Hydronix Hydro-Control VI Manual

Hydro-Control VI
Operators Guide
To re-order quote part number:
Revision:
Revision date:
HD0456
1.7.1
August 2020

2Hydro-Control VI Operators Guide HD0456 Rev 1.7.1
Copyright
Neither the whole or any part of the information contained in nor the product described in this documentation may
be adapted or reproduced in any material form except with the prior written approval of Hydronix Limited, hereinafter
referred to as Hydronix.
© 2020
Hydronix Limited
Units 11 & 12 Henley Business Park
Pirbright Road
Normandy
Guildford
Surrey GU3 2DX
United Kingdom
All rights reserved
CUSTOMER RESPONSIBILITY
The customer in applying the product described in this documentation accepts that the product is a programmable
electronic system which is inherently complex and which may not be completely free of errors. In doing so the
customer therefore undertakes responsibility to ensure that the product is properly installed commissioned
operated and maintained by competent and suitably trained persons and in accordance with any instructions or
safety precautions made available or good engineering practice and to thoroughly verify the use of the product in
the particular application.
ERRORS IN DOCUMENTATION
The product described in this documentation is subject to continuous development and improvement. All
information of a technical nature and particulars of the product and its use including the information and particulars
contained in this documentation are given by Hydronix in good faith.
Hydronix welcomes comments and suggestions relating to the product and this documentation
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Hydronix, Hydro-Probe, Hydro-Mix, Hydro-Skid, Hydro-View and Hydro-Control are Registered Trade Marks of
Hydronix Limited
CUSTOMER FEEDBACK
Hydronix is continually looking to improve not only its products but also the services that we offer to our customers.
If you have any suggestions about how we can do this or if you have any other feedback that would be helpful
please complete our short form at www.hydronix.com/contact/hydronix_feedback.php.
If your feedback is concerning an Atex certified product or associated service it would be very helpful for you to
give us your contact details and the model number and serial number of the product if possible. This will enable us
to contact you with any relevant safety advice should this be necessary. It is not obligatory to leave your contact
details and any information will be treated as confidential.

Hydro-Control VI Operators Guide HD0456 Rev 1.7.1 3
Hydronix Offices
UK Head Office
Address: Units 11 & 12 Henley Business Park
Pirbright Road
Normandy
Guildford
Surrey GU3 2DX
United Kingdom
Tel: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
[e-mail]
Website: www.hydronix.com
North American Office
Covers North and South America, US territories, Spain and Portugal
Address: 692 West Conway Road
Suite 24, Harbor Springs
MI 47940
USA
Tel: [phone] (Toll Free)
[phone]
Fax: [phone] (Toll Free)
[phone]
European Office
Covers Central Europe, Russia and South Africa
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
French Office
Tel: [phone]

4Hydro-Control VI Operators Guide HD0456 Rev 1.7.1

Hydro-Control VI Operators Guide HD0456 Rev 1.7.1 5
Revision history
Revision
No
Software
Version
Date
Description of Change
V1.0.0
July 2010
First Release
V1.1.0
November
2010
User Account Management and Plant Operator
information added
V1.2.0
March 2011
Remote Support Chapter added
V1.3.0
V2.0.0.0
December
2011
HS0085 v2.0.0.0 extra functionality added
V1.4.0
V2.5.0.0
March 2014
HS0085 v2.5.0.0 extra functionality added
Reference to the Hydro-Control VI Database Editor added
V1.5.0
V2.8.0.0
October 2015
HS0102 sensor firmware features added
V1.6.0
V2.9.0.0
August 2016
Recipe Editor Calibration Mix viewer added. Mix Log
details updated.
V1.7.0
V2.15.0.0
March 2020
Address Updated
V1.7.1
V2.15.0.0
August 2020
Minor format editing

