Frequently Asked Questions

If there are any questions about the CI-110, please check the Frequently Asked Questions below, as well as the CID Bio-Science support webpage and forum at http://cid-inc.com/support.

  1. Where do I download the most current version of CI-110 software?

    The latest version of software and the driver can be downloaded at Click the most recent version of CI-110 software to start the download. If prompted that the publisher is not verified, click Run or Install to continue the setup. Next, install the driver according to the Instruction Manual.

    Make sure to completely erase the old version of software and the driver before downloading the new version. To do this, go to Add or Remove Programs in your computer’s Control Panel. Uninstall the Plant Canopy Analysis System software and the CI-110 driver (USB TV Device Driver).

  2. Where do I find a CI-110 driver?

    The CI-110 driver is compatible with 32 or 64 bit systems. You can install the driver by going to the Advanced Settings tab, clicking on Install Driver and following the Installation Wizard prompts. Alternatively, you can download the CI-110 driver at: http://www.cid-inc.com/Software/CI-110/V6Driver.zip. Instructions to install the driver can be found in the Hardware Installation section of the CI-110 User Manual.

  3. Why won’t the GPS lock or find a location?

    The GPS can take up to 15 minutes to locate satellites and establish longitude, latitude and altitude parameters. This time should be shorter after the initial connection. The GPS typically needs to be outdoors to connect to satellites.

  4. What is the accuracy of the CI-110 GPS?

    • Position: 5m CEP without SA
    • Velocity: 0.1m/sec, without SA
    • Time: +/- 50ns synchronized to GPS time

      CEP is Circular Error Probability. CEP is defined as the radius of a circle centered on the true value that contains 50% of the actual GPS measurements. So a receiver with 1 meter CEP accuracy will be within one meter of the true measurement 50% of the time. The other 50% of the time the measurement will be in error by more than one meter.


  5. Where are the PAR sensors located?

    The PAR sensors are located along the top of the wand/arm that the camera connects to.

  6. How do I tell when the CI-110 is facing north?

    The tick or arrow-tip on the outside of the image will change from red to green when the CI-110 camera and wand are pointed north. North or green is at the 12 o’clock position on the image.

  7. What is the difference between the CI-110 and the CI-120?

    • The CI-110 lens probe and the accompanying software that calculates Leaf Area Index was designed to measure forest canopies. The CI-120 compact lens probe was designed later to measure in rice paddies and wetland conditions where the CI-110 lens probe could not get low enough to take the image. The current CI-110 has even lower clearance than previously, so the CI-120 is no longer offered.

    • The self-leveling feature of the CI-110 is a very significant advantage when measuring tree canopies. The CI-110 lens probe has a 170° viewing angle.

  8. Can I use the CI-110 to study the canopy of grapes?

    Unfortunately, due to their irregular canopy shape, the gap fraction method for calculating the Light Area Index of canopies of grapes grown on vertical trellises cannot be accurately measured. So the instrument cannot be recommended for the study of vertically growing grapes.

  9. What types of canopies is the 110 used for?

    For types of canopies that work well with the CI-110, please refer to the list of published research (http://www.cid-inc.com/resources). The CI-110 has been used to effectively measure the LAI of forests, rice, pastureland, sub-Mediterranean grasslands, winter wheat, Quercus species, Shpaeralcea and Shepherdia species, Amaranthus powellii, Erythroxylum coca, Olea europaea, and Cypripedium flavum, among others.

  10. Why do past images appear darker in software version 5.3 and later software versions?

    Software version 5.3.1 includes a fix to a bug that prevented the software from properly controlling the camera exposure. Images taken with previous versions of software may appear darker when opened in version 5.3.1 or later. After properly adjusting the exposure, the image should appear correctly.

  11. What are the improvements with the new CI-110 Spring 2013?

    • New and improved camera and filter.
    • New and improved GPS.
    • Updated software with many bug fixes.


  12. How do I access the CI-110 log file if an error occurs?

    To access the Log Files:

    1. Start the CI-110 software
    2. Press Control and Escape at the same time or Ctrl + Alt + Delete (this launches the Task Manager). Or, right-click or click and hold on the the task bar (the bar that has the system try/notification area and the start menu button at the bottom of the screen). Select Start Task Manager from the list.
    3. From the Task Manager, click on the Processes tab.
    4. Right click on CID.CI110.exe and select Open File Location (this launches the file browser)
    5. You should see several ApplicationLog and ErrorLog files.


