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OVERVIEW
The LI-830 and LI-850 provide accurate, dependable CO₂ measurements for a wide range of applications—from environmental monitoring to research and industrial process control. Designed to be lightweight, low-power, and easy to use, these analysers give you professional-level data without the complexity or high cost of traditional instruments.
Key Features
- CO₂: 0–20,000 ppm
- H₂O (LI-850 only): 0–60 mmol/mol
- Fast output: 2 measurements per second (2 Hz)
- Flexible connectivity: USB, serial, and analog outputs for PC, data logger, or custom devices
- Portable and durable: Low power, lightweight, and suitable for mobile, remote, or UAV deployments
- Optional add-ons: Pump for automated flow and display for real-time readings without a computer
- Configurable alarms: Trigger events when CO₂ or H₂O thresholds are exceeded
- User-serviceable: Minimises downtime and does not require factory recalibration
LI-830
The LI-830 provides precise CO₂ measurements in air, ideal for ambient air monitoring, process control, and experiments where CO₂ concentration is critical. With 3% measurement precision and versatile output options, it is perfect for portable or stationary setups.
LI-850
The LI-850 measures both CO₂ and water vapor, allowing for even higher accuracy by compensating for H₂O effects. With 1.5% precision, it is suited for applications demanding the most reliable CO₂ readings, including greenhouse monitoring, atmospheric studies, and process control systems.
Applications
- UAV and drone-mounted CO2 measurement systems
- Indoor and outdoor air quality monitoring
- Greenhouses, controlled environment agriculture, growth chambers, and grow rooms
- CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) measurement systems
- Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC) measurement systems
- Total Organic Carbon (TOC) measurement system
- Atmospheric profiling systems
- Carbon sequestration studies
- Volcanology studies
- Injections site leak monitoring systems
- Insect respiration measurements
- Process controls for manufacturing
- Custom machine builders, system integrators, value-added resellers, or equipment manufacturers that seek to integrate a gas analyser into a product.
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PRODUCT DETAILS
Whether you are monitoring ambient CO2 concentrations, controlling a process, or measuring CO2 for an experiment, the LI-830 and LI-850 can provide the data you need for many applications.
The CO2 measurement range of 0 to 20,000 ppm, H2O measurement range of 0 to 60 mmol/mol (LI-850 only), and output rate of 2 measurements per second (2 Hz) are ideal for atmospheric air measurements and many general-purpose applications. Featuring USB, serial, and analog outputs, data can be logged to a personal computer, data logger, or your own data recording device, such as an Arduino®.
Low power requirements and light weight make it ideal for remote, mobile, and battery-powered deployments, including UAVs (drones) or on weather stations. The wide operating temperature range and onboard temperature measurements ensure consistent performance – even if ambient temperature changes rapidly.
The LI-830 and LI-850 are available with an optional pump for an out-of-the box flow solution and an optional display to view measurements in real time without a computer or datalogger. All LI-830 and LI-850 gas analyzers feature configurable alarms to trigger a switch when a CO2 or H2O threshold is crossed.
Compare Models
LI-830 & LI-850
LI-830-1 & LI-850-1
LI-830-2 & LI-850-2
LI-830-3 & LI-850-3
Pump
– – Display
– – Case
Universal Power Adapter
Table 1. The LI-830 and LI-850 are available in a variety of configurations, with an optional pump, optional display, and versions for equipment manufacturers. The LI-850 measures CO2 and water vapor in air, whereas the LI-830 just measures CO2.
Dependability that is just right
The LI-830 and LI-850 are dependable and robust, providing low cost of operation. User-serviceable components minimise downtime. If maintenance is needed, you can do it yourself, typically, and the instruments do not require factory recalibration after service.
Remote monitoring that is just right
Access your data in LI-COR Cloud® anytime, anywhere. Simply connect your LI-830 and LI-850 with the HOBO RX3000 remote monitoring station.
The RX3000 provides real-time data access, customisable alerts, and is the main component of hte cost-effective and scalable HOBOnet Field Monitoring System.
Simplicity that is just right
Simple hardware and intuitive software mean that you can start taking measurements right away. You can view data, configure the analysers, and set up data logging to your Windows® or macOS® personal computer. Each analyzer includes a USB cable and a universal power adapter that is compatible with mains power worldwide (100 to 240 VAC, 50 or 60 Hz input; 12 VDC output).
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HOW DOES IT WORK?
