Extech Instruments VPC300 User manual

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USERGUIDE
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VideoParticleCounterwithbuilt‐inCamera
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ModelVPC300
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2VPC300‐en‐GB_v1.55/15
Introduction
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ThankyouforselectingtheExtechInstrumentsModelVPC300ParticleCounterwithCamera.
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TheVPC300hasaColorTFTLCDdisplay,a74MBinternaldatastoragebank,amicro‐SDmemory
cardslotforcapturingimagesandvideoforviewingonaPC,andabuilt‐in320x240pixelcamera
forcapturingstills/videooftestlocations.TheVPC300offersquickandaccuratereadingsfor
particlecount,airtemperature,mostsurfacetemperatures,andrelativehumidity.TheVPC300
alsooffersaDewPointandWetBulbtemperaturecalculationgearedforenergyefficiencyand
environmentalprotectionapplications.SuppliedPCsoftwareallowstheusertogeneratereports
basedonrecordsdata,images,andvideo.
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Thisdeviceisshippedfullytestedandcalibratedand,withproperuse,willprovideyearsof
reliableservice.Pleasevisitourwebsite(www.extech.com)tocheckforthelatestversionofthis
UserGuide,ProductUpdates,andCustomerSupport.
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Features
2.8”TFTColorLCDdisplay
Convenientkeystrokemenustructureformeasurements,setup,andotherprogramming
320x240pixelbuilt‐incameraforstillandvideoimaging
JPEGimagesand3GPvideo
Meter’sinternalmemory74MB.
Metercanstore5000records(date,time,counts,humidity,temperature,sample
volumes,andlocationlabel)and20minutesofvideotointernalmemory.
Micro‐SDmemorycardslot(8GBmaximum);cardnotincluded.
SelectableTestsampletime,countdata,andprogrammabledelay
Simultaneouslymeasureanddisplay6channelsofparticlesizes(downto0.3μm)
Airtemperatureandrelativehumidity
DewpointandWetbulbtemperaturecalculations
MIN/MAX/AVG/DIFrecordwithdate/timestamp
Autopoweroff
LanguageselectionforEnglish,French,German,andSpanish
MeterisshippedNISTcalibratedwithcalibrationcertificate
Tripodmountingoption
IncludesuniversalACadaptor/chargerwithavarietyofplugoptions,USBcable,PC
software,tripod,Zerocountfilter,7.4VLithium‐ionpolymerrechargeablebattery,and
protectivecase

3VPC300‐en‐GB_v1.55/15
MeterDescription
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1. Isokineticprobe
2. TemperatureandRHSensor(noteitsprotectivecoverthatslidesupanddown)
3. ColorTFTLCD
4. CompartmentforUSBinterfaceportandACAdaptor/Charger
5. FunctionF1,F2,F3buttons
6. Controlbuttons:PageUp/Down,Enter,Run/Stop,andESC
7. ON/OFFbutton
8. BatteryandMicro‐SDcardcompartment(SDcardslotunderneathbattery)
9. Tripodmount
10. Cameralens
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4VPC300‐en‐GB_v1.55/15
Operation
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PowerON‐OFF
PressandholdthepowerbuttontoswitchtheinstrumentONor
OFF.
ImportantNotes
Note:Operatingtheparticlecounterwiththeisokineticprobecapin
placewilldamagethepumpandotherinternalcomponents.
Note: Electricalnoise,sensorleakage,orotherinterferencemay
causetheVPC300toshowincorrectparticlecountdata.
GettingStarted
WhenthemeterpowersON,theParticleCountericonisdisplayedatthecenteroftheLCDand
thedate,time,andbatterystatuscanbeobservedonthetoprowoftheLCD.Threebottomrow
optionsarealsodisplayedandcanbeselectedusingtheFunctionkeys(F1,F2,andF3)asshown
below.Theseareexplainedingreaterdetaillaterinthisuserguide:
Memory(wheredata,images,andvideoarelocated)
SystemSetupParameters
HelpFile
SymbolGlossary
Cumulativemode
VideoRecordstart
ConcentrationmodeVideomode
TestispausedColorcodedparticlescale(greenis
low,yellowismoderate,andredis
highparticlecount)
CAM(Camera)modeAlarmON
DifferentialmodeBatteryStatus
TestisrunningParticle Count Setup
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5VPC300‐en‐GB_v1.55/15
SequenceofOperation
Toensurethatyoumeasuretheamountofparticlesaccurately,performthissequenceof
operation.
