WS80 modification - Breezedude/breezedudeWindSensor GitHub Wiki

WS80 is a reliable sensor, nevertheless it has some issues:

  • parts of the case will yellow in sunlight (cosmetic)
  • Silicon plug covering USB port may slip out or picked out by birds.
  • The mounting tube ends within the bottom part. if sealing fails and tube is facing slightly downwards, water can fill the lower section.
  • This serial data mod only works to certain firmware, so upgrading stalls. Therefore it is not recommended for new builds.

The WS80 can be modified to output the measurement data via UART as a human readable debug message. We can parse this data to extract the current wind data. To do so, the debug mode must be enabled by changing a resistor and adding wires to access the UART port in a waterproof way.

  1. Open the top cover by turning it counter-clockwise

  2. Remove the 4 screws to take off the upper plastic frame. This allows us to have more space and don't burn the plastic when soldering

  3. (optional) remove the RF chip to save some power and avoid RF interference.

  4. Add a wire from testpoint T6 and pin 6 of U2. Remove resistor R4 and add a 10kOhm resistor from T7 to VCC

  5. Open the lower part of the sensor by removing the 4 screws and cut all around the silicon sealed gap. Lever the two parts apart with a cutter.

  6. Remove the supercap. Desolder its terminals, remove the shrinktube on the top and carefully pull it out (most difficult part). When removed, remove the old heating wire and drill a hole for the new wire in the same position. The hole should be as much in the center as possible, but not completely centered as there will be the mounting screw. Install the wire, strip it to your needs and place the supercap back in place. Add some silicone for sealing the cable.

  7. Connect the UART data line (TX on sensor) to T46. To supply the sensor with external 3.3V connect to positive and negative of the battery holder

  8. Test the UART output of the sensor, assemble in reverse order. Add some silicone to seal the lower part.

  9. For mounting the sensor with some distance to a pole a 50cm long 15mm or 16mm aluminium tube is used. I recommend 16mm tubes as they have a better fit. Press/rotate the tube into the counterpart of the WS80 until you completely cover the 3mm hole. Mark both positions of the holes. Remove the tube, drill the holes and check for fit. If it fits, drill the holes on the other side of the tube for the pole mount. Leave a bit of space for a cable gland in the end. Make sure it is 90° off to the sensor. Put in the plastic counterpart and place it with a tweezer while fastening a M4x12 screw The result should look like this. Add a cable gland to avoid water getting in the tube. Make it fit using some electrical tape. This depends on your inner diameter of the tube. Ready to mount