Lovibond RT 400 User manual

RT 400/500
User Guide
Part No: 400041

RT 500 SERIES SPECTROPHOTOMETER
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Consult this documentation in all cases where the Attention symbol appears.
This symbol is used to inform you of any potential HAZARD or actions that may require
your attention.
CE Declaration
Hereby, X-Rite, Incorporated, declares that this RT Series is in compliance with the
essential requirements and other relevant provisions of Directive(s) EMC 2004/108/EC
and LVD 2006/95/EC.
Bluetooth equipped devices additional comply with R & TTE 1999/5/EC.
Federal Communications Commission Notice
NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A
digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a
commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual,
may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in
a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be
required to correct the interference at his own expense.
Industry Canada Compliance Statement
This Class A digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe A est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
Equipment Information
Use of this equipment in a manner other than that specified by The Tintometer®Group
may compromise design integrity and become unsafe.
WARNING: This instrument is not for use in explosive environments.
Do not look directly into the measurement optics when the instrument is on.
Transportation: This product contains a lithium-ion battery. Should you need to ship this device,
you may wish to consult published guidance documents by one or more of these organizations for
advice on how to comply with the regulations: IATA, ICOA, IMDG & PHMSA. The single cell battery
contained in the RT series device is 107g in weight, 7.4V, 2.4 Ah, and complies with the UN 38.3
tests in effect the year it was originally shipped.
Instructions for disposal: Please dispose of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) at
designated collection points for the recycling of such equipment.

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If your device is equipped with a Bluetooth wireless transmitter, it contains the
following module.
Roving Networks RN42
Roving Networks, Inc.
809 University Ave.
Los Gatos, CA 95032
TEL: [phone] FAX: [phone]
Module meets the following standards:
EN 300328-2 V1.7.1 (10-2006)
EN 301489-1 V1.8.1 (04/2008)
EN 301489-17 V2.1.1 (05-2009)
EN 60950-1:2006 ITE General Requirement
2200
FCC Regulatory Information
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC
Rules.
These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation.
This equipment generates, uses and radiates radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communication.
However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this
equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined
by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one
or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio / TV technician for help.
FCC RF Radiation Exposure Statement:
This device complies with FCC radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment.
End users must follow the specific operating instructions for satisfying RF exposure compliance. This
transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or
transmitter.
FCC-ID: T9JRN42
IC: 6514A-RN42

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Proprietary Notice
The information contained in this manual is derived from patent and proprietary data and are
copyrighted. Any reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited. Publication of this information
does not imply any rights to reproduce or use this manual for any purpose other than installing,
operating, or maintaining this instrument. No part of this manual may be reproduced, transcribed,
transmitted, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language or computer language,
in any form or by any means, electronic, magnetic, mechanical, optical, manual, or otherwise,
without prior written permission.
This product may be covered by one or more patents. Refer to the instrument for actual patent
numbers.
Warranty Information
The Tintometer®Group warrants this Product against defects in material and workmanship for a
period of twelve (12) months from the date of shipment from The Tintometer®Group’s facility,
unless mandatory law provides for longer periods. During such time, The Tintometer®Group will
either replace or repair at its discretion defective parts free of charge.
The Tintometer®Group’s warranties herein do not cover failure of warranted goods resulting
from: (i) damage after shipment, accident, abuse, misuse, neglect, alteration or any other use
not in accordance with The Tintometer®Group’s recommendations, accompanying
documentation, published specifications, and standard industry practice; (ii) using the device in
an operating environment outside the recommended specifications or failure to follow the
maintenance procedures in The Tintometer®Group’s accompanying documentation or published
specifications; (iii) repair or service by anyone other than The Tintometer®Group or its
authorized representatives; (iv) the failure of the warranted goods caused by use of any parts
or consumables not manufactured, distributed, or approved by The Tintometer®Group; (v) any
attachments or modifications to the warranted goods that are not manufactured, distributed or
approved by The Tintometer®Group. Consumable parts and Product cleaning are also not
covered by the warranty.
The Tintometer®Group‘s sole and exclusive obligation for breach of the above warranties shall be
the repair or replacement of any part, without charge, which within the warranty period is proven
to The Tintometer®Group ‘s reasonable satisfaction to have been defective. Repairs or
replacement by The Tintometer®Group shall not revive an otherwise expired warranty, nor shall
the same extend the duration of a warranty.
Customer shall be responsible for packaging and shipping the defective product to the service
center designated by The Tintometer®Group. The Tintometer®Group shall pay for the return of
the product to Customer if the shipment is to a location within the region in which The
Tintometer®Group service center is located. Customer shall be responsible for paying all shipping
charges, duties, taxes, and any other charges for products returned to any other locations. Proof
of purchase in the form of a bill of sale or receipted invoice which is evidence that the unit is
within the Warranty period must be presented to obtain warranty service. Do not try to dismantle
the Product. Unauthorized dismantling of the equipment will void all warranty claims. Contact
the The Tintometer®Group Support or the nearest The Tintometer®Group Service Center, if you
believe that the unit does not work anymore or does not work correctly.

