Uwatec Aladin Pro Nitrox User manual

depth dive time
deco info
max. depth
NO STOP
®
O
2
% MIX
OPERATING MANUAL
THE SYSTEM
English
SWISS MADE BY UWATEC AG
®

Operating Manual Aladin®Pro Nitrox
You must carefully read this entire manual before using your Aladin®Pro Nitrox.
Diving has many inherent risks. Even if you follow the instructions of this manual in a
careful fashion, it is still possible that you may be seriously injured or die from
decompression sickness, oxygen toxicity or some other inherent risk of scuba nitrox.
Unless you are fully aware of these risks and are willing to personally accept and assume
responsibility for those risks, do not use the Aladin®Pro Nitrox!
TheAladin®Pro Nitroxisadecompression tool to assist a trained and certified diver in making decisions
concerning dive planning and execution. As with any tool, the Aladin®Pro Nitrox may be misused if
the following safety and operational precautions are not strictly followed. If they are followed, careful
useoftheAladin®Pro Nitroxcanincrease your diving enjoyment andreduceyourriskofdecompression
sickness. If they are not, you will be placing yourself at serious risk for decompression sickness.
WhiletheAladin®ProNitroxisatechnicallyadvancedtoolbasedonbiophysicalmodelsofdecompression
sickness and oxygen toxicity, neither it nor any other diving computer (or table) can actually monitor
the physiological changes that occur in your body as you dive. In addition, each diver will vary in his or
hersusceptibility to decompressionsickness.Notonlythat, but each individualdiver‘sownsusceptibility
mayvaryfromday today.Combinedwith the fact that decompressionmodelling is an inexact science,
and of necessity must be based at least partly on certain unproven assumptions, it is incumbent upon
you, the individual diver, to dive responsibly and to carefully follow all standard safe diving practices as
well as the admonitions contained in this manual.
Safety considerations
B

Operating Manual Aladin®Pro Nitrox
Aladin®Pro Nitrox–The Diving System
C
depth dive time
deco info
max. depth
DIVE
®
B
–+ E
Dive Computer Aladin®Pro Nitrox
Interface and logbook software
DataTrak (Option)

Operating Manual Aladin®Pro Nitrox
This operating manual makes use of the following icons to indicate especially important comments:
Remarks: Informations and tips which are important for optimal use of the functions of
your Aladin®Pro Nitrox.
The following symbols are used in the operating manual:
Flashing display
Acoustic alarm signal
Operating instruction for manual input (Example: bridging contacts B and E)
Important remarks concerning signal words and symbols
D
Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in
death or serious injury.
February 1996, Copyright by Uwatec Switzerland
– + E
B

Operating Manual Aladin®Pro Nitrox
Guidelines for the use of Aladin®Pro Nitrox:
The following guidelines for using Aladin®Pro Nitrox are derived from the latest medical research for diving
with diving computers. Following these guidelines will greatly increase your safety while diving, but cannot
guarantee that decompression sickness will not occur.
– The Aladin®Pro Nitrox is designed for dives made with nitrox and compressed air (21% O2) only. Do not use
the Aladin®Pro Nitrox for dives made with other mixed gases.
– It is essential to check the set mixture before each dive and to compare it to the gas mixture to be used.
Always remember: Setting a wrong mixture causes either insufficient decompression calculations or a too
low calculation of the oxygen-toxicity!
– Do not dive deeper than 40 metres.
– Always check the diving limits given by the chosen percentage of oxygen.
– On all dives with the Aladin®Pro Nitrox, make a safety stop for three to five minutes within the 3 to 9 metre
zone.
– Always make the deepest dive of the day first when repetitive dives are planned, and for each successive
dive make sure that the deepest portion of that dive is done at the beginning of the dive.
Safety considerations
E

