Solinst Barologger Gold, User Manual

Page 1: ...Levelogger Series Levelogger Gold Barologger Gold Levelogger Junior LTC Levelogger Junior and Rainlogger User Guide Software Version 3 4 1 June 21 2011 ...

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Page 3: ...allation for Windows 2000 12 USB Installation for Windows XP 13 USB Installation for Windows Vista 15 USB Installation for Windows 7 17 Manual USB Installation 19 4 Startup Configurations and Settings 20 Startup 20 Communication Port Settings 20 4 1 Communicating with a USB Port 20 4 2 Com Port Designation Set Up 21 4 3 Data Directory 21 5 Levelogger Settings 22 5 1 Levelogger Information Settings...

Page 4: ...gger 48 Levelogger 48 11 1 3 Barologger Installation 48 Barometric Efficiency 48 11 1 4 Installation in Extreme Environments 50 Freezing or High Temperature Conditions 50 Marine or Brackish Installations 51 11 2 Levelogger Maintenance 52 12 Manual Barometric Compensation 53 13 Diagnostics Utility 56 13 1 Read Levelogger Information 56 13 2 Run Self Test 57 13 3 Read Memory Dump 58 13 4 Create Repo...

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Page 6: ...emperature Sensor Platinum Resistance Temperature Detector Temp Sensor Accuracy 0 05 C Temp Sensor Resolution 0 003 C Temp Comp Range 10 to 40 C Battery Life 10 Years based on one reading min Clock Accuracy 1 minute year Operating Temperature 20 C to 80 C Maximum Readings 40 000 of level and temperature Memory Superior reliability EEPROM Slate rollover and redundant backup of last 1200 readings Co...

Page 7: ...d uses algorithms based on air pressure only It measures and logs changes in atmospheric pressure which are then used to compensate water level readings recorded by a Levelogger Gold or a Levelogger Junior LT Models Full Scale FS Accuracy Typical Resolution Barologger 0 05 0 003 ft 0 1 cm 0 002 FS ...

Page 8: ...emperature Sensor Platinum RTD Accuracy 0 1 C Resolution 0 1 C Temp Compensation Range 10 C to 40 C Battery life 5 Years Clock Accuracy 1 minute year Operating Temperature 20 C to 80 C Memory Non volatile EEPROM FRAM back up Maximum Readings 32 000 sets of readings Communication Optical Infra Red to USB or RS232 Size 7 8 x 5 5 22 mm x 140 mm Weight 154 g 5 4 oz Wetted Materials 316L Stainless Stee...

Page 9: ... Compensation Range 10 C to 40 C Conductivity Sensor 4 Electrode Platinum Full Range 0 80 000 µS cm Calibrated Range 500 50 000 µS cm Accuracy 2 of reading or 20 µS cm Resolution 1 mS Temp Compensation Range 0 C to 40 C Normalization Specific Conductance 25 C General Battery Life 5 Years 5 minute sampling rate Clock Accuracy 1 minute year from 0 to 40 C Operating Temperature 20 C to 80 C Memory No...

Page 10: ...ftware using V1 003 firmware or higher Rainlogger Technical Specifications Battery Life 10 years logging two parameters 10 minutes Clock Accuracy 1 minute year Operating Temperature 20 C to 80 C Resolution 0 004 to 0 008 0 1 to 0 2 mm dependent on rain gauge type Maximum Readings 40 000 sets of readings Memory Non volatile EEPROM FRAM back up Communication Optical infra red to RS232 or USB Samplin...

Page 11: ...her using V1 200 firmware or higher Software Communication Leveloggers connect to a laptop or desktop PC with an optical reader cable The optical reader cable uses an infrared data reader port connected to the Levelogger and an RS232 or USB Com Port to transfer information between the Levelogger and computer Version 3 4 0 Software provides Levelogger Gold users with many convenient features Users ...

Page 12: ...range of set reference points to an accuracy of 3 decimal places The units of pressure are in pounds per square inch The conversion factor for pounds per square inch relates to pressure as follows 1 pound per square inch 0 0689476 bar 0 703070 m 703 070 kg m2 6 895 kPa 2 31 ft H2 0 4 C During the calibration procedure the Levelogger is fully submerged in a highly accurate water bath The bath is se...