1. Zerotheparticlecountsensor
2. Setupyourcounterforproperoperation.Sampletime,mode,cycle,andinterval.
3. Runyourtestcyclesandevaluatetheresults.
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BasicOperation
PressandholdtheON/OFFbuttonfor3to5secondsuntilthedisplayilluminatestopoweron
themeter.
Presstheenterbutton()togettosetupmode.
PressF3toentersettingsmode.
SeteachparametertoyourpreferredsettingbypressingENTERtoentereachparameter.Then
pressENTERtoenableeditingofeachparameter.PressESCtoexitparametersetup.
 SampleTime:Lengthoftimeeachtestruns(3to60seconds)
 StartDelay:DurationoftimefromRUNtoactualstartoftest.(3to100seconds)
 ChannelDisplay:Particlesizesdisplayedduringtest.
 AmbientTemp/RH:Allowsthedisplayoftheairtempand%RHvalues
 SampleCycle:Numberoftestcyclestorun(1to100)
 SampleMode:Cumulative,differential,concentration
 Interval:Testcycledelaymeasuredinseconds.
 LevelIndication:Particlelevelselection(highlightedondisplay)
PressESCtoreturntotestingscreen
PressRUN/STOPtostarttheautomatedtestsequence.
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6VPC300‐en‐GB_v1.55/15
TakingMeasurements
Afterpoweringthemeter,presstheEnter() buttontoaccess
theParticleMeasurementscreen.Thenopenthe
temperature/RHsensorbyslidingitsprotectivecover
downward.
Whenmeasuringparticlecounts,these
icons correspondtothefunctionkeys(F1,F2,F3).
F1istoenterCameraandvideomode,F2istoviewyoursaved
data,andF3isforSetupmode.
Thedisplaywillshowtheparticlecountchannelswithreadings,
airtemperature(AT),Dewpointtemperature(DP),Wetbulb
temperature(WB),andRelativeHumidity(%RH)asshownin
accompanyingdiagram.
PresstheRUN/STOPbuttontostarttheairpumpandtheparticlecountmeasurement
process.Whentheprogrammedsamplingtimehaselapsed,theparticlemeasurementcycle
willautomaticallyendandthemeasurementdatawillbeautomaticallystored.Tosetthe
samplingtime,refertotheParticleCountSETUPMODEsection.Ifdesired,pressthe
RUN/STOPbuttonandstopthesessionmanually.
Whenmeasuringparticlecounts,theseiconscorrespondtothefunctionkeys
(F1,F2,F3).F1istoenterCameraandvideomode,F2istoviewyoursaveddata,andF3isfor
Setupmode.
 
CapturingImages
Whilemeasuringparticlecounts,pressF1toenterthecameramode.PressF1tocapturea
Stillimage.ThenpressF1toSavetheimageorF3todeleteit.PressESCtogetbacktoexit
thismode.
CapturingVideo
Whilemeasuringparticlecounts,pressF1toenterthecameramode.PressF3toenterthe
videomode.TheLCDwillshow.NowpressF2tocapurevideoandpress
F2againtostopthevideocapture.Thevideofilewillbeautomaticallystored.TheSystem
Setupmodesectionallowstheusertostorevideotothemeter’sinternalmemoryortoan
installedMicro‐SDcard.PressESCtoexitthismode.
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ParticleCounterSetupMode
Whenmeasuring,thesedisplayicons arevisible.Press
F3toentertheSetupmode.Usetheupanddownarrowkeystoselect
anoptiontoeditandpressENTER()toaccesstheselection.
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SAMPLETIME(TestCycleTime)
SelectSampleTime.PresstheEnter()buttontoentertheoption
andPressEnteragaintoactivatethesettingforediting.Usethearrowbuttonstosetthe
samplingtime/gasvolume(3to60seconds).UsetheEscbuttontosave
andreturntothemenu.

7VPC300‐en‐GB_v1.55/15
STARTDELAY
Theteststartdelaytimeisadjustable(3to100seconds).FromtheParticlesetupmenu,use
theUpandDownarrowstoselectStartDelay.PresstheEnter() buttontoentertheoption
andPressEnteragaintoactivatethesettingforediting.Usethearrowkeystoselectthe
desiredelaytime.Thetestwillnotstartuntiltheprogrammeddelaytimehaselapsed.Use
theEscbuttontosavethesettingandtoreturntothemenulist.
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CHANNELDISPLAY
Selectchannelsthataretobedisplayed.FromtheParticlesetupmenu,usetheUpandDown
arrowstoselectChannelDisplay.PresstheEnter() buttontoentertheoption.Usethe
arrowkeystoselectthechannelandpresstheEnterkeytoselectorde‐selectthechannel.
