AGL 304 User manual

1
OPERATORS
MANUAL
MODEL 304
Machine Control System
Model 304 Manual, Version 0120, August 2001
AGL Corporation
2202 Redmond Road
Jacksonville, Arkansas 72076
[phone]
[phone] (fax)
www.agl-lasers.com
[email protected]

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METERS FEET INCHES
AVERAGE ELEVATION
NUMBER OF STATIONS
OFF SENSOR
SELECT
ON GRADE
PRESET
SURVEY
SET
AUTOMAST
ACTIVATE
AUTOMAST
START
STOP
OFF SENSOR
AUTO
BLADE
MAST BLADE
MODEL 304
MACHINE CONTROL SYSTEM
ELEVATION
POWER CABLE
1-14006
HYDRAULIC VALVE CABLE
PART OF 1-14039
JUNCTION BOX
W/15’ CABLE &
VALVE CABLE
1-14039
POWER MAST CABLE
12’ CABLE 1-14163
40’ CABLE 1-14061
70’ CABLE 1-14038 POWER MAST
9-09815
COIL CORD
9-09826
360° LASER
DETECTOR
9-09102
304 CONTROL BOX
9-41007
304 AUTOMATIC
SURVEY SYSTEM

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MODEL 304
Machine Control System
OPERATING MANUAL
OVERVIEW
The 304 Machine Control System is a powerful addition to your land leveling
and earth moving machinery, yet it is easy to use. Some of the many
features are as follows:
• AUTOMATED CONTROL OF BOTH ON/OFF AND PROPORTIONAL VALVES.
• AUTOMATIC OR MANUAL SURVEY DATA ENTRY.
• TOTALS AND AVERAGES FIELD ELEVATION DATA AUTOMATICALLY.
• DATA DISPLAYED IN FEET, INCHES, OR METERS.
• AUTOMATIC BLADE ELEVATION CHANGES FOR BUILDING PAD OR DITCH
BANK WORK.
• COMPUTER, DATA RECORDER, AND/OR PRINTER OUTPUT CONNECTION.
• COMPACT SIZE FOR EASY MOUNTING.
• OPTIONAL REMOTE CONTROL SWITCH BOX FOR ARM REST MOUNTING.

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OPERATING MODES
Pressing the SELECT button wakes the Model 304 form the SLEEP mode. The ELEVATION
display lights showing either the default 00.00 grade elevation, or one which had been
programmed in previously. Unless power is removed, the system is never OFF.
Pressing the SELECT button cycles through the operating modes listed below. LED’s located
between the + and - buttons will light indicating the current mode.
LED’s UNLIT:
The blade and sensor elevation can be manually controlled with the BLADE and MAST
switches. The blade can also be controlled automatically.
PRESET:
Pressing the SELECT button lights the PRESET LED. The + and - buttons allow you to change
the ELEVATION window number to match a reference elevation.
SURVEY:
Pressing the SELECT again puts you into the SURVEY mode. During the survey, as the
topography changes, the sensor will move up or down the mast following the laser signal. The
ELEVATION window will show the changing elevation. The following Field Survey example
shows how the data will be recorded automatically. (For Manual or Continuous operation see
#6, in the MENU ITEMS section on page 3.)
FIELD SURVEY EXAMPLE:
Place a marker at the end of the row on which you wish to begin. Place a second marker a
measured distance, 50 feet perhaps, up the row to be surveyed. While maintaining a constant
vehicle speed, press the + button when the first marker is reached. Press it again as the send
marker is reached. Thereafter the data will be recorded at 50 foot intervals if the speed
remains constant.
After the final reading has been recorded at the end of each row, press the - button. The timer
will pause, the survey LED will pulse and the average elevation of all data collected will be
displayed. Pressing the + button to restart the timing sequence. Repeat the procedure at the
end of each row. If a printer, data recorder, or computer is attached to the Control Panel, the
data will be passed to the device. (NOTE: Data will only be taken when a center signal is
received. An incorrect elevation cannot contaminate the field survey.)
SET AUTOMAST:
The SELECT button allows the + and - buttons to preset a sensor elevation change value. See
ACTIVATE AUTOMAST for details.
ACTIVATE AUTOMAST:
When an ELEVATION CHANGE VALUE has been programmed into the Model 304, pressing
the + button will change the sensor elevation by the programmed amount. The - button will