Page 13: ...ue and the Calibration Wizard in the Levelogger Windows Software Raw conductivity measurements can be converted to conductivity at 25 C which is referred to as Specific Conductance When programming the LTC the user can select either raw conductivity measurements or specific conductance 1 4 1 Calibration of the Conductivity Sensor The conductivity sensor of the LTC Levelogger Junior is a highly sen...

Page 14: ... with the old Levelogger Version 2 0 3 Software Programming Levelogger Gold loggers using Version 2 0 3 Software limits the capabilities of the Gold unit to be the same as the older stainless steel Levelogger units If the user has a mix of Levelogger Gold and older units they can use the Levelogger Gold Version 3 1 1 Software to program and read all the dataloggers They will get the accuracy and f...

Page 15: ...trol None Figure 3 1 Software Installation Wizard Communication Port Setting for Levelogger Communications 3 Software Installation Place the Levelogger CD in the CD ROM drive or download the software from www solinst com Downloads and save to hard drive Open Windows Explorer and double click the setup exe icon At this point Windows will prompt you through the remainder of the installation process ...

Page 16: ... may prompt the user that an FTDI USB Drives Disk must be inserted Figure 3 2 A disk is not needed Just click OK Figure 3 2 Insert Disk Window Figure 3 2 Insert Disk Window 3 On the next screen select Display a list of all the drivers in a specific location so you can select the driver you want Figure 3 3 4 On the next screen use the Browse function to select the appropriate driver The directory s...

Page 17: ... driver for my device recommended 4 In the Locate Driver File window Figure 3 5 select Specify a location and click Next Figure 3 5 Found New Hardware Wizard 5 In the next window point the browser to the USB driver folder located in the Levelogger 3_4 folder Default Destination C Program Files Solinst Levelogger3_4 USB Drivers Win_2000_XP_Vista_7 6 Once the installation completes a system restart ...

Page 18: ...k Install from a list or specific location then click the Next Button Figure 3 6 Figure 3 6 Found New Hardware Wizard Window 4 Select the installation option Include this location in the search Figure3 7 then click the Browse Button to search for the appropriate directory C Program Files Solinst Levelogger3_4 USB Drivers Win_2000_XP_Vista_7 Figure 3 7 Found New Hardware Window and Figure 3 8 Brows...

Page 19: ... Window 5 A warning message will then prompt that the software has not passed the Windows Logo Test Select Continue Anyway Figures 3 10 This will complete the installation process A system restart may be required Figure 3 10 Hardware Installation Window Figure 3 11 Found New Hardware Completed Window ...

Page 20: ... Wizard 2 From the provided list select Locate and install driver software recommended Figure 3 12 Found New Hardware Window 3 On the next screen select I don t have the disc Show me other options Figure 3 13 Found New Hardware USB Serial Port Window Note These instructions are for use with Vista 32 bit Operating Systems Note After plugging in the USB device if the Found New Hardware Wizard does n...

Page 21: ...velogger 3_4 folder The default destination is C Program Files Solinst Levelogger3_4 USB Drivers Win_2000_XP_Vista_7 The selected pathway will be provided within the window select Next on the wizard to complete the installation Figure 3 14 Found New Hardware Browse Window 6 Once the installation completes a system restart may be required If the found new hardware wizard prompts again please repeat...

Page 22: ... Windows start button to bring up the start menu select Control Panel then Device Manager 4 Under Other Devices there will be a device shown with a yellow warning symbol Right click on this device and select Update Driver Software Note USB driver installation should be automatic when connecting a PC Interface Cable or Optical Reader When connecting a Leveloader Gold you will most likely have to in...

Page 23: ...evelogger 3_4 folder Default destination is C Program Files Solinst Levelogger3_4 USB Drivers Win_2000_XP_Vista_7 7 Select Next A window may appear stating Windows can t verify the publisher of this driver software select Install this driver software anyway 8 Windows will confirm when the installation is complete Press Close to close the window then go back to the Device Manager Figure 3 19 Update...

