FLOSS01: Thermocouples Messages: 8 Entries..

Thermocouples are now in all positions.  These are the "thick wire" versions
from Sean.  This done ~13:00.

01/04/2002 ~13:30-15:00

I removed the 4 dead thermocouples and installed 6 new ones at
.5,2.0,5.0,2x8.0 and 20.0m
The 'scripts/profiles' script was edited to remove the 'non-installed'
levels so the xtemp display was appropriate.

I just put the last 2 good thermocouples in at the lowest 2 levels: 0.20 and
0.35m.  I also removed the dead thermocouples from the top down to 8m.
Some were pretty well battered.

The cr21x is now working in high resolution binary mode, as of 14:35 MST,
Dec 6. The cal routine is camp_hr_bin.  To process the earlier data,
one would have to use the serial_float routine. If it is important
we will have to create a new ops period.

The binary data mode fixes the problem of the broken records
coming out of the cr21x - it was putting a carriage return after 
8 fields in the ASCII output.

The data from the 21X is somewhat scrambled.  Every other sample from the
thermocouples is 0.  For the samples that the thermocouple is 0, the reference
appears to be a real value.  The alternate samples appear to be good, with
a slowly varying reference and real thermocouple values.

Either we're not parsing the 21x data properly, or it is being driven too fast.

I just replaced the 5m thermo., which brought it back to life.

Here's my summary of what I did there:

---------------------------------------------------------------
The FLOSS thermocouple setup was between Nov 30 - Dec 2, 2001
near Walden, Colorado.

Layout of the thermocouples on the FLOSS Main Tower.

tc level data logger    channel
-------- -----------    ----------
 20.0m        23X       channel 12
 18.5m        23X       channel 11
 17.0m        23X       channel 10
 15.5m        23X       channel 9
 14.0m        23X       channel 8
 12.5m        23X       channel 7
 11.0m        23X       channel 6
  9.5m        23X       channel 5
  8.0m        23X       channel 4
  6.5m        23X       channel 3
  5.0m        23X       channel 2
  3.5m        23X       channel 1

  8.0m        21X       channel 8
  5.75m       21X       channel 7
  4.25m       21X       channel 6
  2.75m       21X       channel 5
  2.0m        21X       channel 4
  0.5m        21X       channel 3
  0.35m       21X       channel 2
  0.2m        21X       channel 1


Notes:

1. The 23X data logger is at about 9m.

2. The 21X data logger is on the ground beneath the stairs.

3. The reference temp sensor from the 21X data logger appeared
   to be noisy (need to talk to Steve Semmer about this).

4. Borrowed PVC fitting for the 21X Campbell Box from Larry/Dean.
   (need to get them a replacement plus some putty-type stuff).

5. Three extra thermocouples are in a wooden red box in the ATD trailer.

6. Stored the following at the ATD trailer:  (1) black plastic box
   w/ thermocouple wire and 21X/23X manuals; (2) red wooden box with
   extra thermocouples in them; (3) plastic tupperware box useful to
   transport thermocouples up/down the tower.

7. On Saturday Dec 2 installed 4 thermocouples from 14-18.5m.  The
   following morning 2 of these thermocouples were broken.

8. When I left Sunday afternoon there was one broken thermocouple
   (0.35m)...I think all the others were working.  The wires breaking
   are going to be a problem...possibly due to the low temperatures?

9. These are E-type (Chromel/Constantan) thermocouples with a 
   diameter of 0.0254 mm (1/1000 of an inch).  Perhaps larger diameter
   wires would be more tolerable of the cold...though we may lose
   some response time.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Also, here's an example of an error I see with the 23X data logger (i
did this while I had the logger here in my office):

104 1 23.934 23.381 22.633 -99999  -99999  -99999  -99999  -99999  -99999  -99999
-99999  22.536 22.585
104 1 23.934 23.381 22.649 -99999  -99999  -99999  -99999  -99999  -99999  -99999
-99999  22.472 22.574
104 1 23.934 23.386 22.639 -99999  -99999  -99999  -99999  -99999  -99999  -99999
-99999  22.483 22553  <---- error here
104 1 23.934 23.391 22.606 -99999  -99999  -99999  -99999  -99999  -99999  -99999
-99999  22.52 22.558
104 1 23.934 23.391 22.617 -99999  -99999  -99999  -99999  -99999  -99999  -99999
-99999  22.488 22.531

where it listed the channel 13 value as "22553" it should be 22.553.
Also, I should have mentioned in my previous e-mail that the ref temp
of the data loggers is also recorded (in channel "0").  I also forgot
to mention about the open channels on the 21X data logger not
outputting "-99999"...instead they would output some random number
(which could possibly look real).

Is it possible to get a small 1-hz data file with some of the
thermocouple data in it?  If this is a lot of trouble don't worry
about it...but I'm curious to see what is happening with the 21X
data...

Gordon had noted that if the last 23x thermocouple is missing, that the reported
value is -9, -99, -999, -9999 or -99999, which looked like some characters were
being clipped.  This begged the question of whether characters were being
dropped from normal readings.

I've just looked at a few minutes of values using rserial and don't see any
characters being dropped from normal readings.