PCE Instruments PCE-CT 21BT User manual

© PCE Instruments
PCE-CT 2X BT Series Coating Thickness Gauge
User Manual
User manuals in various languages (français,
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Last change: 3 November 2020
v1.0
English

© PCE Instruments
Contents
1Safety notes........................................................................................... 1
2Technical specifications ...................................................................... 2
3Delivery scope.......................................................................................2
4Display description............................................................................... 3
4.1 Key description................................................................................................................. 3
5Power supply.........................................................................................4
6On / off....................................................................................................4
7Measurement......................................................................................... 4
7.1 Continuous measurement ................................................................................................ 4
8Menu....................................................................................................... 4
8.1 Menu structure................................................................................................................. 5
9Calibration ............................................................................................. 5
9.1 Zero point calibration........................................................................................................ 6
9.2 One-point calibration........................................................................................................ 6
9.3 Five-point calibration........................................................................................................ 6
10 Data group ............................................................................................. 7
11 Limit value alarm...................................................................................7
12 Convert unit........................................................................................... 7
13 Backlight................................................................................................7
14 Software.................................................................................................7
14.1 PC transfer....................................................................................................................... 8
15 App transfer...........................................................................................9
16 Troubleshooting..................................................................................11
17 Warranty...............................................................................................12
18 Disposal ...............................................................................................12

© PCE Instruments
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1 Safety notes
Please read this manual carefully and completely before you usethe device for the first time. The
device may only be used by qualified personnel and repaired by PCE Instruments personnel.
Damage or injuries caused by non-observance of the manual are excluded from our liability and
not covered by our warranty.
•The device must only be used as described inthis instructionmanual. If used otherwise,
this can cause dangerous situations for the user and damage to the meter.
•The instrument may only be used if the environmental conditions (temperature, relative
humidity, …) are within the ranges stated inthe technical specifications. Do not expose
the device to extreme temperatures, direct sunlight, extreme humidity or moisture.
•Do not expose the device to shocks or strong vibrations.
•The case should only be opened by qualified PCE Instruments personnel.
•Never use the instrument when your hands are wet.
•You must not make any technical changes to the device.
•The appliance should only be cleaned with a damp cloth. Use only pH-neutral cleaner,
no abrasives or solvents.
•The device must only be used with accessories from PCE Instruments or equivalent.
•Before each use, inspect the case for visible damage. If any damage is visible, do not
use the device.
•Do not use the instrument in explosive atmospheres.
•The measurement range as stated in the specifications must not be exceeded under
any circumstances.
•Non-observance of the safety notes can cause damage to the device and injuries to
the user.
We do not assume liability for printing errors or any other mistakes in this manual.
We expressly point to our general guarantee terms which can be found in our general terms of
business.
If you have any questions please contact PCE Instruments. The contact details can be found at
the end of this manual.

© PCE Instruments
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2 Technical specifications
3 Delivery scope
1 x coating thickness gauge PCE-CT 2x BT series
5 x calibration foil reference
1 x Fe zero standard
1 x NFe zero standard (only for PCE-CT 22BT and PCE-CT 23BT)
1 x transport loop
2 x 1.5 V AA batteries
1 x carrying case
1 x user manual
Model
PCE-CT 21BT
PCE-CT 22BT
PCE-CT 23BT
Measurable substrates
Fe
Fe, NFe
Fe, NFe
Probe
external
internal
external
Measurement range
0 ... 1500 µm
Resolution
0.1 µm (within meas. range 0 ... 99.9 µm)
1 µm (within meas. range 100 ... 1500 µm)
Accuracy
±(1 µm + 2 % of the coating thickness)
Units
µm, mil
Min. curvature
convex 5 mm, concave 5 mm
Min. measuring area
10 x 10 mm
Min. thickness of substrate
0.4 mm
Interface
Bluetooth, micro USB
Memory space
10 groups of 60 measured values each
Power supply
2 x 1.5 V AA battery, 5 V USB interface
Environmental conditions
-10 ... 50 °C, 10 ... 85 % RH
Dimensions
126 x 69 x 35 mm (without sensor)
Weight
approx. 97 g (without batteries)

