Varian sentorr Instruction Manual

senTorr

™

Gauge
Controller

Instruction Manual

Varian Vacuum Technologies
121 Hartwell Avenue
Lexington, Massachusetts 02421
[phone]

Manual No. 6999-08-165
Revision G
February 1999

Telephone Numbers

U.S. only 1-800-8-VARIAN (1-800-882-7426)

From Alaska and Hawaii, dial [phone]

Order Entry (Sales)............Press 1........

FAX [phone]

Technical Support............Press 2........

FAX [phone]

Field Service............Press 3........

FAX [phone]

Training (Information

and Registration)............Press 4........

FAX [phone]

Service

Canada

Telephone ..................1-800-663-2727 (Canada Only)

[phone]

FAX ..................[phone]

France

Telephone ..................(33) 16-986-3838

FAX ..................(33) 16-928-2308

Germany (Darmstadt)

Telephone ..................(49) 61-51-70-32-05

FAX ..................(49) 61-51-70-32-79

Italy

Telephone ..................(39) 11-997-9111

FAX ..................(39) 11-997-9350

Japan

Telephone ..................(81) 3-3588-9732

FAX ..................(81) 3-3449-4597

Korea

Telephone ..................(82) 3-333-665-5171

FAX ..................(82) 3-333-665-0115

UK

Telephone ..................(44) 932-234-741

FAX ..................(44) 932-228-769

Copyright © by Varian Associates, Inc.

Reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form, without

permission in writing from Varian Vacuum Products, Lexington, MA 02421

November, 1995

WARRANTY

Products manufactured by Seller are warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for
twelve (12) months from date of shipment thereof to Customer, and Seller’s liability under valid war­ranty claims is limited, at the option of Seller, to repair, replacement, or refund of an equitable portion
of the purchase price of the Product. Items expendable in normal use are not cov ered by this warranty .
All warranty replacement or repair of parts shall be limited to equipment malfunctions which, in the
sole opinion of Seller, are due or traceable to defects in original materials or workmanship. All obliga­tions of Seller under this warranty shall cease in the event of abuse, accident, alteration, misuse, or
neglect of the equipment.In-warranty repaired or replacement parts are warranted only f or the remain­ing unexpired portion of the original warranty period applicable to the repaired or replaced parts. After
expiration of the applicable warranty per iod, Customer shall be charged at the then current pr ices for
parts, labor, and transportation.

Reasonable care must be used to avoid hazards. Seller expressly disclaims responsibility for loss or
damage caused by use of its Products other than in accordance with proper operating procedures.

When products are used with toxic chemicals, or in an atmosphere that is dangerous to the health of
humans, or is environmentally unsafe, it will be the responsibility of the Customer to have the product
cleaned by an independent agency skilled and approved in handling and cleaning contaminated mate­rials before the product will be accepted by Varian Associates for repair and/or replacement.

Except as stated herein, Seller makes no warranty, express or implied (either in fact or by operation of
law), statutory or otherwise; and, except as stated herein, Seller shall have no liability under any war­ranty, express or implied (either in fact or by oper ation of law), statutory or otherwise. Statements made
by any person, including representatives of Seller, which are inconsistent or in conflict with the terms
of this warranty shall not be binding upon Seller unless reduced to writing and approved by an officer
of Seller.

Warranty Replacement and Adjustment

All claims under warranty must be made promptly after occurrence of circumstances giving rise
thereto, and must be received within the applicable warranty period by Seller or its authorized repre­sentative.Such claims should include the Product serial number, the date of shipment, and a full
description of the circumstances giving rise to the claim. Before any Products are returned for repair
and/or adjustment, written authorization from Seller or its authorized representative for the return and
instructions as to how and where these Products should be returned must be obtained. Any Product
returned to Seller for examination shall be prepaid via the means of transportation indicated as accept­able by Seller. Seller reserves the right to reject any warranty claim not promptly reported and any war­ranty claim on any item that has been altered or has been returned by non-acceptable means of
transportation. When any Product is returned for examination and inspection, or for any other reason,
Customer shall be responsible for all damage resulting from improper pac king or handling, and for loss
in transit, notwithstanding any defect or non-conformity in the Product, in all cases, Seller has the sole
responsibility for determining the cause and nature of failure, and Seller's determination with regard
thereto shall be final.

If it is found that Seller’s Product has been returned without cause and is still serviceable, Customer
will be notified and the Product returned at its expense; in addition, a charge for testing and examina­tion may be made on Products so returned.