Operating Manual Aladin®Pro Nitrox
– All divers using dive computers to plan dives and indicate or determine decompression status must use
their own computer.
– If the Aladin®Pro Nitrox fails at any time during the dive, the dive must be terminated, and appropriate
surfacingprocedures(includingaslowascentanda3to5minutesafetystop)shouldbeinitiatedimmediately.
– On any given dive, all divers in a buddy group must follow the most conservative dive computer for that
particular dive.
– You should not dive for a period of twenty-four hours before activating the Aladin®Pro Nitrox to use it to
plan or control your diving.
– Alwaysobservethe optical and acousticalarmsignals of the Aladin®ProNitrox.Avoidsituationsofincreased
risk which are marked with a warning sign in this operating manual.
Safety considerations
F

I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
LIST OF CHAPTERS
I INTRODUCTION 1
II ALADIN®PRO NITROX – THE SYSTEM 11
III DIVING WITH ALADIN®PRO NITROX 27
IV DIVING AT REDUCED RISK WITH ALADIN®PRO NITROX 55
V LOGBOOK 65
VI DIVE PLANNER 71
VII INTERFACE DATATRAK / DATATALK 81
VIII TROUBLE SHOOTING 85
IX APPENDIX, Maintenance, Technical Information, Warranty 89

I Introduction 1
I
I INTRODUCTION
1 Aladin®Pro Nitrox: Introduction ______________________________________ 2
2 Aladin®Pro Nitrox – More Safety in Diving ______________________________________ 3
3 Aladin®Pro Nitrox – Your Personal Companion ______________________________________ 6
4 The Calculation Model ZH-L8 ADT 4.1 Description_________________________ 7
4.2 Advantages ________________________ 9
5 Safety in Diving _____________________________________ 10

I Introduction
2
What can further increase your diving pleasure? The
goodfeelingof having thehighest possible safety and
freedom to move. A dive computer which constantly
controls the data of your dive and your individual
behaviour meets these requirements. Aladin®Pro
Nitrox watches over the nitrogen and
oxygen saturation of your
body without interruption.
With Aladin®Pro Nitrox you
dive more safely than ever before.
In addition, Aladin®Pro Nitrox offers an
unmatched comfort in carrying and operation.
Aladin®Pro Nitrox gives you increased
safety due to the new
calculation model. All
informations necessary
for safe diving are
combined in one instru-
ment. The Aladin®Pro
Nitrox can increase both your diving pleasure and
safetybyreducingyourriskofdecompressionsickness
1 Aladin®Pro Nitrox – Introduction
providedyoucarefully follow the instructions
and guidelines given you in this manual.
Unlike previous diving computers,
whichonlybasetheir decompression
information on depth and time
data, the Aladin®Pro Nitrox also
considers the temperature
which is known to
be additional risk
factor for decompression
sickness. Aladin®Pro Nitrox
allows you to plan and execute dives
with a greater degree of safety than
with previous models of decompres
sion computers.
Please read this operating manual carefully and
to the last page.

I Introduction 3
I
Nitrox is a gas mixture consisting of nitrogen and
oxygen. The kind of air used for diving with
compressed air is the same as the normal air of the
earth‘s atmosphere (78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and
1% inert gases). Therefore, normal air is also Nitrox!
WhentalkingofNitroxasthebreathinggasfordiving,
it describes a mixture with a higher percentage of
oxygen. A higher percentage of oxygen (and
automatically the reduction of nitrogen) has the
advantage of lengthening the no-stop phase (or
reducingthedecompressionphase), sincelessnitrogen
is dissolved in the diver‘s body during the dive.
The higher share of oxygen in the Nitrox-mixture also
causes additional physiological problems by the toxic
effects at a higher partial pressure of oxygen (ppO2).
When breathing oxygen at a higher partial pressure,
two kinds of oxygen toxicity can occur:
CNS damages:
Symptoms of poisoning occuring at short notice in
the central nervous system(CNS). Such symptoms
are: irritations of the respiratory organs, sickness,
headache, pulmonary oedema, cramps, uncon-
sciousness. The symptoms occur at a ppO2of more
than 1 bar and depend on the term of exposure and
on the partial pressure of oxygen.
Damages of the lungs:
Symptoms of pulmonary poisoning occuring in the
long run. The symptoms occur at a ppO2from 0.5 bar
and higher and with terms of exposure in the range
of days/weeks.
Aladin®ProNitroxconsiderstheshorttermtoxic effect
of oxygen (CNS damages) by means of the so called
„oxygen-clock“. It is based on a list which shows the
units of toxicity for oxygen per unit of time and is
dependent on the ppO2. The indication of toxicity is
shownas„CNSO2LIMIT“ (= relativetoxicityofoxygen
2 Aladin®Pro Nitrox – More Safety in Diving

