the junction box. It
is very important that the mast is grounded or else the transient voltage suppressers will
not protect your instrument. The junction box picks up earth ground through the hose
clamps mounting the box. We suggest that you install a copper-grounding rod
(available at Radio Shack) and run the heavy gauge wire directly behind the hose
clamps of the junction box. This arrangement will ground your mast and your junction
box.
C A U T I O N !! :BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL NOT TO TOUCH ANY HIGH POWER
LINES DURING INSTALLATION OF THE VARIOUS SENSORS!!!
The wind direction and speed sensor is normally mounted on television type antenna masts
(see Figure 1). For best results the wind sensor should be mounted twenty feet above the
roof of the building. Higher installation yelds more accurate readings. There is one yellow
cable that must be strung from the wind sensor to the console via the junction box. The
wind direction sensor is calibrated at the factory and should be installed with the wind
sensor arm pointed to the North. The wind sensor can be mounted in any direction and
recalibrated via the WRL console, but it is more convenient to use the precalibrated North
reference. If calibration is necessary after the unit is already mounted, pick a calm day or
immobilize the wind vane by hand and use calibraton mode to make these changes. The
outside temperature/humidity pagoda should be mounted about two feet under the wind
sensor. Again, we suggest a twenty-foot mast for commercial installations to overcome the
artificially high readings generated by a hot roof. Plug the temperature/humidity pagoda
cable into the blue RJ45 connector in the junction box .
The rain collector is normally mounted on the mast. It should be mounted as low as
possible both to reduce windage and to limit movement of the mast, which can cause false
readings. The collector should be mounted in a manner that allows rain to enter the
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collector unencumbered by surrounding obstacles. Use a bubble level to make sure that
the collector is perfectly level with the ground. Failure to level the collector will cause
inaccurate rainfall readings. The rain collector has one blue cable, which must be
connected to the console via the junction box .
Mount the junction box under the rain collector using the hose clamps that are installed on
the box (see figure 1)and remove the front cover of the junction box. Next insert the
connectors from the sensors and the cables from the console through the hole in the bottom
of the junction box and then out the front of the box. Plug all the yellow connectors into the
yellow RJ45 connectors and all the blue connectors into the blue RJ-45 connectors and
then pull the excess cable out of the junction box (j-box). Be sure and replace the rubber
gasket on the junction box so that it can remain watertight.
Plug the yellow intermediate cable (wind) into the yellow pigtail exiting the back of the
console. Do the same for the blue cable (temp/humidity & rain). Next, plug in the serial
cable into the connector in the rear of the console and the proper serial port of your
computer. If you are supplying your own serial cable, be sure that either you have a null
modem adapter attached to the cable or that the cable is a null modem cable. The cable
supplied with the WRL will have four connectors or will be marked with a green
color on one of the cable connectors. Plug the wall transformer into a 120V wall socket
to power up the unit.
The optional solar sensor must be pointed to the South and must be free of shadows
created by the other sensors (Near the top of the mast is normally the best). Take
care that the sensor is perfectly level. The solar sensor has one red cable. Run the
red solar sensor cable to the junction box and plug it in to the red connector in the jbox. Run the red intermediate cable to the console and plug it into the j-box.
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OPERATION
Average
Date/Time
Temperature
Barometer/Humidity
Rainfall
Select Clear Min Max
Report
Hold
Windchill
Hold
Comfort
Hold
Last
Hold
Scale
Weather Report
FUNCTION KEYS
Select
The select key, when depressed at exactly the same time as the report key, puts the unit
into time/date and lunar/tide cycle set mode. When the select and scale keys are
depressed at exactly the same time, the unit enters the calibration set mode. When the
select and average keys are pressed at the same time, the unit enters the printer set
mode. When select and last are depressed at exactly the same time the instrument enters
rainfall history set. When select and time hold are pressed at exactly the same time the
instrument enters logging mode. When the select key is held for 10 seconds, the unit will
enter or exit protect mode. Once the instrument is in its respective mode, the select key is
used to step through the different functions. If the unit is in protect mode, all of these
functions are disabled
Clear
The clear key, when depressed, causes the unit to display the date and time of the last
memory clear. Pressing clear and minimum at the same time clears the unit's memory.
