Visco Pro 2000

ViscoPro2000
Viscometer System
Operations Manual
VP2000 Contents & Cover Rev I.doc

Contents
§1. System Overview ..................................................................................... 1-1
§2. Sensor Installation ................................................................................... 2-1
§3 Mounting the Electronics......................................................................... 3-1
§4 Connecting the Electronics

4.1 Power Connection........................................................................... 4-1
4.2 Sensor Interconnect......................................................................... 4-1
4.3 Alarm and Signal I/O Interconnect.................................................. 4-2
4.4 Continuous Control Output Connection ......................................... 4-2
4.5 On/Off Port ..................................................................................... 4-3
4.5.1 Time-Proportional Control .................................................. 4-3
4.5.2 Alarm Relay Output............................................................ 4-4
4.6 Serial Port Wiring ........................................................................... 4-5
§5 Viscometer Operation
5.1 Sensor Overview ............................................................................. 5-1
5.2 Basic Electronics Operation ............................................................ 5-2
§6 System Optimization and Advanced Features

6.1 Calibration ..................................................................................... 6-1
6.2 Control of Fluid Properties.............................................................. 6-1
6.3 Control Strategies............................................................................ 6-3
6.4 Serial Port Operation....................................................................... 6-4
6.5 Serial Port Commands .................................................................... 6-5
§7 Maintenance and Troubleshooting

7.1 Electrical Safety .............................................................................. 7-1
7.2 Cleaning.... ..................................................................................... 7-1
7.3 Diagnostic Display.......................................................................... 7-1
7.4 System Diagnostics ......................................................................... 7-2
7.5 Serial Port Error Codes ................................................................... 7-5
7.6 Sensor Diagnostics.......................................................................... 7-6
Appendix A: Reference Materials

Certificate of Calibration
Viscosity Data Sheets
Setup Sheets
THE INFORMATION IN THIS MANUAL SHALL NOT BE DEEMED TO CREATE ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
CONCERNING CAMBRIDGE APPLIED SYSTEMS’ PRODUCTS, OR THEIR OPERATION OR PERFORMANACE, INCLUDING BUT
NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OR MERCHANABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR USE. PLEASE REFER TO
THE CAMBRIDGE APPLIED SYSTEMS EXPRESS LIMITED WARRANTY FOR INFORMATION CONCERING WARRANTY TERMS.
FAILURE TO ADHERE TO THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES CONTAINED IN THIS MANUAL SHALL VOID
ANY SUCH WARRANTY.
VP2000 Contents & Cover Rev I.doc

§1 Overview
1.1 Principle of Operation
Flow Deflector Fence
Coil A
Piston
Coil B
RTD
Fig. 1-1: Cutaway View of Sensor Tip Installed in a Pipe Line.
The Cambridge Applied Systems’ piston-style viscometer technology uses two magnetic coils
within a 316 stainless steel sensor. With the sensor inserted into the pipe line, the magnetic
piston is surrounded by the fluid sample deflected into the measurement chamber. Two coils
inside the sensor body are used to magnetically force the piston back and forth a predetermined
distance (about 0.2 inches). By alternatively powering the coils with a constant force, the
piston’s round trip travel time is measured. An increase in viscosity is sensed as a slowed piston
travel time. The time required for the piston to complete a two way cycle is an accurate measure
of viscosity. The deflecting fence acts to continuously deflect fresh sample into the measurement
chamber.
Since measurement of the piston motion is in two directions, variations due to gravity or flow
forces are annulled. Also, because the piston has very little mass, magnetic forces greatly exceed
any disturbances due to vibration.
If the system is configured for a 5-100cp measurement range the cycle time for 24cp is typically
about 6 seconds. The measurement time of every viscometer (independent of the measurement
range) is calibrated to be about 26 seconds at full scale
1.2 Calibration and Model Information
The viscometer system has been factory calibrated and is ready for operation. After unpacking
the system, make sure that all parts are accounted for before discarding the packaging. Review
the certificate of calibration located in Appendix A at the back of this manual. This page will
1-System Overview Rev A.doc 1-2 System Overview

indicate the sensor viscosity range and model information which should agree with your
purchase order.
1.3 System Checkout
To perform a system checkout, position the sensor in a nearly vertical position with the sensor
opening facing upward (process sensors only).
1. Connect the sensor to the electronics. Review the wiring layout from the diagrams in Chapter
2.
2. If the piston is retained in the measurement chamber by a flow deflector assembly, loosen the
retaining screw and either move the deflector out of the way or remove it completely to
extract the piston.
3. Fill the measurement chamber half way with the provided test oil.
4. Replace the piston with the smooth, conical end down (see Fig 1-1), pushing it gently into the
measurement chamber.
5. Top off the chamber with calibration fluid as necessary.
6. Replace the flow deflector if present.
7. With the sensor connected, connect power and/or turn on the electronics (See chapter 4 for
details). Review chapter 5 to determine the operating sequence and if necessary, set the
system to operating mode to monitor viscosity and temperature.
Caution: Use proper care when working with AC line power.
Never connect or disconnect the sensor when the power is applied.
8. After the system has operated a few minutes, the indicated viscosity and temperature of the
sample fluid should correspond approximately to those sho wn on the fluid viscosity chart.
Operation of the sensor in free air may cause drift and other temperature effects which will
prevent realization of the full specified accuracy. If accuracy verification is necessary,
contact your sales representative for detailed instructions.
9. When you have familiarized yourself with the operation of the viscometer, disconnect the
power, remove the piston, and clean both piston and sensor with an alcohol based solvent or
a standard degreaser. Reinsert the piston and secure the flow deflector (if present) before
use.
1.4 Maximum Ratings and Approvals
Refer to the markings on the sensor ID tag for maximum sensor ratings and approvals. To ensure
compliance with the approvals marked, always install and maintain the sensor in accordance with
factory recommendations. Installations should be performed in accordance with local codes.
1.5 Warranty Information
All products are guaranteed against defective parts and workmanship. See limited warranty
agreement for details.
1-System Overview Rev A.doc 1-2 System Overview

§2 Sensor Installation
2.1 Overview
Models SPC501 and SPL501 have a 1/2" NPT fitting for direct insertion into the wall of a vessel. The
SPC501 sensor has a locking push-pull connector on its base.
The model SPL571 viscometer installs neatly into a 13/16-20 UNEF threaded opening. Optionally, a
¾ ”NPT thread to 13/16” UNEF thread, hex adapter is available. There is a standard Viton 2-020
O-ring at the base of the sensor.
A small amount of fluid circulates around the sensor to ensure good thermal equilibration. During
operation, the top of the piston extends about 0.05 inch beyond the face of the sensor ensuring good
mixing of fluid into the measurement chamber. Both sensors can be optionally mounted in a small
diameter pipeline using standard tees (see figure 2.2).
All sensors should be oriented with measurement chamber upward, preferably by about 45 degrees,
(cable end low) so that air will be easily vented. Cyclic operation of the piston has a self-cleaning
effect. The best way to use a sensor is to keep it wet. Care should be taken to avoid hardening of
process fluids inside sensors. If your fluids or operating conditions are particularly susceptible to
contamination or hardening, call the factory for installation suggestions.
2.2 Installation
2.2.1 Installation of the SPC501/SPL501 in a Vessel

1. With the power off, disconnect the sensor from the cable by pulling on the connector.
2. Prime sensor with fluid before installing for maximum efficiency, as follows:
1. Remove cap. Grasp the cap with your thumb and index finger, with your thumb closer to
your body. Pull with your index finger, so the side of the cap farthest from you will come
out first.
2. Remove the piston. Compressed air can be blown into or across the measurement chamber,
which causes the piston to jump out of the chamber.
Warning: When blasting the chamber with air, hold a paper towel over the chamber to
shield your eyes from the spray.
3. Fill the chamber with the fluid to be measured. A clean toothpick may be used to force the
fluid into the measurement chamber. It is important not to scratch the inside surface of the
measurement chamber, or contaminate your sample.
4. Gently push the piston back into the chamber, pointed side down.
5. Replace the cap.
3. Seal the threads and screw the sensor into the vessel.
2.2.2 Installation of the SPL- 571 in a Vessel (Compressor)

1. Drill and tap the opening of the vessel to accept the sensor as desired.
2. If using the optional ¾ NPT to 13/16 UNEF adapter, seal the NPT threads and screw it into the Vessel.
3. Prime sensor with fluid (see section 2.2.1.)
4. Place O-Ring in the groove in the base of the sensor (size 2-020).
5. Screw the sensor into the vessel opening or adapter.
2-500Series Rev C.DOC 2-1

Vessel
(Compressor)
Sensor
Flow
Deflector
Connector
SPC-501 SPL-571
Fig. 2-1: Typical Vessel Installation
SPL - 571 SPC – 501
¾” Tee
½ ” Tee
Adapter
O-Ring
Fig. 2-2: Pipeline Installation
2-500 Series Rev C.DOC 2-2 Sensor Installation

2.2.3 Installing the SPL 571 Sensor into a Thermal Jacket
1. Prime sensor with fluid before inserting into jacket, follow steps in 2.2.1.
2. Place standard Viton 2-011 O-Ring into groove inside of the thermal jacket.
3. Screw the sensor tightly into the jacket.
4. Special care should be taken to ensure the inlet and exhaust lines are properly aligned.
Outlet
Jacket with
Inlet Heater
SPL-571
Sensor
Orientation
45° ±25°
Fig . 2-3: Typical Thermal Jacket Installation
Tip: The piston can be withdrawn as described in the priming instructions. If the piston is
stuck in the withdrawn position, soak it with an appropriate solvent then dislodge it
with brief bursts of clean compressed air directed at the side of the measurement
chamber. Use protective eyewear and direct the sensor body away from your face
during this process.
2.3 Installation Tips
Minimizing Flow affects

The flow deflector is designed to limit disturbances sensed by the piston and maximize the
introduction of new fluid samples. If the flow rate is too high for this orientation however, it usually
results in unstable viscosity indications. Reducing the pump speed or turbulence in the system should
reduce this instability. When using a jacket with the SPL-571 sensor measurements should only be
made after the flow has stopped.
Perfecting Sensor Orientation

Since the measurement chamber is closed on the inner end and the sensor works best when it is not
vertical, it needs to be installed in an orientation of 45 ±30 degrees from the vertical. At this orientation
the measurement chamber can most easily eliminate ingested air.

Filtering Out Particles
Filtering the fluid, if practical, will eliminate any potential problems with particles. The presence of
certain particles can results in erratic viscosity readings and buildup within the measurement chamber.
Particle size tolerance is range dependent. The following chart can be used as a guide. For more
detailed information, consult the factory.
Maximum Recommended Particle Size
Range Size in Microns

.5-10cp 38
1-20cp 50
5-100cp 90
10-200cp 125
25-500cp 150
50-1000cp 175
Practical Extension Cable Limits

Should the sensor cable be modified or changed from the factory supplied and/or specified wiring,
system accuracy could be affected requiring re-calibration. As the sensor cable carries a precisely
calibrated current to the coils imbedded in the sensor, any changes in the wire resistance (adding
connectors or changing length) will alter the current received by the sensor coils. Extension cable limits
depend on the gauge of the extension cable, operating temperature of the cable and sensor, and calibrated
drive current sent to the coils. For detailed information, consult the factory.
Thermal Gradients at High Temperatures

To get accurate and stable measurements of both viscosity and temperature at elevated temperatures, it
is important that the tip of the sensor be inserted well into the vessel or jacket. Depending on your set-
up, insulating the sensor, piping or jacket enhances accuracy.
Warnings:
Never connect/disconnect sensor wiring when system is turned ON!
When installing or removing the Model SPL501 or SPL571 sensor, do not excessively
twist or kink the cable. Disconnect the cable before threading the sensor in or out to
prevent damage.
The connectors used on SPC-501 sensors utilize a push-pull locking mechanism—do

not attempt to twist the connector to remove it from the sensor!
It is important to protect the connectors from getting wet. The connectors are not
sealed and are vulnerable to corrosion and shorting from many process fluids!
All Installations should conform to applicable local codes and standards.

