GE Sensing PM880AC Operating Manual
GE
Measurement & Control Solutions Moisture
Model PM880 AC
Portable Hygrometer
User’s Manual
910-268 Rev. B
May 2011
GE
Measurement & Control Solutions
Model PM880 AC
Portable Hygrometer
User’s Manual
910-268 Rev. B
May 2011
www.ge-mcs.com
©2011 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.
Technical content subject to change without notice.
[no content intended for this page
ii
Preface
Information Paragraphs
• Note paragraphs provide information that provides a deeper understanding of
the situation, but is not essential to the proper completion of the instructions.
• Important paragraphs provide information that emphasizes instructions that
are essential to proper setup of the equipment. Failure to follow these
instructions carefully may cause unreliable performance.
• Caution! paragraphs provide information that alerts the operator to a hazardous
situation that can cause damage to property or equipment.
• Warning! paragraphs provide information that alerts the operator to a
hazardous situation that can cause injury to personnel. Cautionary information
is also included, when applicable.
Safety Issues
WARNING! It is the responsibility of the user to make sure all local, county,
state and national codes, regulations, rules and laws related to
safety and safe operating conditions are met for each
installation.
Auxiliary Equipment
Local Safety Standards
The user must make sure that he operates all auxiliary equipment in accordance
with local codes, standards, regulations, or laws applicable to safety.
Working Area
WARNING! Auxiliary equipment may have both manual and automatic
modes of operation. As equipment can move suddenly and
without warning, do not enter the work cell of this equipment
during automatic operation, and do not enter the work
envelope of this equipment during manual operation. If you do,
serious injury can result.
WARNING! Make sure that power to the auxiliary equipment is turned OFF
and locked out before you perform maintenance procedures on
the equipment.
Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual iii
Preface
Qualification of Personnel
Make sure that all personnel have manufacturer-approved training applicable to the
auxiliary equipment.
Personal Safety Equipment
Make sure that operators and maintenance personnel have all safety equipment
applicable to the auxiliary equipment. Examples include safety glasses, protective
headgear, safety shoes, etc.
Unauthorized Operation
Make sure that unauthorized personnel cannot gain access to the operation of the
equipment.
Environmental Compliance
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive
GE Measurement & Control Solutions is an active participant in Europe’s Waste
Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) take-back initiative, directive
2002/96/EC.
The equipment that you bought has required the extraction and use of natural
resources for its production. It may contain hazardous substances that could impact
health and the environment.
In order to avoid the dissemination of those substances in our environment and to
diminish the pressure on the natural resources, we encourage you to use the
appropriate take-back systems. Those systems will reuse or recycle most of the
materials of your end life equipment in a sound way.
The crossed-out wheeled bin symbol invites you to use those systems.
If you need more information on the collection, reuse and recycling systems, please
contact your local or regional waste administration.
Visit http://www.ge-mcs.com/en/about-us/environmental-health-and-
safety/1741-weee-req.html for take-back instructions and more information
about this initiative.
