Gossen MetraWatt MAVOPAD User manual

Operating Instructions
MAVOPAD M610A
Flicker Meter 1/09.22

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Thank you for purchasing the MAVOPAD flicker meter from GOSSEN.
Please read these operating instructions carefully before using the system for the first
time, and keep them in a safe place for future reference.
Your new flicker meter is designed for extremely fast and accurate measured value acquisition
and is equipped with lots of computing power. This makes it possible to conduct extensive
analyses involving time and frequency, which are prerequisites for the ascertainment of currently
relevant measured quantities for flicker.
▪Excellent measuring accuracy –16-bit A-D converter resolution
▪Extremely fast sampling rate –up to 1.6 MHz, as many as 4 measuring channels
▪Various assessment methods –PstLM, SVM, flicker%,flickerindex, modulation, dominant
frequency, ASSIST Mp or IEEE 1789
▪Universal display –display of measured values, time plot and frequency spectrum
▪V(λ) matching –the spectral sensitivity of the VLP sensor is color corrected and
corresponds to the spectral brightness sensitivity of the human eye V(λ).
▪Integrated data memory –data can be stored to and retrieved from internal USB memory.
▪Test certificate –included in the scope of delivery
▪Intuitive operation –4.3" touchscreen display with direct access to important functions

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Content Page
1 Safety Precautions...............................4
2 Disposal................................................9
3 Initial Startup ......................................10
3.1 Charging the Battery 10
3.2 Connecting the Sensor.........................10
4 Display Elements and Controls.........11
4.1 Switching On and Off............................12
4.2 Information and Status Display.............12
4.2.1 Page Indicator......................................12
4.2.2 Sensor Information...............................13
4.2.3 Y-Axis Scaling......................................13
4.2.4 Metering Signal Level Display...............13
4.2.5 Charge Level Indicator .........................14
4.3 Function Keys.......................................14
4.3.1 Menu....................................................14
4.3.2 << >>....................................................16
4.3.3 Save.....................................................16
4.3.4 Settings................................................17
4.3.5 Mode....................................................18
4.3.6 RUN.....................................................18
Content Page
5 Measurements....................................19
5.1 Preparing a Measurement....................19
5.2 Performing Measurements ...................19
6 Flicker Standards and Directives ......20
7 Accessories........................................21
7.1 Scope of Delivery .................................21
8 Service Notes......................................22
9 Technical Data....................................23
9.1 MAVOPAD...........................................23
9.2 VLP Light Flicker Sensor......................24

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1 Safety Precautions
Explanation of Symbols
Signal words in warnings indicate the nature and severity of possible consequences if measures for the
prevention of the respective hazard are not implemented. The signal words are defined below and may
be used in this document.
Means that serious to life-threatening personal injury may occur
Means that minor to moderately serious personal injury may occur
Note
Means that property damage may occur
Identifies additional information without reference to danger for persons or
property
Identifies important information that should be read before the product is
placed into service
Warning!
Caution

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▪In the event of malfunction, switch the meter off immediately. If smoke or odors occur for which the
meter or the mains power pack is the cause, immediately disconnect the power pack from the mains
and switch the meter off –risk of fire and injury.
▪Do not use or charge the meter in proximity to flammable or combustible gases –risk of fire and
explosion.
▪Never charge the meter unattended –risk of fire and injury.
▪Keep the meter and all accessories out of the reach of children –risk of suffocation and strangulation
due to parts which can be swallowed, as well as carrying straps and cables.
▪Do not dismantle, modify or repair the meter –risk of injury, fire and electric shock.
▪Do not expose batteries to moisture, high heat or open fire, and never short circuit batteries or
attempt to open them. Use only batteries which are recommended for this meter and which
demonstrate no apparent damage. Improper handling of batteries can result in fire, explosion,
serious injury or environmental damage.
Warning!

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▪In the event of malfunction, switch the meter off immediately. If smoke or odors occur for which the
meter or the mains power pack is the cause, immediately disconnect the power pack from the mains
and switch the meter off –risk of fire and injury.
▪Only use the included charger to charge the meter. The use of other chargers may damage the
meter.
▪When plugging in the sensor and the sensor extension cord, make sure that the plug and socket
guides are correctly aligned and avoid the use of excessive force. An incorrect plug connection can
damage the meter, the sensor or the sensor extension cord.
▪Do not use the meter where it’s exposed to moisture or rain, and do not immerse it in water. Avoid
operation with wet or damp hands as well. This may result in electric shock or damage to the meter.
▪Do not dismantle, modify or repair the meter. This may result in erroneous measurement results or
damage to the meter.
Caution

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Note
As a signal word, Note identifies precautions or limitations with regard to use of the product. Please
read all notes in order to avoid operating errors.
▪Before starting one-time only measuring tasks, you should convince yourself beforehand that the
meter is working properly by performing a test measurement.
▪If the product is used in quality-relevant applications, for acceptance measurements or for
assessments, check to make sure that the meter’s calibration is still valid.
▪If the meter is subjected to extreme temperature during transport, it requires at least 2 hours for
acclimatization before it’s switched on.

