Gemini Tinytag TGE-0001 User manual
Tinytag Energy Logger
Technical Manual
01 Contents 03
02 Warnings and PAT Testing Instructions 04
03 Introduction 06
04 In the Case 07
05 Controls and Connections 08
06 Logger Display 09
07 Logger Markings 10
08 Quick Start 12
Modes of Operation:
09 Single Phase Current 14
10 Three Phase Current 15
11 Single Phase Current and Voltage 16
12 Three Phase Current and Voltage 17
12.1 Positioning Coils 19
12.2 Screen Messages 22
12.3 Manual Conguration 24
13 Data Logging 27
14 Tinytag Explorer 28
15 What Does the Logger Record? 34
16 How the Energy Logger Works 36
17 Logging Specication 38
18 Measurement Specication 39
19 Physical Specication 40
20 Maintenance and Service Instructions 41
21 Battery Information 42
22 Approvals and Warranty 43
Contents
02 03
• This equipment should be used within the temperature
range and other environmental conditions specied in
this manual.
• Voltage Range 230V ±10%
• Mains Transient Overvoltage Category II, 2.5kV
• Measurement Category IEC61010: 2001 CAT II
• Operating Temperature 0 to +50°C
• Maximum RH 95% (non-condensing)
• Maximum Altitude 3000m
• Keep away from pacemakers
• Keep away from iPods and hard drives
• Keep at least 10mm from credit cards
• There is a danger it will shatter if it makes a sudden
contact with a hard surface.
• Keep away from children, this magnet is not a toy.
Portable Appliance Testing - Flash Test
• Do not Flash Test this product at more than 3000v RMS.
• Due to EMC ltering components within the product, the
leakage current at the ash test voltage may be up to
10mA & register as a fail on some PAT testers.
• The logger must only be used as intended and in
accordance with the instructions in this manual. Failure to
do so may impair the safety features of the logger.
• Never attempt to use the logger or accessories if they
appear to be damaged or malfunctioning. Disconnect the
mains supply and contact your supplier.
• The logger is for indoor use only. Do not use in damp or
wet environments.
• Installation of this logger may expose the operator
to hazardous voltages. If in doubt, refer to a qualied
electrician.
• The mains input of the logger (see page 6) must only
be connected to an AC mains socket using the supplied
lead. Do not exceed the maximum rated input voltage
for the logger.
• The current measurement inputs must only be connected
to approved exible coil current transducers, Gemini part
number ACS-002X. Any other type of connection may
damage the logger and expose the user to hazardous
voltages.
• An earthed mains connection is required for correct
operation, not for device safety.
• When changing batteries, make sure the mains lead is
removed from the logger.
• Only use 4 x Alkaline AA batteries, observing the correct
polarity.
• The logger must only be operated with the battery cover
tted.
• The logger contains no user-serviceable parts. Do not
open (except to remove the battery cover when replacing
batteries).
• The logger contains hazardous voltages and a lithium
battery. Servicing must be carried out by an authorised
service centre only. Please contact your supplier for
further information.
04 05
The Tinytag Energy logger combines the level of
performance required by experts with the level of simplicity
required by those that are new to energy management.
The logger is ideal for monitoring building energy supply,
sections within a building or individual pieces of equipment.
Data from the Tinytag Energy Logger can be used to identify
power-hungry or inefcient equipment and peak load times,
and can highlight equipment that is left powered up or idling
unnecessarily.
The Tinytag Energy Logger provides visibility of energy
usage so that effective measures can be taken to reduce
electricity bills, lower carbon footprint and improve
environmental performance.
• Simple to use
• High accuracy
• Non-invasive
• Small size/lightweight
• Reduce energy costs
• Reduce carbon foot print
• Can be used straight out of the box
• Track down inefcient pieces of equipment
04 In the Case
06 07
Warning!
Text marked with this symbol is important
information, vital to the correct and safe
usage of this data logger. Please read these
warnings carefully.
The information presented in this document has been
carefully checked for reliability; however, no responsibility is
assumed for inaccuracies. The information in this document is
subject to change without notice.
The following items are supplied in the carry case:
• 1 x Tinytag Energy Logger
• 3 x Clip on coils
• 1 x UK mains lead
• 1 x EU mains lead
• 1 x USB cable
• 1 x User Manual
The Tinytag Explorer software used to congure the logger
and view the data from it is downloadable from our website.
See page 28 for further instructions.
