Geokon GK-405 User manual

Instruction Manual
GK-405
Vibrating Wire Readout
No part of this instruction manual may be reproduced, by any means, without the written consent of Geokon, Inc.
The information contained herein is believed to be accurate and reliable. However, Geokon, Inc. assumes no responsibility for
errors, omissions, or misinterpretation. The information herein is subject to change without notification.
Copyright © 2013-2018 by Geokon, Inc.
(Doc Rev I, 05/03/2018)

Warranty Statement
Geokon, Inc. warrants its products to be free of defects in materials and workmanship, under
normal use and service for a period of 13 months from date of purchase. If the unit should
malfunction, it must be returned to the factory for evaluation, freight prepaid. Upon examination
by Geokon, if the unit is found to be defective, it will be repaired or replaced at no charge.
However, the WARRANTY is VOID if the unit shows evidence of having been tampered with
or shows evidence of being damaged as a result of excessive corrosion or current, heat, moisture
or vibration, improper specification, misapplication, misuse or other operating conditions outside
of Geokon's control. Components which wear or which are damaged by misuse are not
warranted. This includes fuses and batteries.
Geokon manufactures scientific instruments whose misuse is potentially dangerous. The
instruments are intended to be installed and used only by qualified personnel. There are no
warranties except as stated herein. There are no other warranties, expressed or implied, including
but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and of fitness for a particular
purpose. Geokon, Inc. is not responsible for any damages or losses caused to other equipment,
whether direct, indirect, incidental, special or consequential which the purchaser may experience
as a result of the installation or use of the product. The buyer's sole remedy for any breach of this
agreement by Geokon, Inc. or any breach of any warranty by Geokon, Inc. shall not exceed the
purchase price paid by the purchaser to Geokon, Inc. for the unit or units, or equipment directly
affected by such breach. Under no circumstances will Geokon reimburse the claimant for loss
incurred in removing and/or reinstalling equipment.
Every precaution for accuracy has been taken in the preparation of manuals and/or software,
however, Geokon, Inc. neither assumes responsibility for any omissions or errors that may
appear nor assumes liability for any damages or losses that result from the use of the products in
accordance with the information contained in the manual or software.

TABLE of CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................................1
1.1 FEATURES............................................................................................................................................................2
1.2 GK-405 ACCESSORIES.........................................................................................................................................3
1.3 GK-405 VIBRATING WIRE READOUT APPLICATION ............................................................................................3
1.4 BEFORE USING THE GK-405 VIBRATING WIRE READOUT ...................................................................................3
2. INSTALLATION AND OPERATION..................................................................................................................4
2.1 CONNECTING SENSORS........................................................................................................................................4
2.1.1 Sensors with 10-pin Connectors Attached ..................................................................................................4
2.1.2 Sensors with Bare Leads.............................................................................................................................4
2.2 INITIAL QUICK START SEQUENCE........................................................................................................................4
2.3 ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH THE REMOTE MODULE .......................................................................................6
2.4 INSTALLING THE GK-405 VWRA .....................................................................................................................11
2.4.1 Launching the GK-405 Installer ...............................................................................................................13
2.5 STARTING THE VIBRATING WIRE READOUT THE FIRST TIME ............................................................................16
3. USER INTERFACE..............................................................................................................................................19
3.1 OVERVIEW.........................................................................................................................................................19
3.2 LIVE READINGS SCREEN –RAW READINGS.......................................................................................................19
3.2.1 Display Mode............................................................................................................................................20
3.2.2 Sensor Index..............................................................................................................................................21
3.3 SENSOR SELECTION SCREEN..............................................................................................................................22
3.4 PROJECT EXPLORER...........................................................................................................................................23
3.4.1 Context Menu............................................................................................................................................23
3.5 APPLICATION MENU ..........................................................................................................................................26
3.5.1 Live Readings- With Selected Sensor........................................................................................................27
3.5.2 Edit Settings..............................................................................................................................................32
3.5.3 Remote Connect with….............................................................................................................................32
3.5.4 Terminal Window......................................................................................................................................34
3.5.5 About GK-405 VWRA................................................................................................................................34
3.6 FILE MENU ........................................................................................................................................................35
3.6.1 Delete Data Files......................................................................................................................................35
3.6.2 Export Menu..............................................................................................................................................36
3.6.3 Import Menu..............................................................................................................................................40
3.6.4 View Data .................................................................................................................................................41
3.6.5 Close GK-405............................................................................................................................................42
4. CONFIGURING PROJECT EXPLORER ELEMENTS..................................................................................43
4.1 PROJECT CONFIGURATION .................................................................................................................................43
4.2 SENSOR CONFIGURATION ..................................................................................................................................44
4.2.1 Sensor Settings Page One, General Sensor Information...........................................................................44
4.2.2 Sensor Settings Page Two, Conversion Method and Coefficients.............................................................45
4.2.3 Sensor Settings Page Three, Units Conversion.........................................................................................47
4.2.4 Sensor Settings Page Four, Temperature Settings....................................................................................49
5. FILES, FOLDERS AND TRANSFERRING DATA..........................................................................................51
5.1 FILE TRANSFER..................................................................................................................................................51
5.2 BACKING UP CONFIGURATIONS..........................................................................................................................52
6. TROUBLESHOOTING........................................................................................................................................53
6.1 BLUETOOTH SETUP AND CONNECTION ..............................................................................................................53
6.1.1 “Cannot Connect…the passcode is incorrect”.........................................................................................53
6.1.2 “Connection Problem” Error...................................................................................................................55
6.2 COMMON TROUBLESHOOTING SOLUTIONS ........................................................................................................57

