Isotech ITS-90 User Maintenance Manual/Handbook Download Page 20

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ITS-90 Isothermal Towers Iss.07 – 05/14

USING THE PC INTERFACE

The bath includes an RS422 PC interface and a special converter cable that allows use with the a standard RS232 port.

When using the bath with an RS232 port it is essential that this converter cable is used. Replacement cables are

available from Isotech, part number ISO-232-432. A further lead is available as an option, Part Number ISO-422-422

lead which permits up to 5 instruments to be daisy chained together.

The benefit of this approach is that a number of calibration baths may be connected together in a "daisy chain"

configuration - and then linked to a single RS232, see diagram.

Note: The RS422 standard specifies a maximum lead length of 1200M (4000ft). A true RS422 port will be required to

realise such lead lengths. The Isotech conversion leads are suitable for maximum combined lead lengths of 10M that is

adequate for most applications.

Connections

For RS232 use simply connect the Isotech cable, a 9 to 25 pin converter is included to suit PCs with a 25 pin serial

converter.

RS422 Connections

Connection

Tx+ A

Tx- B

Rx+ A

Rx- B

Common

Using the Interface

The models are supplied with Cal NotePad as standard. This easy to use package is compatible with MS Windows 9x.

A manual for Cal NotePad can be found on the first installation disk in Adobe PDF format. If required a free Adobe

PDF reader can be downloaded from, www.adobe.com.

Summary of Contents for ITS-90

Page 1: ... 44 0 1704 543830 Fax 44 0 1704 544799 Internet www isotech co uk E mail info isotech co uk The company is always willing to give technical advice and assistance where appropriate Equally because of the programme of continual development and improvement we reserve the right to amend or alter characteristics and design without prior notice This publication is for information only ...

Page 2: ...ateau 14 Getting a Freeze 14 Certification 14 A BASIC CONCERN 15 LEARNING MORE ABOUT YOUR ISOTOWER 16 Note How the thermal profile along the cell can affect or even destroy it 16 Note Putting numbers to the theory 17 USING THE CONTROLLER 18 Front Panel Layout 18 The Temperature Controller 18 Altering the Setpoint 18 Advanced Controller Features 18 Setpoint Ramp Rate 18 Instrument Address 19 Monito...

Page 3: ...t become live in the event of a failure of the insulation The protective conductor of the flexible mains cable which is coloured green yellow MUST be connected to a suitable earth The blue conductor should be connected to Neutral and the Brown conductor to Live Line Warning Internal mains voltage hazard Do not remove the panels There are no user serviceable parts inside Contact your nearest Isotec...

Page 4: ...D OR GLASS PARTS ARE NOT COVERED BY THIS GUARANTEE INTERFERENCE WITH OR FAILURE TO PROPERLY MAINTAIN THIS INSTRUMENT MAY INVALIDATE THIS GUARANTEE RECOMMENDATION The life of your ISOTECH Instrument will be prolonged if regular maintenance and cleaning to remove general dust and debris is carried out ISOTHERMAL TECHNOLOGY LTD PINE GROVE SOUTHPORT PR9 9AG ENGLAND TEL 44 0 1704 543830 544611 FAX 44 0...

Page 5: ...OMPETENT PERSONNEL FAMILIAR WITH GOOD MEASUREMENT PRACTICES IT IS EXPECTED THAT PERSONNEL USING THIS EQUIPMENT WILL BE COMPETENT WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF APPARATUS WHICH MAY BE POWERED OR UNDER EXTREMES OF TEMPERATURE AND ARE ABLE TO APPRECIATE THE HAZARDS WHICH MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH AND THE PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN WITH SUCH EQUIPMENT ...

Page 6: ...andle the apparatus when it is hot or cold unless wearing the appropriate protective clothing and having the necessary training 6 Do not drill modify or otherwise change the shape of the apparatus 7 Do not dismantle the apparatus 8 Do not use the apparatus outside its recommended temperature range 9 If cased do not return the apparatus to its carrying case until the unit has cooled 10 There are no...

Page 7: ...when they are very hot or very cold DON T rely on the controller to tell you the temperature of the Isotower Its job is only to provide an isothermal volume It is the calibrated working standard that is used to measure actual temperature DON T operate the equipment without the ceramic cap in place ...

Page 8: ...familiarise yourself with the parts of the manual relevant to your model Your unit s supply voltage requirement is specified on a plate on the instrument along with the serial number All instruments will work on an electricity supply frequency of 50Hz or 60Hz The apparatus is provided with an approved power cord If the plug is not suitable for your location then the plug should be removed and repl...

