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BOREAL LASER GasFinderAB, Operation Manual

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BOREAL LASER GasFinderAB Operation Manual Download Page 22

4.4

Boreal Laser Inc. 

         GasFinderAB Operation Manual — Data I/O 

       June 17th 2017

Data Transmission

GasFinderAB

The data cable carries the RS232 signal from the 

GasFinderAB

 to the computer which 

stores and displays the data. 

GPS

The output format from the 

GPS

 is given in the NMEA - 0183 standard. This is shown in 

Appendix H. 

Connectors

The 

GasFinderAB

 data cable terminates in a DB9 connector. If the 

computer input ports are USB then a ‘Serial to USB’ adaptor can be 
used.  
If a Serial to USB adaptor is used care must be taken to confi gure the computer ports correctly. 
It is advisable to plug the connector into the computer fi rst and then into the accessory. This 
enables the computer to recognize the adaptor and allocate a port for it. Should the computer 
be unable to do this it can be done manually by clicking:
 
Start > Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager > Ports. 

Clicking on the +sign will list the number of ports in use and their assigned IDs. This ID 
number can be matched to the accessory.

Serial to USB adaptor

Summary of Contents for GasFinderAB

Page 1: ... Manual Boreal Laser Inc GasFinderAB Operation Manual July 17th 2017 A I R B O R N E S Y S T E M 12846 146 Street NW Edmonton Alberta CANADA T5L 2H7 Phone 1 780 488 5173 Fax 1 780 488 0780 www boreal laser com Menu ver V 1 10 c NDC 200006 C ...

Page 2: ...25 A User Manuals GasViewOP NDC 200022 C GasViewMC NDC 200013 B GasMap NDC 200007 A Accessory Manuals 4 20mA Module NDC 200014 A RF Barrier Module NDC 200027 A DCR Module NDC 200016 A Diagnostic and Troubleshooting Kit NDC 200026 Copyright 2017 Boreal Laser Inc All rights reserved Reproduction in any manner without the written permission of Boreal Laser Inc is strictly forbidden Boreal Laser Inc m...

Page 3: ...ase install in accordance with these instructions WARNING TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK Do not expose this equipment to rain or moisture Do not use the unit near water and do not immerse in any liquid or pour any liquid on the unit Servicing is required when the unit has been damaged in any way such as the power supply cord or plug is damaged liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen i...

Page 4: ...derAB 3 1 Cell 3 1 Cable Connections 3 2 Fibreoptic cables 3 3 Data Cables 3 4 Power Cables 3 4 Voltage Converter 3 4 Section 4 Data Input Output 4 1 DB15 Connector 4 1 Serial Communications 4 2 Data String Specifications 4 2 Date and Time fields 4 3 Data Transmission 4 4 Downloading Data 4 5 HyperTerminal 4 5 Mouse or Pointer Problems 4 6 Section 5 Operating Instructions 5 1 Start Up 5 1 Menu Det...

Page 5: ... Diode Laser 8 1 Absorption Lines 8 1 Gas Detection with a Laser 8 2 Retroreflectors 8 3 Glossary of Common Terms and Abbreviations 8 4 Section 9 Appendices 9 1 Appendix A Menu Structure 9 1 Appendix B Status Codes 9 3 Appendix C Explanation of ppmm 9 4 Appendix D Explanation of R2 9 5 Appendix E Calibration 9 7 Appendix F Pre Ship Settings 9 8 Appendix G Accessories 9 9 Supplementary Appendices 9...

Page 6: ...nderAB Operation Manual July 17th 2017 Example of GasMap software program used for displaying data Connection diagram Computer GPS Display Keypad Alarm GasFinderAB Power Converter 28VDC Airborne Cell Data Cable 12VDC Attenuator ...

Page 7: ...GasFinderAB Operation Manual July 17th 2017 Pipeline markers can be seen to right of the pylons Flying along pipeline GasFinderAB Remote Display Pipeline alongside road AirborneCell mounted under Helicopter Mounting bracket ...

