Measurement Computing KPSI 351 Series User manual

AUGUST 2011
Toll Free: 800 328 3665
KPSI
®Digital Series
User’s Manual
Series 351, 353 & 355
Series 500 & 501
order online:
www.LEVELandPRESSURE.com
• •

Measurement Specialties KPSI®Digital Series User’s Manual
Page 1 www.Meas-Spec.com
Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1
Product Introduction................................................................................................................ 2
Cabling and Wiring.................................................................................................................. 3
Installation............................................................................................................................... 6
Operation ................................................................................................................................ 7
Nomenclature.......................................................................................................................... 7
Setting the Address................................................................................................................. 8
Verifying the Address and Operation ...................................................................................... 9
Command (Functional Overview) ........................................................................................... 9
Making a Measurement ........................................................................................................ 10
Starting a non-concurrent measurement (m[v] command).............................................. 11
Starting a Concurrent Measurement (C[v] command) .................................................... 12
Measurement command variations ................................................................................. 13
Other non-concurrent measurements ............................................................................. 14
Other concurrent measurements .................................................................................... 15
Changing the Units ............................................................................................................... 16
Setting user units .................................................................................................................. 17
Configuring the Averaging Time ........................................................................................... 18
Alphabetic Command Reference .......................................................................................... 19
Calibration............................................................................................................................. 27
Troubleshooting and Maintenance........................................................................................ 28
Troubleshooting .............................................................................................................. 28
Maintenance.................................................................................................................... 29
General Maintenance Tips.................................................................................................... 29
Clogged nose piece or dirty diaphragm .......................................................................... 29
Cleaning your transducer................................................................................................ 29
Warranty and Product Return Procedures............................................................................ 31
Warranty.......................................................................................................................... 31
Merchandise return procedures ...................................................................................... 31

Measurement Specialties KPSI®Digital Series User’s Manual
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Introduction
t h a n k y o u f o r y o u r p u r c h a s e
The KPSI digital line of water level transducers offers accuracy, versatility and extensive
features. You’ve made a commitment to quality. In return, we promise a high level of service and
support to help you get the most from your investment in leading-edge environmental monitoring
instrumentation.
a b o u t k p s i® t r a n s d u c e r s
September 2010, Measurement Specialties, Inc. (NASDAQ: MEAS), a global designer and
manufacturer of sensors and sensor-based systems, announced the acquisition of Pressure
Systems, Inc. (“PSI”). Measurement Specialties will continue to develop, manufacture and
service highly accurate level measuring instruments for environmental applications. We are
committed to consistently meeting and exceeding our customers’ expectations.
w e b s i t e a n d e - m a i l
You can visit our website at www.Meas-Spec.com for information on our latest product releases,
application notes, product specifications and certifications, and IS control installation drawings.
We also welcome your questions and comments and strive to reply promptly. Please e-mail us
at [email protected].
t e c h n i c a l s u p p o r t
While this manual provides extensive guidance for everything from setup through maintenance,
we understand that there’s nothing like getting an expert on the phone to provide quick answers
and help address challenges for your particular application. If you have questions concerning
any of our products, call [phone] or 1-800-328-3665 Monday through Friday between
7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
o r d e r i n g p r o d u c t s a n d a c c e s s o r i e s
For your convenience, orders may be placed on-line by visiting our e-commerce website,
www.LevelandPressure.com. You can also contact our Customer Service department at 1-800-
328-3665 or contact your local Measurement Specialties representative. Expedited shipping is
available.
Manual Content Disclaimer
This user’s manual was prepared for the current firmware and software releases at the time of the manual
publication. While this document is believed to be thoroughly reliable, Measurement Specialties assumes
no liability for inaccuracies. Addenda will be distributed as deemed necessary by Measurement
Specialties. All computer programs supplied with your products are written and tested on available
systems at the factory. Measurement Specialties assumes no liability for other computers, languages, or
operating systems. Measurement Specialties reserves the right to change the specifications without
notice. Any questions regarding firmware upgrades may be addressed to Applications Engineering.
Application software and transducer firmware revisions as well as manual addenda may be obtained from
www.meas-spec.com.

