Photon Systems Instruments N-Pen N 110 Guide

N-Pen N 110
Manual and User Guide
Please read this manual before operating this product
PSI, spol. s r. o., Drásov 470, 664 24 Drásov, Czech Republic
FAX: [phone], TEL: [phone], www.psi.cz

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© PSI (Photon Systems Instruments), spol. s r. o. (hereinafter PSI), 2018
This document and its parts can be copied or provided to a third party only with the express permission of PSI.
The contents of this manual have been verified to correspond to the specifications of the device. However, deviations cannot
be ruled out. Therefore, a complete correspondence between the manual and the real device cannot be guaranteed. The
information in this manual is regularly checked, and corrections may be made in subsequent versions.
The visualizations shown in this manual are only illustrative.
This manual is an integral part of the purchase and delivery of equipment and its accessories and both Parties must abide
by it.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1Information Before Using N-Pen Device ......................................................................................................................... 5
2Technical Specification.................................................................................................................................................... 6
3General Information ....................................................................................................................................................... 7
3.1 Device Description................................................................................................................................................. 8
4List of Equipment and Customer Information ................................................................................................................ 9
5Care and Maintenance.................................................................................................................................................. 10
6Principle of Measurement ............................................................................................................................................ 11
7How to Get Started ....................................................................................................................................................... 12
7.1 Measurement...................................................................................................................................................... 12
8Control Menu Tree........................................................................................................................................................ 13
9USB and Bluetooth Connection..................................................................................................................................... 18
9.1 USB Connection................................................................................................................................................... 18
9.2 Bluetooth Connection ......................................................................................................................................... 19
9.3 Bluetooth Pairing................................................................................................................................................. 19
10 FluorPen Software ................................................................................................................................................... 23
10.1 Software Installation ........................................................................................................................................... 23
10.2 Menu and Icon Explanation................................................................................................................................. 24
10.2.1 Main Menu ................................................................................................................................................. 24
10.2.2 Menu Settings............................................................................................................................................. 25
10.2.3 Menu Online Control .................................................................................................................................. 26
10.3 Data Transfer....................................................................................................................................................... 27
10.4 Firmware Update................................................................................................................................................. 29
11 GPS Module ............................................................................................................................................................. 31
11.1 GPS / N-Pen Operation........................................................................................................................................ 31
11.2 Data Download.................................................................................................................................................... 32
12 Warranty Terms and Conditions.............................................................................................................................. 33
13 Troubleshooting and Customer Support ................................................................................................................. 34

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1INFORMATION BEFORE USING N-PEN DEVICE
Read this manual carefully before operating the device. If you are not sure about anything in the manual, contact the
manufacturer for clarification.
By accepting the device, the customer agrees to follow the instructions in this guide.
Always follow corresponding manuals while working with the N-Pen device or doing the maintenance.
It is forbidden to interfere with the hardware or software of the N-Pen device in any way without previous agreement with
the manufacturer.
The following table presents basic highlight symbols used in this manual:
Symbol
Description
Important information, read carefully.
Complementary and additional information.
Tab. 1 Used symbols.

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2TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
Measured Parameters:
Nitrogen content calibrated for particular plant
Measuring Light:
Dual wavelength light source –565 nm, 760 nm
Detector Wavelength Range:
500 to 800 nm bandpass filters
Memory Capacity:
16 Mbit
PC Communication modules:
Bluetooth and USB
FluorPen Software:
Windows 7 or higher compatible*
Internal Data Logging:
Up to 100,000 data points
Display:
Graphical display
Keypad:
Sealed, 2-key tactile response
Keypad Escape Time:
Turns off after 8 minutes of no use
Power Supply:
Li-Ion rechargeable battery
Battery Capacity:
2000 mAh
Max. Charging Current:
0.5 A
Charging via USB port:
PC, power bank, USB charger, etc.
Battery Life:
48 hours typical with full operation
Low Battery Detection:
Low battery indication displayed
Size:
135 mm x 65 mm x 33 mm
Weight:
188 g
Operating Conditions:
Temperature: 0 to +55 ºC, 32 to 130 ºF; Relative humidity: 0 to 95 % (non-condensing)
Storage Conditions:
Temperature: -10 to +60 ºC, 14 to 140 ºF; Relative humidity: 0 to 95 % (non-condensing)
Warranty:
1 year parts and labor (see the last page of this Operation Manual for precise warranty conditions)
* Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

