Carolina NeuLog Nitrate Ion-Selective User Manual
NEULOG NITRATE SENSOR GUIDE
Concentration range
1M to 7x10-6M
0.1 to 14,000 ppm as N
pH range
2.5 to 11 pH
Temperature range
0 to 50°C
Minimum sample size
3mL in a 50 mL beaker
Reproducibility
±4%
Electrode resistance
1 to 4 megaohms
NeuLog nitrate sensor
NUL-241 Carolina # 369670
The NeuLog nitrate ion sensor can be used for any science experiment or activity
which can utilize nitrate concentration readings such as in the fields of Environmental
Science, Ecology, Chemistry, Biology, etc.
Just a few of the thousands of possible experimental subjects that can be done with
the NUL-241 sensors are: chemical reactions, water quality, environmental health,
small animal behavior, ecological studies, and many more
The nitrate sensor uses the following units of measure:
Milligrams per liter (mg/L): SI unit of measure for density of a solid dissolved
in a liquid.
Parts per million (ppm): The total amount of a specific molecule (nitrate for
example) per million molecules in a sample.
Nitrate sensor usage:
The nitrate sensor’s electrode uses a PermaFil (non-refillable), Ion-selective electrode.
The reference chamber is gel filled and sealed and therefore no reference fill solution
is required.
Usage guide:
Required equipment:
Wash bottle with distilled or deionized water.
Several clean beakers.
1 mL, 10 mL, and 100 mL pipettes.
Technical notes:
All standard solutions should be prepared fresh.
The standards should be at the same temperature as the sample.
Use ISA in all solutions.
Note: ISA is added to all solutions to ensure the samples and standards
have the same ionic strength. The ratio is 1:50
Electrode preparation:
1. Remove the protective cap encasing the nitrate probe’s electrode.
CAUTION: Do not touch the PVC membrane at the end of the probe
with your fingers
2. Rinse the electrode with deionized water and blot dry. Be sure not to rub as
this will harm the sensor.
3. Soak the electrode in deionized water for 10 minutes, then in a diluted
nitrate standard solution (either 0.0001 M or 1 ppm) until ready for use.
Calibration:
Be sure to calibrate the nitrate sensor once daily during periods of regular usage.
1. Prepare the electrode as described in the “Electrode preparation” guide
above.
2. Place 97 mL of deionized water into a 150 mL beaker.
3. Add 2 mL of Ionic Strength Adjustor (ISA) (comes with sensor).
4. Rinse the electrode with deionized water and blot dry and place in the 150
mL beaker.
5. Pipette 1 mL of 1000 ppm nitrate standard solution (comes with sensor) and
stir thoroughly.
6. In the NeuLog software, once the sensor has been detected, click on the
nitrate sensor icon.
7. After a stable reading has been reached, click on the calibrate button, or
hold the “Start/Stop” button located on the sensors faceplate down for 4
seconds.
8. Rinse electrode once more with deionized water and blot dry.
9. The nitrate sensor is now calibrated and ready for use.
NEULOG NITRATE SENSOR GUIDE
Electrode storage:
Short term (overnight or weekend):
Rinse the electrode thoroughly with deionized water and place the tip in a diluted
standard solution (around 10 ppm) between measurements
Long term:
Rinse the electrode thoroughly with deionized water and blot dry. Attach the hard
plastic protective electrode cap again to protect the sensing element.
Quick start procedure:
PC or Mac Computer
Materials needed:
NUL-241 Nitrate Sensor
USB-200 USB Module
A USB to mini USB cable (which comes with the USB-200)
Before use, please review the “Nitrate sensor usage”, “Electrode preparation”,
“Electrode storage”, and “Calibration” sections of this document above to ensure the
proper use and longevity of the NeuLog nitrate ion sensor.
Your nitrate sensor needs to be connected to a USB-200 module. The USB-200
module then connects to a computer via a USB to mini-USB cable. Please note that
you cannot plug the nitrate sensor directly into the computer.
Resident PC software and browser based software can be downloaded for free at
www.NeuLog.com/dowload as well as a full software user guide. Note: Make sure not
to download and install both types of software, they will conflict on the computer.
Procedure:
1. Install the NeuLog software
2. Connect the USB-200 module to the PC or Mac
3. Connect the nitrate sensor to the USB-200 module (they directly plug
together).
4. Open the NeuLog software.
5. Once a nitrate sensor logo appears on the left side of the screen the probe
has been automatically identified and you can begin experimentation.
6. If the nitrate sensor is not automatically identified then click the “Search for
sensors” icon to find the sensor.
7. Select the “On-line experiment” button; this will open a graph below.
8. Click on the “Module setup” button located on the nitrate sensor icon in the
module window to change the sensor settings if need be.
9. Click on the experiment set up button to change the experiment settings if
need be (experiment duration for example).
10. The nitrate sensor will give a live reading in the box to the left of the screen
while plugged in.
11. To run an experiment and collect data click “Run experiment”.
12. To end data collection early, click “Stop experiment”.
Tablet, smart phone device
Materials needed:
NUL-241 Nitrate Sensor
WIFI-201 WIFI module
BAT-200 Battery
Before use, please review the “Nitrate sensor usage”, “Electrode preparation”,
“Electrode storage”, and “Calibration” sections of this document above to ensure the
proper use and longevity of the NeuLog nitrate ion sensor.
Your nitrate sensor needs to be connected to a WIFI-201 module. The WIFI-201
module will create a closed NeuLog wifi network which will stream the NeuLog data to
a device of your choosing. Once your device is wirelessly connected to the NeuLog
network you can run experiments and collect data through a browser of your choosing.
Procedure:
1. Connect the nitrate sensor directly to the left side of a WIFI-201 module (no
wires required).
2. Connect a BAT-200 module to the right side of the WIFI-201 module.
3. Although not required, we recommend plugging the BAT-200 to an outlet
using a USB to micro USB charger (such as a typical cell phone charger).
The WIFI-201 module will run for 15-75 minutes (depending on the sensor)
without being plugged in.
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