© PCE Instruments
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4 Display description
Symbol
Designation
Description
99.7
Measured value
Display of the current measured value
Battery indicator
Batteries charged or the meter is operated via the
USB interface.
Batteries are 2/3 charged
Batteries are 1/3 charged
Batteries are discharged. Please replace the
batteries.
Fe
NFe
Substrate
Fe: magnetic material
NFe: non-magnetic material
µm
Unit
Adjustable units µm and mil
^ / v
Limit value
Is displayed when the set limit value is exceeded or
fallen below.
17
Number of
measurements
Number of measured values
4.1 Key description
Symbol
Designation
Description
On and off switch
Press and hold this key for more than one
second to switch the meter on and off
Menu key, enter key
Open the menu, apply changes to the
settings.
Calibration key, back
Press this key to enter the calibration menu.
Press this key to go back one step and exit
the menu.
Arrow keys
Change parameters and select the desired
function in the menu.

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5 Power supply
To start using the meter, first insert 2 x 1.5 V AA batteries into the battery compartment on the
back. Make sure the polarity is correct when inserting them. To prolong the battery life, make sure
to switch off the Bluetooth function when you are not using it.
The meter can also be supplied with power via the micro USB port. Thus, the coating thickness
gauge can be operated via the USB port of a computer, for example.
6 On / off
To switch the meter on/off, press and hold the key for more than 1 second. When the meter
is not in use, it will automatically turn off within 3 minutes.
7 Measurement
To make a measurement, place the tip of the sensor on thesurface to be measured. A measured
value will be displayed directly. Make sure that you place the sensor on the sample vertically and
quickly. The meter will detect automatically whether the base material is magnetic (Fe) or non-
magnetic (nFe). During a measurement, the sensor must not be moved, otherwise incorrect
measurements may occur. To carry out further measurements, place the sensor on the next
measuring spot.
Important:
In order to obtain the best results, it is important to take measurements on a smooth and non-slip
surface.
Do not impact the sensor head too forcefully on the test object, otherwise you could damage the
probe.
7.1 Continuous measurement
To perform a continuous measurement, place the sensor on the object to be measured. A
measured value will be displayed. Now keep the sensor on the current measuring spot for three
seconds. The continuous measurement starts automatically. To stop the continuous
measurement, lift the sensor.
Important:
Do not make continuous measurements on sensitive surfaces to create sequences, otherwise
you could damage the surface.
Do not carry out continuous measurements on rough surfaces as this could damage the sensor.
8 Menu
To open the menu, press the key. The upper part of the display shows you the menu level
currently open. The lower part of the display shows the currently selected function at the menu
level. You can use the arrow keys to select between the functions and also change parameter
values. Press the key to open the corresponding function. Press the back key to go back one
level.

© PCE Instruments
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8.1 Menu structure
Menu
Calibration
(Calib)
Zero point calibration
(Zero Calib)
Factory calibration
(Factory calib)
1-point calibration
(1 point calib)
5-point calibration
(5-point calib)
Data groups
(Data Group)
History
Selected group
(Select Grp XXX)
Delete last value
(Remove latest)
Delete group
(Erase group)
Clear memory completely
(Erase all)
Limit value alarm
(Limit Alarm)
Activate alarm
(alarm on)
Upper limit value
(Up limit)
Lower limit value
(Low limit)
Bluetooth
On, off
(ON, OFF)
Unit
µm, mil
Device information
(About)
Sensor type
(Type)
Serial number
(Serial)
Hardware version
(Hardware)
Software version
(Software)
9 Calibration
To perform a calibration, the meter has various functions.
- Factory calibration
- Zero point calibration
- One-point calibration
- Five-point calibration
In order to obtain the most accurate measurement result over the entire measuring range, a five-
point calibration is recommended. A calibration of magnetic (Fe) and non-magnetic substrates
(nFe) is independent on each other. After each calibration, check the measured values again with
the references. If the measured values are still not within the accuracies, repeat the calibration if
necessary.