Page 24: ...version of the following list s will appear Figure 3 21 Device Manager 2 Identify the Solinst device from the list The device will be categorized under Other Devices or Universal Serial Bus Controllers 3 Highlight the device in the list and right click You will see an option to Update the driver This will start the Hardware Update Wizard Now follow the instructions for your specific Windows versio...

Page 25: ...gram automatically detects the available Com ports on your computer If using an RS232 serial port 9 pin male DB9 Com port identify the Com port number and select it in the Com Port Selection window Note that you may have to restart your computer after adding a new USB device before that port will be detected by the Levelogger Software 4 1 Communicating with a USB Port USB port communication requir...

Page 26: ...k the Hardware tab and click Device Manager 4 Double Click the Ports Icon and select the USB Serial Port 5 Right click and select Properties 6 Click the Port Settings tab and click Advanced 7 Select the Com Port Number and click OK 4 3 Data Directory The program will save data downloaded to the following default directory C Program Files Solinst Levelogger3_4 Data unless otherwise specified in the...

Page 27: ... of the fields Project ID input your own Levelogger identification system The Project ID is limited to 32 characters Location input specific site location information The location is limited to 32 characters Altitude in feet or meters above sea level at which the logger is actually deployed is input in the altitude field Water column equivalent pressure decreases with altitude at a rate of approxi...

Page 28: ... activate every sampling interval defined in Sample rate and check if readings have changed by the selected percentage 0 1 25 of Full Scale from the last recorded reading For Levelogger Gold level is the selected parameter where change is monitored The Levelogger will record a new reading only if the specified change in level has occurred Note that the percentage of change for sample collection is...

Page 29: ...f the Levelogger Settings window is the window for setting channel level temperature conductivity parameters The software will detect the available channels when the Levelogger settings are read For the Level Channel you can set the following parameters Identification describes the measurement parameter of the channel and has already been configured as Level The channel can be renamed to suit each...

Page 30: ...not be changed The temperature range for the instrument will be shown i e 20 to 80 C for a Levelogger Gold The Conductivity or Specific Conductance Channel includes Identification Units refers to the channel s units of measurement There are two units of measure available for the user to select mS cm or µS cm The Temperature Coefficient field allows you to choose the actual conductivity Conductivit...

Page 31: ...utton to set the time in the Levelogger If you start the Levelogger without synchronizing the clock and the time difference between the Levelogger and the PC is more than 3 seconds the software will give you a message asking Do you want to synchronize the clock Click Yes to synchronize the clock It can be very useful to synchronize the clocks of all the Leveloggers and Barologgers going to one sit...

Page 32: ...log data in Slate mode it means they will record data until stopped or their memory is full When the memory fills the datalogger will Stop recording For this reason it is important to determine based on your start time and sampling rate the date and time at which the memory will be full and the datalogger will stop recording Levelogger Gold units record in Slate mode if Event or Schedule logging b...

Page 33: ...ductivity calibration is performed automatically by use of the Calibration Wizard The user need only place the LTC Levelogger Junior in a specified calibration solution and follow the steps provided by the wizard Conductivity calibration solutions are available from Solinst or any laboratory supply outlet This LTC Levelogger Junior has an 80 000 µS cm conductivity range and a calibrated range from...

Page 34: ...libration process and must be in stopped mode Ensure you use fresh calibration solution and allow thermal equilibration of the solution during the process Also ensure no air bubbles are present on the sensor Figure 6 2 LTC Calibration Wizard Introduction 1 Setting the Temperature Coefficient The default setting for the Temperature Coefficient is 2 00 If the conductivity solution you are using to c...

Page 35: ... for calibration and immerse the LTC Levelogger Junior in the fresh solution Lightly tap the LTC Levelogger Junior to remove any bubbles from the sensor Allow 2 3 minutes then select next to calibrate Figure 6 4 LTC Calibration Wizard Step 2 Figure 6 5 LTC Calibration Wizard Step 3 example of window calibrating with 1413 µS cm solution Note By selecting more than one solution you will be performin...

Page 36: ...C Levelogger Junior will default back to the last pre calibrated state When conducting a multipoint calibration once the first calibration point is successful the process repeats itself to the next calibration point back to the beginning of Step 3 If a failure does occur within the multi point calibration procedure the LTC Levelogger Junior will accept all of the successful calibration points and ...

