HyQuest Solutions PVD100 User manual

HyQuest Solutions Pty Ltd
1
QUALITY
SYSTEM
ISO: 9001
CERTIFIED
OPERATING MANUAL
PVD100
Current Meter Counter
HYQUEST SOLUTIONS PTY LTD
48-50 Scrivener St, Warwick Farm, NSW 2170, AUSTRALIA
Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Web: www.hyquestsolutions.com.au

HyQuest Solutions Pty Ltd
Point Velocity Display - Model PVD100
© Copyright 2Issue 1.00 4 Apr, 2007
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.Introduction........................................................................................ 3
2.1Overview............................................................................................................... 4
3.Installation.......................................................................................... 5
3.1Hardware Connections ....................................................................................... 5
4.Operation............................................................................................ 6
4.1Description of Controls....................................................................................... 6
4.1.1Pushbuttons.......................................................................................................... 6
4.1.2Indicator LEDs .................................................................................................... 7
4.1.3Factory Default Settings...................................................................................... 7
4.2The Main Display ................................................................................................ 8
4.3The Menus............................................................................................................ 11
4.3.1Special Operating Functions .............................................................................. 11
4.3.2Velocity / Counts.................................................................................................. 11
4.3.3Feet / Meters......................................................................................................... 11
4.3.4Magnetic Head / Cat whisker............................................................................. 12
4.3.5Normal / Slow....................................................................................................... 12
4.3.6Buzzer On/Off...................................................................................................... 12
4.3.7Measurement Time.............................................................................................. 13
4.3.8Bluetooth®Communications............................................................................... 13
4.3.9Calibrate............................................................................................................... 14
4.3.10Comms Test.......................................................................................................... 15
4.3.11Dwell Measurement............................................................................................. 16
4.3.12Spin Test............................................................................................................... 17
4.3.13 Battery Condition ................................................................................................. 18
4.3.14Meter Selection .................................................................................................... 19
4.3.15Software Version ................................................................................................. 20
4.4Serial Communications Interface ...................................................................... 21
4.4.1Data Conversion Example.................................................................................. 23
4.4.2The User Serial Interface Program.................................................................... 25
4.4.3Quick-Step Procedure for the User Serial Interface Program........................ 29
4.4.4Operating the Special Functions Using Serial Communications .................... 31
4.5Changing the Batteries........................................................................................ 32
4.6Maintenance and Repair Procedure.................................................................. 32
5.Specifications...................................................................................... 33
Appendix A Capturing a Spin Test............................................................... 35
Appendix B Measuring Meter Dwell ............................................................ 40
Appendix C Serial Port Echo Command ..................................................... 41
Appendix D Example Calibration Certificate.............................................. 42

HyQuest Solutions Pty Ltd
Point Velocity Display - Model PVD100
© Copyright 3Issue 1.00 4 Apr, 2007
1. Introduction
(The functions described in this manual apply to PVD100 software Version 2.5)
The HyQuest Solutions Point Velocity Display (PVD100) is a small electronic device that
can be used to measure flow velocity from most any mechanically rotating current meter. A
superior feature of the PVD100 is its ability to "clean" the signal and interface directly to a
PDA, PocketPC, or other computing device and provide serial data that can be used by the
external device to compute discharge. Meters using a cat whisker head and ball and wire
contact to perform a mechanical switch closure can be used with the PVD100 to produce a
clean, noise-free signal. To measure and compute velocity, the PVD100 provides a User
Serial Interface Program (USIP). This USIP is used to enter the rating of the current meter
and can support up to two meters with each meter having up to three rating equations with
three rotations/sec ranges.
The PVD100 operates with two AA batteries and can mount directly onto a top-setting
wading rod. It offers connectivity between the current meter and a hand-held computer using
either a connecting lead or an optional Bluetooth®wireless interface. Commands can be sent
to the PVD100 to perform a measurement and make operating selections. The PVD100 can
operate with current meter velocities from less than 0.015 m/sec to more than 6.1 m/sec for a
Price AA meter. The PVD100 also provides a slow-speed mode to improve measurements
with extremely slow rotating current meters [velocities less than 0.076 m/sec]. The PVD100
does not need to be connected to an external device to operate. The visual indicators, LCD
and internal buzzer of the PVD100 can be used to make a conventional current meter
measurement and compute water velocity.
As you continue to read this manual, many features and operating capabilities of the PVD100
will be revealed and described. The PVD100 is extremely easy to use and yet versatile
enough to offer selections to operate in a wide variety of scenarios and field settings. Its
lightweight design allows the unit to connect directly onto the phone jack connection of a top-
setting wading rod giving the user a nearly ‘hands free’ feel of operation. A single press of a
button can begin a measurement. With its optional Bluetooth®capability, true ‘wireless’
connectivity can be made.
The software functions described in these instructions are sufficiently detailed for developers
to integrate the PVD100 with other hardware and software devices giving users the ability to
develop their own applications.
As an added benefit, whenever the PVD100
is inactive, the PVD100 will automatically
turn itself Off after 5 minutes to help
conserve the batteries. When the PVD100
turns Off, all important settings are saved in
memory, eliminating the burden of re-setting
up the device when the unit is turned back
On. To turn it On, simply press the ON/OFF
button and all previous settings are restored
ready for the user to begin a measurement.