APPENDIX A. GK-405 CONNECTIONS...............................................................................................................58
A.1 SINGLE SENSOR CONNECTION...........................................................................................................................58
A.2 LOAD CELL CONNECTION .................................................................................................................................59
A.2.1 Connecting to a Load Cell with 10-pin attached......................................................................................60
A.2.2 Connecting to a Load Cell with Flying Leads ..........................................................................................60
A.3 CHARGER CONNECTIONS ..................................................................................................................................61
APPENDIX B. CHANGING A FUSE......................................................................................................................62
APPENDIX C. REMOTE MODULE COMMAND STRUCTURE......................................................................64
APPENDIX D. DATA FILE FORMATS ................................................................................................................66
D.1 RAW DATA TEXT REPORT.................................................................................................................................66
D.2 DATA TEXT REPORT WITH COLUMN AND REPORT HEADERS............................................................................67
APPENDIX E. SPECIFICATIONS .........................................................................................................................68
E.1 GK-405 (REMOTE MODULE)SPECIFICATIONS...................................................................................................68
E.2 HANDHELD DEVICE (FPC-2) SPECIFICATIONS...................................................................................................69

FIGURES
FIGURE 1-GK-405 WITH HANDHELD PC IN CRADLE (SHOWN WITH THE FPC-2)...........................................................1
FIGURE 2-VIBRATING WIRE GAGE AND LOAD CELL CONNECTORS (SHOWN WITH THE FPC-1)....................................2
FIGURE 3-HANDHELD PC (FPC-2) RUNNING GK-405 VWRA .....................................................................................3
FIGURE 4-LIVE READINGS –RAW READINGS ...............................................................................................................5
FIGURE 5-SELECT WORKSPACE NAME .........................................................................................................................5
FIGURE 6-STARTING BLUETOOTH MANAGER ...............................................................................................................6
FIGURE 7-TURN ON BLUETOOTH ..................................................................................................................................6
FIGURE 8-ADD NEW DEVICE ........................................................................................................................................7
FIGURE 9-SELECT A BLUETOOTH DEVICE.....................................................................................................................7
FIGURE 10 -ENTER PASSCODE .......................................................................................................................................8
FIGURE 11 -NEW OUTGOING PORT................................................................................................................................8
FIGURE 12 -ADD A DEVICE............................................................................................................................................9
FIGURE 13 -COM PORT SELECTION ..............................................................................................................................9
FIGURE 14 -SERIAL PORT CHECK BOX ........................................................................................................................10
FIGURE 15 -CONNECT BUTTON....................................................................................................................................10
FIGURE 16 -ACTIVESYNC WINDOW SHOWING ACTIVE CONNECTION...........................................................................11
FIGURE 17 -WINDOWS MOBILE DEVICE CENTER ........................................................................................................12
FIGURE 18 -WINDOWS EXPLORER WINDOW DISPLAYING HHD ROOT FOLDER.............................................................13
FIGURE 19 -HANDHELD DEVICE ROOT FOLDER CONTENTS...........................................................................................13
FIGURE 20 -INSTALLATION FOLDER CONTENTS ..........................................................................................................14
FIGURE 21 -GK-405 INSTALLER AT ROOT OF HDD.....................................................................................................14