UsetheEsckeytosavethesettingandtoreturntothemenu.
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AMBIENTTEMPERAURE/%RH
EnableorDisabletheambienttemperatureandrelativehumiditydisplays.FromtheParticle
setupmenu,usetheUpandDownarrowstoselectAmbientTemp/RH.PresstheEnter()
buttontoentertheoption.UsethearrowkeystoselectEnableorDisableandusetheESC
buttontosaveandreturntothemenu.
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SAMPLECYCLE
Setthedesirednumberoftestcyclestorun.FromtheParticlesetupmenu,usetheUpand
DownarrowstoselectSampleCycle.PresstheEnter() buttontoentertheoptionand
PressEnteragaintoactivatethesettingforediting.Usethearrowkeystoselectthenumber
ofcyclestorunthetest(1to100).PressESCtosavesettingandtoreturntothemenulist.
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8VPC300‐en‐GB_v1.55/15
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SAMPLEMODE
Selectdesiredmode(Cumulative,Differential,orConcentration).FromtheParticle
setupmenu,usetheUpandDownarrowstoselectSampleMode.PresstheEnter() button
toentertheoption.UsethearrowbuttonstoselectdesiredmodeandthenuseESCtosave
andtoreturntothemenulist.
CumulativeMode–measuresallparticlesthataregreaterthanorequaltotheparticlesize
selectedintheSampleVolumefield.
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DifferentialMode–measuresallparticlesthataregreaterthanorequaltotheparticlesize
selectedintheSampleVolumefield,butlessthanthenextlargestparticlesize.
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ConcentrationMode–usedtotakeaquicksampleofairborneparticulates,performed
especiallyinareaswheretheparticulatelevelsareunknownandmayexceedtheoperating
levelsofthiscounter.
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INTERVAL(TIMEBETWEENREPEATEDTESTCYCLES)
Setthetimebetweentestsfortestswithmorethanonecycle(1to100seconds).Fromthe
Particlesetupmenu,usetheUpandDownarrowstoselectIntervalTime.PresstheEnter()
buttontoentertheoptionandPressEnteragaintoactivatethesettingforediting.Usethe
arrowbuttonstosetthedesiredintervaltime.UsetheESCbuttontosavesettingandto
returntothemenu.Note:TheINTERVALsettingisonlyforprogrammingthetimebetween
testcycles,notbetweenindividualmeasurements.
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9VPC300‐en‐GB_v1.55/15
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LEVEL(ALARMLIMIT)INDICATION
SelecttheAlarmLimit(Level)ofthecorrespondingparticlesize.Whentheselectedparticle
sizeisexceeded,theinstrumentalertstheuser.FromtheParticlesetupmenu,usetheUpand
DownarrowstoselectLevelIndication.PresstheEnter() buttontoentertheoption.Use
thearrowbuttonstoselectthedesiredalarmlimitandthenpressESCtosavesettingand
returntothemenu.
MemoryStorageBrowser
WhenthemeterisswitchedON,theseLCDiconsare
visible .PressF1toenterthedatamemory
section.Therearethreeoptionsavailableinthememorymode,
Picture,Video,andParticleLogs.
UsethearrowbuttonstoselectoneandthenpressENTER() to
accesstheselection.
Whenbrowsingimages,data,andvideousethearrowbuttonsto
navigate,usetheEnterbuttontoselect,andusetheESCorF3
buttontoreturntothemenu.
PressESCagaintoexittothepower‐onscreen.
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10VPC300‐en‐GB_v1.55/15
SystemSetupParameters
WhenthemeterisswitchedON,theseLCDiconsarevisible .ClickontheF2
keyandthemenulistwillappear.Detailedexplanationsareprovidedbelowforeach
parameter.UsetheArrowkeystochoosethedesiredparameter.
DATE/TIME SettheDateandTime.PresstheEnter() buttontoopenthe
selectionforediting.Usethearrowkeystochangeavalue,anduse
theEnterbuttontogotothenextitem.PresstheESCbuttontosave
thesettingreturntotheSetupmenu.
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FONTCOLOR  SelectthecolorfortheDisplayfont.PresstheEnter() buttonto
opentheselectionforediting.Usethearrowkeystoselectacolor
andusetheESCbuttontosavethesettingandreturntotheSetup
menu.
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LANGUAGE Selectthedesiredlanguageformenutext.PresstheEnter()
buttontoopentheselectionforediting.Usethearrowkeystoselect
alanguageandusetheESCbuttontosavethesettingandreturnto
theSetupmenu.
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