iv Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual
Contents
Chapter 1. Getting Started
1.1 Powering On and Off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
1.1.1 Powering On. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
1.1.2 Powering Off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
1.2 Entering Data Using the Keypad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
1.3 Entering Setup Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
1.3.1 Selecting Probe Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
1.3.2 Entering Calibration Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
1.4 Displaying Measurements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.4.1 Selecting the Number of Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.4.2 Selecting the Types of Measurements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.5 Saving Data in a Site File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.5.1 Accessing the Site Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.5.2 Entering a Site Name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Chapter 2. Taking Measurements
2.1 Installing the Probe in a Sample System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.1.1 Installing a Moisture Probe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.2 Connecting the Sample System to the Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.3 Making Probe Connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
2.4 Recalling a Site File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2.4.1 Accessing the Site Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2.4.2 Retrieving the Site File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2.5 Operating the Sample System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
2.6 Conducting a Leak Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
2.7 Shutting Down the Sample System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual v
Contents
Chapter 3. Using the PM880 AC Screen
3.1 Screen Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
3.2 Setting Up the Screen to Display Measurements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
3.2.1 Selecting the Number of Views (Measurements) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
3.2.2 Selecting the Types of Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
3.2.3 Selecting Numeric, Line or Bar Graph Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3.2.4 Setting Up the Numeric Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3.2.5 Adjusting the Line/Bar Graph Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
3.3 Creating Function Key Shortcuts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
3.3.1 Assigning/Re-assigning a Function Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
3.3.2 Clearing a Function Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
3.4 Using the Backlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
3.4.1 Turning the Backlight On and Off Manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
3.4.2 Setting the Backlight Timer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
3.5 Adjusting the Contrast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
3.6 Taking a Bitmap Screen Capture - Snapshot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
vi Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual
Contents
Chapter 4. Using Special Features
4.1 Selecting English or Metric Units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
4.2 Entering Date and Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
4.3 Changing Date and Time Appearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
4.3.1 Accessing the Locale Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
4.3.1 Selecting the Separator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
4.3.2 Selecting the Date/Time Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
4.4 Adding a Message to a Site File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
4.4.1 Accessing the Site Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
4.4.2 Selecting a Site File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
4.4.3 Entering a Site Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
4.5 Setting a Probe Calibration Reminder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
4.5.1 Accessing the Probe ID Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
4.5.1 Entering Probe Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
4.6 Using Automatic Calibration (AutoCal) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
4.7 Entering Constants and User Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
4.8 Entering a User Constant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
4.8.1 Entering a Saturation Constant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
4.8.2 Entering User Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
4.8.3 Setting Up User Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
4.9 Using Computer Enhanced Response. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
4.9.1 Response Time Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
4.10Entering Reference Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
4.11Using Sleep Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
4.11.1 Placing the PM880 AC in Sleep Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
4.11.2 Resuming Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
4.12Displaying Meter Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
4.13Changing the Display Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
4.14Using On-Line Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual vii
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Chapter 5. Logging Data
5.1 Setting Up a New Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
5.1.1 Creating a New Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
5.1.2 Entering a Log Name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
5.1.1 Selecting General Log Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
5.1.2 Selecting a Measurement to Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
5.2 Pausing a Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
5.3 Starting or Restarting a Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
5.4 Ending a Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
5.5 Viewing All Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
5.6 Viewing Log Setup Details. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
5.7 Displaying Logged Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
5.7.1 Using the Graph Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
5.7.2 Using the Spreadsheet Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Chapter 6. Managing Files
6.1 Saving a New Site File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
6.2 Recalling a Site File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
6.3 Saving a Site File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
6.4 Renaming a Site or Log File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
6.4.1 Renaming a Site File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
6.4.2 Renaming a Log File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
6.5 Copying a Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
6.6 Deleting All Types of Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
