ITALON GS.01.00.00.000 IM Instruction manual

Fuel Level Sensor
Installation, Adjustment and Connection Manual
GS.01.00.00.000 IM
...............................................................................................................................................1
Fuel Level Sensor......................................................................................................................................................1
Installation, Adjustment and Connection Manual.....................................................................................................1
GS.01.00.00.000 IM..................................................................................................................................................1
1. General instructions.......................................................................................................................................2
2. Safety measures .............................................................................................................................................2
3. Preparing the product and object for installation and connection .................................................................2
3.1. Checking the completeness of the product.................................................................................................2
3.2. Choosing the place to install the product...................................................................................................2
3.3. Preparing the object for installation of the product....................................................................................5
3.4. Adapting the sensing element of the product to specific operating conditions..........................................6
3.5. Using the Configurator Italon to configure the product.............................................................................7
4. Installing the product in an object..................................................................................................................8
4.1. Installing the product..................................................................................................................................8
4.2. Cable routing..............................................................................................................................................9
4.3. Connecting to an external device...............................................................................................................9
4.4. Connection to the onboard power supply, installation of a fuse..............................................................10
5. Configuring the product...............................................................................................................................10
6. Sealing .........................................................................................................................................................12
This instruction establishes the rules and procedures for installation, start-up, adjustment and docking of the
ITALON fuel level sensor (hereinafter referred to as the 'Product') and also determines the procedure for calibrat-
ing the fuel tank with the sensor installed on it.

2
1. General instructions
The product is intended for measuring the fuel level in the fuel tanks of vehicles (hereinafter referred to as the
'Vehicle') or stationary fuel storages (hereinafter referred to as the 'Object'), for converting it into analog, fre-
quency and digital signals used by an external device (monitoring system terminal).
Types of controlled fluids: gasolines, diesel fuel and other liquid petroleum products that maintain the state of
aggregation in the operating temperature range.
2. Safety measures
Only personnel who have been trained and have valid certificates for the right to conduct this type of work are
allowed to carry out installation and commissioning.
When carrying out installation and commissioning, the safety requirements stipulated in the operational docu-
mentation of the manufacturer of the object at which work on the installation of the product will be performed
must be observed as well as the requirements of the regulatory documentation for this type of facilities.
3. Preparing the product and object for installation and connection
3.1.Checking the completeness of the product
1
Open the package. Check the completeness of the product according to the data sheet. If something is
missing in the package from the items listed in the product's data sheet, the manufacturer must eliminate
the inconsistencies.
Inspect the appearance of the product. There should be no visible damage on the product. In case of exter-
nal damage, the product must be replaced by the manufacturer.

3.2.Choosing the place to install the product
Install the product in the object in such a way that the axis of the sensitive element of the product is as close as
possible to the geometric center of the object cavity. When installed in such places, the minimum dependence of
the measured fuel level on the inclination of the vehicle during the movement is ensured. Ideal and close to ideal
installation options are shown in Figs. 1÷4.
1
The operation is performed in the case when the user has none of input control service.

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Figure 1
Figure 2

4
Figure 3
Figure 4
If the product can not be placed in the optimal location and also with a complex object geometry, two or more
products are recommended to be installed in the object, and they should be as far apart as possible. In this case, the
measuring parts of the products do not necessarily have to be of equal length.
Besides, the method of placing two or more items in an object is the only possible one in the case of a com-
plex (step-like) geometry of the object (Fig.5).

5
Figure 5
3.3.Preparing the object for installation of the product
Prepare the object for the fitting and welding works in accordance with the requirements of the manufacturer
and other regulatory safety documents related to this type of work.
Make holes on the object in accordance with Fig.6. Holes must be oriented with regard to the subsequent
placement of the connecting cable.
Figure 6
The mounting gasket allows to overlap a hole with a diameter of not more than 44 mm; it must be borne in
mind, however, that the execution of an opening with a diameter larger than indicated in Fig. 6 impairs the quality
of sealing of the product-object interface and reduces the rigidity of the object structure at the place where the
product is installed.
Making a central hole of large diameter makes sense in the case when the product is installed on an object
with a non-planar surface of the object-product interface. The minimum permissible radius of curvature of the
mating surface of the object is 500 mm (arrow 1 mm).

