I am trying to get a Decagon GS3 soil water content/temperature/EC probe to communicate with a DT80-v2. The firmware on the DT80 is V9.08 and the probe information says it can be used in continuous mode and uses SDI12 v. 1.3 . I set the probe ID to 1 and hooked it up to D5 (ground in digital ground) and the 12V power. It should return a single string of 3 variables. When I call the probe it returns using dEX with a direct command - SDI12SEND 5 "1I!" - I get *no response.
I also tried to send a program using dEX which calls the probe in two ways, but it returns:
DT80> dataTaker 80 E80 - Serial device not responding (5SDI12:AD1:R1)
dataTaker 80 E80 - Serial device not responding (5SDI12:AD1:R2)
dataTaker 80 E80 - Serial device not responding (5SDI12:AD1:R3)
dataTaker 80 E80 - Serial device not responding (5SDI12:AD1:R1)
dataTaker 80 E80 - Serial device not responding (5SDI12:AD1:R2)
dataTaker 80 E80 - Serial device not responding (5SDI12:AD1:R3)
SDI12_1 NotYetSet %
SDI12_2 NotYetSet oC
SDI12_3 NotYetSet uS cm-1
5SDI12 NotYetSet
5SDI12 NotYetSet
5SDI12 NotYetSet

I double checked the address, it is definitely set to 1. I am wondering whether the probe is receiving power. What am I doing wrong?

Hi Avolder,

Check your 12V output in dataTaker.
Have you power it up using PWR12=1?

Check your sensor SDI12 address using SDI12SEND 5 "?!"

Best regards,
Rudy Gunawan

Hi Rudy,

thanks for your reply. I send the command with the following response:

DT80> PWR12=1
dataTaker 80 E10 - Command error at column 1 [ <err>PWR12=1 ]

It does not seem to recognize the command. I will check the manual - I did not realize that the 12V output needs to be triggered (I thought is was always on when you send the CM command).

Thanks!
Astrid

Got it, PWR12V=1. Now it responds - thank you!

Astrid

Although I can now query the probe using the command window, I still have trouble configuring the program using dEX. Where can I find the right command to power on the 12V port?

When I use the SDI12 setup and tick the continuous mode box, the program reflects continuous mode, however, 12V power is not turned on. Default mode seems to be to have it turned off. I would like to set P28=1, but cannot find that option in the configuration builder. Is there a workaround for this?

Astrid

Hi Astrid,

You may use manual channel and type in the code to set PWR12V or P28, there is no direct configuration for this.
The default for PWR12V is 0 and P28=0.

For your info, PWR12V=1 or P28=1 will give the same result: switch on 12 V output on dataTaker.
So you may only need to choose one of them.

Continuous mode (CM) will not switch on 12 V output.
It is a channel option for SDI12 channel for enabling continuous measurement.

Best regards,
Rudy Gunawan

Hi Rudy,

Thanks! I tried data, but kept getting the "not yet set" response. I then used the manual to compose my own program.
I run the following program:
BEGIN"GS3"
Y2=-0.0753,0.0367,-0.000762,0.00000589,0,0
PWR12V=1
RS15M
RA60M
LOGONA
5SDI12(AD1,R001,y2,CM)("Mean VWC%",=4CV,AV)
5SDI12(AD1,R002,CM)("Mean T oC",=5CV,AV)
5SDI12(AD1,R003,CM)("EC, uS cm-1",=6CV,AV)
END

Unfortunately the response still is "not yet set".
The probe responds to single queries:
e.g., sdi12send 5 "1R0!" returns 5SDI12: 1R0!+32.45+21.2+663.
But, if I query it with 5SDI12 (AD1,R0) it responds with an error:
DT80> 5SDI12 (AD1,R0)
dataTaker 80 E10 - Command error at column 8 [ 5SDI12 <err>(AD1,R0) ]
dataTaker 80 E80 - Serial device not responding (5SDI12:AD0:R1)
5SDI12 NotYetSet

Can we use the command SDI12send instead of 5SDI12 when programming the datataker to log data?

Hi Astrid,

Could you try switch on diagnostic mode for SDI12 (P56=2) and send me the logger respond of your testing?
First thing, make sure your wiring is correct then locate sensor address by issuing: SDI12SEND 5 "?!"
If the address is 1, then try with: 5SDI12(AD1,R1).

Please note your previous logger response of error [ 5SDI12 <err>(AD1,R0) ] means you inserted a space between 2 and ( be careful about this,
and although the query of SDI12SEND 5 "1R0!" can give you a response from the logger you cannot use it as 5SDI12(AD1,R0).

R0 means you give query for the whole set of data from your logger (3 data: +32.45 +21.2 and +663).
R1 means you give query for the first data in the data set (+32.45)

Last thing, you may need to look up your sensor SDI12 version.
dataTaker default is version 1.2, in case your sensor has a different version you may issue additional channel option (VER10 for 1.0 and VER13 for 1.3).

• You cannot log the data using SDI12SEND.

Best regards,
Rudy Gunawan