Enviromon Initial setup

joshgimp
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Enviromon Initial setup

Post by joshgimp »

Greetings,
I purchased an EnviroMon system which consists of an EL005 data logger, EL026 Temp/Humidty converters, and EL041 thermocouple converters (with type K thermocouples). I have tried setting up both the 041 and the 026 converters with their respective probes. The only readings that Enviromon will produce are from the air temperature part of the temp/humidity probe. The humidity probes all (I have tested three 026 units) read -2.56%. The thermocouples on the 041 units either read blank or -25.6 deg C. I have contacted the tech support of the U.S. vendor that I purchased the system through and they have bench tested the data logger with a 026 converter with no problems. I do not know what else to try. Please advise.

Thanks

Sarah

Post by Sarah »

Hi

Thank you for your post, I am sorry to hear that you have been experiencing these problems.

Did the US vendor test your EL026 units and sensors?

On the cables of the EL030 sensors (with the EL026 units) should be labels giving "High" and "Low" values. In the change converter address program you can input these values for the converter by using the "calibration" button. See if this helps with the results, if it doesn't then please let me know.

With regards the EL041 units, does every channel read the same? Do any of them work? Are the thermocouples working correctly?

Thermocouples are polar so if they are connected back to front the will give negative readings - ensure that this is not the case.

Let me know what happens after you have tried and checked the above.

Hope this helps

Best Regards

joshgimp
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Post by joshgimp »

Thanks for the quick reply!
The US vendor only tested the data logger, using their own converters. I have tried changing out the network cable, thermocouple converters, and thermocouples. None of the changes work so I can't really pin down any problems to any converter. The only thing that is common to the problems I am experiencing is the data logger and the software. I have checked resistances from my thermocouple wires all the way back to the end of my network wire, so I am pretty confident that I don't have an internal broken wire.
With regards to the backward polarity of the thermocouples, I do not believe this is the case since I get exactly the same readings for each channel regardless of the converter or thermocouple installed. This leads me to believe that the data logger isn't really receiving any data and is just spitting out random numbers (currently blank, -25.6, -1.6, -24.1).
Another curiosity, when running autoconfigure to set up any converter, the software will sometimes find the converter, but sometimes it will not. If I change the port that my network cable is plugged into on the data logger I can sometimes get the auto-configure to work.

Sarah

Post by Sarah »

Hi

Thank you for your post.

Did inputting the calibration details for the EL026 units help?
Try changing the addresses for each converter and see if this helps. Ensure that no converters are sharing an address.

How many converters do you have that are giving wrong readings? Do you have any that give correct readings?

If you can get a new EL026 unit (which you know works) to test with the EL005 that you have, try this and see if this will work. Maybe the US vendor can test your EL026 units and EL041 units to see if these are at fault.

Are the EL041 and thermocouples being used in a noisy environment? Thermocouples tend to be affected by RF noise so check to see if this could be the problem.

Hope this helps

Best Regards

joshgimp
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Post by joshgimp »

I do not get any logical readings out of any of the four thermocouple units that I have. I do get logical reading for air temperature from my Rh/temp probes, but all of the RH readings are unsatisfactory. I think that I may be having a software issue and am going to try the newest software package to see if that helps. Will post a reply with results in the next few days.

Thanks

joshgimp
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follow up

Post by joshgimp »

I downloaded the current version of the software and installed it on my home computer. I was able to get the air temperature and relative humidity probe to function properly. After testing the RH/temp probe and converter box I tried to set up a new configuration with a thermocouple converter box. The change converter box address program would not allow me to change the thermcouple box address. It came up with an error message that said the function could not be performed. Any suggestions on why this may be occuring. Could it be a bad converter box? It seems like I am having way too many problems with this system setup for something that is designed to be plug and play.

Sarah

Post by Sarah »

Hi

Thank you for your post.

I am glad to hear that the EL026 units are now working.

I am not sure why the thermocouple converters should cause these problems. Do they all give the same issues? Will any of them allow you to change the address? Even if they won't let you change the address, do they work?

Best Regards

joshgimp
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Post by joshgimp »

All of the thermocouple boxes give the same reply. The change converter address does allow me to read what is currently written to them, it just will not write anything. I tried setting up a system with just one thermocouple box. When I ran autoconfigure, it picked the box up as an RH/air temp converter. So I then tried to manually add the thermocouple box, but it was not an available option from the drop down menu.

Best Regards

Sarah

Post by Sarah »

Hi

Thank you for the extra information.

I have consulted with our Enviromon development department and they recommend downloading the latest Enviromon software and latest "Change Converter Address" (which is included in the Enviromon download). See if using this helps. If not, it sounds like you will need to send the units back to us.

If it does not help then please email us at tech@picotech.com with a link to this thread and telling us whether you would like to return the units to us. We can organise for then to be fixed.

Hope this helps

Best Regards

joshgimp
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One more question

Post by joshgimp »

Sarah,
Two specific questions that may help determine why I am having so many problems. 1) The literature on Enviromon says that if you have certain versions of hardware, that you should return them to the vendor. How do I check the version of hardware that I have? 2) The literature also says that I can pick Deg. F. I have tried three different versions of the software and none of them give this option. Could this point to any problems I am having?

Thanks

Sarah

Post by Sarah »

Hi

Thank you for your post.

Generally, when the wrong hardward is present a message will be displayed while trying to program to the logger. I do not believe that this is why you are seeint problems.

Secondly, I have looked for the Deg F function and it appears to be missing. This looks like a software bug so I will file a report on this and it will be looked at by development. This will not be the cuase of your problems as it appears to just be a software error.

Hope this helps

Best Regards

joshgimp
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Post by joshgimp »

Follow up question; Do you know why I would not be able to change the baud rate of the data logger. We tried to lower our baud rates on the computer and data logger to 9600 to see if it would help, but we were unable to change the data logger baud rate. The software just told us that our operation failed.

Thanks

Sarah

Post by Sarah »

Hi

Thank you for the extra info.

At what point did the operation fail? Was it at "Updating Time"?

If you reprogram the logger, does this complete successfully? If not, what happens?

Best Regards

Guest

Post by Guest »

It failed at the very begininng of the sequence, or it would search through an array of baud rates and then fail. In order to reprogram the logger, I have to shut the software off and then set the baud rate back to 57600.

I talked with tech support in the U.S. yesterday. He was able to show me how to set the deg F function. You just have to hit the down arrow key. I am used to seeing a scroll bar from pick lists, thus the confusion. Also, do you by chance have a copy of the version 5.10.5 of the software. Working with the U.S. tech support we were able to show that the only difference in our two systems was that he was running 5.10.5 and I was running 5.10.7 or 5.10.3. We want to try 5.10.5 and see if it solves our problems.

Sarah

Post by Sarah »

Hi

Thank you for your post.

I am not sure that the software version is the issue, however if you would like to try it then that's fine. Unforunately I do not have a copy of 5.10.5. Maybe the tech support you spoke to could send you theirs?

Hope this helps

Best Regards

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