Page 9: ...ated collar is included above the cell called an Immersion Compensator this collar has its own controller and follows the main controllers temperature The main controller and the top controller are factory set prior to despatch The settings can be found on the melt and freeze that accompanies the Isotower Safe Operation of an Isotower Always ensure that the ceramic cap is in place before connectin...

Page 10: ...most common cause for the top of the cell to be colder is due to thermometers being placed in the Isotower conducting heat out of the cell Test thermometers with larger thermal mass such as Metal Clad Thermometers or a continuous throughput of thermometers being calibrated will cool the top of the cell and freeze the metal To avoid this it is important to pre warm the thermometers being inserted c...

Page 11: ...tower temperature stabilises record the temperature then raise the monitor 100mm 4 and allow the monitor to stabilise and record the temperature again ideally the raised temperature should be 0 1 C higher than the bottom measurement This takes only 10 minutes and checks for any drift on the Immersion Compensation Controller If the measurements indicate that the top is colder the temperature of the...

Page 12: ...ight If the monitor thermometer is already calibrated it can be used to calibrate the main controller Once this is done set the controller 1 C above the melt temperature and monitor the complete melt When the melt is complete increase the temperature a further 1 C so that the cell is 2 C above its melt temperature and allow one hour for the liquid metal to fully melt and mix Next set the controlle...

Page 13: ...fset value is provided as part of the calibration certificate you could regularly check its value and adjust it as described above Ensure the ceramic cap is in place before use see Figure 1 for details Figure 1 Always ensure that the ceramic is in place before powering up the Isotower ...

Page 14: ...ill need to contact Isotech for further instructions NEVER change the trip temperature Leave the Isotower for an hour before resetting the controller temperature 0 1 to 0 2 C below the freeze Monitor the temperature in the cell and when it dips below the freeze temperature remove the monitor and in succession introduce two cold rods each for two minutes Replace the monitor which should quickly ach...

Page 15: ...er would notice that the cell was not melting properly An Aluminium Isotower heat siphon contains sodium under a partial vacuum A leak would allow a small amount of air to enter the heat siphon A user would notice that the cell was not melting properly In the unlikely event of a leak the user should contact Isotech The other remote possibility is that the heat siphon leaks into the cell while the ...

Page 16: ... Triple Point because the container being made of glass is transparent so the effects can be seen As cold rods are inserted into the cell to create an ice mantle an ice bridge forms at the surface of the water in the cell If this is not immediately re melted then further cooling and ice formation expands the volume beneath the ice bridge and the cell will implode This is because ice is 8 less dens...

Page 17: ...g cell from room temperature For an Isotech model 670 thermometer the end 18cm weighs 10 5g The 670 will freeze 5 4cc s of In 4 4cc s of Sn 5 4cc s of Zn 7cc s of Al and 11 2cc s of Ag There are approximately 67cc s of metal in an Isotech Slim Cell and 200cc s in an Optimal Cell A 670 will refreeze the following percentages of metal in a Slim Cell 7 8 of In 6 6 of Sn 7 8 of Zn 12 of Al and 17 of A...

Page 18: ...There may be some calibration applications where it is advantageous to limit the heating or cooling rate An example might be when testing bimetallic thermostats by forcing the bath to heat at a controlled rate it is easier to determine the temperature at which the thermostat changes state The bath can have its heating rate limited with the Setpoint Ramp Rate feature This feature is accessed from t...

Page 19: ...th the UP and DOWN keys Monitoring the Controller Status A row of beacons indicate the controllers status as follows Output 1 op1 Heater shows when the heater is active seen to pulse to display heater output REM This beacon indicates activity on the PC interface Units The units can be changed from C Press the scroll key until the lower displays shows UNITS Use the UP and DOWN keys to select the de...

Page 20: ...on and then linked to a single RS232 see diagram Note The RS422 standard specifies a maximum lead length of 1200M 4000ft A true RS422 port will be required to realise such lead lengths The Isotech conversion leads are suitable for maximum combined lead lengths of 10M that is adequate for most applications Connections For RS232 use simply connect the Isotech cable a 9 to 25 pin converter is include...

Page 21: ...perature indicator such as the milliK or TTI 10 The software requires Windows 9X XP a minimum of 5Mb of free hard drive space and free serial ports for the instruments to be connected DEVELOPMENT Cal NotePad was developed by Isothermal Technology using LabVIEW from National Instruments The license details are shown on the download page and in the Cal Notepad manual ...

Page 22: ...mpts which will install the application a user manual with setup information and the necessary LabVIEW run time support files 5 Should you ever need to uninstall the software then use the Add Remove Programs option from the Control Panel PROTOCOL The instruments use the Modbus Protocol If required e g for writing custom software the technical details are available from our Document Library at http...

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