Pressing clear and maximum at the same time also clears the unit's memory. Pressing
clear and last rain clears the term rainfall.
Minimum
The minimum key, when repeatedly depressed, steps through wind-speed/winddirection, temperature, barometric pressure, humidity and rainfall rate, displaying the
minimum reading of each of these functions since the last time the unit memory was
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cleared. In addition to the minimum reading, the unit displays the date and time of its
occurrence. The date and time display must not be on hold in order to display both date and
time.
Maximum
The maximum key functions the same as the minimum key, but with maximum readings.
Scale
The scale key changes the displays from reading in English values to those of Metric
values. The inch light near the rain display is on when the instrument is in English mode.
The English to Metric equivalents are miles per hour or Knots to Kilometers per hour,
Fahrenheit to Celsius, Inches of Mercury to Millibars, Inches of rain to Centimeters of rain.
Pressing the select and scale key at the same time puts the unit into calibration mode. If the
unit is in protect mode, this function is disabled.
Report
Pressing the report key sends current data to the serial port. The report key, when
depressed at the same time as the select key, puts the unit into its time setting function.
Pressing the report key while in logging mode will send all data in memory from the
currently displayed record forward to the RS-232 port.
Hold
The hold key when depressed (toggled on) stops the cycling between two different
parameters on the same display.
Windchill
The Windchill key, when depressed, calculates and displays, using wind speed and
temperature, a factor that represents how cold the temperature and wind feel to bare flesh.
Pressing the windchill and the comfort key at the same time will display the dew point.
Comfort
The comfort key, when depressed, calculates and displays, using humidity and
temperature, a factor which represents how warm the temperature feels.
Last
The last key, when depressed, displays the time and date of the last rainfall and its rainfall
rate. When depressed at the same time as the clear key, the instrument clears the term
rainfall register. When last is pressed at the same time as select, the unit enters into
rainfall history mode.
Average
When toggled on, the dot below the Av light (near the wind speed display), indicates that
the unit is in wind averaging mode. When in wind averaging mode, the instrument displays
the previous minute's average wind direction and speed. When depressing the average
key and the select key at the same time, the unit enters into the printer set mode.
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¸Time Setting Mode:
Press select and report at the same time, and the last two digits of the year displays (i.e.,
90 = 1990). Press the maximum button to advance the year and the minimum button to
retard the year. If the unit is in protect mode this function is disabled.
.
Report
Time/Date
Temperature
Barometer/Humidity
Rainfall
Clear MinimumSelect Maximum Scale
Hold
Windchill
Hold
Comfort
Hold
Last
Hold
90
WEATHER REPORT
Press select a again and the month will be displayed (i.e., 1 = Jan. and 12 = Dec.). Press
the maximum and minimum key to set the month.
Report
Hold
1 2 - -
AM
PM
Press select a third time, and the day of the month (1-31) digits light. Press the maximum
to advance the date and minimum to retard the date.
Report
Hold
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- -.25
AM
PM
Press select a fourth time, and the day of the week is displayed (1 = Sunday, 2 = Monday, 3
= Tuesday, 4 = Wednesday, 5 = Thursday, 6 = Friday, and 7 = Saturday. Press the
maximum button to advance the day of the week and minimum to retard.
Report
Hold
04
AM
PM
Press select a fifth time (note the colon between the hours and minutes), and the unit will
display the time in military hour style. Press the maximum button to advance the hour or
minimum to retard the hour.
Report
Hold
23:- -
AM
PM
Press select a sixth time (note the colon between the hours and minutes), and the unit will
display minutes. Press the maximum or minimum buttons.
Report
Hold
- -.42
AM
PM
Press select a seventh time (note only the right two digits); the unit will display seconds.
Press the maximum or minimum buttons to set the seconds. (note: the seconds is updated
on the display only when the maximum or minimum button is being depressed).
Report
Hold
22
AM
PM
Press select an eighth time (Note: a single dot at the bottom separates the hour and
minute); the lunar/tide clock will display the number of hours in a cycle.
Press the maximum or minimum buttons to set the hours of the cycle (explained in the
Lunar Tide section).
Report
Hold
1 2.- -
AM
PM
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