RKI Instruments Pioneer 16R User Manual

Pioneer-R16 Gas Monitor

Operator’s Manual

Edition 7/2/97

RKI INSTRUMENTS, INC

RKI Instruments, Inc. • 33248 Central Ave, Union City, CA 94587 • [phone]

Chapter 1: Description

About the Pioneer-R16 Gas Monitor

The Pioneer-16R is a 19” rack mounting, fixed continuous-monitoring instrument. This multiple channel
gas monitor is capable of detecting gas at up to sixteen locations. Four display screens on the front panel
simultaneously display the gas readings of all active channels.

The Pioneer-16R includes audible and visual alarms that warn you of hazardous gas conditions. The alarm
circuit includes three levels of alarm: alarm 1, alarm 2, and alarm 3. The fail circuit alerts you to failures in the
detectors or monitor.

Four instrument programs allow you to display and change instrument, channel, and calibration settings.

Specifications

Table 1-1 Specifications

Input Power • 100 to 125 VAC, 50/60 Hz

• 200 to 250 VAC, 50/60 Hz (optional)

• 11 to 15 VDC
Construction Aluminum subrack suitable for mounting in a 19” rack enclosure
Dimensions 18.94” W x 6.9 “ H x 12 “ D
Weight • 14 lbs. w/o analyzer cards

• 19 lbs. Fully loaded with 16 analyzer cards
User Controls • Program buttons (ENTER, UP/YES, DOWN/NO, and ESCAPE)

• Reset switch ( also used as a program button)
Relays Rated for 8 amps at 250 VAC, Form C

Subrack

The Pioneer-16R is housed in a 19” aluminum subrack. It is suitable for installation into a 19” rack
enclosure. At the front, a mounting flange on each side of the subrack allows mounting. A front panel
covers the front of the subrack and the rear is open to allow installation of the analyzer cards and power I/O
card into the main circuit board. The top and bottom of the subrack are open to allow cooling of the
internal components.

Front Panel

The front panel allows for viewing of the gas readings, alarm status, and control of the different instrument
programs.

Displays

Four displays are visible through the right side of the front panel. Each display shows the reading of
four channels. A label above or below each display indicates which group of four channels are being
displayed. Only active channels are displayed.

Status Lights

Five status lights are visible through the left side of the front panel.

• PILOT Light
The PILOT light is on the far left of the five lights. It is green and is on when the monitor is receiveing
incoming power. The PILOT light flashes when the alarms are disabled. The alarms are disabled
during instrument warmup and when you enter one of the instrument programs.

• FAIL Light
The FAIL light is to the right of the PILOT light. It turns on when the monitor is experiencing a fail

Pioneer-16R Gas Monitor Operator’s Manual Operation 1

condition such as an open sensor connection or a circuit board fault.

• ALARM 1 Light
The ALARM 1 light is to the right of the FAIL light. It turns on when the monitor is experiencing an
alarm 1 condition.

• ALARM 2 Light
The ALARM 2 light is to the right of the ALARM 1 light. It turns on when the monitor is experiencing
an alarm 2 condition (the ALARM 1 light is also on).

• ALARM 3 Light
The ALARM 3 light is to the right of the ALARM 2 light. It turns on when the monitor is experiencing
an alarm 3 condition (the ALARM 1 and ALARM 2 lights are also on).

Program Buttons

The Pioneer -16R includes five program buttons that allow you to enter the instrument programs, navigate
through the programs, update instrument and channel settings, and save changes to the program
settings. The buttons are incorporated into a switch label below the status lights.

• ENTER Button

The ENTER button is on the far left of the button arrangement. Use the ENTER button to :

- Move forward through the instrument programs.

- Save changes you make in the instrument programs

- Enter the Instrument Setup program (when pressed with the ESCAPE button).

- Enter the Calibrate program (when pressed with the U/YES button).

- Enter the Channel Setup program (when pressed with the DOWN/NO button).

• UP/YES Button
The UP/YES button is to the right of the ENTER button. Use the UP/YES button to:

- Change settings within the instrument programs.

- Enter the Calibration program (when pressed with the ENTER button).

• DOWN/NO Button
The DOWN /NO button is to the right of the UP/YES button. Use the DOWN/NO button to :

- Change settings within the instrument programs.

- Enter the Channel Setup program (when pressed with the ENTER button).

• ESCAPE Button
The ESCAPE button is to the right of the DOWN/NO button. Use the ESCAPE button to:

- Move backward through the instrument programs.

- Cancel changes you make in the instrument programs.

- Enter the Instrument Setup program (when pressed with the ENTER button).

• RESET Button
The reset button is below the UP/YES and DOWN/NO buttons. Use the RESET button to:

- Reset the alarm circuits for “latched alarms after an alarm 1, alarm 2, or alarm 3 condition passes.

- If the alarm silence setting is ON in the Instrument Setup program, you can silence the buzzer

during an alarm 1, alarm 2, or alarm 3 condition. You cannot silence failure alarms. You can adjust
the alarm silence setting in the Instrument Setup Program (see Chapter 3, Operation).

- You can run the Display Setpoints and Readings program (see Chapter 3, Operation).

Main Circuit Board

The main circuit board is visible through the back of the subrack. It has 16 vertically oriented card guide
sockets for the analyzer cards that start near the right side of the board with channel one and continue to
the left almost to the left edge of the board. On the lower right of the main circuit board is a horizontally
oriented card connector for the power I/O circuit card. There is a green POWER light near the middle of
the right edge of the board which is lit continuously when power is applied to the monitor.

Piower I/O Card

The power I/O card plugs into the horizontally oriented 18-point card connector located at the lower right
of the main circuit board. When properly installed the components are on the top side of the card. The

Pioneer-16R Gas Monitor Operator’s Manual Operation 2

power I/O card includes external wiring terminal strips, four relays, and two fuses.

Terminal Strips

• AC Terminal Strip
The 3-point AC terminal strip is on the right side of the card. You connect the incoming AC power
source to the AC terminal strip. The AC terminal strip is labeled TB2 on the circuit board.

• Common Alarm Relay Terminal Strip
The 12-point common alarm relay terminal strip is located to the left of the AC terminal strip. You
connect wiring from external alarms (if applicable) to the terminal strip. It has common (C), normally
closed (NC), and normally open (NO) terminals for alarm 1, alarm 2, and alarm 3 connections. It is
labeled TB1 on the circuit board.

• I/O Terminal Strip
The 11-point I/O terminal strip is located to the left of the common alarm terminal strip. It is labeled TB4
on the right side of strip and TB5 on the left side of the strip. The terminals for RS-232, optional
external reset switch, external buzzer, auxiliary DC power, and RS-485 are included in the I/O terminal
strip.

• Expansion Terminal Strip
The 3-piont expansion terminal strip is located to the left of the I/O terminal strip. You can network up
to four Pioneer-16R’s together by using the expansion terminal strip. It is labeled TB3 on the circuit
board.

Relays

Four relays are loacated behind the common alarm terminal strip. They are single pole double throw
(SPDT) and are rated for 8 amps at 250 VAC. The relays are from left to right alarm 3, alarm 2, alarm 1, and
fail. The relays are common for all channels.

NOTE: You can select normally energized or normally de-energized relays in the Instrument Setup

Program. This section describes the default setting: normally de-energized. The fail relay is
factory-set as normally energized and is not user-selectable.

Fuses

• AC Fuse(s)
Two AC fuse holders are located behind the AC terminal strip. They are marked F1 and F2 on the
circuit board. The AC fuse(s) protects the AC line circuitry from short circuit or overload. For 115 VAC
operation, only one 3 amp fuse, F1 which is closest to the right edge of the circuit board, is needed.
For 220 VAC operation two 2 amp fuses must be installed

• DC fuse
The DC fuse is to the left of the alarm 3 relay and behind the I/O terminal strip. The DC fuse protects
the DC line circuitry from short circuit or overload. The DC fuse is rated at 8 amps.

Analyzer Card

The analyzer card plugs into one of the 16 u-shaped card guide sockets on the main circuit board. Each
channel of detection includes an analyzer card. The analyzer card includes the detector terminal strip,
analog output terminal strip, external alarm terminal strip, a pilot light, and three relays.

The terminals unplug from the terminal strips on the card to give better access to the terminals when you
make wiring connections.

Do not pull an analyzer card from its socket unless power to the monitor is off or
damage to the card or main circuit board may result.

Detector Terminal strip

The 7-point detector terminal strip (terminals 1 through 7) is the terminal strip closest to the bottom of the
analyzer card. You connect wiring from the detector to the detector terminal strip.

NOTE: See the applicable detection insert in Appendix B, Gas Detectors, to wire the detector to the

Pioneer-16R Gas Monitor Operator’s Manual Operation 3

analyzer card.

Analog Output terminal strip

The 2-point analog output terminal strip (terminals 8 and 9) is directly above the detector terminal strip. You
connect wiring from a recording device (if applicable) to the analog output terminal strip. The output at the
analog output terminal strip is 4 to 20 mA or 0 to 1 V. The output is selectable by jumpers on the analyzer
card. The standard (default) output is 4 to 20 mA.

External alarms terminal strip

NOTE: The Pioneer-16R also includes a common external alarm terminal strip (on the Power I/O card).

The common terminal strip activates external alarms for all active channels.

The 9-point external alarm terminal strip is above the analog output terminal strip. You connect wiring from
external alarms (if applicable) to the external alarm terminal strip. This terminal strip has common (C),
normally closed (NC), and normally open (NO) terminals for alarm 1, alarm 2, and alarm 3 connections.

Pilot Light

The pilot light is between the external alarms terminal strip and analog output terminal strip. The pilot light
flashes when the analyzer card is receiving power and operating normally. The pilot light does not flash or
is off when a failure occurs.

Relays
NOTE: The Pioneer-16R also includes four common relays (on the Power I/O card). The common

relays activate for all active channels.

Three relays are behind the external alarm terminal strip. The relays are single-pole, double-throw (SPDT)
and are rated for 8 amps at 250 VAC (resistive). The relays are from top to bottom alarm 1, alarm 2, and
alarm 3. The relays are dedicated to the channel that the analyzer card is plugged into only. For example,
the alarm 1 relay energizes only when the channel that the card is plugged into goes into an alarm 1
condition.

NOTE: You can select normally energized or normally de-energized relays in the Instrument Setup

program. This section describes the default setting: normally de-energized.

Pioneer-16R Gas Monitor Operator’s Manual Operation 4

Chapter 2: Installation and Startup

Mounting the Pioneer-16R Gas Monitor

The subrack which houses the monitor is suitable for mounting in a 19” rack or rack enclosure. Position
the subrack in the rack as desired and use the mounting flange on each side of the subrack to mount it to
the rack with screws. .28” diameter slotted holes are provided on the flanges for mounting. Two .20”
diameter holes are also provided on the mounting flanges for mounting of a handles if desired.

Ø.20,4

Ø.28,4

X

18.94

18.31

3.986.9

X

4.49

1.48

PIONEER-16

16 POINTGAS

R

MONIT

OR

.

37

Front View

11.941

Side View

Figure 2-1: Outline & Mounting

Wiring the Pioneer-16R Gas Monitor

All external and detector wiring terminals are accessible at the back of the subrack. See the wiring diagram
below for external wiring connections.

Pioneer-R16 Operator’s Manual Installation & Startup 5

Connecting External Alarms

Perform the following procedure to connect external alarms to the Pioneer.

NOTE: The analyzer card includes external alarm connections that are dedicated to the applicable
channel only.

1. Guide the wiring of the external alarm to the rear of the subrack.

CAUTION: If the external alarm device is powered by AC current, do not route the external alarm
wiring and detector wiring through the same conduit hub or cable. The external alarm wiring may
disrupt the transmission of the detector signal to the Pioneer.

Pioneer-R16 Operator’s Manual Installation & Startup 6

2. Connect the leads from the external alarm to the terminals on the appropriate external wiring

NO

COM

terminal strip.

NC

Figure 2-3: External Alarm Wiring

Connecting Recorders

Perform the following procedure to connect a recording device to the Pioneer. The output at the analyzer
card’s analog output terminal strip is a 4 to 20 mA or 0 to 1 V signal that is proportional to the detection
range of the applicable detector. Unless specified, the analyzer card is set up at the factory for 4 to 20 mA
output.

1. Gain access to the rear of the monitor and locate the analog output terminal strip on the applicable
analyzer card. (The analog output terminal strip is the 2-point terminal strip between the detector
terminal strip and the external alarm terminal strip.)

2. Route the wiring from the recording device to the rear of the monitor.

CAUTION: Do not route power and detector wiring through the same conduit hub or cable. The power

wiring may disrupt the transmission of the detector signal to the monitor.

3. Connect the leads from the recording device to the analog output terminal strip as shown in Figure 2-

4.

Figure 2-4: Recorder Output Wiring

Pioneer-R16 Operator’s Manual Installation & Startup 7