Pulsar FLOWPULSE User manual

FlowPulse
Instruction Manual

2

PULSAR MEASUREMENT
3
FLOWPULSE (FOURTH EDITION REV 1)
February 2021
Part Number M-560-0-004-1P
COPYRIGHT
© Pulsar Measurement, 2012-20. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any
language in any form without the written permission of Pulsar Process Measurement Limited.
WARRANTY AND LIABILITY
Pulsar Process Measurement Limited guarantee for a period of 2 years from the date of delivery
that it will either exchange or repair any part of this product returned to Pulsar Process
Measurement Limited if it is found to be defective in material or workmanship, subject to the
defect not being due to unfair wear and tear, misuse, modification or alteration, accident,
misapplication, or negligence.
DISCLAIMER
Pulsar Measurement neither gives nor implies any process guarantee for this product and shall
have no liability in respect of any loss, injury or damage whatsoever arising out of the
application or use of any product or circuit described herein.
Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of this documentation, but Pulsar Measurement
cannot be held liable for any errors.
Pulsar Measurement operates a policy of constant development and improvement and reserves
the right to amend technical details, as necessary.
The FlowPulse shown on the cover of this manual is used for illustrative purposes only and may
not be representative of the actual FlowPulse supplied.
CONTACT
For technical support, please contact:
Europe: [e-mail]
Outside Europe: [e-mail]
If you have any comments or suggestions about this product, please contact:
Europe: [e-mail]
Outside Europe: [e-mail]
Pulsar Measurement website: www.pulsarmeasurement.com
United States
11451 Belcher Road South
Largo,
FL 33773
888-473-9546
Canada
16456 Sixsmith Drive
Long Sault, Ont.
K0C 1P0
855-300-9151
United Kingdom
Cardinal Building, Enigma
Commercial Centre
Sandy’s Road, Malvern
WR14 1JJ
00 44 (0)1684 891371

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CONTENTS
Contents .......................................................................................................................................4
Chapter 1: Start Here… ...........................................................................................................7
About this Manual ...............................................................................................................7
About the Pulsar FlowPulse .............................................................................................8
Functional Description .......................................................................................................9
Product Specification....................................................................................................... 10
EU Declaration of Conformity ......................................................................................12
Chapter 2 Installation...........................................................................................................13
Unpacking............................................................................................................................ 13
Power Supply Requirements.........................................................................................13
Dimensions .......................................................................................................................... 14
Terminal Connection Detail .......................................................................................... 14
FlowPulse IP68....................................................................................................................15
Wiring .................................................................................................................................... 15
Terminal Connections......................................................................................................16
FlowPulse Installation Procedures ..............................................................................17
Flow Pulse PC Installation .............................................................................................. 18
Preparation for Operation ............................................................................................. 19
Maintenance ....................................................................................................................... 19
Chapter 3 Setting Up FlowPulse Using Software ......................................................20
Interface................................................................................................................................ 20
Using FlowPulse PC ..........................................................................................................20
Software Icons....................................................................................................................21
Flow Tab................................................................................................................................ 23
Flow Record Tab................................................................................................................ 24
Trace Tab .............................................................................................................................. 25
Parameters Tab .................................................................................................................. 26
Manual Setting...................................................................................................................35
Setup Menu......................................................................................................................... 36