Page 37: ...Solinst Optical Reader or a Direct Read Cable and PC Interface Cable combination Stored data can be accessed using a PC or Leveloader Gold Settings files can be uploaded to the Leveloader Gold and used to program the Rainlogger in the field The Leveloader Gold comes ready with Optical Reader and PC Interface connections The Rainlogger is also able to integrate into a Solinst Telemetry System It is...

Page 38: ...he sample interval It does so by multiplying the number of tips within the interval by the tipping bucket s calibration factor The calibration factor is the amount of rainfall depth mm in per tip The calibration factor should be indicated on a label on the tipping bucket device or in the manufacturer s documentation Input the calibration factor in mm or inches in the Rainfall Cal Constant field Fi...

Page 39: ... interval The Peak intensity reading is calculated by multiplying the number of tips in the 5 minute interval with the largest number of tips by 12 and presenting peak intensity hr After the user has setup the Rainlogger click the button to start logging A Message Box will pop up to ask for confirmation Figure 7 5 Rainlogger Start Logging Message Box Note The Rainlogger MUST be programmed with a m...

Page 40: ...gger or Leveloader display data in tabular or graphic form perform data compensations and export 8 1 Downloading Options Click the Download icon from the Data Control window to download data from the Levelogger There are four options for downloading data They are All Data Append Data Partial Download and Recover Previous Log If the user selects All Data the program will download all the data from ...

Page 41: ...r it is automatically saved in a temporary file Click the Save icon to save the data in a specific lev file The default directory for saved data is in the Data folder However the default directory for saved files can be changed by clicking the Configuration tab at the top of the program window selecting Application Settings and inputting or navigating to a different folder destination If an error ...

Page 42: ...list of the computer Click on the lev file from the directory list to open a specific lev file The Data Control window with the directory list is shown in Fig 8 4 Figure 8 4 Data Control Window with Directory List 8 2 Graph Manipulation and Zoom Function To perform the Zoom In function on the graph click the button To perform a Zoom Out function on the graph click the button Click the button to un...

Page 43: ...or remove the data marker The Title and Axis Option is used to enter the title of the graph and change the Y axis label or user selected scale Check the Best Fit box to enable the software to determine the best fit scale If the Best Fit box is not checked the user has to enter a maximum and minimum value of the selected channel The X axis is logging time Figure 8 5 Line Option Window Figure 8 5 Li...

Page 44: ...zard The Data Compensation Wizard is shown in Figure 8 8 A In the first window of the wizard the user identifies the currently opened file type There are two file types Barometric files data that is retrieved from a Barologger and Submerged Levelogger files data that is retrieved from Levelogger Gold or Levelogger Junior After the selection of the file type click Next and the Data Compensation sel...

Page 45: ... a correction factor based on the time stamped reference datum and adjusts all the data in the selected file after barometric density and other data compensations are performed Density Adjustment corrects the range of the level channel in the data file based on a user input adjustment of fluid density Barometric Efficiency Adjustment is used to proportionally adjust Barologger data in relation to ...

Page 46: ...bular format If one channel is not required it can be removed by unchecking the check box to the right of the data display If not displayed it is not being recorded Real Time View readings are being recorded within the Levelogger Software and prior to closing the window they can be saved by exporting the data into a csv file by choosing the file export option To start the current readings click th...

Page 47: ... to a bmp file or a wmf file by clicking File Export Graph The Logger Settings data table and data graph can be printed Click the Print Preview Icon to open the Print Preview window Figure 10 1 shows the print preview of the Logger Settings The Levelogger Settings are always on the first page of the document The data graph is on the second page of the document and the rest of the document is data ...

Page 48: ...he Levelogger against a hard surface Further the pressure transducer can be damaged if the datalogger is over pressurized by submergence greater than its level range The Levelogger is warranted to pressures up to 150 of its full scale level range however accuracy can not be guaranteed beyond its full scale Other important considerations when installing the Levelogger in pressurized or intermittent...

