Rae MultiRAE PLUS PGM-50 Operation And Maintenance Manual

MultiRAE PLUS
MULTI-GAS MONITOR
PGM-50
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
MANUAL
(Document No.: 008-4001)
Rev. G
RAE SYSTEMS INC.
1339 Moffett Park Drive
Sunnyvale, CA 94089
October 2001
RAE Systems Product Line
§ Gas Detection Tubes & Pumps
§ SampleRAE Electronic Sampling Pump
§ MultiRAE PLUS Multi-gas Monitors
§ MultiRAE IR Multi-gas Monitors w/CO2
§ MultiRAE Confined Space Monitor
§ QRAE PLUS Multi-gas Monitors
§ QRAE Confined Space Monitor
§ VRAE Five-Gas Monitors
§ DRAE Two-Gas Monitors
§ MiniRAE 2000 Portable VOC Monitor (PID)
§ ppbRAE Portable ppb-Level VOC Monitor (PID)
§ UltraRAE Specific Compound Monitor
§ CDRAE Corona Discharge VOC Monitor
§ ToxiRAE PLUS PID Monitor
§ ToxiRAE PLUS Single Gas Monitors
§ ToxiRAE PLUS Oxygen Monitor
§ ToxiRAE PLUS Combustible Gas Monitor
§ MiniRAE PLUS Classic PID
§ ModuRAE Fixed System PID
§ AreaRAE Wireless Multi-point, Multi-gas Detection
Systems
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Table of Contents
1. GENERAL INFORMATION.......................................1-1
1.1 General Specifications...........................................1-2
2. OPERATION OF MULTIRAE PLUS.........................2-1
2.1 Physical Description..............................................2-2
2.2 Keys and Display....................................................2-4
2.3 Power On/Off.........................................................2-7
2.4 Operations.............................................................2-10
2.5 Alarm Signals........................................................2-17
2.6 Back Light.............................................................2-20
2.7 Preset Alarm Limits and Calibration..................2-21
2.8 Integrated Sampling Pump...................................2-22
2.9 Datalogging...........................................................2-24
3. OPERATION OF ACCESSORIES..............................3-1
3.1 Battery Charging Operation...................................3-2
3.2 Alkaline Battery Adapter........................................3-4
3.3 Water Trap Filter....................................................3-5
3.4 Remote Sampling Probe or Tygon Tubing...........3-6
3.5 Dilution Fitting.......................................................3-7
3.6 Calibration Adapter................................................3-8
4. PROGRAMMING OF MULTIRAE PLUS...............4-1
4.1 Programming Mode ...............................................4-2
4.2 Keys for Programming Mode ...............................4-4
4.3 Entering into Programming Menu........................4-5
4.4 Calibration of MultiRAE PLUS Monitor.............4-7
4.4.1 Fresh Air Calibration.......................................4-10
4.4.2 Multiple Sensor Calibration..............................4-11
4.4.3 Single Sensor Calibration.................................4-14
4.4.4 Modify Span Gas Value...................................4-17
4.4.5 Change LEL/VOC Span Gas...........................4-18
4.5 Change Alarm Limits...........................................4-20
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4.6 View or Change Datalog......................................4-22
4.6.1 Reset Peak and Minimum ................................4-23
4.6.2 Clear All Data 4-24
4.6.3 Change Datalog Period....................................4-25
4.6.4 Select Data Type.............................................4-26
4.6.5 View Datalog..................................................4-27
4.6.6 Enable / Disable Datalog..................................4-28
4.7 Change Monitor Setup.........................................4-29
4.7.1 Change Site ID 4-30
4.7.2 Change Alarm Mode.......................................4-31
4.7.3 Change User Mode.........................................4-32
4.7.4 Change Real Time Clock.................................4-33
4.7.5 Change Back Light Mode................................4-34
4.7.6 Change Password............................................4-35
4.7.7 Change Pump Speed.......................................4-36
4.7.8 Change Averaging Method ..............................4-37
4.8 Change Sensor Configuration..............................4-38
4.8.1 Change LEL/VOC Gas Selection.....................4-40
4.8.2 Enable / Disable Sensor...................................4-44
4.8.3 Change Dilution Ratio ......................................4-45
4.8.4 Change PID Lamp Type..................................4-46
4.9 Exit Programming Mode .....................................4-47
5. COMPUTER INTERFACE
FOR MULTIRAE PLUS...........................................5-1
5.1 Install ProRAE-Suite Software.............................5-2
5.2 Connect MultiRAE PLUS to PC...........................5-4
5.3 Start ProRAE-Suite Software................................5-4
5.4 Setup Communication Port...................................5-7
5.5 Processing the Configuration Data.......................5-8
5.5.1 Editing the Configuration Data............................5-9
5.5.2 Send Configuration to MultiRAE Plus...............5-21
5.5.3 Saving Configuration Data................................5-22
5.5.4 Configuring All Settings....................................5-23
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5.6 Processing the Logged Data................................5-24
5.6.1 Receive Data from MultiRAE PLUS ................5-25
5.6.2 View Logged Data in Text Mode.....................5-26
5.6.3 View STEL/TWA/AVG Value ........................5-28
5.6.4 View Summary Information ..............................5-29
5.6.5 View Logged Data in Graph Mode..................5-30
5.6.6 Export the Displayed Data to a Text File..........5-34
5.6.7 Export Graphic to a File...................................5-35
5.6.8 Print the Logged Data......................................5-36
5.7 Upgrade the Datalog Option................................5-37
5.8 Upgrade the Firmware..........................................5-39
6. THEORY OF OPERATION.........................................6-1
7. MAINTENANCE............................................................7-1
7.1 Battery Replacement..............................................7-2
7.2 Sensor Replacement...............................................7-4
7.3 PID Sensor Cleaning / Replacement.....................7-7
7.4 PID Lamp Care.......................................................7-9
7.5 Sampling Pump Replacement..............................7-11
8. TROUBLESHOOTING.................................................8-1
8.1 Special Diagnostic Mode.......................................8-2
8.2 Troubleshooting Table.........................................8-10
APPENDIX A. QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE.............A-1
APPENDIX B. CORRECTION FACTORS...................B-1
APPENDIX C. MULTIRAE PLUS DATA
CONVERSION TO MICROSOFT EXCEL.............C-1
APPENDIX D. RAE SYSTEMS TECHNICAL
NOTES..............................................................................D-3
APPENDIX E. RAE SYSTEMS APPLICATION
NOTES..............................................................................E-1
APPENDIX F. LITERATURE REQUEST.....................F-1
APPENDIX G. REQUEST FOR RETURN
AUTHORIZATION FORM..........................................G-1
Main Contact Numbers..........................Outer Back Cover
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! WARNING !
- DO NOT proceed before reading -
This manual must be carefully read by all individuals who have or will have the responsibility for using, maintaining, or servicing this product.
The product will perform as designed only if it is used, maintained, and serviced in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
CAUTION!! To reduce the risk of electric shock, turn off power before removing the monitor cover. Disconnect the battery before removing sensor module for service. Never operate the monitor while the cover is removed. Remove monitor cover and sensor module only in an area known to be non­hazardous.
The model PGM-50 equipment is classified as to intrinsic safety for use in class I, division 1, groups A, B, C, D, or non-hazardous locations only.
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Special Note
-1-
When the PGM-50 Multi-gas Monitor is taken out from the transport case and turned on for the first time, there may be some residual organic or inorganic vapor trapped inside the detector chamber. The initial PID or toxic sensor reading may indicate a few ppm. Ensure an area free of organic or toxic vapor and turn on the monitor. After running for several minutes, the residual vapor in the detector chamber will be cleared and the reading should return to zero.
-2-
The battery of the MultiRAE PLUS monitor will discharge slowly even if it is turned off. If the monitor has not been charged for 5-7 days, the battery voltage will be low. Therefore, it is a good practice to always charge the monitor before using it. It is also recommended to fully charge the monitor for AT LEAST 10 HOURS before initial use (see Section 7 for more information on battery charging and replacement).
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WARNINGS:
Use only RAE Systems battery packs, part Nos. 500-
0028, 500-0029, or 500-0039. This instrument has
not been tested in an explosive gas/air atmosphere
having an oxygen concentration greater than 21%.
Substitution of components may impair intrinsic
safety. Recharge batteries only in non-hazardous
locations.
AVERTISSEMENT:
Utiliser seulement l'ensemble de batterie RAE
Systems, la reference 500-0028, 500-0029 au 500-
0039. Cet instrument n’a pas été essayé dans une atmosphère de gaz/air explosive ayant une
concentration d’oxygène plus élevée que 21%. La substitution de composants puet compromettre la
sécurité intrinsique. Ne charger les batteries que
dans emplacements désignés non dangereuse.
STATIC HAZARD:
Clean only with a damp cloth.
DANGER RISQUE D'ORIGINE ELECTROSTATIQUE:
Nettoyer uniquement avec un chiffon humide.
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CAUTION:
For safety reasons this equipment must be operated
and serviced by qualified personnel only. Read and
understand instruction manual completely before
operating or servicing.
ATTENTION:
Pour des raisons de sécurité, cet équipment doit
être utilisé, entretenu et réparé uniquement par un personnel qualifié. Étudier le manuel d’instructions en entier avant d’utiliser, d’entretenir ou de réparer
l’équipement.
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CAUTION:
Before each day’s usage, sensitivity must be tested
on a known concentration of methane gas equivalent
to 20-50% of full scale concentration. Accuracy
must be within 0 to +20% of actual. Accuracy may
be corrected by calibration.
ATTENTION:
Avant chaque utilisation journalière verifier la sensibilité avec une concentration connue de
methane equivalente a 20 - 50% de la pleine échelle.
La précision doit être comprise entre 0 - 20% de la
valeur vraie et peut être corrigée par une procédure
diétalonnage.
CAUTION:
Any rapid up-scale reading followed by a declining or
erratic reading may indicate a gas concentration
beyond upper scale limit which may be hazardous.
ATTENTION:
Toute lecture rapide et positive, suivie d’une baisse
subite au erratique de la valeur, peut indiquer une
concentration de gaz hors gamme de détection qui
peut être dangereux.
WARNING:
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The calibration of all newly purchased RAE Systems
instruments should be tested by exposing the
sensor(s) to known concentration calibration gas
before the instrument is used or put into service.
For maximum safety, the accuracy of the MultiRAE
PLUS should be checked by exposing the sensor(s)
to known concentration calibration gas before each
day’s use.
AVERTISSEMENT:
La calibration de toute instruments de RAE Systems
doivent être testé en exposant l’instrument a une
concentration de gaz connue par une procédure
diétalonnage avant de mettre en service l’instrument
pour la première fois.