6Hydro-Control VI Operators Guide HD0456 Rev 1.7.1

Hydro-Control VI Operators Guide HD0456 Rev 1.7.1 7
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction........................................................................................................................... 11
1Introduction to the Hydro-Control VI........................................................................................... 11
2About this Manual....................................................................................................................... 12
Chapter 2 Navigation ............................................................................................................................ 13
1Applying Power .......................................................................................................................... 13
2The Overview Screen................................................................................................................. 13
3User Login / Logout .................................................................................................................... 14
4The Main Menu .......................................................................................................................... 15
5The Recipe Overview................................................................................................................. 16
6The Mix Log................................................................................................................................ 17
7System Parameters.................................................................................................................... 17
Chapter 3 Plant Operator Controls ....................................................................................................... 19
Chapter 4 Understanding the Mix Cycle ............................................................................................... 21
1The Simple Mix Cycle................................................................................................................. 21
2Pre-wet Water ............................................................................................................................ 22
Chapter 5 Water Addition Modes .......................................................................................................... 25
1Preset Mode ............................................................................................................................... 25
2CALC Mode................................................................................................................................ 25
3AUTO Mode ............................................................................................................................... 26
4Selecting the Best Mode – AUTO or CALC? ............................................................................. 26
Chapter 6 Editing Recipes .................................................................................................................... 27
1The Recipe Editor....................................................................................................................... 27
Chapter 7 Running the First Mix ........................................................................................................... 35
1The Recipe Wizard..................................................................................................................... 35
2Setting the Recipe for the First Mix ............................................................................................ 36
Chapter 8 Using Moisture Control......................................................................................................... 41
1Moisture Control and Homogeneity............................................................................................ 41
2CALC Mode................................................................................................................................ 42
3AUTO Mode ............................................................................................................................... 49
4Using Admixtures ....................................................................................................................... 52
5Auto-Track.................................................................................................................................. 54
6Temperature Compensation ...................................................................................................... 55
Chapter 9 Alarm Configuration.............................................................................................................. 57
Chapter 10 Using the Mix Log .............................................................................................................. 61
1Introduction................................................................................................................................. 61
2Accessing the Mix Log ............................................................................................................... 61
3Viewing the Mix Trace................................................................................................................ 65
4Backing up and Restoring .......................................................................................................... 67
Chapter 11 Setting Up User Accounts .................................................................................................. 69
Chapter 12 Remote Support ................................................................................................................. 71
Chapter 13 Optimisation ....................................................................................................................... 73
1Mixer........................................................................................................................................... 73
2Ingredients.................................................................................................................................. 73
3Consistency................................................................................................................................ 74
4Calibration Based Water Addition .............................................................................................. 74
5Mixing ......................................................................................................................................... 74
Chapter 14 Frequently Asked Questions .............................................................................................. 75
Appendix A Diagnostics ........................................................................................................................ 79
Appendix B Glossary............................................................................................................................. 83
Appendix C Document Cross Reference .............................................................................................. 85
1Document Cross Reference....................................................................................................... 85