8/15/95

i

Hazards

Operators and service personnel must be aware of all hazards associated with this equipment.They
must know how to recognize hazardous and potentially hazardous conditions, and know how to avoid
them.The consequences of unskilled, improper, or careless operation of the equipment can be seri­ous. this product must only be operated and maintained by trained personnel. Every operator or ser­vice person must read and thoroughly understand operation/maintenance manuals and any additional
information provided by Varian Associates.All warnings and cautions should be read carefully and
strictly observed. Consult local, state, and national agencies regarding specific requirements and reg­ulations. Address any safety, operation, and/or maintenance questions to your nearest Varian office.

The following format is used in this manual to call attention to hazards.

W ARNING

_____________

Warnings are used when failure to observe instructions or precautions
could result in injury or death to humans.

CAUTION

________

Cautions are used when failure to observe instructions could result in
significant damage to equipment and/or facilities.

NOTE

________

Notes contain information to aid the operator in obtaining the best per­formance from the equipment.

ii

An independent agency has determined that all vacuum chambers regardless of manufacture, can
possibly become charged to lethal voltage levels, under certain conditions, if they are not grounded
with a quality, common ground with the controller of their ionization tube.

After each maintenance/service procedure and before operating the controller and vacuum system,
verify the integrity of the ground of both units;failure to do so could cost you your life!

W ARNING

_____________

Check that your Ion Gauge Controller and vacuum system are sepa­rately grounded to a common ground.

Placement of a ground wire between the vacuum chamber and the con­troller chassis is not safe;large continuous currents could flow through it.

Personnel could be killed by high voltages (160 to 900 volts may be pre­sent in an improperly grounded system).

Make absolutely sure that your v acuum system is g rounded as shown in
the following schematic diagr am;test the system ground be sure that it is
complete and capable of supporting at least 10 amperes.

iii

W ARNING

_____________

This equipment contains high voltages (up to 3000 volts), high enough to
produce electric shock and cause death or serious injury.

Equipment utilizing these controls should be designed to prevent per­sonal contact with high voltages.

Always break the primary circuit when direct access to the control unit is
required.

EMC Warnings

This is a Class A product. In a domestic environment this product may cause radio interference in
which case the user may be required to take adequate measures.

FCC

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two condi­tions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference , and (2) this device must accept any interfer­ence received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

NOTE

________

The equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a
Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules.These limits
are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interfer­ence when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment.This
equipment generated, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy
and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual,
may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of
this equipment ina residential area is also likely to cause harmful radio
communications interference in which case the user will be required to
correct the interference at his own expense.

Installation Requirements

To maintain compliance with both the FCC Part 15 rules and the European Union’s EMI directives the
user must use a shielded cable constructed of a braided shield for the analog outputs and setpoint
wiring. Metal or metallized plastic backshells directly connected to the cable shield at the 9 pos D-Sub
connector if using serial communications.The shields of all I/O cables must be connected to ground at
the users equipment. Failure to install the equipment.Failure to install the equipment in this way may
result in the unit no longer meeting the requirements for radiated emissions and susceptibility.

Table Of Contents

Page

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

I INTRODUCTION AND DESCRIPTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

1-1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

1-2 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

1-3 Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

1-4 Part Numbers and Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

1-5 Serial Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

II PREPARATION FOR USE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

2-1 Unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

2-2 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

III OPERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

3-1 Keypad Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Option Select Key (All models) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Enter Key (All models) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

UP and DOWN Arrows (All models) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Stdby Key (All models) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Units Key (All models) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Cal Key (All models w/TCs or ConvecTorrs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Stpt Hyst Key (All models, with set point option) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Emis Key (All models) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Baud Rate Key (All models) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Degas Key (BA2, BA2c, BA, UHV, UHV2c models, with degas option) . . . . . . . . . 3-2

3-2 Parameter Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

3-3 Set Point Hysteresis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

3-4 Set Point Relays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

3-5 Recorder Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

3-6 TC and ConvecTorr Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9

3-7 Access Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9

3-8 Software Revision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9

3-9 Display Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10

3-10 Battery Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10

3-11 Accessing Second Filament . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10

IV TROUBLESHOOTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

4-1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

4-2 Error Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

4-3 Changing Line Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

4-4 Application Footnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

Gas Correction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

Programming Emission mA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

Emission mA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

Programming Sensitivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

Appendix A Gas Correction Factor Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1

Section 1

INTRODUCTION AND DESCRIPTION

1-1 GENERAL

Varian’s senTorr Gauge Controller is a complete, half-rack vacuum gauge controller that offers contin­uous, reliable pressure measurement from rough to high vacuum.The controller comes completely
configured from the factory to operate one of six gauge tube configurations.

UHV2c Two convectorrs and one UHV type HFIG
BA2 Two Thermocouples and one Bayard-Alpert gauge tube
BA2c Two ConvecTorrs and one Bayard-Alpert gauge tube
CC2 Two Thermocouples and one Cold Cathode gauge tube
CC2c Two ConvecTorrs and one cold cathode gauge tube
BA One Bayard-Alpert gauge tube

CC One Cold Cathode gauge tube

The senTorr Gauge Controller features one digital display per gauge tube .The displays are LED-driven
providing clear and sharp pressure readings.The front panel keypad has practical loc kout features that
protect against unauthorized parameter inputs.Analog outputs and remote capabilities are located on
the back panel.The external remote input controls turnon or turnoff of high-vacuum gauge emission.

Options include set points and RS232 or RS485/422 communication ability. Resistive (I

2

R) degas is an
option on Bayard-Alpert models, E-beam degas on the UHV models.The set point option includes four
set points, one for each gauge tube plus an additional set point that can be assigned to any one of the
three gauge tubes.

The senTorr offers an extraordinary amount of gauging and programming capability while still remain­ing easy to use.The operator can access all of the instrument's functions and parameters through the
front panel keypad or the optional serial link.

1-2 SPECIFICATIONS

Power Requirements 90 to 127 VAC, 50/60 HZ

208 to 250 VAC, 50/60 HZ
The senTorr is fitted with an internal switch to accommodate the desired power input.
Operating Temperature 0 to 50°C
The senTorr meets all performance specifications (unless otherwise noted) at 25°C (+5°C) at 90 per-

cent relative humidity, non-condensing.
Data Retention The senTorr will retain its parameter values, upon power down or a power

failure, for a period of four years accumulated off-time.
Size Half-rack mount, 3.5" high by 8.0" wide by 15" deep
Optional rack-mounting kits are available for mounting one or two units in a standard 19-inch rack.

Cabling The senTorr basic unit includes a 6-foot power cord and fuse set.Gauge

cabling is available separately. Standard gauge cable lengths are 10, 25,

50, 75, and 100 feet.Longer cables (up to 500 feet) are available by special

order.All cable connections are made at the rear of the unit.

1-1

Introduction and Description

Varian cannot guarantee compliance with FCC regulations for radiated emissions unless all external
wiring is shielded. (See page iii)

HFIG Gauge (BA2, BA2c, BA, UHV, UHV2c models)
Minimum pressure 1.3 x 10

-7

Pa/1 x 10-9Torr (BA)

capability 5.3 x 10

-9

Pa/4 x 10

-11

Torr (UHV)

Maximum pressure 1.3 x 10

-1

Pa/1 x 10-3Torr (standard BA and UHV)

capability 1.3 x 10

1

Pa/1 x 10-1Torr (broad-range BA)

Degas (optional) Resistive, 1 hour timeout

E-beam (UHV), 15 minute timeout

Sensitivity – Adjustable from 1330/Pa (10/Torr) standard BA default value

1.33/Pa to 1.31 x 10

4/

Pa 1064/Pa (8/Torr) broad range BA default value

(1/Torr to 99/Torr) 3325/Pa (25/Torr) UHV default value
Emission current 4 mA (standard BA and UHV)

(Adjustable from 0.1 mA (broad range BA)

0.1 mA to 9.9 mA)
Analog output 1 V/decade

0 V for “OFF”, “- -”, and “xxE” conditions
Optional Linear Recorder Out available

Auto-on (standard) available on BA2, BA2c, and UHV2c configurations only,

set to TC1 only

Cold Cathode Gauge (CC2 CC2c, IMG, IMG2c models)
Minimum pressure 1.3 x 10

-6

Pa/1 x 10-8Torr (CC models)

capability 5.3 x 10

-9

Pa/4 x 10

-11

Torr (IMG models)

Maximum pressure 1.3 Pa/1 x 10

-2

Torr

capability
Operating voltage –2 kV (CC models)

+3 kV (IMG models)

Sensitivity – Adjustable from (5 A/Torr) CC default value
133A/Pa to 1.31 x 10

4

A/Pa (2 A/Torr) IMG default value

(1 A/Torr to 99 A/Torr)
Analog output 1 V/decade

Optional Linear Recorder Out available

Auto-on (standard) available on CC2, CC2c, IMG2c configurations only, set to TC1 only
Thermocouple and Convectorr Gauge (BA2, CC2, BA2c, CC2c, UHV2c, IMG2c models)

Minimum pressure 1.3 x 10

-1

Pa/1 x 10-3Torr

capability
Maximum rated 266 Pa/2 Torr (TC models)

pressure capability 1.3 x 10

5

Pa/1000 T orr (ConvecTorr models)

1-2

Introduction and Description

Heater current 165 mA ± 10% (TC models)
Calibration 1.3 x 10

-1

Pa/1 x 10-3Torr (vacuum)

(two points) 1.0 x 10

5

Pa/7.6 x 102Torr (atmosphere)

Auto-on threshold 1.3 x 10

-1

Pa to 6.6 Pa (1 x 10-3Torr to 5 x 10-2Torr)

(available on TC1 only)
Analog output 1 V/decade

1 V at 1.3 x 10

-1

Pa/1 x 10-3Torr

7 V at 1.3 x 10

5

Pa/1000 T orr
10 V for “03E” condition
Optional Linear Recorder Out available

Set Points (all models with Set Point option)
Set Points floating SPDT relays with NO, NC, and C terminals
Contact rating 3 A at 24 VDC/250 VAC, gold-flashed

Remote Input (all models)
Input 3 to 32 VDC, 500 ohms minimum to activate high-vacuum gauge

(optically-isolated and floating level-sensitive)

Options Available

Bayard-Alpert Configurations

Up to three optional plug-in printed circuit boards can be user-installed in the UHV, UHV2c, BA2,
BA2c, and BA configurations, with the f ollo wing restrictions:one set point board, one degas board, and
one communications board, either RS232 or RS485/422.

Cold Cathode Configurations

Up to two optional plug-in printed circuit boards can be user-installed in the CC2, CC2c, and CC con­figurations, with the following restrictions: one set point board and one communications board, either
RS232 or RS485/422

1-3 FRONT PANEL

The front panel display of the senTorr 7-segment, LED digits and LED annunciators.These provide con­tinuous, crisp readings, with no directional bias.The display uses three LED colors to group information.

Green pressure data and parameter values
Yellow set point and parameter annunciators
Red operational status legends

1-3

To determine the ordering number, select the desired configuration as follows:

Basic Configurations

One Ion Gauge

BA – Bayard-Alpert (563, 564, 571, 572, 580) . . . . . L 9 1 2 0 3 0 1 X X 0 X

CC – Standard Cold Cathode (524, 525) . . . . . . . . . L 9 1 2 1 3 0 1 X X 0 X

UHV – Ultra-High-Vacuum Nude Gauge (UHV-24) . . L 9 1 1 0 3 0 1 X X 0 X

IMG – Ultra-High-Vacuum Inverted Magnetron . . . . . L 9 1 1 1 3 0 1 X X 0 X

One Ion Gauge, Two Thermocouple Gauges

BA2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L 9 1 2 0 3 0 2 X X 0 X

CC2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L 9 1 2 1 3 0 2 X X 0 X

One Ion Gauge, Two ConvecTorr Gauges

BA2c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L 9 1 2 0 3 0 3 X X 0 X

CC2c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L 9 1 2 1 3 0 3 X X 0 X

UHV2c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L 9 1 1 0 3 0 3 X X 0 X

IMG2c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L 9 1 1 1 3 0 3 X X 0 X

Setpoint Options

No Setpoints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0

Setpoints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Degas Options

No Degas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0

Degas (BA resistive, UHV E-Beam) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Communications Options

No Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0

RS-232 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

RS-232 Fiber Optic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

RS-422 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

RS-485 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Introduction and Description

A single pressure display features four digits, two for the mantissa and two for the exponent. There is a
pressure readout for each gauge, with the Bayard-Alpert or Cold Cathode display labeled “IG”and the
two thermocouple or ConvecTorr displays labeled “TC1” and “TC2”, as applicable to the senTorr model.

Label pressure displayed
IG Bayard-Alpert or Cold Cathode

(depending on the model)

TC1 Thermocouple one or ConvecTorr one
TC2 Thermocouple two or ConvecTorr two

The column of red LED legends indicates the following operational states.

Degas hot filament ion gauge is degassing
Emis On ion gauge is on
Auto-On auto-on feature is programmed
mBar pressure measurements units are mBar
Torr pressure measurement units are Torr
Cal calibrating thermocouples or ConvecTorrs
Hyst programming set point hysteresis

The keypad is a sealed membrane-type, with tactile feedback.There are eleven keys, some of which
are dual function.

1-4