HyQuest Solutions Pty Ltd
Point Velocity Display - Model PVD100
© Copyright 4Issue 1.00 4 Apr, 2007
2. Product Overview
2.1 Overview
The PVD100 can measure and display velocity. Velocity can be either displayed in
meters/sec (m/sec) or feet/second (ft/sec) and is chosen by the user in a menu. When a
measurement is being made, the PVD100 counts contact closures, measures elapse time, and
computes velocity to a precision of 0.001 m/sec or 0.01 ft/sec. The velocity is computed
based on a selection of a meter rating again chosen from a menu. During a measurement, the
PVD100 sends through the serial port the number of accumulating meter contact closures and
elapsed time at 1-second intervals. At the end of the measuring period, typically set for 40
seconds, a final count of the total number of contact closures and total measurement time is
transmitted. From this data, a connected hand-held computer with an appropriate applications
program can compute velocity for a discharge computation.
One of the most important operating features of the PVD100 is the ability to signal process
each contact closure. Contact closures from any type of meter are inherently noisy causing
miscounting or double counting. The PVD100 samples the input signal from the connected
meter and examines the signal to determine if a contact closure has occurred and if successive
signals are of the same characteristics. The PVD100 then determines contact closure
conditions and either counts the signal closure or eliminates the condition as a noise pulse and
does not count the signal. For cat whisker contacts, this becomes extremely important since
cat whisker contacts offer the poorest quality for marking and counting rotations.
The PVD100 offers (2) modes of operation, i.e. NORMAL and SLOW speed mode.
NORMAL is selected for meter rotations >0.076 m/sec while SLOW mode is for velocities
below 0.076 m/sec. To improve noise rejection, the sample rate of the input signal at the
SLOW speed mode (lower velocities) is 1/10 of the sampling rate that occurs during
NORMAL mode. This slower sampling rate improves performance for back rotations and
corroded whisker contacts at extremely low meter cup rotations. It is important to know that
the PVD100 offers operational overlap at this 0.076 m/sec velocity selection in either mode
and therefore it is not necessary for the operator to know precisely the velocity of water for
selecting either mode.
Another important feature of the PVD100 is the ability to detect faulty connections from the
meter through the wading rod to the connected PVD100. During power up of the PVD100, a
calibration of the input signal is performed. If a connection short is detected or other
condition such as faulty input electronics, the PVD100 signals the operator of the condition
(by flashing the COUNT indicator) until the faulty condition is removed. Open circuit fault
conditions are observed simply as a failure to detect a contact closure. A very important
feature of the PVD100 is the ability to detect a signal short during a measurement. If such a
condition is detected, the ‘*’ symbol is displayed until the fault condition is removed.
Importantly is the appearance of the ‘*’ symbol after the measurement to show the operator
that a fault condition occurred during the measurement and that the measurement should be
repeated. The measurement data that is transmitted through the serial port is also flagged to
indicate a faulty measurement.

HyQuest Solutions Pty Ltd
Point Velocity Display - Model PVD100
© Copyright 5Issue 1.00 4 Apr, 2007
3. Installation
3.1 Hardware Connections
Current Meter Input Connector
The PVD100 provides two banana plug
connections to the current meter.
The DB9 female connector on the PVD100,
provides the RS232 interface and the signal
driver output.
RS232 Interface – This interface is designed to directly connect to a handheld computer with
an RS232C interface. Use the Comms Test function to test this interface.
Pin PVD100 Signal Description Direction
1 N.C.
2 Tx Data (RS232 data output)
3 Rx Data (RS232 data input)
4 N.C.
5 Data Ground 0V
6 N.C.
7 N.C.
8 N.C.
9 Signal Driver (O/C output)
Signal Driver Interface—Pin 9 provides an interface to other instruments that may use a
current meter to perform velocity or flow measurements. Examples include the JBS
Instruments’ AquaCalc and Sutron’s DMX Discharge Measurement Recorders. The signal
provided through this connection simulates a current meter contact closure. Whenever a
contact closure is detected from the current meter, the PVD100 outputs through this
connector, a fixed pulse-width driving signal that represents the contact closure. The signal
driver is an open-drain Field Effect Transistor (FET) that will act like a switch. The signal is
processed by the PVD100.To verify operation of this signal with other equipment, use the
Comms Test function which simulates a contact closure and operates this output.
CAUTION : Do not connect any type of DC voltage directly to pin 1 without a limiting
resistor as this will permanently damage the driver circuit.

