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072-0300

                     

Alphasense User Manual

                                

OPC-N2 Optical Particle Counter                    

Issue 5

Alphasense Ltd                                         Page 1 of 34

                                       

December 2015

Sensor Technology House, 300 Avenue West, Skyline 120, Great Notley. Essex.CM77 7AA. UK

Tel: +44 (0) 1376 556700    -   Fax: +44 (0) 1376 335899

Email: [email protected]    -   Web: www.alphasense.com

Contents

1 Quick 

Start

2 Product 

Specification

Health and Safety and Regulatory Information

How the OPC N2 works

5 PM 

Measurement

Sampling the environment

Connecting and running the OPC

Connecting Power and Taking Readings

Running the OPC N2 using the Alphasense software

 Installation

 

Data Display and taking measurements

 

Other software functions

Standalone mode (Recording to onboard SD card)

10 

Running the OPC N2 using direct API control

11 Revision 

Control

12 

Appendices (order may change!)

A. FAQs
B. 

Installing the device driver

Windows XP
Windows 7
Windows 8, 8.1 and 10

C. 

Updating Firmware (TBC)

D. 

Summary of firmware commands

Summary of Contents for OPC-N2

Page 1: ...gulatory Information 4 How the OPC N2 works 5 PM Measurement 6 Sampling the environment Connecting and running the OPC 7 Connecting Power and Taking Readings 8 Running the OPC N2 using the Alphasense...

Page 2: ...ull deployment package will have been provided with the OPC N2 This is supplied either on a CD or on the SD card on the unit The SD card can be accessed simply by attaching the OPC to your computer us...

Page 3: ...mple flow rate typical L min mL min 1 2 220 Max particle count rate Particles second 10 000 Detection limits PM10 Minimum Maximum 0 01 g m3 1 500 mg m3 Coincidence probability at 106 particles L 0 84...

Page 4: ...icle size related to the intensity of light scattered via a calibration based on Mie scattering theory and particle number concentration Particle mass loadings PM1 PM2 5 and PM10 are then calculated f...

Page 5: ...PM2 5 and PM10 as not all standards groups have defined PM1 yet These definitions relate to the mass and size of particles that would be inhaled by a typical adult So for example PM2 5 is defined as p...

Page 6: ...iations are monitored and corrected dynamically by the OPC so that the particle concentrations and derived PM values are unaffected by moderate flow variations The OPC N2 unit will operate adequately...

Page 7: ...a Molex Pico Clasp 6 way Housing Part Number 501330 0600 Pins are assigned in table 2 Pin 1 on the OPC N2 is closest to the USB micro connector Pin Function 1 Vcc 2 SCK 3 SDO 4 SDI 5 SS 6 GND Table 2...

Page 8: ...ed examples for installation using Microsoft Windows XP Microsoft Windows 7 8 8 1 and 10 are given in Appendices C It is recommended that the Windows PC is running NET version 3 5 or above Connecting...

Page 9: ...um of 10 000 ms to avoid the risk of an individual size bin becoming full 65 536 counts Longer intervals can be set in very clean environments but the unit will reset if no communication is received f...

Page 10: ...al particle count rate per second across all size bins Counts s is given in the bottom left of the screen Clicking on the graph and pressing l will display the values for each bin pressing l again wil...

Page 11: ...from all of the output bins into a single CSV file You will be asked if you require a log file after selecting the start button If you select yes you will be prompted for a file name and location to s...

Page 12: ...he software the following error will be returned Found USB ISS Version 6 USBISS SerialNo XXXXXXXX Device interface USBISS InfoStr not Found SPI Busy This can be cleared by connecting a second time or...

Page 13: ...ting Fan digital pot setting 255 Fan setting ToF to SFR factor 74 Needed for dynamic fan speed correction Bins Bin00 Bin01 Bin02 Bin03 Bin15 Bin low boundary ADC o p 12 17 27 41 3685 Bin high boundary...

Page 14: ...9 198 75 1 24 102 8 42341 6282 8 003 0 7 0 32 014 1 3 21 x 2 36 108 1 61 104 53 42341 6282 7 925 0 991 5 67 0 28 727 1 01 3 44 x 1 88 149 15 1 68 115 69 42341 6282 8 008 0 6 0 23 023 0 999 3 55 x 1 46...