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Hydro-Control VI Operators Guide HD0456 Rev 1.7.1 9
Table of Figures
Figure 1: The Hydro-Control VI............................................................................................................. 11
Figure 2: The Overview Screen of the Hydro-Control VI ......................................................................13
Figure 3: The Menu Screen .................................................................................................................. 15
Figure 4: The Recipe Overview Screen ................................................................................................ 16
Figure 5: The Mix Log screen ............................................................................................................... 17
Figure 6 - Recipe/Mode Screen ............................................................................................................ 19
Figure 7: A simple mix cycle ................................................................................................................. 21
Figure 8: The mix cycle with pre-wet .................................................................................................... 23
Figure 9: The moisture during CALC Mode .......................................................................................... 25
Figure 10: The moisture during AUTO Mode........................................................................................ 26
Figure 11: The recipe editor screen (page 1)........................................................................................ 27
Figure 12: The recipe editor screen (page 2)........................................................................................ 29
Figure 13: The recipe editor screen (page 3)........................................................................................ 31
Figure 14: The Create Recipe Wizard screen....................................................................................... 35
Figure 15: Extending the mix times for calibration ................................................................................ 36
Figure 16: Mix trace showing homogeneity .......................................................................................... 41
Figure 17: How the deviation is calculated ........................................................................................... 41
Figure 18: The moisture during CALC Mode ........................................................................................ 42
Figure 19: The CALC Mode Calculation ............................................................................................... 46
Figure 20: The calibration failed error message ...................................................................................47
Figure 21: Comparison of averaging times ........................................................................................... 47
Figure 23: The moisture during AUTO Mode........................................................................................ 49
Figure 24: The effect of changing the Proportional Gain ...................................................................... 50
Figure 25: The effect of changing the Integral Gain ............................................................................. 51
Figure 26: The effect of changing the Derivative Gain .........................................................................51
Figure 27: The 2 step preset mode cycle.............................................................................................. 52
Figure 28: The calibration lines from the 2-step preset mode cycle .....................................................53
Figure 29: Mix trace showing the Auto-track function ........................................................................... 54
Figure 30: Page 2 of the System Parameters screen........................................................................... 57
Figure 31: Page 1 of the I/O setup and status screen ..........................................................................57
Figure 32: The Mix Log ......................................................................................................................... 61
Figure 33: The Mix Trace Screen (Moisture%) ..................................................................................... 66
Figure 34: The Mix Trace Screen (Unscaled) ....................................................................................... 66
Figure 35 - User accounts screen......................................................................................................... 69
Figure 36 - User account editor screen................................................................................................. 69
Figure 37 - Ethernet Comms Page ....................................................................................................... 71

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Chapter 1 Introduction
Figure 1: The Hydro-Control VI
1 Introduction to the Hydro-Control VI
The Hydro-Control VI is a touch screen computer based upon the Microsoft Windows XP
Embedded operating system that has been designed to work with the Hydronix range of sensors.
The unit monitors the level of moisture in a process (usually in a mixer) and send signals to adjust
the flow of water into the process using water valves.
The moisture level during the process cycle is displayed on the Overview Screen and there are
intuitive and easy to use graphical tools for setting up the recipes in the system.
Communication with external systems can be implemented using either the built in RS232 serial
port or the optional Expansion Board. The Expansion Board also provides two analogue inputs
and two analogue outputs.

Introduction Chapter 1
12 Hydro-Control VI Operators Guide HD0456 Rev 1.7.1
2 About this Manual
This manual has been designed to act as a reference guide for an operator, describing the basic
recipe design and setup, and goes on to more advanced techniques such as fine tuning the
moisture control modes.
This manual complements the Installation Guide which details the installation, all the system
parameters and initial setup of the Hydro-Control VI.
The manual is divided into chapters which cover setting up recipes in and using the Hydro-Control
VI to make concrete.
Hydro-Control VI
navigation
Designing the mix
cycle
Setting up a recipe
Running the first
mix
Using moisture
control to
automatically add
water
Chapter 2 describes how to navigate around the Hydro-Control VI and
introduces the system
Chapter 4 introduces the mix cycle and Chapter 5 explains the
difference between the water addition modes.
Chapter 6 describes the recipe editor and how to edit the parameters
to get the desired result.
Chapter 7 shows how to run the first mix and tune the basic preset
water addition mode.
Chapter 8 explains how to calibrate the system and start using
moisture control for automatic addition of the water int
o the mixer.