HyQuest Solutions Pty Ltd
Point Velocity Display - Model PVD100
© Copyright 6Issue 1.00 4 Apr, 2007
4. Operation
4.1 Description of Controls
4.1.1 Pushbuttons
The PVD100 has three front panel buttons that are used to turn power On and Off, view
menus, and choose operating settings. The buttons are labeled as follows:
ON/OFF – This button is the far left button on the front panel and is used to turn power
On and Off on the PVD100. It is also used to quit from operating functions
or exit from selections.
To turn On the PVD100, depress and release the ON/OFF button. The
PVD100 will turn On and go through a short initialization restoring settings
and selections. The PVD100 will then perform a self-calibration. Some
settings and selections are stored permanently in memory even when the
batteries are changed.
To turn Off the PVD100, press and hold the ON/OFF button for more than 3
seconds. The PVD100 will turn off all indicators and the LCD, and then
permanently store all user selectable settings. These settings will be
automatically restored the next time the PVD100 is powered on.
The PVD100 will automatically shut off after (5) minutes of no activity
(i.e. no meter contact closures, no serial port activity, no button presses and
Bluetooth switched off or in Discover mode.)
SELECT – This center located button is used to perform selections within the different
menus, and for special operating functions, this button is used to begin or
start an operation.
FUNCTION – This button, located on the far right of the front panel, is used to go into a
selection menu. If a measurement is not in progress, depressing this button
will bring up a series of menus for choosing operating selections and
functions.
When the PVD100 is first turned on, previously selected settings are restored and the battery
is checked. When the battery-check message appears on the LCD, the operator is required to
acknowledge the message by depressing any button (i.e. ON/OFF, SELECT, or FUNCTION).
After acknowledging the battery condition message, the PVD100 performs a self-calibration.
This calibration automatically adjusts the internal electronics for the conductivity of the water
and check for any meter fault conditions. After this calibration, the PVD100 shows the Main
display.
NOTE : When all 3 buttons on the PVD100 are held down simultaneously, the
electronics performs a hardware reset, which is the same as removing and reinstalling
the batteries!

HyQuest Solutions Pty Ltd
Point Velocity Display - Model PVD100
© Copyright 7Issue 1.00 4 Apr, 2007
4.1.2 Indicator LEDs
The PVD100 provides two LED indicators to show the unit is operating and to indicate
current meter contact closures. Both indicators also show cable faults and other operating
conditions of the PVD100. The following is a brief description for each indicator.
COUNT (Orange LED)—This indicator will flash whenever a contact closure from the meter
has been detected. It also will indicate when special functions such as the “Meter Dwell
Measurement” are being performed or the User Serial Interface program has been invoked.
In the case of a detected fault, the indicator will turn On and stay On until the fault is cleared.
OPERATING STATUS (Green/Red/Blue LED)—This indicator remains illuminated
whenever the PVD100 is turned On and showing the operating status mode. The LED has
three colors showing the type of meter (Magnetic Head or Cat Whisker Head) selected as
well as Bluetooth®operational status. Green indicates the Magnetic Head is selected and red
indicates the Cat Whisker Head is selected. The operating default (power-up setting) is
Magnetic Head. The indicator also shows the operating mode. If the indicator is not
blinking, then the operating mode is ‘Normal’. If the indicator is blinking rapidly, then the
operating mode is ‘Slow’.
4.1.3 Factory Default Settings
The PVD100 can be set with Factory Settings (or defaults) and these settings allow the
PVD100 to operate with preset conditions. These settings can be changed. To set the
PVD100 with Factory Settings, depress and hold the FUNCTION button, then turn On the
PVD100. When the ‘Factory Settings’ message appears on the display, the FUNCTION
button can be released.
The following is a list of the Factory Settings:
-Magnetic Head/Cat Whisker Head selection set to MAG, Magnetic Head meter
-STATUS is set to Normal speed
-Measurement Time is set to 40-seconds
-The Buzzer is turned Off
-The following are the rating equation defaults:
oA: S/N 1000-00 (Meter ‘A’ Serial Number)
o1 Rating (Number of ratings or equations)
o1: 2.2048(n)+0.0178 (Rating equation, n= rotations/sec)
oB: S/N 2000-00 (Meter ‘B’ Serial Number)
o1 Rating (Number of ratings or equations)
o1: 0.9604(n)+0.0312 (Rating equation, n=rotations/sec)
-Meter ‘A’ selected for velocity computation
-Feet – Meters/second display set to ‘Feet’/sec
-All other settings are initialized to ‘0’ or turned Off