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THESE WARRANTIES ARE GIVEN SOLELY TO BUYER AND ARE IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER
WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR APPLICATION,
AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. NO EMPLOYEE OR AGENT OF THE TINTOMETER®GROUP, OTHER
THAN AN OFFICER OF THE TINTOMETER®GROUP, IS AUTHORIZED TO MAKE ANY WARRANTY
IN ADDITION TO THE FOREGOING.
IN NO EVENT WILL THE TINTOMETER®GROUP BE LIABLE FOR ANY OF BUYER’S MANUFACTURING
COSTS, OVERHEAD, LOST PROFITS, GOODWILL, OTHER EXPENSES OR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES BASED UPON BREACH OF ANY WARRANTY, BREACH
OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT TORT, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY. IN ANY EVENT OF
LIABILITY, THE TINTOMETER®GROUP’S MAXIMUM LIABILITY HEREUNDER WILL NOT EXCEED THE
PRICE OF THE GOODS OR SERVICES FURNISHED BY THE TINTOMETER®GROUP GIVING RISE TO
THE CLAIM.

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Table of Contents
Introduction and Setup 8
Packaging 8
Attaching the Safety Strap 9
Powering On and Off 10
Locking the Navigation Control 10
Power Save Modes 11
Charging the Battery Pack 11
Connecting the AC Adapter 12
Connecting the USB Cable 12
Changing the Aperture Setting (RT 520 & RT 530 only) 13
User Interface 14
Instrument Controls 14
Navigation Control (up, down, left, right and center) 14
Measure Button 14
LED Indicators 14
General Sample Measurement 15
Main Screen Menu 16
Measure Mode 16
Job Mode (RT 520 & RT 530 only) 16
Calibration Mode 16
Configuration Mode 16
Display Screen Layout 16
Header Bar 17
Main Column 18
View Column 18
Content Area 18
Progress Column 18
Wireless Operation 18
Configuration Mode 19
Entering Configuration Mode 19
Measurement Trigger 20
Averaging 20
Calibration Timeout 20
Sample Storage 20
Sample Deletion 21
Sample History 21
Standard Selection Method 21
Standard Creation 21
Allowed Color Spaces 21
Allowed Illuminant/Observers 21
Beeper Volume 21
Power Management Scheme 22
Strength Method 22
Opacity Setting 22
Metamerism Illum/Obs Pairs 23
Color Table 23
NetProfiler 23
Transform Method 23
555 Shade Sort 23
Verbal Difference 23

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Language 24
Instrument Orientation 24
Default Tolerance 24
Date Format 24
Instrument Date/Time 25
Clear All Samples 25
Restore Factory Settings 25
Calibration Mode 26
Calibration Notes 26
White and Black Calibration Procedure 26
Measure Mode 28
Entering Measure Mode 28
Measure Mode Icons 28
Selecting Measurement Mode 29
Selecting Color Space 30
Selecting Illuminant/Observer 31
Projects 32
Selecting a Project 32
Creating a Project 32
Adding Standards to a Project 33
Deleting Projects, Standards, and Samples 34
Locking a Project 34
Editing Project Name 34
Standards 35
Manually Selecting a Standard 35
Creating Standards 36
Editing Standard Name 38
Editing Standard Tolerances 39
Tolerance Editing Icons 39
Editing Tolerances 40
Editing 555 Shade Sort Values 40
Basic Operation 42
Measuring a Sample 42
Renaming a Sample 43
Measurement Averaging 43
Viewing Stored Measurements 44
Viewing Pass/Fail Data 45
Graph View 46
Reflectance View 47
Verbal Difference View 48
Shade Sort View 48
Compare Mode 50
Compare Measurement 50
Strength Mode 52
Strength Measurement 52
Opacity Mode 53
Opacity Measurement 53

