X-Rite MA 3 User Manual

MA 3

Spectrophotometer

User Guide

MA 3 SPECTROPHOTOMETER

Consult this documentation in all cases where the Attention symbol appears.

This symbol is used to inform you of any potential HAZARD or actions that may require your attention.

CE Declaration

Hereby, X-Rite, Incorporated, declares that this model is in compliance with the essential requirements and other
relevant provisions of Directive(s) EMC Directive 2014/30/EU, LVD 2014/35/EU and RoHS 2011/65/EU.

Federal Communications Commission Notice

NOTE: This 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 generates, 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 in a residential area is likely to cause
harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.

NOTICE:

Changes or modifications made to this equipment not expressly approved by (manufacturer name) may void the
FCC authorization to operate this equipment.

Industry Canada Compliance Statement

CAN ICES-3 (A) / NMB-3 (A)

Equipment Information

Use of this equipment in a manner other than that specified by X-Rite, Incorporated may compromise design
integrity and become unsafe.

To avoid discomfort, do not look directly into the measurement optics when the instrument is on.

No user serviceable parts in this product.

WARNING: This instrument is not for use in explosive environments.

Do not immerse the instrument in liquid.

Transportation: This product contains a lithium-ion battery. Should you need to ship this device, you may wish to
consult published guidance documents by one or more of these organizations for advice on how to comply with the
regulations: IATA, ICOA, IMDG & PHMSA. The battery contained in this device is 46g in weight, 3.6V, 2.15 Ah,
and complies with the UN 38.3 tests in effect the year it was originally shipped.

The instrument is a sensitive measurement instrument. If the instrument experiences a drop, a calibration should
be performed followed by a selftest before any measurements are taken to ensure the instrument is working
properly. Refer to the Calibration section for information on performing a Calibration.

Instructions for disposal: Please dispose of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) at designated
collection points for the recycling of such equipment.

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M A 3 SPECTROPHOTOMETER

1. Firmware consists of source code of:
Copyright 2006, Atmel Corporation
All rights reserved

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the
following conditions are met:

- Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the disclaimer
below.

- Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the disclaimer
below in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

Atmel's name may not be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written
permission.

DISCLAIMER: THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY ATMEL "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED
WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL
ATMEL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR
OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

2. Acknowledgement:
Independent JPEG Group License
The Firmware uses source code under the IJG license

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MA 3 SPECTROPHOTOMETER

Proprietary Notice

The information contained in this manual is copyrighted information proprietary to X-Rite, Incorporated.
Publication of this information does not imply any rights to reproduce or use it for purposes other than installing,

operating, or maintaining this instrument described herein. No part of this manual may be reproduced,
transcribed or translated into any language or computer language in any form or by any means: electronic,
magnetic, mechanical, optical, manual, or otherwise; without the prior written permission of an authorized officer
of X-Rite, Incorporated.

Patents: www.xrite.com/ip
“© 2017, X-Rite, Incorporated. All rights reserved”

X-Rite® is a registered trademark of X-Rite, Incorporated. All other logos, brand names, and product names mentioned are the properties of their respective
holders.

Warranty Information

X-Rite warrants this Product against defects in material and workmanship for a period of twelve (12) months
from the date of shipment from X-Rite’s facility, unless mandatory law provides for longer periods. During such
time, X-Rite will either replace or repair at its discretion defective parts free of charge.

X-Rite’s warranties herein do not cover failure of warranted goods resulting from: (i) damage after shipment,
accident, abuse, misuse, neglect, alteration or any other use not in accordance with X-Rite’s recommendations,
accompanying documentation, published specifications, and standard industry practice; (ii) using the device in
an operating environment outside the recommended specifications or failure to follow the maintenance
procedures in X-Rite’s accompanying documentation or published specifications; (iii) repair or service by anyone
other than X-Rite or its authorized representatives; (iv) the failure of the warranted goods caused by use of any
parts or consumables not manufactured, distributed, or approved by X-Rite; (v) any attachments or
modifications to the warranted goods that are not manufactured, distributed or approved by X-Rite. Consumable
parts and Product cleaning are also not covered by the warranty.

X-Rite‘s sole and exclusive obligation for breach of the above warranties shall be the repair or replacement of
any part, without charge, which within the warranty period is proven to X-Rite‘s reasonable satisfaction to have
been defective. Repairs or replacement by X-Rite shall not revive an otherwise expired warranty, nor shall the
same extend the duration of a warranty.

Customer shall be responsible for packaging and shipping the defective product to the service center
designated by X-Rite. X-Rite shall pay for the return of the product to Customer if the shipment is to a location
within the region in which the X-Rite service center is located. Customer shall be responsible for paying all
shipping charges, duties, taxes, and any other charges for products returned to any other locations. Proof of
purchase in the form of a bill of sale or receipted invoice which is evidence that the unit is within the Warranty
period must be presented to obtain warranty service. Do not try to dismantle the Product. Unauthorized
dismantling of the equipment will void all warranty claims. Contact the X-Rite Support or the nearest X-Rite
Service Center, if you believe that the unit does not work anymore or does not work correctly.