Pour une securite maximale, la sensibilité du
MultiRAE PLUS doit être verifier en exposant
l’instrument a une concentration de gaz connue par
une procédure diétalonnage avant chaque utilisation
journalière.
GENERAL INFORMATION
1 - 1
1. GENERAL INFORMATION
MultiRAE PLUS is a programmable Multi-gas monitor designed to provide continuous exposure monitoring of toxic gases, oxygen and combustible gases for workers in hazardous environments. It monitors three classes of hazardous gases: (1) Organic vapors in the ppm range with the supplied
Photo-Ionization Detector (PID) using a 9.8, 10.6 eV or 11.7 eV gas discharge lamp,
(2) Combustible gases near their lower explosive limits
(LEL) with a catalytic bead sensor, and
(3) Inorganic compounds, including oxygen deficiency,
with the electrochemical sensors.
Other features include:
Lightweight and Compact
- 16 oz (454 g), Walkman size.
Dependable and Accurate
- 10 hours monitoring with micro controller.
User Friendly
- menu driven, intuitive end-use operation.
Programmable Alarm Thresholds
- audio buzzer & flashing display alarm.
MultiRAE PLUS (PGM-50) consists of: A Multi-gas Monitor, a battery charger, rubber boot, alkaline battery adapter, water and dust filters, plus calibration accessories.
GENERAL INFORMATION
1 - 2
1.1 General Specifications
Table 1.1
Multi -Gas Monitor Specification
Dimensions: 4.65”L x 3.0”W x 1.9”H (11.8 cm x 7.6 cm x 4.8 cm)
Weight: 16 oz (454 g) with battery. Detector: Up to five sensors (oxygen, combustible,
two toxic and VOC). Electrochemical sensors for toxic gases and oxygen, photo­ionization detector for ppm level VOCs, and catalytic sensor for LEL level combustible gases.
Battery: Rechargeable, 4.8V/1100 mAh Li ion or
4.8V/1700 mAh Ni-Cd battery pack with built-in charger (10 hours charge time ) or
a 4 AA alkaline battery adapter. Operating Time: Up to 10 hours continuous operation. Display: 2 line, 16 digit LCD with LED back light
automatically in dim light. Key-pads: 1 operation key and 2 programming keys. Direct Readout: Instantaneous values (up to 5), sensor
name, high and low values for all detectors,
TWA and STEL value s for toxic and VOCs,
battery voltage and elapsed time. (Continued)
GENERAL INFORMATION
1 - 3
Multi -Gas Monitor Specification (Continued)
Alarm Settings: Separate alarm limit settings for TWA,
STEL, Low and High alarm. Range, Resolution and Response Time (t90 diffusion): CO 0-500 ppm 1 ppm 20 sec H2S 0-100 ppm 1 ppm 30 sec SO
2
0-20 ppm 0.1 ppm 15 sec NO 0-250 ppm 1 ppm 20 sec NO
2
0-20 ppm 0.1 ppm 25 sec Cl2 0-10 ppm 0.1 ppm 60 sec O2 0-30 % 0.1 % 15 sec VOC 0-200 ppm 0.1 ppm 10 sec VOC 200-2000 ppm 1 ppm 10 sec LEL 0-100 % 1 % 15 sec HCN 0-100 ppm 1 ppm 60 sec NH3 0-50 ppm 1 ppm 150 sec PH3 0-5 ppm 0.1 ppm 60 sec
Alarm: 90 dB buzzer and flashing red LED to
indicate exceeded preset limits, low battery, or sensor failure.
Calibration: Two point field calibration for fresh air
and standard reference gases. Attachment: Rubber boot, wrist strap, belt clip. Sampling Pump: Internal integrated with 300 cc/min flow
rate (high setting). Protection: Password protected calibration settings,
alarm limits, and data.
GENERAL INFORMATION
1 - 4
Multi -Gas Monitor Specification (continued)
Intrinsic Safety: UL & cUL Class 1, Division I, Group
A,B,C,D (US & Canada), EEx ia IIC T4
(Europe). EM Immunity: No effect when exposed to 0.43 mW /cm2
RF interference (5 watt transmitter at 12
inches). Data Storage: 20,000 readings (64 hours, 5 channels at 1
minute interval) in non-volatile memory. Datalog Interval: Programmable 1- 3600 sec. External Alarm: Optional plug in pen size vibration alarm or
earphone. Communication: Upload data to PC and Download monitor
setup from PC through RS-232 link to
serial port on PC. Temperature: -20o to 45oC (-4o to 113o F). Humidity: 0 % to 95% relative humidity.
(non-condensing) Configuration: 2, 3, 4 and 5 gas with / without pump
and with / without datalogging.
OPERATION OF MULTIRAE PLUS
2 - 1
2. OPERATION OF MULTIRAE PLUS
The MultiRAE PLUS Monitor gives real time measurements and activates alarm signals whenever the exposure exceeds preset limits on any of the five possible sensors. Prior to factory shipment, the MultiRAE PLUS is pre-set with default alarm limits and the sensors are pre-calibrated with standard calibration gas. However, the user should calibrate the instrument before the first use. After the monitor is fully charged and calibrated, it is ready for immediate operation.
OPERATION OF MULTIRAE PLUS
2 - 2
2.1 Physical Description
Figure 2-1 shows the main components of the MultiRAE PLUS Multi-gas Monitor which include:
Figure 2-1 Major parts of the MultiRAE PLUS Multi-gas Monitor
3 keys for the user to interact with the monitor: 1
operation key and 2 programming keys for normal operation or programming of the monitor.
LCD display with back light to show real time and
calculated measurements.
Gas Inlet and Filter
Buzzer & Gas Outlet
Charge Contact
Serial Port for PC Communication
Wrist Strap
Programming Keys
LCD Display
LED Alarm
OPERATION OF MULTIRAE PLUS
2 - 3
Buzzer and red LED for alarm signal whenever the
exposures exceed preset limits and for error conditions.
Wrist strap.
Charge contact for plugging directly to the charging
station.
Gas entry port.
Serial communication port for PC interface.
OPERATION OF MULTIRAE PLUS
2 - 4
2.2 Keys and Display
Figure 2-2 shows the LCD display and the keypad on the front panel of the monitor. The functions of the 3 keys during normal operation are summarized in Table 2.1 on the next page:
Figure 2-2 Key-pad and Display of the MultiRAE PLUS Multi-gas Monitor
Light sensor
0.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
20.9
MODE
ON
Y/+
N/-
OXY
TOX2
VOC
LEL
TOX1
LED alarm/ charge status
[Mode] key
[Y/+] Key
[N/-] Key
OPERATION OF MULTIRAE PLUS
2 - 5
Table 2.1
Key Function in Normal Operation
[MODE]: Turn on/off the power* and choose
different display mode.
[N/-]: Toggle on/off the back light. Answer as
“No.”
[Y/+]: Alarm test and alarm acknowledgment (turn off latched alarm, turn on pump or
LEL sensor). Answer as “Yes.”
* Pressing and holding [MODE] key for 5 seconds turns off the power to the monitor. Monitor will beep once per second during power-down sequence. Press [MODE] key momentarily to choose different display modes (see Section
2.4 for details).
OPERATION OF MULTIRAE PLUS
2 - 6
The Multi-gas Monitor includes a 2-line, 16-digit dot matrix LCD display. The LCD shows the following eight types of displays during normal operation if the [MODE] key is pressed:
Real time instantaneous gas concentration in ppm for
toxic and VOC gases, % by volume for oxygen and % LEL for combustible gases.
Sensor names.
Peak and minimum gas concentration for toxic, VOC,
oxygen and combustible gases.
15 minute Short Term Exposure Level (STEL) values
of the toxic and VOC gases in ppm and 8 hours Time Weighted Average (TWA).
Battery voltage and shut off voltage in volts.
Real time clock, run time and temperature.
Datalogging mode or “Start / Stop Datalog?” menu to
enable/disable datalogging if manual datalogging mode is selected.
LEL or VOC gas names (if the LEL and VOC sensor
are installed).
“Print Reading?” menu to print the reading to the
RAE Printer.
“Communicate with PC?” menu to send or receive
data between PC and the MultiRAE PLUS monitor.
OPERATION OF MULTIRAE PLUS
2 - 7
2.3 Power On/Off
To turn on the MultiRAE PLUS Multi-gas Monitor, press
[MODE] key. The audio buzzer will beep once and the
display will show “ON!..” and then “MultiGas Monitor Ver n.nn” to indicate the software version number. The custom power-on-name which can be changed by the customer using the ProRAE Suite Software. The model number, serial number, current date and time, temperature of the monitor are displayed next. The monitor will then go through each sensor socket to check if a valid sensor is installed. If a new sensor is installed, a message to remind the user to calibrate the sensor will be displayed followed by a message that the alarm limits have been reset to default values for the new sensor. If a sensor reaches its expected end of life, a “Warranty Expired” message will be displayed.
Next, the monitor displays the preset alarm limits for each sensor, battery voltage, shut off voltage, user mode, alarm mode, datalog mode, available data storage memory (in hours), datalog mode and datalog interval (in seconds) and then after 10 seconds, the display shows the instantaneous reading of the gas concentration in ppm and is ready to monitor gases.
To turn off the MultiRAE PLUS Multi-gas Monitor, pr ess and hold the [MODE] key for 5 seconds. Monitor will beep once per second during power-down sequence with a count down timer showing the number of remaining seconds. The message “Off!..” flashes on the LCD display and the display will go blank, indicating that the monitor is turned off.
OPERATION OF MULTIRAE PLUS
2 - 8
Turning off the Multi-gas monitor with the AC charger in place will result in a display of “Charging..” or “Battery Charged” and indication of battery voltage. This indicates that the monitor is off, but the smart charger circuit is now active.
To turn the unit on from the charge or discharge mode, press the [MODE] key.
Data protection during power off When the monitor is turned off, all the current real time data
including TWA, STEL, Peak and elapsed time are erased. However, the datalog data is preserved in non-volatile memory. Even if the battery is disconnected, the datalog data will not be lost. During the power off period, the real time clock will continue to operate until the battery is completely drained (usually in 5-7 days without any charging). If the battery is completely drained or is disconnected from the monitor for more than 30 minutes, the real time clock will be lost. In this case, users need to enter the real time clock information again, as described in Section 4.
OPERATION OF MULTIRAE PLUS
2 - 9
Datalog versus Non Datalog monitor
There are two versions of the PGM-50 Multi-gas Monitors: Datalog monitors and Non-Datalog monitors. During power on sequence, a letter “D” following the version number indicates that the monitor is configured as a Datalog monitor. Without the letter “D”, it is a Non-Datalog monitor.
Users can upgrade a Non-Datalog monitor to a Datalog monitor. Call the factory for information on how to order the upgrade kit and follow the instructions described in Section 5.7 to enable or disable the datalog feature for the monitor.
