Reichert AR200 User manual

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AR200
Refractometer
User’s Guide

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Reichert AR200 Instruction Manual
Table of ContentsPage
1.0 Introduction 3
2.0 Specifications 4
3.0 EnvironmentalConditions 5
4.0 Care and Cleaning 5
4.1 Care of Prism Surface 5
5.0 InstrumentFeatures 6
6.0 AutomaticTemperatureCompensation 7
6.1 Temperaturecoefficientandcorrectioncalculations 7
7.0 InstallationProcedure 7
7.1 Set Up 8
8.0 Sample Reading 10
9.0 MenuOptions 11
10.0 Daily Single Point Calibration 12
11.0 Multipoint Calibration 13
11.1 CalibrationOils 14
12.0 Channels 15
12.1 Channel 1– Brix (Sucrose per ICUMSA) 15
12.2 Channels2– 4, User Programmable 15
13.0 Accessories 15

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1.0 INTRODUCTION
Congratulationsonyourpurchaseofthe ReichertAR200
DigitalHandheld Refractometer.This manual describes
theproper operation and careofthis state of theart
instrument.TheAR200is capable of measuring %
Solids(Brix),%Solids-TC(Brix-Temperature
Compensated),RefractiveIndex andRefractiveIndex-
TC(temperatureCompensatedperICUMSASucrose
temperatureCoefficient).Althoughit’smain purpose is
toaidquality control personnel in Food andBeverage
applicationsit’s advanced features make it a well suited
instrumentwidelyusedfor Medical, Pharmaceutical,
IndustrialFluids,Chemical and PetrochemicalIndustries.
AnAR200hasthecapabilitytomeasure Refractive
Index(nD)ofliquidsolutions to a precision of +/-
0.0001or % Solids (Brix) to +/-0.1 with a range of 1.3300
to 1.5600nD and 0 to 95% Solids (Brix).
Pleasenotethat anAR200Refractometerisa high
precisionopticalinstrument.Itisabsolutelynecessary to
properlymaintaintheinstrumenttoobtain the best
possibleaccuracy.Thisincludesthoroughlycleaningthe
prismandwellaftereachsampleandroutinely
calibratingtheinstrument.Alwaysstoretheinstrument
withthewell clean anddry.

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2.0 SPECIFICATIONS
·TheReichertAR200 operatesonfourAAAbatteries.
Theinstrument is capableof 3000+ readings ona set of
batteriesand has auto/off sleep modeafter 30 seconds
ofinactivityandlowbatterydetection.
·ThreeKeyOperation:
“CAL”,“READ”and “MENU”
withonscreenprompts.
·Illumination: 589 nm LED.
·Range: 1.3300to 1.5600 Refractive
Index(nD=589nmSodiumDline).
0 to 95% Solids, (Brix-Sucrose
perICUMSAin Channel 1).
Userdefinableinchannels 2 - 4.
·Readability: 0.0001 nD
0.1 % Solids.
0.1oCTemperature
·Accuracy: +/-0.0001nD
+/-0.1%Solids (Brix),
+/-0.2oCTemperature.
·TemperatureCompensation Range:
15o – 40oC (59o – 104o F) per ICUMSA in
Channel1,userdefinableincustom
channels.
·PrismAssembly:
Glass Prism sealed to Stainless Steel
Wellwithsolventresistantepoxy.
·Dimensions: 18cmx9cm x 3.5cm
(7”Lx3.75”Wx1.37”D)
.Weight: 410g

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3.0 ENVIROMENTAL CONDITIONS
·TemperatureRange: 10oC – 45oC
·Max.RelativeHumidity:80%fortemperaturesto31oC
decreasinglinearlyto50%(relative humidity at 40oC)
·PollutionDegree 2
·Altitudeupto 2,000 meters
4.0 CARE AND CLEANING
TheReichertAR200 is aprecisionopticalinstrument.
Theprismsurfaceandwellshouldbecleaned
immediatelyafteruse.Theinteriorcomponentsare
protectedfromdust,spills,andotherdamage.The
stainlesssteelwell and prism assembly issealedwith
corrosion-resistantepoxy.Allnon-opticalcomponents
canbecleanedwithsoap and water or methanol. Using
strongsolventssuchas N, N-Dimethylformamide orN,
N-Nimethylacetamide,cresols,phenolsand other tar
acidsshouldbeavoided,Tetrahydrofuranorsome
lacquerthinnersandtheircomponentscan also
deteriorate the prism seal over time or when applied at
elevatedtemperatures.DonotuseAcetone,Acetone
basedproductsorother harsh solvents when cleaning
theinstrument’sbodyorit’scomponents.
4.1 CARE OF PRISM SURFACE
Theprismsurfaceshouldbecleanedimmediatelyafter
use.Theuse of strong acidsorbases should not be
measuredwiththisinstrumentorusedascleaning
agents.Donotuse any metal or sharp objectstoclean
or pry loose the prism seal or residue on the sample or
well.Thesampleshould be wiped off with amoisttissue.
Warmwaterand soap is recommended forremoving
sucroseresidue and oil-based samplesfollowed by a
distilledwatercleaning.Removeanyremainingmoisture
withadrytissue.

