WD will now calculate snow depth from the 1 wire ultrasonic snow depth sensor

The Idea put forward by a couple of users of this 1 wire sensor: (Mikeym and Jean-Robert)

Here my idea for integrate the snowdepth sensor to WeatherDisplay.

It is certain that every snow dept sensor will be different from one another. Mine generate 4.98098 vdc when the snow level is at 177 cm and 0.03 vdc when the snow level is at o cm so a difference of 4.95098 vdc so 4.95098 vdc divided by 177 cm give 0.0279716 vdc per cm of snow.

So in WD you could have a field to enter the maximum height of the snow level , the minimum level of snow level , the maximum voltage at maximum snow level and the minimum voltage at 0 snow level and the software can do this calculation:

(max voltage) minus (minimum voltage) then divided by the (maximum height). The result will be the voltage variation for each cm of snow.

So, now,I have added this now to a new dallas 1 wire reader, in the other settings setup
and an updated WD version
it will come through in WD as the %snownowcm% custom tag or %snownowin.%
and end up in the snow log file if you have set to use current snow depth for that under user daily report, snow input

in the latest .zip update of WD, ready now

Thanks, Brian Snow sensor is inside for the Summer as I don’t want to take a chance with nearby lightning hits, but it won’t be too long before the weather cools and it will be time to measure snow. Time flys when you’re having fun.

Thanks again and I will test soon.

Cheers

:smiley:

MikeyM

Just curious. Could you use water to calibrate the sensor?

Mark

Hi Brian

One question: i downloaded the last.zip update and can’t find out where to input my parameters ?

Jean-Robert

Should work fine with water. The only problem with water is the size of the pipe were it is located due to the beam width of the ultrasonic sensor. If it’s in a tank shouldn’t be a problem or if in a open space such located over a lake or pond. Where Brian’s addition really helps us with the snow sensor is that the minimum output of the sensor is .03 mv so when there was no snow on the ground it would show either .3 in or .3 cm depending on which standard were are using. With the new additional setting we should be able to zero out the sensor reading when there isn’t any snow on the ground. Hope that helps.

Cheers

:smiley:

MikeyM

One question: i downloaded the last.zip update and can't find out where to input my parameters ?
see my post above, i.e in the dallas1wirereader program, other settings..

Hi Brian

Sorry i was blind this morning ! I found now where to input my parameters !

I want to say THANK YOU for the new possibility to enter our snowdepth sensor parameters, will do some tests with that the coming days and give you feedback.

Jean-Robert

Hi Brian

Have a look: i change my customtextout.txt to show %snownowcm%

I enter my parameters as: 4.98098 v for 177 cm and
0.03 v for o cm of snow

i put snow under the sensor for 38 cm (not realy snow but a piece of wood)

and the voltage is now 1.07 v

now in the customtexout.txt the reading is 10.0 v !!! It is not ok

Here the calculation WD should do: 4.98098 minus 0.03 = 4.95098

then 4.95098 divided by 177 = 0.0279716

then 1.07 divides by .0279716 = 38 cm of snow

The .0279716 v/cm in my case will always be the same because my sensor is at 177 cm from the ground

See attatched the customtextout.txt, the customtext.txt and the data in 1 wire set up


customtext.txt (77 Bytes)

customtextout.txt (16.5 KB)

1wire.PNG

ops,
I used multiply instead of divide for the last part

I will get a fix uploaded

use this new update
http://www.weather-display.com/downloadfiles/dallas1wirereader.zip

Brian

I think you uploaded an earlier version of the onewirereader instead of the updated one because when I unzipped it, it doesn’t have any snow sensor settings at all in the "other settings tab. :?

Cheers

MikeyM

Where Brian's addition really helps us with the snow sensor is that the minimum output of the sensor is .03 mv so when there was no snow on the ground it would show either .3 in or .3 cm depending on which standard were are using. With the new additional setting we should be able to zero out the sensor reading when there isn't any snow on the ground. Hope that helps.

This sounds like a nice addition to a weather station.

Mark

I Brian

I confirm that the update is an old version and there is no snowdepth sensor settings !

Jean-Robert

ops, try that download again

Brian

I have the new updated unzipped and running. Looks good although I don’t have the snow sensor hooked up and of course it’s showing -100 mv due to no input, but it’s calculating the depth correctly at -2541.5 cm. I’ll try to get the snow sensor hooked up tomorrow for testing. I know Jean-Robert has his up and running for test purposes.

Thanks again for all your hard work.

Cheers

:smiley:

MikeyM

Where is the .zip file ?

same URL as in the post above

The calculation is still nor ok

The voltage is .03v and the customtextout.txt file give 10.0 cm

The good calculation is 0.03v divided by .0279716 = 1 cm not 10 !

But the way that Brian has the offsets set up shouldn’t the .03v give you 0 cm of snow. I thought that was the purpose of putting the “value for no snow” into the calculation? So in reality the .03v should result in a reading of 0 cm or is my thinking wrong ?? Will get my sensor hooked up and it will give us an additional source for testing. I have to work til noontime or 1 PM EDT. I have my settings of .03v for no snow and 5.00 volts equals 127 cm or 50 inches in my case.

:?

Cheers

MikeyM

Hi

You are wright.

Here my calculation:

177 cm = 4.98098 vdc
0 cm = 0.03 vdc

Difference = 4.95098

So 4.95098 divided by 177 cm = 0.0279716 vdc per cm of snow.

So the reading on the customtextout.txt at the moment is 10.0 !?

I will check the exact height of the sensor tomorrow, maybe it is at 176 cm not certain.

Thanks again for your assiatance.

Have a great night.

Jean-Robert