HyQuest Solutions Pty Ltd
Point Velocity Display - Model PVD100
© Copyright 8Issue 1.00 4 Apr, 2007
M XXX 40
N XXX.XX *
M XXX 40
N XXX.XX *
M XXX 40
N XXX.XX *
M XXX 40
N XXX.XX *
4.2 The Main Display
The following describes the Main display presentation on the LCD. Note: This display
presentation is shown when the Menu selection VELOCITY/COUNTS is set to COUNTS.
This display position shows the selection of the meter contact
switch type. The selection can be Mfor a Magnetic Head
contact or Cfor a Cat Whisker contact switch.
This display position shows the selection of the operating
speed. The operating speed (or mode) selection can be Nfor
Normal Speed (for velocities >0.076 m/sec) or Sfor Slow
Speed (velocities <0.076 m/sec).
This display position shows the total accumulating meter
contact counts during a measurement. Maximum number that
can be shown is 999. Whenever meter contact counts exceed
999, the PVD100 will continue to count but the most
significant number position will begin to show special
characters such as ‘:’ or ‘;’, etc. These characters indicate to
the operator that a rollover count of ‘999’ has occurred.
This display position shows the total elapsed time of the
measurement. During a measurement, the display shows
elapsed time in seconds. When the measurement is completed,
the display shows the total elapsed time to a tenth of second. If
any measurement exceeds 300 seconds of elapsed time, the
display will show the final elapsed time only in seconds when
the measurement is completed. A ‘^’ character is shown in front of the accumulating elapsed
time during and after completion of the measurement to indicate elapsed time has exceeded
300 seconds. The maximum displayed number is 999, however the PVD100 will ‘roll-over’
to ‘0’ and continue to count until a meter contact closure is detected. To terminate the
measurement upon the next meter contact closure, depress the ‘SELECT’ button. To
terminate the measurement at any time and stop the count, depress and release the ‘ON/OFF
button. After the measurement, to clear the total elapsed time, depress and release the
ON/OFF button while in the Main display.

HyQuest Solutions Pty Ltd
Point Velocity Display - Model PVD100
© Copyright 9Issue 1.00 4 Apr, 2007
M XXX 40
N XXX.XX *
M XXX 40
N XXX.XX *
This display position shows the selection of the measuring
interval. The measuring interval is chosen within a selection
menu. The measuring interval is selected in 10-second
increments to a maximum of 90 seconds. A measuring interval
selection of ‘0’ means a ‘continuous’ measurement with no
time limit. With this time interval selection, the operator must
depress the ‘SELECT’ button to stop the measurement at the next meter contact closure or the
‘ON/OFF’ button to simply stop and end the measurement.
This display position shows the indication of a current meter
fault. When the indicator appears, a meter fault has been
detected. When the fault is cleared, the indicating character
will disappear. If a fault has been detected during the
measurement, the symbol will appear at the end of the
measurement and will remain shown on the display until a
new measurement is made.
In Summary (VELOCITY/COUNTS selected for COUNTS)
M XXX 40
N XXX.XX *
M = Mag Head
C = Cats Whiske
r
Contact Counts
Measuring Interval in Secs
0 = Continuous
N = Normal Speed
S = Slow S
p
ee
d
Elapsed Time in Secs
Blank = OK
* = Fault Detected

HyQuest Solutions Pty Ltd
Point Velocity Display - Model PVD100
© Copyright 10 Issue 1.00 4 Apr, 2007
The following describes the Main display presentation on the LCD when the Menu selection
VELOCITY/COUNTS is set to VELOCITY.
This display position shows the units as either ‘m’ for
meters/second or ‘f’ for feet/second. The selection is
performed in the FEET/METERS menu selection.
This display position shows velocity. Velocity precision
(number of decimal places) is presented based on the
selection of either feet/second or meters/second. If the
FEET/METERS selection menu is set for FEET, the display
will show velocity to two decimal places, while if the
selection is set to METERS, the display will show velocity to
three decimal places.
(Trick: if you want to get more resolution in the display of feet/second, simply select meters/second
knowing that the rating equation is entered as feet/second. When ratings are entered, they are
dimensionless; hence the calculation is performed without units. You must know that the rating is
entered as feet/second even though the display shows meters/second.)
In Summary (VELOCITY/COUNTS selected for VELOCITY)
X. XX f 40
N XXX.XX *
Units: f = feet/sec
m= meters/sec
Velocity:
-in meters: X.XXX m
-in feet: X.XX f Measuring Interval in Secs
0 = Continuous
N = Normal Speed
S = Slow S
p
ee
d
Elapsed Time in Seconds
Blank = OK
* = Fault Detected
X.XXf 40
N XXX.XX *
X.XXXm40
N XXX.XX *