§3 Mounting the Electronics
3.1 Bench Top / Panel Mount Enclosure
Electronics is contained within a ½ DIN enclosure and is powered by 100-240Vac 50-60Hz

mains power. The nine sensor wires are connected to back of the enclosure with a locking
connector. Similarly, outputs (if available) are accessible from the back of the enclosure. A
locking positioner swings down from the bottom of the cabinet to enhance bench top viewing.
The enclosure dimensions measure (L x W x H) 8.5”x7.5”x4” (22 cm x 19 cm x 10 cm).
3.2 Panel Mounting
3.625”
3 .6 2 5 "
(92.1mm)
( 9 2 .1 M M )
7.300”
7 .3 0 0 "
( 1 8 5 .4 M M )
(185.4mm)
Fig. 3-1: Cutout Dimensions for Panel-Mount Installation
To mount the electronics in a panel (fig 3-2):
1. Cut hole in the panel according to dimensions in fig. 3-1 above.

2. Remove the feet, if present, on the bottom of the enclosure.
3. Remove the set screws holding the side rails in place (from the rear of the enclosure).
4. Remove the side rails by sliding them off the back of the enclosure.
5. Insert the enclosure into the cutout in the panel.
6. Replace the side rails sliding from the back and secure with the set screws.
3 Buckeye Rev B.doc 3-1

R e m ov e s cr e w s f r o m
2
e n d o f p a n e l " J a c k s"
S id e V ie w
1 M i n im u m sp a c e
R em o ve feet f or c a b li n g
8" 2"
3 R e m o v e b o th p a n e l j a ck s
T i g h t e n r e ta i n i n g s cr e w s t o
6
p r e s s j a c k s a g a i n s t re a r o f p a n e l
5 P u s h p a n e l j a c k s a ga i n s t b a c k o f p a n e l
4 I n s e rt e l e c tr o n i c s i n to c u t - a w a y i n p a n e l .
Fig. 3-2: Mounting the Electronics in a Panel
3-2 Mounting the Electronics

§4 Connecting the Electronics
4.1 Power Connection
Line power is brought into the benchtop/panel mount enclosure through an IEC connector in the lower
rear panel. If the power cord becomes damaged or if it is not compatible with the power outlets to be
used, it should be replaced with a locally obtained power cord which has an IEC receptacle. The power
inlet module also houses the power switch and the protective fuse. The fuse is a 5 x 20 mm, 1 A slow
blow. To access the fuse, unplug the power cord and pry out the fuse carrier adjacent to the IEC
connector.
Sensor
RS-485 RS-232 1 9
+G-
Power, Switch & Fuse
On/Off Port
Alrm Visc Temp TCV Ctrl
+P-
+A-+V-+T-+X-+C-
Figure 4-1: Connection Panel
4.2 Sensor Interconnect
The cable from the sensor is connected to the 9 pin sensor plug by clamping the individual conductors
into the appropriate openings of the plug. The sensor plug inserts into the mating receptacle on the upper
rear panel of the enclosure. Leads from the sensor are colored (1) white/black, (2) black, (3) white/red,
(4) red, (5) green/yellow, (6) white/yellow, (7) yellow, (8) white/blue, and (9) blue. The leads are
equipped with ferrules and are numbered for convenience in wiring.
When wiring the sensor

connector with the wire
123456789
clamp screws up, the
-+ -+ -+ -+ sequence of outputs will be
COIL B
RTD EXCITE
reversed.
GROUND
RTD SENSE
COIL A
4-Benchtop Connections Rev A.doc 4-1 Connecting the Electronics

4.3 Alarm and Signal I/O Interconnect (Optional)
Electrical signal output is available on the 10-pin connector located on the lower rear panel of the
enclosure. There are 4-20 mA electrical outputs for viscosity, temperature, and temperature
compensated viscosity, and a 5 VDC TTL output for alarm. The maximum loop resistance the 4-20 mA
outputs can supply is 500Ω. The alarm output is TTL compatible and can supply at least 25 mA to
energize a solid state relay.
Do not connect the alarm output to a low resistance load ( less than 150Ω )
since excessive current will flow, possible damaging the load and/or the
viscometer alarm output circuit.
4.4 Continuous Control Output Connection (Optional)
Control is available in two forms, (1) a continuous 4-20 mA signal, and (2) time proportional control.
Continuous control, as the name implies, takes on any value from 4 to 20 mA. It is intended to be used to
operate a proportional valve, either directly or through a converter, to heat process fluid or add solvent.
The continuous output is available on the fifth pair of terminals from the right on the I/O connector on the
daughter board, as illustrated below, in fig 4-2.
I/O Interconnect
+ Current-to-Pneumatic Converter
ALARM (TTL) - + - + - + - + -
VISCOSITY
TEMPERATURE
TEMP COMP VISC
I Air
P Supply
4-20mA CONTROL OUT
Pneumatic Control
Heat Pneumatic
Steam
Exchanger Proportional
Supply
Valve
Figure 4-2 Continuous Control Output

4.5 On/Off Port (Optional)
The On/Off Port is an output that is either in the ON state or OFF state. It is located in the lower center
of the rear panel of the enclosure (See figure 4.1). Time proportional control or the alarm output is
available at this port depending on the value of the Alarm Output Port variable, AOP. Time proportional
control is in the ON state for a varying percentage of time. The alarm output is either ON or OFF
depending on the current alarm condition. For more information regarding the operating characteristics
of Time-proportional control, the alarm output, and the AOP variable refer to chapter 5.
4.5.1 Time -Proportional Control (Optional)
Time proportional control is available in several different configurations at the On/Off Port when the AOP
variable is set to zero. Each of the available configurations is discussed below in detail. Refer to the
model number on either the Certificate of Calibration in Appendix A or on the viscometer itself to find out
which configuration is applicable.
The Mechanical Relay Output configuration (Model BCC-2**) is typically used to switch a source of
power into a load such as a heater element or solenoid valve. The mechanical relay used in the
viscometer is rated at 10 Amps, 30 VDC or 240 VAC, 1/3 Horse Power, or less. (In general, if AC
power is intended, the Solid State Relay is preferable; see the next section.) Wiring interconnect should
be made as shown in the Relay Output Connection diagram below.
P TIME-PROPORTIONAL
CONTROL OUT
+ -
Load Power Source
Fig 4-3: Relay Output Connection
The Solid State Relay (SSR) configuration (Model BCC-3**) is used to switch a source of AC power
onto a resistive load such as a heater element or solenoid. The SSR used is rated at 3 Amps, 24-280
VAC, 50-60 Hertz. Wiring interconnect should be made as illustrated in the above figure 4-3.
The Sourced 24 VDC configuration (Model BCC-4**) is designed to directly power a 24 VDC
normally closed solenoid to dispense solvent or a resistive heater. In either case the electrical load should
not exceed 30 watts. Hookup in this case is particularly straightforward, as illustrated in the Sourced
24VDC Output Connection diagram below, figure 4-4.

P TIME-PROPORTIONAL
CONTROL OUT
+ -
24 VDC Solenoid
Metering Normally Closed
6
5
3
Valve
12
Source of Solvent
Mix Tank or Thinner
Fig 4-4: Sourced 24VDC Output Connection
4.5.2 Alarm Relay Output (Optional)
The Alarm output appears at the On/Off Port when the AOP variable is set to one (default for fuel
applications). When an alarm condition is present, the relay contacts will be closed (ON). When there is
no alarm condition the relay will be open (OFF). Refer to chapter 5 for the alarm point setup.
The Mechanical Relay Output configuration is typically used to switch a source of power into a load such
as a buzzer or lamp. The mechanical relay used in the ViscoPro2000 is rated at 10 Amps, 30 VDC or
240 VAC, 1/3 Horse Power, or less. Wiring interconnect should be made as shown in the figure below,
figure 4-5.
P
Alarm Output
+ -
Load Power Source
Fig 4-5: Relay Output Connection

4.6 Serial Port
4.6.1 RS-232 Serial Port Wiring
In order to utilize the RS232 serial port, “off the shelf” serial port cables and adaptors may be obtained
locally. If permanent wiring is preferred, it may be desirable to “hard wire” a connection from a
computer to the serial port connector. Preferably the cable would consist of a shielded pair with runner.
At the viscometer end, use a 9 pin D-subminiature male solder cup connector, such as Amp® P/N
747904-2. At the computer end use the companion female part, e.g. the 9-pin Amp® P/N 747905-2 or
25-pin Amp 747913-2. Alternatively is might be preferable to cut an “off the shelf” serial port cable and
splice the conductors using a terminal block. The optional printer can be connected through the serial
port using a DB9 null mode cable with a male to male gender changer at the printer end.
Pin 3: Data Out of Computer Pin 2: RD, Data Out of ViscoPro2000

Pin 2: Data Into Computer Pin 3: TD, Data into
ViscoPro2000
Pin 5: Gnd
Shield
Un-used solder cup terminals (cut off)

Female D-Subminiature Male D-Subminiature Connector
Connector
Pin 2: RD, Data Out of ViscoPro2000

Pin 3: Data Into Computer Pin 7: Ground
Pin 3 : TD, Data into ViscoPro2000
Pin 5: Gnd
Shield
Pin 2: Data Out of Computer Un-used solder cup terminals (cut off)
25-pin Serial Port Connector Male D-Subminiature Connector
4.6.2 RS-485 Serial Port Wiring (Optional)
The wiring for RS485 may be accomplished with cable similar to that recommended for RS232: a
shielded pair with a ground "drain" wire. The difference is that a single cable may be run from one
viscometer to the next in a sort of "party line" configuration. The cable ground is connected to the center
pin of the RS485 plug and the other wires connected to the "+" and "-" pins as indicated in Figure 4-1.
These designations refer to the polarity of the RS485 bus when it is idle.
Note:
Electrical connections should be made in compliance to local codes.