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Job Mode (RT520 & RT 530 only) 55
Job Mode Icons 55
Accessing Job Mode 55
Selecting and Running a Job 56
Appendices 58
Service Information 58
Cleaning the Instrument 59
General Cleaning 59
Cleaning the Optics 59
Cleaning the Calibration Reference 60
Replacing the Battery Pack 62
Troubleshooting 63
Screen Messages 63
Technical Specifications 64
Green Tile Color Check 65

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INTRODUCTION AND SETUP
The spectrophotometer is a compact, rugged and reliable color measurement instrument that
reports spectral data.
This manual covers the installation, operation and maintenance of the instrument. Specific
instructions for using the instrument with your software application can be found in the software
documentation.
Key features of the instrument are:
• Hi-resolution 240 x 320, 18-bit color display
• Navigation control for easy screen selections, measure button, and power on/off
Measurementstatus indicator Measurementstatus indicator
Measurement button
LCD color display
On/off power and navigation
control lock button
Target window Select button and navigation control
(up, down, left, and right)
Shoe
USB and AC
adaptor inputs
Packaging
Your instrument packaging should contain all the items listed below. If any of these items are
missing or damaged, contact The Tintometer®Group or your Authorized Representative.
• RT 500 Series instrument
• Carrying case
• USB interface cable
• AC adapter and line cord
• Calibration reference
• Manual
• Documentation and registration
material
• Safety strap

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Attaching the Safety Strap
A safety strap is included with your instrument. The strap attaches to the back of the instrument
and around your wrist. The strap should not be used to carry the instrument.
1. Feed the small looped end of the strap around the post at the back of the instrument.
Small loop
2. Insert the wrist strap end through the small loop.
Wrist strap
3. Pull on the wrist strap to secure to the strap post.
Strap post
4. Use the slide to tighten the strap around your wrist.
Tighten slide

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Powering On and Off
The power button is used to initiate the instrument from a power off state. Simply press and hold
the button for three seconds to turn on the instrument. If the instrument does not power up after
pressing the power button, the batteries may require charging. Refer to About the Battery Pack.
Power button
Powering Off
The instrument can be
manually powered off by
pressing and holding the
power button for three
seconds.
When first powered up, the instrument goes through a diagnostics test and displays a splash
screen before the main menu screen appears.
Splash Screen Main Menu
Locking the Navigation Control
The power button is also used to lock the navigation control. This is useful to avoid inadvertent
contact with the control when taking measurements.
Pressing the power button toggles the navigation control to “locked” and “unlocked.
A padlock icon appears in the header bar of the display to indicate the status of the control.
Locked Control Unlocked Control

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Capacity (Ah)
Power Save Modes
The instrument utilizes two power save modes to conserve battery life during nonuse times. The
power save mode option is preset in the Configuration Mode.
Standby Mode: The instrument is ready to measure, however the display is not on. A button
press, measurement, power connection (if not connected), or USB connection will wake up the
instrument.
Off Mode: The power button must be pressed to wake up the instrument before a measurement
can be taken. Plugging in the AC adapter will also wake up the instrument from power off mode.
Off mode does not occur when the AC adapter is attached to the instrument.
Charging the Battery Pack
General
The battery pack for your new instrument comes in a low to medium charge state and should be
charged before use (up to 4 hours for full charge).
A charged battery pack may eventually lose partial charge if not used for an extended amount of
time. You should charge the battery from time to time and store in a cool environment when not
in use to maintain battery performance.
Lifespan Expectations
Lithium-ion batteries typically decay to 80% capacity after 400 charge cycles (see chart on next
page). A charge cycle can be defined as several partial charges equaling 100%. Partial charge and
discharge cycles will help maintain the life of the battery. It is best to avoid full discharge and
charge cycles. After roughly 400 charge cycles are reached, the amount of measurements you
can expect to achieve from one full charge is reduced. At this point, you may wish to replace the
battery pack.
Cycle Life Chara c t e ri stics
1.0 C Discharge C/2 Discharge
1.25 A CC/CV Charge, 4.2 V, 3 hrs.
C ycles
Disposal
Dispose the battery pack in a designated disposal location for recycling.

