Extech Instruments EA15 User manual

User Guide
Thermocouple Datalogging Thermometer
Seven (7) Thermocouple input types K, J, T, E, R, S, N
Dual thermocouple Input with PC Interface
Model EA15
Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of the Extech Datalogging Thermometer. This device
offers dual thermocouple inputs with manual and automatic datalogging capabilities.
Careful use of this meter will provide years of reliable service.

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Specifications
Measurement Ranges K - Type : -200.0oF to +1999.9oF (-150.0oC to +1370.0oC)
J - Type : -200.0oF to +1994.0oF (-150.0oC to +1090.0oC)
T - Type : -200.0oF to +752.0oF (-150.0oC to +400.0oC)
E - Type : -200.0oF to +1598.0oF (-150.0oC to +870.0oC)
R - Type : +32oF to +1999.9oF (0.0oC to +1767.0oC)
S - Type : +32oF to +1999.9oF (0.0oC to +1767.0oC)
N - Type : -200.0oF to +1999.9oF (-150.0oC to +1300.0oC)
Resolution J, K, T, E, N Type: 0.1oF/oC/K
R, S Type: 1.0oF/oC/K (0.1° for reference only)
Accuracy J, K, T, E, N Type: ±(0.05% reading + 1.5oF (0.75°C)
below -148°F (-100°C): add 0.15% of reading for J, K, E and N;
0.45% of reading for T; ±0.05 of reading +2°F(1°C) for R, S
Temperature Coefficient 0.01% of reading +0.06°F per °F (+0.03 °C) outside the specified
+64°F to 82°F (+18°C to 28°C) range
Below -148°F (-100°C): add 0.04% of reading for J, K, E and N
type; and 0.08% of reading for T type
Note: Temperature accuracy does not include the accuracy of the probe.
Note: The temperature scale is based on the international temperature scale of 1990 (ITS90).
Display Dual Display Multi-function LCD with Backlight
Input Protection 60VDC; 24VAC rms
Measurement Rate 1 time per 1.5 second
Over range indication "OL" appears on the LCD
Open input indication "OL" appears on the LCD
Low battery indication “BT” appears on the LCD
Manual Memory Capacity 98 sets
Datalogging Memory Capacity 8800 sets
Power supply 6 ‘AAA’ Batteries
Battery life Approximately 200 hours with alkaline batteries
Operating Temperature 32 to 122oF (0 to 50oC)
Operating Humidity < 80% RH
Storage Temperature 14 to 140oF (-10 to 60oC)
Storage Humidity 10 to 80% RH
Dimensions 5.91 x 2.8 x 1.4" (150 x 72 x 35mm)
Weight Approx. 8.29 oz. (235g) with batteries

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Meter Description
1. RS-232 and thermocouple input jacks
2. LCD display
3. Power, Data Hold, and Backlight buttons
4. Max/Min, display select, and units buttons
5. MEM, input TYPE, and READ buttons
6. SET button
7. Battery compartment (rear)
8. Up/Down scroll button
9. Enter Button
Operation
Connecting thermocouples
1. This meter accepts two thermocouples with spade plugs (sub-miniature type with one
spade wider than the other).
2. Plug the thermocouple(s) into the meter's T1 and/or T2 thermocouple input jack(s).
3. Always check LCD display for the proper thermocouple type selection..
Turn Power ON
Press the button to turn power on. The meter will perform a short self-test. If a
thermocouple is not plugged into the selected input or if the thermocouple is "open", the
display will show "- - - - -". The default thermocouple type, units and display is determined
from the parameters selected when the meter was last used.
Selecting thermocouple type
Press the TYPE button to select the type of thermocouple being used.
Selecting °C, °F or °K units of measure
Press the C/F/K button to select the unit of measure.
Selecting T1, T2, and T1-T2 Displays
Press the T1 T2 T1-T2 button to step through and select from the following displays:
a. T1 (thermocouple 1) primary display and T2 (thermocouple 2) lower display.
b. T2 primary display and T1 lower display
c. (T1-T2) (difference between T1 and T2) primary display and T1 lower display
d. (T1-T2)primary display and T2 lower display
Notes:
•To avoid electrical shock or personal injury, do not apply more than 20Vrms, between
the thermocouples, or between any thermocouple and earth ground.
•If voltage on the measurement surface results in potentials of more than 1V,
measurement errors may occur.
•If a potential exists between the thermocouples, use electrically insulated
thermocouples.
TYPE
KJTERSN MX AVG-MN
INTERVAL
mi n : se c
hour:min
T2
T1
T1
T2
C
F
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7 8 9

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Data Hold
Press the HOLD button to freeze the displayed reading. The 'H' hold icon will appear on
the display. Press the HOLD button again to return to normal operation.
MIN, MAX, AVG Recording Function with Timer
Press the MX/MN button to begin capturing the Minimum (MN),
Maximum (MX), and Average (AVG) temperature values. The
Elapsed Time clock will appear on the lower left of the display.
The primary display shows the current temperature. The lower
display will indicate the MX, MN or AVG value (depending on
which is selected) captured since the MX/MN button was
pressed.
1. Press the MX/MN button to step through the MX, MN or AVG display Each reading
will be accompanied by a Timer value indicating the time when each reading was
recorded
2. Press and hold the ‘↵’ button to change the elapsed time format from min:sec to
hour:min
3. Press and Hold the MX/MN button to exit the MX/MN function.
Backlight
Press the backlight button to turn on the LCD display backlight. The backlight will
automatically turn off after one minute (or press the button again to turn the light off
manually).
Auto Power OFF
The meter will automatically turn off after 30 minutes if no keys are pressed during this
period. AUTO POWER OFF is disabled in the max/min and datalogging modes.
To disable AUTO POWER OFF manually:
1. Hold the enter button ‘↵’ while turning power on.
2. The AUTO POWER OFF function will be reactivated when the meter is manually
turned off.
Turning Power OFF
Press the button to turn power off.
Manual Datalogging
Manual datalogging allows the user to store and recall up to 98 temperature readings with the
press of a button.
1. Press the MEM button to manually store a single reading
into memory. The ‘MEM’ icon and location number of the
reading will appear on display for two seconds and then the
normal display will return.
2. To view stored readings, press the READ button. The
memory location number will briefly appear and then the
‘READ’ icon and the stored values will appear on the
display
3. Press the ▲and ▲buttons to scroll through the memory locations and view the
logged readings.
4. Press the ‘READ’ button to exit the read mode
5. Press and hold the MEM button while turning the meter on
to clear the memory. When the LCD indicates "CLr", the
memory has been cleared.
.

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Automatic Datalogging
Automatic datalogging allows the user to store up to 8,800 temperature readings in memory
for later downloading and viewing using the supplied software. The storage interval rate is
programmable from 3 to 255 seconds.
1. Press and HOLD the SET button for two seconds to
enter the interval programming screen. The ‘MEM’ and
‘INTERVAL’ icons and interval time will appear on the
display. Use the ▲and ▲buttons to scroll through the
available intervals (3 to 255 seconds). Press the ‘↵’
button to select the desired logging interval
2. Make note of the start time (time of day) for your
datalogging session as you will be prompted for this
information when downloading the data.
3. Press and hold the MEM button for two seconds to enter the datalogging mode. The
‘MEM’ icon on the center of the display will flash each time a record is stored (at the
interval selected above). When the memory is full, ‘FULL’ will appear on the display
and the meter will stop logging data.
4. To stop and exit the datalogging mode, press the MEM button.
5. To download data, read the datalogging sections below.
Note: Max/Min and AVG functions can be used with the meter in datalogging mode
Clearing stored data
1. Press the “ ” button to turn the meter off.
2. Press and hold the MEM button, then press the “ ” button to turn the meter on.
When the LCD indicates "CLr", the entire memory has been erased.
Datalogging Software
The instructions on how to install the datalogging software are printed on the Software CD
label. After reading the label’s
directions, load the software CD in the
PC CD-ROM drive.
When the program is opened a COM
PORT selection screen appears. Select
either COM 1 or COM 2 depending on
which computer port will be used to
connect to the meter with the supplied
cable (the cable connects to the top of
the meter and to a DB9 9-pin COM
PORT on the PC).
Once the COM PORT selection is
correctly made, the meter and PC begin
communicating. The main software
screen, shown at right, appears. The
menu icons at the top of the screen are
explained below.