Page 15: ...onnect the OPC N2 to the software in the standard manner Type control R and scroll to the bottom of the text list Listed here are the Autonomous Mode variables The variables listed in table 3 Command...

Page 16: ...o design their own SPI system to control the device and gather data A coding example is given in given in 072 0325 Supplemental SPI information for OPC N2 If to save power the OPC is to be run periodi...

Page 17: ...n the field details can be obtained by request from Alphasense It is recommended that you continue to use the initial software release in deployment versions 9 7 and 9 8 for units with firmware 16 and...

Page 18: ...rospheres taking into account the small response difference caused by the higher refractive index 1 58 of these particles compared to the refractive index 1 5 used in the OPC N2 calibration curve Aero...

Page 19: ...d click next The following window will give you an option as to whether to use a CD to install the device driver or to use another location Select Install from a list or a specific location Advanced N...

Page 20: ...ail sensors alphasense com Web www alphasense com Windows 7 Copy the folder OPC Interface Software to the PC desktop Connect the USB interface lead to the PC If the USB interface lead USB to SPI conve...

Page 21: ...e 120 Great Notley Essex CM77 7AA UK Tel 44 0 1376 556700 Fax 44 0 1376 335899 Email sensors alphasense com Web www alphasense com Right click the icon and select Update Driver Software Select the Bro...

Page 22: ...elect the Install this driver software anyway option Windows will then install the driver files for the device Once the device driver software has been installed the form below will be displayed Make...

Page 23: ...s include an electronic fingerprint that indicates which company produced the driver as well as an indication as to whether the driver has been modified since the company released it This increases se...

Page 24: ...Tel 44 0 1376 556700 Fax 44 0 1376 335899 Email sensors alphasense com Web www alphasense com Then click on the Recovery option on the left hand side Once selected you will see an advanced startup se...

Page 25: ...oot time configuration settings you will need to restart your Computer one last time Finally you will be given a list of startup settings that you can change The one we are looking for is Disable driv...

Page 26: ...com Web www alphasense com To disable the signature verification it is necessary to get into Troubleshooting options from the boot manager Select Restart from the power options menu for Windows 8 thi...

Page 27: ...nce we are modifying boot time configuration settings you will need to restart your Computer one last time Finally you will be given a list of startup settings that you can change The one we are looki...

Page 28: ...C software that is supplied with the unit on CD or on SD card USB to SPI converter USB Micro lead A new firmware upgrade package including the firmware file HEX this will be supplied on request to Alp...

Page 29: ...l enable the Program Verify command button click this to install the new firmware 6 The bootloader will then proceed to install the new firmware file The bootloader will show a verify error after the...

Page 30: ...0x03 0xF3 1 5ms Suggest that 10ms be used as delay between command byte and following byte 0x01 0x03 NA Digital pot fan power only ON 16 17 18 0x03 0x03 0xF3 5ms Suggest that 10ms be used as delay bet...

Page 31: ...15 16 17 18 0x3F 0x3F 0xF3 1 5ms Suggest that 10ms be used as delay between command byte and following byte 0x3F InfoStr ascii char00 O 0x4F 6us SerialStr is a string of 60 characters 0x3F InfoStr as...

Page 32: ...ing byte 0x12 FirmwareVerMajor FirmwareVerMajor is unsigned 8bit integer variable 0x12 FirmwareVerMinor FirmwareVerMinor is unsigned 8bit integer variable Read Configuration Variables 14 15 16 17 18 S...

Page 33: ...B AMFanOnInIdle is unsigned 8bit integer variable 1 or 0 AMLaserOnInIdle AMFanOnInIdle AMLaserOnInIdle is unsigned 8bit integer variable 1 or 0 AMMaxDataArray sInFile LSB AMLaserOnInIdle AMMaxDataArra...

Page 34: ...ration Variables in non volatile memory 14 15 16 17 18 0x43 0x43 0xF3 5ms Suggest that 10ms be used as delay between command byte and following byte 0x3F 0x43 6us Initial command byte must be followed...

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