Hi,
I doubt if that is from Fine Offset because the output pin connections appear to be different (assuming the output cable is a normal flat/ribbon to a RJ11 plug). I've never seen one like that before (however, I've not had any reason/opportunity to see the inside of many wind vanes) but that photo tells quite a lot.
The 8 reeds have obviously been replaced by "Hall Effect" magnetic sensors (YH1 to YH8) which are similar to reeds but require a power supply and normally respond to only one polarity of magnetism (reeds close regardless of the N-S or S-N magnetic direction). It's interesting that the anemometer socket has only two connections (labelled GND and WIND), even though the socket has 4 pins, so they appear to have no plans to replace the anemometer with a hall sensor. Note that the "Output" pins appear to have ETH and WIND (anemometer) on one "side" of the cable whilst FO put them on the two centre pins (of 4 for RJ11, or 6 of RJ12). I don't think the central "processor" is doing anything with the windspeed pulses.
The other two connections on the output cable are the (necessary) power supply voltage (still from two AA cells like FO ?) and the Wind "Data". Since this vane obviously has a central microcontroller (presumably there are no markings on its package?) the data might be in any format and would need some moderately sophisticated equipment (sometimes not very expensive these days) to test it. It's probably a fairly simple stream of pulses, but it would be "possible" (with difficulty) to make it compatible with the method that FO use to read their Vane resistance*.
*As part of my own "FO project", I have a small microcontroller which reads the FO Vane resistance (quiet easy) and then generates a "Pulse Width Modulated" pulse to fool the FO transmitter to report a different value. My long-term aim is to average the measured vane direction and to fill in the "gaps" between the major (8) directions (N, NE, etc.) to give a "true" (equal occurrence) 16 directions. BTW, I wonder how well those Hall sensors discriminate the 8 intermediate directions (NNE, etc.)?
I guess the "silver discs" inside the white circles are just manufacturer's test points.
Cheers, Alan.
I doubt if that is from Fine Offset because the output pin connections appear to be different (assuming the output cable is a normal flat/ribbon to a RJ11 plug). I've never seen one like that before (however, I've not had any reason/opportunity to see the inside of many wind vanes) but that photo tells quite a lot.
The 8 reeds have obviously been replaced by "Hall Effect" magnetic sensors (YH1 to YH8) which are similar to reeds but require a power supply and normally respond to only one polarity of magnetism (reeds close regardless of the N-S or S-N magnetic direction). It's interesting that the anemometer socket has only two connections (labelled GND and WIND), even though the socket has 4 pins, so they appear to have no plans to replace the anemometer with a hall sensor. Note that the "Output" pins appear to have ETH and WIND (anemometer) on one "side" of the cable whilst FO put them on the two centre pins (of 4 for RJ11, or 6 of RJ12). I don't think the central "processor" is doing anything with the windspeed pulses.
The other two connections on the output cable are the (necessary) power supply voltage (still from two AA cells like FO ?) and the Wind "Data". Since this vane obviously has a central microcontroller (presumably there are no markings on its package?) the data might be in any format and would need some moderately sophisticated equipment (sometimes not very expensive these days) to test it. It's probably a fairly simple stream of pulses, but it would be "possible" (with difficulty) to make it compatible with the method that FO use to read their Vane resistance*.
*As part of my own "FO project", I have a small microcontroller which reads the FO Vane resistance (quiet easy) and then generates a "Pulse Width Modulated" pulse to fool the FO transmitter to report a different value. My long-term aim is to average the measured vane direction and to fill in the "gaps" between the major (8) directions (N, NE, etc.) to give a "true" (equal occurrence) 16 directions. BTW, I wonder how well those Hall sensors discriminate the 8 intermediate directions (NNE, etc.)?
I guess the "silver discs" inside the white circles are just manufacturer's test points.
Cheers, Alan.