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SOLAR-2 : Dual Axis Inclinometer, RS232 or RS485 Output

SOLAR-2 : Dual Axis Inclinometer, RS232 or RS485 Output
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SOLAR-2 : Dual Axis Inclinometer, RS232 or RS485 Output

Product catalog summary
Overview:
The SOLAR-2 is a dual-axis inclinometer designed for precise angle measurement in both pitch and roll axes, with a range from ±5° to ±45°. It is known for its high resolution, accuracy, and low temperature drift, with optional temperature compensation. The device is housed in a durable, sealed anodized aluminum casing (IP67), and is CE certified and RoHS compliant. It supports RS232, RS485, and ModBus communication protocols and includes a 3m PUR cable suitable for outdoor use.
General Specifications:
  • Supply Voltage: 9-30 V DC
  • Operating Current: Varies with voltage (30mA at 9V, 20mA at 12V, 10.5mA at 24V)
  • Operating Temperature: -40 to 85°C
  • Output Rate: Adjustable bit rate, default 38400 bps
  • Frequency Response: Adjustable, default 1 Hz
  • Mechanical Shock: 5000 G
  • Weight: 45 g (excluding cable)
  • Sealing: IP67
Performance Specifications:
  • Measuring Range: Options of ±5°, ±15°, ±30°, ±45°
  • Zero Bias Error: Maximum ±0.020°
  • Accuracy at 20°C: Maximum ±0.040°
  • Temperature Errors: Reduced with compensation
  • Long Term Stability: ±0.007°
  • Resolution: 0.001° at 1Hz bandwidth
Cable Details:
The cable is a 4-core braided screen with a black PUR jacket, flame retardant, and suitable for continuous outdoor use. It has a conductor resistance of 100 Ω/Km and an insulation resistance of 1500 MΩ/Km.
Certification:
The SOLAR-2 complies with the EMC Directive 2004/108/EC and standards BS EN61326-1:2006 and BS EN55011:2007.
Part Numbering:
The part number indicates the measurement range, temperature compensation, and communication protocol. For example, SOLAR-2-15-2-RS485M indicates a ±15° range, temperature compensation, and RS485 ModBus protocol.
Control Command Set:
The device supports a simplified control command set for RS232 and RS485 interfaces, allowing configuration of output formats, baud rates, and filter settings. A free Windows application is available for device configuration and data logging.
ModBus Control:
ModBus RTU protocol is used for RS485 communication, with default parameters set to 38400 baud, 1 start bit, 8 data bits, no parity, and 1 stop bit. Function codes 3 and 6 are used for reading and writing registers.
Device Addressing:
ModBus devices must have addresses between 1 and 247, with a default of 100. Address 0 is used for broadcasting commands to all devices. A maximum of 128 devices can be connected on a single network.
Error Detection:
All ModBus commands and responses include a 16-bit CRC for error detection. Data is in binary format, not ASCII.
Register Locations:
Specific register addresses are listed for reading and writing parameters such as X and Y axis angles, sensor temperature, and filter index. For example, the X axis angle is read from addresses 0x00 and 0x01.
Frequency Response:
The sensor's frequency response can be adjusted using filter indexes ranging from 0.125 Hz to 16 Hz, with corresponding damping times.
Reading and Writing Registers:
Function code 0x03 is used to read holding registers, while 0x06 is used to write to them. Examples are provided for reading angles and changing frequency response.
Changing Device Settings:
Special function codes are used for changing the BAUD rate and device address. For instance, function code 0x6E with command 0x8F changes the BAUD rate, and command 0x91 changes the device address.
Examples:
The document provides detailed examples of reading angles, changing frequency response, setting the tare function, and changing the device address, complete with command and response formats.
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Catalog excerpts

SOLAR-2 : Dual Axis Inclinometer, RS232 or RS485 Output-1

level developments SOLAR-2 : Dual Axis Inclinometer, RS232 or RS485 Output Features • Dual axis measurement, range from ±5 to ±45° • High resolution and accuracy • Low temperature drift, with optional temperature compensation to further improve temperature performance • Single-drop RS232, RS485 or multi-drop RS485 interface with ModBus protocol • Tough sealed anodised aluminium housing (IP67) • CE certified and RoHS compliant • Braided screen 4 core 3m PUR cable • Low cost relative to performance • Small size, 75 x 37.5 x 13.5mm and light weight The SOLAR-2 inclinometers are range of high performance low cost dual axis tilt sensors for measurement of angle in both the pitch and roll axes. Through a flexible configuration and calibration program we can supply this device with any measurement range from ±5° to ±45°. It can also be supplied compensated for a specific operating temperature range. The housing is a small, low profile Aluminium housing, hermetically sealed to IP67. The cable is a shielded black PUR cable and is suitable for continuous outdoor use. They utilise a very high performance MEMS sensor which exhibits low long term drift compared with many competitive devices. It has an RS232 and RS485 interface option with our standard communication protocol as well as a version with RS485 multi drop ModBus communication protocol. They are CE and RoHS certified, and are manufactured, calibrated and tested in our UK factory to guarantee performance to the stated specification. General Specifications Parameter Level Developments Ltd. Croydon, Surrey, CR0 2DN t : +44 (0)20 8684 1400 [email protected] 97-99 Gloucester Road United Kingdom f : +44 (0)20 8684 1422 www.leveldevelopments.com