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5.0 INSTRUMENT FEATURES
Refertothefeatureslistedbelow.
1. Instrument Display – Digitally displays
measurementvalues,operator instructions and error
messages.
2. Keypad Controls –All three controls are softtouch
membranekeys,CAL/down,READ/up,MENU/
return. Thesekeysserveadualpurpose as function
keysandalsofacilitatemoving the displayed cursor/
highlighterwhenselecting themanyavailable
options.
·CAL – Prompts the user to perform a water
calibration.Alsois used asthe “Down” key to
allowscrollingwhenchanging menu options or
values.
·READ– Will read the sample in the well.Also
isusedasthe“Up”keytoscrollthrough
choiceswhenchangingmenuoptions and
values.
·MENU–Allowsentrytothemenuoptionsof
theAR200.Themenukeyalsofunctionsas
“Enter”,“Exit”or“Cancel”dependingonthe
menuscreenand/orthe on screen
instructions.
3. Sample Well –The sample well is made of Stainless
Steelwith a Glass Prismmountedtoitscenter.When
a sample is placed on the prism face, it is important
thatthesamplecovertheentireprismsurfaceto
attainanaccuratereading.
4. IR Window – Located on the bottom of theAR200, it
isusedtocommunicatewith your PC when cradled
intheoptionaldockingstation.

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6.0 AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION
Automatictemperaturecompensationcorrectsreadings
overarangeof temperatures.Asan example: Samples
taken at 15oC – 40oC are corrected to a reference
temperaturereadingof20oC.Temperaturecorrection or
controlisnecessarybecauserefractiveindexvaries
inverselywithtemperature,astemperature of sample
risesrefractiveindex falls and so as sampletemperature
dropsrefractiveindexwill rise. This feature can be used
inlieuofcontrollingthetemperatureoftheprismand
sample.Itis however necessary to AllowSamplesto
Temperature Equilibrate (sample must reach same
temperatureasprismsurface) so that theAR200can
properlycorrectfortemperature.
Theautomatictemperaturecompensationmodebuilt
intotheAR200 isbasedon the temperature coefficients
(∆nD/∆oC)of sucrose, per the ICUMSA scales. When
readingsaretaken in Index-TC(RefractiveIndex-
TemperatureCompensated)modethereadingisonly
validforSucrose(Brix)solutions.
6.1 Temperature Coefficient Calculations (non-Sucrose
samples)
Shouldyouneedtotemperaturecorrectrefractive index
valuesforsamplesotherthanthosethat are sucrose
based.Pleasedownload“TemperatureCoefficient
CalculationandTemperatureCorrection”at
www.reichert.com Analytical/Applications,orcontact
Reichert AnalyticalTechnicalSupport,716-686-4500.
7.0 INSTALLATION PROCEDURE
A. Unpackinstrumentfromcarton.Retainpacking material
forfuturestorage/protection/shipping.
B. Pleasenotethefollowing accessories:
InstructionManual
Batteries, fourAAA

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Reading Mode
7.1 SET UP
A. Turntheinstrumentoverandremovethebattery
coverbyrotating it in a counter clockwisedirection.
B. Installthe fourAAAbatteries in the direction
indicated.
C. Reinstallthebatterycoverand turninstrumentover.
D. Placetheinstrumentonasolid surface in an
environmentwherethetemperatureisstable. Be
suretokeepinstrumentawayfromheat or air
conditioningvents,whichcancausedraftsand
affectthe temperaturestability.Allowthe instrument
timetoreachroomtemperature.
E. TurntheAR200 on bypressingthe“MENU” key.
Thetitlescreenwillappearfollowedbyinstructions
toapplysample and press read. DONOT,apply
sample or press read at this time.
F. Select desired “Reading Mode” by pressing
“MENU” keyagainto enter menu options.
G. Use“READ” (Up) “CAL” (Down) keys toadvance
through mode options to “Reading Mode”, press
the“MENU” (Return)keywhenyousee the
followingscreen.
H. Usethe “UP” or “DOWN” keys toadvancethrough
“Reading” options, select “Brix – TC” mode for
Reichert AR200
Ver X.XX
Exit Menu