FIGURE 22 -GK-405 INSTALL SCREEN.........................................................................................................................15
FIGURE 23 -GK-405 VWRA ICON IN START->PROGRAMS..........................................................................................15
FIGURE 24 -SELECT WORKSPACE NAME .....................................................................................................................16
FIGURE 25 -WORKSPACE FOLDER SELECTION.............................................................................................................17
FIGURE 26 -WORKSPACE EXIST...................................................................................................................................17
FIGURE 27 -REMOTE MODULE NOT FOUND ..................................................................................................................18
FIGURE 28 -DEFAULT INITIAL SCREEN.........................................................................................................................18
FIGURE 29 -LIVE READINGS –RAW READINGS ...........................................................................................................19
FIGURE 30 -DISPLAY MODE DROPDOWN MENU..........................................................................................................20
FIGURE 31 -SENSOR INDEX DROPDOWN CONTROL......................................................................................................21
FIGURE 32 -MENU OPTIONS ........................................................................................................................................21
FIGURE 33 -VIEW OPTIONS..........................................................................................................................................21
FIGURE 34 -SENSOR SELECTION SCREEN.....................................................................................................................22
FIGURE 35 -PROJECT EXPLORER WITH EXPANDED PROJECTS.......................................................................................23
FIGURE 36 -CONTEXT MENU.......................................................................................................................................24
FIGURE 37 -WORKSPACE SELECTION WINDOW...........................................................................................................24
FIGURE 38 -LIST OF WORKSPACE NAMES....................................................................................................................24
FIGURE 39 -WORKSPACE FOLDER SELECTION.............................................................................................................25
FIGURE 40 -SORT ELEMENTS SUB-ITEMS ....................................................................................................................26
FIGURE 41 -APPLICATION MENU.................................................................................................................................26
FIGURE 42 -SENSOR SELECTION SCREEN,REMOTE MODULE CONNECTED..................................................................27
FIGURE 43 -LIVE READINGS MENU SELECTIONS.........................................................................................................27
FIGURE 44 -LIVE READINGS SCREEN (SENSOR SELECTED)..........................................................................................28
FIGURE 45 -MENU OPTIONS ........................................................................................................................................29
FIGURE 46 -CLEAR DATA WARNING ...........................................................................................................................29
FIGURE 47 -STORAGE CONFIGURATION DIALOG .........................................................................................................30
FIGURE 48 -VIEW OPTIONS..........................................................................................................................................31
FIGURE 49 -DISPLAYED SENSOR READINGS ................................................................................................................31
FIGURE 50 -LIVE READINGS -WITH SELECTED SENSOR (LANDSCAPE MODE) ............................................................32
FIGURE 51 -REMOTE MODULE NOT FOUND.................................................................................................................32
FIGURE 52 -DEFAULT INITIAL SCREEN........................................................................................................................32
FIGURE 53 -REMOTE CONNECT WITH... .......................................................................................................................33
FIGURE 54 -SELECT COM PORT..................................................................................................................................33