Page 8: ...ice will be charged at cost This warranty does not apply to situations where system performance has been compromised as a result of customer negligence or abuse or damage resulting from natural disasters Boreal Laser Inc provides software upgrades and unlimited telephone and e mail support free of charge for the lifetime of the installation Extended warranty is available see your Boreal Laser Inc ...

Page 9: ...n below in figure 1 The laser light emitted from the transceiver unit propagates through the air in the cell to the retroreflector and returns to a photodiode detector In the GasFinderAB a portion of the laser beam is passed through an onboard reference cell to provide line centering The returning optical signals are converted into electrical waveforms which the computer processes to determine the...

Page 10: ...he remote display unit This contains a Liquid Crystal Display LCD which indicates the gas concentration in ppm ppmm with an R2 or Light Value indicator When required the display can also show the system parameters which are accessed with the key pad These values are defined in the Menu Structure which contains three subsections Main Menu contains items such as path lengths units memory etc System ...

Page 11: ...al data CSV 4 20mA current loop Baud Rate 0 3 1 2 2 4 4 8 9 6 19 2 38 4 57 6 115 2 230 4kbps Remote Display Weight 0 2kg 0 4lb Dimensions L x W x H 160 x 80 x 55mm 6 2 x 3 1 x 2 2 inches Display 2 x 20 character Liquid Crystal Display Power Supply Converter Weight 1 2kg 2 6lb Dimensions L x W x H 245 x 170 x 52mm 9 6 x 6 7 x 2 0 inches Airborne Cell Weight 14 8kg 32 6lb Dimensions L x W x H 1300 x...

Page 12: ...y low power conforms to Class 1 as per IEC 60825 1 and will not damage eye tissue However it is the recommendation of Boreal Laser Inc that as with ANY LASER SYSTEM the user operator should avoid staring directly into the output aperture of the instrument Note that the laser beam is infra red and is not visible to the eye This label is fixed to the top of the GasFinderAB and gives the instrument s...

Page 13: ...r 4hrs due to the necessity for drilling a mounting hole in the cell Equipment Check Verify that all the equipment on the order sheet has arrived complete and in good condition Any damage due to shipping should be reported immediately and steps taken to obtain replacement parts Installation External On a Bell 206 the cell is mounted under the fuselage on the brackets supplied which attach to the 4...

Page 14: ...uxiliary supply voltage 28Vdc to 12Vdc Special care should be taken to ensure that the polarity is correct and there is a good ground Cables from the GasFinderAB there is a 2m cable going to the cell underneath the fuselage Care should be taken to route this without any sharp bends or tight cable ties as this may compromise the fibre optic cable A 3 4 clearance hole is required for the cables if i...

Page 15: ...e fixed to the step mounting holes under the rear cabin doors using four AN4H5A screws The brackets are supplied with mounting screws and are marked left and right The two safety anchor plates are optional The screws should be wired with safety lock wire 2 When both brackets are mounted loosely fasten the cell to the right starboard bracket and raise the cell up to meet the left port bracket Mark ...

Page 16: ...ptic and a coaxial cable These are already sheathed in a Nylon Spiwrap or Split flex cable protector The cables are normally routed through a window down the hinge side of the door and down the mounting bracket Cable ties should be used where possible but care should be taken when tightening They should be firm but not tight Any bending of the fibre cable should be limited to a 20mm radius Nylon S...

Page 17: ...aning tape is held in a dispenser which exposes a new section of tape as needed Do not use alcohol as it leaves a residue Fibreoptic couplings are type FC APC and are used to connect two FC APC fibre connectors There is a key on the connector barrel to align with the keyway in the coupling The key and keyway must be engaged in order for the connection to be made correctly Remote Display Keypad The...

Page 18: ...Cable Power Cable The power cable uses an Amphenol connector with two wire connectors marked A and B A is positive and uses a white or red wire B is negative and uses a black wire The 28VDC cable is already attached to the power converter The output is 12VDC to supply the GasfinderAB and the computer Note the pin wiring on the 28v supply from the helicopter A is Negative B is Positive Power Conver...