With the LI-830 and LI-850, you don’t need to wonder about the quality of the measurements. You can trust the data while you turn your attention to more pressing concerns. Each LI-830 and LI-850 is calibrated at the factory with gas standards that are traceable to the WMO, EPA protocol gases, and NIST. Temperature controlled, insulated optics provide precision, stability, and accuracy over the full measurement range.
How do they work?
The LI-830 and LI-850 use non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) gas analysis to measure gases in air. A broad-band optical source delivers infrared radiation through the sample onto optically filtered detectors. Optical detectors measure the sample and reference bands to compute absorption by CO2 and H2O (LI-850 only). The CO2 concentration is computed by fitting absorption to a double-rectangular hyperbola (a ratio of polynomials). The H2O concentration in the LI-850 is computed with a third-order polynomial. Coefficients for the polynomials are determined by a thorough factory calibration procedure for each instrument, and the factory calibration is then verified across the measurement range. Read the Theory of Operation for a detailed summary.
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SPECIFICATIONS
CO2 Measurements
Measurement Range 0 to 20,000 ppm Accuracy LI-850 Within 1.5% of reading
LI-830 Within 3% of readingCalibration Drift Zero Drift1: <0.15 ppm / °C
Span Drift2: <0.03% / °C
Total drift at 370 ppm: <0.4 ppm / °C
RMS noise at 370 ppm with 1 sec signal filtering: <1 ppmSensitivity to water vapor (LI-850 only) <0.1 ppm CO2 / mmol mol-1 H2O Lower limit of detection 1.5 ppm H2O measurements (LI-850 only)
Measurement Range 0 to 60 mmol mol-1 Accuracy Better than 1.5% of reading Calibration Drift Drift at 0 mmol mol-1: <0.005 mmol mol-1 / °C
Span Drift1 at 10 mmol mol-1: <0.006 mmol mol-1 / °C
Total Drift at 10 mmol mol-1 <0.016 mmol mol-1 / °C
RMS noise at 10 mmol mol with 1 sec signal filtering: <0.01 mmol mol-1Sensitivity to CO2 <0.0001 mmol mol-1 H2O / ppm CO2 Lower limit of detection <0.015 mmol mol-1 General
Output rate Up to 2 measurements per second Response time (T90) CO2: <3.5 seconds from 0 to 375 ppm
H2O: <3.5 seconds from 0 to 21 mmol mol-1Internal optical cell volume 14.5 mL Measurement principle Non-Dispersive Infrared Traceability CO2: Traceable gases to WMO standards from 0 to 3,000 ppm; traceable gases to EPA protocol gases from 3,000 to 20,000 ppm
H2O (LI-850 only): NIST traceable LI-610 Portable Dew Point GeneratorPressure Compensation Range 50 to 110 kPa Maximum Gas Flow Rate 1 liter min-1 Output Signals Two analog voltage (0 to 2.5 V or 0 to 5 V) and two current (4 to 20 mA) Digital Outputs TTL (0 to 5 V) or Open Collector DAC Resolution 16 bits across user-specified range Power Requirements
Input voltage 12-30 VDC After warmup (without pump) 0.33A @ 12 VDC (4.0 W) average After warmup (with pump) 0.42A @ 12 VDC (5.0 W) average During warmup 1.2 A @ 12 VDC (14 W) maximum Operating temperature range -20°C to 45 °C Relative humidity range 0 to 95% RH, Non-condensing Dimensions 22.23 cm W x 15.25 cm D x 7.62 cm H Weight
No pump, no display 1.0kg No pump, with display 1.02kg With pump, no display 1.3kg With pump, with display 1.32kg Pump specifications (optional)
Operating temperature range 5 to 45 °C Storage temperature range -20 to 60 °C Operating humidity range 0 to 80% RH Nominal flow rate 0.75 liters minute-1 Power consumption 1 W (nominally) Expected life span 8,000 hrs in standard conditions with a normal load Display specifications (optional)
Dimension 6.7 cm corner-to-corner Resolution 400 x 200 px; monochrome Power Consumption <200 µW Displayed Variables CO2 reading, H2O reading (LI-850 only), optical bench temperature, and pressure.
LI-COR LI-830 and LI-850 CO2 Analyser
The LI-830 and LI-850 are compact CO₂ gas analysers offering proven performance, flexible outputs, and reliable measurements for mobile, remote, and fixed monitoring applications.