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Product Introduction
The KPSI®500 Series and KPSI®350 Series SDI-12 submersible pressure transducers use an
isolated diaphragm sensor that is specifically designed for use with hostile fluids and gases.
The sensor uses a silicon pressure cell that has been fitted into a stainless steel or titanium
package with an integral, compliant stainless steel or titanium barrier diaphragm.
Different user-installable nose caps are available for the KPSI 500 Series transducer. The
closed-face end cap with #8-32UNC-2B threaded hole is best used where weights are required
and for those installations where users may encounter sharp, protruding objects. The open-face
end cap that allows maximum contact with the liquid media is ideal for wastewater and “greasy”
applications where clogging of the sensor is a concern. A high density “piezometer” screen may
be inserted into specially-drilled open-face end caps should the user decide to completely cover
the KPSI 500 Series transducer with soil or silt.

Measurement Specialties KPSI®Digital Series User’s Manual
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Cabling and Wiring
Most installations using the transducer connect our polyurethane or Tefzel®cable to a junction
box. From this junction box, users run their own cable to the required instrumentation.
Polyurethane is used for most applications while Tefzel®is recommended for highly corrosive
environments. The transducers are intended for applications with requirements that include
battery-powered operation with minimal current drain, low system cost, and use of a single
recorder with multiple sensors attached. It will accommodate cable lengths between sensors
and recorder up to 200 feet.
The vented cable termination end is prepared at the factory to eliminate future moisture
migration down its length. It may be noticed where the lead wires emerge from under the
jacket, that potting material plus a shrink tube “boot” have been added. Every effort should be
made to leave this feature intact. Should the cable be longer than is needed for your
installation, it is recommended that the excess length be accommodated in a service loop and
that the potted end of the cable NOT be shortened.
The cable attached to your transducer is specifically engineered for submersible applications.
The outer jacket provides long term reliability under most conditions. The cable should be
handled carefully, however, as the jacket may be subject to cutting should it be “raked” over
extremely sharp edges. To guard against water incursion should an inadvertent cut occur, we
have incorporated an exclusive “water block” feature immediately beneath the jacket. This
feature makes the cable “self-sealing” in all but the most extreme cases. The cable is fully
shielded, with the shield connected to the metal housing at the transducer end and terminated in
a blue-insulated wire at the termination end. The shield should always be terminated to a good
earth ground, unless the transducer is installed in an area where electrolysis corrosion is known
to be a serious problem.
Surge/lightning protection is offered as an option for your transducer. This is achieved through
the use of two (2) separate protectors. One is located in a 4-inch long housing extension
attached directly to the non-pressure-sensing end of the transducer. The other protector is
located at the surface and grounded via a DIN-rail or ground wire. Whether lightning protection
is employed or not, the cable shield is left exposed (as mentioned previously) so that the shield
may be attached to an earth ground.
sdi-12 wiring
Only three wires are needed to use the SDI-12 interface. A fourth wire (cable shield — blue) is
added for user convenience.
1. Serial data (white) — SDI-12 interface between sensors and data recorders.
2. Ground (black) — Supply return and earth ground.
3. Supply (red) — This line is internally regulated and can accept 8-28 VDC.

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Measurement Specialties KPSI®Digital Series User’s Manual
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Installation
The transducers are designed for rugged use; however, they need protection from over-
pressure and sharp impact. They are designed to be used in a vertical orientation with the
sensing diaphragm facing downward. For greatest accuracy, re-calibrations should be
performed with the transducer in this position.
When lowering the transducer into a liquid, penetrate the surface slowly and only to the depth
necessary. Avoid dropping the unit from above the surface. Clean the transducer’s surface by
rinsing it in a mile detergent. Direct probing of the diaphragm or attempts to remove protective
screens will damage the sensor and void the warranty.
Most users either suspend the transducer in a perforated 1-inch or 2-inch PVC instrumentation
free well or attach the transducer using our optional ½-inch MNPT to a rigid conduit. Some
applications use our optional mounting bracket (PN 49-06-00PC) to clamp the transducer to a
fixed object (i.e., wall, ladder, step).
Alternatively, because our cable has a 200 pound pull strength, the transducer may be
suspended without any protective still well, mounting clamp, or supporting cables. However,
users often use our cable hanger. This sensor (device) slides onto the cable from the bare wire
end. The cable hanger may be positioned anywhere on the cable by pushing the ends together.
Once positioned, the cable hanger contracts to provide a snug grip.