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Connecting the AC Adapter
NOTE: The instrument can operate from the AC adapter only. The battery pack does not need to be
installed. The AC adapter overrides any charge condition of the battery pack in the instrument.
Measurements can be taken even with a very low battery condition when using the AC adapter.
5. Verify the voltage indicated on the AC adapter complies with the AC line voltage in your area.
6. Insert the small plug from the AC adapter into the input connector on the instrument.
7. Plug the detachable line cord in the AC adapter and plug the line cord into the wall receptacle.
AC Adapter Ratings
Input: 100-240V 50-60 Hz
Output: 12VDC @ 2.5A
AC adapter
connector
Operational hazard exists if an
AC adapter other than the
recommended one is used.
Connecting the USB Cable
IMPORTANT: You must install the software before connecting the instrument to your computer.
1. Install the software application if not already installed. Refer to the software documentation
for additional information.
2. Turn the instrument on and plug the square end of the USB cable into the back of the
instrument.
3. Plug the USB cable into an available port on your computer. The instrument should
acknowledge USB presence by displaying the USB icon in the header bar of the screen.
USB connector

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Changing the Aperture Setting (RT 520 and RT 530 only)
If available, the instrument can take measurements using either a 4 mm aperture or 8 mm
aperture. Simply rotating the aperture knob and switching target windows changes the setting.
1. Turn the instrument over and rotate the knob to the left for 8 mm (circle indication) setting and
to the right for 4 mm setting. The display indicates the switch position (refer to the display
screens below).
2. Using your fingers, press the target window out from the topside of the shoe. Press against
the ring and not the clear window.
3. Note the alignment of the new window and snap it into place from the bottom side of the shoe.
4. Calibrate the instrument to the new aperture setting.
8 mm
position
Target window
Aperture knob
An aperture icon appears in the header bar of the display to indicate the switch position.
4 mm Switch Position 8 mm Switch Position

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USER INTERFACE
Instrument Controls
The instrument controls are used to navigate the screen, select options, and perform
measurements.
Navigation Control (up, down, left, right and center)
The navigation control moves the focus of the highlight around the
screen. Tapping on the left side moves the focus to the next
available item to the left. Tapping on the right side moves the focus
to the next available item to the right. The up and down sides
perform the same function, only in an up and down direction.
Tapping on the center of the control selects the item that has focus,
such as a mode or option.
NOTE: If at any time the navigation control become non-
responsive, turning the instrument off and then back on will reset
their operation.
Measure Button
The Measure button is located at the front of the instrument. The
button can be configured to initiate a measurement or be used in
conjunction with the read switch.
You can also use the
navigation control to
rapidly scroll through a list
by touching the control
between the arrows and
circle left or right.
Up control
LED indicator
Select control
Measure button
Right control
LED indicator
Left
control
Down control
LED Indicators
Multi-color LEDs located at the front of the instrument provide visual feedback on the status of a
measurement. The LEDs will turn off after 5 seconds.
• Green: Indicates a successful measurement has taken place. Flashing green LEDs indicates
that the instrument is at an idle state waiting for a measurement.
• Amber: Indicates a measurement is in progress.
• Red: Indicates a measurement error has occurred.

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General Sample Measurement
The instrument can take measures from just about any clean, dry surface that is reasonably flat.
The instrument shoe should be able to rest flat and steady on the sample area. If the item to be
measured is smaller than the shoe, you may want to make a platform—at the same height as the
item—for the rest of the instrument’s shoe to sit on.
Procedure:
1. Clear the sample surface of any dirt, dust, or moisture.
2. Position the target window over the sample to measure. If possible, place the entire
instrument on the sample.
3. Press the instrument firmly to the shoe and hold steady until the display indicates that the
measurement is complete.
4. Release the instrument and view the measurement results.
An unsuccessful measurement will be indicated by an error message. See the Troubleshooting
section for more details.

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Main Screen Menu
When the instrument is powered-up, the main (top level) screen appears after the diagnostics
test is complete. The main screen consists of the header bar and operation modes. The operation
modes are selected by using the navigation buttons located to the side of the display screen.
Measure mode
Calibration mode
Configurationmode
Job mode (RT 520 & RT 530 only)
Measure Mode
The measure mode is the main mode of operation. Use the Measure mode to take and analyze
measurements, and select measurement options. Refer to the Measurement Mode section for
information.
Job Mode (RT 520 & RT 530 only)
The job mode is used to select and run downloaded jobs. Refer to the Job Mode section for
information.
Calibration Mode
The calibration mode is used to perform white reference and black trap calibrations. Refer to the
Calibration Mode section for information.
Configuration Mode
The configuration mode is used to set and edit the instruments configuration options. The
configuration options should be set before you use your instrument for the first time. Refer to the
Configuration Mode section for information.
Display Screen Layout
The display screen is divided into five main areas.
Header bar
Content area
Main column
View column Progress column

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Header Bar
The header bar at the top displays various icons showing the current instrument setup and
condition. Refer below for a description of each.
• Controls Lock: Displays a locked or unlocked icon for the instrument controls.
Refer to Locking the Navigation Control earlier in this manual for an explanation.
• Storage Capacity: Displays an icon and the number of remaining sample storage
locations . A maximum of 4000 samples can be stored.
NOTE: Storage must be enabled in Configuration.
• Aperture Position: Displays an icon to indicate the aperture position. Refer to
Changing the Aperture Setting earlier in this manual for an explanation.
NOTE: The icon does not appear on large spot instruments.
• NetProfiler: Displays an icon that represents the NetProfiler status.
NOTE: NetProfiler must be enabled in Configuration.
Solid Green icon: NetProfiler subscription is currently activated.
Solid Yellow icon: The profile has expired and updating is required.
Solid Red icon: NetProfiler subscription is currently NOT activated.
• Transform Method: Displays an icon if a transform is enabled.
• Measurement Trigger Method: Displays the measurement method currently selected
for the instrument.
Indicates the instrument must be pressed to the shoe to activate the read
switch to take a measurement.
Indicates the measure button on the top of the instrument must be pressed
to take a measurement.
Indicates a software command is required to initiate a measurement. No
read switch or measure button are used.
Indicates that both the read switch and measure button are required to
take a measurement.
• USB or Bluetooth Connection: The USB icon appears when the instrument is plugged
into the USB port on the computer. If available, the Bluetooth® icon appears dim when
searching for a connection and bold when a connection is established to the computer.
• Battery Gauge: Depicts the current condition of the battery pack.
Indicates the battery pack is fully charged.
Indicates the battery pack has a sufficient charge for a substantial number
of measurements.
Indicates the battery pack is low, but measurements are still possible.
Battery pack should be charged soon.
Indicates the battery pack is very low and only a few measurements
remain. Battery pack should be charged immediately.
Indicates the AC adapter is plugged in and the battery pack is charging
(battery indication segments cycle). The battery indicator will stop cycling
and display three segments when the battery pack is fully charged.

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Indicates that battery pack is removed and the instrument is operating
from the AC adapter only.
Main Column
The main column is used to access the main instrument screen and configuration mode.
View Column
The view column lists options that may be available for the selected mode. The highlighted option
is the one that is currently displaying in the content area.
Content Area
The content area displays the data, steps, and graphs for the currently selected option.
Progress Column
The progress column displays controls supporting the currently active content area, such as step
sequences, sample deletion, etc.
Wireless Operation
If available, the instrument uses Bluetooth® technology and can communicate wirelessly with your
computer. Data from the software application can be transmitted within a short range (<10 m)
to/from the instrument.
To utilize the Bluetooth feature in the instrument, you must pair the instrument with the
Bluetooth adapter in your Windows computer. The pairing procedure is only required the very first
time you use the wireless feature to establish a connection. Once complete, the instrument
automatically connects to the computer when used. Please see the procedure that follows to pair
your instrument to the computer.
Pairing Procedure
1. Make sure the USB cable is not connected to the instrument.
Bluetooth icon appears bold in
the header bar while connected.
2. Start the Windows procedure for pairing a Bluetooth device. For additional information on this
procedure, select Help and Support in the Windows Start menu.
3. When required, select the Cixx_###### icon from the list of available devices and enter
the pairing code default (lowercase) into the available field.
4. After pairing is successful, you are now ready to use the instrument in wireless mode.
5. Refer to the application for information on transferring standard and sample data.