User Manual - Forerunner Research Inc.
Contents
1. 6 5 2014 8 23 6 5 2014 8 24 6 5 2014 8 25 6 5 2014 8 26 6 5 2014 8 27 6 5 2014 8 28 6 5 2014 8 29 6 5 2014 8 30 6 5 2014 8 31 6 5 2014 8 32 6 5 2014 8 33 6 5 2014 8 34 AISINA 9 96 B 602 7 601 1 602 4 603 1 606 4 606 606 6 605 7 608 8 609 8 610 3 610 7 6 1 757 1 982 2 573 2 28 2 113 0 72 1 802 2 031 1 329 1 98 1 043 2 276 D E F G H I J K L CO2 Low CO2 Low SD CO2 High CO2 High SD CO2 Low Raw CO2 Low Raw SD CO2 High Raw CO2 High Raw SD Temp Temp SD Samples 528 3 1 838 602 7 1 757 528 3 1 838 28 9 0 007 8 526 6 2 064 601 1 1 982 526 6 2 064 28 9 0 007 8 528 2 679 602 4 2 573 528 2 679 28 9 0 011 8 528 7 2 376 603 1 2 28 528 7 2 376 28 9 0 012 8 532 1 2 206 606 4 2 113 532 1 2 206 28 9 0 011 8 531 7 0 752 606 0 72 531 7 0 752 28 9 0 012 8 532 3 1 882 606 6 1 802 532 3 1 882 28 9 0 01 8 531 4 2 116 605 7 2 031 531 4 2 116 29 0 013 8 534 6 1 386 608 8 1 329 534 6 1 386 29 0 011 8 535 6 2 069 609 8 1 98 535 6 2 069 29 0 012 8 536 2 1 09 610 3 1 043 536 2 1 09 29 0 013 8 536 6 2 378 610 7 2 276 536 6 2 378 29 0 01 8 EJA 17 171 AIN A 1626 EJA 17 an a n ma o AIN A 1 ADA Figure 13 Sample FRConnect GP data file Each of the possible data fields in the output file are listed below with a brief descrip tion of what that value represents Timestamp CO2 Low CO2 Low SD CO2 High CO2 High SD CO2 Low Raw CO2 Low Raw SD CO2 High Raw CO2 High Raw SD Temp Temp_SD Samples2. of reading The GP CO concentration readings are automatically corrected for changes in temperature and can also be compensated for changes in atmospheric pressure using the ideal gas law correction P x re C C x 2 where C is the raw concentration Par is the reference pressure 101 35 kPa and P is the pressure measured in the field in kPa This correction may be applied to data collected via the FRConnect GP software by modifying the pressure in the main interface See section 3 2 for more information For voltage based concentration measurements the data must be corrected in post processing For applications where high accuracy is important Forerunner recommends that users periodically check the calibration of their sensors by exposing them to known concentration standards This is necessary as NDIR sensors can drift over time due to natural changes in the electrical and mechanical properties of the sensor components 2 4 Main Power amp Data Cable The GP 001 GP 002 ships with a standard 5 m long power and data cable SSC which plugs directly into the 12 pin socket on the GP housing Figure 1 shows the SSC Power 4 Data Cable Ensure that the notch on the SSC connector is aligned with the tab on the 12 pin GP socket push to seat the connec tor on to the socket and hand tighten the connector Power is supplied to the GP via the two pin connector on the oppo site end of the SSC This connector also has a tab
3. or SE voltages Please ensure that the power supplied to the GP is between 5 and 24 VDC e FRConnect GP does not show or log any data Ensure that the gas probe is connected to power and that a session has been started via the Start button in FRConnect GP Check that the correct ComPort has been selected under Options gt ComPort If the problem persists exit FRConnect GP dis connect and then reconnect the USB data cable then re launch FRConnect GP e No ComPorts show up under Options ComPort Ensure that the gas probe is connected to power Open the device manager from the Control Panel in Windows and reconnect the USB data cable If no connections show up under Ports Com LPT please contact Forerunner for further instruction e The GP socket cable is oxidizing discolouring when used in water In environments which have higher than normal levels of salt or other ions the GP socket and or cable may oxidize or discolour This will not affect the measurement performance but will shorten the lifetime of the sensor In these types of environments we recommend attaching the cable to the GP probe and then lightly coating the metal components with silicone grease i e high vacuum grease Coating with silicone grease is also advisable in waterlogged soils e S E voltage outputs vary with power supply type voltage The S E voltage wires output 0 V to 5 V signals that correspond to the current CO and temperature readings in t
4. concerned with comparing GP results with other laboratory and field instrumentation re calibrate GP sensors using the same standards and or cross calibrate all instruments 18 NOTES 19 NOTES 20 Forerunner Research Inc 1 Research Drive Dartmouth Nova Scotia Canada B2Y 4M9 Phone 1 902 870 5220 Fax 1 902 466 6889 Email support forerunnerresearch ca