Page 19: ...5 GRD 13 RCVR 6 Ramp 14 Monitor 7 I sink 15 I source 8 n c Data I O connector as viewed on rear panel 15 9 8 1 2 PCRX Data Receive at PC Serial output from GasFinder2 1 n c 3 PCTX Data Transmit at PC Serial input to GasFinder2 4 PCDTR Data Terminal Ready Serial input from GasFinder2 5 GRD Signal Ground Digital Analogue 6 Ramp System Timing Clock Analogue output from GasFinder2 7 I sink 4 20mA loop...

Page 20: ...oncentration 0 99999999 8 confidence_factor 0 99 2 distance 1 9999 4 light_value 1 16384 5 date_time Year Month Day 19 Hour Minute Sec serial_number Any 10 status_code 1 FFFF 4 check_sum 0 FF 2 These data strings are comma delimited and an asterisk signifies end of string Each string is terminated by a carriage return and a line feed The status codes are described in detail in Appendix B of this m...

Page 21: ... output whenever the system performs a calibration check The format of the GFDBG string is as follows on systems with older software the duty cycle varied from 0 to 255 debug_header internal_temperature centerline_duty_cycle reference_cell_quality reference_R2 reference_status date_time checksum header designating the type of data String internal temperature of GasFinder in degrees C Number settin...

Page 22: ...t ports are USB then a Serial to USB adaptor can be used If a Serial to USB adaptor is used care must be taken to configure the computer ports correctly It is advisable to plug the connector into the computer first and then into the accessory This enables the computer to recognize the adaptor and allocate a port for it Should the computer be unable to do this it can be done manually by clicking St...

Page 23: ...e Port Settings window change the bits per second baud rate to the correct value typically 9600 Also select 8 data bits no parity and 1 stop bit Flow control should be set to none Click OK If the computer is correctly connected to the GasFinderAB the data should now be appearing on the screen To save the data to a file on the Upper Toolbar click on Transfer and Capture Text Designate a file in the...

Page 24: ...e Mice and other pointing devices and the Ports icons to expand them If there is no problem the USB Serial Port will be listed with the port number The Microsoft Serial Ball Point will now show with a red X to the left and will be disabled This is a permanent correction For a Windows XP user the pathway is Start Control Panel System Device Manager Mice and other pointing devices Right click Micros...

Page 25: ...the system will enter the parameter display adjustment menus The arrow keys can be used to move between the various menu items When the operator is in the menu system pressing the ENT key will enter the adjustment mode of the displayed menu item A blinking Adj will be visible in the bottom left corner of the display and the value of the parameter displayed can be raised or lowered using the arrows...

Page 26: ... Concentration Units this item displays the units chosen to display the concentration in the main display The units can be adjusted to display ppmm parts per million metre the total amount of gas along the path ppm parts per million average concentration along the path mg Nm3 milligrams per normalised cubic meter See Appendix E for details Note that ppmm m ppm See Appendix C for a more detailed ex...

Page 27: ...this item allows the user to select the set point at which the optional audible alarm will sound For a 10ppm alarm with a 3m path the set point will be 30ppmm This is 10ppm x 3m Note The units for the alarm are always in ppmm 12 4 20mA Current Loop Settings this submenu allows the user to configure the 4 20mA current loop option but is not used in an airborne system and should be disabled 13 Log t...

Page 28: ...computer the resulting value is called a sample One sample typically takes about 1 sec It should not be necessary to change this value from the factory default setting 17 Serial Checksum To ensure the integrity of the data when it is sent to a computer a checksum string is added to the serial data Checksum should always be enabled 18 Serial Baud Rate This item allows the user to select the baud ra...

Page 29: ...s is not an adjustable item 21 Internal Temperature This displays the internal temperature of the GasFinderAB It is usually 100 C above ambient This is not an adjustable item 22 Enhanced Analysis This item is not currently implemented 23 System Diagnostics This item is not currently implemented 24 Alarm Test Menus These can be used to test the alarm system 25 Service Menus These menus are accessib...