6.7 Sorting Files in the Site/Drive/Log Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
viii Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual
Contents
Chapter 7. Using the PM880 AC with a PC and Printer
7.1 Setting Up PM880 AC IR Communications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
7.1.1 Using the Add Hardware Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
7.1.2 Using Panaview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
7.2 Transferring and Printing Files Key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
7.3 Printing a Site or Log File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
7.3.1 Printing a Site File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
7.3.2 Printing a Log File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
7.4 Printing Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
7.5 Transferring a File To a PC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
7.6 Transferring a File from a PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
7.6.1 Using Windows Explorer in Windows 95/98/2000. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
7.6.2 Using Windows NT 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
7.6.3 Using Windows 95/98. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
7.6.4 Using Windows 2000. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Chapter 8. Maintenance and Troubleshooting
8.1 Checking the PM880 AC Memory Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
8.2 Testing the Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
8.3 Testing the Keypad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
8.4 Testing the Watchdog Timer Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
8.5 Resetting to Factory Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
8.6 Viewing or Changing Security Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
8.6.1 Setting the Security Passcodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
8.6.2 Setting Remote Access Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
8.7 Updating PM880 AC Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
8.7.1 Upgrading Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
8.7.2 Updating Software Using IrOBEX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
8.7.3 Updating Software Using IrCOMM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
8.8 Error and Screen Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
8.9 Common Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
8.10Replacing and Recalibrating the Moisture Probes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
8.11Recalibrating the Pressure Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
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Chapter 9. Features and Specifications
9.1 The PM880 AC Hygrometer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
9.2 Probes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
9.2.1 M Series and TF Series Moisture Probes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
9.2.2 Moisture Image Series Probe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
9.3 Cabling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
9.4 Overall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
9.5 Operational . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
9.6 Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
9.7 Moisture Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
9.8 Dew/frost Point Temperature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
9.9 Temperature Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
9.10Pressure Measurement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
9.11Sample System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
9.12Optional Accessories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Appendix A. Measurement Considerations
A.1 Choosing a Measurement Site. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
A.2 Moisture/Temperature Probe Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
A.3 Sample System Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Appendix B. Menu Maps
x Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual
Chapter 1. Getting Started
Chapter 1. Getting Started
The GE PM880 AC is a versatile, portable hygrometer that is designed for
spot sampling moisture measurements. Although the PM880 AC offers
many options, it requires only minimal setup to begin taking measurements.
This chapter is designed to provide a step-by-step guide to getting the meter
up and running as quickly as possible. Additional programming options are
discussed in later chapters.
Follow the sections in this chapter to setup your meter. This chapter
includes the following information:
• Powering On and Off
• Entering Data Using the Keypad
• Entering Setup Data
• Displaying Measurements
• Saving Data in Site Files
Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual 1
Chapter 1. Getting Started
1.1 Powering On and Off
1.1.1 Powering On
To turn the PM880 AC on, press the red button in the upper-right-hand
corner of the keypad. Immediately upon powerup the PM880 AC displays a
series of messages and performs various checks. The screen then appears
similar to the one shown in Figure 1.
Note: If the meter displays a Probe Reminder message, press [ENTER].
Figure 1: Screen After Powering On
Note: If the meter fails any of these tests, contact the factory.
2 Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual
Chapter 1. Getting Started
1.1.2 Powering Off
1. To turn the PM880 AC off, press the red key for 3 seconds. The screen
now appears similar to Figure 2.
2. Press [F1] to shut down the PM880 AC.
Figure 2: Shutdown Menu
Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual 3
Chapter 1. Getting Started
1.2 Entering Data Using the Keypad
Use the information below to familiarize yourself with how to enter data
using the PM880 AC keypad.
Use the arrow keys to scroll to a menu topic and then press
the menu.
When entering data into a menu window, press:
[ENTER] to open
• The [] key to scroll forward through the menu options.
• The [] key to scroll back through menu options.
• The [F2] key (Cancel) or the [ESC] key to exit a menu at any time and
return to Operate Mode without changing data.
Note: If you enter an incorrect numeric value, press the [] key to erase
the last digit entered.
1.3 Entering Setup Data
For immediate operation, the PM880 AC requires only a moisture probe
and its corresponding calibration data. You should enter data for each site
where you plan to make a measurement. Once entered, you can save it into a
file that can be recalled at the measurement site. Use the sections that follow
to program your meter.
Note: The PM880 AC has additional menus that enable you to tailor
measurements as specifically as possible to your particular
application. For more information on menu options refer to
Chapter 4, Using Special Features.
4 Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual
Chapter 1. Getting Started
1.3.1 Selecting Probe Type
Use the steps below to select the probe type for the measurement site. Refer
to Figure 9 on page 17 for a menu map.
Note: You may also enter a constant value (rather than a live input) for
moisture, temperature or pressure measurement. For more
information refer to Entering Constants and User Functions on
page 50.