5. to prevent intentional or accidental loosening of the cap Any tampering with the cap will void the warranty on the GP and its components 2 2 Membrane Integrity The GP membrane is critical to proper operation of the device The membrane should always appear uniform in colour and free from visible defects It is important to period ically check the membrane as use in field conditions may cause it to tear or otherwise become defective If the membrane appears to be compromised it is critical that the GP not be submerged in water If you have any concerns about the GP membrane please contact Forerunner for support When using the GP to monitor CO concentrations in water columns deeper than 1 m users should ensure that they both slowly lower the sensor into the water and slowly extract the sensor after the monitoring period Rapid submersion or extraction in deep gt 1 m water causes rapid pressure changes in the sensor and can compromise the membrane seal and allow water to leak into the sensor housing A submersion extraction timespan of approximately 15 minutes in 3 m of water should be sufficient to avoid this problem 2 3 CO Measurement The GP series of sensors measure gas concentration using non dispersive infrared NDIR sensing which correlates light source intensity to a specific gas concentration The GP 001 GP 002 sensors offer a CO concentration measurement accuracy of 1 of full scale with a repeatability of 1
6. FYERERUNNER RES EAR H I N D User Manual GP 001 GP 002 CO Gas Probe Copyright 2015 Forerunner Researc h Inc This page intentionally left blank This guide is distributed by FORERUNNER RESEARCH INC Forerunner for users of the GP 001 or GP 002 Gas Probe instruments in conjunction with the FRConnect GP software Forerunner is not liable for special indirect incidental or consequential damages Forerunner s obligation under this warranty is limited to repairing or replacing at Forerunner s discretion defective products The customer shall assume all costs of removing reinstalling and shipping defective products to Forerunner where applicable Forerunner will return said products by surface carrier prepaid This warranty is in lieu of all other warranties expressed or implied DISCLAIMER Please check the GP CO Gas Probe Product page on the Forerunner website http www forerunnerresearch ca for the most up to date manual REV April 3 2015 GP001 GP002 and FRConnect GP User Manual Contents 1 Introduction 2 Hardware o sus oe be wee howeeeuw ee ESSAS RASA 2 2 Membrane Integrity eones he So ee ROR aa ETA 2 3 CO Measurement 0 0 0 000000000 ee ee 2 4 Main Power amp DataCable eee eee 2 5 Power Connectors e sc ce s esce era raras a DALCADIO a cea eee bee ee heheh asas 2 7 Ground Connector 0000 ee 3 FRConnect GP User Interface OA Setup and Connection se ss sas esea
7. P to start collecting measure Figure 7 FRConnect GP Main Window ments from a connected GP 001 or GP 002 and to both plot and log this data Note that the plot will show every individ ual measurement while the datafile will contain averages over an interval specified by the user Once a session has been started clicking the Stop button will stop FRConnect GP from recording measurements from the gas probe The plotted values will remain until the Start button is used again at which point the plot will be reset 1 25 2 50 Time minutes 3If your computer lacks decompression software 7zip is a suitable free utility for handing archive files Your computer may be set to hide the exe extension 13 The bottom section contains a plot of recent concentrations over the chosen time interval This interval defaults to 15 minutes but can be changed using the radio but tons at the bottom If the collected data exceeds this interval then only the most recent points will be shown There are several secondary plotting options available in Options gt Plotting Options including the ability to toggle between an automatic and fixed scale for the Y axis To start collecting data first choose a location to save logged Choose Fields data by clicking the Change button across from the Log El Time CO2 CO2 SD CO2 Raw CO2 Raw SD Temp Temp SD Samples ging to line or by choosing File gt New Log File Select or cre
8. The timestamp for the line of data The default format is MM DD YYYY HH MM SS with the option of changing to sec onds since start of session The average CO concentration over the interval using the low range calibration ppm The standard deviation of CO2_Low during the interval ppm The average CO concentration over the interval using the high range calibration ppm The standard deviation of CO2 High during the interval ppm The average CO concentration over the interval using the low range calibration ignoring user corrections ppm The standard deviation of CO2_Low_Raw during the interval ppm The average CO concentration over the interval using the high range calibration ignoring user corrections ppm The standard deviation of CO2 High Raw during the interval ppm The average of the internal sensor temperature over the interval C The standard deviation of internal sensor temperatures measured during the interval C The number of samples that occurred during the interval 17 6 Troubleshooting This section provides a few example problems that may occur during use and the appropriate action that should be taken to resolve the issue For these issues as well as any others that arise please contact Forerunner Research Inc at 1 902 870 5220 or by emailing us at support forerunnerresearch ca e The GP does not seem to be outputting serial data using FRConnect GP