Page 30: ...ll is mounted the VNE is 99kIAS or that displayed on the existing cockpit label whichever is lower Height The gas concentration will be strongest at ground level and it decreases with height above the ground However the plume is also narrower at lower levels making it harder to delineate In practice it has been found that a height of 100ft 30m AGL is the optimum Low level flying is inherently dang...

Page 31: ...ration Dustsettlingonthewindow of the transmitter and IMOS retro must be cleaned off whenever it degrades the instrument s performance The average value for the light level should be kept between the recommended values set at the time of installation An inspection schedule should be adopted to prevent any downtime due to dirt build up On some occasions when the helicopter is parked outside overnig...

Page 32: ... need for cleaning will be indicated by a consistent loss of light which may result in poor gas concentration readings A check of the Light History can determine whether the light loss is gradual or intermittent Cleaning intervals may vary from once per week to once per year depending on conditions and usage Fibreoptics Cleanliness Cleanliness is of paramount importance when dealing with fibre opt...

Page 33: ... is released in the fibre Cleaning dirty windows and mirrors will require the cell to be removed from the helicopter and the cover removed see page 6 2 If the system is suspected of being out of alignment contact Boreal laser for instructions A broken cable or bad connection between the cell and the GasFinderAB on either the fibre or coaxial cable will also cause a Low Light No Reading A diagnosti...

Page 34: ...iary power supply socket If the problem still persists it may be necessary to supply a different power supply The display always shows TEC Failure Laser Diode Off Line If a problem develops with the ThermoElectric Cooler TEC or the associated electronics the system will protect the laser diode by shutting the laser off In this situation the operator should contact Boreal Laser Inc for further info...

Page 35: ... laser conform to Class 1 as per IEC 60825 1 and is eye safe The laser does not require the use of protective eye wear protective equipment or outdoor control measures There is no optical ignition hazard presented by lasers of this type There are no user serviceable components contained in apparatus all units must be returned to factory for repair Caution The infrared laser output from the GasFind...

Page 36: ...ViewOP software can be used to record the file To download the arrays Connect the GasFinderAB to a computer and run GasViewOP Click on Port and then Arrays Plot Enable At the GasFinderAB enter the System Menus and the first item is Internal Arrays Transfer Press Enter The display will read Acquiring Transferring The computer screen will show a series of curves or arrays and a display giving all th...

Page 37: ...iple except that the tube mirrors and crystal are all combined in a small package using semiconductor technology The diode laser is composed of a pn junction as in the light emitting diode LED and specially cleaved mirror facets that form the optical cavity The output wavelength is fixed The combined laser and focusing optics are similar in size to the eraser on the end of a pencil A Tuneable Diod...

Page 38: ...ic absorption wavelength for this target gas See figure 2 The laser operating wavelength is kept stable by housing it in a temperature controlled box A fluctuating saw tooth current is used to drive the laser and this causes the wavelength to change slightly so that the laser scans across the absorption wavelength The laser beam has a signal superimposed on it at a different frequency See figure 3...

Page 39: ... the rear behind the glass See figure 4 A retroreflector is different in that the reflected light returns in the same direction as the incident light The beam is reflected 180 degrees A retroreflector is like a section through a corner and has three faces that form the inside corner of a cube Some highway reflectors are everyday examples See figure 5 Because retroreflectors used for laser gas dete...

Page 40: ...ontroller A small device using a microcomputer microcomputer A small computer the size of a postage stamp micron 0 000 001 part of a meter modulated Like a wave molecule A collection of atoms bonded together multimode A light beam containing many different frequencies nanometer 0 000 000 001 part of a meter NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology OTDR Optical Time Domain Reflectometer ...

Page 41: ...B only Battery Voltage Gas B Detection Limits enter Adj Gas Type 12 35 A B escape Diabled A B B only esc esc ent esc esc esc esc esc ent esc esc esc ent esc esc esc Internal Temperature Min acceptable R2 enter Adj Gas B min R2 26 7C Gas B 0 0 escape 0 0 99 Adj Output Disabled escape enabled disabled Menus RealTime escape RealTime Run Av Block Av Enhanced Analyis enter Adj Enhanced Analysis Serial ...