OPERATION OF MULTIRAE PLUS
2 - 10
2.4 Operation
The MultiRAE PLUS Multi-gas Monitor offers three different user modes of operation:
Text mode, Display mode, and Programming mode (default mode setting).
The text mode is the simplest mode of operation. The monitor will display the sensor name after the monitor is turned on. The user can press the [MODE] key to see the instantaneous gas concentration reading, battery voltage or enter the PC communication menu. The user can get into the calibration mode from text mode to do calibrations, but cannot change most of the parameters.
In the display mode, the MultiRAE PLUS Multi-gas Monitor is able to display all the information in the text mode. In addition, the following information is also available by pressing the [MODE] key: peak, minimum, STEL, TWA, run time in hours and minutes, temperature in degree C, datalog mode (or enable / disable datalogging operation in manual datalog mode), LEL/VOC gas names, printing and communication with a PC options. The user cannot get into the calibration mode from display mode , so the user cannot do calibration and cannot change any of the parameters.
In the programming mode , which is the default setting, the user can perform all of the functions of the display mode. In addition, the user can get into calibration mode, perform
OPERATION OF MULTIRAE PLUS
2 - 11
calibrations and change any of the parameter in the calibration mode.
The following is the detail explanation of the displays when the [MODE] key is pressed
1) The instantaneous reading is the actual gas
concentration in parts per million (ppm) for toxic or VOC gases, % of volume for oxygen and % of LEL for combustible gases. The reading is updated once per second and is shown in the LCD display.
TOX1 VOC TOX2
0 0.0 0 0 20.9
LEL OXY
2) The sensor names are displayed as: LEL: for combustible gas sensor VOC: for PID sensor OXY: for oxygen sensor CO, H2S, etc.: for up to 2 toxic sensors
TOX1 VOC TOX2
CO VOC H2S LEL OXY
LEL OXY
OPERATION OF MULTIRAE PLUS
2 - 12
3) The Peak reading is the highest reading of each gas
concentration since the monitor was turned on. The reading is updated at one-second intervals and is shown in the LCD display with “Peak” message.
TOX1 VOC TOX2
5 2.0 3 10 Peak 20.9
LEL OXY
4) The Minimum reading is the lowest reading of each gas
concentration since the monitor was turned on. The reading is updated at one-second interval s and is shown in the LCD display with “Min” message.
TOX1 VOC TOX2
0 0.0 0 0 Min 19.9
LEL OXY
5) The STEL reading is the last 15 minute average reading
of the gas concentration. The reading is updated once per minute and is shown in the LCD display with “STEL” message. For the first 15 minutes, “****” will be displayed. This reading applies to VOC and toxic gases only.
TOX1 VOC TOX2
0 0.0 0 STEL
LEL OXY
OPERATION OF MULTIRAE PLUS
2 - 13
6) The TWA reading is the accumulated reading of the gas
concentration divided by 8 hours since the monitor was turned on. The reading is updated once a minute and is shown in the LCD display with “TWA” message. This reading applies to VOC and toxic gases only.
TOX1 VOC TOX2
0 0.0 0 TWA
LEL OXY
7) The battery voltage reading is the current battery
voltage in volts. The reading is updated once per second and is shown in the LCD display. The shut down voltage is also shown. Note: A fully charged battery pack should show 4.8 volts or higher. When the battery voltage falls below 4.4 volts, a flashing “Bat” will appear as a warning message. This means there is 20-30 minutes run time left before the monitor will be turned off automatically, when the battery voltage falls below
4.2 volts.
TOX1 VOC TOX2
Battery = 4.8 V Shut down at 4.2 V
LEL OXY
OPERATION OF MULTIRAE PLUS
2 - 14
8) The run time reading is the accumulated “On” time in
hours and minutes since the monitor was turned on. The reading is updated at one minute intervals and is shown in the LCD display together with the current date, time and temperature.
TOX1 VOC TOX2
8/3/96 8:30 On = 3:50 20°C
LEL OXY
9) The datalog menu shows the cur rent datalog mode. If
manual datalog mode is selected, the menu will prompt the user to turn on or off datalogging. Pressing the [Y/+] key while “Start Datalog?” message is displayed turns on the datalogging. Likewise, pressing the [Y/+] key while “Stop Datalog?” message is displayed turns off the datalogging.
10) The monitor will display the selected LEL and VOC gas
name if the combustible sensor and PID sensor are installed. When an LEL or VOC gas is selected, the “calculated” gas concentration based on the built-in correction factor for that specific gas will be displayed.
11) Print Reading? asks for printing out of the gas
concentration reading. If a serial printer is connected and ready, pressing the [Y/+] key will print out the reading.
OPERATION OF MULTIRAE PLUS
2 - 15
12) T he Communicate with PC? menu allows the user to
upload data from the MultiRAE PLUS to a Personal Computer (PC) or download configuration information from a PC to the MultiRAE PLUS. Press the [Y/+] key and the LCD displays the message “Monitor will pause, OK?” to remind the users that during PC communication, there will be no real time monitoring of the gas concentration. Press [Y/+] to proceed and the monitor enters the communication standby mode . The LCD then displays “Ready...” Connect the monitor to the serial port of a PC. The monitor is then ready to receive any command from a PC (see Section 5 for details on communications between the MultiRAE PLUS and a PC).
Note: When the monitor is in communication standby mode, it stops monitoring the gas concentration and stops the datalogging. Datalogging must be manually restarted when exiting the communication standby mode, unless it is in automatic datalogging mode.
Displays in text mode:
The four displays are arranged in a “round robin” order:
Sensor name
PC comm?
Instantaneous reading
Battery voltage
OPERATION OF MULTIRAE PLUS
2 - 16
Displays in display or program mode:
The twelve displays are arranged in a “round robin” order:
To choose a specific display, press the [MODE] key one or more times until the desired display appears.
Display time out
In all displays, the LCD will automatically return to the instantaneous reading (in display or program mode) or sensor name (in text mode) after a one-minute time out interval if no key is pressed.
Run time/clock
Instantaneous
Reading
Min. value
PC comm?
Peak value
LEL/VOC gas
STEL value
Sensor name
Start/stop datalog?
Battery voltage
TWA value
Print Reading?
OPERATION OF MULTIRAE PLUS
2 - 17
2.5 Alarm Signals
The built-in microcomputer updates the gas concentrations every second and compares them with the programmed alarm limits (TWA, STEL, and two instantaneous gas concentration alarm limit settings: Low & High). Whenever the concentration exceeds the sensors’ preset limits, the loud buzzer and red flashing LED are activated immediately to warn the user of the alarm condition.
In addition, the MultiRAE PLUS will alarm if one of the following conditions occurs: battery voltage falls below a pre-set level (4.4 V), failure of the UV lamp, LEL sensor off, pump stall or when the datalog memory is full. When the low battery alarm occurs, there will be approximately 20-30 minutes of operating time remaining. When the battery voltage falls below 4.2 V, the monitor will be turned off automatically.
Alarm Signal Disabled: It is extremely important to note that during the following conditions, the alarm signals are disabled:
1) In PC communication standby mode.
2) In calibration mode (including reviewing datalog data).
During these modes of operation, real time monitoring of the gas concentration stops. None of the gas concentrations will be calculated, including Peak, STEL and TWA.
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Alarm Signal Latching:
It is possible to setup the MultiRAE PLUS from a PC or in programming mode so that when an alarm condition occurs, the alarm signals stay on even after the alarm condition is no longer present. This is called the “latching alarm” mode. The alternative mode is to automatically reset the alarm signal when the alarm condition is cleared. The default alarm mode is automatic reset (see Chapter 4 or 5 for details on how to set alarm mode).
Alarm Signal Summary:
The various alarm signals are summarized here:
Condition Alarm Signal
Gas exceeds “High Alarm” limit
3 beeps/flashes per second
plus sensor name on LCD Gas exceeds “Low Alarm” limit
2 beeps/flashes per second
plus sensor name on LCD Gas exceeds STEL 1 beep/flash per second plus
sensor name on LCD Gas exceeds TWA 1 beep/flash per second plus
sensor name on LCD Negative Drift or Over Range
3 beeps/flashes per second
plus NEG or OVR name on
LCD Pump failure 3 beeps/flash per second plus
“Pump” message on LCD LEL sensor off 3 beeps/flash per second plus
LEL sensor name and “Off”
message on LCD
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PID lamp failure 3 beeps/flash per second plus
“Lamp” message on LCD Low battery 1 flash per second, 1 beep per
minute plus “Bat” message on
LCD Memory full 1 flash per second plus “Mem”
message on LCD
Alarm Signal Testing:
Under normal non-alarm conditions, it is possible to test the MultiRAE PLUS LED, buzzer and back light by pressing the [Y/+] key momentarily. The buzzer will beep once and the LED and back light will flash once to indicate that these
alarm signals are functioning correctly.
WARNING:
The alarm signals are disabled during PC communication, calibration or datalog review operation. To reduce the risk of exposure to hazardous atmospheres, perform PC communication, calibration or datalog review only in area known to be non hazardous.
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2.6 Back Light
The LCD display is equipped with an LED back light to assist in reading the display under poor lighting conditions. This back light can be turned on manually by pressing and holding the [N/-] key for one second in normal operation. The back light can be turned off by pressing [N/-] a second time. If the [N/-] key is not pressed, the back light will be turned off automatically after a pre-programmed time-out period to save power.
In automatic mode, the ambient light is sensed and the back light will be turned on automatically if the ambient light is below a threshold level. The back light will be turned off automatically when the ambient light exceeds the threshold level.
(See Chapter 4 or 5 for details on how to set back light mode and time out period from the monitor or from PC. See Chapter 8 for details on how to set the ambient light threshold level.)
Note: The LED back light consumes a higher amount of energy from the battery and shortens the operating time of the monitor by 20 - 30%.
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2.7 Preset Alarm Limits and Calibration
The MultiRAE PLUS Multi-gas Monitor is factory calibrated with standard calibration gas, and is programmed with default alarm limits as listed below. (refer to Chapter 4 or Chapter 5 for programming procedures if new calibration or alarm limits is required).
Table 2.2
Factory Calibration and Preset Alarm Limits
Gas ppm
Cal Gas / Balance
Unit
TWA
STEL Low High
CO 50 / Air ppm 35 100 35 200 H2S 25 / N2 ppm 10 15 10 20 SO2 5 / N2 ppm 2 5 2 10 NO 25 / N2 ppm 25 25 25 50 NO2 5 / Air ppm 1 1 1 10 Cl2 10 / N2 ppm 0.5 1 0.5 5 O2 20.9 / N2 %Vol - - 19.5 23.5 CH4 50 / Air %LEL - - 10 20 HCN 10 / N2 ppm 5 5 5 50 NH3 50 / N2 ppm 25 35 25 50 PH3 5 / N2 ppm 0.3 1 1 2 VOC* 100 / Air ppm 10.0 25.0 50.0 100
*Note: 100 ppm isobutylene gas is used for VOC gas calibration
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2.8 Integrated Sampling Pump
The MultiRAE PLUS Multi-gas Monitor includes an integrated sampling pump. This is a diaphragm pump providing about 300 cc per minute flow rate at the high setting with the standard filters in place.