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3GENERAL INFORMATION
N-Pen N 110 is a light-weight, battery-powered reflectance-based instrument that provides a convenient, cost-effective
method for effective nitrogen management in plants throughout their growing season. Essentially, the N-Pen characterizes
nitrogen amount by means of reflectance and by the concept of a close link between chlorophyll content and nitrogen
content in plants.
Rugged and compact N-Pen can be used for plant biology research or for education. Due to an inbuilt GPS module and
splash-proof cover is N-Pen suitable for field experiments. The measurement is non-destructive and permits quick,
repeated monitoring throughout the growing season. The device is equipped with rechargeable Li-ion battery.
Measured data are sequentially stored in the internal N-Pen memory. Data transfer is via USB or Bluetooth communication.
Comprehensive FluorPen 1.1 software provides data transfer routines and many additional features for data presentation
in tables and graphs.
Currently Available Calibrations:
•Maize
•Wheat
•Barley

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3.1 DEVICE DESCRIPTION
Fig. 1 Device description.

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4LIST OF EQUIPMENT AND CUSTOMER INFORMATION
Standard version of the N-Pen device package consists:
•N-Pen N 110
•Carrying Case
•FluorPen software and driver (on a USB flash disc)
•Operation Manual (PDF on a USB flash disc)
•USB Cable
•Other Accessories or Optional Features (according to your specific order)
For USB connection you need to have the USB driver installed in your PC. You find the driver on the
installation disk (USB driver folder).
If any item is missing, please, contact the manufacturer. Also check the carton for any visible external
damage. If you find any damage, notify the carrier and the manufacturer immediately. The carton and
all packing materials should be retained for inspection by the carrier or insurer.
For customer support, please write to: suppo[email protected]

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5CARE AND MAINTENANCE
N-Pen N 110
•Never submerge the whole device in the water!
•Keep the optical part clean and dry!
•Inspect visually the optical window after each deployment. Use soft, non-abrasive tissue for cleaning the
optical part!
•The device should not come in contact with any organic solvents, strong acids or bases.

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6PRINCIPLE OF MEASUREMENT
Nitrogen content is correlating with Normalized Difference Greenness Index:
NDGI = (R780 –R565) / (R780 + R565)
There are different formulas for nitrogen content in plant and grain.
After perform a measurement, the device calculates automatically the nitrogen content. The result is displayed in %.
N-Pen is pre-set by the manufacturer for a series of 10 measurements. You can change number of measurements from 6
to 20. For example, after perform a series of 10 measurements, the average value of nitrogen content is automatically
determined and displayd in %. The average value is calculated as follows: the maximum and minimum values are extracted
and the average is calculated of the remaining eight values. If one (or more) of the 8 values significantly differs from the
rest, the device does not accept it (them) and asks you to repeat one or more measurements. The display shows how many
measurements must be repeated, for instance, “Measure left: 2“.
Fig. 2 Principle of measurement.

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7HOW TO GET STARTED
For more detailed information on particular steps of N-Pen operation please refer to chapter 8.
The device works on Li-Ion battery or is charged via USB cable from PC or grid.
The N-Pen is controlled using two buttons:
•Use the MENU key to scroll through sequential menu options on the digital display.
•Use the SET key to select a menu option based on cursor (>) position.
7.1 MEASUREMENT
•Before measuring is necessary to perform calibration. There is a white pad on the inner part of the leaf clip for
calibration step.
•Go to Calibration (“Insert white sample”appears on display).
•Press SET to confirm.
•Calibration is automatically stored into the device memory.
•The device is now ready to measure other samples.
It is necessary to calibrate N-Pen after every switch ON.
Before performing the calibration, make sure that the optical part of the device, including the inner
part of the sample holder, is clean.
•Insert a leaf sample into the leaf clip. The leaf clip is important for the sample stabilization.
•Go to Measurement > choose required plant and part of it.
•Press SET to confirm.
•It is necessary to perform series of 10 measurements for result in %. Always perform series of measurements on
10 different plants of the same species (wheat, barley or corn).
•Measurement must be done on the 2nd or 3rd youngest leaf of the particular plant.
•Perform the measurement as close as possible to the mid part of the leaf.
•Value of required parameter appears on display after measuring.
•During the measurement all results in % are stored into the device memory and can be downloaded to PC.
The device turns off automatically after 8 minutes of no use.

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8CONTROL MENU TREE
The next pages show the structure of the operation scheme, which includes the Main Menu and first-level Sub-Menus.
•The blue color represents the Main Menu and its Options.
•The yellow color represents the first-level Sub-Menus and their Options.
•Full-line arrows are used for the SET key.
•Dashed-line arrows are used for the MENU key.

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9USB AND BLUETOOTH CONNECTION
9.1 USB CONNECTION
Connect the USB cable with the N-Pen device. Please note that lock in system is used.
Pay attention when connecting the USB cable not to damage the outlet connector on the Pen
device. Make sure that you orient the cable correctly prior connecting the inlet with the outlet and
the cable is upright towards the device.
To connect N-Pen with your computer please follow steps below in Fig. 3:
Fig. 3 How to connect N-Pen with PC.
A) Outlet connector on N-Pen device. B) Inlet part on the USB cable. C –E) Position the cable horizontally, plug in the inlet
and screw the securing screw. F) Correct connection of the USB cable and Pen device.
Connect the USB cable to a computer. The N-Pen switches ON automatically after connecting the cable to the PC. For USB
connection you need to have the USB driver installed in your PC. You find the driver on the installation disk (USB driver
folder). If you check the Device Manager in Windows you should see the USB serial port in the device tree. In case of
missing driver, you may download it from PSI websites. When the driver is installed correctly you should be able to connect
to the device in the FluorPen software menu Setup > Device ID.
For more information about FluorPen software see chapter 10.

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9.2 BLUETOOTH CONNECTION
Before you set up the Bluetooth connection between the N-Pen and your PC, make sure you have these components:
1. Bluetooth enabled PC
The PC with which you connect must have Bluetooth wireless technology, either built-in or through a Bluetooth card. Make
sure that the PC's Bluetooth setting is "discoverable" (meaning that it shows up when other devices search for nearby
Bluetooth connections). Consult the user guide for your PC or Bluetooth card to learn how to do this.
2. Bluetooth configuration software properly set up on PC
Before you can download files to your PC, you will need to set up the Bluetooth software that came with your PC, or your
PC's Bluetooth card. This software varies by manufacturer. Please consult your PC's Bluetooth documentation for more
information.
3. Bluetooth must be switched on visible on both devices
To pair the N-Pen with another Bluetooth device, such as a computer, you will need to ensure that Bluetooth is switched
on visible on both devices.
9.3 BLUETOOTH PAIRING
1. Enabling Bluetooth in the N-Pen
•Switch ON the N-Pen (press and hold the SET key).
•Scroll to the Accessories menu (press the MENU key, then press the SET key).
•Select Bluetooth On (press the MENU key, then press the SET key) to enable Bluetooth.
Keep in mind that the N-Pen turns off automatically after about 8 minutes of no action.
Turning off the N-Pen always turns off Bluetooth.
2. Starting Bluetooth Application on Your PC
Be aware that this description is working on Windows 7; some of the steps may be different on your PC.
•Select: Start > Devices and Printers (Fig. 4).
You may also start your Bluetooth application via the Control Panel: Start > Control Panel >
Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers.

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Fig. 4 Start Bluetooth Application.
3. Opening the Add Bluetooth Device Application
•Select: “Add a device” to start searching new Bluetooth device. Be sure that the N-Pen is in discoverable mode
(see step 1).
Fig. 5 Add a device.
4. Selecting the N-Pen
•Select: PSI Pen icon.
•Select: Next (Fig. 6).
Fig. 6 Select the PSI Pen.