Page 49: ...ble to both submerged and barometric record applications Follow these steps to install the Levelogger using stranded cabling and hooks 1 Loop the cable through the coil 2 of the hook assembly then wind the looped strands several times around the hook shaft and pass through coil 1 2 Pass coil 3 through the Enviro Cap eyelet or Levelogger Barologger eyelet and snap coil 3 to the hook shaft 3 If the ...

Page 50: ... these steps to install a Direct Read Cable Assembly to the Levelogger 1 Remove the installation cap from the Levelogger align and connect the optical socket two glass eyes using the alignment pin of the Direct Read cable to the Levelogger by threading the coupling onto the Levelogger tightly 2 The Levelogger and optical socket will fit through the hole in the Direct Read wellhead Use the eyelet a...

Page 51: ...sed within an outer protective well cap or enclosure This method should only be used in low pressure conditions less than 30 psi or 66 ft 20 m of water column WhenconductingartesianmonitoringwithLeveloggersanumberofconsiderations must be kept in mind First ensure that the maximum hydraulic pressure the Levelogger will encounter within the well at its installation point will not exceed the hydrauli...

Page 52: ...e in the vicinity of the extraction well For short term tests in which data is not required during the extraction event the Leveloggers can be programmed and simply suspended from hooks or eyelets on the underside of the sealed wellheads the test run and the data collected at the end of the test by extraction and downloading of the loggers However if ongoing data from the Leveloggers is required d...

Page 53: ...luctuations In surface water applications the Barologger is best deployed in a dry well a well embedded in the bottom of the water body but sealed at the base from water entry and vented to the atmosphere If a dry well cannot be installed the Barologger can be installed on a float in the stilling well Further information on the Barologger and barometric pressure can be found in Section 12 Barometr...

Page 54: ...d pressure transducers in which barometric efficiency is assumed to be 100 no time lag The inherent error these assumptions can cause in the incumbent data can be quite significant The absolute pressure method used in the Levelogger and Barologger provide the user with the data necessary to determine barometric efficiency If a barometric efficiency value has been determined from the Levelogger and...

Page 55: ... body beyond the frost line In cases where the above noted precautions cannot be taken and the Levelogger must be installed in the freezing zone it is recommended that the logger be placed inside two elongated silicon rubber or latex balloons the balloons be filled with a non toxic non corrosive anti freeze solution and sealed Figure 11 8 Place the balloons in a section of perforated 1 25 30 mm ID...

Page 56: ...velogger s casing To minimize this effect regularly lift the Levelogger from the liquid within seconds a thin protective layer will be formed by oxidation Again this precaution applies to the first generation stainless steel LTC and LT Leveloggers or LTC and LT Levelogger Junior If using an LT Levelogger or Levelogger Junior in a continuous salt brackish monitoring scenario the stainless steel bod...

Page 57: ... diluted solution typically 10 strength of acetic or phosphoric acid Commercially available products for dissolving hard water scaling are also available and can be used if designed for household use Some industrial strength hard water scaling removers are much higher strength and are not recommended for cleaning the Levelogger High suspended solids load may block the circulation ports or clog the...

Page 58: ...If no appreciable change in barometric reading occurred you may write in the first cell of a new column a simple calculation that subtracts the water column equivalent of your barometric reading from the submerged data file then copy and paste this calculation to all the cells in that new column The new column will represent the barometrically compensated liquid level Barometric data can be collec...

Page 59: ...ction MUST be the altitude input in the altitude field of the Levelogger setup Therefore if the altitude at time of the above Levelogger setup was uncertain and an altitude value of 1200 ft was input in the altitude field then 1200 ft must be used to calculate the elevation corrected zero point offset The elevation corrected zero point offset is subtracted from the barometric pressure expressed in...

Page 60: ...keep in mind that storm events commonly reduce total atmospheric pressure by about 1 7 from pre existing high pressure conditions 1 7 converts to approximately 0 6 ft or 0 2 m of water level equivalent barometric fluctuation The most accurate and reliable method of obtaining representative barometric compensation of water level readings is to employ an accurate surface barometric recorder ie the B...

Page 61: ...technology to provide barometric compensation 13 Diagnostics Utility The Levelogger Gold Diagnostics Utility can be used for troubleshooting the Levelogger Gold and obtaining information about that Levelogger that can assist the Solinst Technical Support representative to identify and fix any problems you may encounter with your Levelogger Gold The Diagnostics Utility can be launched from the Util...