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System Menu ...................................................................................................................... 36
Tools Menu.......................................................................................................................... 37
About FlowPulse Menu...................................................................................................37
Chapter 4 RS485 Parameter Guide ................................................................................. 38
Parameter System ............................................................................................................. 38
Parameter Access .............................................................................................................. 38
Output Parameters ........................................................................................................... 39
Configuration Parameters.............................................................................................. 40
Chapter 5 Optimisation and Diagnostics .....................................................................52
Interpreting Diagnostic Trace....................................................................................... 52
PC-over-RS485................................................................................................................... 53
Quick-Response Setup....................................................................................................54
Simulated Flow................................................................................................................... 55
Saving & Loading Device Parameters....................................................................... 55
Firmware Upgrade ............................................................................................................ 56
High Noise Environment................................................................................................57
Chapter 6 Common Questions and Answers ............................................................. 58
Will mechanical vibration affect flow measurement?......................................... 58
Is it possible to operate FlowPulse in a high noise environment? ................ 58
What is the effect of poor pipe condition?.............................................................58
What is the effect of pipe lining?................................................................................ 58
Does FlowPulse measurement drift over time? .................................................... 58
Can FlowPulse be operated in a wet environment?............................................59
Chapter 7 Troubleshooting................................................................................................60
LED Indications...................................................................................................................60
Fault Registers and Log File..........................................................................................60
Flow measurement is significantly different from expectation.......................61
Flow reading under no-flow condition.....................................................................62
Flow reading fluctuates or is erratic .......................................................................... 62
No flow indicated when there is flow .......................................................................63

FLOWPULSE INSTRUCTION MANUAL
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Relay state not stable ......................................................................................................63
Chapter 8 Disposal ................................................................................................................ 64
Transducers ......................................................................................................................... 64
Controllers............................................................................................................................64

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CHAPTER 1: START HERE…
Congratulations on your purchase of Pulsar’s FlowPulse sensor. This quality
system has been developed over many years and represents the latest in
high technology ultrasonic level measurement and control.
It has been designed to give you years of trouble-free performance, and a
few minutes spent reading this operating manual will ensure that your
installation is as simple as possible.
About this Manual
It is important that this manual is referred to for correct installation and
operation. There are various parts of the manual that offer additional help
or information as shown.
Tips
TIP: Look for this icon throughout your Pulsar Measurement manual to
find helpful information and answers to frequently asked questions .
Additional Information
Additional Information
At various parts of the manual, you will find sections
like this that explain specific things in more detail.

FLOWPULSE INSTRUCTION MANUAL
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About the Pulsar FlowPulse
The FlowPulse is an ultrasonic non-invasive flow monitor designed for use
on most industrial liquid flow applications. FlowPulse uses a novel spread
spectrum analysis technique never used in flow monitoring. It introduces a
radical new Digital Signal Processing approach for exceptional repeatability.
Ultrasound is fired through the pipe wall at 90 degrees to the flow via a
tangentially mounted high-output ceramic, then refracted at angles across
the axis of the flow and subsequently reflected from bubbles, particles and
vortices in all directions and at a wide range of frequencies. The wide,
refracted, ultrasonic beam maximises the ultrasound energy captured from
flowing particles. These multiple reflections are received back into the unit
via a second crystal.
The mass of data generated is analysed using FlowPulse’s Refracted Spread
Spectrum Analysis (RSSA) digital signal processing platform to derive flow
information. RSSA analyses and integrates the received signals over a wide
frequency range, then uses them for real-time analysis and flow rate
calculation.
FlowPulse operates in a flow range from as little as 0.3m/s through to 4m/s,
with a minimum particle size of 100µ and concentration of 200ppm (the
equivalent of hard water) or above.

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Functional Description
The FlowPulse injects an ultrasonic signal through the pipe and analyses the
returned signal in real-time to extract flow information. This provides robust
and repeatable flow monitoring using a scalable 4 to 20 mA output and a
volt-free relay switch. Interface with the PC over both the RS-485 and RS-
232 serial port is fully supported by the FlowPulse PC software, which can be
used for setting up and operating the device.
In addition, there is a RS-485 with Modbus RTU communication protocol
that interfaces Flow Pulse to Pulsar’s optional controllers which are listed
below:
•Flow Monitor wall mount unit
•Quantum 3
•Ultimate Controller
For further details on how to connect and use the Flow Pulse with the
controllers listed above, please refer to their individual instruction manuals,
which can be downloaded from our website:
www.pulsarmeasurement.com
For the best results, FlowPulse should be applied where:
•There is full pipe flow
•The pipe material is steel, cast iron, ductile iron, plastic, or glass,
but not rubber or flexible plastic pipes
•The pipe diameter is greater than 30 mm
•The pipe wall thickness is less than 20 mm
•The solids concentration in the fluid is greater than 200 ppm
(e.g. hard tap water), and typical particle sizes are larger than
100 microns
•There is no significant build-up within the pipe