A low pump speed of about 200 cc per minute is the factory default setting, which will increase the battery life by about 5% and result in an increased LEL sensor lifetime (see Chapter 4 or 5 for details of how to select the pump speed).
The high pump speed setting is required for vapors that are especially reactive or adsorb easily to instrument surfaces. Such vapors include Cl2, PH3, NH3, HCN, and semi-volatile organic compounds like diesel fuel and jet fuels. For such compounds it is helpful to remove the water trap filter for normal calibration and operation, which will increase the pump speed to about 350 cc/min. It is also desirable to use inert connecting and sampling tubing, such as Teflon instead of Tygon, and to make connections as short as possible.
The pump is turned on automatically when the monitor is turned on and remains on during normal operation.
If liquid or other objects are sucked into the water trap in the inlet port and cause the pump to stall, the electronics of the monitor will detect the obstruction and shut down the pump immediately. The alarm will be activated and a flashing error message “Pump” will be also displayed in the LCD display.
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The user needs to acknowledge the pump shut off condition by pressing the [Y/+] key to re-start the pump. Different pump shut-off thresholds are desired for the two pump settings; this value can be adjusted in the Special Diagnostic Mode as described in Section 8.1.
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2.9 Datalogging
The MultiRAE PLUS Multi-gas Monitor calculates and stores the gas readings based on a user-specified datalogging period and the type of measurement. Two types of gas measurements, average or peak concentration can be stored for each sensor during each datalogging interval. The datalogging interval can be programmed from one second to 60 minutes in one-second increments. In addition, time stamp, user ID, site ID, serial number, last calibration date, and alarm limits are also stored. All data is retained in a non-volatile memory so that it can be down loaded at a later time to a PC.
Datalog Options
There are four ways to initiate the datalog operation:
- Automatic: Start and stop datalogging automatically when
the monitor is turned on and off.
- Manual: Start and stop datalogging by pressing a key
manually. There is a timer available to setup the maximum datalogging time.
- Periodic: Start and stop datalogging daily based on a
preset time (hour and minute).
- Scheduled: Start and stop datalogging based on a preset
date and time (month, date, hour and minute).
Choose a datalog option Most of the datalogging options can be programmed from the monitor. Additional options can be programmed using a PC and downloaded to the monitor (see Chapter 5 for details on how to program various datalogging options).
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Start/stop datalogging manually If manual datalogging mode has been selected from the normal operation menu, toggle through the menu using the
[MODE] key until the Start Datalog? prompt is displayed.
Pressing the [Y/+] key turns on datalogging. Likewise, pressing the [Y/+] key while Stop Datalog? is displayed, turns off datalogging.
The other three datalogging options will start and stop automatically without any user intervention:
Datalogging event
Each time a datalogging operation is initiated, a datalog event is created. Information, such as start time, datalogging period, alarm limits, etc. will be recorded in the event header, followed by the measurement data. If more than 900 measurement intervals are recorded in one event, a new event will be created automatically.
Datalogging pause
Under the following conditions, the datalogging will be paused automatically:
1) When entering programming mode, datalogging will stop. Upon exiting the programming mode, the datalogging will resume.
2) When entering PC Communication standby mode, datalogging will stop. Upon exiting the PC communication standby mode, datalogging will resume only if datalogging mode was set to automatic mode.
In either case, a new datalog event will be created when the datalogging is resumed.
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3. OPERATION OF ACCESSORIES
The accessories for MultiRAE PLUS include:
Battery charger
Alkaline battery adapter
Water trap filter and remote sampling probe
Dilution fitting
Calibration adapter
WARNING:
To reduce the risk of ignition of hazardous atmospheres, recharge battery only in area known to be non hazardous. Remove and replace battery only in area known to be non hazardous.
Ne charger les batteries que dans emplacements désignés non dangereuse.
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3.1 Battery Charging Operation
The charging circuit of the MultiRAE PLUS is built into the monitor. It only needs a regular AC to 12V DC adapter (wall mount transformer) to charge the monitor.
1. Connect the AC adapter (or the optional automotive
charging adapter) to the DC jack on the MultiRAE PLUS monitor.
2. The display will ask whether a discharge cycle (see NOTE
on next page) is required, press [N/-] key, and the charging function will begin. The display will show “Charging” “Battery = x.x V.” If a key is not pressed within ten seconds, the charging will begin automatically.
TOX1 VOC TOX2
Charging Battery = 5.6V
LEL OXY
3. The LED should be red in color when charging. If the
battery is fully charged, the LED will change from red to green. The red color indicates that the battery is being charged. The green color indicates that the battery is fully charged. The display will also indicate “Fully charged." A completely discharged MultiRAE PLUS monitor will be charged to full capacity within 10 hours.
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NOTE 1: The latest version of the MultiRAE PLUS monitor has a smart charging circuitry and algorithm to prevent overcharging; removing the charger is not necessary.
NOTE 2: After one charging cycle the monitor recognizes whether Li ion or NiCd batteries are installed. When NiCd batteries are present, the firmware displays: Deep Discharge? when the AC adapter is connected. Perform occasional deep discharge to the NiCd battery to maintain full capacity by pressing the [Y/+] key when this message appears. The battery will begin deep discharge followed by a charge cycle. The deep discharge is useful to remove memory effects of the NiCd battery, so that the charge capacity is maintained.
The battery of the MultiRAE PLUS monitor will be dr ained slowly even if the monitor is turned off. If the monitor has not been charged for 5-7 days, the battery voltage will be low.
The factory supplied battery is designed to last for 10 hours of normal operation ( no alarm, no back light condition) for a new battery under the best condition. As the battery becomes older or is subject to adverse conditions (such as cold ambient temperature), the battery capacity may be reduced significantly. Li ion batteries do not have a memory effect and tend provide longer run time even at the same mAh rating.
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3.2 Alkaline Battery Adapter
An alkaline battery adapter is supplied with each MultiRAE PLUS kit. It accepts four AA size alkaline batteries and can be used in place of the Li ion or NiCd battery pack to provide approximately 12-14 hours of operation. The adapter is intended to be used in emergency situations when there is no time to charge the rechargeable batteries.
Figure 3-1 Alkaline Battery Adapter
To install the adapter, remove the cover of the monitor. Unplug the Li ion or NiCd battery pack from the battery connector and plug the alkaline battery adapter into the battery connector.
The internal charging circuit will automatically detect the alkaline battery adapter and prevent charging of the battery.
Note: The AA Alkaline battery adapter supplied by RAE Systems Inc. is intrinsically safe!
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3.3 Water Trap Filter
The water trap filter is made of PTFE (Teflon) membrane with a 0.2 micron pore size to prevent liquid water from being sucked into the sensor manifold, which would cause extensive damage to the monitor. It will also prevent any dust from entering the monitor and will prolong the operating life of the sensors.
To install the water trap filter, simply slide the Tygon tubing onto the ribbed inlet port on the monitor. A male Luer connector fits to the female Luer of the filter. To remove the filter, disconnect the Luer connector.
The water filter should not be used for normal calibration and operation with vapors that are especially reactive or adsorb easily to surfaces. Such vapors include Cl2, PH3, NH3, HCN, and semi-volatile organic compounds like diesel fuel and jet fuels. For these compounds the high pump speed setting should be used (see Section 2.8). It is also desirable to use inert connecting and sampling tubing, such as Teflon instead of Tygon, and to make connections as short as possible.
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3.4 Remote Sampling Probe or Tygon Tubing
An optional 6-foot Teflon remote sampling probe with a telescoping handle or a 15-foot Tygon tubing are handy accessories for users to probe areas which are difficult to reach, such as ceilings, storage tanks, underground man­holes, etc. Connect the male Luer connector at the end of the remote sampling probe or the Tygon tubing to the female Luer connector on the water trap filter. The remote sampling probe or the Tygon tubing is ready for operation.
Teflon remote sampling tubing should be used for reactive gases such as Cl2, PH3, NH3, HCN, and for semi-volatile organic compounds like gasoline and jet fuels. A few feet of Tygon tubing can completely absorb a kerosene-type fuel. T ygon can be used for the common confined space entry gases including CO, H2S, and CH4.
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3.5 Dilution Fitting
An optional dilution fitting can be installed together with the remote sampling probe or Tygon tubing on the gas inlet port to dilute the gas samples. This fitting is needed if the gas sample does not contain more than 10% oxygen. This is due to the fact that the combustible sensor will not function correctly when the oxygen concentration falls below 10%. The dilution fitting will increase the oxygen concentration so that the combustible sensor can still be used under oxygen deficient conditions. The other use of the dilution fitting is to measure the combustible, VOC or toxic gas when the concentration exceeds the upper limit of the sensor range.
See the dilution fitting instructions for proper installation. Make sure to set the dilution ratio in the programming mode (see Section 4.8) so that the correct gas reading will be displayed when the dilution fitting is used.
WARNING: For this application, the user must have the monitor or dilution air inlet located in a clean atmosphere outside the confined space and use a remote access probe or Tygon tubing to sample the gas under test.
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3.6 Calibration Adapter
There are two types of calibration adapt er for the MultiRAE PLUS monitor. The PGM50-4P or PGM50-5P model has a built-in sampling pump. Therefore, the calibration adapter for these two models is a simple 6 inch Tygon tubing with a male Luer connector on one end. During calibration, simply connect the tubing to the water trap filter on MultiRAE PLUS and the calibration gas on the other side. Alternatively, the calibration gas can be sampled 1) from a Tedlar gas bag, 2) from an open cup or tube using flowing calibration gas exceeding the pump demand, or 3) using a demand flow regulator directly from the gas cylinder.
The PGM50-4 model does not have a built-in sampling pump. A special diffusion calibration adapter is provided. During calibration, place this adapter over the front cover of the monitor and connect the Tygon tubing to the regulator on the gas bottle.
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4. PROGRAMMING OF MULTIRAE PLUS
The MultiRAE PLUS Monitor is built with a microcomputer to provide programming flexibility for the user. Authorized users can re-calibrate the monitor, change the alarm limits, change site ID, user ID, datalogging period, real time clock, etc.
Programming is menu-driven to provide intuitive end-user operation. The display shows the menu options, and the key pad is used for menu selection and data entry.
