Neptune Systems PAR Monitoring kit User manual

Apex PAR Monitoring Kit (PMK) with
Advanced Sensor Module
Setup Guide

Table of Contents
PAR MONITORING KIT – INTRODUCTION ...................................................................... 3
PHYSICAL INSTALLATION .............................................................................................. 3
INITIAL CONNECTIONS.................................................................................................. 3
CONFIGURING THE PMK................................................................................................. 3
VERIFY THE INSTALLATION ........................................................................................... 4
PROGRAMMING EXAMPLES............................................................................................. 4
NEPTUNE SYSTEMS LIMITED WARRANTY....................................................................... 6

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PAR MONITORING KIT – INTRODUCTION
The PAR Monitoring Kit is the first 7x24 PAR monitoring solution to be integrated with the
Neptune Systems Apex Aquacontroller. You can continuously monitor the health of your
tank AND equipment. It’s the perfect tool to tune your lighting to your specific tank
configuration and livestock needs. And you can incorporate your PAR readings into your
aquarium control requirements.
PHYSICAL INSTALLATION
WARNING: Your Apex Base Unit must be running firmware version 4.40 or higher to
support the PAR Monitoring Kit (PMK). The current firmware version can be checked
from the Apex Display on the Self Test screen. If needed, please upgrade the Apex Base
Unit firmware before proceeding with the installation. See the Apex Setup and
Programming Guide for firmware upgrade instructions or visit the Support – Firmware
Updates page at www.neptunesystems.com.
Some suggestions for placement in your tank:
•Place the meter in a location where it will receive a full spectrum of light.
•Avoid placing in locations where it will be shadowed by corals or rock.
•Place in a location that it can be moved easily for logging measurements in other
locations and probe cleaning
•Place in a location where it will be easy to hide the sensor wire — near the sand bed or
behind rock.
INITIAL CONNECTIONS
The PAR Monitoring Kit comes with the Advanced Sensor Module (ASM). The ASM is the
interface between the PAR probe and your controller. Simply plug the ASM into any
available Aquabus port on any module with the included Aquabus cable. Within a few
seconds your controller will recognize the ASM module and assign it a position on the
Aquabus.
Now connect the PAR probe to the ASM. It has a twist-lock BNC connector. The actual
optical sensor is then inserted into the supplied Real Reef Rock. It’s a snug press fit,
designed to be easily removed for cleaning yet secure for in-tank usage.
CONFIGURING THE PMK

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Once connected, you must tell the ASM that a PAR sensor is connected. You will only need
to do this once. You may do this using the display menu or through the Apex dashboard.
This cannot be done through APEX Fusion.
If using the display menu: Go to Setup –> Module Setup –> Config Module –> ASM_# -
Set Probe Type. ‘Par’ will usually be preselected; if it is not, use the up or down buttons to
scroll until ‘Par’ is shown. Press the center button, then press the Home button.
If using the Apex dashboard: Navigate to Configuration -> Module Setup, and select the
ASM. In the ASM Configuration block, use Probe Type dropdown to select ‘Par’ if it not
already selected. Then click the Update button. Do not change the default values for
Range Minimum and Range Maximum.
You will begin seeing PAR readings within a few seconds. Note that graph data will appear
on your dashboard once data is accumulated. Based on your logging interval and system
performance, this may take a few minutes to an hour.
You can rename your probe from the default Parx_Y where ‘Y’ is the module number
assigned by the controller to your ASM module. For our examples, we’ll assume we’ve
renamed it to ‘PAR’. You can do this using either your Display module (Setup –> Module
Setup –> Modify Name)or using the native dashboard by navigating to the Configuration –
Probe/Input web page. Note that you cannot rename probes in Fusion at this time.
VERIFY THE INSTALLATION
After your ASM is connected to your Aquabus and the PAR probe attached, you can verify
your installation either with your Display module (navigate to Setup – Module Setup –
Modify Name to see it listed) or via the classic Dashboard via the Configuration – Module
Setup web page.
You can add your PAR probe to your dashboards (native and/or Fusion) by dragging it from
the unused tiles bin to the active dashboard. With the native dashboard you click on the
EDIT button, drag then save. In Fusion you click on the padlock icon, drag then click on
the padlock icon a second time to lock. You can find more detailed instructions at Neptune
Systems Support web page.
PROGRAMMING EXAMPLES
The PAR probe values may be used in outlet programming just like your other probes such
as Temp, pH, ORP or Conductivity. All of the program statements that work for those
probes will work for your PAR probe. For example, if you want an email alert whenever

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your PAR falls below a certain value, you would add this to your email outlet, substituting a
PAR value that makes sense for your tank:
If PAR < 250 Then ON
If you wanted to limit this to only daytime, then you could create a virtual outlet for the
purpose and use this programming.
[ PAR_Check ]
Set OFF
IF PAR < 250 Then ON
If Time 18:00 to 08:59 Then OFF
Then you would simply check if the virtual outlet is ON (if PAR is lower then expected) in
your email outlet program by adding a program statement like this:
If Outlet PAR_Check = ON Then ON
Your PAR probe can alert you indirectly to several conditions in your tank that you might
find helpful. For example, a reduction of PAR over time could indicate:
•Algae growth
•Bulbs that need replacing
The PAR sensor readings can also be used to alert you if:
•Your lights are off when they should be on
•Your lights are on when they should be off
You can also use your PAR sensor as a real-time measurement of your lighting spectrum
and intensity. With the advanced graphing capabilities of APEX Fusion, you can
superimpose your PAR readings during the day with your lighting schedule in Fusion using
the ‘Compare’ option. As you experiment with different color combinations (assuming you
have LED lighting) and intensities you can see the impact on PAR and analyze the resulting
effect on your livestock.

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NEPTUNE SYSTEMS LIMITED WARRANTY
Neptune Systems warrants this product to be free from defects in material and
workmanship for a period of 1 year from the date of purchase. If repair or adjustment is
necessary and has not been the result of abuse, Neptune Systems warrants this product to
be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of 1 year from the date of
purchase. If repair or adjustment is necessary and has not been the result of abuse,
misuse, or accidental damage, within the 1-year period, please return the product with
proof of purchase, and correction of the defect will be made without charge.
For your protection, items being returned must be carefully packed to prevent damage in
shipment and insured against possible damage or loss. Neptune Systems will not be
responsible for damage resulting from careless or insufficient packaging. Before returning
please obtain a return authorization (RMA) number from Neptune Systems. Returned
merchandise will not be accepted without a RMA number. To obtain assistance with your
Neptune Systems product, contact Neptune Systems technical support by phone or via the
Technical Support Contact Web Page at https://www.neptunesystems.com.
Except for the warranty set forth above, Neptune Systems is not responsible for any
damages including, but not limited to, consequential damage occurring out of or relating to
the delivery, use or performance of Neptune Systems’ products. Buyer’s remedies for
breach of warranty shall be limited to repair, or replacement and full or partial adjustment
to purchase price.
Neptune Systems
15750 Vineyard Blvd, Suite 150
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
USA
www.neptunesystems.com
[e-mail]
Phone [phone] Fax [phone]
©2017 Neptune Systems - All Rights Reserved
Apex PAR Monitoring Kit (PMK) Setup Guide v1.2

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The symbols to the right mean that according to local laws and
regulations your product should be disposed of separately from
household waste. When this product reaches its end of life,
take it to a collection point designated by local authorities.
Some collection points accept products for free. The separate
collection and recycling of your product at the time of disposal
will help conserve natural resources and ensure that it is
recycled in a manner that protects human health and the
environment.