6
When installing a product with a sensing element (hereinafter as 'SE') length of 0.8 m and more at vehicle-
based facilities, wave-damping partitions are recommended to be installed to relieve shock loads of fuel on the
product caused by large speed drops (acceleration, braking) or install the product in protective tubes; the absence
of contact of the protective tube or partitions with the sensitive element of the product will be ensured.
The protective tube can be installed on the bottom (the tube is welded to the bottom of the object) or on top.
When installing a protective tube, gaps should be provided both in the lower part of the object (to ensure fuel ac-
cess) and in the upper part (to ensure a reliable gap after refueling the object and its (object) deformation as a re-
sult).
3.4.Adapting the sensing element of the product to specific operating conditions
Adaptation of the product's sensitive element consists in cutting it to the length at which the gap between the
bottom of the object and the sensitive element is 10 mm.
Measure the depth L of the object at the product's installation place, from the bottom to the contact surface.
Cut off the sensitive element to length L-10 (see Fig.7). The cutting line must be perpendicular to the axis of
the sensing element.
Use the file to strip the ends of the cut elements of the SE (tube and rod) if necessary.
Figure 7
The minimum allowable length of the SE after cutting: 150 mm.
On the SE cut side, install a terminal bushing taken from the set of mounting parts (Fig. 8).
Figure 8

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3.5.Using the Configurator Italon to configure the product
(For a detailed description of working with this software tool, see the document “Configurator Italon User
Guide”).
Connect the product to a sensor configuration device (SCD). Connect the SCD to a USB connector of the per-
sonal computer.
As soon as the Dutconf.exe program started up, a program window opens on the desktop of the PC (Fig.9)
Figure 9
For all operations related to the calibration of the product, averaging of the results is recommended to be disa-
bled (on the tab “Sensor Settings”).
Perform the following sequence to calibrate a full/empty tank: “Read level” -> “Calibrate full tank” -> “Cali-
brate empty tank” -> “Record level”.
To calibrate the “full” tank, install the product on the measuring tank and pour fuel into it so that the product
is immersed in it for the entire effective length (taking into account the wall thickness of the real tank), Fig.10.
2
2
The method of calibrating the “full” tank is that the bypass hole is plugged and the measuring volume of the upside-down sensor
is filled with working fluid. In this case, the error of the calibration of the tank to the height of the working fluid column of 5 ÷ 8 mm is
introduced obviously. With a working sensor length of 150 mm, the error will be from 3 to 5%. Therefore, this method should be con-
sidered inadequate. It must be admitted, however, that this error is largely compensated for when calibrating a specific product at a
specific object at near-maximum working fluid levels.

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Figure 10
In the program window, click the “Read” button, wait until the “Readings are stable” message appears (for at
least 5 seconds), and click the “Full” button (Fig.11).
Figure 11
To calibrate the “empty” tank, remove the product from the tank, let the fuel drain (for at least 1 minute),
press the “Empty” button. To stop the calibration, press the “Write” button (Fig. 11).
4. Installing the product in an object
4.1.Installing the product
Apply a layer of sealant no more than 1 mm thick to the surface of the mounting
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gasket (Fig. 12) (for refer-
ence: the height of partitions of the mounting gasket is 0.8 mm).
3
The applied sealant must be sufficiently adhesive and be resistant when exposed to high and low temperatures and fluids.

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Figure 12
Install the mounting gasket on the product so that a layer of applied sealant is between the mounting gasket
and the product's base plate.
Apply a layer of sealant with a thickness of not more than 2 mm to the object in the zone bounded by the main
and mounting holes (Fig. 6). Part of the sealant pressed out when mounting the product should not block the
drainage hole of the product.
Use the self-tapping screws supplied with the product to secure the product to the object. The screw with a
sealing hole will be located on the side of the corrugated hose.
4.2.Cable routing
When mounting, the manufacturer's installation cable included in the package or purchased separately shall be
used.
On the way of the laid cables, there shall be no heated parts of the mechanisms and components of the vehicle
so that the insulation coating of the wires does not melt.
There should be no moving parts of the vehicle's mechanisms on the way of laying the cables.
The minimum allowable bending radius of the FLS corrugated hose (internal) is 40 mm.
4.3.Connecting to an external device
Connect the product to an external device using one of the connection diagrams (Appendix A) according to a
selected data interface.
The purpose of the FLS connector pins and the color marking of the wires are shown in Fig.13.
The purpose of the cable assembly connector pins as well as the color marking of the wires are shown in
Fig.14
Figure 13 Figure 14

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4.4.Connection to the onboard power supply, installation of a fuse
The product's "-" power lead shall be connected to the "-" power lead of the external device. The "-" power
supply circuit of the product and the external device resulting from this connection must be connected either to the
vehicle ground or to the battery's "-" terminal (if there is a ground switch on the vehicle and it is required that the
product and the external device operate when the vehicle's ground switch is off).
Attention!!! The connection of the product's "-" power lead with the "-" power lead of the external device
must be maintained at all possible positions of the various switching elements of the electrical circuits that are
external to the product and the external device. Failure to comply with this rule may lead to failure of the prod-
uct and/or external device. The manufacturer considers violation of the specified rule of connecting the prod-
uct to an external device and the vehicle’s on-board network as a violation of the product’s operating condi-
tions and accordingly terminates its warranty.
The "+" power wire of the product must be connected to the “+” of the vehicle's on-board network through the
fuse supplied with the product. The fuse holder supplied with the product must be connected to the break of the
"+" power supply wire of the product in close proximity to the point of its connection to the vehicle's on-board
network. The product is recommended to be connected (via a fuse) to the contact or output of an external device
connected to the "+" of the vehicle’s on-board network.
Attention!!! Neither the connection of product's information inputs/outputs to the power supply circuits of
the vehicle’s on-board network, nor the supply of a reverse-polarity voltage to the product, is allowed. The man-
ufacturer regards such actions as violation of the conditions of use of the product and, accordingly, terminates
its warranty obligations as a manufacturer.
Install a fuse in the fuse holder.
The fuse supplied with the product cannot be used to connect additional external devices to the on-board net-
work (other than the product).
5. Configuring the product
The configuration consists in the calibration of the product i.e. the compilation of a calibration table for each
specific “item-object” pair (Fig.15).
When performing calibration, disable filtering (in the “Sensor Settings” tab of the Configurator).

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Figure 15
Calibration data reflecting the shape of a specific object is entered in the table located on the tab “Sensor read-
ings” of the Configurator (Fig.16).
The product is recommended to be calibrated with the engine shut off (mechanisms) of the vehicle in order
to eliminate errors caused by vibration of the mechanisms, units and parts of the vehicle.
The readings (button “Read level to the table”) should be read after the message “Readings are stable” has
displayed. Depending on the selected product's operation mode (and the field in Fig.17, respectively), the data are
entered into a table in the formats “%”, “V”, “RS-485 code”, “Hz”.
Using the “Upload table” button, data can be exported to a text file in the formats of “Fort-Telecom”,
“Wialon” or “Italon”. The file name is generated automatically in the format "Machine number-Sensor number-
Sensor length-Company name" (group of fields "Installation Description").
Figure 16

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Figure 17
6. Sealing
A product mounted on an object is sealed to control its unauthorized dismantling. Sealing should ensure the
impossibility of dismantling the product without violating the integrity of the sealing parts.
One of the methods of sealing is proposed below.
Self-cutting roofing sealing bolt (included in the assembly kit; with a hole in the bolt head) should be
located on the side of the product's corrugated hose (Fig.18),
Wrap a twisted “spiral” wire (included in the assembly kit) around the entry section of the corrugated
hose of the dome of the product and twist it together (4-5 turns; Fig.18).
Figure 18
Thread one branch of the wire through the hole in the head of the sealing bolt (Fig.19). The length of
the twisted section should be sufficient for the wire to fit freely but at the same time the free rotation of
the sealing bolt should be excluded,

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Figure 19
Push the branches of the wire into the holes of the plastic license plate “Expert M” (Fig.20). The gap
between the bolt head and the seal should be minimal,
Figure 20
Close the seal retainer until it clicks (Fig. 21). If there is a gap between the seal and its retainer (in
Fig.22), it indicates its incomplete closure.

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Figure 21
Figure 22
Other methods of sealing are allowed to control the dismantling of the product.

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Appendix A
Diagrams of connecting the product(s) to external devices
Figure 23
Diagrams of connecting a product to an external device via RS-485 interface.
The shown numbers of the external device terminals are imaginary.
Figure 24
Diagrams of connecting a product to an analog input of an external device.
The shown numbers of the external device terminals are imaginary.

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Figure 25
Diagrams of connecting several products to an external device via RS-485 interface.
The shown numbers of the external device terminals are imaginary.
Up to 4 products can be connected to one external device according to this diagram.