Note: The real time monitoring of the gas concentration continues while in the programming mode. However, during the calibration or review datalog procedures, the real time monitoring will pause until the procedures are completed. In addition, entering programming mode will pause the datalogging operation automatically. After exiting programming mode, datalogging operation will resume.
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4.1 Programming Mode
The MultiRAE PLUS has three user modes: text, display and programming mode. The user can access the programming function only if they are in the programming mode (or from text mode with password). If the monitor is set to display mode, the user cannot enter the programming menu. In this case, the user mode can be changed only through a PC (see Section 5.0 for details on setting up the user mode).
The programming mode allows users to change the setup in the monitor, calibrate the monitor, modify the sensor configuration and enter user information, etc. The programming functions are organized in a three tier menu structure. Table 4.1 shows the first tier of the programming menu. Each menu item includes several sub-menus to perform additional programming functions. Appendix A shows a more detailed menu tree structure.
Table 4.1
Programming Menu
Calibrate Monitor? Change Alarm Limits? View or Change Datalog? Change Monitor Setup? Change Sensor Configuration?
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Security Level
There are three levels of security in the MultiRAE PLUS programming mode to provide further protection against unauthorized changes to the monitor alarm settings and other settings. The level 2 security allows a user to enter programming mode without any restriction. This is the default security setting. The level 1 security requires a 4 digits password to enter programming mode. Level 0 security allows a user to enter the programming mode without any password checking, as in the level 2. However, it does not allow a user to save any changes to the alarm limits, real time clock, correction factor, user and site information, etc. A user can still perform calibration with level 0 security. The security level must be set using a PC (see Chapter 5 for details on setting up the security level).
Once inside the programming mode, LCD will display the first menu. Each subsequent menu item can be viewed by pressing the [N/-] repeatedly until the desired menu is displayed. To enter the sub-menu of a particular menu, press the [Y/+] key and the sub-menu will be displayed.
To exit the programming mode and return to the normal operation, press the [MODE] key at any of the first tier menu displays.
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4.2 Keys for Programming Mode
The three keys perform a different set of functions during the programming mode as summarized below.
Table 4.2
Key Function in Programming Menu
[MODE]: Exit menu when press momentarily or
exit data entry mode when pressed and held for 1 second
[Y/+]: Increase numerical value for data entry or
confirm (yes) for a question
[N/-]: Decrease numerical value for data entry
or deny (no) for a question
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4.3 Entering into Programming Menu
1. Turn on the MultiRAE PLUS monitor (refer to Section
2.3 for the power on sequence).
2. Press and hold down both [MODE] and [N/-] keys for
three seconds to enter programming mode. Note: This is to prevent a user from entering the programming mode by accident.
3. If the security level is 0 or 2, after holding down two
keys for 3 seconds, the monitor should enter the programming mode and the first menu item “Calibrate Monitor?” will be displayed.
4. If the security level is 1, or user mode is text mode, after
holding down the two keys for three seconds, the display will show “Enter Password = 0000” with the left-most digit flashing. The user should enter a password starting from this flashing digit.
Note 1: Prior to factory shipment, the MultiRAE PLUS
monitor was installed with “0000” as the default password.
Note 2: For added security, “0000” is always displayed
instead of the actual password at this step.
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5. If the correct digit value is not “0”, use the [Y/+] key or
[N/-] key to increase or decrease the digit value. Then
press [MODE] key momentarily to confirm the digit value. Display shows the actual digit entered and moves the flashing cursor to the next digit (to the right).
6. Repeat Step 5 until all four digits are entered. Press and
hold [MODE] for one second.
7. If the entered password is correct, the monitor enters the
programming menu. The first menu item “Calibrate Monitor?” will be displayed.
8. If the password is incorrect, the display shows “Wrong
Password???” and returns to the regular display of instantaneous gas readings.
9. If the User mode is set to display mode, a message
“Display Only! Cannot enter....” will be shown.
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4.4 Calibration of MultiRAE PLUS Monitor
CALIBRATION WARNINGS:
The calibration of all newly purchased RAE Systems
instruments should be tested by exposing the
sensor(s) to known concentration calibration gas
before the instrument is used or put into service.
For maximum safety, the accuracy of the MultiRAE
PLUS should be checked by exposing the sensor(s)
to known concentration calibration gas before each
day’s use.
In programming mode, the user may re-calibrate the sensors in the MultiRAE PLUS monitor. This is a two-point calibration process using “fresh air“ and the standard reference gas. First, a “fresh air” which contains 20.9% oxygen and no detectable VOC, toxic or combustible gases is used to set the zero point for each sensor. Then a standard reference gas, which contains a known concentration of a given gas, is used to set the second point of reference (also known as span gas). The two-point calibration procedure is detailed below. Table 4.3 shows the sub-menus for calibration operations.
Table 4.3
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Calibration Sub-Menu
Fresh Air Calibration? Multiple Sensor Calibration? Single Sensor Calibration? Modify Span Gas Value? Change LEL/VOC Span Gas?
The preferred calibration method for monitors with pumps is to place the calibration gas in a gas sample bag (Tedlar bag). Connect the bag to the MultiRAE PLUS gas inlet port when you are ready to perform the calibration. Users may find it more convenient to connect the MultiRAE PLUS directly to the gas bottle using a flow-on-demand type regulator. Calibration through such a regulator will produce similar results to the sample bag method with most gases, but flow-on-demand regulators are not recommended with H2S. In an emergency, the MultiRAE PLUS can also be calibrated directly from a fixed flow regulator with a flow rate between 0.5 and 1.0 liters per minute.
MultiRAE PLUS diffusion monitors must be calibrated using a fixed flow regulator with a flow rate between 0.5 and
1.0 liters per minute. Diffusion monitors are supplied with a special calibration adapter that covers the gas diffusion port.
The calibration adapter links up the inlet port of the MultiRAE PLUS Monitor to the gas sample bag (see Figure 4-1).
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Figure 4-1 Connection of Calibration Gas
MultiRAE PLUS diffusion monitors must be calibrated using a fixed flow regulator with a flow rate between 0.5 and
1.0 liters per minute. Diffusion monitors are supplied with a special calibration adapter that covers the gas diffusion port.
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4.4.1 Fresh Air Calibration
This procedure determines the zero point of the sensor calibration curve. To perform fresh air calibration, the calibration adapter and a bottle of “fresh” air (optional) are required. The “fresh” air is clean dry air with 20.9 % oxygen concentration and without any organic, toxic or c ombustible gases or impurities. If such an air bottle is not available, any clean ambient air without detectable contaminant can also be used. A charcoal filter should be used if one is not sure of the ambient air’s purity.
1. “Calibrate Monitor?” is the first menu item in Table 4.1.
Press [Y/+] to perform calibration. The first sub-menu shows: “Fresh Air Calibration?”
2. If the “fresh” air bottle is available, twist on the
calibration adapter over the inlet port of the MultiRAE
PLUS Monitor and connect the othe r end of the tube to
the fresh gas bottle. If the “fresh” air bottle is not available, simply leave the monitor in an area free of any detectable vapor.
3. Press the [Y/+] key to start “fresh air calibration” of the
monitor. The display shows “zero ...in progress” followed by the name of each sensor and the message “zeroed”. The display should show a reading of “20.9” for the oxygen sensor and “0.0”, or a very small number, for all other sensors.
4. After about a 5 second pause, the display will show the
message “Zero Cal Done!” and move to the next sub­menu “Multiple Sensor Calibration?”
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4.4.2 Multiple Sensor Calibration
T his function simultaneously determines the second point of calibration curves for multiple sensors in the monitor. Mixed standard reference gases is needed to perform this procedure. The user can choose several gas mixtures to be used in multiple-sensor calibration. Connect the tube to the sampling bag filled with mixed gas as shown in Figure 4-1.
1. Continuing from Step 4 of the previous Section, the
display should show “ Multiple Sensor Calibration?” Press the [Y/+] key. The display shows all the pre­selected gases for the sampling bag filled with mixed gas and “OK?” question. Press [Y/+] key to accept the multiple sensor selection and start the calibration, or press the [N/-] key to modify the sensor selection and go to Step 7.
TOX1 VOC TOX2
CO - - - - H2S LEL OK? OXY
LEL OXY
2. Turn on the valve of the sampling bag to start the flow of
the span gas. Display shows “Apply Mixed Gas” and will wait for the calibration gas to reach the sensor. When the calibration gas has reached the sensor the display will show “calibration in progress… 60” with the countdown timer shows the number of remaining seconds while the monitor performs calibration. When the countdown timer reaches 0, the display shows the name of each sensor, the message “cal’ed!” and the calibrated values for each gas. If no gas has reached the sensor after 60 seconds, the display will show “No gas flow…” and abort the calibration.
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Note: the readings should be very close to the span gas values. After about 5 seconds pause, the display will show the message “Span Cal Done! Turn Off Gas”
3. This completes the multiple sensor calibration procedure
and moves to the next sub-menu item.
4. Turn off the flow of gas. Disconnect the calibration
adapter from the MultiRAE PLUS Monitor.
5. If the sensor failed the calibration, the sensor name and
an error message “failed, continue?” will appear. Press the [N/-] or [MODE] key to abort the calibration and move directly to the next sub-menu item. Press the [Y/+] key to continue the next sensor calibration. In either case, the calibration data for the current sensor is not changed.
6. From Step 1, if the [N/-] key is pressed, the display
shows all the sensor names which are selected for multiple sensor calibration with the cursor blinking at the first sensor location.
TOX1 VOC TOX2
CO* - - - - H2S* LEL* OK? O2
LEL OXY
Press the [Y/+] key to select the sensor and the [N/-] key to de-select the sensor. A previously selected sensor will show an “*” next to the sensor name. A previously de-selected sensor will not show an “*” next to the sensor name.
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7. Press the [MODE] key momentarily to move from one
sensor location to the next one. Repeat Step 7 until all of the sensors which need to be calibrated during multiple sensor calibration are selected. Press and hold the [MODE] key for 1 second to save the new sensor selection.
8. The display shows “Save?” To confirm the new
selection, press the [Y/+] key to accept the change and continue on with Step 2. Press the [N/-] key or the
[MODE] key to discard the change and to continue on
with Step 2.
Cross Sensitivity: Some sensors may show cross sensitivity to other gases. Therefore, it is important to choose the gas mixture carefully for the multiple sensor calibration to avoid erroneous calibration due to cross sensitivity. For example, some VOC gases are known to cause erroneous readings by the CO sensor. In general, it is recommended to calibrate the two toxic sensors, combustible and oxygen sensor with a bottle of mixed gas using the multiple sensor calibration procedure and to calibrate the PID sensor with a bottle of a single VOC gas.
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4.4.3 Single Sensor Calibration
This procedure determines the second point of the sensor calibration curve for a single sensor. A standard reference gas (span gas) is needed to perform this procedure. Table
2.2 shows the standard calibration gas which is typically used as the span gas in the factory (connect the tube to the sampling bag filled with the standard gas as shown in Figure 4-1).