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SOLAR-2 : Dual Axis Inclinometer, RS232 or RS485 Output-2

level developments SOLAR-2 : Dual Axis Inclinometer, RS232 or RS485 OutputPerformance Specifications Parameter

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SOLAR-2 : Dual Axis Inclinometer, RS232 or RS485 Output-3

level developments SOLAR-2 : Dual Axis Inclinometer, RS232 or RS485 Output Housing Drawing Axis Direction and Mounting Orientation and Wiring Details Mounted on a Horizontal Surface Level Developments Ltd. Croydon, Surrey, CR0 2DN t : +44 (0)20 8684 1400 [email protected] 97-99 Gloucester Road United Kingdom f : +44 (0)20 8684 1422 www.leveldevelopments.com

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SOLAR-2 : Dual Axis Inclinometer, RS232 or RS485 Output-4

SOLAR-2 : Dual Axis Inclinometer, RS232 or RS485 Output level developmentsCable Details 1. Core wires, tin plated copper, 18x0.1mm strands per conductor (26 AWG). 2. 4 conductors, colours red, blue, yellow and green. PVC core insulation. 3. Braided screen of tin copper wire with minimum 85% coverage. 4. Black PUR Solar jacket. Flame retardant, reduced smoke generation, zero halogen, excellent for use in water and oil, good for use in acids and fuels, radiation tolerance: 10E6 Gy, UV stable, suitable for continuous outdoor use. The products are type approved to in accordance with the following...

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SOLAR-2 : Dual Axis Inclinometer, RS232 or RS485 Output-5

SOLAR-2 : Dual Axis Inclinometer, RS232 or RS485 Output Part Numbering Series Prefix 05 - ±5° Full Scale Measurement Range 15 - ±15° Full Scale Measurement Range 30 - ±30° Full Scale Measurement Range 45 - ±45° Full Scale Measurement Range 1 - No additional temperature compensation 2 - Temperature compensation over -10 to 60°C RS232 - RS232 Interface with LD standard communication protocol RS485 - RS485 Interface with LD standard communication protocol RS485M - RS485 Interface with ModBus communication protocol Customer Specific Options (Optional) Example: SOLAR-2-15-2-RS485M SOLAR-2 Series dual...

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SOLAR-2 : Dual Axis Inclinometer, RS232 or RS485 Output-6

Data is transmitted and received over RS232 in full duplex mode and for RS485 versions in half duplex mode. The default configuration is with the baud rate set to 38.4kbps, with 8 data bits, 1 stop bit and no parity. All commands are lower case and 7 bytes long. The time between each character of the command must be less than 100ms otherwise the device will discard the command. The settings are all stored in non volatile memory.

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SOLAR-2 : Dual Axis Inclinometer, RS232 or RS485 Output-7

A free Windows based application for reading angle, logging and device configuration is available from our website. It requires Windows XP SP3, Windows 7 or Windows 8, and works with 32 and 64 bit systems. It also requires the .net framework V3.5 or higher, and will prompt you to download and install this from Microsoft if it is not already installed on your system. A COM port is also required, and can either be a built in COM port, or a USB to Serial COM port. The basic features are shown below: • Automatic or manual configuration of COM port parameters • Compatible with single or dual axis...

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SOLAR-2 : Dual Axis Inclinometer, RS232 or RS485 Output-8

Data is transmitted and received over RS485 in half duplex mode using the ModBus RTU protocol. The following section provides some basic information about the serial communication between the host PC or PLC and the SOLAR-2. The full ModBus specification can be obtained from http://www.modbus.org. ModBus is a command/response protocol over a serial bus. The default ModBus serial parameters are: 38400 baud, 1 start bit, 8 data bits, no parity and 1 stop bit. The 8 data bits are sent LSB first. The baud rate can be changed to 115200, 57600, 38400, 19200, 9600, 4800 or 2400 by sending the appropriate...

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SOLAR-2 : Dual Axis Inclinometer, RS232 or RS485 Output-9

The frequency response of the sensor can be changed to any of the response times shown in the table. The filter is a 2nd order Besel low pass filter implemented in a IIR algorithm. Level Developments Ltd. Croydon, Surrey, CR0 2DN t : +44 (0)20 8684 1400 [email protected] 97-99 Gloucester Road United Kingdom f : +44 (0)20 8684 1422 www.leveldevelopments.com

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SOLAR-2 : Dual Axis Inclinometer, RS232 or RS485 Output-10

Data can be written to some registers, such as the registers that store the filter indexes for each axis frequency response. Function code 0x06 is used to write these registers as detailed below. Level Developments Ltd. Croydon, Surrey, CR0 2DN t : +44 (0)20 8684 1400 [email protected] 97-99 Gloucester Road United Kingdom f : +44 (0)20 8684 1422 www.leveldevelopments.com

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SOLAR-2 : Dual Axis Inclinometer, RS232 or RS485 Output-11

level developments SOLAR-2 : Dual Axis Inclinometer, RS232 or RS485 OutputChanging the Device Address The Address of the device can be changed using the special function code 0x6E and special command code 0x91. The device will reply with the original address in the response, and will change internally after the response has been sent. Example 1: Read the angle from the sensor X axis with address 100 (0x64): Command address (0x64 = 100 decimal) | function code | | starting reg. to read (0x0000) 64 03 00 00 00 02 cd fe Response (positive angle) address (0x64 = 100 decimal) | function code | | byte...

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