9. and notch type sys Figure 1 SSC Main Power amp Data Cable tem to ensure that the user connects power with the correct polarity The GP may be powered by supplying a regulated voltage to the sensor via data logger battery or other power supply device Please see the section entitled Power Connectors for more details Sensor data including CO concentration and sensor temperature measurements can be accessed by two methods 1 The first is by using the 3 pin Data connector on the SSC combined with the Serial Extension Cable Fig 3a to connect to a PC on which the FRConnect GP software is installed This connection may be made directly to a serial port via the Serial Extension Cable or to a USB port via a USB Serial Converter Fig 3b The FRConnect GP software can then be used to read the data from the sensor please see the section entitled FRConnect GP User Interface for more information on using FRConnect GP Alternatively the sensor output can be accessed using the single ended SE voltage outputs at the end of the SSC Three wires provide signals corresponding to low range CO concentration Purple high range CO concentration Gray and sensor temperature Blue All outputs are scaled from 0 5 V but each voltage signal may correspond to a different range for concentration and temperature depending on the sensor calibration An example of typical values is shown in Table 1 Please note that the scalin
10. ate a CSV file using the Open File window Please note that if the selected file already exists new data will be appended at the end of the file with a new Field Separator Comma O Space Timestamp 2 MMDDYYYY HHMMSS O Seconds Frequency m 5 g Figure 8 FRConnect GP Data Options header line Once you have cho sen a save file the Data Options window will appear Choose the desired formatting options and which fields to log from the Data Options window as shown in Figure 8 For GP units equipped with the optional dual range calibration the range can be toggled from the Options Plotting Options window as shown in Figure 9 To plot data using the high calibration range check the box next to Use High Concentration Calibration Click the Start button to begin logging data In addition to being stored in the selected file a plot of the CO concentration measurements is shown in the FRConnect GP window 14 Use High Concentration Calibration Line Thickness Yaxis Setting Automatic O Fixed Ymin 0 0 A Ymax 400 0 E ok R Cancel Figure 9 FRConnect GP Plotting Options 4 User Calibration For applications where high accuracy is impor tant Forerunner recommends that users periodi cally check the calibration of their sensors by ex posing them to known concentration standards This is necessary as NDIR sensors can drift over time due to natural changes in the electrical an
11. d mechanical properties of the sensor components The exact concentrations of the gases used to perform the calibration are not of particular im portance so long as the values are known It is preferable that the standard gases span the ex pected range of operation and fall within the orig inal calibrated range of the sensor Users can use more than two standard gases for calibration however the correction curve fit through multiple points must be linear Any higher order fits i e quadratic are likely to lead to significant error outside the calibration range Figure 10 Flow through Header To perform the calibration expose the GP to each standard gas until the sensor equilibrates typically 10 15 minutes is sufficient A flow rate of less than 1 SLPM is desirable as higher flow can cause increased ambient pressure which will affect the concentration calibration The Forerunner flow through header Figure 10 may be used for this procedure though it is often sufficient to flow gas into a bag containing the sensor Record the quoted concentration of the standard as well as the measured values from the GP To incorporate this calibration into data col lected using FRConnect GP open the Options ES Fies gt User Calibration window Input your cal E ibration points and click Okay This operation Pressure 100 35 KPA Humidity 32 0 Charge saves your calibration within the software so you ET do not need to
12. e removed in one of two ways by powering the datalogger and GP sep Figure 4 Ground Connector arately or by sampling the data using a differential voltage measurement To create a differential voltage measurement 1 Plug the ground connector into the 3 pin connector on the SSC SLC Fig 5 Figure 5 Attach ground connector to SSC 11 2 Each differential voltage port on the datalogger has three inputs labeled H L and G In the H side of the port insert the signal wire from the GP blue purple or gray In the L side of the port insert one of the black wires from the new ground connector Fig 6 Figure 6 Connect SE wires and ground wires to datalogger 3 Configure the datalogger program to read differential voltage measurements using the VoltDiff command please refer to your data logger user manual for more infor mation 12 3 FRConnect GP User Interface 3 1 Setup and Connection FRConnect GP requires no installation on the part of the user Simply download the file FRConnect GP zip from the GP CO Gas Probe product page on the Forerunner website http www forerunnerresearch ca and save to a suitable directory on the PC in question then unzip the file which contains one folder titled FRConnect GP None of the files in this folder should be removed or changed in any way If this occurs simply remove the entire folder from your PC and re extract from the zip file to recreate t
13. g factors will be affected by calibration ranges and the user should be aware of their sensor specific calibration Voltage Range Actual Range Low range CO Concentration 05000 ppm High range CO Concentration 020000 ppm 20 C 150 C Table 1 Example scaling for single ended voltage outputs on the GP 001 002 sensors High range calibration values available only with optional dual calibration With single range calibrated devices Gray SE wire is auxiliary e g CO2 alarm CO2 concentration deviation etc The equations below show an example calculation of CO concentration from an as sumed single ended voltage reading SEV of 2 V SEV 2 V 2 V 5 V 0 4 0 4 5000 ppm 2000 ppm Please note that unless a specific temperature calibration was requested the range for temperature is 20 C to 50 C Finally the optional 10 m cable SLC has the same configuration and outputs as the SSC 2 5 Power Connectors The power supply cable included with the GP 001 002 sensors allows for power ing the sensor using a DC power supply DC Figure 2 shows the DC external power cable The cable includes a 2 pin connector for attachment to the SSC SLC cables The opposite end of the cable has tinned wire ends to al low for connection to any DC power sup ply The black wire should be attached to the ground terminal of the DC power device and the red wire should be at tached to the positive terminal The GP can operate on DC po
14. he folder The program executable is labeled FRConnect GP exe and double clicking this icon or a Desktop Shortcut will launch the program It is recommended that you connect the USB data cable to your computer prior to launching FRConnect GP however you may also refresh the program from the Options menu The port on which the GP is connected will likely be the only choice available OQptions ComPort COM however you may have to refer to the device manager if several serial port devices are connected to the computer Once the port is selected a connection to the gas probe will be created 3 2 Using the Interface Figure 7 shows the FRConnect GP interface The interface Eile KISTE has three main areas the log ComPort Refresh ging options the current read a em Change ing and start stop controls and Esteio _ change the plotting area The top section shows the currently se CUTEDE Reading 293 7 ppm Smt sp lected datafile frequency and Time Elapsed 0 05 01 the specified external pressure value used to correct gas con centrations These settings can be modified via the change but tons situated on the right or from the menubar CO2 199 9 The middle section shows the current CO concentration reading and allows the user to start and stop logging plotting It also shows how long the cur rent logging session has been running Clicking the Start SE Ai button will enable FRConnect G
15. he sensor These outputs can be monitored as an alternative to receiving digital data If the GP is powered independently of the device which is logging the S E voltages then the S E voltage may change with varying power supplies even if the gas concentration or temperature has not changed It is critical that the device which is logging the S E voltages and that providing the power for the GP have the same ground For example if using a commercially available data logger to log the S E voltage also use the 12 V power supply port that exists on the data logger e GP readings are abnormally noisy The GP sensor requires a stable power supply with minimal noise in order to achieve the lowest possible noise on concentration and temperature measurements When using the GP ensure that the power supply is of high quality or that the power supply variation is buffered with an in line battery or other power smoothing device If you are unsure about your power supply setup please contact Forerunner e GP readings are off from my laboratory standard Forerunner makes all efforts to ensure accurate calibration including periodic checks against NIST traceable standards however calibrations may vary from individual lab oratory standards There are several reasons for this including long term sensor drift changes in atmospheric pressure sensors are calibrated at sea level and variation in gas supplier analysis techniques We highly recommend that users
16. re enter the calibration parameters id each time you open the software Please note this does not hard code the parameters to your unit EE If you have multiple instances of FRConnect GP i i recording data from various units you will need pani to input the correction factor that correlates with the particular unit for each instance If you wish to use a datalogger you will need um 375 Deal to correct your data in post processing or within the data logger program Io correct data col lected using a datalogger plot the standard versus the reported concentrations and calculate a linear best fit equation Use this best fit equation as the transform for your data as required O5m O 15m O 60m O 3h O 6h O 12h Figure 11 User Calibration Dialog Sample data from a two point calibration is shown in Table 2 Figure 12 shows the corresponding graph The best fit line shown in Figure 12 may then be used to transform collected data 15 Actual ppm 1000 Standard ppm Measured ppm Table 2 Sample two point calibration data 800 600 400 200 0 y 1 01571x 15 236 0 200 400 600 800 1000 Measured ppm Figure 12 Two point calibration curve 16 5 Logged Datafiles 1 2 3 4 5 6 z 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 The measurement data file is formatted as a comma separated values file csv by default allowing for easy importing into spreadsheet or plotting software A Timestamp
17. s adea Bae ee hae ses 32 Usiie the Interiac 2 6 bretas tintita ae bE EEG E E 4 User Calibration 5 Logged Datafiles 6 Troubleshooting 15 17 18 List of Figures 1 SSC Main Power 4 Data Cable 0 9 2 DC Power Cable eee eee eee 10 3 Data Cables EEN 11 4 Ground Connector h RH HME RR DERE ERE EA 11 5 Attach ground connector to SC 11 6 Connect SE wires and ground wires to datalogger 12 T FRConnect GP Main Window 13 8 FRConnect GP Data Options 0 0 0 0 00 0 0048 14 9 FRConnect GP Plotting Options 0048 14 10 Flow through Header 15 11 User Calibration Dialog e 15 12 Two point calibration curve 220 eee eee eee a 16 13 Sample FRConnect GP data fle e 17 List of Tables 1 Example scaling for single ended voltage outputs on the GP 001 002 sensors 9 2 Sample two point calibration data 0 0084 16 1 Introduction This manual outlines the operation and features of the GP 001 GP 002 Carbon Diox ide CO2 Probes as well as the FRConnect GP software package Before providing power to the GP please ensure that you read the section on Power Connectors to avoid any damage to the sensor We strongly recommended that all users read the complete manual before use The Hardware section explains the physical attributes of the GP and its accessories The FRConnect GP User Interface section explains the Window
18. s based software that is used to communicate with the gas probes in order to record data and adjust logging parameters The following Logged Datafiles section explains the structure and format ting of the datafiles recorded by FRConnect GP as well as what each field represents A Troubleshooting section briefly covers some possible issues that may arise during nor mal operation of the software For further information or assistance please contact sup port forerunnerresearch ca or visit the Forerunner website www forerunnerresearch ca l Please note GP 001 discontinued as of 09 30 2014 2 Hardware 2 1 Overview The GP sensor housing is constructed using a highly durable acetal Polyoxymethylene housing which has many advantages for field use such as high abrasion resistance and low water absorption The housing is cylindrical with a diameter of 51 mm and a length of 107 mm 120 mm including the electrical connector Forerunner s NDIR CO sensor is enclosed in the acetal housing and is exposed to gases through a membrane which covers the face of the GP housing This membrane material allows gas transport to the sensor but does not allow any intrusion of liquid water GP 001 sensors are guaranteed to be waterproof to 1 m of water column whereas GP 002 sensors are waterproof to up to 3 m of water column The waterproofing of the sensor requires that users do not open the GP housing A tamper evident seal is placed on the GP housing
19. wer ranging from 9 24 V with 12 V being the standard voltage used during calibration and test ing Exceeding 24 V will damage Figure 2 DC Power Cable the GP please ensure that the voltage is regulated correctly before connecting the power supply to the GP 2 6 Data Cable Digital communication between FRConnect GP and a GP 001 GP 002 uses the RS 232 Serial protocol The following components may be used to facilitate this interface e GP Data Power Cable Fig 1 Included Used to power a GP 001 GP 002 as well as provide an RS 232 interface e Serial Extension Cable Fig 3a Included Connects the GP Data cable to a stan dard 9 pin serial port or USB Serial converter e USB Serial Converter Fig 3b Optional Used to create a virtual comport al lowing the GP Data cable to be connected to a computer through a USB port 10 a Serial Extension Cable b USB Serial Converter Figure 3 Data Cables 2 7 Ground Connector Included in the GP 001 GP 002 package is a ground connector for use with Campbell Scientific dataloggers Figure 4 shows the ground connector When the GP is connected to the Campbell Scientific datalogger through the single ended voltage ports and both units are powered using a single power source an apparent square wave bias may be present in the datalogger output This square wave has a period of approximately 120 minutes and has an amplitude of 5 20 mV This distortion can b
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