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thisexercise by highlighting and pressingthe
“RETURN” (MENU) key.
“Brix – TC” %Solids–Temperature
Compensated.
“nD” RefractiveIndex.
“Brix” % Solids.
“nD – TC” RefractiveIndex –
TemperatureCompensated.
Youwillthenexitthemenu screenandreturntothe
mainscreen.
I. Press“CAL” keyand follow instructions to add
sample,add “Distilled Water” asthe sample. Enough
distilledwater should be addedto cover the prism
surface,approximately3drops.Allow sample to
temperatureequilibratetoprism/well. Press “CAL”
keyagain.Observe the display for message
indicating “Set Point Cal Successful”.
J. Pressthe“READ” key and note the value on the
display,whichshouldbe“0.0Brix-TC,20.0o C”.
Pleasenotethatthe0.0Brix -TC reading can vary by+/
-0.1which is the acceptable tolerance of theAR200.
Apply water
CAL = Calibration
MENU = Cancel
0.0 Brix - TC
20.0o C
Set point cal
successful
Brix-TC

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8.0 SAMPLE READING
A. Cleananddrythe prism and well withasoftwipe,
whichwillleavenoresidueandrecommended
cleaningagents,soap and warm water,Methanol or
IsopropylAlcohol followedbydistilledwater.
B. Addenoughof the sample to cover prismsurface
and allow adequate time for sample to temperature
equilibrateto prism/well.
C. Press “READ”.
D. Notevalueondisplay.
E. Referencedirectionsin“Set Up” section to switch
betweenthefourmodes of measurement:
1. nD
2. Brix
3. nD - TC
4. Brix-TC
F. Comparereadingtoknownvalue.Noteany
differenceinwelltemperaturefromsamplereference
temperatureandadjustrefractiveindexreading
mathematically fromthe “RefractiveIndex”
displayed value, reference section 6.1.
1.3330 nD - TC
20.0o C

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9.0 MENU OPTIONS
A Exit Menu – Pressingthe MENU key whenthisis
displayedwillexitthemenumode.
B Calibration – Displays options of:
1. Set(water) - Pressing MENUwillprompt to Apply
Waterand then “CAL” or “MENU” key to cancel.
2. Span 1.40229 – Press MENU will prompt to
Apply 1.40229, NIST certified calibration oil and
topress “CAL” or “MENU” keytocancel.
3. Span 1.51416 – Press MENU will prompt to
Apply 1.51416, NIST certified calibration oil and
topress “CAL” or “MENU” keytocancel.
4. Add/Delete/Edit–Whenselecting any of these
modesa“Warning”willappear“Incorrectuseof
thisfunctioncan corrupttheinstrument”.Contact
theTechnical Support Groupforacomplete
explanationifthisfunctionistobe used.
5. Exit- Press MENU toexit the calibration options
mode.
C Contrast – Pressthe MENU key to enterand the Up/
Downkeystoadjustdisplaycontrast.
D IR Linkup – To use thisfunctionthe optional Docking
Station(13951000)must be used. This feature
allowsfordownloadingof stored values, up to 225 of
themostcurrentreadingsandupto5pointcurrent
calibrationlog.
E Set Clock – Allowsfor setting of thetime in 12 hour
am/pmor24hourmilitary and the date in MDY
format.
F Select Channel – Thisfeatureis visible only when at
leastonecustomchannelhasbeenaddedto the
AR200.Enteringthisfeatureallowstheoperatorto
switchbetweenavailable channels/scales.
G Reading Mode –Allowsfor changing betweennD,
nD-TC,Brix or Brix-TCreading modes. TC modes
are Temperature Compensated based upon Sucrose
datainchannel1.

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10.0 DAILY SINGLE POINT CALIBRATION
1. Turntheinstrument on bypressingthe“CAL”key.
2. Atthe displayed message to applysample, press the
“Cal”keyagain.
3. Apply Distilled Water sample and Press the “CAL”
key.
6. Set point cal successful message will appear if the
AR200isfunctioningproperly.
Exit Menu
Apply water
CAL = Calibration
MENU = Cancel
Set point cal
successful