FLOWPULSE INSTRUCTION MANUAL
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Product Specification
PHYSICAL
Outside dimensions
120 x 65 x 65 mm (4.75 x 2.6 x 2.6 inch)
Weight
Nominal 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs)
Enclosure material/description
Type 316 stainless steel casting
Cable entry detail
1 cable entry M20 x 1.5mm gland
Maximum separation
500m (1,640 ft.)
ENVIRONMENTAL
IP Rating (Wall)
IP68
Max. & min. temperature
(electronics)
-20 ºC to +70 ºC (-4ºF to 158ºF)
CE Approval
See EU Declaration of Conformity
PERFORMANCE
Accuracy/Repeatability
±5% typical subject to installation and pipe conditions
Resolution
3mm/sec.
Pipe wall thickness
Metal or rigid pipe up to 20mm (0.8in) thick
Min. Particle size
>100µ
Max. particle size
>200ppm
Pipe diameter
V1 = 30mm to 350mm (1.2 to 14in), V2 = 30mm to
1250mm (1.2 to 49.2in)
Min. range
0.3m/sec.
Max. range (flow)
4.0m/sec. (10m/sec. for high flow version)
Response time
fully adjustable (1 sec. minimum for fast response
version)
SIGNAL PROCESSING
Description
RSSA (Refractive Spread Spectrum Analysis)
OUTPUTS
Analogue output
4-20 mA into a 1kload (when supply voltage is 22
VDC or greater) with 20µA resolution and user
programmable span.
Digital output
Full Duplex RS232 to PC software, Half Duplex RS485
to PC software, Half Duplex RS485 with Modbus RTU
Volt free contacts, number, and
rating
1 form "C" (SPDT) rated at 1A at 24VDC

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PROGRAMMING
PC programming
via RS232 or RS485 using FlowPulse PC
Programmed data integrity
Via non-volatile RAM
SUPPLY
Power supply
18 - 28V DC
Power Consumption
2.4W @ 24V typical, 3W @24V maximum
Pulsar Measurement operates a policy of constant development and
improvement and reserve the right to amend technical details, as necessary.

FLOWPULSE INSTRUCTION MANUAL
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EU Declaration of Conformity

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CHAPTER 2 INSTALLATION
Unpacking
Power Supply Requirements
The FlowPulse requires a DC 18-28V power supply. The typical power
consumption is 2.5W and the maximum power consumption should not
exceed 3W. The power supply should also be correctly fused at 250mA.
Care should be exercised when connecting the power supply by ensuring
the correct terminals and voltage rating are used to avoid damaging the
device.
Cable Screen and Earth Requirement
A screened multi-core cable should be used (minimum conductor size of
0.5mm². The cable screen should be connected to the enclosure at the cable
entry point via the cable gland, see figure below. The screen of the cable
should be earthed at the other end. The supplied cable gland is suitable for
cables up to 10mm O.D.
Important Notice
All shipping cartons should be opened carefully. When using a box cutter,
do not plunge the blade deeply into the box, as it could potentially cut or
scratch equipment components. Carefully remove equipment from each
carton, checking it against the packing list before discarding any packing
material. If there is any shortage or obvious shipping damage to the
equipment, report it immediately to Pulsar Measurement.