I Introduction
4
for the central nervous system). CNS O2LIMIT 0%
corresponds to the normal state before the first dive,
and CNS O2LIMIT 100% corresponds to the critical
upperlimit. The list, initially publishedby the US Navy,
is nowadays known by the names IANTD- or NOAA-
list. We modified this list for the use with Aladin®Pro
Nitrox in cooperation with Dr. Bill Hamilton, Hamilton
Research Ltd. (Tarrytown,NY), a well-known specialist.
Thelongtermkindofoxygenpoisoninghaspractically
no relevance for diving with independent diving
equipment and is therefore not considered in the
design of Aladin®Pro Nitrox.
Ifnitroxis used fordiving profoundadditional training
is needed because of the physiological peculiarities of
oxygen and the changing decompression due to the
reduced percentage of nitrogen.Additional technical
problems with the use and the maintenance of parts
of the equipment are additional potential dangers
2 Aladin®Pro Nitrox – More Safety in Diving
when diving with nitrox. Therefore, we recommend
strict adherence to the following guidelines.
1. Only dive with nitrox if you have been trained
thoroughly by a recognised agency.
2. Only use Aladin®Pro Nitrox with open breathing
systems. Aladin®Pro Nitrox must be set for a
determined gas mixture. In partially-open and in
closedcirculation-systems, the gas mixturecan vary
considerably.Thecalculations may yieldresultsdif-
ferentfromthose necessary for theactual mixture.
3. Only use Aladin®Pro Nitrox for diving with an in-
dependentbreathingapparatus.Aladin®Pro Nitrox
is not designed for long-term exposures with
Nitrox.

I Introduction 5
I
2 Aladin®Pro Nitrox – More Safety in Diving
4. Aladin®Pro Nitrox always calculates considering the gas mixture set by the user. It is essential to check the
mixture calculation before each dive and to compare it to the gas mixture to be used. Maximum deviation
from the mixture calculation must not exceed 1% O2. A wrong gas mixture can be lethal!
5. Aladin®Pro Nitrox has a ppO2-warning, the default-limits of which are set at 1.5 bar ppO2max. This limit can
be adjusted via Interface/Data Talk in the range of 1.2 to 1.95 bar. An alternation of the ppO2max to higher
than 1.6 bar is risky and is not recommended.
6. Frequently check the „oxygen-clock“ (CNS O2Limit), especially when the ppO2is greater than 1.5 bar. Close
the dive if the CNS O2Limit exceeds 75%.
7. Makesureyouhave asufficientlylong surfaceinterval,just aswhen divingwith compressed air. Oxygenalso
needs sufficient time to leave the body. Go on the next dive only when the CNS O2Limit has dropped below
40%.
8. Aladin®Pro Nitrox is a personalinstrument like any other diving computer. This still applies when diving with
compressed air (21% oxygen) between two nitrox-dives. Aladin®Pro Nitrox can be adjusted to compressed
air and then also includes the calculation of the CNS O2Limit in the same way as with any other nitrox-dive.
9. Always remember: setting a wrong mixture causes either insufficient decompression calculations or a too
low calculation of the oxygen-toxicity!

I Introduction
6
3 Aladin®Pro Nitrox – Your Personal Companion
Aladin®Pro Nitrox considers your individual gas
mixture, depth and time profile and water temper-
ature. Relying on the latest results of medical and
physiologicalresearchforitsdecompressionmodelling,
the Aladin®Pro Nitrox differs from earlier diving
computers in a number of significant ways:
• The ZH-L8 ADT decompression calculation model
considers eight body tissues as well as ambient
temperature. This allows for a more precise
calculation of a modelled risk for decompression
sickness which can lead to greater diving safety.
• The Aladin®Pro Nitrox uses both optical and
acoustic alarms. The acoustic alarm uses varied
sound signals to assist in identifying the reason
for the alarm.
You must strictly observe all optical and
acoustic alarms and take appropriate
actionbasedupon thosealarms to avoid
serious injury or death from
decompression sickness!
• By using the Aladin®Pro Nitrox‘s logbook, a diver
may directly call up information from the last 19
dives. When interfaced with a personal computer,
37divesand200minutesofdiveprofile in intervals
of 20 seconds can be read out.
• The dive planner allows the advance planning of
no stop dives with readily determinable surface
intervals.
• The Aladin®Pro Nitrox is designed to be mounted
on the diver‘s left or right wrist, which offers the
maximum freedom of movement as well as easy
operation and use.

I Introduction 7
I
Decompressioninformation is calculated according
to the diver‘s individual behaviour and decrease in
skintemperature.Thedecreaseinskintemperature
is based upon the water temperature and the dive
time. By considering these changes in saturation,
the time that must be spent at the surface
prior to flying may be
considerablyincreased,
depending upon
the
depth,
time, and
temperature
of a dive, as
well as the
diver‘s behaviour
during that dive.
4 The Calculation Model ZH-L8 ADT
4.1 Description
The Aladin®Pro Nitrox uses a new decompression
calculation model known as the ZH-L8 ADT. This model
useseightcompartmentsor“tissue“groupswith
nominalhalftimeperiodsfrom5to640minutes.
Thismodeldiffersconsiderablyfromothermodels
by its consideration of the following addi-
tional physiological processes:
1. Blood perfusion to the body‘s
organs is not constant. Skin and
muscletissuesareinparticularsubject
to changes in blood perfusion,
depending on temperature and
workload. Changes in blood perfusion to
these organs change their nitrogen saturation
tolerance.ThemodelusedbytheAladin®ProNitrox
takes these effects into account and thus the
“skin“ and “muscle“ compartments in the Ala-
din®Pro Nitrox show variable half-time periods
and saturation tolerances.

I Introduction
8
blood as well as in the body‘s tissues. If these
microbubbles partially impair circulation, the rate
of gas diffusion and saturation tolerance for those
tissues immediately surrounding this area of
impaired circulationare changed. If required, both
decompression time and RBT will be adjusted in
such a way that already existing microbubbles will
stop growing. Increased decompression time will
also assist those local areas of impaired circulation
to desaturate with less risk of decompression
sickness.
• The calculation of microbubbles results in altered
ascent instructions. If microbubbles are assumed
to be present based on the data used by the Ala-
din®Pro Nitrox, the ascent rate to the surface is
reducedto 7 metres/minute.This will help prevent
the formation of microbubbles in the arterial
circulation and minimizes formation of micro-
bubbles in the venous circulation after the dive.
2. Thedecompressionmodel used bythe Aladin®Pro
Nitrox considers nitrogen in both its dissolved as
well as its gaseous phase (microbubbles). Formati-
on of microbubbles is considered to be a strong
indicator of a high risk of decompression sickness.
The Aladin®Pro Nitrox model calculates the
formation of microbubbles depending on various
assumed influences in arterial and venous blood.
Innormal,slowascents, microbubblesformmainly
invenousblood.Duringfastascents,microbubbles
may also form in arterial blood and in the body‘s
tissuesaswell. If aparticular dive profilemay result
in the creation of microbubbles according to the
Aladin®ProNitrox‘smodel, decreasedbottomtime
and/or increased decompression times as well as
increased “no fly“ time will be indicated.
• Microbubbles can form if the diver makes too fast
an ascent, ignores required decompression stops,
or makes repeated ascents during a dive (yo-yo
diving). These microbubbles can form in arterial
4 The Calculation Model ZH-L8 ADT