05 Controls and Connections
08 09
3
4
1
1
5
2
3
2
1. PC interface connection (USB “B” Socket)
2. Mains input
3. Display
4. Control buttons
5. Coil connections (for ACS-002X coils)
Allows you to step through the different
wiring congurations the logger supports
Starts and stops the
data logger recording
Allows you to scroll through current,
voltage and power readings from the logger
This shows the different wiring congurations supported by
the logger. To step though them, press the Function button.
When a wiring conguration is selected, the logger will show
prompts in this area of the display to tell the user what needs
to be plugged in next. This area of the display is also used to
display error messages.
Current, voltage, power and power factor information is
displayed here. To step through them, press the Scroll
button.
10 11
CE
This equipment meets the requirements
of the EMC Directive and Low Voltage
Directive of the European Union.
A Declaration of Conformance for this
product is available upon request, please
contact your supplier for further information.
Indicates the position of a USB B socket, on the
side of the logger, to connect it to a computer
to congure and recover data from it.
Indicates the position of the logger’s earth
connection.
This product is tted with a strong magnet
to attach the unit to panels whilst in use. This
symbol on the back of the logger indicates
where the magnet is positioned. Observe the
warnings on page 4 of this manual.
WEEE
Data loggers, accessories and batteries should
be disposed of at organised facilities, where
available, in line with local regulations.
In accordance with the WEEE directive Gemini
Data Loggers (UK) Ltd. will take back and
dispose of any equipment purchased directly.
Equipment not purchased directly should be
returned to the point of sale for disposal.
Observe the text of any warning messages
associated with this symbol.
12 13
1. Insert the supplied batteries in logger, observing the
correct polarity.
2. Press any of the loggers three buttons to wake it up.
Select the wiring conguration to be monitored
by pressing the function button.
3. Follow the on-screen prompts and plug in the current
coils and mains lead as directed.
4. Clip the current coils around the appropriate conductors.
The logger will self congure.
• If monitoring three-phase current and voltage, adjust the
position of the coils if directed to do so (see page 17 for
further information).
5. Read values directly from the logger’s display,
pressing the scroll button to view different
properties.
Or
6. Press the data logging button to start it
recording.
• Follow the instructions on page 28 to download and
install the Tinytag Explorer software.
7. Connect the logger to the computer using the USB
cable.
• Click the Get Data button in the software.
1
3
4
6
2
3
5
7
• Select the wiring conguration to be monitored
by pressing the function button.
• Follow the on-screen prompt and plug in the L1 coil.
• Clip the coil around the correct conductor.
• Wait for the logger to complete a self check.
• Read current from the screen.
• Press and hold the Record button until the logger
conrms it is recording.
• Select the wiring conguration to be monitored
by pressing the function button.
• Follow the on-screen prompt and plug in the L1, L2 & L3
coils.
• Clip the coils around the correct conductors.
• Wait for the logger to complete a self check.
• Read currents from the screen.
• Press and hold the Record button until the logger
conrms it is recording.
09 Modes of Operation:
10 Modes of Operation:
14 15
For monitoring single-phase current where no mains
connection is available.
In this mode the logger will be powered by its batteries, and
will be able to log for a minimum of two months.
For monitoring three-phase current where no mains
connection is available.
In this mode the logger will be powered by its batteries, and
will be able to log for a minimum of two months.
• Select the wiring conguration to be monitored
by pressing the function button.
• Follow the on-screen prompt and plug in:
• The mains cable.
• The L1 coil.
• Clip the coil around the correct conductor.
• Wait for the logger to congure.
• Read values from the screen, pressing the scroll
button to step through the current, voltage and
power readings.
• Press and hold the Record button until the logger
conrms it is recording.
• Select the wiring conguration to be monitored
by pressing the function button.
11 Modes of Operation:
12 Modes of Operation:
16 17
For monitoring single-phase current with a voltage reference.
In this mode the logger will be powered from the mains, and
will be able to log for six weeks before it lls its memory at
the default ve minute logging interval.
For monitoring three-phase current with a voltage reference.
In this mode the logger will be powered from the mains, and
will be able to log for six weeks before it lls its memory at
the default ve minute logging interval.
Before logging is started, the logger is in a set-up mode
where it automatically matches the voltage measurement
against the three current measurements.
Coil positioning is particularly important to allow this
automatic set-up to complete. See page 20 for examples,
and follow the prompts on the display.
Automatic set-up is complete once the prompts disappear;
recording can then be started.
Once recording, the position of the coils is no longer as
important and provided they remain around the conductors
they were congured to, the logger will measure correctly.
• Follow the on-screen prompt and plug in:
• The mains cable.
• Coils L1, L2 & L3.