§5 Viscometer Operation
The viscometer is made up of a sensor and the operating electronics. The following sections will
cover the basic operation of each.
5.1 Sensor Overview
Flow Deflector Fence
Coil A
Piston
Coil B
RTD
Fig. 5-1: Cutaway View of Sensor Tip Installed in a Pipe Line
The Cambridge Applied Systems piston-style viscometer contains two magnetic coils inside a
stainless steel body. A low mass stainless steel piston inside the measurement chamber is
magnetically forced back and forth in the fluid. The time required for the piston to move a fixed
distance (about 0.2 inches) is then very accurately related to the viscosity of the fluid in the
chamber.
As the piston is pulled toward the bottom of the measurement chamber, it forces the fluid at the
bottom of the chamber to flow around the piston toward the sensor opening where it
interchanges with the normal flow of the fluid. On the upward piston stroke, fresh process fluid
is pulled around the piston to the bottom of the measurement chamber. The flow deflector
continuously diverts fluid from the process stream into the outer portion of the measurement
chamber, thereby refreshing the measured fluid. Since measurement of the motion is made in
two directions, variations in travel time due to vibration, orientation, and flow are almost
completely eliminated.
Temperature is measured continuously with the use of a platinum Resistance Temperature

Detector (RTD) mounted at the base of the measurement chamber. Since the viscosity of a fluid
varies significantly with temperature, it is important to know the exact temperature of the
measurement chamber.
5-VP2K1.08 Rev D.doc 5-1 Viscometer Operation

5.2 Basic Electronics Operation
Software in the ViscoPro electronics controls a four line display that allows the user to operate
the viscometer by means of a user-friendly menu. The main menu enables:
u election of the operate mode,

u selection of the product setup,
u changing the set point, (optional),
u review of the setup, and
u selection of the supervisory menu.
When you receive the system, it will be calibrated and ready for operation. There are additional
settings which may need adjustment on rare occasions through the use of the supervisory menu
which is accessed by entering an access code. These restricted features include:
u setting of Viscosity and Temperature units,

u adjustment of the fluid properties,
u setting process control parameters,
u adjustment of alarm points,
u setting the number of points to be used in the rolling data average,
u adjustment of the date and time clock,
u initiation of sensor purge,
u choice of the interval between successive logged data points,
u choice of control variable, and
u changing the supervisory access password.
There are also a number of “set and forget” parameters which may be changed from their factory
set values if necessary by means of a computer terminal connected to either the RS232 or
RS485 serial ports of the ViscoPro.
Selection of menu items is controlled by four multifunction membrane switches on the face of
the ViscoPro. The UP and DOWN buttons are used to move vertically through the menu
selections. The menu selection is indicated with a triangle on the left edge of the display. If an
underline cursor is displayed under a number, the UP and DOWN buttons increase or decrease
the underlined digit. If the field is alphanumeric, the “digit” will cycle through the alphabet as
well as the 10 numerals. Holding the UP or DOWN key will result in a rapid progression of
values. The sign can also be changed with the UP and DOWN keys. The ENTER button is used
to either (1) ENTER (select) a chosen entry, which will move you on to the next set of choices,
or (2), if an underline cursor is displayed, move the cursor horizontally to the right. The
ESCAPE button is used to either (1) exit the chosen entry, which will move you to the previous
set of choices, or (2), if an underline cursor is displayed, move the cursor to the left.

When the ViscoPro is first turned on, it will go through a power-up initialization and then
perform a number of diagnostic checks. During this time, an introductory screen appears.
The next screen that appears is the main menu. Pushing the ENTER button will select the
indicated functions.
Operate
Choose Setup
ESCAPE ENTER
Review Setup
Supervisory Menu
Fig. 5-2: Main Menu on Touch Panel Display
5.2.1 Operate
The normal state for the ViscoPro is to be measuring the viscosity and temperature of the
process fluid and possibly controlling the characteristics of the fluid while displaying the
measurement and control data. This state is achieved by selecting the Operate entry on the main
menu. A submenu appears which offers a choice of (1) Monitoring Only, with no control
function, (2) Monitor and Control, and (3) Sensor Standby. Upon entry to this screen, the
selection arrow will point to the current operating mode.
If "Monitor Only" is selected, the sensor will start measuring viscosity if it was not already doing
so, control will stop if it was enabled, and the display will show the latest average values of
viscosity, temperature, and TCV. The bottom line will indicate the active setup. Viscosity and
TCV will be reported using units of centipoise (cP), centistokes (cSt), cup seconds (sec), or
Saybolt seconds (SSU) depending on the way the system is configured. Similarly the
temperature will use either the Celsius (°C) or the Fahrenheit (°F) scale, depending on the
system configuration.
Visc = 23.53 cP *
Temp= +42.6 °C ESCAPE ENTER
TCV = 27.27 cP
Setup= STARTUP
Fig 5-3: Normal Operation on Touch Panel Display

If the ViscoPro is unable to determine the viscosity of the fluid (sensor timeout), the viscosity
value will be set to 0. If the current unit is cup seconds the viscosity may be greater than 0.
This value will be shown on the display screen, logged, and reported by means of the serial port.
This situation will occur on startup and if the viscosity is grossly out of range, either due to
viscosity too low or too high. Similarly, if the sensor is unable to measure the temperature
(RTD broken), the temperature will be set to –40 °. In either case the value of TCV will be set
to 0.
If there is an active alarm state, the fourth line of the display annotates the alarm. Additionally if
there is a sensor timeout or an open RTD circuit, there will also be a corresponding annotation
on the fourth line. This is achieved by cyclically displaying the setup designation and any active
alarm message.
If “Monitor and Control” is selected, the sensor begins measuring viscosity if it was not already
doing so. The system positions the proportional band based on the value of “Expected Control
Output” for the active Setup (see the next sub-section) and begins PI control if it was not
already doing so. The data display will be the same as in “Monitor Only”. A blinking asterisk “
* ” will appear on the right edge of the display to indicate that the time-proportional control is in
the ON state. It will appear on the line corresponding to the variable being controlled.
If “Sensor Standby” is selected, the sensor will cease viscosity measurement although
temperature measurement will always continue. If the system had been controlling viscosity or
TCV, this control will cease. If the system had been controlling temperature, it will continue to
do so even when the viscosity sensor stops. To defeat temperature control as well as
shutting down the sensor, first select “Monitor Only” and then “Standby.”
5.2.2 Choosing a Setup
The primary user-specified variable in the software is what is termed the “Setup”. Each Setup
specifies more than a dozen parameters and variables as a group. When “Choose Setup” is
selected from the Main Menu, a submenu of currently available Setups is displayed. The
selection triangle will point to the active Setup. By moving the triangle up or down with the UP
and DOWN buttons and then pressing ENTER, a new Setup may be selected.
When a different measurement range or sensor is implicitly selected by changing

the Setup, the system automatically recalls the stored calibration values for that
range or sensor. No new calibration is necessary. Be sure to make the
corresponding changes to the system!
Warning: Never connect or disconnect the sensor while the system is ON.

Changing the Control Set Point (Optional)
When enabled, this menu feature allows the operator to directly change the control setpoint
without accessing the supervisory menu.
5.2.4 Reviewing a Setup
Key parameters for the currently active Setup may be reviewed by selecting “Review Setup”
from the Main Menu. This choice presents a series of informational screens which allows the
user to review several Setup parameters and variables to verify that they are correct. These may
be modified through the Supervisory Menu if that is desired.
5.2.5 Supervisory Menu
The Supervisory Menu can only be accessed by entering the correct four digit access code.
When shipped, systems will have the access code " A _ _ _ " (“A” followed by three blanks).
If no key stoke activity has been made for approximately one minute, the system will
automatically revert to the Main Menu.
Most of the variables which can be changed through the Supervisory Menu are Setup properties,
that is, they may have a different value for each setup. The Supervisory Menu screens allow
changing the properties of the currently selected Setup. If a different Setup is selected, the
settings that were stored for that Setup will be recalled for use from memory. At that time the
Supervisory Menu will allow modification of those values. Before entering the Supervisory
Menu, note which Setup is active.
5.2.5.1 Units of Measure
The Units of Measure menu can be accessed through the Supervisory screen. This menu has
two submenus, Viscosity Units and Temperature Units. The temperature menu allows the user
to display units in either Celsius or Fahrenheit. The viscosity menu allows the user to display in
units of cP, cSt, SSU, or Cup Seconds.
Cambridge Applied Systems viscosity sensors measure absolute viscosity, which is the true
measure of viscosity—the resistance of a fluid to flow. The practical unit of absolute viscosity is
centipoise (cP), which is identical to the MKS unit mPa s. (The viscosity of water is
approximately 1 cP.) Cup type viscometers are commonly used in industry but they respond not
only to absolute viscosity but also to the fluid density. The gravitational forces acting on the
fluid within the cup will be proportional to the density of the fluid. Thus a fluid with the same
absolute viscosity but higher density will drain out faster and therefore appear to have a lower
viscosity. Viscometers such as the cup type measure kinematic viscosity, whose practical unit is
cSt. The relationship between these units is given by:
visc (cP )
visc (cSt ) =
density (g / ml )

Kinematic Viscosity can also be displayed in SSUs. The Viscopro conversion to Saybolt Universal
Seconds (SSU) is done according to ASTM standard D2161.
When converting to Cup Seconds the variables CFA and CFB are used to set the cup type
according to the equation:
Visc ( Secs.) = CFA(v) + CFB
where v = kinematic viscosity (cSt)
The default values for a Zahn #2 cup are CFA = .286 and CFB = 14. Alternate values can be set
according to the table below:
TYPE Equation
CUP # CFA CFB
Zahn 1 t = 0.909 (v / den) + 29 0.909 29
Zahn 2 t = 0.286 (v / den) + 14 0.286 14
Zahn 3 t = 0.085 (v / den) + 7.5 0.085 7.5
Zahn 4 t = 0.068 (v / den) + 5 0.068 5
Zahn 5 t = 0.043 (v / den) 0.043 0
Shell 1 t = 4.425 (v / den) + 13 4.425 13
Shell 2 t = 1.736 (v / den) + 5 1.736 5
Shell 2.5 t = 1.081 (v / den) + 3 1.081 3
Shell 3 t = 0.662 (v / den) + 2 0.662 2
Shell 3.5 t = 0.461 (v / den) + 1.5 0.461 1.5
Shell 4 t = 0.290 (v / den) + 1 0.290 1
Shell 5 t = 0.154 (v / den) + 1 0.154 1
Shell 6 t = 0.062 (v / den) + 0.5 0.062 0.5
Ford 1 t = 2.041 (v / den) + 35.0 2.041 35.0
Ford 2 t = 0.694 (v / den) + 18.0 0.694 18.0
Ford 3 t = 0.433 (v / den) + 6.58 0.433 6.58
Ford 4 t = 0.260 (v / den) + 4.49 0.260 4.49
Ford 5 t = 0.083 (v / den) + 2.00 0.083 2.00
5.2.5.2 Fluid Properties
Temperature compensated viscosity (TCV) is a very accurate estimate of the viscosity that
would have been measured if the temperature had been at a reference value which may be
different than the actual temperature. This estimate is based on the assumption of a linear
relationship between temperature and the double logarithm of viscosity. Once set, TCV
produces a very accurate estimate for any liquid hydrocarbon and yields a reliable approximation
for most other fluids. The first screens under “Fluid Properties” allow the two TCV parameters
to be adjusted.