Hydro-Control VI Operators Guide HD0456 Rev 1.7.1 13
Chapter 2 Navigation
1 Applying Power
The Hydro-Control VI is switched on by pressing the power button in the top right hand corner of
the unit. The blue light below will illuminate and the unit will boot up the control system.
The unit will first display two self-test screens and will then boot the Windows XP Embedded
Operating System. During this time, the Microsoft logo will be displayed, after which the unit will
display the Hydronix logo, followed by a splash screen with the version number.
The unit is ready to use when the Overview Screen shown in Figure 2 is displayed. A message
across the centre of the screen is displayed to show when the Hydro-Control is searching for the
sensor.
2 The Overview Screen
Figure 2: The Overview Screen of the Hydro-Control VI
1. Valve icons indicate when the water valves are energised
2. Displays Water Added during the current phase and Total Water added to the batch.
3. Displays the Flow Rate and current Temperature of the process.
4. Displays the current Recipe number in use. The Batch number increments with each batch
made for each Recipe. Mode indicates the control mode in operation for the given Recipe
(Preset, AUTO or CALC).
5. Dialog box allowing quick access to certain recipe related functions. These are referred to
later as “quick buttons”
•The Right Arrow, view/hide dialog box buttons.
•Recipe/Mode allows the user to switch Recipes and also to change the Control mode
used for each Recipe.
•AUTO Loop Tune allows adjustment of the AUTO Mode Parameters (see page
43,44).
•Display Unscaled switches the units shown on the main display between moisture
value and sensor unscaled values.
•Update Target, is enabled when the current mix is in the Mix Complete phase. This
allows the moisture target of the current Recipe to be updated to the final moisture
value of the current batch.
•Log In / Log Out button
7
6
5
4
10
9
1
8
2
3

Navigation Chapter 2
14 Hydro-Control VI Operators Guide HD0456 Rev 1.7.1
6. Indicator bar showing the Recipe moisture target and current moisture value. When in air
‘EMPTY’ is indicated.
7. Menu, selects the Main Menu screen allowing navigation to all other functions.
8. Main control buttons for controlling the mix cycle. Start, Pause, Abort and Accept Alarm.
9. Progress bars show which phase the current batch is in and the progress bars will update
with recipe parameters that are currently being used. The Mix Time indicator shows the
time that the current batch has been running.
10. This area has the current recipe name and phase at the top and a graph which shows the
last 100 seconds of moisture value.
3 User Login / Logout
There are three levels of access in the Hydro-Control VI:
•Plant Operator –Access to the Overview Screen only. Chapter 3 describes Plant Operator
controls.
•Supervisor – Access barred to setting up user accounts, sensor configuration and system
parameters
•Administrator – Full access rights
To Login from the Overview screen:
1. Press the Log In Button
2. Enter the user name and password by pressing each textbox and typing using the onscreen
keyboard
3. Press OK. If the login attempt is successful the Menu button in the bottom right hand corner
of the screen will become enabled.
Once a user has logged in, the Log In button on the Overview Screen will change to a Log Out
button.
When a user has finished using the Hydro-Control VI, they should press the Log Out button
. The Log Out button will revert back to the Log In button and the menu button
in the bottom right hand corner will be greyed out, indicating that it is disabled.

Chapter 2 Navigation
Hydro-Control VI Operators Guide HD0456 Rev 1.7.1 15
4 The Main Menu
Pressing the button marked menu in the bottom right hand corner of the Overview Screen will
display the menu screen (See Figure 3). This allows access to the different areas of the Hydro-
Control VI.
Figure 3: The Menu Screen
4.1 Version number
The first line displays the version number of the software currently running.
4.2 Buttons
Overview
Displays the overview screen from which you can control the mix cycle and view details about
the batch and recipe currently in use.
Recipe Overview
Displays the user defined recipes stored in the system and allows the user to create, edit, and
delete recipes.
Mix Log
Displays a list of previously run batches and allows the user to view information about the
previous batches and also to calibrate the system from a batch.
IO Setup
Allows configuration and test of the inputs and outputs.Configuration instructions are detailed
in the Installation Guide (HD0455).
Sensor Configuration
Displays the sensor configuration screen allowing changes to the filtering and analogue output.
Configuration instructions are detailed in the Installation Guide (HD0455).