FLOWPULSE INSTRUCTION MANUAL
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If using RS485 then connect terminal 8 (RS485 SCR) to the Modbus return.
The power supply ground on FlowPulse must not be earthed or connected
to the cable screen.
Dimensions
Cable Entry
It is recommended that you use the cable gland that comes with the Flow
Pulse to ensure that the ingress rating is maintained.
Terminal Connection Detail

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FlowPulse IP68
The Flow Pulse IP68 has an integral 10-core screened cable fitted and is fully
encapsulated.
Wiring
The IP68 version of the Flow Pulse is designed to work with Pulsar’s Flow
Monitor wall unit, utilising the RS485. But it is also available on its own for
connection to existing Modbus or other devices to monitor RS485, mA
output and/or relay behaviour.
Below is a table identifying the terminal connections for each cable:
DESCRIPTION
WIRE
COLOUR
FLOWMPULSE
TERMINAL
FLOW MONITOR
TERMNAL
0V (GND)
Blue
1
22
24V DC
Brown
2
23
NC (Relay)
Red
3
Not used with Flow Monitor
COM (Relay)
Black
4
Not used with Flow Monitor
NO (Relay)
Violet
5
Not used with Flow Monitor
mA OUT (-)
White
6
Not used with Flow Monitor
mA OUT (+)
Pink
7
Not used with Flow Monitor
RS485 SCR
Green
8
21
RS485 +
Yellow
9
24
RS485 -
Grey
10
25
Cable Screen
Green & Yellow
Not connected
in FlowPulse
3
Important Notice
DO NOT TRY AND REMOVE THE LID. Consult Pulsar if you require
any assistance with the device.

FLOWPULSE INSTRUCTION MANUAL
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Terminal Connections
Power
FlowPulse operates from DC power supply or batteries within the range of
18 to 28 VDC. When using a long cable (in excess of 100 m), please ensure
that the minimum supply voltage is at least 22 VDC for the Relay to operate
reliably.
Relay Outputs
The relay can be programmed for a variety of alarms. The relay contacts on
the FlowPulse are rated at 1A at 24V DC. All connections should be such
that the short circuit capacity of the circuits to which they are connected, is
limited by fuses rated so that they do not exceed the relay rating.
The N.O. terminal is normally open while the N.C. terminal is a normally
closed circuit to the common terminal.
Current Output
There is one mA output, of 4 - 20mA with a maximum load of 1k*. It has a 20
µA resolution and a user programmable and adjustable span.
RS232 Serial Interface
The RS232 interface is available on the RJ-11 socket for setting up and
operating the FlowPulse using the FlowPulse PC software. It is
recommended that the serial cable does not exceed 10 metres in length.
RS485 Serial Interface with Modbus
It is recommended that a screened cable is used, and the cable screen is
connected to the screen terminal of the RS485 terminals. If RS485
connection is not required, the cable screen should be connected to the
metal enclosure of FlowPulse at the cable entry point and earthed at the
other end of the cable. The RS485 terminals are galvanically isolated.
Please ensure that the termination switch is set to the “ON” position if
termination is required.
The RS485 serial port can either be used with the Modbus RTU protocol or
to interface with FlowPulse PC.

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FlowPulse Installation Procedures
All electronic products are susceptible to electrostatic shock, so follow
proper grounding procedures during installation.
•Before installation, ensure that the necessary cabling has been fitted
and that the device is not being powered.
•The FlowPulse must be mounted on the external, dry surface of the
pipe. The device should not be submerged in liquid.
•The FlowPulse and the pipe surface around the installation location
should not be exposed to external flowing liquid.
•The FlowPulse should be installed on a straight section of pipe at
least 5 pipe diameters from any restrictions or sources of fluid
turbulence (e.g. pumps, valves, tees, elbows) where possible.
•On horizontal pipes, it is preferable to mount Flow Pulse between 1
o’clock and 5 o’clock position on the pipe to avoid air pocket on top
or sedimentation on the bottom, as illustrated in Figure 2:
Figure 2 above shows the recommended positioning on horizontal pipes.

