LI-550 TriSonica® Mini Wind and Weather Sensor
The LI-550 TriSonica® Mini is a compact, lightweight ultrasonic anemometer and weather sensor designed for high-accuracy atmospheric measurements with minimal power consumption. Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, it delivers powerful performance for weather monitoring, ecosystem research, and mobile sensing applications.
With no moving parts and an open-path ultrasonic design, the LI-550 provides reliable, real-time three-dimensional* airflow measurements while minimizing wind field distortion.
Compact Design. Powerful Performance.
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Measurement path: 35 mm
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Weight: 50–67 g
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Power consumption: 400 mW
Its featherweight profile makes it ideal for uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), while its robust construction allows deployment on fixed or portable towers for continuous environmental monitoring.
Measured Parameters
The LI-550 provides:
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Wind speed
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Wind direction (u, v, w)
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Air temperature
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Relative humidity
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Barometric pressure
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Tilt (pitch and roll)
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Compass heading
Four measurement paths ensure high data quality. If one path is affected by distortion, it can be excluded from calculations to maintain measurement accuracy.
*Vertical wind measurements up to ±15° from horizontal. For full vertical measurements, see the LI-560 TriSonica® Sphere Ultrasonic Anemometer.
Mounting Options
Two mounting configurations are available:
LI-550F (Flat Base)
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Versatile mounting surface
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Compatible with tripod adapters
LI-550P (Pipe Mount Base)
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Fits ½” DN15 Schedule 10 pipe or 22 mm carbon fiber pipe
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Internal cable routing for streamlined installation and rotor protection
Data Logging
LI-570 TriSonica Data Logger
The optional LI-570 Data Logger is compact, weather-resistant, and capable of collecting data from multiple TriSonica sensors. Ideal for multi-point monitoring and long-term field deployment.
Accessories
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USB adapter (for configuration and indoor data viewing only)
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Power and data cables for integration with the LI-570 or customer equipment
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Tripod and custom mounting adapters
Technical specifications
Technical Specifications
General
Supply voltage: 5–32 VDC
Power consumption: 400 mW
Sampling frequency: Up to 40 Hz
Ultrasonic frequency: 60 kHz ±5 kHz
Digital output: RS-232, RS-422, UART-3V
Output rate: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, or 40 Hz
Environmental Limits
Operating temperature: –20 to 72 °C
Altitude: Up to 5000 m
Relative humidity: 0–100% (non-condensing)
Pollution tolerance: Level 3
Temporary overvoltage: 40 V
Transient overvoltage category: I
The 550USB is not rated for outdoor use.
Wind Speed
Range: 0–50 m/s
Resolution: 0.01 m/s
Accuracy (0–10 m/s): ±0.2 m/s
Accuracy (11–30 m/s): ±2%
Accuracy (31–50 m/s): ±4%
Wind Direction
Range (u/v): 0–359°
Resolution: 1.0°
Accuracy (u/v): ±1.0°
Vertical range (w): ±15°
Accuracy (w): 0.2 m/s
Humidity
Range: 0–100% RH
Resolution: 0.01%
Accuracy: ±3%
Pressure
Range: 50–115 kPa
Resolution: 0.01 kPa
Accuracy: ±1.0%
Temperature
Range: –20 to 72 °C
Resolution: 0.01 °C
Accuracy: ±2.0 °C
Magnetometer
Range (u, v, w): ±50 Gauss
Heading accuracy: ±5°
Accelerometer
Range (u, v, w): ±2 g
Tilt (pitch, roll): ±90°
Ideal Applications
UAS / drone-based atmospheric measurements
Weather monitoring stations
Ecosystem and canopy airflow studies
Boundary layer research
Industrial and environmental sensing networks