1. Continuing from Step 4 or Step 6 of the previous
section, the display should show “Single Sensor Calibration?” Press [Y/+] key. The display shows all the installed sensors in the monitor with the cursor blinking at the first sensor location. Press [Y/+] key to select the high-lighted sensor and start the calibration, or press [MODE] key momentarily to move to the next sensor location.
TOX1 VOC TOX2
CO VOC H2S LEL pick? OXY
LEL OXY
2. Turn on the valve of the CO gas bottle to start the flow
of the span gas. Display shows “Apply CO Gas” and will wait for the calibration gas to reach the sensor. When the calibration gas has reached the sensor the display will show “calibration in progress…60” with the countdown timer shows the number of remaining
seconds while the monitor performs calibration. When
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the countdown timer reaches 0, the display shows the sensor name and the calibrated value:
TOX1 VOC TOX2
CO cal’ed reading = 50 ppm
LEL OXY
If no gas has reached the sensor after 60 seconds, the display will show "No gas flow…” and abort the calibration.
Note: The reading should be very close to the span gas value. After about 5 seconds pause, the display will show the message “Span Cal Done! Turn Off Gas”
3. This completes the single gas calibration procedure for
one sensor. The display shows the single gas calibration sub-menu for a user to select another sensor or move to next calibration sub-menu.
4. Turn off the flow of gas. Disconnect the calibration
adapter from the MultiRAE PLUS Monitor.
5. Repeat Step 1 to Step 5 to calibrate the next sensor.
6. Press the [MODE] key any time during Step 2 to reduce
waiting time. If the sensor failed the calibration, the sensor name and an error message “failed, continue?” will appear. Press [N/-] or [MODE] key to abort the calibration and move directly to the next sub-menu item. Press [Y/+] key to continue single gas calibration. In
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either case, the current calibration data will not be changed.
Oxygen Sensor Calibration The oxygen sensor calibration is slightly different from all
other sensors. The oxygen sensor measures a range from 0 to 30% of oxygen in the air. During “fresh” air calibration, the oxygen sensor is calibrated to fixed 20.9% of oxygen. During single sensor calibration, the user can supply a pure nitrogen gas so that the oxygen sensor can be calibrated to 0% of oxygen. The user can also supply other span concentration of the oxygen, e.g. 19.5%, to calibrate the oxygen sensor. A question “0% oxygen?” will be asked. Enter [Y/+] key if the pure nitrogen gas is used to calibrate the oxygen sensor. Otherwise, enter [N/-] key to calibrate oxygen sensor to other span oxygen value. During both single or multiple sensor calibration, the oxygen sensor will be calibrated to the span value defined in Section 4.4.4.
Note: After a “0% oxygen” calibration, the user must perform a fresh air calibration to ensure that the oxygen sensor is calibrated correctly.
Calibration Time Stamp When a single or multiple sensor calibration is performed, a
time stamp will be stored in the non-volatile memory. This information will be included in the datalogging report.
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4.4.4 Modify Span Gas Value
This function allows the user to change the span values of the standard calibration gases.
1. “Modify Span Gas Value?” is the next sub-menu item in
Table 4.3.
2. Press [Y/+] key. Display shows:
TOX1 VOC TOX2
50 100 25 50 span 20.9
LEL OXY
The cursor is blinking at the first digit of the first Span value. If the user wants to modify any one of the span gas value, go to Step 3. Otherwise, press and hold the
[MODE] key for 1 second to accept the previously stored
span gas value and move to the next calibration sub­menu.
3. Starting from the left-most digit of the span gas value,
use [Y/+] or [N/-] key to change the digit value and press
[MODE] key momentarily to advance to next digit, the
cursor will move to the next digit to the right. Repeat this process until all span gas values are entered. Press and hold the [MODE] for 1 second to save the new calibration gas value.
4. The display shows “Save?” To confirm the new value
press the [Y/+] key to accept the change. Press the [N/-] key or the [MODE] key to discard the change and move to the next calibration sub-menu.
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4.4.5 Change LEL/VOC Span Gas
This function allows the user to select a specific LEL or VOC gas to be used as the span gas during LEL or VOC gas calibration.
1. “Change LEL/VOC Span Gas?” is the next sub-menu item
in Table 4.3.
2. Press [Y/+] key. If LEL sensor is installed and enabled,
the display shows:
TOX1 VOC TOX2
LEL Span = ? methane
LEL OXY
Otherwise, the message “No LEL installed” will appear.
3. If the user does not want to change the LEL span gas,
press [Y/+] key to accept the current selection and exit this sub-menu.
4. If the user wants to select a different LEL span gas, press
[N/-] key. Then use [Y/+] or [N/-] key to scroll through a list of gas names until a desired gas name appears in the LCD display, then press [MODE] key to select the new gas name.
5. The display shows “Save?” To confirm the new gas
selection, press the [Y/+] key to accept the change. Press the [N/-] key or the [MODE] key to discard the change and move to the next display.
6. If the VOC sensor is installed and enabled, the display
shows:
TOX1 VOC TOX2
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VOC Span = ? isobutylene
LEL OXY
Otherwise, the message “No VOC installed “ will appear.
7. If the user does not want to change the VOC span gas,
press [Y/+] key to accept the current selection and exit this sub-menu.
8. If the user wants to select a different VOC span gas,
press [N/-] key first then use [Y/+] or [N/-] key to scroll through a list of gas names until a desired gas name appears in the LCD display, then press [MODE] key to select the new gas name.
9. The display shows “Save?” To confirm the new gas, press
the [Y/+] key to accept the change. Press the [N/-] key or the [MODE] key to discard the change and return to the first calibration sub-menu.
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4.5 Change Alarm Limits
In the programming mode, the users may change alarm limits of each sensor for the MultiRAE PLUS Monitor. Table
4.4 shows the sub-menus for changing the alarm limits. Table 4.4
Alarm Limit Sub-Menu
Change High Alarm limit? Change Low Alarm limit? Change STEL alarm limit?
Change Average alarm limit?
1. The sub-menu item in Table 4.4 allows the user to change
the high alarm limit, low alarm limit, STEL alarm limit or average alarm limit. The average alarm limit can be “Running Average” or “TWA (Time Weight Average) depending on the menu selection on “Change Averaging Method” (see Section 4.7.8). Press [N/-] key to circle through the sub-menu. Press [Y/+] key to enter a sub­menu and the display shows “HIGH”, “LOW”, “STEL”, “TWA ” or “AVG” with a flashing cursor on the left-most digit of the previously stored alarm limits.
TOX1 VOC TOX2
200 100.0 20 20 HIGH 23.5
LEL OXY
TOX1 VOC TOX2
35 50.0 10
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10 LOW 19.5
LEL OXY TOX1 VOC TOX2
100 25.0 15 STEL
LEL OXY
TOX1 VOC TOX2
35 10.0 10 TWA
LEL OXY
TOX1 VOC TOX2
1.0 10.0 10 AVG
LEL OXY
2. To modify this limit, starting from the left-most digit,
use the [Y/+] or [N/-] key to change the digit value and press the [MODE] key momentarily to advance to the next digit. The flashing digit will move on to the next digit to its right. Repeat this process until all the new Alarm limits are entered. Press and hold the [MODE] key for 1 second to exit data entry mode. If there is any change to the existing value, the display shows “Save ?” Press the [Y/+] key to ac cept the new value and move to the next sub-menu. Press the [N/-] key to discard the changes. To preserve the previously stored alarm limit, press and hold the [MODE] key for 1 second and the monitor will exit data entry mode and move to the next sub-menu.
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4.6 View or Change Datalog
MultiRAE monitor calculates and stores the gas readings at a specified interval. The user can review these stored readings or change datalog setup from the programming mode. Users can also program additional dat alog options in PC and down loaded them to the monitor (see Section 5.0 for details on how to program additional datalogging options). Table 4.5 shows the sub-menus for datalog options:
Table 4.5
Datalog Sub-Menu
Reset Peak and Minimum? Clear All Data? Change Datalog Period? Select Data Type? View Datalog? Enable / Disable Datalog?
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4.6.1 Reset Peak and Minimum
This function will reset peak and minimum data stored in the non-volatile data memory.
1. “Reset Peak and Minimum?” is the first sub-menu item
in Table 4.5.
2. Press the [Y/+] key to clear the peak and minimum data
memory. Display shows “Are You Sure?” to re-confirm whether to reset peak and minimum data.
3. Press the [Y/+] key again will reset peak and minimum
data.
4. Press the [N/-] or [MODE] key to exit without resetting
the data and move to next datalog sub-menu.
Note: STEL and TWA (or AVG) value will not be affected when peak and minimum values are reset.
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4.6.2 Clear All Data
This function will erase all data stored in the non-volatile data memory. This does not change STEL, TWA, Peak, minimum concentration and run time values which are stored in the other location.
1. “Clear All Data?” is the second sub-menu item in Table
4.5.
2. Press the [Y/+] key to clear the data memory. Display
shows “Are You Sure?” to re-confirm the clearing of memory.
3. Press the [Y/+] key again will erase all the data memory.
4. Press the [N/-] or [MODE] key to exit without clearing
the data memory and move to next datalog sub-menu.
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4.6.3 Change Datalog Period
The datalog period can be programmed from 1 to 3,600 seconds (1 hour).
1. “Change Datalog Period?” is the third sub-menu item in
Table 4.5.
2. Press the [Y/+] key, the display shows “New Period =
0060” with the left-most digit flashing, where “0060” is the previously stored datalog period.
3. To modify this period, starting from the left-most digit,
use the [Y/+] or [N/-] key to change the digit value and press the [MODE] key momentarily to advance to the next digit. The flashing digit will move to the next digit to the right. Repeat this process until all 4 digits of the new period are entered. Press and hold the [MODE] key for 1 second to exit data entry mode. If there is any change to the existing value, the display will show “Save?” Press the [Y/+] key to accept the new value and exit the datalog sub-menu. Press the [N/-] key to discard the changes and move to the next menu option.
4. To preserve the previously stored period, press and hold
the [MODE] key for 1 second. The monitor will exit data entry mode and move to the next sub-menu item in Table
4.5.
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4.6.4 Select Data Type
The user can choose to store either the average or the peak value during each datalog period.
1. “Select Data Type ?” is the fourth sub-menu item in Table
4.5.
2. Press the [Y/+] key, the display shows the current data
type: “Data Type = Average?”
3. Press the [Y/+] key to accept the currently displayed data
type. Press [N/-] key to change to the other data. type: “Data Type = Peak?” Press [MODE] key to exit this sub-menu and move on to the next sub-menu.