Page 42: ...9 2 Boreal Laser Inc GasFinderAB Operation Manual Appendices July 17th 2017 Intentionally left blank ...

Page 43: ...e is 1 This is actually 0001 but the software ignores the leading zeros and indicates a status code of 1 This corresponds to 0000_0000_0000_0001 and indicates an instrument status of n0 NO_ERROR When the GasFinderAB is used in conjunction with Hyperterminal or Boreal Laser s GasMap data logging program the data stream which is sent to the file is as follows Status Code 2 8 0 0 GFDTA 7 7 99 3 0 952...

Page 44: ...re the total amount of a specific gas for example CH4 in the path of the laser beam between the transmitter unit and a reflector This is a total path measurement The units are parts per million metres or ppmm A uniform background concentration of 10ppm over 50m gives a reading of 500ppmm 10ppm x 50m 500ppmm When the 500ppmm is divided by 50m the result is a value of 10ppm which is the path average...

Page 45: ...d mathematical procedure to compare curves or numeric arrays is the Linear Least Squares Regression analysis This analysis results in a measure of the similarity R2 between the waveform of the sample gas and that of the reference cell gas A perfect similarity would give a value for R2 of 1 0 and a total mismatch would be 0 0 The blue line represents the Linear Least Squares fit of the data and is ...

Page 46: ... gas the R2 s decrease and equal zero when there is no gas present As the signal from the gas becomes stronger the effect of noise both electronic and optical is reduced and the R2 s will increase i e the signal to noise ratio will increase The general shape of the plot is the same for all gases however the x axis values will depend on the sensitivity of the instrument to the gas species being obs...

Page 47: ...is traceable to NIST standards The calibration data are stored in the instrument s software as a standard reference waveform During operation the GasFinderAB s internal reference cell is compared with this stored waveform at frequent intervals Any significant deviation generates a status code to alert the user to a potential calibration problem The GasFinderAB software can be used to check the ref...

Page 48: ...Gas Shift Enable Enable Disable Centre Line Menu Attn Light Compensation output lin menu Min Attn Index Serial Password Protected menu Checked by Light Value Distance Ref Light Ref Cell ppmm Date Data Check Sum 1200 2400 9600 19200 57600bps Concentration Units Main Gas Display as Min Acceptable R2 0 16368 Setting Main Menu 0 1 1000 m ppm ppmm mg Nm3 0 16368 Ref swps calibr chk Points per sweep Cal...

Page 49: ...ware version GasView Software version GasMap Manual Case Black Plastic Carrying Case Cell Internal foam cover External mesh cover Tie wraps Cables Fibre optic Coaxial Fibre tape cleaner Diagnostic and Trouble Shooting Kit Power Supply Battery Power Cable Battery Charger Power Supply 28V to 12V Data Cables Data Cable DB15M DB9F USB Serial Port adaptor Hand held display cable Retroreflector IMOS ...

Page 50: ...tion within the sentence The optional checksum field consists of a and two hex digits representing the exclusive OR of all characters between but not including the and A checksum is required on some sentences 4 3 Sample Sentences Dissected 4 3 1 Standard Sentences A talker typically sends a group of sentences at intervals determined by the unit s update rate but generally not more often than once ...

Page 51: ...10 1 Boreal Laser Inc GasFinderAB Operation Manual Drawings July 17th 2017 Section 10 Drawings 1 GF D 3D 0002 A GasFinderAB 2 AB XX 0001 Airborne Cell ...

Page 52: ...10 2 Boreal Laser Inc GasFinderAB Operation Manual Drawings July 17th 2017 This page intentionally left blank ...

Page 53: ......

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Page 55: ... 2 1 DIMENSIONS ARE IN mm Inches DRAWN CHECKED ENG APPR MFG APPR Q A DATE NAME BOREAL LASER INC DWG NO UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED DM BM JB JB 7 29 2008 AB XX 0001 General Dimensions AB Cell Desc 266 39 10 488 1295 40 51 000 1206 50 47 500 161 81 6 371 ...

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