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SAVE FILE ICON
The SAVE FILE icon is the first icon on the left (floppy disk symbol). Click on this icon to
save recorded data to a text file. When clicked, the PC will prompt for a filename and
location. Once saved, this file can be opened in other programs such as spreadsheets,
word processors, and databases.
OPEN FILE ICON
The OPEN FILE icon is located second from left. Click to open a file that has already been
saved.
DATA LIST ICON
The LIST icon is located third from left on the main
software screen. When clicked, data is shown on
the screen in list format (shown at right). To save,
graph, or print the list, click the SAVE, GRAPH, or
PRINT icons in the Data List window.
DATA GRAPH ICON
The GRAPH icon is located fourth from left. When
clicked, the data is shown on an x-y graph (see
diagram below). The vertical axis represents the temperature units; the horizontal axis
represents the time.
Click on the PRINT to get a hard copy of the
graph. Press the four-arrow icon (next to the
PRINT icon) to change the scale and to
select data range to be viewed. See
diagram below
SAMPLING INTERVAL
The INTERVAL icon (2nd icon from right) allows the user to change the number of
seconds that the meter waits before
logging a reading. If the interval is set to
5 seconds, the meter will record a
reading every 5 seconds, for example.
The range is 1 to 86,400 seconds.

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MIN/MAX/AVG ICON
The AVG icon (3rd icon from right) allows the user to view maximum, minimum and
average readings for T1 and T2 inputs in real time
when the meter is connected to the RS232 Port
via the optical cable.
Downloading Readings from the Meter to a PC
With the meter connected to the PC (as described earlier)
and the software running, click on the datalogger
download icon (first icon from the right) to begin
downloading data from the meter to the PC.
When the screen shown at right appears, select a set to
view by clicking on its number. A set is simply a datalog
session. Data will be displayed in the data list format
described earlier in DATA LIST ICON.
Once a data set has been selected
the screen shown below will appear.
Enter the time of day datalogging
began as noted earlier (in
HR:MN:SC format).

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
Support Hotline [phone]
Tech support: Ext. 200; Email: [email protected]
Repair/Returns: Ext. 210; Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.extech.com
Warranty
EXTECH INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION warrants this instrument to be free of defects in parts and
workmanship for one year from date of shipment (a six month limited warranty applies on sensors and
cables). If it should become necessary to return the instrument for service during or beyond the warranty
period, contact the Customer Service Department at [phone] ext. 210 for authorization or visit our
website at www.extech.com (click on ‘Contact Extech’ and go to ‘Service Department’ to request an RA
number). A Return Authorization (RA) number must be issued before any product is returned to Extech. The
sender is responsible for shipping charges, freight, insurance and proper packaging to prevent damage in
transit. This warranty does not apply to defects resulting from action of the user such as misuse, improper
wiring, operation outside of specification, improper maintenance or repair, or unauthorized modification.
Extech specifically disclaims any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for a specific purpose and
will not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages. Extech's total liability is limited
to repair or replacement of the product. The warranty set forth above is inclusive and no other warranty,
whether written or oral, is expressed or implied.
Calibration and Repair Services
Extech offers complete repair and calibration services for most products we sell. For
periodic calibration, NIST certification or repair on most Extech products, call customer
service for details on services available. Extech recommends that calibration be performed
on an annual basis to ensure calibration integrity.
Copyright ©2003 Extech Instruments Corporation.
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.