4. If there is any change to the existing selection, pressing
the [y/+] key, the display will show “Save?” Then, press the [Y/+] key to accept or the [N/-] key to discard and move to the next sub-menu.
Note: It is necessary to select “Average” data type in order
to calculate the correct STEL and TWA data for datalogging report (see Section 5.9).
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4.6.5 View Datalog
This function allows the user to review all the data that is stored in the non-volatile data memory.
1. “View Datalog?” is the fifth sub-menu item in Table 4.5.
Press the [Y/+] key and the LCD display shows the first event number and start date and time of the event.
TOX1 VOC TOX2
Event # 1 ? 8/3/96 8:20
LEL OXY
2. Press [Y/+] key to review data of the first event. The
LCD display shows the stored data of each sensor and the time stamp:
TOX1 VOC TOX2
1 0.0 0 2 8:20 20.5
LEL OXY
3. Press the [Y/+] or [N/-] key to move forward or backward
to view other data of this event. When reaching the end or the beginning of the event, the message “Start of data!” or “End of data!” will appear. Press [MODE] key to exit the current event.
4. Press [N/-] key at Step 2 to see next event. If there is no
more event, the message “no more event! quit?” will appear. Press [N/-] key to go back to the first event or press [Y/+] key to exit and move to the next sub-menu.
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4.6.6 Enable / Disable Datalog
The user can choose to enable or disable the datalogging function on each individual sensor. This allows users to selectively log certain sensor readings of interest.
1. “Enable / Disable Datalog?” is the sixth sub-menu item in
Table 4.5.
2. Press [Y/+] key. The display shows all the installed
sensor in the monitor. A previously selected sensor to be datalogged is marked with an “* ” next to the sensor name. The cursor is blinking at the first sensor location. Press [Y/+] key to enable the datalogging for the sensor and [N/-] key to disable the datalogging.
TOX1 VOC TOX2
CO* VOC H2S* LEL pick OXY
LEL OXY
3. Press [MODE] key momentarily to move from one
sensor location to the next one. Repeat Step 2 until all the sensors which needs to be datalogged are selected. Press and hold [MODE] key for 1 second to save the new sensor selection.
4. The display shows “Save?” To confirm the new
selection, press the [Y/+] key to accept the change. Press the [N/-] key or the [MODE] key to discard the change and return to the first datalog sub-menu.
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4.7 Change Monitor Setup
In the programming mode, users may change monitor setup or enter user information for the MultiRAE PLUS monitor. Table 4.6 shows the sub-menus for changing the
monitor.
Table 4.6
Monitor Setup Sub-Menu
Change Site ID? Change User ID? Change Alarm Mode? Change User Mode? Change Real Time Clock? Change Backlight Mode? Change Password? Change Pump Speed? Change Averaging Method?
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4.7.1 Change Site ID
The user can enter an 8 digit alphanumeric site ID in the programming mode. This site ID will be included in the datalog report.
1. “Change Site ID?” and “Change User ID?” are the first
and second sub-menu item in Table 4.6.
2. Press [MODE] key to choose one of them and press the
[Y/+] key, the display shows the current site ID: “Site ID
= xxxxxxxx” or the current user ID: “User ID = xxxxxxxx” with the left most digit flashing.
3. Press the [Y/+] or [N/-] key to cycle through all 26
letters and 10 numerals. Press [MODE] key momentarily to advance to the next digit. The flashing digit will move to the next digit to the right. Repeat this process until all 8 digits of the new site ID are entered.
4. Press and hold the [MODE] key for 1 second to exit the
data entry mode and move to the next monitor setup sub­menu.
5. If there is any change to the exi sting site ID, the display
shows “Save?” Press the [Y/+] key to accept the new site ID and exit the monitor setup sub-menu. Press the [N/-] key to discard the changes and move to the next sub­menu.
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4.7.2 Change Alarm Mode
There are two different alarm modes: latched and automatic reset in MultiRAE PLUS that can be selected
from the programming menu.
1. “Change Alarm Mode?” is the third sub-menu item in
Table 4.6.
2. Press the [Y/+] key, the display shows the current alarm
mode selection: “Alarm Mode = Latched?”
3. Press the [Y/+] key to accept the currently displayed
alarm mode. Press [N/-] key to change to the other alarm mode: “Alarm Mode = Auto Reset?” Press [MODE] key to exit this sub-menu and move to the next monitor setup sub-menu.
4. If there is any change to the existing selection, pressing
the [y/+] key the display will show “Save?” Then, press the [Y/+] key to accept or the [N/-] key to discard and move to the next sub-menu.
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4.7.3 Change User Mode
There are three different user modes: text, display and programming in MultiRAE PLUS that can be selected
from the programming menu.
1. “Change User Mode?” is the fourth sub-menu item in
Table 4.6.
2. Press the [Y/+] key, the display shows the current user
mode selection: “User Mode = Program?”
3. Press the [Y/+] key to accept the currently displayed
user mode. Press [N/-] key to scroll through the other two user modes. Press [MODE] key to exit this sub­menu and move to the next monitor setup sub-menu.
4. If there is any change to the existing selection, pressing
the [y/+] key the display will show “Disable Program! Are you Sure?” Then, press the [Y/+] key to accept or the
[N/-] key to discard and move to the next sub-menu.
NOTE: If the user mode is changed to display or text
mode, the user can no longer enter the programming menu. Therefore, the user cannot change the user mode back to
program mode from the monitor. The only way to change the user mode back to “program” mode is to use a PC and the ProRAE-Suite program or “multicfg” program
(see Section 5 for details).
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4.7.4 Change Real Time Clock
The MultiRAE monitor is equipped with a real time clock. The user can enter the correct date and time into the real time clock in the programming mode.
1. The fifth sub-menu item in Table 4.6 is “Change Real
Time Clock?”
2. Press [Y/+] key, the display shows both the current date
and time : “Date = mm / dd” and “Time = hh : mm” with the left most digit of the date flashing.
3. To modify this value, use the [Y/+] or [N/-] key to change
the digit value and press the [MODE] key momentarily to advance to the next digit. The flashing digit will move on to next digit to its right. Repeat this process until the new date and time values are entered. Press and hold the
[MODE] key for 1 second to exit data entry mode. If
there is any change to the existing value, the display shows “Save?” Press the [Y/+] key to accept the new value and move to next sub-menu. Press the [N/-] key to discard the changes and move to next sub-menu.
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4.7.5 Change Back Light Mode
The MultiRAE monitor allows a user to choose to turn on and off LCD back light automatically when ambient light falls bellow or above a threshold level or to turn on and off the back light manually by pressing the [N/-] key.
1. The sixth sub-menu item in Table 4.6 is “Change
Backlight Mode?”
2. Press [Y/+] key, the display shows the current back light
mode: “Back Light Mode = manual turn on?”
3. Press the [Y/+] key to accept the currently displayed
back light mode. Press [N/-] key to change to the other back light mode: “Back Light Mode = manual turn on?” Press [MODE] key to exit this sub-menu and move to the first monitor setup sub-menu.
4. If there is any change to the existing selection, pressing
the [Y/+] key the display will show “Save?” Then, press the [Y/+] key to accept or the [N/-] key to discard and move to the next sub-menu.
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4.7.6 Change Password
The user can modify the password from the monitor.
1. The seventh sub-menu item in Table 4.6 is “Change
Password?”
2. Press the [Y/+] key and the display shows the current
password: “Enter new password = xxxx” with the left most digit flashing.
3. Press the [Y/+] or [N/-] key to cycle through all 10
numerals. Press [MODE] key momentarily to advance to the next digit. The flashing digit will move to the next digit to the right. Repeat this process until all 4 digits of the new password are entered.
4. Press and hold the [MODE] key for 1 second to exit the
data entry mode and move to the next monitor setup sub­menu.
5. If there is any change to the existing password, the
display shows “Save ?” Press the [Y/+] key to accept the new password. Press the [N/-] key to discard the changes and move to the next sub-menu.
6. The monitor next asks for this value to be confirmed.
“Confirm New Password = 0000” with the left most digit flashing. The number must be reentered as before to exit the monitor setup sub-menu. If misentered the second time, the password reverts to its original setting.
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4.7.7 Change Pump Speed
There are two speed settings for the pump motor in the
MultiRAE PLUS that can be selected from the
programming menu: low (default) and high. The “high” setting should be used for long lengths of tubing or when rapid changes in input conditions are expected. “Low” may be selected when the operating conditions are slow to change. Low may also be used to prolong pump motor life, LEL sensor life and battery run time. Note that this screen may not be present for diffusion models or if speed control is not available.
1. “Change Pump Motor Speed?” is the eighth sub-menu
item in Table 4.6.
2. Press the [Y/+] key, the display shows the current pump
speed selection: “Pump Speed = Low?”
3. Press the [Y/+] key to accept the currently displayed
pump speed and move to the next monitor setup sub­menu. Press [N/-] key to change to the other speed “Pump Speed = High?” Press [MODE] key to exit this sub-menu and move to the next monitor setup sub-menu.
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4.7.8 Change Averaging Method
There are two methods of calculation used in the averaging of the monitor. Using this selection can cause the calculation to be performed using an eight hour time weighted average (TWA), the default, or a running average (AVG). The display indicator for whichever averaging type is selected will show on the LCD display wherever the average is indicated.
1. “Change Averaging Method?” is the ninth sub-menu item
in Table 4.6.
2. Press the [Y/+] key, the display shows the current
average selection: “Average Type = TWA?”
3. Press the [Y/+] key to accept the currently displayed
type. Press [N/-] key to change to the other selection: “Average Type = Running Average?”, and [Y/+] to select.
4. If there is any change to the existing selection, pressing
the [Y/+] key, the display will show “Save?” Then, press the [Y/+] key to accept or the [N/-] key to discard and move to the first setup sub-menu.
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4.8 Change Sensor Configuration
In the programming mode, users may change several sensor related configurations of the MultiRAE PLUS monitor. Table 4.7 shows the sub-menus for setting various
configurations of the sensors.
Table 4.7
Sensor Configuration Sub-Menu
Change LEL/VOC Gas Selection? Enable / Disable Sensors? Change Dilution Ratio? Change PID Lamp Type?
Before these sub-menus are described, the term “Correction Factor” needs to be explained:
Correction Factor
The PID and LEL sensor used in MultiRAE PLUS are broad band sensors (i.e., they respond to a broad range of gases). Typically, these sensors show a different sensitivity to different gases. The correction factor for a specific gas is defined as:
Sensitivity to a calibration gas Correction Factor =
________________________
Sensitivity to a specific gas
Correction factors are often used to obtain a calculated concentration of a specific gas while using a different gas during calibration.
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The MultiRAE PLUS monitor store three sets of correction factors: one for the LEL sensor, one for the 10.6 eV PID sensor and the other for the 11.7 eV PID sensor. Each set consists of 20 to 40 different gases. The user can choose one gas from the list to be the calibration gas and another gas to be the measurement gas.
For example, the user can choose methane as the calibration gas for the LEL sensor and select pentane as the measurement gas. The MultiRAE PLUS monitor will calculate the correction factor between these two gases and convert the measured value of the LEL sensor into equivalent concentration of the pentane gas.
Similarly, the user can choose one VOC gas for calibration and choose another VOC gas for measurement. In addition, the correction factor is different for the PID sensor due to different energy of the UV lamp used in the PID sensor. The user needs to choose the correct type of UV lamp (10.6 eV or 11.7 eV) for the PID sensor in Section 4.8.4.
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4.8.1 Change LEL/VOC Gas Selection
This function allows users to choose one of the pre-stored LEL or VOC gases in the monitor and calculate its correction factor relative to the LEL or VOC calibration gas. This factor will then be used during gas measurements to show the equivalent concentration of the selected LEL or VOC gas. The user can also modify this relative correction factor to increase or decrease the gas reading. This allows users to create a custom factor for a specific gas or mixture of gases.
1. “Change LEL/VOC Gas Selection?” is the first sub-menu
item in Table 4.7.
2. Press [Y/+] key. If an LEL sensor is installed and
enabled, the display shows:
TOX1 VOC TOX2
LEL Gas = ? methane
LEL OXY
Otherwise, the message “No LEL installed” will be displayed and skip to Step 8.
3. If the user does not want to change the LEL measurement
gas, press [Y/+] key to accept the cur rent gas and skip to Step 6.
4. If the user wants to modify the LEL measurement gas,
press [N/-] key first, then use [Y/+] or [N/-] key to scroll through a list of gas names until the desired gas name appears in the LCD display, then press [MODE] key to select the new gas name.
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5. The display shows “Save new gas ?”. To confirm the new
gas, press the [Y/+] key to accept the change. Press the
[N/-] key or the [MODE] key to discard the change and
move to the next step.
6. Display shows
TOX1 VOC TOX2
methane LELFactor=1.00 ?
LEL OXY
where “1.00” is the calculated correction factor of the
selected gas in Step 4.
7. If the user does not want to modify the LEL correction
factor, press [Y/+] key and go to Step 8. To modify this factor, press [N/-] key first. Then starting from the left­most digit, use the [Y/+] or [N/-] key to change the digit value and press the [MODE] key momentarily to advance to the next digit. The flashing digit will move on to next digit to its right. Repeat this process until all 4 digits of the new factor are entered. Press and hold the [MODE] key for 1 second to exit data entry mode. If there is any change to the existing value, the display shows “Save ?” Press the [Y/+] key to accept the new value and exit the gas selection sub-menu. Press the [N/-] key to discard the changes.
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8. If the VOC sensor is installed and enabled, the display
will show:
TOX1 VOC TOX2
VOC Gas = ? isobutylene
LEL OXY
Otherwise, the message “No VOC installed” will be displayed and move to the next sub-menu.
9. If the user does not want to change the VOC
measurement gas, press [Y/+] key to accept the current gas and go to Step 12.
10. If the user wants to modify the VOC measurement gas,
press [N/-] key first, then use [Y/+] or [N/-] key to scroll through a list of gas names until the desired gas name appears in the LCD display, then press [MODE] key to select the new gas name.
11. The display shows “Save?” To confirm the new gas, press
the [Y/+] key to accept the change. Press the [N/-] key or the [MODE] key to discard the change and move to the next step.
12. Display shows
TOX1 VOC TOX2
isobutylene VOCFactor=1.00 ?
LEL OXY
where “1.00” is the calculated correction factor of the
selected gas in Step 10.
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13. If the user does not want to modify the VOC correction
factor, press [Y/+] key and exit the sub-menu. To modify this factor, press [N/-] key first. Then starting from the left-most digit, use the [Y/+] or [N/-] key to change the digit value and press the [MODE] key momentarily to advance to the next digit. The flashing digit will move on to next digit to its right. Repeat this process until all 4 digits of the new factor are entered. Press and hold the [MODE] key for 1 second to exit data entry mode. If there is any change to the existing value, the display shows “Save ?” Press the [Y/+] key to accept the new value and exit the gas selection sub-menu. Press the [N/-] key to discard the changes.
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4.8.2 Enable / Disable Sensor
This function allows the user to selectively enable or disable individual sensors in the MultiRAE PLUS monitor. When a sensor is disabled, the sensor will not measure nor display
the gas concentration.
1. “Enable / Disable Sensors?” is the second sub-menu item
in Table 4.7.
2. Press [Y/+] key. The display shows all the installed
sensors in the monitor. A previously enabled sensor is marked by an “*’ next to the sensor name. The cursor will blink at the first sensor location. Press [Y/+] key to enable the sensor and [N/-] key to disable the sensor. A previously disabled sensor will show “----” instead of the sensor name.
TOX1 VOC TOX2
CO* VOC H2S* LEL* pick OXY*
LEL OXY
3. Press [MODE] key momentarily to move from one
sensor location to the next one. Repeat Step 2 until all the sensors which needs to be enabled are selected. Press and hold [MODE] key for 1 second to save the new sensor selection.
4. The display shows “Save?” To confirm the new selection,
press the [Y/+] key to accept the change. Press the [N/-] key or the [MODE] key to discard the change and move to the next sub-menu.
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4.8.3 Change Dilution Ratio
The user can insert an optional dilution fitting on the
MultiRAE PLUS gas inlet port to dilute the gas sample.
The user can enter a dilution ratio (from 1 to 10) from the programming menu so that the reading can be compensated to show the actual concentration of the gas sample with the dilution fitting.
1. “Change Dilution Ratio?” is the third sub-menu item in
Table 4.7.
2. Press the [Y/+] key, the display shows the current
dilution ratio: “Dilution Ratio = xx” with the left most digit flashing.
3. Press the [Y/+] or [N/-] key to increase or decrease the
value of the digit. Press [MODE] key momentarily to advance to the next digit. The flashing digit will move to the next digit to the right. Repeat this process until both digits of the new dilution ratio are entered.
4. Press and hold the [MODE] key for 1 second to exit the
data entry mode and move to the next sub-menu.
5. If there is any change to the existing dilution ratio, the
display shows “Save ?” Press the [Y/+] key to accept the new ratio and exit the sub-menu. Press the [N/-] key to discard the changes and move to the next sub-menu.
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4.8.4 Change PID Lamp Type
This programming menu only applies to the monitor which is equipped with a PID detector option. There are two different energy UV lamps available for the PID sensor:
10.6 eV and 11.7 eV. The user can select either lamp from the programming menu.
1. “Change PID Lamp Type?” is the fourth sub-menu item in
Table 4.7.
2. Press the [Y/+] key, the display shows the current PID
lamp selection: “PID Lamp = 10.6 eV?”
3. Press the [Y/+] key to accept the currently displayed PID
lamp. Press [N/-] key to change to the other lamp. Press [MODE] key to exit this sub-menu and return to the first sub-menu.
4. If there is any change to the existing selection, pressing
the [Y/+] key the display will show “Save?” Then, press the [Y/+] key to accept the [N/-] key to discard and return to the first sub-menu.
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4.9 Exit Programming Mode
1. To exit programming mode from the first tier menu level
(see Table 4.1), press the [MODE] key once.
Display shows an instantaneous reading of normal
operation mode.
2. To exit programming mode from 2nd tier sub-menu level
(see Table 4.2 - 4.6), press the [MODE] key twice.
3. To return to programming mode, press and hold down
both the [MODE] and [N/-] keys for 3 seconds as described in Section 4.4.
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5. COMPUTER INTERFACE FOR
MULTIRAE PLUS
Each MultiRAE PLUS with a datalogging option is shipped with a software package, called ProRAE-Suite, and a serial computer interface cable.
This software package runs on any IBM compatible Personal Computer (PC) under Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0 and later environments. It allows the user to configure the MultiRAE PLUS through a user friendly interface and send the configuration information from the PC to the MultiRAE PLUS monitor. Collected data can also be extracted from the MultiRAE PLUS to the PC in order to perform data analysis, report generation or record keeping. Installation and operation of this software package is described in the following sections.
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5.1 Install ProRAE -Suite Software
ProRAE-Suite software package is supplied with the MultiRAE PLUS datalogging monitor. This software package is available on two 3.5” setup diskettes. To install the ProRAE-Suite software, insert the first setup diskette into the “A” or “B” floppy disk drive. Click the Start button on the taskbar to display the start menu, then click the Run from the start menu to display the Run dialog box. If the setup diskette is in disk drive A, type A:\Setup.exe in the Open field, as shown in Figure 5-1.
Figure 5-1 Run Dialog Box
Press the Enter key on the keyboard or click the OK button on the menu to start the setup process. If the user choose the default settings in every steps of the process, the ProRAE-Suite software package will be installed under the default directory: C:\Program Files\RAE Systems Inc\ProRAE-Suite. After the software is installed successfully, a new menu item ProRAE-Suite is added to the Programs menu. To start the ProRAE -Suite software,
COMPUTER INTERFACE FOR MULTIRAE PLUS
5 - 3
click the Start button on the taskbar to display the Start menu, click the Programs menu item to display the Programs submenu, then click the ProRAE-Suite menu item to display the ProRAE-Suite submenu. There are two submenu items under the ProRAE-Suite submenu: ProRAE-Suite and Readme, as shown in Figure 5-2. Click the ProRAE-Suite submenu item to start the ProRAE-Suite
software.
Figure 5-2 Start Menu
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5.2 Connect MultiRAE PLUS to PC
The basic kit of a MultiRAE PLUS datalogging monitor includes a serial interface cable. Connect the DB-9 connector side of the cable to the serial port of the PC, and connect another side of the cable to the MultiRAE PLUS monitor.
Turn on the power to the MultiRAE PLUS monitor. Press the [MODE] key several times until the LCD shows “Communicate with PC?” Press the [Y/+] key and the display shows “Monitor will Pause, OK?” Press [Y/+] key to confirm and the display shows “Ready...” to indicate that the MultiRAE PLUS monitor is ready for communication with PC. During the communication session, the PC will directly control the MultiRAE PLUS monitor through the serial link. There is no need for users to press any key on the MultiRAE PLUS monitor during the communication session.
If no data transfer has occurred within one minute, the MultiRAE PLUS monitor will return to instantaneous reading display.
Note: Do not connect to the parallel port of the PC by mistake. The parallel port is usually a 25 pin female D connector on the back of the PC, the serial port is usually a 25 or 9 pin male D connector. If the serial port on the PC is a 25 pin connector, the user needs to use a 25 pin to 9 pin adapter in order to accept the serial cable.
5.3 Start ProRAE -Suite Software
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