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return the sensor to it’s original elevation. This feature is a valuable asset when building ditch
banks, house pads or when leveling extremely large acreage using two transmitters set at
different elevations.
SLEEP:
Pressing the SELECT button will, after a short delay, put the MODEL 304 into the SLEEP
mode. Though the display goes dark, all changes made will be stored as default until repro-
grammed.
METERS
FEET
INCHES
AVERAGE ELEVATION
NUMBER OF STATIONS
OFF SENSOR
SELECT
ON GRADE
PRESET
SURVEY
SET
AUTOMAST
ACTIVATE
AUTOMAST
START
STOP
OFF SENSOR
AUTO
BLADE
MAST BLADE
MODEL 304
MACHINE CONTROL SYSTEM
ELEVATION
SELECT
BUTTON
AUTO BLADE
BUTTON
BLADE RAISE
LOWER SWITCH
MAST RAISE
LOWER SWITCH
LASER DETECTOR
ABOVE GRADE
LASER DETECTOR
BELOW GRADE
POWER
PLUG
REMOTE OVERRIDE
PLUG
RS232 COMPUTER
PORT
MAST
VALVE
PLUG
INCREASE
DECREASE
BUTTONS
(+/-)
ELEVATION
VALUES
UNITS OF
MEASUREMENT
SURVEY
MODE
INDICATORS
LASER DETECTOR
ON GRADE
AUTO BLADE
INDICATOR

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MENU ITEMS:
The menu instructs you in how to change the factory default settings. You may customize the
system to suit any equipment, or to your personal preference.
To activate the MENU press the AUTO BLADE and SELECT buttons at the same time. The
display will show the flashing menu NUMBER on the left and the menu VALUE on the right. The
+ button will allow scrolling through the NUMBER list. The SELECT button allows cycling be-
tween the NUMBER and the VALUE. The + and - buttons will change the setting of the NUM-
BER function selected. When all changes are made, the AUTO BLADE button stores these
changes, resets all registers, and reactivates the system. On the next page is a list of the menu
numbers and the factory values.
* Center Channel Filtering affects sensor display lights, survey and hydraulic responses.
EXAMPLE
PROBLEM:
The scraper blade drops through center during a down correction.
SOLUTION:
Press AUTO BLADE and SELECT buttons at the same time. Press +or -on the left NUMBER
side. Press SELECT to make the right VALUE side numbers flash. Press -button twice to
reduce the Valve Speed setting from 04 to 02. Press AUTO BLADE to record the new settings
and exit the menu.
NO. DEFAULT VALUE DESCRIPTION
005 SENSITIVITY
REFERS TO CENTER CHANNEL FILTERING 0 TO
20; 20 IS MAXIMUM FILTERING SLOWEST
RESPONSE*
104 VALVE SPEED DOWN REFERS TO VALVE SPEED DOWN NEAR
GRADE.0 TO 20; 20 IS THE FASTEST
206 VALVE SPEED UP REFERS TO VALVE SPEED UP NEAR
GRADE. 0 TO 20; 20 IS THE FASTEST
305 MAST SPEED
REFERS TO MANUAL UP DOWN SPEED. 0 TO 20;
1 TO 10; 10 IS FASTEST USING MAST BRAKE. 11
TO 20; 20 IS FASTEST WITH NO BRAKING
402 ELEVATION UNITS
01 INCHES
02 FEET
03 METERS
500 VALVE TYPE 00 ON OFF VALVES
01 PROPORTIONAL VALVES
601 SURVEY TYPE
00 MANUAL DATA ENTRY
01 AUTOMATIC DATA ENTRY
02 CONTINUOUS DATA ENTRY