I Introduction 9
I
diving, the Aladin®Pro Nitrox will add required
decompressiontimein orderto help minimize therisk
of decompression sickness.
Ifsigns or symptoms of decompressionsickness occur
after diving with Aladin®Pro Nitrox, seek IMMEDIATE
treatment at the nearest recompression facility.
With its new decompression model the Aladin®Pro
Nitrox isanextremelyversatiletoolwhich can increase
your diving comfort and safety. As with any diving
tool, however, ultimate responsibility for diving safety
remainswith the individualdiver.The same responsible
diving practices taught by all diving certification
agenciesarestill absolutely necessary in order tosafely
dive with the Aladin®Pro Nitrox.
Certain mistakes which may be made by a diver, such
as ascending at an excessive rate, going too deep, or
staying too long at depth, may be overcome if the
diver carefully follows the Aladin®Pro Nitrox‘s
4 The Calculation Model ZH-L8 ADT
4.2 Advantages
Onthefirstdivesfollowingresponsibledivingprocedures,
adiverusingtheAladin®ProNitroxshould never require
decompression stops, although a three to five minute
safety stop between 3 and 9 metres is recommended
foreverydive.If,however,unplannedcircumstancesarise
duringthedivewhichincreasetheriskofdecompression,
the Aladin®Pro Nitrox can, if closely followed, reduce
theriskofdecompressionsicknessbyreducingremaining
bottom time and/or increasing decompression time.
Someofthemorecommonrisksituationsareasfollows:
• Repetitive dives, especially those deeper than 20
metres and those with short surface intervals.
• Repetitive diving over the course of several
successive days.
• Diving with increased workloads.
• Yo-yodiving(repeateddescentsand ascents to the
surface during a given dive).
• Flying within 24 hours after diving.
If a diver experiences any of these risk factors while

I Introduction
10
5 Safety in Diving
corrected ascent instructions. Of course, the Aladin®
Pro Nitrox can do nothing to prevent the occurrence
of lung overexpansion injuries or nitrogen narcosis,
whose avoidance lies solely with the individual diver.
The Aladin®Pro Nitrox is a highly sophisticated
technical instrument which, if used and maintained
properly, will have high reliability. Despite this no dive
should be made with an Aladin®Pro Nitrox without a
thoroughunderstandingofdecompressiontheory and
dive table use, and every diver must have a set of
decompression tables with him on every dive.
Do not use the Aladin®Pro Nitrox
without a set of accepted nitrox diving
tables with you as a back up decom-
pression tool on every dive.
Should decompression sickness occur, whether the Ala-
din®ProNitroxwasusedcorrectlyornot,adetailedhistory
of the previous dives may be used to allow a better
diagnosis and the most effective treatment for the diver.

II
11
II Aladin®Pro Nitrox - The System
II ALADIN®PRO NITROX – THE SYSTEM
1 Description _____________________________________ 12
2 Dive Computer 2.1 Operation _____________________________ 14
2.2 Operating scheme for surface functions ____ 15
2.3 Operating modes_______________________ 21

II Aladin®Pro Nitrox - The System
12
depth dive time
deco info
max. depth
NO STOP
®
The Aladin®Pro Nitrox system consists of two units:
1 The dive computer displays the dive and decom-
pression data.
1 Description
NO STOP
CNS O
2
LIMIT
%
depth dive time
max. depth deco info
1

II
13
II Aladin®Pro Nitrox - The System
2 The dive computer has a data memory which stores the dive data. The data
can be transmitted to a MS-DOS personal computer with the logbook pro-
gram DataTrak via an interface (available as an option).
1 Description
depth dive time
deco info
max. depth
DIVE
®
2