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Operation
Your transducer was shipped from the factory preset to address 0 (zero), and with the pressure
units set to those requested in your order. However, if modifications are required for your
application, you should familiarize yourself with the steps and commands needed to alter the
setup of the transducer.
To issue commands to the sensor via SDI-12, you will need to connect it to a data recorder that
is capable of issuing standard and extended SDI-12 commands.
Nomenclature
All commands have three components: the sensor address, the command body, and the
command termination.
The sensor address is a single character and is the first character of a command. In the
examples that follow, it is usually the number 0(the default address as shipped from the
factory).
The command body and the responses are shown as a combination of upper and lower case
letters. The upper case letters are the fixed portions of the command the lower case letters are
the variables or values. In the specific examples, you will see that the lower case letters are
replaced with actual numbers.
All commands are shown with an exclamation point (!) as the command terminator.

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Setting the Address
If you are using the sensor connected to common wiring with other SDI-12 sensors, you may
need to change the default sensor address. Otherwise, skip this section. A unique address
assigned to each sensor is an absolute requirement for multiple sensors to share the same
wiring. When the data recorder needs data from a particular sensor, it requests data using a
particular address. Only the sensor with the matching address can reply. Two or more sensors
with same address replying will garble this reply. The factory default SDI-12 address (0) is best
reserved only for single sensors operating alone on dedicated wiring.
using the get/set sensor address commands
No other SDI-12 sensors connected to the system should be set to address 0 or to the desired
sensor address. Hint: If you do not know the address of a particular sensor, first use the Get
Unknown Address command to have the sensor identify itself. Its syntax is as follows:
?! NOTE: There can be only one SDI-12 sensor connected to common wiring in
order for the Get Unknown Address command to work.
The SDI-12 command for changing a sensor’s address is “A” (Set Sensor Address).
aAn! Where “a” is the current address of the sensor, “n” is the new SDI-12 address
Valid addresses are 0 to 9, A to Z, a to z.
The sensor will issue a reply message in response to the command, if the command was
recognized. The message will be the new address “n.”
Note that both commands above follow the SDI-12 standard of ending with a “!”terminator.
As an example, the following Set Sensor Address command would set the sensor address from
0 to 5:
0A5!
The sensor will respond with the new address, which is “5.”
Subsequently, the address can be set to a different address, 9 for example, by the command:
5A9!

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Verifying the Address and Operation
The tables below are sample commands and responses for the KPSI500 Other models have
the same response for their respective model.
The sensor will respond with an identifying message when it receives the Identify command “I.”
The format of the command is:
aI! Where “a” is the address for the sensor
The sensor will reply with:
a13-KPSI---500---hhh-ssssss-vvv
Where:
“a” is SDI-12 address
“13” is SDI protocol version (read 1.3)
“KPSI” is Brand Name
“500" is KPSI Model Number
“hhh” is Hardware revision level
“ssssss” is Sensor serial number (up to 8 char.)
“vvv” is Software version
If you do not get a reply, check the address setting for the sensor and make sure you use the
proper address.
Command (Functional Overview)
The commands to set up and operate the sensor are those defined by the SDI-12 specifications
Version 1.0, Version 1.1, Version 1.2, and Version 1.3, plus extended commands. Note: ALL
SENSOR COMMANDS ARE UPPER CASE. All commands start with a single character
address and end in an exclamation point. The address is a single character with values 0 to 9,
A to Z, or a to z. Values are entered in the form of a polarity sign (+ or -) followed by up to
seven digits, including a decimal point. The commands are in ASCII and all the replies use
printable ASCII characters followed by <CR> <LF>. The case of the letters is important. An “A”
is not the same as an “a.”
The sensor replies to all SDI commands it supports. If the sensor receives a command it
does not support, no reply is made. The reply (response) will have one of three forms:
a0000 Where “a” is sensor address and 0000 indicates that no further message to be
sent.