CS655 Soil Water Content Reflectometer 12 cm

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1. Can the CS655 rods be shortened?

   Campbell Scientific strongly discourages shortening the sensor’s rods. The electronics in the sensor head have been optimized to work with the 12 cm long rods. Shortening these rods will change the period average. Consequently, the equations in the firmware will become invalid and give inaccurate readings.

2. Can the CS650 and the CS655 measure water content in mine tailings?

   Mine tailings are highly corrosive and have high electrical conductivity. Some customers have successfully used water content reflectometers, such as the CS650 or the CS655, to measure water content in mine tailings by coating the sensor rods with heat-shrink tubing. This affects the sensor output, and a soil-specific calibration must be performed. Care must be taken during installation to avoid damaging the heat-shrink tubing and exposing the sensor’s rods.  In addition, covering the sensor’s rods invalidates the bulk electrical conductivity reading. Unless the temperature reading provided by the CS650 or the CS655 is necessary, a better option may be to use a CS616 with coated rods.

3. Do the CS650 and the CS655 have surge protection?

   Yes. There is surge protection built into the sensor electronics. The sensor survives a surge of 2 kV at 42 ohm line-to-ground on digital I/O and 2 kV at 12 ohm line-to-ground on power. It also survives a surge of 2 kV at 2 ohm line-to-ground on the rods.

   If additional surge protection is required, consider using the SVP100 Surge Voltage Protector DIN Rail with Mounting Hardware. 

4. On the CS650 and the CS655, is it possible to disable the logic that causes NAN values?

   No. It is not possible to disable the logical tests in the firmware. If soil conditions cause frequent NAN values, it may be possible to perform a soil-specific calibration that will provide good results.

   If permittivity is reported but the volumetric water content value is NAN, Campbell Scientific recommends a soil-specific calibration that converts permittivity to water content. This will take advantage of the bulk electrical conductivity correction that occurs in the firmware.

   If both permittivity and volumetric water content have NAN values, it may be possible to perform a calibration that converts period average directly to volumetric water content.

   For details on performing a soil-specific calibration, refer to “The Water Content Reflectometer Method for Measuring Volumetric Water Content” section in the CS650/CS655 manual. After a soil-specific equation is determined, it may be programmed into the data logger program or used in a spreadsheet to calculate the soil water content.

5. How are the CS650 and the CS655 different?

   The CS650 has rods that are 30 cm long, and the CS655 has rods that are 12 cm long. The difference in rod length causes some changes in specifications. For example, the CS650 is slightly more accurate in its permittivity and water content readings, but the CS655 works over a larger range of electrical conductivity. In addition, the CS650 handles a larger measurement volume and provides good accuracy in low EC (electrical conductivity) sand and sandy loam. The CS655 is typically more accurate in soil, works well over a wide range of soil textures and EC, and is easier to install because of its shorter rods.

6. When is it more suitable to use a CS655 rather than a CS650?

   In soil that has a significant fraction of fines (loam, silt loam, silty clay loam, clay loam, clay), the CS655 is a suitable option because these soils tend to be more electrically conductive, and the CS655 operates over a larger range of electrical conductivity than the CS650. In applications where a smaller measurement volume is desired, such as larger greenhouse pots, the 12 cm long rods of the CS655 are preferable to the 30 cm long rods of the CS650.

7. How long will a CS650 or a CS655 last?

   The CS650-series sensors have the same rugged epoxy and stainless-steel rods that have been used for water content reflectometers since the CS615-L model was introduced in 1995. There are CS615-L and CS616 sensors in many locations that have been in continuous use for more than ten years with no reported problems. If a CS650 or CS655 remains undamaged by external forces such as lightning, harsh chemicals, or animal actions, the sensor is expected to continue working for decades. 

8. What is the -VS option for the CS650 and the CS655?

   A CS650 or CS655 can be ordered with an SDI-12 address option of -VS. With the -VS option, the SDI-12 address is set at the factory before the sensor is shipped. The last digit of the sensor’s serial number becomes that sensor’s SDI-12 address. Typically, the -VS option is chosen when there are multiple sensors that will communicate with the data logger on the same SDI-12 communications terminal. 

   If the -VS option is not selected when ordering, the CS650 or CS655 will ship with its SDI-12 address set to 0 (the default -DS option). The address can be changed to a non-zero value using the A200 Sensor to PC Interface or by connecting the sensor to an SDI-12 communications terminal and sending the aAb! Command as described in the “SDI-12 Sensor Support” appendix of the CS650/CS655 manual.

9. With the CS650 and the CS655, where is the water content measurement made?

   The volumetric water content reading is the average water content over the length of the sensor’s rods.

10. With the CS650 and the CS655, where is the soil temperature measurement made?

    A thermistor is encased in the epoxy head of the sensor next to one of the stainless-steel rods. This provides an accurate point measurement of temperature at the depth where that portion of the sensor head is in contact with the soil. This is why a horizontal placement is the recommended orientation of the CS650 or CS655. The temperature measurement is not averaged over the length of the sensor rods.