1. If the menu is not active, press [MENU].
2. Use the arrow key to scroll to Program and press [ENTER].
3. Use the arrow key to scroll to Probe and press [ENTER]. The screen
appears similar to Figure 3.
Figure 3: Probe Window
Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual 5
Chapter 1. Getting Started
1.3.1 Selecting Probe Type (cont.)
4. At Type, press [ENTER] to open the drop-down list of probe types.
Note: If you do not know the probe type, refer to the Calibration Data
Sheet.
5. Use the arrow keys to scroll to the desired selection and press [ENTER].
6. Press [F3] (OK) to exit.
Next, do one of the following:
• If you are using an M or TF Series probe, proceed to Entering
Calibration Data on the next page.
• If you are using an MIS or an MISP2 Probe, proceed to Displaying
Measurements on page 12.
Note: If you have an MIS probe that was sent back to the factory for
calibration without the electronics module, you need to enter
calibration data as described in Entering Calibration Data on
page 7.
6 Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual
Chapter 1. Getting Started
1.3.2 Entering Calibration Data
The PM880 AC needs moisture and/or pressure calibration data for probes.
You must enter this data when setting up:
• a new unit
• a probe(s) sent back to the factory for calibration
Be sure you have the Calibration Data Sheets that are supplied with each
GE probe. Each Calibration Data Sheet consists of a list of data points that
you will need to enter or verify, and lists its corresponding probe serial
number. Calibration Data Sheets are usually packed inside the probe cases.
Since the PM880 AC enables you to use more than one probe, the meter
provides a place to enter the probe serial number to help you match the
probes to the corresponding site files. The probe serial number is stored as
part of the site file.
Use the sections which follow to enter the serial number, and the moisture
and pressure calibration data for the probes.
Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual 7
Chapter 1. Getting Started
1.3.2a Entering Probe ID
1. If the menu is not active, press [MENU].
2. Use the arrow key to scroll to Program and press [ENTER].
3. Use the arrow key to scroll to Calibrate and press [ENTER].
4. Use the arrow keys to scroll to the Probe ID tab and press [ENTER]. A
screen similar to Figure 4 appears.
Figure 4: Probe ID Window
5. Use the arrow keys to scroll to S/N and press [ENTER].
6. Use the numeric keys to enter the serial number from the Calibration
Data Sheet and press
[ENTER]. The serial number also appears on the
hex nut of the moisture probe.
7. Use the arrow keys to scroll to the suffix box and press [ENTER] to open
the drop-down list.
8. Use the arrow keys to scroll to the desired suffix and press [ENTER].
9. Press [F3] (OK) to exit.
8 Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual
Chapter 1. Getting Started
1.3.2b Entering Moisture Calibration Data
You need to enter calibration data for M and TF Series probes only. The
Moisture Image
electronics module, and upload it into the PM880 AC memory when
needed.
Note: It is not necessary to enter calibration data for the Moisture Image
Series (MIS) probe unless you send it back to the factory for
calibration without its electronics module. If this is the case, you
must manually enter the calibration data as described below.
Note: It is not necessary to enter calibration data for the MISP2 probe.
Enter moisture calibration data (MH or FH) and dewpoint readings (up to
20 data points) for the moisture probe as described below. Refer to Figure 9
on page 17 for a menu map.
Note: If you ar e using an MIS probe and do not need to enter data, pr oceed
to Displaying Measurements on page 12.
Series (MIS) probes store all calibration data in their
1. If the menu is not active, press [MENU].
2. Use the arrow key to scroll to Program and press [ENTER].
3. Use the arrow key to scroll to Calibrate and press [ENTER].
4. If necessary, use the arrow key to scroll to Hygro and press [ENTER]. A
screen appears similar to Figure 5 on page 10.
5. Press [] to move the pointer to the 00/MH box in the calibration table.
6. Press [ENTER] to change the value. Use the numeric keys to enter the
desired MH or FH value, and press
Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual 9
[ENTER].