FIGURE 55 -SENSOR SELECTION SCREEN,REMOTE MODULE CONNECTED..................................................................33
FIGURE 56 -TERMINAL WINDOW .................................................................................................................................34
FIGURE 57 -FILE MENU OPTIONS.................................................................................................................................35
FIGURE 58 -DELETE DATA FILES WINDOW..................................................................................................................35
FIGURE 59 -EXPORT MENU..........................................................................................................................................36
FIGURE 60 -EXPORT DATA WINDOW...........................................................................................................................36
FIGURE 61 -SAVE FILE WINDOW .................................................................................................................................37
FIGURE 62 -EXTENDED FORMAT WINDOW ..................................................................................................................37
FIGURE 63 -SELECT SENSOR(S)TO EXPORT.................................................................................................................38
FIGURE 64 -SELECT EXPORT FOLDER AND MODE........................................................................................................39
FIGURE 65 -EXPORT PATH SELECTION WINDOW .........................................................................................................40
FIGURE 66 -NO PROJECT SELECTED ERROR.................................................................................................................40
FIGURE 67 -SELECT PROJECT EXPORT FILE .................................................................................................................41
FIGURE 68 -DATA FILE SELECTION WINDOW ..............................................................................................................41
FIGURE 69 -SENSOR READS WINDOW..........................................................................................................................42
FIGURE 70 -PROJECT SETTINGS ...................................................................................................................................43
FIGURE 71 -SENSOR SETTINGS WINDOW (PAGE ONE).................................................................................................44
FIGURE 72 -SENSOR SETTINGS (49XX SELECTED)........................................................................................................45
FIGURE 73 -CONVERSION METHOD RADIO BUTTONS ..................................................................................................45
FIGURE 74 -LINEAR COEFFICIENTS..............................................................................................................................46
FIGURE 75 -POLYNOMIAL COEFFICIENTS.....................................................................................................................47
FIGURE 76 -UNITS CONVERSION..................................................................................................................................48
FIGURE 77 -SENSOR SETTINGS (PAGE 4, NAUTIZ X8 SHOWN)......................................................................................49
FIGURE 78 -NONSTANDARD THERMISTOR COEFFICIENTS............................................................................................50
FIGURE 79 -CANNOT CONNECT ERROR MESSAGE (NAUTIZ X8 SHOWN) .....................................................................53
FIGURE 80 -BLUETOOTH DEVICE CONTEXT MENU......................................................................................................54
FIGURE 81 -CONNECTION PROBLEM ERROR (NAUTIZ X8 SHOWN) ..............................................................................55
FIGURE 82 -BLUETOOTH SETTINGS WINDOW,COM PORTS TAB.................................................................................56
FIGURE 83 -REMOTE CONNECT WITH...........................................................................................................................56
FIGURE 84 -SINGLE SENSOR CONNECTOR....................................................................................................................58
FIGURE 85 -LOAD CELL CONNECTOR ..........................................................................................................................59
FIGURE 86 -CHARGER CONNECTION............................................................................................................................61
FIGURE 87 -REMOVING THE FACE PLATE ....................................................................................................................62
FIGURE 88 -FUSE LOCATION........................................................................................................................................63
FIGURE 89 -ENHANCED DATA TEXT REPORT ..............................................................................................................67
TABLES
TABLE 1-DISPLAY MODE OPTIONS (A-F)....................................................................................................................20
TABLE 2-SENSOR SELECTION COMPONENTS...............................................................................................................22
TABLE 3-FOLDER PATHS AND FILE NAMES.................................................................................................................51
TABLE 4-SINGLE SENSOR PIN-OUT .............................................................................................................................58
TABLE 5-LOAD CELL CONNECTOR PIN-OUT ...............................................................................................................59
TABLE 6-LOAD CELL CONNECTOR AND CABLE (STANDARD WIRING) .......................................................................60
TABLE 7-REMOTE MODULE COMMAND FORMAT .......................................................................................................64

1
1. INTRODUCTION
The GK-405 Vibrating Wire Readout is made up of two components:
•The Readout Unit, consisting of a Windows Mobile handheld PC running the GK-405
Vibrating Wire Readout Application
•The GK-405 Remote Module is housed in a weatherproof enclosure and connects to the
vibrating wire gage to be measured.
Figure 1 - GK-405 with Handheld PC in Cradle (Shown with the FPC-2)
The two components communicate wirelessly using Bluetooth®, a reliable digital
communications protocol. The Readout Unit can operate from the cradle of the Remote Module
(as shown in Figure 1) or, if more convenient, can be removed and operated up to 20 meters from
the Remote Module. (Note: In most cases 20 meters will be the maximum but differences in
battery, atmospheric and geographic conditions may reduce the actual effective range.)

2
1.1 Features
Rugged, general purpose, reliable readout based on a Windows Mobile handheld PC:
•All the benefits of a Windows compatible device (Windows file system, RS-232, USB and
wireless connectivity)
•Long battery life
•Ease of use
Lightweight and simple Remote Module:
•Lithium battery (8+ hours of continuous use)
•One button operation; automatic power down when Bluetooth connection is dropped or after
several minutes of inactivity
•Reliable connection to standard vibrating wire gages and load cells is accomplished via two
10-pin bulkhead connectors (see Figure 2)
•Housed in a durable aluminum enclosure
Figure 2 - Vibrating Wire Gage and Load Cell Connectors (Shown with the FPC-1)