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Limitations
There are several safety precautions and limitations regarding the use of this product. Please read and
understand the following before using the meter.
▪GOSSEN does not accept any liability for damages, costs or lost profits resulting from
malfunctioning of the meter, improper use or non-compliance with the safety precautions.
▪GOSSEN reserves the right to make changes of any kind to products or documentation without
issuing prior notice. The latest versions of the documentation, firmware and software can be
downloaded from GOSSEN’s website.
▪Reproduction of product documentation or duplication of any excerpts therefrom necessitates the
express consent of GOSSEN. This applies as well to duplication in any electronic format and
translation into other languages.
Use for Intended Purpose
The meter may only be used under the conditions and for the purposes for which it has been designed.
In this respect, special attention must be given to safety precautions, technical data regarding ambient
conditions and use in dry environments.
Only accessories and replacement parts which have been tested by GOSSEN are permissible for use
in accordance with intended purpose. In case of alterations or modifications implemented by the user,
operating safety can no longer be assured.

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2 Disposal
Legal regulations regarding disposal and recycling of batteries and electronic devices are different in
every country. Please inform yourself about the respectively valid specifications for environmentally
friendly disposal in your country, and proceed accordingly.
In European countries, consumers must comply with the following regulations:
▪Batteries and rechargeable batteries may not be disposed of with household trash. You are
required to return used batteries to a municipal collection pointor to your dealer. You can also return
used batteries from our devices directly to us in quantities usual for end users, or send them to us
for disposal after affixing sufficient postage.
▪Electrical and electronic equipment may not be disposed of with household trash. At the end of
its service life, you are required to return it to an authorized collection point for old equipment, to
the dealer or to the manufacturer.
The above-mentioned products may contain hazardous substances which, if released, could result in
severe environmental damage or health impairments. Compulsory return ensures environmentally
friendly disposal, and raw materials contained in old equipment can be recycled.
Identification for Separate Collection of Recyclable Materials / Hazardous Waste in European
Countries
This symbol indicates thatthe respective product must be disposed of separately, and not
with household trash. The chemical symbols for cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) or mercury (Hg)
may also be included if their concentrations exceed permissible limits.

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3 Initial Startup
3.1 Charging the Battery
The MAVOPAD is equipped with a built-in lithium-ion battery which can be charged via the USB socket
➋and the included 5 V / 1500 mA mains power pack. First connect the meter’s USB socket to the USB
socket on the mains power pack using the included USB cable, and then plug the mains power pack
into an electric outlet.
The charge level LED ➍on top of the meter indicates the charging status of the rechargeable battery.
It lights up red as long as the battery is charging and goes out when the battery has been fully charged.
If the charge level LED blinks once per second, an error has occurred during charging. If this is the
case, immediately disconnect the meter from the charger. Charging time for a fully depleted battery is
about 3 hours.
If the meter is not used for a lengthy period of time, it should be recharged about once every 6 months.
This ensures long battery life and retention of clock time and device parameters.
3.2 Connecting the Sensor
In order to measure flicker, the VLP light sensor has to be plugged into the sensor socket ➌. The sensor
can also be connected to the MAVOPAD via the sensor extension cord with a length of 80 cm. The
connected sensor is displayed under “Sensor Information” ➂in the information and status display ➎.

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4 Display Elements and Controls
➊On/Off key
➋Micro B USB socket for PC and charging
➌Sensor socket
➍Charge level LED (red),
function LED (3-color)
Touchscreen functions:
➎Information and status display
➀Page indicator
➁Sensor information
➂Y-axis scaling
➃Metering signal level display
➄Charge level indicator
➏Function keys:
➀Menu
➁<< >> Toggle keys for measured value display
➂Save key
➃Settings key
➄Mode key
➅Run key
➐Measured value display:
measured values<>time plot<>frequency spectrum

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4.1 Switching On and Off
The MAVOPAD is switched on by pressing the On/Off key ➊and switched off by tapping Off in the
menu ➀. If it’s not possible to switch the meter off via the menu, it can be switched off by pressing and
holding the On/Off key ➊for 5 seconds.
Various energy-saving and shutdown functions can be selected after tapping “Device Customize” in the
menu➀. If none of the keys are activated during the selected “Auto Power Off” time, or if battery capacity
falls below the minimum level, the MAVOPAD is shut down automatically.
4.2 Information and Status Display ➎
4.2.1 Page Indicator ➀
Display
Measured Value Display
1/3
Measured values
2/3
Time plot
3/3
Frequency spectrum
The page indicator indicates which values or graphics appear at the measured value display.