FLOWPULSE INSTRUCTION MANUAL
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•Ensure that both the base of the FlowPulse and the pipe surface are
free from debris. Pipes with flaking paint should be cleaned down.
•Apply silicone grease or silicone pad to the base of Flow Pulse.
Silicone pad is recommended where vibration and heat are
frequently encountered.
•FlowPulse should be strapped onto the pipe with the supplied metal
banding. If further installation attempts are made, reapply silicone
grease. In the case of silicone pad, ensure that the pad surface is
clean from debris, the pad is in good condition, and there is no
folding that might cause uneven contact with the pipe.
•Ensure that the FlowPulse is aligned along the pipe axis, as
illustrated in Figure 3:
Figure 3: Flow Pulse correctly aligned along the pipe axis.
•Tighten the banding while ensuring best contact and correct
alignment between the Flow Pulse and the pipe.
Flow Pulse PC Installation
The FlowPulse PC software is supported on Win 7, Win 8 and Win 10 (32 and
64 bit). The .Net Framework 4.0 is required to run the program. This is free
for download online.
Run Setup.exe if downloaded from the Pulsar website
(https://www.pulsarmeasurement.com) to install the FlowPulse PC software.
Or alternatively, if you are installing from the CD provided please select to
install FlowPulse PC software from the options on screen. A FlowPulse PC
shortcut icon will then be created on the Desktop. Double click on the
shortcut icon to launch the program.
FlowPulse
FlowPulse

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Preparation for Operation
Before applying power, check the following:
•Sensor is installed correctly with optimum acoustic coupling
between sensor and the pipe surface.
•Remove the lid and apply power to the FlowPulse, and the power
supply is correctly connected in the terminal block.
•There’s no exposed or loose wiring around the connection terminals.
•The RED led will flash for 6 seconds, then the GREEN led will begin
to flash. The flashing of the GREEN led indicates that the device is
operational.
•Connect the relevant serial cable and converter to the PC depending
on whether RS232 or RS485 is being used.
•Launch the FlowPulse PC program. If using PC-over-RS485, change
baud rate to 19200 using Setup->Serial Port, default is 57600 over
RS232. Click the “Tick” icon to connect.
•When connection is established, the current parameters stored on
the Flow Pulse will be extracted by FlowPulse PC. The “Device” bulb
on the top right corner of the program will light up to indicate a
successful connection.
•Choose the “Parameters” tab on FlowPulse PC, where the current
device parameters are shown and can be modified. (please refer to
the Chapter on Setting Up FlowPulse before modification)
•On the top left corner of the “Parameters” tab, set the Pipe I.D. field
to the pipe’s internal diameter in units of either millimetres (default)
or inches.
•Click on the “SAVE” button.
•Return to the “Flow” tab to monitor flow.
Please refer to the Setting Up FlowPulse chapter for more information.
Maintenance
There are no user serviceable parts inside FlowPulse. If you experience any
problems with the unit, then please contact Pulsar Process Measurement for
advice. To clean the equipment, wipe with a damp cloth. Do not use any
solvents on the enclosure. When relocating, or reinstalling the FlowPulse,
please ensure that the pipe internal diameter value stored on the device is
updated accordingly.

FLOWPULSE INSTRUCTION MANUAL
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CHAPTER 3 SETTING UP FLOWPULSE USING SOFTWARE
Interface
The default method for interfacing with FlowPulse is by using the supplied
Flow Pulse PC software and serial cable.
If the optional the Flow Monitor is installed, common setup parameters can
be programmed directly from the Monitor. Please refer to the Flow Monitor
user manual for more information.
Programmed parameters are stored in the FlowPulse non-volatile memory
and are therefore retained after power-off.
Using FlowPulse PC
After launching the program and connecting to the Flow Pulse, the device
parameters will be automatically extracted once a connection is established.
Refer to the section on “Preparation for Operation” in Chapter 2 for more
details on FlowPulse PC installation and how to connect to Flow Pulse.
Pipe Internal Diameter
The pipe internal diameter is the only parameter that must be entered to get
the FlowPulse working to measure the flow.
Choose “Parameters” tab, enter the pipe internal diameter in units of mm in
the “Pipe I.D.” field, then click the “SAVE” button.
Return to the “Flow” tab to monitor flow, the “Record” tab shows a time-plot
of flow.
Figure 4 shows the main window of the FlowPulse PC software: