TESTO DiSCmini User manual

testo DiSCmini
Diffusion Size Classifier Miniature
Instruction Manual
Version: V1.12; September 2016

testo DiSCmini
Diffusion Size Classifier Miniature
- 1 -
Instruction Manual
Table of Contents
Type of designation ................................................................ 2
Manufacturer.......................................................................... 2
Technical support................................................................... 2
Sales support and customer service ...................................... 2
Precautions ............................................................................ 3
Foreword................................................................................ 3
Liabilities................................................................................. 3
Liability to content .................................................................. 3
Copyright © ........................................................................... 3
Safety..................................................................................... 4
Labels and explanations......................................................... 4
Caution and Warnings............................................................ 4
Warnings for Testo DiSCmini.................................................. 4
Cautions for testo DiSCmin.................................................... 5
Product Overview................................................................... 6
Unpacking the Instrument ...................................................... 6
Controls, Indicators and Connections .................................... 7
Aerosol Inlet ........................................................................... 7
LCD screen............................................................................ 8
Main Screen........................................................................... 8
Raw Data Screen (Main)......................................................... 8
Surface Area Screen (Main).................................................... 9
Advanced mode navigation.................................................... 9
Charger Screen (advanced).................................................... 9
Flow Screen (advanced)......................................................... 9
Heating Screen (advanced) .................................................. 10
Offset compensation Screen (advanced).............................. 10
Date/Time Screen (advanced) .............................................. 10
Miscellaneous Screen (advanced) ........................................ 10
Status Screen (advanced) .................................................... 11
Using the Memory Card ....................................................... 11
Checking the Instrument ...................................................... 12
Using the battery charger..................................................... 12
Measuring with Testo DiSCmini ............................................ 12
Automatic Offset Measurement............................................ 13
Software............................................................................... 13
Error messages.................................................................... 16
Troubleshooting.................................................................... 17
Known Issues....................................................................... 17
Service and Maintenance..................................................... 17
Appendix: Specifications and technical data ........................ 18

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Type of designation
This user manual refers to the instrument type and version listed below.
It replaces all previous dated user manuals for this instrument.
Type: testo DiSCmini Diffusion Size Classifier Miniature
Manufacturer
Technical support
For any technical support and spare parts purchase ordering contact your local distributor or testo techsup-
port
Email: [email protected]
Sales support and customer service
For commercial request please contact your local distributor or Testo as below.
Tel.: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Testo SE & Co. KGaA
Testo-Straße 1
79853 Lenzkirch
Germany
Tel.: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Web: www.testo-particle.com
Email: [email protected]

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Precautions
Foreword
This manual guides you through the installation, starting up, operation and maintenance procedures of testo
DiSCmini Diffusion Size Classifier. In detail you will find information about the system as.
• safety
• functionality of testo DiSCmini
• technical information and specifaction
• unpacking the instrument
• handling, operation, maintenance and troubleshooting
• software installation and operation
Follow instructions provided by this manual for safe and proper operation of the DiSCmini Diffusion Size
Classifier Miniature.
Note
Before operating the testo DiSCmini, the user has to read carefully this manual. For
improper function, damages or injuries caused by ignoring the instructions by this
manual no liabilities are accepted.
Liabilities
Testo SE & Co. KGaA accepts no liability to improper function or injury caused by:
• neglecting the instructions provided by this manual or instructed person.
• improper installation, operation, application or maintenance.
• operation by untrained staff.
• any technical modification not carried out by Testo SE & Co. KGaA or an authorised service partner.
• use of not genuine spare parts.
Liability to content
The content of this manual is generated with most accurateness. Testo SE & Co. KGaA does not guaran-
tee completeness, correctness and being up to date. Testo SE & Co. KGaA reserves the right to revise the
content of the manual at any time and without notice.
Follow the guidelines below to ensure proper operation of the instrument:
• Read this instruction manual before installation and operation.
• Handle the electrometers with care
• Due to the volatile fraction emission measurements can only be carried out with corresponding gas
conditioning. Refer to chapter Specificatons.
• Always use genuine replacement parts supplied by Testo SE & Co. KGaA.
• Do not start operating before heating process for all stages is accomplished.
Copyright ©
All work and contents done are generated by Testo SE & Co. KGaA are subject of copyright © and law for
intellectual property. This copyright includes all specifaction data of the instrument or part of it, electrical and
fluidic and mechanical schematics, pictures, diagrams and text. Copying, editing, publishing or any other
utilisation requires a written agreement of Testo SE & Co. KGaA.
Safety

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Labels and explanations
When operating testo DiSCmini, the user always is operating under certain risk factors like electricity and
aerosols. Therefore testo DiSCmini includes several safety features. Nevertheless, some precautions still need
to be taken to ensure safe and reliable operation. Listed labels, Caution and Warning are explained in general,
and the further specific labels refer to type of hazard and danger.
Note
Notice means this content describes important, useful or necessary information to help
through the guided manual.
Caution and Warnings
Warnings for testo DiSCmini
Caution
Caution means be careful. If do not follow the manual instruction you might result an in-
strument or accessories damage, but no human injury. Also Caution refers to important
information about installation, operation and maintenance.
Warning
Warning means that improper operating could cause a serious human or instrument
damage or injury with concequence of irrevocable instrument damage.
Electric shock
Hazardous voltage inside. Contact may cause electric shock or burn. Do not open
coverage of testo DiSCmini.
Nanoparticles
Particles hazard. Intake to breath nanoparticles may results adverse health effects.
Battery charger
Fire danger! Only use the battery charger delivered with the Testo DiSCmini instrument.

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Caution for Testo DiSCmini
Impactor tubes
Silicone or electrically conductive-based tubes lead to rapid contamination of the coro-
na wire. Use only the supplied tubing for measurement. Suitable tubes are available at
Testo SE & Co. KGaA or your local distributor.
Condensing conditions
Never operate the instrument at condensing conditions; e.g. do not measure exhaust
gas directly. Condensing water may damage the instrument.
High particle concentrations
To avoid premature aging of the instrument, do not expose it to extremely high aerosol
concentrations such as undiluted cigarette smoke.
Large particle
testo DiSCmini measures nanoparticles. If you use it to measure microparticles (>~0.7
μm) you will get wrong readings. Before starting any measurement, the impactor must
always be fitted, either directly to the instrument or to the end of the sampling extension
set..
SD-card interface
SD-card interface is made and tested for use of SD-cards from Testo. Only use the SD-
card delivered with the instrument.

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Product Overview
The Diffusion Size Classifier miniature testo DiSCmini is a handheld instrument for the measurement of nano-
particle number concentration , mean diameter and lung-deposited surface area LDSA with a time resolution
of up to 1 second. The measuring principle is based on electrical charging of the aerosols. The small size of
the Testo DiSCmini makes the instrument particularly suitable for personal carry-on measurement campai-
gns. The device is battery powered with a lifetime of up to 8 hours; data is recorded on a memory card, and
transferred to an external computer via USB cable.
testo DiSCmini is based on the electrical charging of the aerosol. Positive air ions generated in a corona
discharge are mixed with the aerosol. The charged particles are then detected in two stages by electrome-
ters. The first detector stage is a pile of steel grids; small particles will preferably deposit on it by diffusion and
detected as an electrical current. The remaining particles end up in a second stage, the filter stage, and are
also detected as an electrical current. The ratio of these two currents is a measure of the average particle
size determined during the instrument calibration. Because the charge per particle is a function of particle
diameter, once this is known, the particle number concentration can be computed from the total current
detected together with the flow rate of the instrument.
Unpacking the Instrument
Use the information in the following packing list to check if your delivery is complete:
• Diffusion Size Classifier Miniature
• Battery charger Mascot (enables also long-term measurements)
• Instruction manual
• Quick guide
• SD-Card
• Software (Testo DiSCmini data analysing tool) is delivered on SD-Card
• SD-Card Reader
• carrying bag
• carrying case
• Inlet tube connector
• Impactor (mounted)
• Tube for impactor
• Calibration sheet
• Country specific power cord
If anything is missing or appears to be damaged, contact [email protected]

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Controls, Indicators and Connections
All controls are located on the front panel of testo DiSCmini; connections are on the left side, and the aerosol
inlet at the bottom of the instrument. Please refer to the image above for a description of the controls. The
items are
1: Power button (Press to power on; press long (2s) - until beep sounds - to power off)
2: Menu button (Press >3s to enter or exit advanced menu)
3: Recording button (Press to record, press long (2s) - until beep sounds - to stop recording)
4: Left and right arrow buttons to select options in menus
5: Display
6: Status brea
7: Battery status
On the left side of the instrument you will find the power connection, USB connection and the slot for the SD
card. Note that the SD card is inserted „upside down“ (with the contacts visible).
Aerosol Inlet
The aerosol inlet is at the bottom of the instrument.
The impactor is used to remove larger particles (> 0.7 microns), which would alter the measurements.
The impactor must always be fitted before starting any measurement, either directly to the instrument or to
the end of the sampling extension set.
If the aerosol sampling point is far away from the testo DiSCmini inlet, please use the supplied extension
set.
The impactor is screwed into the testo DiSCmini housing. The „grit pot“ at the bottom of the impactor
must be unscrewed to remove the accumulated dust.
Impactor maintenance
It is recommended to clean the impactor every 8 hours of operation to avoid possible
clogging.
For this purpose please remove the impactor from the testo DiSCmini and disassemble
it by unscrewing its main body and grit pot. Clean the 6 lateral orificies of the main body
using a thin steel pin or drill. The cylindrical surface of the grit pot can be cleaned using
ethanol or isopropyl and a soft paper wipe.

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LCD Screen
The LCD screen has 3 main menu screens and 7 auxiliary screens. Pressing the arrow key button on the
front panel cycles through the main screens. Pressing the “Menu” button for 3 seconds will switch from basic
display mode and advanced display mode (where all screens are cycled). Submenus can be selected by
pressing “Menu”. The screens are:
Main Screen
N 6175 pt H
Size 73 nm 74%
N
6175
pt
H
Si
ze
73
nm
74%
In the main screen, the current particle number concentration and the average particle size are displayed.
Note that the relative accuracy of these numbers depends on the concentration level. In the right upper cor-
ner 4 status symbols are visible or invisible depending on the status of the testo DiSCmini: a lightning bolt for
high voltage, a for flow, a H for heating and a blinking circle when recording. On the lower right corner, the
remaining battery charge is displayed. This is only an approximate value. Pressing the right arrow button ( )
will lead you to the raw data screen, pressing the left arrow button ( ) will lead you to the surface area screen.
Raw Data Screen (Main)
+ 8.8 fA H
+ 26.9 fA 74%
+
8
.
8
fA
H
+
26
.9
f
A
74
%
The raw data screen displays the measured currents in fA on the electrometer stages; the upper value is the
diffusion stage, the lower value the filter stage. These values are not offset-corrected, i.e. not the real mea-
sured values, but rather measured value minus offset.
The offset get compensated during the start-up process. The offset is additionally recorded every hour (more
detail on Automatic Offset Measurement section page 13). The offset can be set manually by using the
electrometer-related problems screen to diagnose (see offset compensation section).
Press the left arrow button to go back to the main screen