THESE WARRANTIES ARE GIVEN SOLELY TO BUYER AND ARE IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES,
EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR APPLICATION, AND NON­INFRINGEMENT. NO EMPLOYEE OR AGENT OF X-RITE, OTHER THAN AN OFFICER OF X-RITE, IS
AUTHORIZED TO MAKE ANY WARRANTY IN ADDITION TO THE FOREGOING.

IN NO EVENT WILL X-RITE BE LIABLE FOR ANY OF BUYER’S MANUFACTURING COSTS, OVERHEAD,
LOST PROFITS, GOODWILL, OTHER EXPENSES OR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES BASED UPON BREACH OF ANY WARRANTY, BREACH OF CONTRACT,
NEGLIGENCE, STRICT TORT, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY. IN ANY EVENT OF LIABILITY, X-RITE’S
MAXIMUM LIABILITY HEREUNDER WILL NOT EXCEED THE PRICE OF THE GOODS OR SERVICES
FURNISHED BY X-RITE GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM.

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M A 3 SPECTROPHOTOMETER

Table of Contents

Introduction and Setup 6

Packaging 6
Powering On 6
Charging the Battery 7

User Interface 8

Navigating the Screen 8

Scrolling through Settings and Jobs 8
Measure Button 8

Contact Sensors, Indicators and LEDs 9
Home Screen 10

Job List Mode 10

Settings Mode 10

Connect/Disconnect Icon 10

Header Bar 10

Settings Mode 11

Entering Settings Mode 11

Measurement Option 11

Dark Mode Option 12

Speaker Option 12

Self Test 11

Calibration 11

Language 12

Device Information 12

Power Off 12

Factory Reset Option 13

Calibration Mode 14

Calibration Reference 14
Calibrating the Instrument 14

Job List Mode 16

Measuring 16

Deleting Jobs 17

Appendices 19

Service Information 19
Cleaning the Instrument 19

Cleaning the Calibration Reference 19
Replacing the Battery Pack 19

Troubleshooting 21
Instrument Specifications 22

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MA 3 SPECTROPHOTOMETER

• MA 3 instrument

• Screen protector

Touch screen

Indicator LEDs

Power on/off and

(1)

Safety strap

USB input

INTRODUCTION AND SETUP

The multi-angle spectrophotometer is designed for consistent, precise color measurement of metallic,
pearlescent, and other complex special effect finishes.

This manual covers the installation, operation and maintenance of the instrument. Specific instructions for using
the instrument with your software application can be found in the software documentation.

Key features of the instrument are:

• Color display with touch screen operation

• Measure button

• Three contact sensors located on the bottom of the instrument to aid in proper positioning

measure button

connection, optional

Packaging

Your instrument packaging should contain all the items listed below. If any of these items are missing or
damaged, contact X-Rite or your Authorized Representative.

• USB interface cabling

• Calibration reference

• Spare light seal

• Soft carrying case

• Safety strap

Powering On

The power/measure button is used to initiate the instrument from a
power off state. Simply press the button (1) for about one second to
turn on the instrument. If the instrument does not power up after
pressing the power button, the battery may require charging. Refer to
Charging the Battery section. The instrument is also powered on by
plugging the USB cable into your computer’s USB port.

Powering Off

The instrument turns off automatically after two hours of nonuse. It is
not required to turn off the instrument manually.

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M A 3 SPECTROPHOTOMETER

This icon at the top of the screen would indicate the battery is fully charged.

This icon at the top of the screen would indicate the battery has a sufficient charge for a

This icon at the top of the screen would indicate the battery pack is low, but measurements

The “lightning bolt” in the center of the icon at the top of the screen indicates the battery is

USB cable

When first powered up, the instrument goes through a startup procedure and
displays a splash screen before the main screen appears.

Splash Screen Home Screen

Charging the Battery

General

The battery for your new instrument comes in a low to medium charge state and should be charged before use.
Connect the USB cable to the instrument and your computer’s USB port.
Make sure that the USB cable is connected directly to the computer. A connection to a USB port of a keyboard

or PC monitor or a bus-powered USB hub is not recommended. PC monitor or keyboard USB ports are low
power USB ports.

During charging, the instrument switches on and indicates charging with a “lightning bolt” in the battery icon. The
instrument will not power off while plugged into the computer USB port, however, it will go into standby mode.
This is indicated by a blue pulsing LED.

A full charge from empty will take 6 hours connected to a computer USB port. Alternatively a standard USB
charger can be used.

The charging time will not be reduced with a standard USB charger.
A USB charger with at least 500 mA is required. A standard charger with 1 A will not charge any faster.

Battery Icon Information

substantial number of measurements.

are still possible. Battery should be charged soon.

charging.

Battery status is also reported in the Device Information menu item of the Settings window.

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