The first display screen under “Fluid Properties” indicates the current reference temperature
setting. This is the temperature at which the value of viscosity is being estimated. For
maximum accuracy, it is recommended that this be set within a degree or two of the standard
process temperature. The current Setup designation is also displayed on this screen as a
reminder.
The second screen allows setting Temperature Compensation Coefficient (TCC) of the process
fluid. For every process fluid the relationship between viscosity and temperature will be
somewhat different and this relationship is described using the coefficient TCC.
To calculate TCC for the active Setup, the viscosity of the process fluid should be known at two
temperatures. For maximum accuracy, it is recommended that these two temperatures be
chosen perhaps 5 to 10 °C apart so that they bracket the standard operating temperature. The
parameter TCC is given by
ln(ln( η1 + 0.8)) − ln(ln( η2 + 0.8))

TCC =
ln (θ2 + 273 .15 ) − ln (θ1 + 273 .15 )
where the fluid has viscosity η1 (cP) at temperature θ1 (°C) and viscosity η2 (cP) at temperature
θ2 (°C). Note that this formula will yield the same result if Briggs (base 10) logarithms are used
in place of Napier (base e) logarithms. Also absolute temperature may be expressed in the
Rankine scale, which is achieved by adding 459.67 to the temperature in Fahrenheit.
For example, if the anticipated operating temperatures are close to +40°C, it would be
appropriate to use viscosity values at 35 and 45°C. Suppose the viscosity of the fluid is 209.5
cP at 35°C and 117.8 cP at 45°C. Then the TCC parameter is given by
ln(ln( 210 .3)) − ln(ln( 118 .6))

TCC = = 3.547
ln (318 .15 ) − ln (308 .15 ) .
The third Fluid Properties screen allows the operator to enter the density of the process fluid in
units of g/ml only. This value is used when displaying viscosity in units of centistokes (cSt), cup
seconds, and SSU.
The ViscoPro necessarily measures absolute viscosity but can display viscosity in units of cSt,
cup seconds, or SSU if desired. The ViscoPro uses the value of density to convert
measurements requiring density values.
Density is used to compute viscosity in units of cSt, cups, and SSU. If units of cP
are used, the value of density is irrelevant and need not be changed. In this case,
the value for density is not even displayed under the Review Setup choice in the
Main Menu.

5.2.5.3 Control Parameters
The "Control Parameters" screens enable the operator to adjust (1) the Control Setpoint, (2) the
width of the Proportional Band, (3) the System Stabilization Time, and (4) the Expected Control
Output. Again, all the parameters set in the Control Parameters screens are specific to the
currently selected Setup.
A more thorough discussion of control is presented in section 6. This section will

give only a cursory description of the variables.
The first screen of "Control Parameters" indicates the current choice of control variable and
allows adjustment of the current value of the Setpoint. If the control variable is set to viscosity
or TCV, values for the Setpoint can range from 1% to 200% of Full Scale, although 5 to 100%
Full Scale is the recommended range. If the control variable is temperature, the Setpoint may
range from -40 deg Celsius to +190 deg Celsius (-40 to +374 deg Fahrenheit). The control set
point screen can be accessed from the main menu if the serial port variable ESP is enabled (see
section 6.3).
The second screen is used to set the Proportional Band. Again, the first line of the display
indicates the control variable. The Proportional Band is entered in units of viscosity or
temperature as appropriate. Viscosity Proportional Bands may be set to values which are
between 0.1% and 1,000% of Full Scale. Temperature Proportional Bands can be set from 0.1
to 10 deg C (0.2 to 18 deg F).
The third screen sets the System Stabilization Time, which is your estimate of the time (in
minutes) necessary for the physical system to reach a new stable point after a change in the
steady-state solvent flow or heat rate. System Stabilization Times can be set from 6 to 240
minutes.
The fourth screen is used to enter the Expected Control Output which is used to preposition the
proportional band when control commences. This parameter is an estimate of the control
output, expressed as a percentage, needed to maintain the desired value of the controlled
variable.
5.2.5.4 Alarm Point Setup
The ViscoPro 2000 has optional visual and electrical alarms that can be triggered by crossing
either a high or low threshold of viscosity, temperature, or temperature-compensated viscosity
(TCV). The “Alarm Points” screens are used to set these six thresholds to the desired values. A
triggered alarm point is visually indicated by the flashing of the display backlight and an
annotation of the problem on the fourth line of the Operate Display. The electrical indication of
a triggered alarm point is marked by a transition of the ALARM output to a TTL logic level

HIGH that is sustained for the duration of the alarm condition. For information on logically
inverting the alarm output consult your Cambridge Applied Systems sales associate.
Setting the Alarm Output Port (AOP) serial communications variable equal to 1 will send the
alarm signal to the On/Off output port. The default value for the AOP variable is zero.
The alarm points are Setup variables. The values displayed when each screen is entered are
those for the active Setup. Changes to the alarm points apply only to the active Setup. If you
change Setups, the alarms will adjust to the stored settings for that Setup.
If units of cSt, SSU, or Cups have been selected, the viscosity and TCV alarm points will be
expressed in the appropriate unit of measure. If Fahrenheit has been selected, the temperature
alarm points will use this unit of measure. See section 6 for details on changing the units of
measure.
All six alarm points are enabled whenever process information is available. When shipped from
the factory, the alarm thresholds are set well beyond the normal operating range so the alarm
thresholds will never be exceeded.
Since alarms are always active, undesired alarms may be defeated by setting the
corresponding alarm thresholds to values which cannot physically be achieved.
5.2.5.5 Data Averaging
ViscoPro software computes the viscosity, temperature and temperature-compensated viscosity

at the end of each piston stroke, based on the last two strokes, i.e., the previous piston cycle.
The software may be configured to compute the rolling average of any integer number of cycles
from 1 to 20. As a result, all data presented on the Operate data display screen, electrically
output on the 4-20 mA current loops, and logged for later retrieval will reflect a value that is the
rolling average over the number of cycles selected. The rolling average discards the oldest data
each stroke and adds the newest data point. Data averaging has the advantage of smoothing the
data and thereby reducing scatter; however, it increases the response time. If your process
varies very slowly, it will be advantageous to use data averaging. If you are interested in the
fastest response time, as in reaction tracking, data averaging should be avoided.
Note that the P-I control feature in the ViscoPro software uses non-averaged
values of temperature, viscosity, or TCV upon which to base control, whether or
not data averaging is selected.
If a rolling average on "n" samples has been set and the TCV reference
temperature or TCC coefficient changed, the displayed and output data will be a
rolling average of the old and new data until "n" cycles have passed.
5.2.5.6 Setting Date and Time

The ViscoPro has an internal clock which is used chiefly to date- and time-stamp stored data. It
may be necessary to set the clock to your local time, change to or from Daylight Time, or to
occasionally correct the clock for drift. When "Date and Time" on the Supervisory Menu is
selected, a screen displaying both the date and time will appear. If the time and date values are
correct, press ESCAPE to return to the Supervisory Menu. Otherwise press ENTER.
Once the Time and Date display screen is ENTERed, there will be a progression of five screens
to allow setting the clock. After ENTERing all the date and time settings, the initial Time and
Date display screen will appear again. If the time and date are now correct, press ESCAPE to
return to the supervisory Menu.
5.2.5.7 Purge
Occasionally the sensor may operate improperly due to ingestion of a air into the measurement
chamber, a bubble formed by a volatile fraction of the product, a particle lodged in the sensor,
or portion of congealed product within the sensor. In these cases, it can be useful to use the
Purge function on the Supervisory Menu. This function will operate the sensor with elevated
magnetic force and will allow the piston to travel to the ends of the measurement chamber. The
purge function takes approximately two minutes to complete and may be repeated if necessary
or cancelled by pressing ESCAPE. Frequently this action will be sufficient to allow normal
sensor operation to resume.
If desired, the Startup Purge (SPG) can be activated to automatically purge the sensor every
time the system is turned on.
During operation another purge function, termed "continual purge," is available. Here the piston
is allowed to continue past the normal detect point at the end of the down-stroke so that it hits
the bottom of the measurement chamber. This pushes almost all of the fluid up to the top of the
measurement chamber where it can readily interchange with the product stream. If your process
fluid has particles which can settle out or if the fluid tends to thicken, continuous purge
operation may offer an advantage. This operation is enabled by setting the serial port variable
CCI (cleanout cycle interval). The value of CCI corresponds to the number of piston cycles
between purge strokes. Setting CCI to its default value, 0, will defeat continual purge. Since
the succeeding up-stroke will not be an accurate measure of viscosity, its stroke time will be
disregarded in determining viscosity. Consequently values of viscosity will appear to be
"frozen" immediately following a purge stroke. Note the CCI is a setup variable so that it must
be indexed by the desired setup index.
5.2.5.8 Set Data Log Interval
The ViscoPro has a built-in data logger with the capability of storing 1,000 date- and time-
tagged sets of data consisting of viscosity, temperature-compensated viscosity, temperature, and
control output. The data log will also contain a record of changes made to the setup
parameters. The data are stored in a dedicated location in memory. When the memory is full,
new data will overwrite the oldest so the most recent 1,000 data points will be available to

download via the serial port to a computer for analysis and review. This is a capability which is
automatic and always active.
The interval between stored data points can be set using the "Set Data Log Interval" choice on
the Supervisory Menu. There are two choices available, (1) intervals based on an integer
number of data measurement points (time asynchronous), and (2) an interval between logged
data points that is an integral number of minutes.
To set the data logging interval, select "Set Data Log Intrvl" in the Supervisory Menu. Note the
position of the triangular indicator; it will point to either "every n data points" or "every n
minutes", depending on the type of data logging already selected. If this choice is not
acceptable, change it with either the UP or DOWN key. Then press ENTER. The next screen
will allow setting the logging interval. If "Every n Data Points" was chosen, the permissible
values are from 1 to 99 data points. If "Every n Minutes" was chosen, permissible time based
logging intervals are from each minute up to every 60 minutes.
5.2.5.9 Select Control Variable
The ViscoPro system can control (1) Viscosity, (2) Temperature, or (3) TCV. The choice of
control parameter is available by ENTERing “Select Control Variable” in the Supervisory Menu.
Control will be based on the variable chosen, even though the effects may be
indirect. For example, if the fluid is to be heated to maintain a desired viscosity,
the proper control parameter should be "Viscosity" even though the control
output is applied to a heater to raise the fluid temperature.
5.2.5.10 Changing the Access Code
It may be important to protect the items in the Supervisory Menu from casual access. To
change the access code to any four digit alphanumeric, select "Change Access Code" on the
Supervisory Menu and then enter the new code using the same procedure used to gain access to
the Supervisory Menu.
Record the new access code for future use. If the access code is lost, consult the
factory for assistance.

§6 System Optimization and Advanced Features
6.1 Calibration
The ViscoPro system is carefully calibrated at the factory before shipment. If it is desired to verify the
calibration, measure a fluid with known properties to confirm correct calibration following the checkout
procedure in section 1. A small sample of calibration fluid is included with the viscometer for test purposes.
Additional fluid is available from the factory if needed. If it appears necessary to recalibrate the unit, contact
the factory; re-calibration may be performed at the factory or in the field. Calibration requirements vary with
application. In most cases an annual verification is recommended.
6.2 Control of Fluid Properties
The ViscoPro is capable of providing Proportional-Integral (PI) control of either the viscosity, temperature, or
temperature-compensated viscosity (TCV) of the fluid. The Control Output can effect the addition of either
heat or solvent to produce the desired value of the chosen control variable. The control algorithm
simultaneously produces both continuous and time-proportional control outputs. If a continuously variable
metering valve is used, the continuous output is to be utilized. If an ON/OFF heater element or a solenoid
valve is used, the time-proportional output should be connected.
Control is based on the current value of any one of the three measured or derived variables, viscosity,
temperature, or TCV. At the end of each piston stroke the software re-computes a new value for Control
Output (CO) if either viscosity or TCV is being controlled. CO is recomputed every few seconds if
temperature is being controlled.
A more detailed discussion of control principles and their implementation in the ViscoPro is presented in the
following subsections. Refer to the section 5 for details on entering the control parameters using the front
panel keys.
6.2.1 Proportional Control of Viscosity or TCV
The ViscoPro contains a Proportional-Integral (PI) controller. For purposes of discussion, however, consider
first just proportional control and suppose that the control variable has been set in the Supervisory Menu to
viscosity. The CO effort might raise the temperature of the fluid or it might add solvent. Either way, it is
assumed that increasing CO will cause a decrease in viscosity.
When the viscosity is near the viscosity setpoint, the Control Output, CO, will vary from 0 to 1.0. In this
region, the measured value of viscosity is compared to the setpoint value and the Control Output adjusted in
proportion to the difference. This region of viscosity is known as the Proportional Band. At the same time,
the width of the region is also referred to as the Proportional Band. This ambiguity should cause no problem
since the meaning will always be clear from the context.
6-VP2kP108 Rev E 6-1 System Optimization & Advanced Features