  13. How do I calibrate the Sol Tab tablet touch screen?

    To calibrate the Sol Tab tablet daylight visible touch screen:

    1. Go to Start and Control Panel
    2. Go to Hardware and Sound
    3. Under Tablet PC Settings, choose Calibrate the screen for pen or touch input
    4. Click the calibrate button
    5. Follow the instructions to touch the screen and choose to save the calibration data.


  14. Which Gap Fraction Method should I use?

    For more information on Gap Fraction Methods please refer to the article by Juarez et al.:

    An Improved Estimate of Leaf Area Index Based on the Histogram Analysis of Hemispherical Photographs

    Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, volume 149, pages 920-928, 2009.
    Juarez, R., Riberio da Rocha, H., Silva e Figueira, A., Goulden, M., Miller, S.

  15. Why is the image so dark?

    The CI-110 camera was modified to use a blue lens, the contrast and other parameters have been adjusted for optimum accuracy. Indoor lights are not usually strong enough to show anything other than a dark or black image.

  16. Which side is up on the stick and camera?

    The bottom of the camera mount has a cable attached to it and the stick has opaque white plastic on the top. Both should have labels indicating TOP.

  17. The handle on the stick get warm, is this normal?

    Yes, this is normal. The power to run the PAR sensors and camera run through the handle of the stick. This generates the heat in the handle.

  18. The image seems to be centered incorrectly. How do I center the image?

    Go to the Advanced Settings tab and change the Top and Left offsets to the values in the Product Test Check Sheet page of this manual.

  19. How do I focus the image?

    The lens of the CI-110 can be twisted to bring the canopy image into focus.

  20. How much storage does the tablet computer have?

    The Sol Tab computer and the Acer tablet computer both have 32GB of storage capacity.

  21. How does adjusting brightness affect LAI?

    The effect of adjusting the brightness depends on whether it is done during image acquisition or afterwards, during image processing. If you have already taken the image and are now processing it afterwards, the following relationship is expected: LAI will decrease with increasing brightness. This is because plant elements, such as back-lit leaves or light green leaves, will be washed-out in the photo and will appear as sky to the software. Increased brightness = more sky = decreased LAI. To counter-act this, re-assign Foliage and Sky colors in the Sky and Leaf Filter option after setting the desired brightness.

    It is recommended to:

    • Adjust the brightness so the image appears properly exposed.
    • Go to the Threshold menu and choose a method.
    • Adjust the slider until all the plant elements appear green.
    • Press the Data button.
    • Go back and adjust the brightness/contrast until all the plant elements are green.
    • Keep tweaking the settings until you have grouped all the plant elements together and separated the sky or background.

  22. How do I analyze images on a different computer?

    Download and install the CI-110 Plant Canopy Analysis software on the computer. Then, transfer the .ci110 files to the computer. Create a folder in your pictures to be able to use the search function in Browse Records. Double-clicking on the .ci110 file will open the software with the file loaded.

  23. What type of external battery will work with the tablet computer?

    The battery life of the CI-110 is directly related to the tablet that operates the instrument. Currently, the battery life for using the CI-110 and Acer Iconia W3 tablet is around 4 hours. This is with the CI-110 software open and running the entire time on the tablet. Battery life can be lengthened by closing the software, dimming or turning off the display or putting the tablet to sleep between measurements.

    If extra battery life is needed, there are many universal batteries (normally marketed for laptops) that could be used. Essentially, these are bricks with a wire that plugs into the tablet where the AC adapter normally would go. Using a universal battery in conjunction with the CI-110 and tablet could extend the battery life by several hours, or allow for additional "battery".

    USB battery devices generally do not work with the tablet and a true laptop external battery should be used.

  24. How far from the canopy does the CI-110 camera lens need to be?

    The distance from the CI-110 lens to the leaf at an angle of 30° from zenith should be at least four times the leaf width.

  25. What should I do if the sunflecks always read 100%, even though some of the PAR sensors are covered?

    • In the Advanced Settings tab, go to Par Sensor Calibration and hit Yes to proceed.
    • While testing indoors, where PAR is 12.5, change the Sunfleck Minimum PAR to 10.
    • Sunflecks value will now respond as expected when some sensors are covered.
    • The default value is 300.

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