12 Modes of Operation:
18 19
• Clip the coils around the correct conductors. For
recommendations on coil positioning, see page 20.
• Wait for the logger to complete a self check, adjusting
the position of coils if prompted. For information on
screen messages, see page 20.
• In the event that the automatic conguration fails, the
logger can be congured manually. For information on
manually conguring the data logger, see page 24.
• Read values from the screen, pressing the scroll
button to step through the current, voltage and
power and power factor readings.
• Press and hold the Record button until the logger
conrms it is recording.
Positioning Coils
Before logging can be started the logger has to determine
which current phase the voltage reading is being derived
from.
For the automatic conguration to work successfully, the
current coils need to be separated correctly.
Connecting Coils
The three supplied coils are interchangeable and can be
plugged into any socket (they are not calibrated to a specic
socket or phase).
Ensure, where possible, that coils are connected around
the correct conductor, pairing any colour indicators on the
conductors with the appropriate socket on the logger.
The orientation of the coil, with regard to the direction of
the current ow, is not important and coils can be connected
around a conductor either way around.
On the following page is a table offering some guidance on
good and bad coil positioning for the set-up.
Once the logger has congured itself, and logging has
started, the coils simply need to be kept around the correct
conductor.
If the logger cannot automatically congure it will display
prompts to guide the user what to do (see page 24).
20 21
Positioning Coils
When separating coils, move them holding the grey cable.
Holding the green part of the coil may affect the set up.
Once the logger has automatically congured and logging
has been started, the position of the coils is no longer
important and as long as they are left around the conductors
they were congured to the logger will record correctly.
Care should be taken when positioning coils during the set
up of the logger to ensure they are well spaced, don’t
overlap or are placed too closely to neighbouring
conductors. Poor positioning of coils can prevent the logger
conguring automatically.
If the conductors are close together, coils can be angled
around conductors.
The coil around the blue conductor is too close to the yellow
conductor. Ensure that coils are not positioned too closely to
neighbouring conductors. Ensure coils are not positioned next to secondary conductors
from the other phases.
The batteries in the logger need replacing.
This error message shows for a few seconds after clearing the
“Plug in I1, l2 or l3” message.
A three-phase current conguration is selected and one or
more of the coils have not been clipped around a conductor.
This error may also be caused by a placement problem.
Connect Mains!
A conguration using the mains connector is selected, but
mains is not connected or has not been switched on.
The mains voltage is lower than the minimum operating
voltage (200V).
Instantaneous current levels are too high. The current prole
probably has large spikes exceeding 5,000A (instantaneous).
Alternatively the current may signicantly exceed the
2000A RMS rated range. Logging will continue, but power
measurements may be underestimated.
This error messages indicate that one or more coils are
not connected to the logger.
A three-phase current and voltage conguration is
selected. This message indicates that two (or maybe
all three) coils appear to be correlated with the same
conductor. The coils may all be clipped around
different phases, but one of them may be lying too
close to one of the other conductors. See page 17 for
recommendations on positioning coils.
This error message indicates that the data logger’s
internal clock is not set. It can be set by connecting
the data logger to Tinytag Explorer and performing a
current reading (click and in
the software).
The logger’s clock is synchronised with the computer
clock every time it is used with Tinytag Explorer
(whether for starting the logger, downloading data or
showing current readings).
22 23
In some applications, such as those where conductors are
armoured, the logger may fail to congure automatically. In
these instances, it may still be possible to get it to congure.
This is a tool that may help to visualise the separation of coils
that are too close to each other.
To get to the diagram , press and hold the scroll key and
press the function key at the same time.
Press and hold and press
A graphical representation of the coil positions is shown as a
circular diagram, with shaded areas representing the phases
and boxes for each of the coils (these are labelled l1, l2 and
l3).
Moving the coils in proximity to the conductors will change
their positions on the diagram. If coils are correctly separated
they should each be positioned in their own shaded area.
If this is not the case, try separating the coils further from
their neighbouring conductors.
Once the coils are in the shaded areas, and the error
messages have disappeared, the record button can
be pressed to start the data logger recording.
Once the logger is logging, the coils simply need to be kept
around the correct conductor.
If a cable with a non-polarised mains plug is being used,
where the polarity of the connection can be
the shaded area.
As long as all three coils are positioned in the same style of
area the logger should congure.
If the automatic conguration fails, and the phase matching
diagram doesn’t help, it is possible to manually specify which
phase the voltage is being derived from, and the relative
order of the other two phases.
To get to this manual conguration mode, enter the phase
matching diagram mode, as described above, and then press
and hold the function key.