Chapter 1. Getting Started
1.3.2b Entering Moisture Calibration Data (cont.)
Figure 5: Hygro Window in Calibration
7. Press [] to move to the next text box, and press [ENTER]. Use the
numeric keys to enter the corresponding dewpoint reading and press
[ENTER].
8. Use the arrow keys to scroll to additional data points and repeat steps 5,
6 and 7 until you have entered the values for each data point.
Note: To insert an additional data point, press [F1] (Insert).
To delete a data point, press
9. When you have completed entering values, press [F3] (EXIT).
[F2] (Delete).
Next, do one of the following:
• If the probe has a pressure transducer, proceed to step 3 in Entering
Pressure Calibration Data on page 11.
• If the probe does not have a pressure transducer, press [F3] (OK).
Proceed to Displaying Measurements on page 12.
10 Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual
Chapter 1. Getting Started
1.3.2c Entering Pressure Calibration Data
To enter calibration data for the pressure transducer, you must list the zero
and span range in mV (or FP) and psig. Refer to Figure 9 on page 17 for a
menu map.
1. If the menu is not active, press [MENU].
2. Use the arrow key to scroll to Program and press [ENTER].
3. Use the arrow key to scroll to Calibrate and press [ENTER].
4. Use the arrow key to scroll to Pressure and press [ENTER]. The screen
appears similar to Figure 6.
Note: The corresponding mV value can be in psig (English) or kPa
(metric). The supplied Calibration Data Sheets list these values in
psig. If you want to change the system units, refer to Selecting
English or Metric Units on page 42.
Figure 6: Calibration Pressure Window
Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual 11
Chapter 1. Getting Started
1.3.2c Entering Pressure Calibration Data (cont.)
5. Press [] to move the pointer to the Zero/mV (Zero/FP) box in the
table.
6. Press [ENTER] to change the value. Use the numeric keys to enter the
desired value and press
7. The corresponding pressure value box is highlighted. Use the numeric
keys to enter the corresponding pressure value and press
8. The span mV box is highlighted. Repeat steps 5, 6 and 7 to enter the
[ENTER].
[ENTER].
Span values.
9. When you have completed entering values, press [F3] (Exit).
10. Press [F3] (OK) and proceed to Displaying Measurements.
1.4 Displaying Measurements
The PM880 AC can display one to four measurement parameters
simultaneously . There are two parts for displaying measurements: selecting
the number of measurements and then selecting the type of measurements.
See Figure 9 on page 17 for a menu map.
1.4.1 Selecting the Number of Measurements
1. If the menu is not active, press [MENU].
2. Use the arrow keys to scroll to Site and press [ENTER].
3. Use the arrow keys to move to the desired number of views or
measurement windows (1 View, 2 Views, etc.).
4. Press [ENTER] at your selection. The screen displays the designated
number of views (measurement windows).
12 Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual
Chapter 1. Getting Started
1.4.2 Selecting the Types of Measurements
1. Press [SEL] or arrow keys to move the pointer to the windo w you want to
change and press
2. Use the arrow keys to scroll to Measurement and press [ENTER]. The
screen appears similar to Figure 7. The left column displays the five
measurement types and the right column displays the measurement
units.
[ENTER].
Figure 7: Select Measurement Window
3. Use the arrow keys to scroll to the desired measurement type and press
[SEL].
4. Use the arrow keys to select the desired measurement unit (or diagnostic
parameter).
Note: Press [F3] (No Unit) to display a measurement with no units.