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10.0 MULTIPOINT CALIBRATION
TheAR200canbe calibrated with upto 5 pointsusing
distilledwaterand4 user definable points (note that
thesearesetatthefactorytomatchavailableNIST
certifiedstandards). Performing a 2 point calibrationwill
providetherequiredaccuracy needed, using distilled
waterandahighrefractiveindexNISTcertifiedstandard.
TheAR200has3 pointsavailable as pointsthatcan be
chosenthroughthe calibration mode menu.Two
additionalpoints are availableand modification ofthe
existingpointscanalsobe done through the “Add/
Delete/Edit”optionin the calibration menu. When
enteringthis screen amessage will appear“Warning,
Incorrect use of this function can corrupt your
instrument”. Itisadvisabletocontactthetechnical
supportgroupbeforeusing this feature. The 3, 4 and5,
pointcalibrationsis made available toallowthe user to
preciselycalibratetheinstrumenttocertifiedstandards
neartherefractiveindex range where the measurements
arebeingmade. Reference the procedurebelowto
performthemultipointcalibration.Alwayscleananddry
theprismsurfacebetween the application of samples
andbesure to proceed startingfromthe distilled water
uptothesamplewiththehighestrefractive index.
A. TurntheAR200on by pressing the “MENU”key.
B. Pressthe“MENU” key again after thestartupscreen
appears to enter the Menu.
C. Press the “UP” key until Calibration is read on the
displayand press the“MENU” key.
D. WhenSet (Water) appears pressthe“MENU” keyand
followtheinstructionsonthedisplaytoaddwaterand
pressthe“CAL”key.
E. Continuecalibrationprocess by repeating stepsA
throughCandproceedtothenextstep.

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F. WhenSet (Water) appears pressthe“UP” key several
timestoadvancetotheSpan1.51416 value, this value
isgivenasanexampleandmaybedifferent,although
closetothevalue on yourAR200.Press the “MENU”
key,otherpointsexist.
G. Followtheonscreeninstructionstoapply“1.51416”
sample,allowtime for the sample toequilibrateand
press“CAL” key.
H. To perform calibration of anyadditionalpointsfollow the
procedureoutlinedinstepsAthroughG making sure
thatyoualwaysstart with the lowestrefractiveindex
sampleandmovinguptothehighestrefractiveindex
sample.
I. Cleananddry the prism surface andtheAR200will be
readyto take readings.
Span 1.51416
Apply 1.51416
CAL = Calibration
MENU = Cancel
11.1 CALIBRATIONOILS
The recommended Extended Precision Standard Calibration
OilsaremanufacturedbyCargilleLabs,CedarGrove,NJ
07009-1289 USA, Phone [phone]. To our knowledge
theyaretheonlydomesticUSA source ofextendedprecision
standardcalibration oils with six significant figuresinindex.
Thecharacteristicsofthese oilsare:
•NISTtraceable.
•Statedaccuracyat+/-0.00005nD,shelflifeinyears.
•Temperaturecoefficients(TC)areguaranteedat their
specifiedreferencetemperatures,usually20or25oC.

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12.0 CHANNELS
12.1 CHANNEL 1 – ICUMSA BRIX
TheAR200 is preprogrammed atthefactorywith
channel1 to read% Sucrose or “Brix”scale per
theInternationalCommission for Uniform
MethodsofSugarAnalysis (ICUMSA).
Temperature Corrected (TC)readingsinchannel
1arevalidfor Brix Solutions only!
12.2 CHANNEL 2 – 4, USER PROGRAMABLE
Userprogrammablescalesorcustomchannels
maybeprogrammedatthefactory or by using the
optionalIRcommunicationspackage.Custom
channelsallowthe user tousemeasurments
specifictoasolution to measure that solution and
deliverreadingswithtemperaturecorrection
factorsthatrelate to that solution.
13.0 ACCESSORIES
Catalog No. 13951000 – IR Communications
Package
TheIRCommunicationsPackageincludesa
dockingstationand the software required to
connecttheAR200 to your PC. It is useful for
downloading stored readings,up to 225of the
mostrecentreadingsand up to 5 point current
calibrationlog.
Catalog No. 13K41330 Calibration Oil, 1.51432
Catalog No. 13K41340 Calibration Oil, 1.40229
Catalog No. 13K41350 Calibration Oil, 1.45755
Catalog No. 13K41360 Calibration Oil, 1.48989
Above values may vary due to supplier of oil.

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Reichert Analytical Instruments
Reichert, Inc.
3362 Walden Ave
Depew, NY 14043
USA
TollFree: 888-849-8955
Phone:[phone]
email: [email protected]
www.reichert.com
Reichert GmbH
Hubertusstrasse 4
D-82229 Seefeld
Germany
Tel: [phone]
ISO-9001Certified
13950000-100 Rev. E