M210543EN F User S

USER'S GUIDE
Vaisala Present Weather Detector

PWD22/52
M210543EN-F
PUBLISHED BY
Vaisala Oyj
Street address: Vanha Nurmijärventie 21, FI-01670 Vantaa, Finland
Mailing address: P.O. Box 26, FI-00421 Helsinki, Finland
Phone: +358 9 8949 1
Fax: +358 9 8949 2227
Visit our Internet pages at www.vaisala.com.
© Vaisala 2015
No part of this manual may be reproduced, published or publicly displayed in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical (including photocopying), nor may its
contents be modified, translated, adapted, sold or disclosed to a third party without prior
written permission of the copyright holder. Translated manuals and translated portions
of multilingual documents are based on the original English versions. In ambiguous
cases, the English versions are applicable, not the translations.
The contents of this manual are subject to change without prior notice.
Local rules and regulations may vary and they shall take precedence over the
information contained in this manual. Vaisala makes no representations on this
manual’s compliance with the local rules and regulations applicable at any given time,
and hereby disclaims any and all responsibilities related thereto.
This manual does not create any legally binding obligations for Vaisala towards
customers or end users. All legally binding obligations and agreements are included
exclusively in the applicable supply contract or the General Conditions of Sale and
General Conditions of Service of Vaisala.
.
________________________________________________________________________________
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
GENERAL INFORMATION ............................................................................ 9
About This Manual ................................................................... 9
Version Information ............................................................... 9
Related Manuals ................................................................... 9
Documentation Conventions ............................................... 10
Safety ....................................................................................... 11
ESD Protection .................................................................... 13
Recycling ................................................................................ 13
Regulatory Compliances ....................................................... 14
Trademarks ............................................................................. 14
License Agreement ................................................................ 14
Warranty .................................................................................. 14
CHAPTER 2
PRODUCT OVERVIEW ................................................................................ 15
Introduction to Vaisala Present Weather Detector
PWD22/52 ................................................................................ 15
Hardware Structure ................................................................ 16
PWD22/52 Output ................................................................... 17
Product Nomenclature ........................................................... 18
Spare Parts ............................................................................. 18
CHAPTER 3
FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION ..................................................................... 19
Optical Measurements ........................................................... 21
Optical Arrangement ........................................................... 21
Transmitter Unit PWT11...................................................... 21
Light Receiver ..................................................................... 22
Additional Measurements ..................................................... 23
Vaisala RAINCAP® Rain Sensor ......................................... 23
Temperature Sensor ........................................................... 24
Background Luminance Sensor PWL111 (optional) ........... 24
BLSC Command ............................................................ 25
Continuous Mode ...................................................... 25
Day/night Switch Mode ............................................. 25
Disabling PWL111 .................................................... 25
BLCAL Command .......................................................... 26
Internal Monitoring ................................................................. 27
Built-in Tests........................................................................ 27
Memory Tests...................................................................... 28
Signal Monitoring ................................................................ 28
Hardware Monitoring ........................................................... 28
Monitoring Contamination ................................................... 29
Data Message Formats .......................................................... 29
VAISALA ________________________________________________________________________ 1
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 4
INSTALLATION ............................................................................................ 31
Selecting Location .................................................................. 31
Grounding and Lightning Protection ................................... 33
Equipment Grounding ......................................................... 33
Internal Grounding ............................................................... 33
Grounding the Remote Units and the Communication
Cable ................................................................................... 33
Installation Procedure ............................................................ 34
Unpacking PWD22/52 ......................................................... 34
Storage ........................................................................... 34
Mounting .............................................................................. 35
Connections ............................................................................ 36
Connecting Cables .............................................................. 36
Basic Wiring ................................................................... 37
Power Supply ...................................................................... 39
Internal Heaters and Heaters for PWL111 ..................... 39
PWH111 Hood Heaters .................................................. 39
Communication Options ...................................................... 40
Serial Communication Settings ...................................... 40
Serial Transmission RS-232........................................... 40
Serial Multipoint Transmission RS-485 .......................... 41
Connection of the Maintenance Terminal ...................... 41
Relay Controls ..................................................................... 42
RELAY Command .......................................................... 44
Initial Settings ...................................................................... 45
Weather Parameters ...................................................... 45
Verifying the Installation ...................................................... 46
CHAPTER 5
OPERATION ................................................................................................. 49
Getting Started ........................................................................ 49
Operating Instructions ........................................................... 50
Entering and Exiting Command Mode................................. 51
OPEN ............................................................................. 51
CLOSE ........................................................................... 51
Message Types ................................................................... 52
Message 0 ...................................................................... 53
Message 1 ...................................................................... 53
Message 2 ...................................................................... 54
Message 3 ...................................................................... 54
Message 4 ...................................................................... 54
Messages 5 and 6 .......................................................... 55
Message 7 ...................................................................... 55
Automatic Message Sending............................................... 56
Message Polling ............................................................. 57
Precipitation Sums ................................................................. 58
Commands .............................................................................. 59
PWD22/52 Commands ........................................................ 59
HELP .............................................................................. 59
MES ................................................................................ 60
AMES ............................................................................. 60
Weather Related Commands .............................................. 60
WPAR ............................................................................. 61
WSET ............................................................................. 61
2 ___________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
________________________________________________________________________________
CLRS .............................................................................. 64
System Configuration Commands ...................................... 64
PAR ................................................................................ 64
CONF ............................................................................. 65
Hood Heaters ................................................................. 69
BAUD ............................................................................. 69
Analog Output ..................................................................... 69
Analog Output Modes .................................................... 71
Mode 0 ...................................................................... 71
Mode 1 ...................................................................... 72
Mode 2 ...................................................................... 72
Mode 3 ...................................................................... 73
Mode 4 ...................................................................... 73
Analog Output Calibration .............................................. 73
Maintenance Commands .................................................... 75
STA ................................................................................ 75
CAL ................................................................................ 76
CLEAN ........................................................................... 77
ZERO ............................................................................. 77
CHEC ............................................................................. 78
DRY ON and WET ......................................................... 78
DRY ON .................................................................... 78
WET .......................................................................... 78
TCAL .............................................................................. 79
HEAT .............................................................................. 79
Other Commands ................................................................ 80
TIME ............................................................................... 80
DATE .............................................................................. 80
RESET ........................................................................... 81
VER ................................................................................ 81
CHAPTER 6
MAINTENANCE ........................................................................................... 83
Periodic Maintenance ............................................................ 83
Cleaning .............................................................................. 84
Cleaning Lenses and Hoods .......................................... 84
Cleaning RAINCAP® ...................................................... 85
Calibration ............................................................................... 85
Visibility Calibration ............................................................. 85
Calibration Check ........................................................... 86
Calibration Procedure .................................................... 87
Repair ...................................................................................... 88
Removing and Replacing Optical Units .............................. 88
Removing PWT11 .......................................................... 89
Removing PWC22/52 .................................................... 90
Replacing RAINCAP® .................................................... 92
Cleaning and Maintaining Painted Surfaces ....................... 93
Preparing for Painting ......................................................... 93
Painting ............................................................................... 93
Commonly Used Vaisala Colors ......................................... 94
CHAPTER 7
TROUBLESHOOTING ................................................................................. 95
Common Problems ................................................................ 95
Message Indicating Warning or Alarm ................................ 95
VAISALA ________________________________________________________________________ 3
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Message Missing ................................................................. 95

Message Exists but Visibility Value Does Not ..................... 96
Visibility Value is Continuously Too Good ........................... 97
Visibility Constantly Too Low............................................... 97
PWD22/52 Reports Precipitation When There Is None ...... 98
PWD22/52 Reports Frozen Precipitation during Rain ......... 98
PWD22/52 Electrical Troubleshooting................................. 99
Technical Support ................................................................ 100
CHAPTER 8
TECHNICAL DATA .................................................................................... 101
Mechanical Specifications ................................................... 101
Electrical Specifications ...................................................... 101
Optical Specifications .......................................................... 102
Visibility Measurement Specifications ............................... 102
Weather Sensing Specifications ......................................... 103
Environmental Specifications ............................................. 103
APPENDIX A
INTERNAL MONITORING VALUES .......................................................... 105
APPENDIX B
PWC22/52 CONNECTORS AND JUMPER SETTINGS ............................ 109
APPENDIX C
NWS AND WMO CODE TABLES .............................................................. 113
APPENDIX D
CALIBRATING THE TS SENSOR ............................................................. 115
Checking TS Sensor Temperature ...................................... 116
Calibrating and Adjusting the TS Sensor .......................... 119
4 ___________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
________________________________________________________________________________
List of Figures
Figure 1 PWD22/52 Present Weather Detector ..................................... 16
Figure 2 PWD22/52 Block Diagram........................................................ 20
Figure 3 PWD22/52 Optical System ....................................................... 21
Figure 4 RAINCAP Block Diagram ......................................................... 23
Figure 5 PWL111 Block Diagram ........................................................... 26
Figure 6 LED Indicators on the PWC22/52 Board.................................. 27
Figure 7 Recommended Location of PWD22/52 Sensor. ...................... 32
Figure 8 Installing PWD22/52 on the Support Arm ................................ 35
Figure 9 Installing the Sensor on the Mast with Optional Mounting
Clamp ....................................................................................... 35
Figure 10 Testing the Connector .............................................................. 36
Figure 11 Cabling Principle ...................................................................... 38
Figure 12 Maintenance Cable .................................................................. 38
Figure 13 PWL111 Jumper Settings......................................................... 39
Figure 14 Relay Connection: PWD22/52 Supplies................................... 43
Figure 15 Relay Connection: External Relay Supply ............................... 44
Figure 16 Contents of Messages 0, 1, and 2 ........................................... 52
Figure 17 Analog Current Output Connection .......................................... 70
Figure 18 Analog Current Output Connection (External Current Source) 71
Figure 19 Assembling the Opaque Glass Plates...................................... 87
Figure 20 Removing PWT11 .................................................................... 89
Figure 21 Opening Box Screws ................................................................ 90
Figure 22 Removing the PWC15PB Protection Board ............................. 91
Figure 23 Removing the PWC22/52 Board .............................................. 91
Figure 24 Removing the Rain Sensor ...................................................... 92
Figure 25 Jumpers and Connectors on the PWC22/52 Processor/
Receiver Board ....................................................................... 111
Figure 26 Removing Internal Temperature Sensor for Calibration ........ 116
Figure 27 Removing External Temperature Sensor for Calibration ....... 117
VAISALA ________________________________________________________________________ 5
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
This page intentionally left blank.
6 ___________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
________________________________________________________________________________
List of Tables
Table 1 Manual Revisions ....................................................................... 9
Table 2 Related Manuals ........................................................................ 9
Table 3 PWD Sensor Series Model and Performance .......................... 15
Table 4 Vaisala Present Weather Detector PWD22/52 Nomenclature . 18
Table 5 Optional Vaisala Present Weather Detector PWD Family
Nomenclature ........................................................................... 18
Table 6 Receptable Connector Default Wiring ...................................... 37
Table 7 Control Logic of Relay Controls 1 and 2 .................................. 42
Table 8 Control Logic of Relay Controls 1, 2, and 3 ............................. 42
Table 9 Default Communication Settings .............................................. 45
Table 10 Default Settings Commands .................................................... 45
Table 11 Display and Change Parameters Commands .......................... 46
Table 12 Settings and Corresponding Commands ................................. 50
Table 13 Routine Maintenance Commands ............................................ 50
Table 14 Command Set .......................................................................... 59
Table 15 Hardware Error Texts ............................................................... 76
Table 16 Warnings .................................................................................. 76
Table 17 PWD22/52 Mechanical Specifications ................................... 101
Table 18 PWD22/52 Electrical Specifications ....................................... 101
Table 19 Light Transmitter Optical Specifications ................................. 102
Table 20 Light Receiver Optical Specifications ..................................... 102
Table 21 Visibility Measurement Specifications .................................... 102
Table 22 Weather Sensing Specifications ............................................ 103
Table 23 Environmental Specifications ................................................. 103
Table 24 STA Message Values ............................................................. 105
Table 25 Internal Weather Types and Supported NWS Codes ............ 113
Table 26 WMO SYNOP Codes (Table 4680, WaWa) Used by
PWD22/52 .............................................................................. 113
Table 27 WMO METAR Codes (Table 4678) Used by PWD22/52 ....... 114
VAISALA ________________________________________________________________________ 7
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
8 ___________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Chapter 1 ________________________________________________________ General Information
CHAPTER 1
GENERAL INFORMATION
This chapter provides general notes for the product.
About This Manual

This manual provides information for installing, operating, and
maintaining Vaisala Present Weather Detector PWD22/52.
Version Information
Table 1 Manual Revisions
Manual Code Description
M210543EN-F September 2015. This manual. Added information on the
two heating options. Added Appendix D describing how to
calibrate the TS sensor. Added cleaning and painting
instructions.
M210543EN-E Previous version.
Related Manuals
Table 2 Related Manuals
Manual Code Manual Name
M210542EN Vaisala Present Weather Detector PWD12, User's Guide
M210541EN Vaisala Visibility Sensor PWD10/20/50, User's Guide
VAISALA ________________________________________________________________________ 9
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Documentation Conventions
Throughout the manual, important safety considerations are highlighted
as follows:
WARNING!
Warning alerts you to a serious hazard. If you do not read and follow
instructions very carefully at this point, there is a risk of injury or even
death.
CAUTION!
Caution warns you of a potential hazard. If you do not read and follow
instructions carefully at this point, the product could be damaged or
important data could be lost.
Note highlights important information on using the product.
10 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Safety
Vaisala Present Weather Detector PWD22/52 delivered to you has been
tested for safety and approved as shipped from the factory. Note the
following precautions:
WARNING!
The chassis of the PWD22/52 must be connected to a good electrical

earth.
WARNING!
Do not touch the surface of the RAINCAP® Rain sensor plate. When you
need to touch the sensors plate, for example during cleaning, touch first a
metallic part of PWD22/52 to discharge your body’s electrostatic load.
The measuring principle does not allow for proper ESD protection.
WARNING!
Do not operate the equipment in the presence of flammable gases or

fumes. Operation of any electrical instrument in such an environment
constitutes a definite safety hazard.
WARNING!
A lightning strike through a communication wire can cause voltage surge

dangerous to life at remote sites if the remote units are not properly
grounded.
CAUTION!
Do not modify or substitute parts in the instrument. Contact Vaisala or its

authorized representative for repairs.
CAUTION!
Tighten the connector properly. The cable connector must not swing in
relation to the fixed connector.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 11
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
CAUTION!
Transport and store the component boards, including CMOS microchips,

in conductive packages.
Although new CMOS devices are protected against overvoltage damages
caused by static electric discharge of the operator, careful handling is
recommended. The operator should be properly grounded.
Avoid handling component boards unnecessarily.
CAUTION!
Servicing the equipment must be performed by qualified personnel.
RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE STATEMENT (USA)
The United States Federal Communications Commission (in 47 CFR

15.838) has specified that the following notice must be brought to the
attention of users of this kind of a product in the USA:
Federal communications commission radio frequency interference

statement
This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not
installed and used properly, that is in strict accordance with the
manufacturer's instructions, may cause interference to radio and
television reception. The Present Weather Detector is designed to
provide reasonable protection against such interference in an airport
installation. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not
occur in a particular installation. If this equipment causes interference to
radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the
equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:
- Reorient the receiving antenna

- Relocate the device with respect to the receiver
- Move the device away from the receiver
If necessary, the user should consult the dealer or an experienced
radio/television technician for additional suggestions.
12 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
ESD Protection
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) can cause immediate or latent damage to
electronic circuits. Vaisala products are adequately protected against
ESD for their intended use. However, it is possible to damage the product
by delivering electrostatic discharges when touching, removing, or
inserting any objects inside the equipment housing.
To make sure you are not delivering high static voltages yourself:
- Handle ESD sensitive components on a properly grounded and

protected ESD workbench. When this is not possible, ground yourself
to the equipment chassis before touching the boards. Ground yourself
with a wrist strap and a resistive connection cord. When neither of the
above is possible, touch a conductive part of the equipment chassis
with your other hand before touching the boards.
- Always hold the boards by the edges and avoid touching the
component contacts.
Recycling
Recycle all applicable material.
Dispose of batteries and the unit according to statutory regulations. Do

not dispose of with regular household refuse.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 13
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Regulatory Compliances
The PWD series visibility sensors and present weather detectors are in
conformity with the provisions of the following EU directive(s):
- EMC Directive (2004/108/EC)
Conformity is shown by compliance with the following standards:
- EN 61326-1:2006-04 Electrical equipment for measurement, control

and laboratory use - EMC requirements - for use in industrial
locations.
- EN 55022:2006 + Am 1:2007 to EN55022:2006 Class B. Information
technology equipment - Radio disturbance characteristics - Limits and
methods of measurement.
Trademarks
RAINCAP is a registered trademark of Vaisala. Microsoft and
Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the
United States and/or other countries.
License Agreement
All rights to any software are held by Vaisala or third parties. The
customer is allowed to use the software only to the extent that is provided
by the applicable supply contract or Software License Agreement.
Warranty
Visit our Internet pages for standard warranty terms and conditions:
www.vaisala.com/warranty.
Please observe that any such warranty may not be valid in case of
damage due to normal wear and tear, exceptional operating conditions,
negligent handling or installation, or unauthorized modifications. Please
see the applicable supply contract or Conditions of Sale for details of the
warranty for each product.
14 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Chapter 2 __________________________________________________________ Product Overview
CHAPTER 2
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
This chapter introduces Vaisala Present Weather Detector PWD22/52

features, advantages, and product nomenclature.
Introduction to Vaisala Present Weather

Detector PWD22/52
PWD22/52 is a multi-variable sensor for automatic weather observing
systems. The sensor combines the functions of a forward scatter visibility
meter and a present weather sensor. PWD22/52 measures the intensity
and amount of both liquid and solid precipitation. If the detector is
equipped with a background luminance sensor, it also measures ambient
light.
PWD22/52 is typically used as a component of a weather observation

system. PWD22/52 is suitable for automatic weather station applications,
especially for low-power requirement installations.
Table 3 PWD Sensor Series Model and Performance

Model Performance
Visibility Sensor PWD10 Visibility range 10 m ... 2000 m
Present Weather Detector PWD12 Visibility range 10 m ... 2000 m
4 precipitation types
Present Weather Detector PWD22M For Vaisala TACMET stations
The PWD22/52 measures precipitation water content with a capacitive

Vaisala RAINCAP Rain Sensor and combines this information with
optical scatter and temperature measurements. Together, these three
independent measurements provide data for accurately evaluating the
prevailing visibility and weather.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 15
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Hardware Structure
PWD22/52 is a self-contained instrument fastened to the side of a mast
and into a cross arm using mounting clamps.
1502-007
Figure 1 PWD22/52 Present Weather Detector
1 = Transmitter
2A = Pt100 temperature sensor in the tube (Option A)
2B = Pt100 temperature sensor in the radiation shield (Option B)
3 = Mounting clamp
4 = Place for Vaisala Luminance Sensor PWL111 (optional)
5 = PWR211 Vaisala RAINCAP® Rain Sensor
(PWR111 in PWD22M)
6 = Controller/Receiver
7 = Hood heaters (optional)
16 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Chapter 2 __________________________________________________________ Product Overview
PWD22/52 Output
The PWD22/52 output is either:
- Digital serial interface

The digital serial interface can be configured in two different
operating modes: the sensor can be set to send a data message
automatically at selected intervals, or PWD22/52 can be polled
by the host computer. The same serial line also acts as an
operator interface.
- Analog current signal
The analog current signal can be used to report the prevailing
visibility. Three relay controls can be used, driven by visibility
limits.
The operator controls PWD22/52 using a maintenance terminal. Built-in
commands and test routines are provided for configuring and monitoring.
The standard data messages contain a status character indicating faults

detected by internal diagnostics. If the error status is set, the operator can
view a status message containing the detailed diagnostics results and a
description of the fault. The operator and maintenance personnel use this
information to take corrective action.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 17
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Product Nomenclature
Table 4 Vaisala Present Weather Detector PWD22/52
Nomenclature
Code Common Name Description
PWT11 Transmitter LED Transmitter circuit board
PWC22 Controller/Receiver Controller and photo diode circuit
board for PWD22
PWC52 Controller/Receiver Controller and photo diode circuit
board for PWD52
PWR211 RAINCAP® Double- A capacitive detector to sense
Plate Rain Sensor water droplets and/or moisture.
Two plate in a 90-degree angle
towards each other.
Table 5 Optional Vaisala Present Weather Detector PWD

Family Nomenclature
Code Common Name Description
PWL111 Background
Luminance Sensor
PWH111 Hood Heater Foils
PWA12 Calibration Set Includes a pair of precalibrated
scatterers, a piece of cloth for
cleaning the lenses and tools.
16385ZZ RS-232 (9-pin) Connects to standard PC
maintenance cable communication port.
APPKP60-set -1/2 Attachment clamp 60 mm, 75 mm, or 100 mm clamp
75-set -1/2 according to the mast diameter
100-set -1/2
Spare Parts
For a list of spare parts, contact Vaisala Technical Support at
[email protected].
18 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Chapter 3 ______________________________________________________ Functional Description
CHAPTER 3
FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION
Vaisala Present Weather Detector PWD22/52 optical sensor measures

visibility (Meteorological Optical Range, (MOR)), precipitation intensity,
and precipitation type.
PWD22/52 measures visibility using forward scatter measurement: light

scatters from particles whose diameter is in the order of magnitude of the
wavelength of the light. The amount of scatter is proportional to the
attenuation of the light beam.
Larger particles behave as reflectors and refractors and their effect on the
MOR must be handled separately. Usually these particles are
precipitation droplets. The optical arrangement of PWD22/52 allows
individual droplets to be detected from rapid signal changes. The
PWD22/52 software calculates the precipitation intensity by analyzing
the amplitudes of these changes. The intensity estimate is proportional to
the volume of the precipitation droplets.
The optical signal also contains precipitation type information. However,

additional information is required to reliably identify precipitation types,
especially in conditions such as very light precipitation or windy weather.
PWD22/52 provides an extra parameter by estimating the precipitation’s
water content with Vaisala RAINCAP® Rain Sensor. In rain, the water
equivalent and the optical volume are equal, while the optical volume in
snow is about ten times larger than its water equivalent. PWD22/52 uses
this difference to distinguish between rain and snow.
Identifying freezing conditions uses indirect methods that are affected by

shortcomings in temperature measurement. Reporting temperatures and
freezing conditions should be complemented with an expert familiar with
local conditions.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 19
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
PWT11 Transmitter
Background Luminance Sensor

PWL111 (option)
Temperature Sensor (TS)

Hood Heater
(option)
(R)
RAINCAP
Rain Detector Optical Filter
PWC Controller / Receiver
Power
Serial line
Three Relay Controls

Measurement Power RS-232 Interface
12-50VDC
RS-485 Interface (2 wire)
Heater Power (with hood heaters and luminance sensor,
12...50VDC/VAC heater power must be 24VAC or 24VDC)
1008-014
Figure 2 PWD22/52 Block Diagram
20 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Optical Measurements
Optical Arrangement
Transmitter Receiver
3 cm
4 cm
Sample volume
0403-103
Figure 3 PWD22/52 Optical System
PWD22/52 measures light scattered at an angle of 45°. This angle

produces a stable response in various types of natural fog. Precipitation
droplets scatter light in a different manner from fog and their contribution
to visibility must be analyzed separately. PWD22/52 can detect and
measure precipitation droplets from the optical signal and use this
information in processing scatter measurement results.
PWD22/52 has a small sample volume of about 0.1 liters (see Figure 3).
This allows for independent particles to be measured at relatively heavy
precipitation intensities. The signal levels from the smallest precipitation
droplets can also be detected.
Transmitter Unit PWT11

The transmitter unit consists of an infrared LED control and triggering
circuits, LED intensity monitor, and backscatter receiver.
The transmitter unit electronics pulses the IR-LED at a frequency of

2 kHz. A PIN photodiode monitors the transmitted light intensity. The
transmitter intensity level measurement keeps the LED's intensity at a
preset value automatically. The CPU monitors the "LEDI" feedback
voltage to get information of the aging of the LED and possible defects.
The feedback loop compensates for the LED temperature and aging
effects of the LED. On the other hand, the active compensation slightly
accelerates the LED aging. The initial LED current is set to a value that
ensures several years of operation without maintenance.
An extra photodiode measures the light scattered backwards from the

lens, other objects, or contaminants. This signal is also monitored by the
CPU.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 21
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Light Receiver
The Light Receiver consists of a PIN photodiode, preamplifier, voltage to
frequency converter, backscatter measurement light source LED, and
control and timing electronics.
The receiving PIN photodiode senses the transmitted light pulses

scattered from the aerosol particles. A phase sensitive lock-in amplifier
synchronized with the transmitter filters and detects the signal voltage.
An ambient light level as high as 30 kcd/m2 does not influence the

detection of the photo diode and does not saturate the preamplifier. The
AMBL signal (proportional to the ambient light) is lead to the CPU for
monitoring.
22 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Additional Measurements
PWD22/52 includes RAINCAP for estimating the water content of
precipitation, and a temperature sensor in the sensor cross arm or in an
external radiation shield (TS). Both additional sensors are measured and
interfaced by the PWC22/52 board. The RAINCAP temperature TDRD
is measured for the RAINCAP heating (drying) control, and the box
(PWC22/52) temperature TB is measured for the monitoring box heating.
Vaisala RAINCAP® Rain Sensor

The RAINCAP signal is proportional to the water amount on the sensing
surfaces. Water on RAINCAP® changes the capacitance of the sensor
elements. The capacitance of the elements controls the output frequency
of an oscillator.
The frequency signal is measured once a second. The frequency is

handled in the PWD22/52 internal units. The DRY value is about 800,
which is also shown in the Status (STA) message.
0008-012
Figure 4 RAINCAP Block Diagram
The heating element built into the surface heats the RAINCAP. The
heating power is controlled by software.
PWD22/52 is equipped with a double-plate RAINCAP to improve drizzle

detection in certain conditions.
When the sensor element heating is switched off, they become highly
sensitive to ambient moisture. If the relative humidity of the air is more
than about 70 %, the surfaces produce a measurable signal even with no
precipitation. In PWD22/52 this is used as an estimated humidity
measurement. The estimated humidity is used to differentiate between
dust and mist.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 23
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
As PWD22/52 can detect the beginning of precipitation from the optical

signal, RAINCAP can be used as a cross-check for the detection of above
zero temperatures. This eliminates false detection of rain caused by, for
example, mosquitoes.
Temperature Sensor
The primary temperature sensor of PWD22/52 is a Pt100 thermistor. The
temperature is measured once a minute using a high resolution A/D
converter. The sensor temperature (TS) is used to select an initial default
precipitation type for the algorithm.
Possible temperature sensor locations in the PWD22/52 include:

- Inside the cross arm
The cross arm temperature sensor provides adequate performance for
most PWD22/52 applications.
- Inside an external radiation shield
In some conditions, for example in calm winds, the hood heaters can
cause a bias in the cross arm temperature measurement due to heat
conduction. The optional temperature sensor in an external radiation
shield avoids this bias.
Temperature measurement plays a role in identifying freezing conditions.
Due to the effects described above, in some applications it is beneficial to
augment the PWD temperature sensing with data from an external
temperature sensor and/or an additional ice detection sensor. Reporting
freezing conditions should be complemented with an expert familiar with
local conditions.
Background Luminance Sensor PWL111

(optional)
PWL111 is used as a day/night switch for distinguishing day and night
conditions. Its luminance measurement is rudimentary and indicative.
PWD22/52 measures the PWL111 signal every second and calculates a

new one-minute running average every 15 seconds. The one-minute
average is reported in the corresponding messages. The value range is
4 ... 20000 cd/m2.
The sensor heaters are controlled in the same way as the other
PWD22/52 heaters.
24 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
BLSC Command
The background luminance sensor can be used in continuous or day/night
switch modes. When you give 1.0 as the BLSC value, the background
luminance measurement mode is continuous. When you give a zero as
the value, the measurement uses day/night switch mode.
When PWL111 is activated, its background luminance value is reported

in message 7 and in the Status message.
Continuous Mode
The following command activates the sensor and gives a positive scaling
factor to the luminance value.
>BLSC 1.0
The response is the following:

BL SCALE 1.000
Background luminance is reported in a range of 4 ... 20000 cd/m2 with

the above setting.
Day/night Switch Mode

The following command activates the sensor in day/night switch mode,
that is, the luminance value is either 0 or 1. 0 indicates night time and 1
indicates day time.
>BLSC 0
Disabling PWL111
The negative scale directs PWD22/52 to skip the background luminance
action. See the example below:
>BLSC -1
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 25
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
BLCAL Command
PWD22/52 calculates the new BL scale if the current background
luminance in cd/m2 is known. The PWL111 sensor must be activated by
the BLSC command and the BLSC must be 1.0. where 12300 is the
current background luminance in cd/m2. Do not enter this command
repeatedly with less than one minute intervals. Use the command only in
stable weather with clear skies.
PWD22/52 calculates the BL scale in response to the following

command:
>BLCAL 12300
0310-001
Figure 5 PWL111 Block Diagram
26 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Internal Monitoring
Built-in Tests
Built-in tests are included in the PWD22/52 operation to measure various
voltages and check the corresponding alarm and warning limits. Optical
contamination of both the transmitter and the receiver is continuously
monitored by measuring the backscattered light. An additional
transmitting LED is installed in the receiver for this purpose.
The software generates alarms if visibility is less than a given limit.

PWD22/52 generates warnings of suspected faulty hardware. If a fatal
hardware failure is detected, visibility data is not generated; it is
substituted with slashes (/////). A status message displays the cause of the
error in status bits.
Built-in tests include memory test, analog monitoring, and signal

measurement monitoring. Results of the monitoring measurements are
displayed in volts or hertz depending on their origin.
Watchdog circuitry monitors program operation. If the circuit is not

triggered in about two seconds, it performs a hardware reset.
1206-026
Figure 6 LED Indicators on the PWC22/52 Board
Normal operation is indicated by the Run LED blinking once every

second. The Signal/Offset LED is on, when PWD22/52 measures the
visibility signal.
The RxD and TxD LEDs are directly controlled by the serial line
hardware indicating all action in the serial line.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 27
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Memory Tests
After resetting, PWD22/52 tests and clears its SRAM data memory. It
indicates an error by the Signal/Offset LED blinking. After 50 blinks
PWD22/52 tries to start the program anyway. Usually this causes a
watchdog reset, if the SRAM is really faulty.
The data SRAM test is also done continuously in the background in

normal operation. If a SRAM error is detected, the watchdog resets the
system.
The checksum of the parameter memory (EEPROM) is calculated and

checked for test. An error in the checksum may be fatal (visibility is
indicated using /////). The cause is displayed in the status message.
The EEPROM checksum is calculated and checked during every update

of saved parameters and after restart.
Signal Monitoring
PWD22/52 measures the optical signal, receiver backscatter, and offset
as frequencies in about eight millisecond samples. As the measuring
times are 10 s, 1 s, and 4 s correspondingly, they must have different
numbers of samples in a batch. PWD22/52 checks that the frequencies
are not zero and signal sample count is bigger than the offset sample
count.
Errors in signal or offset are fatal, and data is set to /////.
Offset drift is monitored separately. The reference offset frequency is

given in the configuration session. If the drift is more than 10 Hz, the
software generates a warning.
The user can follow the progress of the measurement sequence as the
Signal/Offset LED sequence of 10 seconds on, and 5 seconds off.
Hardware Monitoring
An eight-channel analog-to-digital converter is used to measure hardware
signals and voltages. The STA command displays the internal monitoring
values (See section STA on page 75).
28 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Monitoring Contamination
PWD22/52 monitors both transmitter and receiver contamination by
measuring the backscattered signal.
The CLEAN command sets the clean reference values of the backscatter
signals. Deviation of the backscatter signal from the clean values is
proportional to the contamination on the lenses.
The alarm and warning limits are given in the configuration session. If
the alarm limit is exceeded, data is set to ///// and an alarm is generated.
The measured values are used only for warnings and alarms. No
compensation for the visibility signal is calculated.
Transmitter backscatter is measured by an analog circuit using the

transmitter LED as a light source. Its identifier is TR.BACKSCATTER
in the status message. TR.BACKSCATTER is smaller for higher
backscatter signals. Receiver backscatter is measured with the signal
receiver using an additional, controlled LED as a transmitter. The result
is in hertz. It is bigger, when more light is scattered back (REC.
BACKSCATTER).
Data Message Formats

PWD22/52 is a fully automatic instrument for continuous weather
measurement. Usually, PWD22/52 is set to either send data messages
automatically or be polled by a host computer.
In addition, a set of user commands is provided for configuring and

monitoring system performance. These commands are given in command
mode (see section Entering and Exiting Command Mode on page 51).
PWD22/52 has seven standard message formats for data message output.
PWD22/52 presents the weather type using:
- World Meteorological Organization (WMO) code table 4680

(WaWa, Present Weather reported from an automatic weather
station).
- WMO code table 4678 (METAR) format.
- United States National Weather Service (NWS) abbreviations.
Appendix C, NWS and WMO Code Tables, on page 113 lists the NWS
list and WMO codes.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 29
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
30 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Chapter 4 _______________________________________________________________ Installation
CHAPTER 4
INSTALLATION
This chapter provides information intended to help you install the

product.
Selecting Location
Finding a suitable site for Vaisala Present Weather Detector PWD22/52
is important for getting representative ambient measurements.
The main requirements for the location of PWD22/52 are:
1. Locate PWD22/52 a way that ensures measurements will be

representative of surrounding weather conditions.
- The ideal site for PWD22/52 has a minimum clearance of 100 m
from all large buildings and other structures that generate heat
and obstruct precipitation droplets. Avoid the shade of trees
because the trees may cause changes in the microclimate.
2. Ensure the site is free of obstacles and reflective surfaces disturbing
the optical measurement as well as obvious sources of
contamination.
- It is recommended that there are no obstacles in the line-of-sight
of the transmitter and receiver units (see Figure 7 on page 32). If
obstacles reflect the transmitter beam back to the receiver unit,
the sensor indicates too low MOR values because the reflected
signal cannot be distinguished from the actual scatter signal.
To detect reflections, rotate the sensor cross arm. Check the
visibility readings the corresponding visibility reading will
change depending on the cross arm orientation.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 31
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
0308-003
Figure 7 Recommended Location of PWD22/52 Sensor.
A = Sensor mounted on a supporting arm.

B = Sensor mounted on top of a mast.
- Do not point the receiver and transmitter optics towards

powerful light sources. It is recommended that the receiver
points north in the northern hemisphere, and south in the
southern hemisphere. The receiver circuit may become saturated
in bright light, in which case the built-in diagnostics indicate a
warning. Bright daylight also increases the noise level in the
receiver.
- Face the transmitter and receiver away from any obvious source
of contamination such as spray from passing vehicles. Dirty
lenses cause the sensor to report too high visibility values.
Excessive contamination is automatically detected by the sensor.
- In the road environment, face the receiver away from passing
vehicles. The preferred orientation is along the road, with a
receiver pointing towards driving direction of the closest lane.
The possible reflections from the passing cars can generate false
snow detections in winter.
3. Ensure power supply and communication lines are available.
- Consider the available power supply and communication lines,
as this influences the amount of work and accessories needed,
and installation cost.
Although PWD22/52 is designed to withstand harsh weather conditions,
there are locations where the environment places further demands on the
equipment. For harsh wintry conditions, optional hood heaters are
available to prevent ice and snow accumulation.
32 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Grounding and Lightning Protection

Equipment Grounding
Equipment grounding protects the electrical modules of PWD22/52
against lightning and prevents radio frequency interference. Equipment
grounding for PWD22/52 is done using the weather station grounding
cable.
Follow the grounding principles:
- Install the grounding rod as close to the pole mast as possible to

minimize the length of the grounding cable. The grounding cable can
also be cast inside the concrete base.
- The length of the grounding rod depends on the local groundwater
level. The lower end of the grounding rod should touch moist soil
continuously.
- Check the quality of the grounding with a georesistance meter. The
resistance must be less than 10 Ω.
Internal Grounding
The electronics enclosure of PWD22/52 is grounded by the power/data
cable jacket. The other parts of the sensor are in galvanic contact with
each other.
Grounding the Remote Units and the

Communication Cable
Ground remote units such as the PC data logger and display, and protect
them against lightning.
WARNING!
A lightning strike through a communication wire can cause a voltage

surge dangerous to life at remote sites if the remote units are not properly
grounded.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 33
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Installation Procedure
This section describes only one installation alternative using a sensor
support arm and Vaisala weather station as the host computer.
Unpacking PWD22/52
The delivery contents are specified in the packing list included with the
delivery documents. The PWD22/52 equipment is usually delivered in
one case.
Handle the case gently. Do not drop it.
To unpack PWD22/52:
1. Read the packing list supplied with the delivery documents.

Compare the packing list against the purchase order to make sure
that the shipment is complete.
2. Open the cover. In case of any discrepancies or damage, contact the
supplier immediately.
3. Place the packing materials and cover back in the delivery case and
store them for possible reshipment.
Do not touch or hit the Vaisala RAINCAP® Rain Sensor plate. It is

fragile.
Do not bend the signal cable with less than 2 cm (1 inch) radius, and do
not leave it unsupported to lean to the ground or table.
Storage
Store PWD22/52 in its package in dry conditions, not in the open air. The
storage conditions are as follows:
- Temperature -40 °C to 70 °C
- Relative humidity up to 95 %
34 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Mounting
To mount PWD22/52, do one of the following:
- Attach PWD22/52 on the support arm with the Standard Mounting

Clamp.
0308-005
Figure 8 Installing PWD22/52 on the Support Arm
- Install the sensor on the mast with Vaisala Clamp Assembly. Note that
you need an optional Mounting Clamp for Pole Mast for the mast
assembly.
0308-004
Figure 9 Installing the Sensor on the Mast with Optional

Mounting Clamp
Do not touch the RAINCAP® plate.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 35
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Connections
Connecting Cables
The PWD22/52 enclosure is equipped with a connector for connecting
the signal and power cable. The connector enables easy installation and
maintenance. The cable shield and connector is grounded to the
PWD22/52 enclosure to keep EMI levels within the specifications.
1. Connect the PWD22/52 mast cable (power and signal cable) to a

fixed connector underneath the PWD22/52 housing.
2. Test if the connector swings. If it swings, the mating surface of the
connector is not sealed and it will leak. The connector terminals
will be exposed to weather.
1502-006
Figure 10 Testing the Connector
3. Tighten the connector.
CAUTION!
Tighten the connector so that the cable connector does not swing when
tightened.
Insulate the unused wires of the PWD22/52 mast cable from each other,
for example, by connecting them to void screw terminals in the junction
box.
36 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Basic Wiring
The PWD22/52 cable has 16 connection wires.
Table 6 Receptable Connector Default Wiring

Signal Name PWC15PB PWC- Mast cable Wire Color Remarks
board connector
Sensor DC Power + X1 - 1 X1 - 4 RED Jump wire
Sensor DC Power + X1 - 2 1 RED
Sensor DC Power GND X1 - 3 2 BLK
Sensor DC Power GND X1 - 4 X1 - 5 BLK Jump wire
Hood heater foil X1 - 5 BLK PWC15PBHeater
foil
Hood heater foil X1 - 6 BLK PWC15PBHeater
foil
Heating power + X1 - 7 13, 14 WHT/GRN All four heating power
BRN/GRN wires must be
Heating power - X1 - 8 15, 16 WHT/YEL connected due to high
BRN/YEL current.
RS-485B ( - ) X1 - 2 3 WHT
RS-485A ( + ) X1 - 3 4 BRN
RS-232Tx/PWD X2 - 2 5 GRN PC serial port
connector D9 pin 2 or
ROSA Service
Connector pin 4
RS-232 Rx X2 - 3 6 YEL PC serial port
ROSA Service
Connector pin 3
RS-232 GND X2 - 1 7 GRY PC serial port
ROSA Service
Connector pin 5
Relay Control 1 X4 - 6 10 GRY/PNK
Relay Control 2 X4 - 7 11 RED/BLU
Relay Control 3/ X4 - 5 12 VIO Function of the pin is
Ext Vb chosen by jumper
X11.
Ext Vb X3 - 9 8 PNK Output voltage of the
pin is +12VDC in
reference to GND (X4-
8 and X2-1).
Analog output X3 - 12 9 BLU Current range is
chosen by jumper X13
located under the
PWC15PB.
Shield Chassis Chassis Shield Shield Connected to
equipment grounding.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 37
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
0104-002
Figure 11 Cabling Principle
0309-044
Figure 12 Maintenance Cable
38 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Power Supply
Power supply can be connected separately for the measurement
electronics and heating. This allows for the battery backup to be limited
to the measurement power supply.
Measurement electronics require 12 VDC ... 50 VDC. All the heaters can
take AC, DC, or rectified AC. The heater voltage dimensions are
specified below.
Internal Heaters and Heaters for PWL111

The heaters for Background Luminance Sensor PWL111 (optional) are
parallel to the PWD22/52 internal heaters (connector X18 on the
PWC22/52 board). Both heaters are powered by the PWD operating
voltage line and the DC voltage level must be between 12 V and 28 V
(24 V recommended).
If the DC voltage is as low as 12 V, the jumpers inside PWL111 must be

set to 12 V to guarantee sufficient heating power. To access the jumpers,
open the two screws on PWL111 back cover. See jumper settings in
Figure 13.
1206-035
Figure 13 PWL111 Jumper Settings
Heating Voltage Jumper Locations

12 V A, D
24 V B, C
PWH111 Hood Heaters

A separate heating power of 24 V must be applied when using hood
heaters. They use 30 W each, for a total of 60 W.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 39
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Communication Options
PWD22/52 has one serial line with two interfaces. The two-wire RS-485
is the standard interface. The PWD22/52 software is designed to allow
the RS-232 interface to be used as a service line, when the RS-485
interface is connected to the host computer.
Usually, PWD22/52 waits for input from both the RS-232 and RS-485
interfaces. Any character from the RS-232 interface disables the RS-485
communication for 10 seconds or until the line is closed by the operator.
Automatic messages are sent to both interfaces along with the messages
polled from the RS-485 interface.
Serial Communication Settings

The default settings of the serial communications port are:
- 9600 baud
- Even parity
- 7 data bits
- 1 stop bit
Serial Transmission RS-232

For the RS-232 communication, connect the PWD22/52 signal wires:
- YEL to PC 3/9: TxD RS-232

- GRN to PC 2/9: RxD RS-232
- GRY to PC 5/9: GND
Vaisala recommends that the maximum length of the RS-232 cable is
50 m. Usually, the RS-232 connection can be used with distances up to
100 m without problems but that cannot be guaranteed.
40 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Serial Multipoint Transmission RS-485

The RS-485 transmission standard allows several PWD22/52s to
communicate (half duplex) with the host computer using a single twisted
pair. For the RS-485 communication connect the PWD22/52 signal wires
to:
- BRN RS-485 A (+)

- WHT RS-485 B (-)
In some RS232/RS-485 converters, the markings may be mixed. If the

connection does not work properly, switch the position of the wires.
The wiring and wire colors are identical in PWD11 and PWD22/52.
Connection of the Maintenance Terminal

Any computer equipped with terminal emulation software or a VT 100
compatible terminal with RS-232 serial interface can be used as a
Maintenance Terminal for PWD22/52.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 41
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Relay Controls
PWD22/52 has three open collector relay controls that are controlled by
software using the alarms limits set in the CONF command.
The three PWD22/52 relay controls can be driven by the visibility limits.
The third relay control can also be driven by the hardware status.
- ALARM LIMIT 1
- ALARM LIMIT 2
- ALARM LIMIT 3
These are visibility alarm limits of 10-minute average. Limit value 0

indicates that this limit is not used. The three visibility limits are
independent of each other, which means that ALARM LIMIT 1 sets the
limit for RELAY CONTROL 1 only. ALARM LIMIT 2 sets the limit for
RELAY CONTROL 2 only and so on. For example, RELAY CONTROL
1 is pulling whenever visibility is lower than ALARM LIMIT 1. See
Table 7 and Table 8 below.
- RELAY ON DELAY
- RELAY OFF DELAY
The visibility alarm conditions must last the corresponding time in

minutes specified in RELAY ON/OFF DELAY parameter before the
relay control changes. The default delays are five minutes.
Below is a table with a control logic example of relay controls 1 and 2

when the third relay control is driven by hardware status.
Table 7 Control Logic of Relay Controls 1 and 2

States of Relay 1 and 2 Corresponding Visibility Conditions
1 OFF 2 OFF When visibility is higher than LIMIT 1 and LIMIT 2.
1 ON 2 OFF When visibility is lower than LIMIT 1 but higher
than LIMIT 2.
1 ON 2 ON When visibility is lower than LIMIT 1 and LIMIT 2.
The table below shows a control logic example of relay controls 1 and 2
and 3 when all the relay controls are driven by visibility limits.
Table 8 Control Logic of Relay Controls 1, 2, and 3

Relay States Corresponding Visibility Conditions
1 OFF 2 OFF 3 OFF When visibility is higher than all the limits.
1 ON 2 OFF 3 OFF When visibility is lower than LIMIT 1 but higher than
LIMIT 2 and LIMIT 3.
1 ON 2 ON 3 OFF When visibility is lower than LIMIT 1 and LIMIT 2 but
higher than LIMIT 3.
1 ON 2 ON 3 ON When visibility is lower than all the limits.
42 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
When the third relay control output is set to be driven by the hardware
status, it pulls whenever a hardware alarm is detected. For details, see
section System Configuration Commands on page 64.
PWC board Cable Box
Relay 1
VB12V X3-9
(X4-5)
Control 1
X4-6
Relay 2
X4-7
X4-5
DGND X4-8
wires: X3-9 or X4-5 PNK

X4-5 VIO Relay 3
X4-6 GRY/PNK
X4-7 RED/BLU
1008-015
Figure 14 Relay Connection: PWD22/52 Supplies
Figure 14 illustrates the external relay connections when relay coils are
powered by PWD22/52. Voltage pin VB 12 V and relay controls 1, 2,
and 3 are wired by default.
The 100R series resistors limit the current of the relay ports. A typical
relay recommendation for the minimum operating or pick-up voltage
over the relay is around 0.8 *12 V. Thus the relay’s pick-up current must
be not more than 24 mA which means the coil resistance is 400 or more.
If external relays require a higher coil current, an external power supply

must be used for one or two of them.
Relay control 3 can be changed to 12 V external voltage output by

jumper X11.
Figure 15 illustrates external relays connecting when relay coils are

powered by external voltage. In this case, one of the unused wires must
be changed to ground pin (X4-8, see Appendix B). For example, if
voltage pin X3-9 is not used, the pink wire may be changed to pin X4-8.
The other end of the changed wire must be connected to the ground
potential of the external relay power source.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 43
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
PWC board Cable Box
+5...12V supply
Relay 1
Control 1
X4-6
X4-7
Relay 2
X4-5
DGND
X4-8
wires: X4-5 VIO

X4-6 GRY/PNK
X4-7 RED/BLU
Relay 3
GND (12V)
1008-016
Figure 15 Relay Connection: External Relay Supply
You can also use Ext Vb voltage, nominally 12V, to supply the relays.
Then PWD limits the corresponding current to < 200 mA.
RELAY Command
Set/display the relay control states.
When you type the following:

>RELAY
The result is the following:

RELAYS OFF OFF OFF
All relay controls can be set on by typing the following:

>RELAY ON
Relay control 1 can be set on until ESC is pressed. See the example
below:
>RELAY 1 ON
44 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Initial Settings
PWD22/52 typically interfaces with a host computer or data logger in an
automatic weather observing system. After the physical connection has
been made, the details of the communication can be configured in the
software. Suitable communication settings depend on the system
implementation.
By default the sensor is on a polled mode. That is, a data message is only
sent when the host computer requests one with a command.
The sensor can also be used in an automatic message mode. The

automatic message mode transmits a new ASCII data message through
the serial line automatically. The interval and message type can be
changed by the user (the AMES command). In addition, the baud rate of
the serial line can be changed to other value, and the data frame can be
selected between 7 data bits, even parity, one stop bit, and 8 data bits, no
parity, one stop bit.
Table 9 describes the default communication settings.
Table 9 Default Communication Settings

Setting Default
Baud rate 9600 bps (7E1)
Polled or automatic mode, message type Polled mode
Sensor ID No ID set
In multipoint communication, where several sensors share the same

communication line, use PWD22/52 in polled mode with distinct
identifiers for individual sensors.
Table 10 lists the commands for changing the default settings. For details
on the commands, see Chapter 5, Operation on page 49.
Table 10 Default Settings Commands

Operation Command
Baud rate selection BAUD
Polled or automatic mode, message type setting AMES
Sensor ID configuration CONF
Weather Parameters
PWD22/52 has several changeable parameters, which control the
operation of the present weather algorithm and precipitation
measurement. The parameter values set at the factory have been tested
and found appropriate. They usually do not need to be changed. There
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 45
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
may, however, be conditions where other parameter values give better

results.
Table 11 below lists the commands for displaying and changing the
parameters.
Table 11 Display and Change Parameters Commands

Operation Command
Parameter listing WPAR
Parameter setting WSET
Local practice may require changes, especially in the precipitation

intensity limits (moderate, heavy). See section WSET on page 61 for a
description of the WSET command.
The precipitation intensity and amount measurement is not calibrated at

the factory. Higher accuracy can be achieved by adjusting a scaling
factor (RAIN INTENSITY SCALE) with the WSET command. The new
scaling factor can be calculated by comparing PWD22/52 against a
reference rain gauge. See section WSET on page 61 for a description of
the WSET command, and for further instructions.
The low visibility alarm limits (3) are zero by default. That is, no alarms
are generated and no relays are activated.
Use the CONF command to set the alarm limits.
Verifying the Installation

Before connecting PWD22/52 to a weather station or other host verify
the basic installation:
1. Connect a terminal through RS-232 serial line to the sensor.

2. Set the terminal baud rate to 9600 bps and the data frame to contain
7 data bits, 1 stop bit, even parity.
3. Switch the power supply on.
4. After startup, the PWD22/52 output is the following:
VAISALA PWDxx V x.xx YYYY-MM-DD SN:XXXXXX
ID is also included, if configured. Example:
VAISALA PWDxx V x.xx YYYY-MM-DD SN:XXXXXX ID STRING: 1
If the output is not as in the above example, check the cabling and
baud rate of the service terminal (program). If wrong characters are
shown, try other baud rates, such as, 300, 1200, 2400, and 4800.
46 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
5. Wait 20 seconds and go to command mode with the OPEN

command.
6. Check with the STA command that no hardware errors or warnings
are detected.
7. Leave the command mode by typing CLOSE.
If it has not been disabled, check that the automatic message
appears in the display.
Other commands are described in Chapter 5, Operation, on page 49.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 47
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
48 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Chapter 5 ________________________________________________________________ Operation
CHAPTER 5
OPERATION
This chapter contains information needed to operate this product.
Getting Started
Vaisala Present Weather Detector PWD22/52 is a fully automatic
instrument for continuous weather measurement. Usually, PWD22/52 is
set either to send a data message automatically or it is polled by a host
computer. In addition, a set of user commands is provided for
configuring and monitoring the system performance. These commands
can be given in the command mode (see Entering and Exiting Command
Mode on page 51).
PWD22/52 has seven different standard message formats for data

message output. It presents the weather type using the World
Meteorological Organization (WMO) code table 4680 (WaWa, in other
words, Present Weather reported from an automatic weather station).
PWD22/52 reports present weather also in WMO code table 4678
(METAR) format. In addition, the United States National Weather
Service (NWS) abbreviations are available. The NWS list and WMO
codes is presented in Appendix C, NWS and WMO Code Tables, on
page 113.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 49
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Operating Instructions
Normal operation of PWD22/52 does not require user intervention.
Operator commands are used during the initial setup, routine
maintenance, and troubleshooting.
When the sensor is installed, the user may need to change some default
settings. Initial Settings on page 45 describes the initial setup. Table 12
describes the settings and corresponding commands.
Table 12 Settings and Corresponding Commands

Setting Command
Baud rate BAUD
Polled or automatic mode, message type AMES
Sensor ID CONF
Weather algorithm parameters WSET
Table 13 describes the commands for routine maintenance operations.
Table 13 Routine Maintenance Commands

Operation Commands
Sensor cleaning CLEAN (optional)
Visibility calibration ZERO, CHECK, CAL
The standard output messages contain a status character, which presents

the results of the internal diagnostics to the host computer or the user. If
the sensor indicates a warning or an alarm in a standard output message,
the host computer or the user can get a detailed status report with the
STA command. The status report can also be polled (Message 3) in place
of the standard data message. Usually, the detailed status information is
sufficient for locating the fault.
50 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Entering and Exiting Command Mode

Before any commands can be given to PWD22/52, the communication
line in PWD22/52 has to be assigned to the operator. Otherwise, it is
assigned to automatic messages or polled communication. The user
assigns the command mode with the OPEN command.
OPEN
If no device identifier (ID) is defined, type:
OPEN
If the ID is defined, for example, as A, type:

OPEN A
If the ID is defined but forgotten, type:

OPEN *
If there are two or more different sensors connected to the same

RS-485 line, and if the sensors have the same ID, open PWD22/52 by
typing the following command:
OPEN PWD {id number}
PWD22/52 answers as follows:

LINE OPENED FOR OPERATOR COMMANDS
If no input is given within 60 seconds, PWD22/52 closes the line

automatically.
CLOSE
Use the CLOSE command to release the line to automatic data messages
or polling commands.

LINE CLOSED
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 51
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Message Types
Message 2 is the standard present weather message. The length of the
STA Message 3 depends on the possible alarm and warning states.
PWD22/52 adds frame strings to the polled and automatic messages. The
content of the frame strings is presented in the following:
S
H PW idSXmessage bodyEXCRLF
where
S
H = Start of heading (ASCII 1, non-printable character)
PW = PWD sensor identifier
= Space character
id = Unit identifier, 2 characters. If the ID is not defined, characters
space and 1 are shown.
S
X = Start of text (ASCII 2, non-printable character)
message body
E
X = End of text (ASCII 3, non-printable character)
C L
R F = CR + LF (ASCII 13 + ASCII 10)
Figure 16 below shows the contents of Messages 0, 1, and 2.
10 680 1230 ← THE FIRST ROW IS THE OUTPUT

↓↓ ↓ ↓
------ 10 min average visibility  FIELD
------- one minute average visibility  DESCRIPTIONS
- 1=hardware error, 2= hardware warning, 
3= backscatter alarm, 4= backscatter warning
- 1= visibility alarm 1, 2= visibility alarm 2,
3 = visibility alarm 3
Example with frames

□PW 1□00 680 1230□
S
H PW 1 S X 00 680 1230 E X C R L F
1234567890123456789012345
NUMBERS mark the character positions.
Figure 16 Contents of Messages 0, 1, and 2
52 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Message 0
Message 0 displays the one-minute average visibility and ten-minute
average visibility.
00 680 1230
------ 10 minute average visibility
------- one minute average visibility
- 1=hardware error, 2= hardware warning,
3=visibility alarm 3
The following is an example with frames:

□PW 1□00 680 1230□
S
PW 1SX00
H 680 1230EXCRLF
1234567890123456789012345
Message 1
Message 1 displays the one-minute average visibility, instant
precipitation type, and the one-minute average water intensity.
00 1839 61 0.3
------ water intensity 1min ave, mm/h
--- instant precipitation type, 0 ... 99
------- visibility one minute average
3= visibility alarm 3

□PW 1□00 1839 61 0.3□
S
HPW 1SX00 1839 61 0.3EXCRLF
1234567890123456789012345678
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 53
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Message 2
Message 2 is the standard present weather message used in data loggers
or display units and set as a default at the factory.
Example for PWD22:

00 1839 1505 R- 61 61 61 0.33 12.16
0
--- cumulative snow
sum,0...999mm
------ cumulative water
sum,0...99.99mm
------- water intensity 1 min
ave,mm/h
--- one hour present weather code,
0...99
--- 15 minute present weather code,
0...99
--- instant present weather code, 0 ... 99
---- instant present weather, NWS codes
------ visibility ten minute average, max 20000m
------ visibility one minute average, max 20000m
- 1=hardware error, 2= hardware warning

□PW 1□00 1839 1505 C 61 61 61 0.33 12.16 0□
S
PW 1SX00 1839 1505 C 61 61 61
H 0.33 12.16 0EXCRLF
12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456
The examples illustrate message 2 when using PWD22. The maximum

visibility varies according to the product model. The messages are
otherwise identical.
Message 3
Message 3 is the same as the status message obtained by the STA
command. See status message description in section Maintenance
Commands on page 75.
Message 4
Message 4 is for replacing Fumosens E visibility sensors.
54 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Messages 5 and 6
Messages 5 and 6 are for message emulation of MITRAS
Transmissometer.
Message 7
Message 7 is for aviation-specific purposes. The message format is same
as in FD12P message 7.
Example for PWD22:

00 6839 7505 R 61 61 61 0.33 12.16
23.4 12345 0
-----
background
luminance,
cd/m²
------ Temp
----- cum. snow sum
------- cumulative water sum
------- prec. water intensity,mm/h
--- 1 hour pw code, 0... 99
--- 15 minute pw code, 0 ... 99
--- instant present weather code, 0 ... 99
---- instant present weather, NWS codes
------ visibility ten minute average, max 20000m
------ visibility one minute average, max 20000m
-RA , instant METAR weather codes

RERA , recent METAR weather (RE criteria used)

□PW 1□00 6839 7505 R 61 61 61 0.33 12.16 0 23.4 12345
-RA
RERA
□
S S C L
HPW 1 X00 6839 7505 R 61 61 61 0.33 12.16 0 23.4 12345 R F
C L
-RA R F
C L
RERA R F
E C L
X R F
1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567
Message 7 consists of three lines. METAR present weather codes are

output on the second and third lines. These lines are not of fixed length
because the METAR codes can be combined in many ways. The
METAR codes may be omitted, but the message lines are always
terminated by a carriage return and line feed characters.
The examples illustrate message 7 when using PWD22. The maximum

visibility varies according to the product model. The messages are
otherwise identical.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 55
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Automatic Message Sending

In the automatic (CLOSE) mode PWD22/52 sends the predefined
message at defined intervals.
The AMES command defines the automatic message internal AMES

Message_number Message_interval
where
Message_number = Valid range 0 ... 7. Selects the corresponding
message. Negative message numbers are
converted to 0. If only the message number is
given, the previous message interval setting is
used.
Message_interval = Given in multiples of 15 s (= measuring
interval). Therefore, intervals 15, 30, 45... are
valid. Other intervals are converted to
multiples of 15 s. The maximum sending
interval is 255 s (4 min 15 s).
See the example below:

AMES 0 60
Selects message number 0 to be sent once in a minute.
Messages can also be displayed in the command mode with the MES
command, as described in section MES on page 60.
56 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Message Polling
In the polled (CLOSE) mode, PWD22/52 sends a data message when the
host computer transmits a polling command. The message polling mode
is selected with the following command:
AMES Message_number 0
where
Message_number = Valid range 0 ... 7. Selects the corresponding
message as the default polled message.
Negative message numbers are converted to 0.
Message_interval = Use the negative or zero interval to disable
automatic sending when messages are polled.
For example:
AMES 0 0
The above command selects message 0 for default answer for the polling
and cancels the automatic sending.
The polling command format is the following:

C E
R Q PW id message_numberCR
where
C
R = ASCII character 13 hex (Carriage Return)
E
Q = ASCII character 05 hex (CTRL-E).
id = Selected in the configuration.
message number = This is optional.
C
R = ASCII character 13 hex (Carriage Return)
When the PWD22/52 unit number one (ID=1) is polled for message
number 3 (status), the command format is the following:
C E C
R Q PW 1 3 R
This format can be used in all cases.
Use character 1 as the ID if the ID has not been set but a specific
message type is polled. This allows the PWD22/52 software to
distinguish the ID from the message number.
Use the CREQPWCR command only if one PWD22/52 unit is on the line (no
ID is set) and the default message is wanted.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 57
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
PWD22/52 does not echo the polling character string.
The answer message format is the following:

S
HPW idSXtextEXCRLF
The ID has a two-character field because it can be two characters long.
An example of the polled (and automatic) message 0 format is the

following:
S
HPW 1SX00 500 700EXCRLF
PWD22/52 waits about 100 ms before it transmits the polled message to

give the host time to switch the RS-485 line to the receive mode.
For compatibility in the system level, PWD22/52 also accepts FD instead

of PW in the polling commands because the data message formats and
framing are the same as in the VAISALA FD12 and FD12P sensors. If
PWD22/52 is polled by CREQFD 1 2CR, the answer starts with SHFD 1SX..
Precipitation Sums
PWD22/52 has no internal clock for automatic resetting of the sum data
at certain times. This can be done by the host with the following
command:
E
C PW 0 CCR
where
E
C = ESC (ASCII character 1B hex).
C
R = Carriage Return (13 hex.)
PWD22/52 responds to the accepted command with the ASCII character

<AK (06 hex).
The host computer can also maintain its own sum calculated from the
continuous PWD22/52 data. This may be safer, if the PWD22/52 power
breaks often and resets the sums before the scheduled time. The water
sum automatically resets when it reaches 99.99 mm and the snow sum at
999 mm.
58 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Commands
PWD22/52 Commands
HELP
Use HELP to get information about available commands.
Table 14 Command Set

Command Description
OPEN Assigns the line for operator commands.
CLOSE Releases the line for automatic messages.
MES Number Displays data message.
AMES Number Interval Automatic message (with parameters Number
and Interval)
CLRS Clears precipitation sums.
STA Displays status.
PAR Parameter message.
HIST Parameter For Vaisala systems use.
INTV Time For Vaisala systems use.
TIME hh:mm:ss Set/Display system time.
DATE yyyy:mm:dd Set/Display system date.
WPAR Weather parameter message.
CHEC Displays calibrator test signal.
ZERO Displays zero and noise test status.
CAL Calibrator_frequency Calibration.
CONF Password Updates configuration.
WSET PRW reference values.
CLEAN Sets clean references.
BAUD Rate Commn._type Baud rate setting
(Rate 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600)
(Communication type E (7E1) or N (8N1))
DRY ON Sets RAINCAP® dry offset.
WET ON Sets RAINCAP® wet scale.
ACAL Analog output calibration.
BLSC Background luminance scale / enable.
RESET Hardware reset by watchdog.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 59
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
MES
After opening the line for operator commands (see section Entering and
Exiting Command Mode on page 51), use the MES command to display
a data message. See section Message Types on page 52 for message type
descriptions.
The command format is the following:
MES Message_number
The valid range is 0 ... 7.
For example, to choose the data message number 0, type the following:
>MES 0
AMES
The AMES command defines the message, which PWD22/52 transmits
as the automatic message or as the default polled message. See section
Automatic Message Sending on page 56.
Weather Related Commands

Use the following commands to display/set the weather analysis
parameters and results.
- WPAR Weather parameter message
- WSET PRW reference values
- CLRS Clear precipitation sums
60 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
WPAR
The WPAR command displays the present weather analysis parameters.
WEATHER PARAMETERS
PRECIPITATION LIMIT 40
WEATHER UPDATE DELAY 6
RAIN INTENSITY SCALE 1.00
HEAVY RAIN LIMIT 8.0
LIGHT RAIN LIMIT 2.0
SNOW LIMIT 5.0
HEAVY SNOW LIMIT 600
LIGHT SNOW LIMIT 1200
DRD SCALE 1.0
DRD DRY OFFSET 809.5
DRD WET SCALE 0.0017
WSET
Use the WSET command to modify present weather analysis parameters.
The WSET command asks for one parameter at a time, showing the
parameter name and the current setting. Accept the current value by
pressing ENTER. Add a new value by typing the value before pressing
ENTER.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 61
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
The output is as follows:
SET PRESENT WEATHER PARAMETERS

PRECIPITATION LIMIT ( 40)
WEATHER UPDATE DELAY ( 6)
SYNOP HAZE LIMIT ( 10000)
METAR HAZE LIMIT ( 5000)
RAIN INTENSITY SCALE ( 1.00)
HEAVY RAIN LIMIT ( 8)
LIGHT RAIN LIMIT ( 2)
SNOW LIMIT ( 5.0)
HEAVY SNOW LIMIT ( 600)
LIGHT SNOW LIMIT ( 1200)
DRD SCALE ( 1.0)
where
Precipitation limit = The threshold of accumulated particle
magnitudes (in PWD22/52 internal units) to
report the precipitation state 'on'. A typical
parameter value is 20 to 60 (max. 255). A
smaller value is more sensitive operation
and faster response at the beginning of an
event. It is also more sensitive to false rain
and snow reports.
Weather update delay = A time as multiple of 15 seconds, during
which the instant precipitation type is not
changed. The intensity may change faster.
Synop haze limit = Maximum visibility when mist or haze is
reported.
Metar haze limit = Maximum visibility when mist or haze is
reported.
Rain intensity scale = It is multiplied by the measured raw
intensity gives the reported precipitation
intensity (optical). The rain amount is scaled
with the same coefficient because the
amount is a direct integral of 15-second
intensities.
A typical value for the Rain intensity scale is
1.0. Since the optimal value depends on the
optical, optoelectronic, and electronic
parameters in a very complex way, no
applicable factory calibration method has
been developed yet.
Heavy rain limit = The minimum rain intensity (mm/h), when
the intensity is reported as heavy.
62 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
where
Light rain limit = The maximum rain intensity (mm/h), when
the intensity is reported as light. If rain
intensity is between the above heavy and
light limits, it is reported as moderate.
Snow limit = The minimum ratio of optical precipitation
intensity to surface sensor (RAINCAP®)
precipitation intensity, when precipitation is
snow.
A typical value for Snow limit is 5. Smaller
value directs PWD22/52 to report more wet
precipitation as snow.
Heavy snow limit = The maximum visibility (m) of two-minute

average in heavy snow.
Light snow limit = The minimum visibility (m) of two-minute
average in light snow. If snow is detected
and the two-minute average visibility is
between the above heavy and light limits,
snow intensity is reported as moderate.
DRD scale = The scaling factor for the calculated
intensity of the RAINCAP® surface sensor.
A typical value for this parameter is 1.0.
To calibrate the precipitation measurement, compare the PWD22/52 rain

amount to measurements made with a suitable reference rain gauge.
Make the comparison after a few rain events with 5 mm or more of total
accumulated rain. Calculate a new scaling factor using the following
formula:
NEWSCALE = OLDSCALE * (REF_AMOUNT / PWD_AMOUNT)
where
OLDSCALE = The old value of rain intensity scale.
REF_AMOUNT = The amount measured with the reference rain
gauge.
PWD_AMOUNT = The corresponding amount measured by
PWD22/52.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 63
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
CLRS
The CLRS command resets (to 0.00) the precipitation cumulative sums.
This can be done by the host with the following command:

E
C PW id CCR
where
E
C = ESC (ASCII character 1B hex.
< AK = ASCII character (06 hex).
C
R = ASCII character (13 hex.)
id = Identification number of PWD, for example, id = 0
System Configuration Commands

Use the following commands to display system parameters and to edit the
current system configuration:
- PAR, Parameter message

- CONF password, Updates configuration
- BAUD rate comm. type, Sets baud rate and type (Rate 300,
1200, 2400, 4800, 9600), (Communication type E (7E1) or N
(8N1)
PAR
Use the PAR system parameters command to display the current system
parameters.
The system output is the following (example for PWD22):

SYSTEM PARAMETERS
VAISALA PWD22 v 1.00 2003-04-09 SN:X1234567 ID STRING:
AUTOMATIC MESSAGE 0 INTERVAL 0
BAUD RATE: 9600 N81
ALARM LIMIT 1 0
ALARM LIMIT 2 0
ALARM LIMIT 3 0
RELAY ON DELAY 10 OFF DELAY 11
OFFSET REF 152.38
CLEAN REFERENCES
TRANSMITTER 5.0 RECEIVER 1200
CONTAMINATION WARNING LIMITS
CONTAMINATION ALARM LIMITS
SIGN SIGNAL 1 1.000
DAC MODE: EXT1
MAX VIS 20000, 20.0 mA
64 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
MIN VIS 180, 4.5 mA

20 mA SCALE_1 184.6, SC_0 -2.8
1 mA SCALE_1 184.8, SC_0 -1.4
CONF
Use the CONF configuration command to set or update system
parameters and adjust calibrations, reference values, and limits. Use
password protection to limit the use of this command. New parameter
values are saved in non-volatile memory (EEPROM).
With the CONF command, PWD22/52 retrieves the system parameters

one by one, showing the current value in most cases as the default. The
old settings do not change if users only press ENTER as the answer.
System parameters saved in the EEPROM are:
- Automatic message number

- Visibility alarm limits
- Offset reference
- Signal scale
- Password characters
- Unit id characters (2)
- References and limits for contamination monitoring
- Baud rate
- Serial number
- EEPROM checksum
- Relay control mode and Relay delays
- Analog output mode and range
- Hood heater usage
To prevent unauthorized changes to the system parameters, a four-
character password can be set. If no password is set, the command
continues as if it had the correct password.
When no password has been set, the command is the following:
CONF
When a password has been set in a previous session, the command

format (max. four character string, printable characters) is the following:
CONF password
If the previous password is known, the password can be changed with the
CONF password N command, where the N character stands for new.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 65
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
After receiving the correct password, the system requests a new

password. Press ENTER to remove the password. Otherwise, type a new
password.
Example system response to the CONF command for PWD22:

CONF. PASSWORD (4 CHARS MAX)
UPDATE CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS

UNIT ID (2 CHAR) () 1
UPDATED
SET REFERENCE PARAMETERS
OFFSET ( 156.47) Y
OFFSET REFERENCE UPDATED
MODE UPDATED
ALARM LIMIT 1 ( 0) 1500
ALARM LIMIT 1 UPDATED
RELAY CONTROL MODE
0 = 3*VIS, 1 = 2*VIS & HW ( 0) 1
RELAY ON DELAY ( 5)
RELAY OFF DELAY ( 5)
TRANSMITTER CONTAMINATION LIMITS
WARNING LIMIT ( 0.5)
ALARM LIMIT ( 3.0)
RECEIVER CONTAMINATION LIMITS
WARNING LIMIT ( 300)
ALARM LIMIT ( 600)
ANALOG OUTPUT MODE
0=LINEAR, 1=LN, 2=EXTI, 3=VGI, 4=VG2 ( 4)
ANALOG OUTPUT RANGE
MAX VISIBILITY ( 20000)
= mA ( 20.0)
MIN VISIBILITY ( 10)
= mA ( 4.0)
HOOD HEATERS USED 1=YES, 0=NO ( 0)
END OF CONFIGURATION
The output illustrates the response to the command when using PWD22.
With PWD52 the maximum visibility is 35000 meters. The system
responses are otherwise identical for PWD22 and PWD52.
66 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
The meaning of the questions asked by the system is described below.

Bold text indicates user actions. The old settings do not change if the
user only presses ENTER as the answer.
1. If there is no valid password, the system requests a new password:

CONF. PASSWORD (4 CHARACTERS MAX)
If a password update is requested by the N parameter and

an empty line is given as an answer, the password is
removed. Otherwise, the user enters a new password.
2. The system asks the following:

UPDATE CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS
UNIT ID (2 CHAR) ( 1)
If the PWD22/52 unit is named by one or two character ID
codes, the OPEN and polling commands use it as a
parameter.
The ID code is also included in the data message heading.

If no other ID is given, the default value is ID 1 in the
message heading.
The user can remove the current ID by pressing the

hyphen ( - ) as an answer to the question.
In multidrop configuration, where several sensors are on

the same communication line, the units are differentiated
by the ID.
3. The next CONF parameters are hardware or system dependent.

They can be changed from the factory set values to improve
performance or for maintenance purposes.
In the example configuration session:
The currently measured offset value (not a parameter) is

shown in the brackets:
OFFSET ( 136.86) Y
OFFSET REFERENCE UPDATED
4. After receiving the Y answer, the system accepts the offset

frequency as the reference parameter for hardware monitoring. The
parameter value is further compared with the current value to detect
drift or other failure in the optical signal measurement electronics.
5. Visibility alarm limits are checked to ensure that Limit 1 is higher
than Limit 2, and Limit 2 higher than Limit 3. Limit values are
expressed in meters.
ALARM LIMIT 1 ( 1000)
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 67
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________

ALARM LIMIT 3 ( 100)
In the example above, alarm Limit 2 gets a new value 300

m. When the visibility weakens below Limit 2, the data
message (0 ... 2) data status is set to 2. The STA message
does not show the visibility alarm.
The alarm limits are also used to control the two (pull
down) alarm controls. Control 1 sets when alarm 1 is on.
Control 2 sets when alarm 2 is on. Control 3 sets when
alarm 3 is on. The controls are usually used to for external
relays. For details on relay logic, see section Relay
Controls on page 42.
5. The CLEAN command performs backscatter/contamination by

checks compare the current values of the backscatter signal with
the reference values. The limits given here are limits for the change
in backscatter signals for the transmitter and receiver.
The transmitter values are in volts (V). The measurement
range is 0 ... 13 V, where 0 V is a blocked lens. The limit
value is given as a positive value although the signal
becomes smaller when contamination increases. A
contamination change of 5 V represents about a 10 %
decrease in the transmitter's lens transmittance (and also a
10 % increase in visibility indication).
TRANSMITTER CONTAMINATION LIMITS
WARNING LIMIT ( 1.0) 1.5
WARNING LIMIT UPDATED
ALARM LIMIT ( 5.0)
The receiver values are in hertz (Hz). The measurement

range is 0 ... 10 000 Hz, where 10000 Hz is a blocked lens.
A contamination change of 500 Hz represents about a 10
% decrease in the receiver's lens transmittance.
RECEIVER CONTAMINATION LIMITS
WARNING LIMIT ( 200)
ALARM LIMIT ( 500) 600
ALARM LIMIT UPDATED
For details on the analog output modes, see section Analog

Output Modes on page 71.
ANALOG OUTPUT MODE
0=LINEAR, 1=LN, 2=EXTI, 3=VGI, 4=VG2 ( 4)
ANALOG OUTPUT RANGE
MAX VISIBILITY ( 20000)
= mA ( 20.0)
MIN VISIBILITY ( 10)
= mA ( 4.0)
68 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Hood Heaters
By default 0, no hood heaters are used. The hood heater option is factory
installed and may be used or disabled in the CONF session. All the
PWD22/52 heaters are switched ON below 2 °C and off at 5 °C. When
using hood heaters, a separate 24 V heating power must be supplied.
Hood heating power is 30 W for each hood.
BAUD
Use the following command to change the baud rate and communication
type:
BAUD value communication_type
Baud rates 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600
Communication types E (7E1) and N (8N1)
The new value is saved in EEPROM and it is used also after reset or
power up. The default baud rate set at the factory is 9600 bps (7E1). The
communication type definition is optional. It does not change if the baud
rate is changed.
The BAUD command displays the current baud rate and communication
type.
BAUD RATE: 9600 E71
Analog Output
Analog output is wired in the default configuration.
The analog output connection is set at the factory as shown in Figure 17.
You must do the differential measurement connection at the user's end,
which is also shown in Figure 17.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 69
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
1206-027
Figure 17 Analog Current Output Connection
If the PWD cable is so long that the 12 V power output is inadequate,

create an analog output connection as shown in Figure 18 on page 71.
When using the external power output, one unused wire must be
connected between the X4-8 connector on the PWD CPU board and the
ground of the data collector at the user's end. One of the following wires
can be used for this if they are not in use anywhere else:
- VIO
- GRY/PNK
- RED/BLU
- PNK
- GRY
For instructions on how to remove the protection board, see Figure 22 on

page 91.
70 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
1206-028
Figure 18 Analog Current Output Connection (External Current

Source)
Analog Output Modes

By default, the analog outputs are disabled. The default value of MAX
VISIBILITY and MIN VISIBILITY is 0. You can enable the analog
outputs by setting the analog output range. Use the CONF command to
set the ANALOG OUTPUT RANGE parameters MAX VISIBILITY and
MIN VISIBILITY. For further information on the CONF command,
refer to CONF on page 65.
MIN VISIBILITY defines the visibility value where the analog output
has its lowest value. In most cases this is 10, but other values can also be
used depending on the application.
MAX VISIBILITY defines the visibility value where the analog output
has its highest value. In most cases this is the visibility measurement
range of the sensor (20000 for PWD22 and 35000 for PWD52), but other
values can also be used.
The analog output range can be either 0 … 20 mA or 0 … 1 mA, you can

select this by using jumper X13. For details, see Appendix B, PWC22/52
Connectors and Jumper Settings on page 109.
Mode 0
Mode 0 indicates standard linear visibility to the current mode. The
maximum visibility must be higher than the minimum visibility as well
as the corresponding currents.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 71
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Mode 1
Mode 1 is the logarithmic mode and it uses ln (visibility) values for the
output. The calculation is the following:
I out
= I min + (I range ⋅ X coeff ),
where
Iout = Current that flows to analog output current sink.
Imin = Specified lowest output current value (for example 4 mA)
Irange = Current range specified
(for example Irange = 20 mA - 4 mA =16 mA)
 VIS i 
ln 
ln(VIS i ) − ln(VIS min )  VIS min 
X coeff = = ,
ln(VIS max ) − ln(VIS min )  VIS max 
ln 
 VIS min 
where
VISi = Initial visibility value in meters
VISmin = Lowest visibility value specified in configuration
(for example 10 m or 100 m).
VISmax = Corresponding maximum visibility value (for example
2000 m or 20000 m).
The corresponding DAC output LSB value is calculated from Iout by

using DAC scale parameters.
Mode 2
Mode 2 is the extinction mode, which gives lower output for higher
visibility. The maximum visibility must be higher than the minimum.
The corresponding currents are automatically handled so that the lower
current corresponds to the maximum visibility. The calculation is the
following:
I out
= I max − (I range ⋅ X coeff ),
where
Iout = Current that flows to analog output current sink.
Imax = Specified highest output current value (for example 20 mA).
Irange = Current range specified
(for example Irange = 20 mA - 4 mA =16 mA)
72 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
 VIS i 
ln 
ln(VIS i ) − ln(VIS min )  VIS min 
X coeff = = ,
ln(VIS max ) − ln(VIS min )  VIS max 
ln 
 VIS min 
where
VISi = Initial visibility value in meters.
VISmin = Lowest visibility value specified in configuration
(for example 10 m or 100 m).
VISmax = Corresponding maximum visibility value (for example
2000 m or 20000 m).
The corresponding DAC output LSB value is calculated from Iout by

using DAC scale parameters.
Mode 3
Mode 3 is the non-linear Videograph mode . The visibility range from
100 m to 10000 m corresponds to the current range of 1 ... 0 mA.
Mode 4
Mode 4 is the non-linear Videograph mode . The visibility range from
180 m to 20000 m corresponds to the current range of 1 ... 0.1 mA.
Analog Output Calibration

The analog output is initially calibrated at the factory. The analog output
has two ranges, 0 ... 1 mA and 0 ... 20 mA. The range is selected
according to the jumper.
In the calibration command, the internal scaling factors for milliamperes

to hardware control bits are calculated.
PWD22/52 set two-bit patterns to the DAC circuit and asks for the
corresponding measured currents. If the higher current is less than
2 mA, PWD22/52 calculates the current range of 0 ... 1 mA. Otherwise, it
calculates the current range of 0 ... 20 mA.
To perform analog output calibration:
1. Connect a multimeter between the pink and the blue wires in

PWD22/52.
2. Give the ACAL command to PWD22/52.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 73
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
3. PWD22/52 sets two-bit values to the DAC hardware and requests

the corresponding currents. The currents can be measured with a
standard (calibrated) multimeter.
4. PWD22/52 calculates the bits/current scales.
Example of the calibration of PWD22 (current sink, 20 mA jumper):
Type the following command:

>ACAL
The output is the following:

MEASURED CURRENT (mA)
Enter the value, for example, 21.69.

MEASURED CURRENT (mA) 4.35

DAC MODE: EXT1
MAX VIS 20000, 20 mA
MIN VIS 180, 4.5 mA
20mA SCALE_1 184.5, SC_0 -2.8
1mA SCALE_1 184.8, SC_0 -1.4
The parameters of the ACAL command in the current range of

0 ... 1 mA are the following:
DAC scale 1
DAC scale 0
The parameters of the ACAL command in the current range of

0 ... 20 mA are the following
DAC scale 21
DAC scale 20
74 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Maintenance Commands
The maintenance commands are used in installation, maintenance, and
troubleshooting. They are as follows:
- STA, Displays status

- CAL Calibrator _frequency, Calibration
- CLEAN, Sets clean references
- ZERO, Displays zero and noise test status
- CHEC, Displays calibrator test signal
- DRY ON, Sets RAINCAP® dry offset
- WET ON, Sets RAINCAP® wet scale
- TCAL, Sets the TS temperature (ambient)
- HEAT, Pulls hood heater relays on
STA
The STA command (or MES 3 command) displays the results from the
built-in test system as a status message.
The system output is the following (example for PWD22):

PWD STATUS
VAISALA PWD22 V 1.00 2003-12-15 SN:Y46101
SIGNAL 3.43 OFFSET 146.11 DRIFT 0.00

REC. BACKSCATTER 2802 CHANGE 2
TR. BACKSCATTER -2.3 CHANGE 0.0
LEDI 2.3 AMBL -1.0
VBB 12.6 P12 11.4 M12 -11.3
TS 24.6 TB 29
TDRD 24 25 DRD 858 854 DRY 857.5
BL 26
RELAYS OFF OFF OFF
HOOD HEATERS OFF

HARDWARE :
OK
The length of the message varies depending on the options configured in

PWD22/52 and whether there are warning messages. An asterisk (*)
before a value indicates an exceeded limit.
If the Background Luminance Sensor PWL111 is not installed, line BL

26 is omitted. If the optional hood heaters are not installed, the line
HOOD HEATERS OFF is omitted. For details on message values , see
Appendix A, Internal Monitoring, on page 105.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 75
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
If warnings or errors are detected, one or several of the following texts

appear at the end of the message.
See Table 15 and Table 16 below.
Table 15 Hardware Error Texts

Error Text Description
Backscatter High Receiver or transmitter contamination signal has
increased more than the ALARM limit given in the
configuration allows.
Transmitter Error LEDI signal is more than 7 V or less than -8 V.
±12 V Power Error Receiver/transmitter power is less than 10 V or
more than 14 V.
Offset Error Offset frequency is <80 or over 170 (PWC22/52
hardware).
Signal Error Signal frequency + offset frequency = 0, Signal
frequency - offset frequency < -1
Receiver Error Too low signal in receiver backscatter
measurement.
Data RAM Error Error in RAM read/write check.
EEPROM Error EEPROM checksum error.
TS Sensor Error Measurement is out of limits.
DRD Error RAINCAP® signal is close to zero.
Luminance Sensor Error PWL111 signal is out of limits.
Table 16 Warnings
Warning Description
Backscatter Increased Receiver or transmitter contamination signal has
increased above the WARNING limit selected in the
configuration.
Transmitter Intensity LEDI signal less than -6 V.
Low
Receiver Saturated AMBL signal is less than -9 V.
Offset Drifted Offset Drifted
Visibility Not Calibrated Visibility calibration coefficient has not been
changed from the default value (see section CAL
below).
CAL
Use the CAL command to calibrate the visibility measurement. The
calibration is done using opaque glass plates with known scatter
properties. The plates belong to the PWA12 calibrator kit.
The command is the following:
CAL Calibrator_signal_value
For example:
>CAL 485
76 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
The calibrator signal value is printed on the labels of the glass plates.
Typically the signal is close to 500 Hz. PWD22/52 calculates a new
scaling factor and stores it in the non-volatile memory (EEPROM).
If the PWC22/52 board has been changed and the status message shows
the VISIBILITY NOT CALIBRATED error, use FCAL instead of CAL
to make a factory-like calibration.
CLEAN
Use the CLEAN command to set the clean references for contamination
control . Give this command during maintenance procedures after
cleaning the lenses or after replacing the transmitter or receiver
electronics. This command has no parameters.
Give the following command:

>CLEAN
The PWD22/52 output is the following:

CLEAN REFERENCES
TRANSMITTER 12.0
RECEIVER 1402
UPDATED
>
ZERO
Use the ZERO command when calibrating visibility to display the zero
signal status. This command has no parameters.
When the signal blocker of the PWA12 calibrator kit is installed to the
lens hood of the receiver (box), the PWD22/52 software checks for the
very low signal and low noise. If the signal or noise is out of the internal
check limits, an error message appears.

>ZERO

ZERO SIGNAL: OK
>
Or in the case of failure in the receiver (PWC22/52) one of the following:
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 77
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
ZERO SIGNAL: FAIL

ZERO SIGNAL: NOISE HIGH
CHEC
Use the CHEC command when calibrating visibility to display the one-
minute average signal frequency in hertz (Hz). This command has no
parameters.
Press ESC to terminate the display. If you press any other key, the
display pauses. In the beginning, the four-location buffer, which is used
to calculate the average, is filled with the first value.
When the calibrator is installed, the value displayed in the message

should be the same as the value printed on the calibrator glass plate.

>CHEC

SCALED FREQUENCY AVE (1 MIN)
499.9938
499.9880
DRY ON and WET

Use the DRY ON and WET commands to check and adjust the operation
of the Vaisala RAINCAP® Rain Sensor measurement.
DRY ON
Use the DRY ON command to set the reference level of the dry signal
for the RAINCAP® signal normalization calculation. When giving the
DRY ON command, the sensor surface and weather conditions must be
dry.

DRD DRY OFFSET 715.6
The DRY OFFSET value must be between 700 and 900, when the
RAINCAP® hardware operates normally. The DRY command without a
parameter just shows this parameter.
WET
The WET command without a parameter shows the scaling factor that
normalizes the RAINCAP® signal change from the dry state to the wet
state to be 1.00. A typical value is close to 0.0015.
78 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
DRD WET SCALE 0.00169
Use the WET ON command to set the parameter. The RAINCAP®

measuring surfaces must be coated with a wet cloth or immersed in water
for at least 30 seconds, when the WET ON command is given. Make
sure the wet cloth touches only the RAINCAP® sensor.
The wet scale normalizes the measured signal range (DRY - WET) to
1.00.
TCAL
Use the TCAL command to set the ambient temperature.
When you type the command TCAL without a parameter
>TCAL ↵
PWD responds
>TS 1 1.0000 TS 0 0.00 TS -0.5
where TS 1 <always 1.0000> TS 0 <offset correction> TS <measured

and corrected temperature>Ts sensor inside the cross arm is measured
every 15 sec by PWD.
HEAT
Use this test command to test the heater control relays and the heating
elements and power. For example:
HEAT ON
Press ESC to stop the heater test and quit the test mode.
In warm conditions, do not leave the heater testing on for long periods of
time.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 79
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Other Commands
TIME
Use the TIME command during maintenance to display the current
system time:
TIME
The following is an example of the system output:

10:11:12
To set the time, use the following command:
TIME hh mm ss
where
hh = hours
mm = minutes
ss = seconds
The time and date has to be reset after a power break. There is no battery
backup.
DATE
Use the DATE command to display the current date.
To set a new system date, type the following:

DATE yyyy mm dd
where
yyyy = year
mm = month
dd = day
80 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
RESET
The RESET command makes the hardware reset by the watchdog
circuitry.
VER
The VER command shows the version of the software.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 81
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
82 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Chapter 6 ______________________________________________________________ Maintenance
CHAPTER 6
MAINTENANCE
This chapter provides information needed in basic maintenance of the

product.
Periodic Maintenance
PWD22/52 is calibrated at the factory and no initial calibration is
required.
Periodic maintenance of PWD22/52 includes:
- Cleaning the transmitter and receiver lenses and hoods.

- Cleaning the RAINCAP® Rain Detector.
- Checking the visibility calibration and calibrating it, if necessary.
- Cleaning PWL111 lenses.
PWD22/52 is designed to operate continuously for several years without

other maintenance than cleaning of the lenses and the RAINCAP®
sensing surface.
Before any commands can be given to PWD22/52, open the

communication line by typing the following:
OPEN

LINE OPENED FOR THE OPERATOR
To release the line to automatic messages, use the CLOSE command. For
details, see Chapter 5, Operation on page 49.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 83
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Cleaning
It is important to clean PWD22/52. No specific operations are necessary
before cleaning the sensor and it is possible to use the service terminal
while cleaning. Some erroneous data may, however, be generated. To
minimize this problem, restart PWD22/52 after cleaning by pressing
power OFF/ON.
Cleaning Lenses and Hoods

The lenses of the PWD22/52 transmitter and receiver units must be
relatively clean to get reliable results as dirty lenses give too good
visibility values. Clean the units at least every six months, more often if
the conditions require it (for example, if there are roads nearby).
The hardware alarm field of the data message (2nd character on the
message) indicates when cleaning is needed. See section Message Types
on page 52.
Number 3 = backscatter alarm indicates that the contamination level is

too high and cleaning must be done at once. The measurement values are
not shown in the data message.
Number 4 = backscatter warning indicates that the contamination level

has increased and cleaning must be performed in the near future. The
measurement values are still reliable and are shown in the data message.
To clean PWD22/55 and PWL111 lenses and hoods:
1. Moisten a soft, lint-free cloth with isopropyl alcohol and wipe the
lenses. Be careful not to scratch the lens surfaces.
Confirm that the lens heating works by checking that the lenses dry
after wiping.
2. Check that the hoods and lenses are free of condensed water, or ice
and snow deposits.
3. Wipe the dust from the inner and outer surfaces of the hoods.
4. After the optical surfaces are properly cleaned, give the CLEAN
command.
It is not necessary to give the CLEAN command after every cleaning.
Alternatively, give the STA command and check that the Backscatter
CHANGE value of both the receiver and the transmitter is close to zero
(set to zero by the previous CLEAN command).
84 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Cleaning RAINCAP®
Clean Vaisala RAINCAPRain Sensor at least every six months, more
often if local conditions require it.
The measuring principle does not allow for proper ESD protection of the
RAINCAP® electronics, so you must follow the following instructions:
- Ground your hand first by touching grounded metallic parts of the

installation to remove excessive static charges from your body.
- Clean the RAINCAP® rain detector carefully with a soft, lint-free
cloth moistened with mild detergent. Be careful not to scratch the
surface.
- Check that the detector is free of ice and snow deposits.
Calibration
PWD22/52 is calibrated at the factory. Normally, PWD22/52 needs no
recalibration as long as the circuit boards are not changed and there are
no warnings or alarms.
The circuit boards do not need hardware calibration.
A periodic check every 6 months is recommended to check the visibility

calibration using the PWA12 calibration kit. If the check shows less than
±5 % change, recalibration is not recommended, because the change is
within the repeatability of the calibration procedure.
If any mechanical damage changes or weakens the optical measurement

path, that is, either the receiver or the transmitter, or the cross arm
supporting them, PWD22/52 must be replaced. If the receiver unit
(PWC22/52) or transmitter unit (PWT11) is replaced, both visibility and
contamination measurements need recalibration.
For information on how to calibrate the temperature sensor, see

Appendix D, Calibrating the TS Sensor, on page 115.
Visibility Calibration
The calibration is checked and adjusted with the PWA12 calibration kit.
The kit consists of a blocking plate and two opaque glass plates with
known scatter properties. The ZERO, CHEC, and CAL commands are
used in the procedure. The calibration procedure checks two points; zero
scatter signal and a very high scatter signal. The zero signal is obtained
using a blocking plate and the high signal using opaque glass plates.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 85
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
When calibrating visibility measurement, make sure that visibility is 500

meters or higher. Calibration is not recommended in heavy rain or in
bright sunshine. Bright sunlight on the calibrator plates increases noise in
the scatter measurement and makes the CHEC command output less
stable. However, light rain does not matter.
Calibration Check
The calibration check procedure determines whether or not the unit needs
calibrating. Before performing the calibration check:
- Clean the lenses following the instructions in section Cleaning Lenses

and Hoods on page 84.
- Check the opaque glass plates and clean them if necessary.
To perform the calibration check:
1. Block the light path by placing the blocking plate in the receiver
hood and wait 30 seconds.
2. Give the ZERO command.
PWD22/52 responds as follows:
ZERO SIGNAL: OK
3. Move the blocking plate.
4. Install the calibrator plates on the lens hoods. See Figure 19 on
page 87.
5. Fasten the opaque glass plates to the hoods.
Note the signal value printed on the plates, you will need it during
the following steps.
6. Move away from the optical path and wait 30 seconds.
7. Give the CHEC command.
8. After one minute, read the displayed signal.
9. The signal value must be close to the one printed on the plates. If
the difference is less than 5 %, calibration is correct. If not,
continue with the calibration procedure.
10. Press the ESC key to terminate the CHEC command.
86 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
0308-006
Figure 19 Assembling the Opaque Glass Plates
Calibration Procedure
If calibrating is needed according to the calibration check (see section
Calibration Check on page 86), calibrate the unit:
1. Give the following command:
CAL calibrator signal value
For example: CAL 485
The calibrator signal value is printed on the labels of the glass

plates. Typically the signal is close to 500 Hz. PWD22/52
calculates a new scaling factor and stores it in the non-volatile
memory (EEPROM).
2. Type CHEC to verify that the new scaling factor is in use.
The displayed signal value should be equal to the calibrator signal
value.
If the difference between the new scaling factor and the factory
calibrated scaling factor is more than 20 %, the CAL command is
ignored. Check PWD22/52 and the calibrator for hardware or
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 87
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
mechanical errors and consult Vaisala.
If the optical units PWC22/52 or PWT11 have been replaced, the

new scaling factor might change more than 20 % from the original
scaling factor, value and the CAL command is ignored. In this
case, use the FCAL command (factory calibration) instead of CAL
during the calibration procedure.
Repair
This section describes how to remove and replace the optical units
PWT11, Transmitter, and PWC22/52 Controller/Receiver.
Removing and replacing units may be required if PWD22/52

malfunctions are caused by faults in the optical units or the rain detector.
Removing and Replacing Optical Units

CAUTION!
Equipment servicing must be performed by qualified personnel.
After replacing the optical units you need factory calibration. (See
section Calibration Procedure on page 87).
88 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Removing PWT11
To remove the transmitter:
Use gloves suitable for handling optics.
1. Open the four countersunk screws and remove the transmitter cover
and the gasket.
2. Disconnect the control cable connector (2).
3. Loosen the set screw (3) to release the transmitter module (5).
4. Pull the module out of the transmitter head by prying it from the
back by a screwdriver.
5. Loosen the nylon screw (6) and slide the transmitter board (4) off
the module (5).
0308-007
Figure 20 Removing PWT11
1 = Signal and power cable

2 = Empty pin
3 = Set screw
4 = PWT11
5 = O-ring and module
6 = Plastic screw
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 89
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Perform the re-assembly in the reverse order:
1. Slide the transmitter board (4) to the module (5) and tighten the
nylon screw (6).
2. Lightly grease the O-ring (5) surface on the optics module with
silicon grease.
3. Press the optics assembly into the transmitter. Be careful not to
touch the lens. Make sure that the module seats properly. If not,
lead it to the sink by pointed pliers.
4. Lock the module with an M4x4 set screw.
5. Connect control cable (1) and make sure the cable gasket seats tight
into its groove.
6. Check that all the optical surfaces, LED and lens, are clean.
7. Close the transmitter cover with the gasket by four counter sunk
screws.
Removing PWC22/52
1. Open the four box screws in the corners of the controller box. See
(1) in Figure 21.
.
0308-008
Figure 21 Opening Box Screws
90 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
2. Remove the PWC15PB protection board by opening the two

screws shown in Figure 22 below.
1502-004
Figure 22 Removing the PWC15PB Protection Board
1 = PWC15PB
2 = Screws
3. Remove the PWC22/52 board by opening the five screws to replace

the board with a spare part. See Figure 23 below.
1206-029
Figure 23 Removing the PWC22/52 Board
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 91
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Replacing RAINCAP®
1. Open the control box (see section Removing PWC22 on page 90).
2. Remove the two screws of the PWC15PB protection board, see
Figure 22 on page 91.
3. Unplug the rain sensor cables (X6 and X7).
4. Remove the two screws below RAINCAP®.
5. Remove RAINCAP® by pulling it out of the control box.
6. Reassemble in the reverse order. Note that the flat cable marked
with a stripe is connected to X6.
7. Calibrate the new RAINCAP® by giving the DRY ON command
as described in section DRY ON on page 78.
8. Re-install the PWC15PB protection board.
0312-112
Figure 24 Removing the Rain Sensor
92 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Cleaning and Maintaining Painted Surfaces
Vaisala recommends that you wash all the painted surfaces at least once a
year. Use only warm water or warm, mildly soapy water. Wipe with soft
cloth or sponge and rinse with clean water.
Do not use solvents or abrasive sponges when cleaning painted surfaces.
Preparing for Painting

To prepare the surface for painting:
1. Clean the surface and remove any loose coating with a scraper and
a steel brush.
2. Use sandpaper on damaged areas and around the damaged area’s
edges.
3. Remove impurities, such as dirt and grease, with warm soapy
water.
4. Rinse with warm water.
The surface must be completely dry before starting maintenance painting.
Protect the surfaces that will not be painted with tape or paper.
Make sure the air temperature, the paint, and the painted surface are at
least +10 °C and the relative humidity below 80% during painting and
drying. Do not paint in rain or in direct sunlight.
Painting
After preparing the surface, coat the surface as soon as possible. Follow
your paint manufacturer’s instructions carefully.
1. Use a primer, such as Teknos INERTA PRIMER 5 epoxy paint 60-

80 µm.
2. Paint the surface 2-3 times, so that the dry film layer thickness is
40-60 µm. Use, for example, Teknos TEKNODUR 0190
polyurethane 40 µm, so that the total thickness is 100-120 µm.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 93
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Commonly Used Vaisala Colors

- Solid White, Semi Gloss RAL 9003
- Shade Grey, Semi Gloss RAL 7035
- Construction Grey, Semi Gloss RAL 7024
- Signal Red, Semi Gloss RAL 3001
For more information on the paints, visit the paint manufacturer’s
website www.teknos.com.
If you use other paints, make sure the paint is compatible with the
polyester powder coating.
94 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Chapter 7 ___________________________________________________________ Troubleshooting
CHAPTER 7
TROUBLESHOOTING
This chapter describes common problems, their probable causes and

remedies, and provides contact information for technical support.
Common Problems
CAUTION!
Servicing the equipment must be performed by qualified personnel.
Message Indicating Warning or Alarm

Open the command mode and check the status information with the STA
command (or poll Message 3 to get the same information).
- See section STA on page 75 for status message error and

warning descriptions.
- Check the monitoring values against the internal monitoring
limits. See Appendix A, Internal Monitoring, on page 105.
- If the Backscatter increased warning is active (see section STA
on page 75), clean the lenses and remove possible disturbances
from the optical path.
Message Missing
1. Does your terminal have the right settings?
- Change the baud rate, for example, to 9600 bps.
- Check that you have 7 data bits, even parity, 1 stop bits.
2. Give the OPEN command (see section OPEN on page 51).
3. Give other commands to see if PWD22/52 is already in the
command mode.
4. Go to the site.
- Take the maintenance PC (terminal), tools, and the calibrator set
with you.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 95
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
5. Check that PWD22/52 has power by opening the PWC22/52

electronics enclosure cover and checking that the Run and
Signal/Offset LEDs are blinking.
6. If no LED is on:
- Check the power supply voltage.
- Check that all the connectors are properly inserted.
- Check the power cable and connections.
7. If the Run LED is blinking (once per second for correct operation):
- Connect a maintenance terminal to the RS port.
- Check steps 1 and 2.
- Try resetting by turning the power off/on.
8. If the Run LED is lit:
- Try resetting as above.
- If the state is continues, it is probably caused by either the
program memory or CPU fault.
Message Exists but Visibility Value Does

Not
1. PWD22/52 control electronics is probably working.
- Check the status information with the STA command (see
section STA on page 75). If there are any active alarms, the
visibility value does not exist.
- Check P12, M12, BACKSCATTER and LEDI. See Appendix
A, Internal Monitoring, on page 105 for internal monitoring
values of the limits.
2. Go to the PWD22/52 site.
- Check the cable connectors.
- Check the receiver and transmitter units. Follow the instructions
in section Removing and Replacing Optical Units on page 88
when removing the units.
- Visually inspect the condition of the electronics.
96 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
Visibility Value is Continuously Too

Good
This can be caused by several reasons. Most probably the light path from
the transmitter to the receiver is disturbed.
1. The lenses may be excessively contaminated. A warning has been

received.
- Clean the lenses (see section Cleaning Lenses and Hoods on
page 84).
2. One of the hoods has been filled with, for example, snow or
leaves,. A warning is generated.
- Clean the hoods (see section Cleaning Lenses and Hoods on
page 84).
3. There is condensation on the lens surfaces. This is a sign of heating
failure.
4. There is an electrical fault in the transmitter or receiver.
- Check the status information with the STA command (see
section STA on page 75).
- Go to section Message Exists but Visibility Value Does Not on
page 96.
5. Mechanical alignment of the sensor has changed and the receiver
beam and the transmitter beam have lost their overlap. This can be
caused by, for example, a colliding vehicle.
- Return the sensor to Vaisala Calibration and Repair to get a new
chassis.
Visibility Constantly Too Low

Usually there is something disturbing the sample volume.
1. Check the condition of the hoods. If the hoods are twisted, consult
Vaisala.
2. Try to find a better direction for the receiver/transmitter optics. See
section Selecting Location on page 31.
3. Electrical fault. See items in section Message Exists but Visibility
Value Does Not on page 96.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 97
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
PWD22/52 Reports Precipitation When

There Is None
In temperatures under 0 °C, only the optical measurement is used in
detecting precipitation. In temperatures above 0 °C, the RAINCAP®
detection is used to cross-check the optical detection -- false detection
can only be caused by problems in both measurements.
1. Check that there are no flashing lights close to PWD22/52.

Flashing lights may cause PWD22/52 to detect peaks in the optical
signal.
2. Check that there are no foreign objects in the sample volume. Tree
branches or other moving objects may cause sudden changes in the
scatter signal.
3. Check that receiver is not facing cars passing by. If the sun beams
reflect from passing cars towards the receiver, this could cause
false precipitation reports, especially in winter. These short sun
beam reflections can cause short spikes to the PWD22/52 optical
signal and they are interpreted as light snow.
This might happen if there are sharp changes of the lighting
condition of the ground where the receiver is looking. If the area
where the receiver is looking at is bright and shiny and passing cars
cause shadows to that area, this can cause similar short spikes to
the receiver signal.
4. If the false detection has occurred in temperatures above 0 °C,
RAINCAP® does not function correctly. Clean the RAINCAP®
sensing surfaces.
PWD22/52 Reports Frozen Precipitation

during Rain
The ratio of optical intensity measurement to the RAINCAP®
measurement is too high.
1. Check the optical calibration and RAINCAP® operation.

2. If everything else seems to be functioning correctly, change the
parameter settings.
- If possible, check the accumulated water sum against a reference
rain gauge. This will indicate how close the Rain intensity scale
is to the optimal value. Decrease the scaling factor if the
PWD22/52 rain amount is too high.
- Otherwise, increase DRD scale (the WSET command).
98 __________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F
PWD22/52 Electrical Troubleshooting

PWD22/52 is protected against reverse polarity connected to power feed
wires. If the power feed is connected to other leads than those for power
supply, damage may occur depending on feed voltage and current
limiting features of the supply.
If there is no response from PWD22/52:
1. Check the connections. PWD22/52 diagnosis can be done through

the RS-232 maintenance line.
2. Check the baud rates:
- The factory default is 9600,7,E,1.
3. Open the cover of the receiver.
4. Connect the power and watch the internal LEDs.
Initialization sequence (3 seconds):

LED 4 RED lit (Signal lit / offset off)
LED 3 YEL lit (RUN, 1 Hz)
LED 2 RED off (Transmit Data)
LED 1 YEL off (Receive Data)
Start sequence (1 second):

LED 4 RED lit (Signal lit / offset off)
LED 3 YEL off (RUN, 1 Hz)
LED 2 RED off (Transmit Data)
Running sequence from start:

LED 4 RED lit 10s / off 5s, continuing sequence
LED 3 YEL flashing, 1 Hz
LED 2 RED short live when sending initialization string (Transmit
Data)
5. If the sequence is working and the transmit indicator gives
response, check following:
- Initialization string "VAISALA PWDxx Vn.nn yyyy-mm-dd
SN:___" should give a response to the maintenance terminal, if
the response is not understandable:
- Check the terminal communication set-up.
- Try with other expected baud rates.
VAISALA _______________________________________________________________________ 99
USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
6. If the LEDs are not lit, check the internal connector connections of
PWD22/52. The following measurement can be done:
- Measure the input voltage:
X1-5 = power GND, X1-4 = power + V
7. If the LEDs are lit but the sequence starts again and again, try the
following:
- Check the cable end for short-circuit with neighboring leads.
Unused wires of the PWD22/52 mast cable must be insulated
from each other, for example, by connecting them to void screw
terminals in the junction box.
- Try with a power with a higher current supply capability (the
power supply may go to current limiting state for a short while).
- Try with a higher supply voltage (max. 55 VDC.) This helps the
starting current need.
Technical Support
For technical questions, contact the Vaisala technical support by e-mail at
[email protected].
Provide at least the following supporting information:
- Name and model of the product in question

- Serial number of the product
- Name and location of the installation site
- Name and contact information of a technically competent person who
can provide further information on the problem.
For Vaisala Service Center contact information, see
www.vaisala.com/servicecenters.
100 _________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F

Chapter 8 ____________________________________________________________ Technical Data
CHAPTER 8
TECHNICAL DATA
This chapter provides the technical data of PWD22/52.
Mechanical Specifications
Table 17 PWD22/52 Mechanical Specifications
Property Description / Value
Dimensions 199 mm (h) × 695 mm (w) × 404 mm (d)1)
Weight 3 kg
Mounting To a metal rod or directly to the mast.
Material Aluminum
1) Height × width × depth (with maximum options)
Electrical Specifications
Table 18 PWD22/52 Electrical Specifications
Maximum power 6 W, 12-50 VDC
consumption Optional luminance sensor: 2 W, 24 V
Optional hood heaters: 65 W, 24 V
Sensor electronics Lock-in amplifier.
LED power stabilizer.
Contamination monitor.
Lens heater.
Temperature sensor.
Outputs Serial data line may be used either as RS-232 or RS-
485 (2-wire) level signals.
Three relay controls (open collector).
Analog output
8-m power/data cable standard. The PWD22/52 end is
equipped with connector.
Output data Automatic or polled data messages.
Visibility, present weather, precipitation, and status
data.
Automatic message type and interval is selectable at
15 s ... n x 15 s (n < 18) intervals.
Auxiliary data Low visibility alarms in the data messages. Three
adjustable alarm limits to set the three relay controls.
Hardware status (fail/warning) in the data messages.
Third relay output can also be driven by hardware
status.
VAISALA ______________________________________________________________________ 101

USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Optical Specifications
The operating principle of the device is to measure forward scatter at an
angle of 45°.
Table 19 Light Transmitter Optical Specifications

Light source Near-infrared Light Emitting Diode
Peak wavelength 875 nm
Reference photodiode For light source control
Backscatter photodiode For contamination and blockage measurement
Eye safety Eye safe in accordance with International
Standard IEC/EN 60 825-1; edition 1.2
Table 20 Light Receiver Optical Specifications

Detector Photodiode
Optical filter/window RG780 glass
Backscatter light source Near-infrared LED for contamination and
blockage measurement
Visibility Measurement Specifications

Table 21 Visibility Measurement Specifications
Measurement range of 10 ... 20000 m (PWD22)
MOR 1) 10 ... 35000 m (PWD52)
Accuracy +/-10%, range 10 m ... 10000 m
PWD22 +/-15%, range 10 km ... 20 km
Accuracy +/-10%, range 10 m ... 10000 m
PWD52 +/-20%, range 10 km … 35 km
Instrument consistency + 5%
Update interval 15 seconds
1) Meteorological Optical Range
102 _________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F

Chapter 8 ____________________________________________________________ Technical Data
Weather Sensing Specifications

Table 22 Weather Sensing Specifications
Precipitation detection 0.05 mm/h or less, within 10 minutes
sensitivity
Weather type identification 7 different types of precipitation (rain, freezing
rain, drizzle, freezing drizzle, mixed rain/snow,
snow, ice pellets)
Precipitation (unknown type)
Fog (mist), haze (smoke, sand) or clear
Weather type reporting WMO code table 4680
Code letters for precipitation, NWS (National
Weather Service, USA)
Precipitation intensity Range 0.00 ... 999.99 mm/h
measurement
Precipitation amount Range 0.00 ... 99.99 mm
measurement
Amount of new snow Range 0.00 ... 999 mm
Environmental Specifications
Table 23 Environmental Specifications
Operating temperature -40 ... +60 °C
range
Operating humidity range Up to 100 % RH
Wind speed Up to 60 m/s
Sun orientation Sunlight into the light receiver must be avoided
VAISALA ______________________________________________________________________ 103

USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
104 _________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F

Appendix A __________________________________________________ Internal Monitoring Values
APPENDIX A
INTERNAL MONITORING VALUES
Typical values come from factory testing and may change within the
given Min/Max limits. Fault limits give hints for troubleshooting.
Table 24 STA Message Values

Status Message Typical Min. / Max. Fault Description Action
AMBL
Ambient light -0 V -9 V / +3 V >3V Preamplifier is Change
'RECEIVER not working. PWC22/52.
ERROR'
< -9 V The sun is Check the
'RECEIVER shining directly or orientation of
SATURATED' from reflecting PWD22/52
surface such as
snow, to the
receiver.
OFFSET
Measurement 140Hz... 80 Hz / < 80 Hz Drifting may be 1) Check
signal offset. The 150Hz 170 Hz >170 Hz caused by other other parts of
lowest frequency 'OFFSET disturbing STA
for measurement ERROR' optical sensors message.
signal nearby or other 2) If offset
interference does not
problems. remain stable,
change the
control unit
PWC22/52.
REC. BACKSCATTER
Measurement Rec.backscatter Rising value can Clean the
signal from the change (Instant be caused by outside of
receiver backscatter contamination of optical
contamination minus clean receiver optics, surfaces and
control circuit. backscatter) > snow inside the remove
alarm limit receiver hood, possible
'CHANGE' value 'BACKSCATTER spider net in front disturbances
is the instant HIGH' of the hood etc. from optical
signal difference Check the path.
to clean value. contamination
limits also.
VAISALA ______________________________________________________________________ 105

USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________

Rec.backscatter
change (Instant
backscatter
minus clean
backscatter) >
warning limit
'BACKSCATTER
INCREASED'
Instant 1) Clean the
backscatter < outside of the
clean backscatter optical
/2 surfaces and
'BACKSCATTER remove
HIGH' possible
disturbances
from the
optical path.
2) Replace
the clean
contamination
setting by
giving the
CLEAN
command.
3) Change the
PWC22/52
control unit.
TR. BACKSCATTER
Control signal for <-15 V The decreasing
the transmitter >14 V value can be
contamination. 'TRANSMITTER caused as above:
ERROR' (REC.
'CHANGE' value BACKSCATTER)
is the instant
signal difference
to clean value.
LEDI
LED intensity. -8 V / +7 V >+7 V Changes in Change the
Actuating signal <-8 V voltage can be PWT11
for the LED 'TRANSMITTER caused by aging Transmitter
control ERROR' of the LED unit.
(transmitter) (voltage
decreases).
<-6 If the voltage is
'TRANSMITTER between
INTENSITY -6 V... -7 V, the
LOW' control loop is
operating
properly but the
IR LED must be
changed in the
near future.
106 _________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F

Appendix A __________________________________________________ Internal Monitoring Values

TS
Temperature -40 °C... -75°C / +98°C 'TS SENSOR Sensor or cable Check the
sensor. +50 °C ERROR' short-circuits. temperature
Ambient sensor cable
temperature (Measurement on control
value under unit.
-75°C) Resistance of
Pt-100 should
be
80Ω...130Ω.
'TS SENSOR Sensor Check X4
ERROR' disconnected or connection on
bad connection. control unit.
(Measurement Resistance of
value over Pt-100 should
+98°C) be
80Ω...130Ω.
TB
Temperature of Some - - -
the CPU board degrees
higher
than
ambient
temp.
SIGNAL
Frequency of the 0.00 'SIGNAL Interference with Make sure
transmission Hz.... ERROR' other sensor of that the
signal between 10000.00 the same kind. device does
transducer and Hz Signal frequency not receive
CPU (Hz), plus offset Suddenly reflections or
inversely frequency = 0 increased noise scattering
proportional to level. from other
visibility or sensors. Aim
Failure in the receiver
Signal frequency receiver circuitry. away from
minus offset high intensity
frequency < -1 light sources.
Change
PWC22/52.
VBB
Raw, unregulated 12V... 12 V / 15 V <12 V Switched-mode 1) Reset.
voltage in the 13V >15 V power supply is 2) Check
internal overloaded or connectors
transformer working wrong. and cable.
output VBB 3) Change the
measurement control unit
may also fail due PWC22/52.
to heavy
electrostatic
discharge to
RAINCAP® plate.
VAISALA ______________________________________________________________________ 107

USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________

P12
Positive voltages 11.5 V 10 V / 14 V <10.0 V DC/DC converter 1) Reset.
of the DC/DC >14.0 V is overloaded or 2) Disconnect
converter for the '+-12 V POWER working wrong. transmitter.
transmitter and ERROR' P12 3) Change the
receiver measurement PWC22/52
may also fail due control unit.
to heavy
electrostatic
discharge to
RAINCAP® plate.
M12
Negative -11.5 V -14 V / -10 V <-14.0 V DC/DC converter 1) Reset.
voltages of the >-10.0 V is overloaded or 2) Disconnect
DC/DC converter '+-12 V POWER working wrong. transmitter.
for the transmitter ERROR' M12 3) Change the
and receiver measurement PWC22/52
may also fail due control unit.
to heavy
electrostatic
discharge to
RAINCAP® plate.
DRD
Instant value of 64...900Hz 64 / DRY < 64 Hz Cable 1) Check
RAINCAP® Rain 'DRD ERROR' disconnected or connector X7
Sensor rain detector and X6 on the
RAINCAP® short- PWC22/52
circuits control unit.
2) Change the
RAINCAP®
Rain Sensor.
BL
Background 4...20000 4 cd/m² / 'LUMINANCE Cable Check
luminance cd/m² 20000 cd/m² SENSOR disconnected or connector X3
ERROR' PWL111 short- pins 1,2,3,4.
circuits
RELAYS
States of the ON / OFF - - -
three external
relays controls
HOOD HEATERS
Hood heater ON / OFF - If set to ON state, Heaters can
automatics are heater current be tested by
switched either starts flowing the HEAT ON
on or off. when ambient command.
temperature goes Warming of
below +2°C and the heater
stops when it foils should be
raises over +5°C. felt by hand. If
not check
powering and
cabling.
108 _________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F

Appendix B ____________________________________ PWC22/52 Connectors and Jumper Settings
APPENDIX B
PWC22/52 CONNECTORS AND
JUMPER SETTINGS
X1-1 Chassis (GND)
X1-2 RS-485 (B) (WHT)

X1-3 RS-485 (A) (BRN)
X1-4 1) DC power for measurement electronics (+, RED)
X1-5 1) DC power for measurement electronics (-, BLK)
X2-1 RS-232 (GND, GRY)

X2-2 RS-232 (TxD, GRN)
X2-3 RS-232 (RxD, YEL)
X2-4 Module 5
X2-5 Module 4
X2-6 Module 3
X2-7 Module 2
X2-8 Module 1
X3-1 Background Luminance Sensor PWL111 (Range, YEL)

X3-2 Background Luminance Sensor PWL111 (Level, GRN)
X3-3 Background Luminance Sensor PWL111 (+5 VA, RED)
X3-4 Background Luminance Sensor PWL111 (AGND, BLK)
X3-5 1) Separate heating power input for PWH111hood heaters
(+, BRN/GRN and WHT/GRN)
X3-6 1) Separate heating power input for PWH111hood heaters
(-, WHT/YEL and YEL/BRN)
X3-7 1) PWH111hood heater foil (+)
X3-8 1) PWH111hood heater foil (-)
X3-9 Ext Voltage +12 V (analog output current source (PNK)
X3-10 Ext (modem) control 1
X3-11 Ext (modem) control 2
X3-12 Analog output current sink (range is chosen by jumper X13
located under the PWC15PB), (BLU)
X4-1 Temperature sensor PT100 (+, BLU)

X4-2 Temperature sensor PT100 (+, YEL)
X4-3 Temperature sensor PT100 (-, RED)
X4-4 Temperature sensor PT100 (-, GRN)
X4-5 Ext relay control 3 (default) or Ext voltage +12 V (chosen by
jumper X11), (VIO)
X4-6 Ext relay control 1 (GRY/PNK)
X4-7 Ext relay control 2 (RED/BLU)
X4-8 GND
X5 and X8 Factory setting 2-3. Do not change.
VAISALA ______________________________________________________________________ 109

USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
X6 RAINCAP® connector No. 1. Connect single plate rain

detector to this connector. The cable marked with a black
stripe (forward tilted plate) is connected to X6 in double rain
plate assemblies at PWD22/52.
X7 RAINCAP® connector No. 2 is used in PWD22/52 only

(backward tilted plate).
X9 Reset
X10-1 2) +5 VA
X10-2 2) AUX: CPU ADC input (internally connected to X3-2)
X10-3 2) AGND
X11 The jumper between terminals 1 and 2 (default): output pin

X4-5 acts as External relay control 3.
The jumper between terminals 2 and 3: output pin X4-5 acts
as external voltage output.
X12 2) FLASH programming connector
X13 2) The jumper between terminals 1 and 2 (default): the analog

current output range is 4 ... 20 mA (pins X3-9 and X3-12).
The jumper between terminals 2 and 3: the analog current
output range is 0 ... 1 mA (pins X3-9 and X3-12).
X14 Module connector
X15 Module connector
X16 Transmitter connector (pin 14 is not used).
X18-1 Background Luminance Sensor PWL111 heater (-, WHT)

X18-2 Background Luminance Sensor PWL111 heater (+, BLU)
1) These signals are guided through the PWC15PB protection board. See the more detailed
connection table in Basic Wiring on page 37.
2) located under the PWC15PB. See also Figure 25 on page 111.
110 _________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F

Appendix B ____________________________________ PWC22/52 Connectors and Jumper Settings
1504-013
Figure 25 Jumpers and Connectors on the PWC22/52

Processor/Receiver Board
VAISALA ______________________________________________________________________ 111

USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
112 _________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F

Appendix C ________________________________________________ NWS and WMO Code Tables
APPENDIX C
NWS AND WMO CODE TABLES
Table 25 Internal Weather Types and Supported NWS Codes

Internal Weather Types NWS Codes
NO PRECIPITATION C
PRECIPITATION P
DRIZZLE L
RAIN R
SNOW S
SLEET IP
FREEZING DRIZZLE ZL
FREEZING RAIN ZR
NWS codes are used with intensity indicator '+' (plus) for heavy
intensity, '-' (minus) for light, and none (space) for moderate. For
example, 'R+' means heavy rain.
Table 26 WMO SYNOP Codes (Table 4680, WaWa) Used by

PWD22/52
SYNOP Codes Weather Types
00 Clear
04 Haze or smoke, or dust in suspension in the air, visibility equal to, or greater
than, 1 km
05 Haze or smoke, or dust in suspension in the air, visibility less than 1 km
10 Mist
Code figures 20 to 25 are used, if precipitation or fog was observed during the preceding hour but not at
the time of observation
20 Fog
21 PRECIPITATION
22 Drizzle (not freezing) or snow grains
23 Rain (not freezing)
24 Snow
25 Freezing rain or freezing drizzle
The following code figures are used if precipitation or fog is observed at the time of observation
30 FOG
31 Fog or ice fog, in patches
32 Fog or ice fog, has become thinner during the past hour
33 Fog or ice fog, no appreciable change during the past hour
34 Fog or ice fog, has begun or become thicker during the past hour
40 PRECIPITATION
41 Precipitation, slight or moderate
42 Precipitation, heavy
50 DRIZZLE
VAISALA ______________________________________________________________________ 113

USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
SYNOP Codes Weather Types

51 Drizzle, not freezing, slight
52 Drizzle, not freezing, moderate
53 Drizzle, not freezing, heavy
54 Drizzle, freezing, slight
55 Drizzle, freezing, moderate
56 Drizzle, freezing, heavy
60 RAIN
61 Rain, light
62 Rain, moderate
63 Rain, heavy
64 Rain, freezing, light
65 Rain, freezing, moderate
66 Rain, freezing, heavy
67 Rain (or drizzle) and snow, light
68 Rain (or drizzle) and snow, moderate or heavy
70 SNOW
71 Snow, light
72 Snow, moderate
73 Snow, heavy
74 Ice pellets, light
75 Ice pellets, moderate
76 Ice pellets, heavy
80 SHOWERS OR INTERMITTENT PRECIPITATION
81 Rain showers, light
82 Rain showers, moderate
83 Rain showers, heavy
84 Rain showers, violent ( >32 mm/h )
85 Snow showers, light
86 Snow showers, moderate
87 Snow showers, heavy
Table 27 WMO METAR Codes (Table 4678) Used by

PWD22/52
Qualifier Weather Phenomena
INTENSITY DESCRIPTOR PRECIPITATION OBSCURATION OTHER
1 2 3 4 5
- Light BC Patches DZ Drizzle BR Mist
Moderate SH Shower(s) RA Rain FG Fog
(No qualifier)
+ Heavy FZ Freezing SN Snow DU Widespread dust
PL Ice pellets HZ Haze
114 _________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F

Appendix D ___________________________________________________Calibrating the TS Sensor
APPENDIX D
CALIBRATING THE TS SENSOR
This appendix describes how to calibrate the TS sensor.
Vaisala recommends checking the TS sensor accuracy once a year. If the

TS value differs more than 2.5 °C from the ambient temperature, it is
recommended that you calibrate and adjust the sensor.
For optimal results, perform the checking, calibration, and adjustment

procedure at the PWD site on a cloudy day when the ambient
temperature is close to 0 °C (0 … +10 °C).
The checking and calibration is carried out with the TS sensor removed
from the cross arm to avoid the possible heating effects by electronics or
hood heaters.
The known ambient temperature is gained from a calibrated reference

sensor, such as Vaisala HMT330TS.
VAISALA ______________________________________________________________________ 115

USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
Checking TS Sensor Temperature

PWD can compute the offset at any temperature of Tref, but Vaisala
recommends a temperature close to 0 °C because it is used to identify
freezing rain.
To check the TS sensor temperature:
1. Connect to PWD using a laptop computer and a terminal program.

2. Depending on whether your PWD has an internal or an external
temperature sensor, perform either a. or b.
a. If your PWD has an internal temperature sensor:

Use a 2.5 mm Allen key to open the small cable cover under the
receiver housing, remove the cover plate, and pull the light grey
4 mm thick TS sensor cable out of the tube. Make sure you do not
pull the other end of the cable that comes through the rubber gasket
as that would degrade the watertightness of the enclosure.
1502-009
Figure 26 Removing Internal Temperature Sensor for

Calibration
116 _________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F

b. If your PWD has an external temperature sensor:

Unscrew the TS probe and remove it from the tube.
1502-010
Figure 27 Removing External Temperature Sensor for

Calibration
3. Let the TS sensor and the reference sensor stabilize for at least five
minutes.
4. Use the TCAL command without a parameter to check the TS
sensor temperature:
Enter
>TCAL
PWD responds with
>TS 1 1.0000 TS 0 0.00 TS -0.5
Where
TS 1 = always 1.0000
TS 0 = offset correction
TS = measured and corrected temperature
VAISALA ______________________________________________________________________ 117

USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
5. Compare the values. If the TS value differs more than 2.5 °C from
the reference sensor reading, proceed to Calibrating and Adjusting
the TS Sensor on page 119. If the TS value differs less than 2.5 °C
from the reference sensor reading, you do not need to calibrate the
sensor. Continue with step 6.
6. Insert the TS sensor back to its original place. Note that right after
the TS sensor is inserted back it may show a slightly higher
temperature than the reference.
PWD measures the TS sensor every 60 seconds.
118 _________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F

Calibrating and Adjusting the TS Sensor

Vaisala recommends using an ice bath for calibrating the TS sensor.
Prepare an ice bath in a large enough (>1 liter) thermos container (glass
or polystyrene). Vaisala recommends preparing the container in a
laboratory before going out to the field.
To prepare the ice bath:
1. Fill the thermos with crushed ice.

2. Leave the reference sensor (for example, HMT330) for two
minutes in the mixture to stabilize.
3. Note how close to zero the sensor reading gets, stir the bath and see
if it has an effect on the reading.
4. Pour out excess water and see if there is an effect on the reading. If
the changes are smaller than 0.05 °C, the ice bath is ready to be
used in calibration.
5. Close the thermos bottle with an insulating cap for transportation.
To calibrate the TS sensor using an ice bath:
1. Use a sturdy ramp or ladders where you can place the reference
sensor and the ice bath container and have your hands free.
2. Depending on whether your PWD has an internal or an external

temperature sensor, perform either a. or b.
a. If your PWD has an internal temperature sensor:

Use a 2.5 mm Allen key to open the small cable cover under the
receiver housing, as shown in Figure 26 on page 116, remove the
cover plate, and pull the light grey 4 mm thick TS sensor cable out
of the tube. Make sure you do not pull the other end of the cable that
comes through the rubber gasket as that would degrade the
watertightness of the enclosure.
VAISALA ______________________________________________________________________ 119

USER'S GUIDE ____________________________________________________________________
b. If your PWD has an external temperature sensor:

Unscrew the TS probe and remove it from the tube as shown in
Figure 27 on page 117.
3. Insert the reference probe in the ice bath. Let it stabilize and
compare the sensor reading with the value that was measured in the
laboratory.
4. When the reference sensor has stabilized, insert the TS sensor in
the ice bath and let both sensors stabilize for a few minutes. Stir the
mixture occasionally. Monitor the readings of both the reference
sensor and the TS sensor (by TCAL) and note when stabilized.
5. Input your reference T value in PWD by entering the TCAL
command with the value (for example, 0,0) as the parameter
>TCAL 0.0
TEMPERATURE SCALES
TS 1 1.0000 TS 0 -0.02 TS -0.0
If TS shows the temperature of the reference, the adjustment has
succeeded. The difference of +/-0.1 °C is acceptable.
6. Dry the TS probe and the reference probe and let the sensors
stabilize for at least five minutes. Repeat steps 5 and 6 described in
Checking TS Sensor Temperature on page 116.
7. Insert the TS sensor back to its original place. Note that right after
the TS sensor is inserted back it may show a slightly higher
temperature than the reference.
If the ice bath is prepared carefully, the ice bath method is accurate
enough and the TS sensor can be adjusted even without a reference
meter. However, if possible, Vaisala recommends that you use a
reference meter.
Vaisala recommends that you use the ice bath method for calibration and
adjusting. However, if it is not possible, you can calibrate with water
and/or isopropyl alcohol.
Instead of inserting the probe in ice bath, immerse the reference probe
and the TS sensor in a water container and let them stabilize for a few
minutes. Monitor the readings and note when they are stabilized.
120 _________________________________________________________________ M210543EN-F

____________________________________________________________Calibrating the TS Sensor
VAISALA ______________________________________________________________________ 121

www.vaisala.com
*M210543EN*

M210543EN F User S

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

M210543EN F User S

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

M210543EN F User S

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

USER'S GUIDE

Vaisala Present Weather Detector

Visit our Internet pages at www.vaisala.com.

Message Missing ................................................................. 95

This page intentionally left blank.

This page intentionally left blank.

This chapter provides general notes for the product.

About This Manual

Note highlights important information on using the product.

The chassis of the PWD22/52 must be connected to a good electrical

Do not operate the equipment in the presence of flammable gases or

A lightning strike through a communication wire can cause voltage surge

Do not modify or substitute parts in the instrument. Contact Vaisala or its

Transport and store the component boards, including CMOS microchips,

Servicing the equipment must be performed by qualified personnel.

RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE STATEMENT (USA)

The United States Federal Communications Commission (in 47 CFR

Federal communications commission radio frequency interference

- Reorient the receiving antenna

- Handle ESD sensitive components on a properly grounded and

Dispose of batteries and the unit according to statutory regulations. Do

- EMC Directive (2004/108/EC)

Conformity is shown by compliance with the following standards:

- EN 61326-1:2006-04 Electrical equipment for measurement, control

This chapter introduces Vaisala Present Weather Detector PWD22/52

Introduction to Vaisala Present Weather

PWD22/52 is typically used as a component of a weather observation

Table 3 PWD Sensor Series Model and Performance

The PWD22/52 measures precipitation water content with a capacitive

Figure 1 PWD22/52 Present Weather Detector

- Digital serial interface

The standard data messages contain a status character indicating faults

Table 5 Optional Vaisala Present Weather Detector PWD

Vaisala Present Weather Detector PWD22/52 optical sensor measures

PWD22/52 measures visibility using forward scatter measurement: light

The optical signal also contains precipitation type information. However,

Identifying freezing conditions uses indirect methods that are affected by

Background Luminance Sensor

Temperature Sensor (TS)

PWC Controller / Receiver

Three Relay Controls

Figure 2 PWD22/52 Block Diagram

Figure 3 PWD22/52 Optical System

PWD22/52 measures light scattered at an angle of 45°. This angle

Transmitter Unit PWT11

The transmitter unit electronics pulses the IR-LED at a frequency of

An extra photodiode measures the light scattered backwards from the

The receiving PIN photodiode senses the transmitted light pulses

An ambient light level as high as 30 kcd/m2 does not influence the

Vaisala RAINCAP® Rain Sensor

The frequency signal is measured once a second. The frequency is

Figure 4 RAINCAP Block Diagram

PWD22/52 is equipped with a double-plate RAINCAP to improve drizzle

As PWD22/52 can detect the beginning of precipitation from the optical

Possible temperature sensor locations in the PWD22/52 include:

Background Luminance Sensor PWL111

PWD22/52 measures the PWL111 signal every second and calculates a

When PWL111 is activated, its background luminance value is reported

The response is the following: