ULM-500 Universal Light Meter & Data Logger

Design and power

A light gray plastic housing carries the connectors, a membrane keyboard and a white-backlit LCD graphic display. The unit measures 12 x 7.5 x 3.5 cm and weighs 210 g including its 4 AAA 1.5 V batteries. It runs on 4 AAA-type batteries or, when connected to the computer, on 5 V DC drawn from the USB port.

• Working conditions: 35 to 85 % rH (avoid condensation), ambient temperature from -20° to +50°C
• Time resolution: 100 samples / second on PAR channel #1; 5 samples / second on PAR channel #2 and the other channels
• Operating time: 10 days, or ca. 100 days of automated logging in sleep mode (1 meas. / 5 min); unlimited over a USB connection (PC software WinControl-3, no sleep mode)
• Memory: flash memory working as a ring buffer for 50,000 lines (1 line per single measurement)
• Display: white-backlit graphic display with 5 display modes (1: all data; 2-4: two selected sensors in large characters; 5: chart of channel no. 1 with maximum, minimum and average), resolution 0.1 μmol m-2 s-1

Inputs

• Two BNC connectors for two PAR sensors, each with its own calibration factor between -50.0 and -9999.9 (memory for 10 calibration factors); range switchable in 5 steps from 250 nA to 0.6 mA
• Connector for the Monitoring Leaf-Clip JUNIOR-B; an adapter is available to connect the Leaf-Clip Holder 2030-B and the Micro Quantum/Temp.-Sensor 2060-M
• Connector for additional digital sensors (still under development)
• USB connector for the computer link (software: WinControl-3)

Computer requirements

• 1 free USB socket
• 1 GHz processor
• 256 MB RAM
• 20 MB of hard disk space
• 800 x 600 pixels screen resolution
• USB 1.1, 2.0 and 3.0 interface
• Microsoft Windows XP/Vista, Windows 7 and 8

Accessories

US-SQS/L Spherical Micro Quantum Sensor. Built for light measurement in suspensions and cuvettes, in units that matter for chloroplasts or algae. It measures photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), the visible electromagnetic radiation between 400 and 700 nm.

MQS-B Cosine Corrected Mini Quantum Sensor. Measures light in units relevant to plant leaves; photosynthesis research calls for sensors whose spectral and directional sensitivity is relevant to plants. The MQS-B detects PAR.

LS-C Mini Quantum Sensor. A small, flat sensor that fits close to leaves in tight spaces, inside cuvettes for instance. It measures PAR and is well suited to light striking the surface perpendicularly, between -30° and +30°.

Adapter for Leaf Clip Holder 2030-B and 2060-M. Lets the ULM-500 read the leaf temperature and light sensors of the Leaf Clip Holder 2030-B, as well as the Micro Quantum Temperature Sensor 2060-M.