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OTHER FEATURES
UPDATE COMPATIBILITY:
302 Systems can be updated to the 304 Control System. It requires replacing only the Control
Panel, the J-Box and J-Box Cable. The sensor, mast and control cables are compatible.
360° SENSOR DISPLAY:
The 7 sensor channels are displayed with bright LED’s for day or night operation. Two LED’s
indicate OFF SENSOR and tell which direction the sensor last received the laser reference
signal. The 360 Sensor works with 12 or 24 VDC power.
MAST DRIVE:
The 304 system incorporates a SMART electric mast drive. It pulse starts the mast with slow
positive movements for accurate readings. This drive supplies high start-up currents but limits
continuous current. The circuit also senses a stalled condition when the sensor is TOPPED or
BOTTOMED out on the mast and shuts down the drive. The panel beeps to tell the operator.
The 304 will automatically try to restart the mast but will not allow current high enough to damage
the drive circuit or the motor.
COMPENSATED PUMP OUTPUT:
Many tractor hydraulic systems employ a low pressure standby and require a signal to activate
the pump. The 304 offers a separate output that maintains full pump pressure where high oil
volume is required. (See OPTIONAL FEATURES).
SOLENOID DRIVE OUTPUTS:
All power outputs have automatically resetting fuse links. If a short circuit should occur in one of
the functions, only that function would be disabled. When the problem is corrected, the 304
Panel will automatically restore power.
DATA OUTPUT:
The 304 Control Panel has a standard RS-232 output which can be attached to either a laptop
computer, serial printer, or memory module. The data is formatted as standard ASCII code and
serially transmitted at 9600 BAUD, 8 DATA BITS, NO PARITY, and XON/XOFF. Manual and
automatic modes give station number and elevation data in a twenty-two (22) character line.
Continuous mode gives elevation data only in an eight (8) character line every half (1/2) second.
To assure accuracy, elevation data is transmitted only when the 360 Sensor CENTER light is lit.

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CABLE INFORMATION
POWER INPUT:
AGROUND BLACK
B12 OR 24 V INPUT RED
MAST & VALVE (14 PIN CONNECTOR):
AAUXILARY POWER RED 16g
BNOT CONNECTED
CSOLENOID COMMON ORANGE 16g
DSENSOR ENCODER RED 20g
ESENSOR GROUND BLACK 20g
FSENSOR LOW GREEN 20g
GSENSOR HIGH WHITE 20g
HBLADE DOWN WHITE 16g
IENCODER S1 BROWN 20g
JENCODER S2 ORANGE 20g
KCOMPENSATOR OUTPUT BLUE 16g
LMAST UP YELLOW 16g
MMAST DOWN BROWN 16g
NBLADE UP GREEN 16g
MAST TO DETECTOR CABLE 9-09826 (5 PIN CONNECTOR):
ANOT CONNECTED
BSENSOR GROUND BLUE
CSENSOR LOW BLACK
DSENSOR HIGH YELLOW/GREEN
ESENSOR POWER BROWN
HYDRAULIC VALVE CONNECTOR ON 1-14039 JUNCTION BOX
ACOMPENSATOR OUTPUT
BGROUND (VALVE COMMON)
CBLADE DOWN
DBLADE UP

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SPECIFICATIONS
INPUT POWER:
12 or 24 VDC Operation.
Negative Ground.
Nominal 10 Amp Minimum Current Requirement.
20 Amp Maximum with Auxiliary Outputs.
Note: 12 VDC Mast Motor and Solenoid Valve Coils are Standard.
Specify 24 VDC if Required.
OUTPUT POWER:
5 Amp Maximum per Valve Solenoid or Mast Drive.
2.5 Amp Maximum if Signal Duration Exceeds Two (2) Minutes.
.1 Amp Maximum Output During Short Circuit Condition.
TEMPERATURE:
-20 to 70 Degrees C

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AGL CORPORATION
2202 REDMOND ROAD
PO BOX 189
JACKSONVILLE, ARKANSAS 72076
USA
[phone]
[phone]
www.agl-lasers.com
[email protected]