Press and hold
24 25
The mains connection and relative order information is shown
on the left-hand side of the screen, whilst the readings from
the current conguration are shown on the right.
Pressing the function key will step the logger through six
different congurations:
• Mains connected to L1; L1 lags L2 lags L3
• Mains connected to L2; L1 lags L2 lags L3
• Mains connected to L3; L1 lags L2 lags L3
• Mains connected to L1; L1 leads L2 leads L3
• Mains connected to L2; L1 leads L2 leads L3
• Mains connected to L3; L1 leads L2 leads L3
If you know the wiring diagram of the application you are
monitoring it should be possible to determine which of the
above is the correct option.
It may help to determine which is the correct
conguration by pressing the scroll button to
step through the current, power and power factor
readings from the logger.
Once you have determined which conguration is
the correct one, press the record button to start the
data logger recording.
Pressing the scroll button and the function button together
will exit the manual setup and return you to the main page.
26 27
The energy logger can be started and stopped multiple
times without needing to connect it to a computer.
Once a logger has been connected, pressing and
holding the logging button will start it recording. On
screen prompts will conrm the logger has started,
and a logging icon will be shown on the display.
As supplied the logger is congured to record at a ve
minute logging interval. This logging will allow the logger to
record for six weeks when three-phase current and voltage
is being monitored. If less phases are being monitored, the
logger will record for longer.
The logger can be congured to record from a minimum of
once every 30 seconds to a maximum of once every 10 days,
using the supplied Tinytag Explorer software.
Logging can be stopped at any time by pressing
and holding the logging button. On screen prompts
will conrm the logger has been stopped and the
logging icon will disappear.
The logger can record multiple logging runs, using the
logging button to start and stop recording sessions as
required.
By default, the logger will keep recording, over-writing the
oldest data when its memory is full. The logger can be set
to stop recording when it lls its memory using the Tinytag
Explorer software.
28 29
The Tinytag Explorer software is used to recongure an
energy logger and to view recorded data.
The following takes you through the process of installing
Tinytag Explorer, the basics of conguring an energy logger
and downloading the data recorded by it.
Once Tinytag Explorer has been installed, you can nd
further information in the software’s Help le by going to
and Contents.
• To start using Tinytag Explorer, you will need to register
and download the software.
You will nd a label on this manual’s inside front cover that
contains a and a website
address to register and download the software. After
downloading Tinytag Explorer, open the le . The
Tinytag Explorer Installer will run after a few seconds and
present you with a Welcome screen.
• Click to start the installation.
• Review the software’s license agreement and if you
accept the terms click
then .
• You will then be asked where you want to install the
software (we recommend you use the default installation
path) and whether you would like a shortcut for the
software to be created on your desktop. Once you have
made your choices, click , then Install.
• The software will then install automatically (Windows
may prompt you to conrm your agreement to the
installation). When you see the Installation Complete
screen, click Finish.
• Once the installation is complete, you will be asked to
restart your computer, click Yes to do this.
To start Tinytag Explorer, click on the desktop icon
for the software:
If you didn’t create a desktop icon when installing the
software, you can start the software by going to:
Explorer
The rst time you run Tinytag
Explorer, you will be prompted to
activate the software.
Enter the activation code into the box provided and choose
whether you want it to be applied to all the user accounts on
the computer.
Next click and you will see a message to
conrm that the code has been accepted.
Plug the USB cable into your computer.
Turn on the energy logger (by pressing any of the buttons on
the front of the unit) and plug in the USB cable.
After a few moments Windows should inform you that the
logger has installed and is ready to use.
Because the energy logger can be used to record multiple
runs, it displays multiple les, one for each recording session,
so the user can chose what data they wish to view.
In the download window that opens when the Get Data
option is selected in Tinytag Explorer, only new data, that has
not been downloaded before, is shown by default.
Clicking on a le for a recording session will open that data.
Data from older logging runs that is held on the logger can
be accessed from the download window by clicking the
check box.
Old data les are shown fainter than ones that have not been
downloaded before.
When data is downloaded from an energy logger, a trace
selector will appear on the left hand side of the screen.
Expanding this selector and checking and un-checking the
different boxes will allow different properties to be displayed.
A kW hour gure is shown in the graph key when average
power information traces are selected.
A total kWh gure for the data being viewed can also be
found in the Information View.
30 31
To congure an energy logger, to change how often a
unit records, or to clear old readings from a unit, click the
icon:
The rst time you start a data logger, you will be presented
with the view.
Once you have entered a description for your logging run,
and set the logging interval, the data logger will be ready to
use. Click the button to start recording.
Should you need to change further settings in the data
logger, click the button.
To change an option on the Advanced Settings page, you will
need to click on the icon next to the option.
The logging description is a text label that is stored in the
data logger. This is shown as title on the recorded data when
it is downloaded from the logger .
The Logging Interval option enables you to set how often
an energy logger will record (the minimum interval is 30
seconds).
Overwrite allows you to chose what happens when a logger
lls its memory.
If is selected, the logger will overwrite its
oldest readings when it lls its memory, meaning that only
the most recent data recorded will be retained.
If is selected, the logger will stop recording
when full and preserve the data it has already stored.
Clear Old Readings allows you to congure an energy logger
without losing the data already stored on it.
Selecting will wipe the logger.
Once you have set up your logger as you wish it to record,
click the Congure button.
Further information on how to use Tinytag Explorer can
be found in the software’s Help le by going to and
Contents.
32 33
The logger’s display shows instantaneous RMS current (A)
from all three phases, the instantaneous RMS voltage (V), an
instantaneous overall power gure (kW) and power factor
information for all three phases.
When data is downloaded in the Tinytag Explorer software,
the following information is calculated and displayed:
• Peak and average current per phase
• Peak and average power per phase
• Overall peak and average power
• Energy usage information (kWh)
• Power factor for each phase
34 35
Instantaneous
Peak over logging interval
Average over logging interval
Instantaneous
Instantaneous
Peak over logging interval
Average over logging interval
Per phase
Single
Overall
Per phase
Per phase
Per phase
Single
Overall & per phase
Overall & per phase
Per phase
Overall & per phase
Voltage
Mains voltage is measured by direct connection to the mains
supply. The data logger samples the voltage signal at 1kHz
for 100ms to calculate RMS voltage and true power.
Current is measured using exible rogowski coils. They
measure the current passing through the conductor which
they are wrapped around. The current measurement is
relatively immune to interference from currents in conductors
which pass nearby, but not through, the coil.
The data logger samples the current signal at 5kHz for 100ms
to calculate RMS current and true power.
The analogue current signal is ltered before being
sampled. This ensures that the true power gure can be
calculated accurately, even if the current signal has very
sharp spikes. However this lter means that the RMS current
gure displayed and logged by the data logger will be an
underestimate if the current signal has very sharp spikes
above the 6th harmonic.
At 1ms intervals (1kHz) the data logger multiplies together
the instantaneous current and instantaneous voltage samples.
The average over 100ms (ve or six mains cycles) gives true
power. This gure appears on the data logger display.
The data logger can directly measure the current in three
conductors simultaneously, however it can only measure the
voltage of one.
The data logger generates equivalent voltage signals for the
other two phases by delaying the measured voltage signal by
one third and two thirds of a mains cycle. This is effectively
assuming that:
• The phases are separated by 120°.
• The phases have the same voltage magnitude.
• Any voltage harmonic distortion is identical across three
phases.
These assumptions may typically lead to an error of up to 1%.
The 100ms burst of readings is repeated every two seconds
(this is reduced to every ve seconds if logging on batteries,
to conserve battery power). The Average Power trace shown
in Tinytag Explorer is the average value over the 5 minute
logging interval - an average of 150 true power calculations.
The Maximum Power trace is the largest value calculated
over the same interval. Maximum Current is calculated on the
same basis.
In some congurations Tinytag Explorer will display three
separate traces for the power transferred by each of the three
phases. This is in addition to the Overall Power trace.
The per-phase power traces are calculated assuming that
the load is wye connected. That is, that all the current in
each phase returns through neutral. This assumption is often
entirely true, for example if the three phases power lighting
and ofce circuits. The per-phase power traces can be used
to judge the balance between those circuits.
If the three phase load is delta connected then it is not
physically possible to break down the overall power into per-
phase components. The per-phase traces are meaningless
and should be ignored. Only the Overall Power trace is
useful.
36 37
30 seconds to
10 days
Six weeks at the
default 5 minute
logging interval
2,000A AC RMS (Momentary
peak surge current: 2x rated range)
Voltage 200-253V AC nominal
Nominal 50/60Hz
0.1A
Voltage 0.1V
0.1 or 0.01kW depending on the
size of the load being measured.
1% of reading ±0.5A (above 10A)
0.5% of reading
2% of reading
<0.02 error (above 1kW)
*Temperature Stability of Current Accuracy 0.1%/°C
(from 25°C)
5kHz burst of samples
every 2 seconds (every 5
seconds when logging on
battery power)
Coils
5kA AC RMS
38 39
This manual suits for next models
2
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