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9.1 Zero point calibration
To perform a zero point calibration, press the key. Now place the sensor on the
corresponding zero reference. When "Lift probe up" appears on the display, remove the sensor
from the reference. You will then be asked if you want to accept the calibration. Press the
key to save the change. To discard the setting, press the key.
9.2 One-point calibration
To perform a 1-point calibration, first go to the calibration menu and select "1-point calib". Now
place the sensor on the corresponding zero reference. When "Lift probe up" appears on the
display, remove the sensor from the zero reference. Now place a foil reference on the zero
reference. Now carry out a measurement of the reference by positioning the probe on the foil.
When "Lift probe up" appears on the display, remove the sensor from the reference. The display
will now show the measured value. With the arrow keys, you can now set this value to the
calibration reference. Confirm the set value with the key. You are then asked whether you
want to accept the calibration. Press the key to save the change. To discard the setting, press
the key.
9.3 Five-point calibration
To perform a five-point calibration, first go to the calibration menu and select "5-point calib". Now
place the sensor on the corresponding zero reference. When "Lift probe up" appears on the
display, remove the sensor from the zero reference. Now place a foil reference on the zero
reference. Now carry out a measurement of the reference by positioning the probe on the film.
When "Lift probe up" appears on the display, remove the sensor from the reference. The display
will now show the measured value. With the arrow keys, you can now set this value to the value
of the calibration reference. Confirm the set value with the key. The second calibration point
will follow now. Now use another calibration reference and repeat the calibration procedure until
you reach the last calibration point. Then you are asked whether you want to accept the
calibration. Press the key to save the change. To discard the setting, press the key.
Important: When instructed to lift the probe, lift the probe quickly and place it 30 cm away from
the reference before changing the reference film.

© PCE Instruments
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10 Data group
With this coating thickness gauge, the measured values are saved automatically. Various data
groups are available for this purpose. To make settings to the data memory, go to the menu under
the item "Data Group". Here, you can make the following settings:
Course (History)
Here you can view the last measured values
belonging to the set measuring group.
Selected group (Select Grp XXX)
Here you set the current measuring group.
If you make settings in the menu item "Data
group", these always refer to the data group
selected here. The measured values are also
saved in the data group selected here.
Delete last value (Remove latest)
With this function, you can delete the last
measured value.
Delete group (Erase group)
The entire measuring group is deleted here.
Erase memory completely (Erase all)
Here, you can clear the entire memory.
11 Limit value alarm
To set limit values, first go to the "limit alarm" menu. Under the item "Alarm on", you can activate
the limit alarm function. You can set the limits as follows:
Upper limit value (Up limit)
Here, you can set the upper limit value.
Lower limit value (Low limit)
Here, you can set the lower limit value.
If the measured value is within the limit range, the LED indicator briefly flashes in green. If the
measured value is outside the limit values, the LED indicator briefly flashes in red. The display
shows whether the current measured value is too high or too low.
12 Convert unit
To change the unit, go to the menu. Under the item "Unit", you can choose between the units µm
and millimetre.
13 Backlight
The backlight switches on and off automatically. It is not possible to adjust this.
14 Software
The data from the coating thickness gauge can also be exported. For this purpose, there is the
possibility of Bluetooth transfer to an Android or iOS device. It is also possible to transfer the data
to a PC via the micro USB interface.

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14.1 PC transfer
First connect the meter to the PC using a micro USB cable.
Important: To establish a PC connection, the Bluetooth function in the meter must be switched
off.
Note: You can alsofind the software on the download page on https://www.pce-instruments.com.
Then open the"Coatingmaster" software. Under "Port" select "SiliconLaps CP210x USB to UART
Bridge". If this is not available, the driver may be missing. You can find the driver in the program
folder under the "driver" folder. If you have a 64-bit system, use the installation file
"CP210xVCPInstaller_x64". If you have a 32-bit system, use the installation file
"CP210xVCPInstaller_x86" to install the driver.
Now click on "Connect". The software now establishes a connection to the meter.
Under the tab "Data", the displays on the meter are now shown mirrored in the programme. This
means that the data are live-transferred to the PC. The software is synchronised with the meter
via the "Sync" button.