Navigation Chapter 2
16 Hydro-Control VI Operators Guide HD0456 Rev 1.7.1
System Parameters
This button enables configuration of the system parameters, including water meter and valve
setup, AUTO Mode and Auto-track parameters, system time and date and alarm configuration.
It also displays the system diagnostic page which shows system temperatures and voltages.
Remote Communications
The remote communications screen displays diagnostic information regarding the RS232
communications port. Configuration instructions are detailed in the installation guide.
5 The Recipe Overview
Recipes are created, edited and deleted in the recipe editor which is accessed by pressing the
Menu button and then pressing the Recipe Overview button. A list of available recipes is then
displayed and can be selected by pressing on them. To scroll around the list, you can use the up
and down arrows (1) on the right hand side of the screen. You can also use the Find Recipe button
(2) to go directly to a known recipe number.
Figure 4: The Recipe Overview Screen
To create a recipe, press the Create Recipe button (3) and this will display a wizard which will take
you through the steps needed to create a basic recipe. This process is covered in further detail in
Chapter 7.
To edit a recipe select it by highlighting it in the list, either by using the arrows or by pressing on
the recipe, and then press the Edit Recipe button (4).
To delete a recipe, select it in the list and then press the Delete Recipe button (5)
To select the next recipe to be run, change the next recipe parameter (6).

Chapter 2 Navigation
Hydro-Control VI Operators Guide HD0456 Rev 1.7.1 17
6 The Mix Log
The mix log gives access to information about previous mixes that have been run on the system,
and allows the mix traces to be accessed. These show a graphical trace over time of the change
in moisture for each cycle.See Chapter 10 for further details.
Figure 5: The Mix Log screen
Navigation through the logs is performed using the arrow keys. The left and right arrows scroll
across the different components displayed in the list, such as mix averages, times, and alarms,
and the different mix log components.The display of these items can also be filtered using the
‘Display Group’ option to reduce the number of columns that are displayed.
1. View Mix Trace, displays more detailed information about the batch selected as well as a
graph showing the sensor reading during the batch. There is also an option to calibrate
the recipe using the batch as a template. More information on the calibration process is
given in Chapter 10.
2. Display Unscaled, switches the display of the values shown in the mix log between
moisture readings and sensor unscaled readings.
7 System Parameters
Most of the system parameters will have been set up by the person installing the system and are
detailed in the Installation Guide (HD0455). For day to day operation, the operator of the system
should be familiar with the water addition modes, Auto-track and the system alarm parameters.
1
2

Navigation Chapter 2
18 Hydro-Control VI Operators Guide HD0456 Rev 1.7.1

Hydro-Control VI Operators Guide HD0456 Rev 1.7.1 19
Chapter 3 Plant Operator Controls
A plant operator will rarely need to adjust parameters, therefore no access is required to the main menu.
To access the plant operator controls press the Recipe / Mode button on the Overview
screen. The following screen will be displayed.
Figure 6 - Recipe/Mode Screen
The recipe list (1) lists all the recipe of the system. It is possible to choose which recipe is selected by
pressing the line which displays the recipe you require.
The scroll buttons (2) can be used to move up and down the list.
If there are a lot of recipes the find recipe button (3) can be pressed. A recipe number can be entered
and the system will find the desired recipe.
In Preset mode it is not possible to adjust moisture targets as the system will add only fixed amounts of
water. In AUTO or CALC mode it is not possible to adjust the water values as the water addition is
controlled to the water target. See Chapter 5 for an explanation of the different water addition modes.
If it becomes necessary to adjust the water addition slightly to correct for workability it is advisable to
adjust the amount of admixture used. If this is not possible the Main water trim parameter can be used
to adjust the overall amount of water added to maintain workability. If it is found a certain amount of
trim is always required personnel with supervisor access should be notified to re-calibrate the mix. The
procedure for this is described in Chapter 8 section 2.8.For detailed descriptions of each parameter
see Chapter 6.
1
2
3

Plant Operator Controls Chapter 3
20 Hydro-Control VI Operators Guide HD0456 Rev 1.7.1