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4.2.2 Sensor Information ➁
4.2.3 Y-Axis Scaling ➂
4.2.4 Metering Signal Level Display ➃
Illuminance should be kept within the green range in order to assure precise measurement, i.e. between
1000 lx and 10,000 lx.
Display
Meaning
▃
Illuminance too weak for precise measurement (< 1000 lx)
▆
Illuminance within correct range for precise measurement (> 1000 lx ... < 10000 lx)
█
Illuminance too strong for precise measurement (> 10,000 lx)
Sensor information indicates which sensor is connected to the meter. In addition to the VLP light
flicker probe, other sensors will also be offered as options in the future.
In addition to automatic Y-axis scaling, values of 200 lx, 2000 lx or 20,000 lx can also be permanently
set in the settings menu for the VLP probe.

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4.2.5 Charge Level Indicator ➄
During operation, the charge level of the built-in lithium-ion battery appears at the charge level indicator
➄in the information and status display ➎. The height of the green bar is proportional tothe charge level.
If the bar changes from green to red, the battery capacity is running out and it urgently needs to be
recharged. Operating time depends to a great extent on device settings (e.g. brightness of display
illumination) and can range from 5 to 20 hours with a fully charged battery.
4.3 Function Keys ➏
Key
Function
Menu
Settings for the sensor and the meter and option for switching the meter off
<< >>
Toggle amongst various measured value displays ➐
Save
Saves data for the last measurement
Settings
Quick menu for scaling the X and Y-axes
Mode
Quick menu for selecting sampling time and sampling mode
Run
Start measurement
4.3.1 Menu ➀
The menu function key consolidates all of the information and basic settings for the connected sensor
and the meter into the associated sub-menus. In addition, the meter can be switched off via the off key
in the main menu.

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Menu
→
Probe
→
Installed Probes
Device
→
General
→
Date / Time
Factory Reset
Customize
→
Signal Tone
Backlight (%)
Power Saving (minutes)
Power Saving (%)
Auto Power Off (minutes)
Graphics
→
FFT Scale
AC Mode
Frequency Scale
Time Scale
User
User Data
About
Device Info
Off

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4.3.2 << >> ➁
The << and >> keys can be used to switch back and forth amongst the various measured value displays ➐.
Light Measurement
>>
<<
Time Plot
>>
<<
Frequency Spectrum
4.3.3 Save ➂
This function saves the data for thelast measurement to the internal 32 GB data memory in CSV format.
Save
→
File name
Edit
Protocol file (val)
on / off
Paste user data
on / off
Frequency file (fft)
on / off
Raw data file (raw)
on / off

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4.3.4 Settings ➃
Scaling of the measured value displays for time plot and frequency spectrum is specified in this menu
item.
Settings
→
Y Scale
→
Autoscale
20,000 lx
2000 lx
200 lx
X Scale
→
10 ms/div
100 ms/div
→
50 Hz/div
250 Hz/div

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4.3.5 Mode ➄
Sampling time for the various flicker measurement methods is set with this menu item. 1 second must
be selected for standard measurements, 2 seconds for ASSIST Mp measurements and 180 seconds
for PstLM measurements. The highest time set in each case includes all measurement methods with a
lower time.
Mode
→
Sample Time
→
1 sec
2 sec ASSIST
180 sec PstLM
Sample Mode
→
Single
The sampling mode is permanently set to single.
4.3.6 RUN ➅
Measurement is started by pressing the RUN key.

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5 Measurements
5.1 Preparing a Measurement
The VLP light sensor is connected to the meter as described in section 3.2. When measuring an
individual light source, influence resulting from other light sources must be avoided. Avoid any
movement or vibration of the sensor during measurement, especially when measuring the PstLM value
for 180 seconds. We urgently recommend attaching the measuring probe to a tripod with a retainer.
Depending on the application, suitable accessories can be purchased from retail photographic
equipment dealers.
5.2 Performing Measurements
First select required sampling time for the measurement by pressing the mode key:
▪1 second for standard measurements
▪2 seconds for the ASSIST Mp measurement
▪180 seconds for Pst LM measurement
Press the RUN key in order to start the measurement.
After measurement has been completed, the measured value display is opened or updated. Illuminance
should lie within a range of 1000 to 10,000 lx in order to ensure precise measurement, which is
confirmed by a green level indicator. Measured light and flicker values appear at the measured value
display. Various display windows including measured values, time plot and frequency spectrum can be
selected with the << and >> toggle keys.

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5.3 Saving Measurements
The MAVOPAD is equipped with internal data memory which can be accessed from a PC like a USB
drive. After pressing the save key, a selection window appears with a filename for saving the measured
values. The suggested filename is comprised of sensor type, date, time and file type. The filename can
be changed via a keyboard which can then be displayed.
The following data can be saved in CSV format:
▪val file type: measured value log (11 measured values)
▪fft file type: frequency spectrum (0 ... 2000 Hz, 2001 values)
▪raw file type: characteristic curve (1 sec., 8192 values)