opti-sciences ccm-200 plus User manual

CCM-200 plus
Chlorophyll Content Meter

Opti-Sciences, Inc. CCM-200 plus operator's manual
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Table of contents
TABLE OF CONTENTSINTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................................3
WELCOME!................................................................................................................................................................3
LIST OF EQUIPMENT...................................................................................................................................................3
ABOUT THE INSTRUMENT ..........................................................................................................................................3
APPLICATIONS &FEATURES......................................................................................................................................4
Applications.......................................................................................................................................... 4
Features................................................................................................................................................ 4
How it Works........................................................................................................................................ 5
PHYSICAL FEATURES .................................................................................................................................................6
OPERATION OVERVIEW .......................................................................................................................................6
SYSTEM SETTINGS .....................................................................................................................................................7
MEASUREMENT &OPERATION ..................................................................................................................................7
MEASUREMENTS........................................................................................................................................................8
Setup..................................................................................................................................................... 8
CALIBRATION ............................................................................................................................................................9
TEST TYPES .............................................................................................................................................................10
Single point measurement.................................................................................................................. 10
Multi-Point averaging........................................................................................................................ 10
Multi-Point averaging with std. deviation flyer removal................................................................... 10
ENTER COMMENTS FOR MEASUREMENTS ................................................................................................................12
DATA MANAGEMENT...........................................................................................................................................14
TRANSFER DATA BY USB ........................................................................................................................................14
SENDING DATA BY RS232. ......................................................................................................................................14
Communication Settings.................................................................................................................... 15
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS..........................................................................................................................16
ERROR CODES........................................................................................................................................................17
TECHNICAL SUPPORT .........................................................................................................................................22
REFERENCES:.........................................................................................................................................................23

Opti-Sciences, Inc. CCM-200 plus operator's manual
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Introduction
The CCM-200 plus is easy to operate. Contained herein are a few simple guidelines to assist the
user. Throughout this manual, you will be shown setup options and response messages. When an
example of a program screen is shown within a box, this is how it will appear on the CCM-200
plus.
Welcome!
Congratulations on your purchase of the CCM-200 plus Chlorophyll Content Meter. Please
check the carton for any visible external damage. If you notice any damage, notify the freight
carrier immediately. Follow their procedures for reporting and filing a claim. The carton and all
packaging should be retained for inspection by the carrier or their insurer.
List of Equipment
Report any missing items immediately. You should have received the following items:
• CCM-200 plus Chlorophyll Content Meter
• USB cable
• 9V Battery
• CD with manual
About the Instrument
The CCM-200 plus Chlorophyll Content Meter is a hand-held, battery-operated instrument
designed for the rapid, non-destructive, determination of chlorophyll content in intact leaf
samples. Chlorophyll content is a direct indication of plant health and condition. Obtaining
chlorophyll content via non-destructive analysis gives researchers, agronomists and growers
valuable diagnostic information. This data can then be applied to a multitude of crop production
and research initiatives such as nutrient and irrigation management, pest control, environmental
stress evaluation and crop breeding.
Measurements are instantaneous and can be done in the field under normal lighting and growing
conditions. Ample on-board data logging and simple, easy to understand measurements further
enhance the user’s ability to gather and interpret crop health conditions. The USB cable included
with the CCM-200 plus allows for data transfer to a PC. for additional analysis.
The CCM-200 plus is a remarkable alternative to destructive sampling techniques. It is far less
time consuming and allows samples to be monitored multiple times over various stages of an
entire growth cycle. The rapid test and data gathering capability is sure to provide a tremendous
advantage to all types of research. This innovative pocket-sized instrument is destined to play an
important role in improving crop yield and producing higher quality foods.

Opti-Sciences, Inc. CCM-200 plus operator's manual
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Applications & Features
The CCM-200 plus Chlorophyll Content Meter is a versatile tool for Crop, Plant and Agronomic
Sciences. Listed below are a few examples of the many applications for which the CCM-200
plus can be used along with the user-friendly features that make the instrument indispensable to
the field researcher.
Applications
• Optimization of Nitrogen Management
• Detecting & Assessing Crop/Plant Stress
• Nutrient Deficiency Analysis
• Plant/Crop Physiology
• Study Effects of Herbicides/Pesticides
• Monitor Response to Environmental Stress
• Leaf Senescence Studies
• Breeding and Production
• Teaching
Features
• Non-Destructive Measurement
• Lightweight, Hand-Held Design
• Optimized for Field Work
• Battery Operated
• Accurate Reliable, Easily Repeatable Measurements
• Internal Data Logging
• Stand Alone Operation- No PC is Required
• Simple to Use
• Rapid Test & Data Acquisition
• Single reading; averaging of multi-point readings, or averaging of 10 to 30 readings
with standard deviation elimination function, used to throw out readings that are outside
of a two sigma range.
• Includes a port for external GPS. The GPS can be purchased separately. The GPS
allows the recording of measurement values with location information.
• Graphic display of Averaging measurements.

Opti-Sciences, Inc. CCM-200 plus operator's manual
How it Works
Chlorophyll has several distinct optical absorbance characteristics that the CCM-200 plus
exploits in order to determine relative chlorophyll concentration. Strong absorbance bands are
present in the blue and red but not in the green or infrared bands.
Figure 1 chlorophyll absorbance
CCI = %Transmittance at 931nm. / %Transmittance at 653nm.
The CCM-200 plus uses transmittance to estimate the chlorophyll content in leaf tissue. Two
wavelengths are used for absorbance determinations. One wavelength falls within the
chlorophyll absorbance range while the other serves to compensate for mechanical differences
such as tissue thickness (see figure 2). The meter measures the transmittance of both
wavelengths and calculates a CCI (chlorophyll content index) value that is proportional to the
amount of chlorophyll in the sample.
Note: CCI value is a relative chlorophyll value. Absolute chlorophyll content per unit area is not
computed. CCM-200 plus measurements however can be correlated to ground/solvent analysis.
Figure 2. LED Spectrum
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Opti-Sciences, Inc. CCM-200 plus operator's manual
Physical Features
Measuring lever
Display screen
Selection buttons
On - off button
Arrow keys
USB port
GPS port
Operation Overview
The CCM-200 plus is a self-contained, handheld device powered by a 9V alkaline battery. The
sample head is located at the top of the instrument. A liquid crystal display (LCD) is located near
the center of the unit. The power switch is at the bottom of the front panel. Seven menu / control
keys are used to access all program functions.
Program flow is organized into 3 menu groups. The MENU key will step through the selections.
Press ENTER to accept the currently displayed value. Remaining keys are used within each
mode as later described.
A USB port is located at the bottom right hand side of the case and allows the user to export data
to a PC. A RS232 port is included on the bottom for use with GPS, and it can also be used for
data transfer.
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Opti-Sciences, Inc. CCM-200 plus operator's manual
The three green tear shaped buttons are for selecting software defined choices and will be
described as “buttons”. The blue arrow keys are used for scrolling and referred to as “arrow
keys”.
Note: The unit has a 4 minute auto-off feature. When no key is pressed, or test run for 4 minutes
the unit will shut off automatically in order to conserve battery power.
System settings
At the main test menu, choose System
Serial port output
Baud rate [USB]
Measurement & Operation
Described on the following pages are the specifics on how to obtain measurements with the
CCM-200 plus as well as the overall instrument operation protocols. Calibration, measurements,
memory and data storage management and t he five operating modes and each key function are
outlined in detail.
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Opti-Sciences, Inc. CCM-200 plus operator's manual
Measurements
Turn on the instrument. After a few seconds, the main menu screen appears.
Press the Run button.
Before measuring, use setup to select the correct parameters and test type.
Setup
Use the arrow keys to scroll through the options.
When the option of interest is displayed, select the edit button.
A cursor will appear. Use the arrow keys to highlight your selection.
Press the exit button when finished.
File name creation
To create a new file name, select edit from the "CCM200p Test Setup" screen. Use the right
arrow to select the Data File. The File name manager screen will appear. "Use an existing file”
will be highlighted. Use the up/down arrows to scroll through the options until “Enter a new
name” is displayed. Press accept. The new file name screen will appear. Use the up/down arrows
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Opti-Sciences, Inc. CCM-200 plus operator's manual
to scroll through numbers 0-9, and A-Z. To move to the next or previous characters, use the right
and left arrows. Press accept to save the entry. The newly created file name is now set to be used
for measurements. Press exit to return to the Test Menu.
Note: A newly created file name will not appear on the list of existing measuring files until a
measurement has been made.
Using an existing file name
To select an existing measuring file, select edit from the "CCM200p Test Setup" screen. Use the
right arrow to select the Data File. The File name manager screen will appear. "Use an existing
file” will be highlighted. Press Accept. Use the up/down arrows to scroll through the available
file names, and press accept when the one you want is highlighted. The accepted file name is
now set to be used for measurements. Press exit to return to the Test Menu.
Calibration
Calibration is required every time the unit is turned on.
The unit’s detection system needs to check its chamber path. The user has to calibrate or “zero”
the instrument each time the unit is powered up.
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Opti-Sciences, Inc. CCM-200 plus operator's manual
To Calibrate the unit, close the measuring chamber.
Important: make sure chamber is clear of any material.
Hold the chamber closed until the release arm message is displayed on the screen.
Calibration is not required in-between measurements, only when the system is powered up. The
unit is ready to take another measurement once the current measurement is displayed.
Test Types
There are three test types on a standard CCM-200 plus.
Single point measurement
This test saves every data point. Place the sample in the chamber, and press the head closed. A
value will appear when the test is complete. The next measurement may then be taken.
Multi-Point averaging
Multi-point averaging is used for some nitrogen management schemes. One can choose to
average from 2 to 30 measuring points Please refer to the following papers for more details.-
(Shapero 2006) (Francis 1999) The papers listed here, use 30 point averaging and 10 point
averaging respectively. Some crop consultants use fewer points to save time.
Multi-Point averaging with std. deviation flyer removal
This is the same test as listed above, but it will only allow averaging from 10 to 30 samples. If
the difference between measurements is greater than 2 sigma, the instrument automatically
throws out the measurement, and requires an additional measurement.
From the Test Menu and select setup.
Use the arrow keys to scroll through the various parameters available until the Test Type screen
is displayed.
Test Menu
Measure Back Setup
CCM200p Test Setup
Save Data [Yes]
Data File [FileName]
Exit Edit
[ Multi-point average ]
Average ## points[10]
Record point data [Yes]
Exit Edit
[ Multi-point std. dev ]
Average ## points[10]
Record point data [Yes]
Exit Edit
[ 1 point no averaging ]
Average ## points[10]
Record point data [Yes]
Exit Edit
Use vertical blue arrows
Press the edit green button, and se blue arrowsu
Select Edit, and use the arrow keys to scroll through the options until Multi-point average is
highlighted. Press the horizontal blue arrow until the Average ## points is highlighted. Use the
vertical arrows to select the number of points to be averaged. Press the Enter button to accept the
selection.
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Opti-Sciences, Inc. CCM-200 plus operator's manual
Note: If the Multi-point std dev option is chosen then the system will only allow averaging of
between 10 and 30 points.
Press Exit go back to the test menu.
Press measure to start taking measurements, or if needed, calibrate the unit.
Place the sample under the measuring head and hold it closed until you hear a beep.
When using the one of the multi-point averaging modes, a measurement bar will appear on a
graph for each measuring point. The number of measurements made, and last CCM measurement
are also displayed.
When finished, the average of the Multi-point measurements is displayed. All measuring points
are stored in the data file along with the calculated average.
The graphs may be reproduced in most spreadsheet programs if desired.
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Opti-Sciences, Inc. CCM-200 plus operator's manual
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Enter Comments for measurements
If desired, a comment can be entered for each measurement. It may also be entered only when
change is made, such as measuring location or sample type. The comment will only appear with
the specific measurement. However, because there is a time stamp in the data file, all
measurements below the comment line can be related to that comment.
To use the comment function follow the chart below. Alpha-Numeric characters may be entered
using the vertical blue arrows below the screen. The horizontal arrows move the black cursor left
and right. Comments of up to 20 characters may be entered. When done, press Enter. Back out to
the measuring screen and continue measuring.
See the next page for a screen by screen diagram of how to enter comments.
Comments are entered by pressing Info on measuring screens.

Opti-Sciences, Inc. CCM-200 plus operator's manual
OSI
May 1
1:58:51
Run Data System
Test Menu
Measure Back Setup
Clear sample area
and hold down arm
to calibrate.
Back
!Warning!
File already exists
Select nextaction.
Overwr Cancel Append
Sample number ----
Ave — — — —
Delete Back
Ave Pt: 04
Ave — — — —
Delete Back
Sample number ----
1 pt — — — —
Info Exit Delete
Sample number ----
Ave — — — —
Info Exit
Sample number ----
StDev — — — —
Info Exit
Storage Info
Data File: nitro1
Free Space: 7350KB
Back Comment
Enter Comment:
[ ]
Esc Enter
Graphic display of Comment entry
Measuring screens
Press Overwr or Append
to go to the screens
below
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Opti-Sciences, Inc. CCM-200 plus operator's manual
Data Management
Transfer data by USB
This is the recommended way to transfer files because it is the easiest way to do it.
Press cancel before unplugging the USB cable. Do not turn off the system until either the USB
cable has been disconnected or the cancel button has been pressed. The message below will
appear.
Make sure that under system set up, USB has been selected under Baud Rate. See system set up
for more details.
Enter the data management screen by pressing the Data button
Connect a USB Cable between the unit and a PC
After connecting the USB cable, a storage device window will probably appear on your PC. The
window asks you to select the correct viewing method. Select “Open window to view files using
Windows Explorer”. If this window does not appear, then go to Windows Explorer and My
Computer. Find the new drive that is usually listed as a letter and then CCM2p. When you see
the files on the drive, right click the data files and copy them to the host PC. Then you can open
the file with most spreadsheet or data processing programs.
Press cancel on the instrument before unplugging the USB cable.
Sending data by RS232.
USB is the recommended method of transferring files. Only use the RS232 port for data transfer
if USB is unavailable.
The RS-232 jack is located at the bottom of the instrument. Only use the cable supplied by Opti-
Sciences. A serial cable is not supplied, however it is available at no charge upon request.
Connect the RS232 cable to the CCM-200 plus and the host PC.
Enter the data management window by pressing the data button form the main menu.
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Opti-Sciences, Inc. CCM-200 plus operator's manual
Open a terminal emulation program, such as Hyperterminal (included with most installations of
Windows).
Communication Settings
Data is sent in an ASCII text format with carriage returns separating each point. The default host
settings are 9600 baud, 8 bit, 1 stop bit, no parity, and no handshaking. This mode is ignored if
no data has been saved to memory yet.
Baud rates for the Serial port may be changed by going to the main test screen and pressing
system. Next press Setup, and scroll down to Serial Port Baud rate with the arrow keys. Press
Edit, and scroll through the values until the correct setting is found.
To initiate the data transfer, press Access and then Output
Select the file you want to send, and press Send. A status screen will display during the transfer.
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Opti-Sciences, Inc. CCM-200 plus operator's manual
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Technical Specifications
Measured Parameters: Optical Transmittance at 653nm., and at 931nm.
CCI = % Transmittance at 931nm. / % Transmittance at
653 nm.
Measurement Area: 3/8” diameter circle, or 9.53 mm diameter circle
area 0.11in2, or 71.22 sq mm2
Repeatability: +/- 5%
Accuracy Determined by correlation with chemical analysis
Sample Acquisition Time: 2-3 Seconds
Source: 2 LEDs
Detector: Silicon photodiodes with integral amplifier for absorbance
measurement and source power monitoring for
temperature compensation
Storage Capacity: More than 100,000 data points
User Interface: 50mm X 15mm graphic display screen, 8 keys for control
and data manipulation, audible alert for status and
warnings
Input and Output: A mini USB port is provided as the main data transfer
port.
An RS-232 port can also be used for data transfer
The RS232 port is also used with a compatible GPS
receiver for integrated measurement and location data.
Operating temperature range: 0-50oC.
Temperature drift: Temperature compensated source and detector circuitry
for minimum drift over full range.
Battery: 9V alkaline cell
Auto-off interval: 4 minutes (with no key press or download)
Weight: 168g (not including battery)
Dimensions: 152(L)x82(W)x25(D)mm
GPS option: The single pin RS232 port is used for GPS. Location data
is saved with measuring data for each measurement in the
measuring file.

Opti-Sciences, Inc. CCM-200 plus operator's manual
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ERROR CODES
The error codes describe the problem encountered.
Error Codes miscellaneous message text info for version 1.3a 5/11 rr
Boot up message: errors with uSD memory:
"SD init error"
"Continue"
"SD error #xx"
"on command #xx"
"NV load error"
"Continue"
Fix:
If you get any of the 3 errors above, first take out the battery, hold the power switch for 30 sec,
then replace battery. If error goes away ok, else the unit will probably need to come in for
service.
" ! Error Warning !"
"File System Corrupt!"
"Perform Format on Unit"
"Continue"
Fix:
This error occurs if the uSD card is corrupted. We saw this when the power was switched off
while still in transfer mode. It may also be caused by disconnecting the unit before stopping
communications with the PC. The power off event was fixed in software version version 1.05. If
you have an earlier version of software the following process may be used to reset the
instrument:

Opti-Sciences, Inc. CCM-200 plus operator's manual
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Reconnect the CCM to the PC. Go to My Computer, find the CCM200 drive, and right click the
drive. Left click Format, and then left click Start. This will reformat the drive. All data that was
on the instrument will be lost. With earlier versions of software, it is important to either push the
cancel button or disconnect the USB cable before turning off the instrument.
Message during app upgrade:
" CCM200p LOADER"
" Updating Application "
" Please Wait!"
This message is displayed during an application upgrade.
" ! nvRAM Init !"
This message will sometimes follow a software update. It may also appear after the unit is
formatted by the PC. It indicates that the system defaults are being restored. It should not appear
every time the unit is turned on. That would indicate a uSD card fault.
Test errors:
"Custom file not found!"
"CCI units will be used"
Fix:
This message will appear if the "Use custom measurementunits [Yes]" setting is selected. It
means that the lookup table for this feature is not present. Simply turn feature off to clear the
message.

Opti-Sciences, Inc. CCM-200 plus operator's manual
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"Warning! Average must "
"be>=10 pts for std dev"
"mode. A setting of 10 "
"points will be used."
Fix:
This message will appear for the standard deviation test mode when the number of samples is
less than 10 points. It must be 10 or greater.
" !! Warning !!"
" Drive is Full"
Fix:
This will appear if the devices memory is full. Delete some unused data to remedy this problem.
"Sample too dense"
Fix:
This message warns that the amount of signal absorbed by the sample is too great for reliable
measurements. Try locating to a different part of the sample.
" Hold arm down "
" for whole test!"
Fix:
This message appears if the sample chamber is not closed for the duration
of the test.

Opti-Sciences, Inc. CCM-200 plus operator's manual
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"Light Leak!"
Fix:
This message indicates that there is too much light present during the test zero phase. This may
be due to worn gaskets or non-flat samples. Return to Dealer for repair.
Calibration errors:
"Clean Sample Chamber!"
Fix:
This message occurs during a calibration if the amount of light through the chamber is below a
certain level. This may be due to dirt on the diffusers or debris in the sample area. It may also be
caused by a mechanical or electrical problem. Clean chamber and re-try first then contact
service.
"Source/Detector Fail!"
Fix:
This message indicates that the unit has detected a fault with one of its sensing components. It
should be referred back to the factory of inspection.
"Chamber Light Leak!"
Fix:
This will occur with worn gaskets or possibly a defective detector. Contact service for new
gaskets or other instructions.