5. Press [F3] (OK).
6. Repeat this section for displaying other measurements.
Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual 13
Chapter 1. Getting Started
1.5 Saving Data in a Site File
A site file contains probe ID, calibration data and display setup information
in a file so it can be recalled at the measurement site. Use the following
steps to store the data you have entered into a file (see Figure 9 on page 17
for a menu map):
1.5.1 Accessing the Site Manager
1. If the menu is not active, press [MENU].
2. Use the arrow key to scroll to Site and press [ENTER].
3. Use the arrow key to scroll to Site Manager and press [ENTER].
4. Press [MENU].
5. Use the arrow key to scroll to File and press [ENTER].
1.5.2 Entering a Site Name
1. Use the arrow keys to scroll to New and press [ENTER]. The screen
appears similar to Figure 8.
Figure 8: New Site Name Entry Window
14 Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual
Chapter 1. Getting Started
1.5.2 Entering a Site Name (cont.)
2. The PM880 AC displays a default name for the file. If you want to keep
the default name, skip to step 4. Otherwise, use
[F1] to erase the name
and use the arrow keys to scroll to the desired letter or number and press
[ENTER].
3. Repeat this procedure until you have created the desired site name of up
to eight characters.
4. When you have finished, press [F3] (OK).
5. The PM880 AC prompts you to save the site file as a template. This is
useful if you need to create multiple sites with similar data. At the
prompt, do one of the following:
• Press [F2] (No) if you do not need to use a template, or
• Press [F3] (Yes) if you do want to use it as a template.
Note: If you are saving a new file as a template, the PM880 AC will ask if
you want to Save Current Site, press
[F2] (No) or [F3] (Yes).
6. Press [F3] (Exit).
7. Press [MENU]. The new site name is displayed in the upper left corner of
the screen. You have completed entering site data.
Next, do one of the following:
• If you are done entering site data, proceed to the next chapter, Taking
Measurements.
• If you need to enter information for another site, go back to Entering
Setup Data on page 4.
Note: If you need to create multiple site files with similar data, you can
save time by creating one site file and then using Save As in the Site
Manager to create a copy of that site file with a different name.
Refer to Renaming a Site File on page 96.
Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual 15
Chapter 1. Getting Started
Note: Press [F2] (Cancel) to cancel the entries and return to Menu.
Press [F3] (OK) to confirm the entries and return to Menu.
Site
Manager
1 View
New
Name
File
Probe
M2 TF None
Hygro Constant
Calibrate
Pressure Hygro
MH (FH)
Dew Point
Zero FP
Zero kPa
Span FP
Span kPa
Program
Menu
Probe ID
S/N
M2T MISP
Save 2 Views
3 Views
4 Views
Figure 9: Startup Menu
16 Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual
Chapter 2. Taking Measurements
Chapter 2. Taking Measurements
The PM880 AC hygrometer is part of a measurement system that includes
the electronics, cable, probe and optional sample system. Once the
electronics are properly programmed, you must connect the sample system
and probes to begin taking measurements. This chapter discusses the steps
needed to begin taking basic measurements.
Note: Refer to Appendix A, Measurement Considerations, for more
information on selecting measurement sites and sample system
construction.
• Installing the Probe in a Sample System
• Connecting the Sample System to the Process
• Connecting the Probe to the Electronics
• Recalling a Site File
• Operating the Sample System
• Conducting a Leak Test
• Shutting Down the Sample System
2.1 Installing the Probe in a Sample System
Moisture probes are installed into a portable sample system. The sample
system protects the probes from coming into contact with damaging
elements in the process.
CAUTION! If you are mounting the moisture probes directly into the
process line, you must consult the factory for proper
installation instructions and precautions.
Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual 17
Chapter 2. Taking Measurements
2.1.1 Installing a Moisture Probe
1. Screw the probe into the receptacle fitting, making sure not to cross
thread it (see Figure 10). Install moisture probes with different fittings
in the appropriate manner.
Note: Standard moisture probes have a sintered stainless-steel shield that
protects the aluminum oxide sensor. Leave the shield in place for
maximum protection.
Figure 10: Probe Fitting Location
2. Hand-tighten the probe in a clockwise direction, then tighten it an
additional 1/8 turn with a wrench.
18 Model PM880 AC Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual
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