Page 62: ...est function performs a series of self tests on the Levelogger to check for problems with the battery memory and pressure temperature sensors If any of these tests fail then a report should be created and sent to Solinst Technical Support To execute this function simply click the Run Self Test button Figure 13 2 Run Self Test ...

Page 63: ...dump of the Levelogger s memory which can then be sent to Solinst Technical Support for analyzing To execute this function simply click the Read Memory Dump button Performing a memory dump will automatically create lev files of all the data Figure 13 3 Read Memory Dump Note It is recommended that before attempting to use this function you use the Create Report function to send a report to the Soli...

Page 64: ...ining the information obtained from steps 1 and 2 When you click the Create Report button a window will pop up asking you to fill out your company information Simply fill this out and the resulting report can be sent to Solinst Technical Support for troubleshooting Figure 13 4 Customer Info Input Window Figure 13 5 Create Report ...

Page 65: ...ion 6 To execute this function simply click the Restore Factory LTC Calibration button with the LTC Levelogger Junior connected to the PC 13 6 LTC Calibration History Report This function creates a report of all previous user calibrations performed on the LTC Levelogger Junior Use it to send a history report to Solinst for analysis if the LTC Levelogger Junior readings are irregular and or the uni...

Page 66: ...and click Open 3 Check the Firmware File Information box to make sure that the opened file is the right one 4 Click the Upload Firmware button which is the second button from the left to start the firmware upload process 5 If a communication error occurs and is indicated in the Levelogger Information Window Fig 14 1 either before the Verified Program Checksum message or after the Program Informati...

Page 67: ...ministrator to remove this 2 Refer to the following link from Microsoft Website for instructions http support microsoft com default aspx scid kb en us 247501 15 3 Problems During Installation of RS232 to USB Converter Unable to install the RS232 USB converter from Keyspan or IO Gear 1 After plugging in the RS232 USB Converter a Hardware Installation Wizard will open Follow the instruction from the...

Page 68: ...m Port that is chosen in the upper middle of the Main Window of the Levelogger software 4 Check the Com port settings They should be as follows Bits per second 9600 Data bits 8 Parity None Stop bits 1 Flow control None This may have been set to Xon Xoff change it to None Select OK and back out of this pathway The route to view your Com port settings is as follows a Select Control Panels b Double c...

Page 69: ...d properly File Create Error and File Write Error 1 If you do not have file writing privileges to the Levelogger Gold default data folder change the folder as follows in the Levelogger Gold software click Configuration then Application Settings Under Default Directory enter a new destination folder to which you have file writing privileges e g My Documents Follow the same procedure if you have the...

Page 70: ...il to append data A different start time has been detected or Fail to append data New data is not available in the Levelogger The Levelogger software can only append data to a file that has the same serial number and start time as the connected Levelogger Find the correct file or use All Data to download the complete file Only Levelogger Gold supports this function The Append Data Partial Download...

Page 71: ...High Quality Groundwater and Surface Water Monitoring Instrumentation Quick Start Guide Levelogger Series ...

Page 72: ...lect the appropriate COM or USB port for the connected communications device from the centre drop down menu 3 Click the Retrieve Settings from Levelogger icon This will retrieve and display the current programmed settings for the connected Levelogger You can now customize the Levelogger by entering your Project ID Location Altitude above sea level and Sampling Mode and Rate 4 When programming is c...

Page 73: ...ation on programming the Rainlogger LTC Calibration Before deploying your LTC Levelogger Junior be sure to calibrate the instrument To begin calibration select the Calibration icon and follow the steps provided Consult the Levelogger User Guide for more information Starting and Stopping the Levelogger 1 To start the Levelogger click on the Start icon 2 The Start Levelogger window will appear This ...

Page 74: ...m that the unit is now installed Troubleshooting Guide Levelogger Software 1 You must have administrator privileges to install software on a computer 2 Windows 98 2000 XP Vista and Windows 7 operating systems support the Levelogger Gold Software Levelogger data has been accidentally erased If the Levelogger has been restarted and the old data has not been saved select the download option Recover P...