AEROCET 531S Manual
Page 8
AEROCET 531S-9800 Rev A.docx
4.
Operation
The following sections cover the basic operation.
4.1.
What’s New and Different
You should be aware of key differences between the AEROCET 531S and 531.
Description
531S
531
Comments
Mass Concentration Units
ug/m
3
mg/m
3
Mass Concentration Precision
0.1 ug/m
3
0.001 mg/m
3
Higher precision
Sample Time
1-minute
2-minutes
Faster sample time
Hold Time Units
Seconds
Minutes
Shorter hold times
Contrast Adjust
Software
Mechanical
No tools required. See Section 5.10
Battery
Lithium-ion
NiMh
Warning: See Section 6
4.2.
About the Measurement
The AEROCET 531S counts and sizes particles in 8 different size ranges then uses a
proprietary algorithm to convert count data to mass measurements (µg/m3).
Fundamentally, the 531S calculates a volume for each detected particle then assigns a
standard density for the conversion.
The standard density value is adequate for most sampling environments. However,
some environments are heavily influenced by high or low density materials which can
reduce measurement accuracy. For these environments, the 531S provides a K-Factor
setting for each measurement range (PM1, PM2.5, PM4, PM7, PM10 and TSP). These
K-Factors can be modified with Comet software or with the
SK
serial port command.
4.3.
Power Up
AEROCET 531S power is controlled by a slide switch located on the right hand side of
the unit. Move the power switch to the on position (towards the top of the case) to power
up the unit.
The first screen shown on power up is the Startup screen (Figure 4). This screen
displays the product type and company website for 2 seconds before loading the
Operate Screen.
AEROCET 531S
WWW.METONE.COM
Figure 4 – Startup Screen