The computed value of CO gives rise to a continuous Control Output between 4 and 20mA and a time-
proportional output, which will be a periodic ON/OFF signal. For instance, if CO = 0.1, the continuous
current output will be 5.6 mA. Since the cycle time of the time-proportional output is approximately 30 sec.
(irrespective of the piston cycle time), the time-proportional output for this example will be ON approximately
3 sec. and then OFF for 27 sec.
When the controller starts operation, the proportional band will be initially positioned around the setpoint
based on the "Expected Control Output" parameter, ECO, which is part of the "Control Parameters" menu.
Assume that ECO has been set at 50%, the default value. This means that the value of CO will be 0.5 when
the viscosity is exactly equal to the setpoint. If control is allowed to run with the proportional band positioned
symmetrically about the setpoint as just described, the system can stabilize either above or below the Setpoint.
The difference between the setpoint and the stabilization viscosity is “offset.” Offset can be eliminated with
Proportional-Integral (PI) control.
6.2.2 Proportional-Integral (PI) Control
In order to eliminate the offset between the controlled viscosity and the setpoint described in section 6.2.1, the
ViscoPro controller uses PI control, which gradually adjusts the proportional band up or down relative to the
setpoint to eliminate this offset. To avoid interactions with the “Proportional” part of control, which could
cause instability, this “Integral” component of control must act more slowly than the “Proportional”
component.
When the ViscoPro is controlling, the software tests to see if a minute has elapsed since the last adjustment to
the proportional band position. If so, and if the viscosity is close enough to the setpoint that it is within the
proportional band, the proportional band will be repositioned a small amount, either up or down, so as to
reduce the offset. The step size is based on the system stabilization time, CST. Since CST will differ from
one situation to another, it is a Setup variable. As the process continues to run, the offset will eventually be
reduced to virtually zero. Even if operating conditions should change, the proportional band will continue to
readjust slightly every minute to track those changes.
6.2.3 Control of TCV or Temperature
If TCV is being controlled, the control algorithm works just the same as for viscosity control. If temperature
has been selected as the control parameter, is assumed that there is a direct relationship between control
action and the measurement, i.e., that increasing the control output will act to increase the temperature.
Except for the reversal of the sense of the control logic, PI control of temperature is fundamentally the same as
viscosity or TCV control. The only other differences are that the cycle time for the time-proportional control
is 3 instead of 30 seconds and that temperature information is continuously available whereas viscosity
information is updated only at the end of each piston stroke.

6.3 Control Setup Strategies
Perhaps the most fundamental question to resolve when using the ViscoPro2000 is to decide which available
variable (CVB) is appropriate to control. In case the application calls for controlling the temperature of the
fluid, either in the process stream or within the sensor, obviously the choice will be “temperature.” There are
cases where the actual viscosity of the process fluid is important and here it is obviously appropriate to choose
“viscosity” as the control variable. A good example of this case is where fuel is being heated to maintain its
viscosity at an optimum value before combustion. The last possibility, controlling the TCV of a fluid, is
frequently employed to maintain the solids content of the fluid. In this case, it may acceptable to have viscosity
vary with temperature over some range so long as the ratio of solvent to solids content is held to the correct
value.
Setting the primary control variable—the Control Setpoint—is strictly an application specific issue which lies
beyond the scope of this manual. Perhaps the second most critical variable is the Control Proportional Band.
A significant time lag between the addition of solvent or heat and the sensing of the resulting change in viscosity
or temperature is inherent in any realistic system. This lag, along with the fact that viscosity or temperature
responds to the time-integrated addition of solvent or heat, assures that the application must be considered—
at best—a second order control system. Thus it is possible for the variable being controlled to overshoot or
undershoot its target or even experience oscillation or hunting. The natural inclination to reduce the
Proportional Band to a very small value in order to control the process “as closely as possible” will work
toward producing unstable operation.
Considering just the solvent addition case for the moment, the response of the system to a given viscosity error
in physical terms is directly proportional to the maximum rate of solvent addition and inversely proportional to
the width of the Proportional Band. It is recommended that the solvent inlet be sized for a maximum rate of
addition that is approximately twice the maximum normal continuous usage to prevent excess dilution and give
symmetrical positioning for the Proportional Band. With the maximum flow rate held at a fixed value, the
width of the Proportional Band may then be adjusted for optimum performance.
Because some of the system constants will typically be unknown, often the most practical way to achieve a
sensible setting for the Proportional Band is to observe the system behavior and empirically adjust the
Proportional Band for most desirable results. If the response is unstable, the width of the Proportional Band
must be increased. To help to carry out this procedure in a systematic way, some suggestions will be made.
Gross instability will be obvious under almost any circumstances. Marginal stability (overshoot/undershoot)
will occur during a system “upset” such as when starting up the process line or responding to a large addition
of fluid. Using the built-in data logger and graphing the data in a spreadsheet will be very useful in visualizing
the resulting performance. See section 6.4 for details on this procedure. It may be difficult to distinguish a
sluggish proportional component of control from the Integral component. To reduce the effect of Integral
corrections, temporarily increase the System Stabilization Time as much as possible and use a realistic
Expected Control Output value. (These variables are discussed in succeeding paragraphs.)
In the case of heat addition, the issues are just the same with “heat flow” replacing “solvent flow”. Note that in
the case of controlling viscosity by heating, the temperature alarm settings can be used as a system check.

The larger the Proportional Band, the larger the potential offset error. If the Expected Control Output (ECO)
is set to 0%, the most conservative setting, the Control Output will initially be positioned to be 0 when the
control variable is at the setpoint. The system will then stabilize above the viscosity or TCV Setpoint or below
the Temperature Setpoint, inching gradually toward the setpoint as the integral offset adjustment adjusts the
location of the Proportional Band.
Since the “Integral” correction must proceed slowly compared to the inherent response time of the system, it is
clear that the system performance will be enhanced if the Proportional Band is appropriately located relative
to the setpoint when control commences. Consequently it is recommend that ViscoPro2000 users note
the value of Control Output after the system stabilizes and use that value for the Control Expected
Output (ECO) on succeeding runs.
6.4 Operations with the Serial Interface
The ViscoPro may be operated utilizing either the RS232 or RS485 serial port interface. Using the serial
ports, it is possible to:
• download date- and time coded measurement data from the built-in data logger,
• access calibration, setup, and configuration data for archival purposes,
• restore those data in the rare case of data corruption,
• adjust electrical output scaling,
• adjust or record many setup, monitoring and control parameters, or,
• simply download measurement data in real time.
The serial port commands take the form of a single letter command, a three letter mnemonic, a (possibly
empty) sequence of parameters which depend on the command, and ends with <CR>, which denotes
"carriage return" or "enter" or "return." The ViscoPro will respond to a carriage return, a linefeed, or both
characters, making it compatible with most operating systems. To denote the end of a reply, the ViscoPro
sends both a linefeed and a carriage return. The commands and mnemonics are case-insensitive and the
elements within the command line may be separated by one or more spaces, commas, and/or tabs. The
characters are normally echoed (repeated) back to the terminal as they are entered on the RS232 port. When
the command line is executed, there may be a response or an error message.
There are just six commands:

S Set a variable,
D Download a variable,
E Export a group of variables, (RS232 only)
N eNable a viscometer on the RS485 bus, (RS485 only)
R Report data, (RS232 only)
C Calibrate a current output channel (RS232 only)

Also there is a “non-command”, an apostrophe “ ' “, which instructs the ViscoPro to ignore the rest of the
line. Since the viscometer continues to echo any input, this feature can be used to record comments on the
terminal screen and in a capture file without generating error messages or executing an unintended command.
6.4.1 RS232 Connection
The RS232 serial port connection is one of two means of digital communication with the ViscoPro. Hardware
interconnect requires a serial cable with a 9-pin D-subminiature male connector for the ViscoPro end and a
connector on the other end appropriate for your computer. “Off-the-shelf” cables and adapters may be
obtained locally for this purpose.
Once connected, the computer should be operated in a terminal emulation mode. If you are using Windows®
3.1x, select the Terminal program in Accessories, then select Settings\Communications. If using
Windows95® or Windows98®, select Start\Programs\Accessories\HyperTerminal\Hypertrm.exe.
Alternatives for communication include ProComm® for Windows or DOS or Microphone® for the
Macintosh. The proper settings to choose in your terminal emulation program are: 2400, 9600, or 19200
Baud, 8 bits, 1 stop bit, No echo, No parity, Xon/Xoff flow control, and the Comm port you plan to use.
6.4.2 RS485 Connection (Optional)
The RS485 interconnect was detailed in the section, “Connecting the Electronics”. When the switch on the
ViscoPro board is in the RS485 position (toggled toward RS485 connector), the RS485 interface circuit will
be put into transmit mode by the CPU when a message is being transmitted. The switch connects the RS485
input to the microprocessor instead of RS232. Thus any message coming into the RS232 input is ignored
when operating in the RS485 mode, and vice versa. However the RS232 output from the board is always
active.
The RS485 bus operates as a master/slave party line. A PLC or other "host" computer acts as the "master"
by collecting data from all the viscometers on the bus one at a time. The viscometers on the RS485 bus never
initiate a message; they only respond to a request from the host to a specific viscometer. This is done by
assigning a unique address to each viscometer using the ADR variable and then enabling just one of the
viscometers to respond using the eNable command, "N". To enable viscometer 196, for example, the host
sends the message
N 196 <CR>
At the same time, all other viscometers are inhibited from responding. Once this command is sent by the host,
the data from viscometer 196 may be downloaded using commands such as
D AVX <CR>

Once a viscometer is enabled, it will remain enabled until a different viscometer is enabled by a subsequent
"N" command. Thus several data points may be sequentially sampled from each unit.
Note that the "N" command does not require an additional mnemonic as do the other commands. Addresses
should be assigned from 1 to 254. On power-up, a viscometer will default to an enabled address of 255 so it
will not respond to any RS485 commands until a new "N" command is sent that corresponds to its assigned
address. When shipped from the factory, each viscometer may have its address set to 0. Also a serious error
within a ViscoPro will cause the address to revert to 0. Thus any viscometer with this address should be
assumed to be unconfigured. It would be a good programming practice for a host computer automatic polling
program to periodically attempt to enable viscometer 0 and generate an error report if any response is
received.
Not only is it essential that only one viscometer respond to the host to prevent interference on the bus, but the
host and the enabled viscometer must not transmit at the same time for this same reason. This means that the
input message is not echoed back to the host the way it would be with RS232. However any incoming
message on the RS485 bus is echoed on the RS232 output port, any response is also repeated on the RS232
output, and any error messages appear only on the RS232 output. This feature allows using the RS232
output port to monitor the RS485 bus when setting up the system or when troubleshooting.
The export (E) and report (R) commands are disabled when operating using RS485. The download (D)
command will result in a value being sent back on the RS485 bus if the command can be completed. The set
(S) command does not result in any response so an ampersand (&) is sent to acknowledge successful
completion of the command. This response is also sent by the newly enabled viscometer when the N
command is sent.
It may be seen that a correctly received command on the RS485 bus will cause a response to be generated.
If there is some problem, there will be no response at all. Consequently an automatic program to operate
viscometers and collect data from them must utilize a timing criterion. If no response is received within a
certain period after sending a command, the program must take some sensible action and then move on. As a
suggestion, it might be reasonable to repeat the command one or more times in case there was a bad
connection or noise corrupted the command. Then, if still no response is received, an error report should be
generated and the next viscometer polled.
6.4.3 Data Logger Download (RS232 only)
The ViscoPro2000 automatically stores 1,000 date- and time-coded data points which can be downloaded,
transferred to either a Lotus 123® or Excel® spreadsheet, and analyzed or graphed. To access this data on
your computer screen, type:
r old <CR> // to view all previous data

r new <CR> // to view all new data starting with the last recorded point
r unr <CR> // to view all unreported data (new since last report)

In each instance add a space and the letter "L" immediately prior to the <CR> if Lotus 123® is to be used.
The first line returned will be a header, with entries separated by tabs. Then there will follow up to 1,000 lines
of data. When shipped from the factory, the data logging interval will be 10 minutes, so once the data is
transferred to a spreadsheet it can be expected to look like the following. If the data logging interval is
changed, subsequent data will be stored using the new interval.
r old l
Date Time Visc TCV Temp
10/20/95 16:15:0 45.056 47.576 88.5
10/20/95 16:25:0 45.120 47.569 88.4 ....
Note: An additional column, Control Value Output (CVO), is presented whenever control is active. It is a
number from 0 to 1.0 corresponding to a control output varying from 0 to 100 percent.
The header and data may not be aligned on the terminal screen, but will be when transferred
to a spreadsheet.
6.4.4 Transferring Logged Data to Memory or a Disk
Data stored in the ViscoPro2000 can be transferred to your hard drive or to a floppy. To accomplish this
when using “Terminal” in Windows® 3.1x, select "Transfer\Receive text file". In the dialog box choose an
appropriate destination, either hard drive or disc, give the transferred file a name with a "TXT" extension (e.g.
FLO5295.txt) and then click the OK box. With HyperTerminal in Windows®95 or Windows®98, select
"Transfer \Capture Text". To initiate data transfer, simply type one of the three data transfer commands, r
old, r new, or r unr, (with or without the "L" designator), wait for the data transfer to be complete,
then click "STOP" (or "Transfer \Capture \Stop").
If longer term data retrieval is desired, simply leave the transfer active.
6.4.5 Graphing and Analyzing Data in Lotus 123® or Excel®
To analyze or graph stored data using a spreadsheet such as Lotus 123® or Excel®, simply run the
spreadsheet program and “open” the text data file specifying tab delimiters. Once the data are loaded, the
usual spreadsheet techniques of data manipulation and graphing can be used.
6.4.6 Configuring Via the Serial Port
The software allows the viscometer to be configured for a wide range of applications. This may be
accomplished using the set (S) and download (D) commands. This section will discuss briefly the parameters
which are most useful for configuration. It is recommended that the user review each of these options to
assure that the instrument is optimally adjusted for the application. These and other commands are tabulated
at the end of section 6.

6.4.7 Working with Setups
Each defined Setup in the software specifies more than a dozen operational parameters. Most of these may
be modified using the Supervisory Menu but all parameters may be examined and changed through the serial
port. In each instance, it is necessary to supply the Setup index in the serial port command.
In order to determine the current Setup index, type
d sui <CR> .
To change to (say) Setup 2, type
s sui 2 <CR>
The Setup Name may be changed using the SUN serial port variable. To change the name of the default
Setup as an example, type
s sun 0 Clearcoat\#2 <CR> .
The Setup name may be any combination of letters (uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and dingbats
(!@#$...). The maximum name length is 12 characters. A single character setup name (SUN) will be skipped
in the “Choose Setup” submenu; in this way a “Setup” can be effectively deleted. The end of the name is
indicated with a space, coma, tab or return so these cannot be used within the setup name. The backslash
character “\” can be used within a setup name and has been designated to appear in the display as a blank
space.
Each “Setup” may reference a viscosity calibration. Frequently there will be only one piston and sensor so the
default index of 0 will be satisfactory. If there is more than one calibration, the proper calibration index CIN
must be specified for each setup. As an example, suppose Setup number 2 uses viscosity calibration number
1. To specify this, type
s cin 2 1 <CR> .
For additional information on the significance of viscosity calibrations and temperature calibrations, refer to
sections 6.4.8 and 6.4.9
Five additional parameters that can be set through the serial port are SSL (stroke seconds limit), ATO
(Adaptive TimeOut), CSV (Cleanout Shutdown Values), CSM (Cleanout Shutdown mode), and TDL
(Timeout Drive Level). The piston's end of stroke detection point is set, by design, to occur slightly before the
mechanical limit is reached. It is possible, however, for the piston to reach the mechanical stop without
triggering the detection circuit. There are two ways for this to occur. If the sensor is started with the piston
already near the end of its stroke, the end of stroke detection will be missed. Also, if the piston motion is
excessively rapid, the electronic circuitry will not be able to follow the piston motion and again the end of

stroke will be missed. This can occur when the sensor is empty or when a fluid with viscosity is well below the
minimum rated viscosity is being measured.
In order for the sensor to recover from a missed end of stroke detection, a timeout condition is imposed on
the piston stroke. The timeout on the ViscoPro can be varied over a wide range by setting the serial port
variable SSL (Stroke Seconds Limit). If the sensor is being cleaned with a solvent, the piston will move faster
and faster as the process fluid is dissolved but may then miss the end of stroke detection and go into a long
timeout period, thereby thwarting in-line cleaning. In order to deal with sensor cleanout, the ViscoPro
software includes an adaptive timeout feature. The rule is simple: whenever the sensor completes two strokes
with no timeout, the timeout period for the next stroke is set equal to the sum of the stroke times of the two
preceding strokes. This gives a factor of approximately two as a safety allowance in the timeout period to
allow measuring an increased viscosity on the next stroke. As the sensor is cleaned out with solvent, the
timeout period will automatically decrease until the sensor times out and then there will ensue frequent
reversals of the piston motion to allow the cleanout process to continue.
Once a sensor timeout occurs, the software increases the timeout period a small amount each stroke,
depending on the serial port variable ATO (Adaptive TimeOut). ATO represents the increase in the timeout
period in hundredths of a second; the default is 10. When adding solvent for a cleanout with ATO set to 10,
the first time that the sensor misses detection at the end of a stroke, the timeout will typically be 2 seconds.
The next successive timeouts will be 2.1 sec., 2.2 sec., and so on. Adaptive timeout may be disabled
altogether by setting ATO to 0. To defeat adaptive timeout in setup number 4, for instance, type
s ato 4 0 <CR>.
The serial port variable TDL (Timeout Drive Level) is used to increase the sensor drive level when a timeout
has occurred to help the sensor recover. The drive level will be increased to the purge level (120% of the high
drive level, HDL) after the set number of timeout cycles. Setting TDL to 0 will disable the feature. Increasing
the timeout drive level should not be used in conjunction with the adaptive timeout feature. TDL will not be
active during calibration. For example to set the number of timeout strokes before a purge, type
s tdl 2 <CR>
The serial port variable SSL mentioned above is a pair of values that represent the minimum and maximum
values allowed for the timeout period. The default is 2, 32. When the sensor first starts, the timeout will start
with the maximum value but will adapt to the process fluid following the above mentioned rule as soon as
viscosity measurements are successfully made. However the resulting timeout period will be constrained to lie
between the minimum and the maximum values. The reason it is important to keep the timeout from becoming
or remaining too small is that the sensor must be able to successfully measure fluid when its viscosity increases
again. The minimum value set by SSL along with the increase set by ATO for the timeout period work
together to fit adaptive timeout to the application. Note that SSL is indexed by the setup. To restore the
default values to setup 4, for instance, type
s ssl 4 2 32 <CR>.

There are applications where it is desirable to have the system automatically shut down after being cleaned out
with solvent. Since typical solvents have much lower viscosities than the process fluid they are used with, the
ViscoPro can recognize a cleanout cycle by the measured viscosity. The shutdown is controlled by the serial
port variable "cleanout shutdown values" (CSV). This variable is a pair of numbers; the first number is the
cleanout viscosity threshold expressed as a fraction of full scale. The second number is the number of minutes
to continue cleanout before shutdown. To instruct the ViscoPro to shut down if the viscosity falls to less than
5% of full scale for more than 10 minutes, for example, the command would be:
s csv .05 10 <CR>.
Some solvents have such a low viscosity that the sensor times out. Such a case is handled properly by this
test; the automatic substitution of 0 cP for the resulting viscosity will satisfy the test whenever the first number
of the CSV pair is positive. Since the cleanout test requires that the viscosity be strictly less than the first
number of the pair, cleanout shutdown may be inhibited by the command:
s csv 0 1 <CR>.
If the system shutdown is implemented, the sensor goes into the operate mode given by the CSM variable.
CSM (Cleanout Shutdown Mode) is a configuration variable that sets the mode of operation for the sensor
once the cleanout cycle is completed. For example to setup the viscometer to change from measure and
control (3) to measure only (2) mode after a cleanout, type
s csm 2 <CR>
The remaining Setup parameters can be set by means of the front panel keys as well as the serial port. Please
refer to section 5 as well as the serial port chart in section 6.5. These parameters are: continual clean interval
(CCI) temp-comp reference (TCR), temp-comp coeeficient (TCC), fluid density (DEN), Control Setpoint
(CSP), Control Proportional Band (CPB), control stabilization time (CST), Control Expected Output (CEO),
averaging points (AVP), temperature alarm setpoints (TAS), viscosity alarm setpoints (VAS), and TCV alarm
setpoints (XAS).
Note that to download or set any of these parameters by means of the serial port, the
Setup index must be supplied in the command.
All of these parameters may be downloaded at once by using the export command, E SET. The result of this
command in a typical case is as follows:
e set
ATO 0 10
AVP 0 1
CCI 0 0
CIN 0 0
CPB 0 1.000
CSP 0 50.000
CST 0 30
DEN 0 0.880

ECO 0 50
SSL 0 2.000 32.000
SUN 0 STARTUP
TAS 0 -50.000 200.000
TCC 0 3.5
TCR 0 40.000
VAS 0 0.000 400.000
XAS 0 0.000 400.000
The first number after the three letter mnemonic is the index of the Setup. Here only Setup number 0 is
reported. The other Setups are not active because their names have not been changed to alphanumeric strings
of length greater than one.
6.4.8 Viscosity Calibration Data
Viscosity calibration data are generally loaded during factory calibration and should not need user attention. If
the calibration information becomes corrupted, however, it may be restored using normal set commends. The
resulting information may be viewed by use of the export command E CAV. The results of this will appear
as:
e cav
CDL 0 439
CHC 0 0.012
CHT 0 26.373
CLC 0 -0.013
CLT 0 2.135
CSH 0 .577
CSL 0 .632
DDF 0 37
SIN 0 0
SXF 0 0
VOP 0 0.000 100.000
VRG 0 100.000
XOP 0 0.000 100.000
Note that each mnemonic is followed by the index of the viscosity calibration. Only viscosity calibration
number 0 is shown in this example since non-calibrated ranges default to zero drive level (CDL) and are
therefore not displayed. Thus to delete a viscosity calibration, change its drive level to 0.
Most of the viscosity calibration information shown is generated in the process of factory calibration. Before
that calibration was performed, the full scale viscosity VRG was set to correspond to the range of the piston
being calibrated and the sensor index SIN set to the index of the sensor. If multiple ranges or multiple
sensors are being used, it is important to make sure that the correct sensor and piston are used for
each Setup.

To restore calibration data in case of data corruption, use the above information in a series of “set”
commands. For instance, type
s cdl 0 500 <CR>
to restore the drive level. Setting the other data displayed by the E CAV command back to values shown on
the certificate of calibration will completely restore the calibration. However, note that the “scatter” data
(CSH, CSL) are “read-only” variables and cannot be altered through the serial port.
For additional information on these variables, consult the listing at the end of this section.
Altering any of the calibration coefficients will permanently change the sensitivity of the
instrument. In general this should not be done except under factory direction or to
restore values than are known to be corrupted.
6.4.8.1 Viscosity Output Mapping (Optional)
Viscosity, temperature, TCV and the Control Output are sourced as 4-20 mA electrical signals. Unless
otherwise requested, the ViscoPro2000 is shipped with the 20 mA output mapped to the top of the normal
measurement ranges and 4 mA to 0 cP in the case of viscosity and TCV, and -50 deg C in the case of
temperature output. Using the serial port, it is a simple matter to change the output mapping to virtually any
desired scaling. For example, if you are using a 5-100 cP piston and want to increase definition in the area
50-70 cP, the output can easily be reconfigured so 4 mA corresponds to 50 cP and 20 mA to 70 cP. If
measured data exceeds the top of the scaling range, the output will be 20 mA and if it falls below the
minimum, it will be 4 mA. Displayed outputs and logged data will be unaffected.
For example, to set the 4-20mA viscosity output to correspond to 50 to 70 cP as discussed above for
viscosity calibration number is 0, type:
s vop 0 50, 70 <CR>.
The output scaling can be modified just as easily to allow a wider mapping than 0 to full scale. As an example,
suppose it is desired to have the TCV current loop output respond to values up to twice full scale. In the case
described above (viscosity calibration number 0, full scale viscosity 100 cP) the command would be:
s xop 0 0 200 <CR> .
See “Configuration Variables” for temperature output mapping.
6.4.9 Temperature Calibration Data
The sensor temperature calibration is usually performed at the factory and will seldom need repeating. The
sensor calibration data may be seen by use of the export command E CAT. The result in a typical case is:
e cat

TKK 0 2.557
TKP 0 100.026
TKQ 0 1.039
The first number following the mnemonic is the temperature calibration index. The temperature calibration
export list shows calibration data only for sensor 0 because in this example it is the only sensor referenced by
any viscosity calibration. (This is accomplished by means of the serial port variable SIN.)
Like the viscosity calibration data, the temperature calibration can be restored using three “set” commands.
Again, this should be done only to restore information known to be corrupted.
6.4.10 Configuration Variables
All configuration variables may be seen at once using the export command E CFG. Using this in a typical
case gives:
e cfg
ADR 0
AOP 0
CFA .286
CFB 14
CSM 0
CSV 0 0
CVB 1
DLH 500
DLL 400
ESP 1
HIM 10
HIP 2
HIT 2
HSL 1
IAO 0
ICO 0
PRM 0
TAT 1
TDL 0
TOP -50.000 200.000
TUN 1
VER P1.08
VUN 1
Several of these configuration variables are accessible by means of the Supervisory Menu as well as the serial
port; please refer to previous sections for discussion of logging logic (HIT) and logging interval (HIM or HIP)
as well as the choice of control variable (CVB).

The (ESP) extra set point variable displays the menu option for adjusting the control set point on the main
menu. When ESP is enabled, (ESP=1), the control setpoint is visible . The default value is “0”, disabled.
The default temperature scale is Celsius but the ViscoPro2000 can operate using the Fahrenheit scale if the
user simply enters the command line,
s tun 2 <CR> .
To change back to Celsius, type,
s tun 1 <CR> .
If it is desired to use cSt units for viscosity, type,
s vun 2 <CR> .
If it desired to use SSU units for viscosity, type,
s vun 0 <CR> .
If it desired to use cup second units for viscosity, type,
s vun 3 <CR> .
To return to cP units, type,
s vun 1 <CR> .
The units chosen for viscosity, TCV, and temperature are used not only for the operating display but also for
other display screens such as control parameters and fluid properties and for certain serial port variables.
The ViscoPro serial port rate is 2400 Baud for P1.08 software, (9200 Baud for E1.08) when shipped from
the factory but can be changed to either 9600 Baud or 19200 Baud if desired. To accomplish this, type
either,
s bdr 9600 <CR> , or
s bdr 19200 <CR> .
The default Baud rate may be restored by entering
s bdr 2400 <CR> .
The new Baud rate will not become effective until the power is cycled since the serial
port timing is determined at power-up. Be sure to change the settings in your
communications program!

If the ViscoPro loses power for less than 10 seconds for any reason, it will resume measuring viscosity if it had
been doing so before the power failed. Similarly it will resume controlling if it had been controlling before the
power loss.
For longer shutdowns, the behavior will depend on the configuration variable HSL (hot start limit), which can
be set using the serial port. By default, HSL will be 1; this means that if the viscometer is powered down for
more than the 10 second limit, the operate mode will be set to “Standby”. This will disable any control and the
viscosity sensor.
If it is desired to have the viscometer automatically resume measuring and/or controlling as it was before a
power down, the variable HSL should be set to 0. This is accomplished by typing,
s hsl 0 <CR> .
Startup Purge Strokes (SPG) is a feature, which will start purging when the system is turned on in measure (2)
or measure and control (3) mode. During the purge, the drive level will be elevated. To change the purge
startup to 3 strokes, type:
s spg 3 <CR> .
To abort a sensor purge set SPS to 0.
In certain applications it may be a normal occurrence that the sensor times out, whereas in other cases, a
sensor timeout would indicate a serious problem. In order to configure the ViscoPro to this varying situation,
the Timeout Alarm Threshold may be changed. The default setting of 1 means that if just 1 piston cycle
experiences a timeout, the TTL alarm output will be activated and the data display backlight will flash. If the
threshold is set higher, say to “n”, these alarm responses will not occur until there are “n” sequential sensor
cycles with a timeout. To change the threshold (say) to 10, type,
s tat 10 <CR> .
To disable any alarm on sensor timeouts, type,
s tat 0 <CR> .
The scaling or mapping of the 4 to 20 mA temperature output may be controlled by means of a serial port
variable similarly to the scaling of viscosity or TCV output except that the corresponding variable is not
indexed by the calibration number. As an example, suppose it was desirable to map 0 to 100 degrees to 4 to
20 mA. Then type:
S top 0 100 <CR> .

6.5 Serial Port Commands
There are many variables that can be displayed using the serial port; most of these can also be set. The
following table lists those commands that are of the most utility to users and gives a brief description of their
meaning. The Export column indicates which export command the variable is associated with. All variables
with a ‘No’ in the Setable column are read only. Examples are given of typical serial port commands.
“Default” values are those generated by the viscometer after a full system Reset. See the “Certificate of
Calibration” for the preset values particular to your system.
There are additional commands not on this list, which can be used for remote operation
of the ViscoPro2000 using the serial port. Contact the factory for additional information
regarding these commands.
Communication Commands Summary
Name Export Setable? Description Default Examples

ALR No ALarm Register 0 d alr <CR>
ATO Setup Adaptive TimeOut 10 d ato 0 <CR>
centisec increase 0 to defeat s ato 0 20 <CR>
AVG No AVeraGe values - d avg <CR>
(Date; Time; AVV; AVX; AVT; CVO)
AVP Setup AVeraging # of Points 20 d avp 0 <CR>
s avp 0 20 <CR>
AVS No AVerage cycle Seconds - s avs <CR>
AVT No AVerage Temperature - d avt <CR>
AVV No AVerage Viscosity - d avv <CR>
AVX No AVerage TCV - d avx <CR>
BDR Baud Rate 2400 d bdr <CR>
2400, 9600, or 19200 s brd 9600 <CR>
BLO No Battery LOw (will display message) 0 d blo <CR>
CCI Setup Continual Clean Interval 10 d cci 1 <CR>
s cci 1 2 <CR>
CDL ViscCal Calibration Drive Level in mA 0 s cdl 7 <CR>
d cdl 7 450 <CR>
CHC ViscCal Calibration High Correction 0 d chc 7 <CR>
s chc 7 .013 <CR>
CFA Config Conversion Factor A (for cup seconds) .286 d cfa <CR>
(Zahn #2) s cfa .286 <CR>
CFB Config Conversion Factor B (for cup seconds) 14 d cfb <CR>
(Zahn #2) s cfb 14 <CR>

CHT ViscCal Calibration High Time 25 sec. d cht 7 <CR>
sec. s cht 7 28.56 <CR>
CIN Setup Calibration INdex 0 d cin 2 <CR>
s cin 2 1 <CR>
CLC ViscCal Calibration Low Correction 0 d clc 7 <CR>
s clc 7 -.021 <CR>
CLT ViscCal Calibration Low Time 2 sec. d clt 7 <CR>
sec. s clt 7 2.56 <CR>
COD CurOutCal Control Output DAC (4MA, 20mA) 682, 3413 d cod <CR>
(Max of 4095) s cod 691 3410 <CR>
COP CurOutCal No Control Output Points (Low, High) 0, 1 d cop <CR>
CPB Setup Control Proportional Band 10 d cpb 0 <CR>

cP or °C s cpb 0 2 <CR>
CSH ViscCal No Calibration Scatter High end, % 0 d csh 7 <CR>
CSL ViscCal No Calibration Scatter Low end, % 0 d csl 7 <CR>
CSM Config Cleanout Shutdown Mode 0 d csm <CR>
Opm to enter after CSV s csm 2 <CR>
CSP Setup Control Set Point 50 °C d csp 1 <CR>
cP or °C s csp 1 100 <CR>
CST Setup Control Stabilization Time 30 min. d cst 5 <CR>

(6 to 240 minutes) s cst 5 10 <CR>
CSV Config Cleanout Shutdown Values 0, 0 d csv <CR>
(Threshold value as %Full Scale, time to clean s csv .05 10 <CR>
before shutdown)
CTS No CurrenT cycle Seconds - d cts <CR>
CTT No CurrenT Temperature - d ctt <CR>
CTV No CurrenT Viscosity - d ctv <CR>
CTX No CurrenT TCV - d ctx <CR>
CUR No CURrent values (Date/Time; Visc; TCV; Temp) - d cur <CR>
CVB Config Control Variable 0 d cvb <CR>
0 = Viscosity s cvb 2 <CR>
1 = Temperature
2 = TCV
3 = Manual Control
CVO No Control Value Output - d cvo <CR>
DAT DATe (MM DD YY) - d dat <CR>
s dat 5 10 01 <CR>
DDF ViscCal Drive DiFferential 0 d ddf 0 <CR>
mA s ddf 2 20 <CR>
DEN Setup Density 0.88 d den 2 <CR>
g/ml s den 2 .91 <CR>
DLH Config Drive Level, High limit in mA 500 d dlh <CR>
HighTemp=1000 s dlh 300 <CR>
DLL Config Drive Level, Low limit mA 400 d dll <CR>
HighTemp=850 s dll 200 <CR>

DTP No Delta TemPerature - d dtp <CR>
ECO Setup Expected Control Output % 50 d eco 2 <CR>
s eco 2 0 <CR>
ERR ERRor Status (Holds last error code) 0 d err <CR>
ESP Config Extra Set Point 0 d esp <CR>
0= do not allow setpoint change at main menu s esp 1 <CR>
1= allow setpoint change at main menu
HIM Config HIstory Minutes 10 d him <CR>
s him 5 <CR>
HIP Config HIstory Points 2 d hip <CR>
s hip 5 <CR>
HIT Config HIstory Type 2 d hit <CR>
1 = HIP points s hit 1 <CR>
2 = HIM minutes
HSL Config Hot Start Limit 1 d hsl <CR>
0= Resume operation on power up s hsl 1 <CR>
1= Operate in standby mode if shutdown > 10 sec.
MCS Manual Control Setpoint 0 d mcs <CR>
s mcs 50 <CR>
MMT Main Menu Timeout 1 d mmt <CR>
s mmt 1 <CR>
OPM OPerating Mode (bitwise) 0 d opm <CR>
0=standby s opm 3 <CR>
1=control only
2=monitor only
3=control and monitor
8=manual control operation
PBL No Proportional Band Limits (Low, High) 49.5, 50.5 d pbl <CR>
PRM Config Pulse Rate Maximum 0 d prm <CR>
0 to 30 seconds s prm 20 <CR>
RST ReSTart (Set to 0 to force hardware reset) 0 s rst 1 <CR>
SDL No Sensor Drive Level 0 d sdl <CR>
SIN ViscCal Sensor INdex 0 d sin 2 <CR>
s sin 2 1 <CR>
SPG Config Startup Purge 0 d spg <CR>
Executes purge strokes on power up s spg 3 <CR>
SPS Sensor Purge Strokes 0 d sps <CR>
s sps 5 <CR>
SSL Setup Stroke Seconds Limit (Min, Max) 2, 32 sec. d ssl 1 <CR>
s ssl 1 4 20 <CR>
SUI SetUp Index 0 d sui <CR>
s sui 2 <CR>
SUN Setup SetUp Name (set to \ or x to not display) (0) STARTUP d sun 2 <CR>
(#) => refers to an index # (>0) X s sun 2 poly1 <CR>
SXF ViscCal Stroke eXtension Factor 0 d sxf 2 <CR>
s sxf 2 1 <CR>
TAS Setup Temperature Alarm Setpoints (Min, Max) -50, 200°C d tas 0 <CR>

(Not in Lab) s tas 0 25 100 <CR>
TAT Config Timeout Alarm Threshold 1 d tat <CR>
0 => defeat s tat 3 <CR>
TCC Setup Temp. Comp. Coefficient 3.75 d tcc 3 <CR>
s tcc 3 3.75 <CR>
TCR Setup Temp. Comp. Reference 40 °C d tcr 7 <CR>
s tcr 7 30 <CR>
TDL Config Timeout Drive Level 0 d tdl <CR>
s tdl 2 <CR>
TDN No Time DowN - d tdn <CR>
TIM Time (hh mm ss) - d tim <CR>
s tim 23 59 59 <CR>
TKK TempCal Temperature ‘K’alibration K-coeff. 2.558 d tkk 0 <CR>
s tkk 0 2.485 <CR>
TKP TempCal Temperature ‘K’alibration P-coeff. 100 d tkp 0 <CR>
s tkp 0 102.24 <CR>
TKQ TempCal Temperature ‘K’alibration Q-coeff. 1.04 d tkq 0 <CR>
s tkq 0 1.035 <CR>
TOD CurOutCal Temperature Output DAC (4MA, 20mA) 682, 3413 d tod <CR>
s tod 691 3410 <CR>
TOP Config Temperature Output Points -50, 200 °C d top <CR>
HighTemp -50, s top 40 100 <CR>
270°C
TUN Config Temperature Units 1 d tun <CR>
1=> °Celsius s tun 2 <CR>
2=>°Fahrenheit
TUP No Time UP 0 d tup <CR>
VAS Setup Visc. Alarm Setpoints (Low, High) 0, 97999 d vas 7 <CR>
s vas 7 50 75 <CR>
VER Config No Software Revision ($$#.##.#) - d ver <CR>
VOD CurOutCal Viscosity Output DAC (4MA, 20mA) 682, 3413 d vod<CR>
s vod 691 3410 <CR>
VOP ViscCal Viscosity Output Points (Low, High) 0, 1000 d vop 7<CR>
s vop 7 40 60<CR>
VRG ViscCal Viscosity RanGe 1000 cP d vrg 2 <CR>
s vrg 1 20 <CR>
VUN Config Viscosity Units 1 d vun <CR>
0 => SSU (Saybolt Seconds Universal) s vun 2<CR>
1 => cP
2 => cSt
3 => sec (Cup Seconds)
XAS Setup TCV Alarm Setpoints (Low, High) 0, 97999 s xas 7 <CR>
s xas 7 50 85 <CR>
XOD CurOutCal TCV Output DAC (4MA, 20mA) 682, 3413 d xod <CR>
s xod 691 3410<CR>
XOP ViscCal TCV Output Points (Low, High) 0, 1000 d xop 7<CR>
s xop 7 40 60<CR>

§7 Maintenance and Troubleshooting
7.1 Electrical Safety
It is important to periodically inspect the electrical power wiring to the ViscoPro or ViscoFuel to make
sure that it does not become worn, frayed, or otherwise damaged. If a problem is noted, shut off power
to the unit. Failure to correct such a problem could lead to fire or a potentially lethal electrical
shock. The power cord supplying the benchtop and panel mount enclosure has an IEC receptacle so it
may be replaced with any approved, locally obtained replacement cord.
7.2 Cleaning
Sensors used on the ViscoPro/ViscoFuel 2000 can vary considerably, depending on the installation.
Please refer to Section 2, Sensor Installation, for instructions for disassembly.
Clean both the piston and the measurement chamber using the appropriate cleaning agents. Care
should be taken to remove all deposits from these parts. Most wetted materials are 316L stainless
steel, except for the measurement piston which is usually 430/316L stainless steel.
WARNING: Sensor May Be Hot. To avoid burns, always allow sensor to cool completely
prior to handling after measuring high temperature fluids
Important: In critical applications, the retaining screw on flow deflector should be safety
wired to prevent loss of piston
Important: Do not immerse sensors with connectors completely in cleaning solvents.

Connector receptacles are not waterproof and contact with the fluid may
damage sensors.
Important: To avoid damage to sensor, do not connect or disconnect sensor when power is ON
Important: To avoid damage to cables by disconnecting cables prior to removal of threaded

in-line sensors
The wall mount enclosures are easily washed with appropriate cleaning agents provided the door is
closed and the conduit connections have been properly made. More care must be taken with benchtop
and panel mount systems since these enclosures are not sealed. In either case, avoid using strong
solvents on plastic parts such as the touch panel and clean while the system power is disconnected.
7.3 Diagnostic Display
When the viscometer is running in the normal “operate” mode, it is possible to switch to a diagnostic
display which provides a great deal of information about the operation of the sensor. This display is
produced by simultaneously pressing the UP and DOWN buttons on the keypad.
DL = 450
tt = 23.4 s
CDL=464
tUp = 13.1 s
*
V = 53.0 cP SD= 1.4%
T = 88.5°C dT= 0.32°C
Fig. 7-1: Diagnostic Display
7-VP-VF2K Rev B.doc 7-1 Maintenance and Troubleshooting

DL is the drive level to the sensor coils. This may vary above and below the calibrated drive level,
CDL, depending on the direction of the piston and the value of drive differential, DDF. If the system
is actively controlling, an asterisk “ * “ will be displayed on the first line of the display when the time-
proportional control output is in the ON state.
The cycle time (tt = total time) is shown next. If the viscosity being measured is within the normal
operating range of the sensor, the cycle time should be from 1.3 sec to 26 sec. The up-stroke time
(tUp) should be approximately half the total time. The indicated viscosity (V, in cP) should be
approximately proportional to the cycle time, with 26 sec. corresponding to the full scale viscosity.
Viscosity is always reported in cP in this screen, even if cSt is used elsewhere. If the sensor fails to
detect the normal end of stroke, the stroke time will be reported as 0 sec. The temperature T is also
reported as are two statistics, SD and dT. SD is the standard deviation of TCV, expressed as a
percent of mean. It is calculated over the previous 20 cycles. dT is the maximum deviation of the
temperature over the last 20 cycles, reported as degrees (C or F) divided by the elapsed time in
minutes.
This display is useful for troubleshooting in case of operating problems. The statistics SD and dT are
valuable for assessing sensor stability. To return to the normal data display screen, once again press
the UP and DOWN buttons simultaneously.
7.4 System Diagnostics
If after inspecting the listed possibilities from the troubleshooting chart (Fig. 7-2), the problem can
not be determined, repeat the checkout procedure at the beginning of the manual. If the system still
fails to operate, contact Customer Service for assistance.
General Problems Possible Cause Solution

Display is blank No power to the system Check AC power
Fuse is blown Replace fuse

“Error 40” is displayed or Array indexing has been Call for service
corrupted
“Error 30” is displayed on A/D startup test failed due to Cycle AC Power Quickly
power up slow A/D converter (short “off” time)
Allow Electronics to cool
below 50°C
A/D converter defective Call for service
“Error 23” is displayed Calandar/Clock values are Cycle power and set date
irrational
“Error 21” is displayed Microprocessor is hung up Perform a cold start and re-
from power transient or other enter the calibration
unexpected disturbance. coefficients.
“Error 12” is displayed or RAM self-test has failed Reboot memory and restore
“Error 20” is displayed or indicating a corrupt memory calibration data
“Error 22” is displayed
Fig 7-2: Troubleshooting Chart

Output Problems Possible Cause Solution
Solenoid valve is always open Measured viscosity is above Decrease the proportional
and the control output the control setpoint and band
indicator “*” is being outside the proportional band
displayed Control is currently set to a Set the control variable to
different variable than Viscosity, TCV or Temp as
intended. needed.
Solenoid Valve is always open Solenoid valve is clogged Clean Solenoid valve and
although the control output open consider installing a filter
indicator “*” is off
Solenoid valve is incorrectly Check valve wiring
wired
Solonoid Valve has failed Troubleshoot valve

open
Control system experiences Viscosity readings are See problem, “Viscosity
cyclical overshoot or unstable readings unstable” above
undershoot
Control settings are not Increase the system
optimized stabilization time
Increase the proportional band
Control system experiences Expected Control Output has Decrease the expected control
large overshoot at every been misjudged output setting (ECO)
startup
Temperature Problems Possible Cause Solution

Temperature output is a Sensor is reading an over- Allow sensor to cool
constant 20mA or 4mA range temperature Check Temperature Output
mapping Points (TOP)
Sensor RTD or sensor-wiring Perform sensor diagnostics
is damaged
Sensor indicates higher The sensor generates heat Increase flow by the sensor if
temperature than elsewhere in while operating necessary (self heat is normal
the process and cannot be totally
eliminated)
Temperature displays a Sensor RTD / sensor-wiring is Check sensor wiring
constant –40° Celsius or incorrect or damaged Perform sensor diagnostics
“RTD Broken” flashes
Fig 7-2: Troubleshooting Chart (Cont.)

Viscosity Problems Possible Cause Solution
Viscosity readings appear Measurement sample is non- Improve mixing
unstable homogeneous Relocate sensor to area of
more homogeneous flow
Increase data averaging
Piston and/or measurement Clean and inspect sensor
chamber is dirty parts
Flow of fluid by sensor is too Rotate sensor in flow 180° so
fast that the flow hits the flow
defector post first
Decrease pump speed
Choke valve to slow the flow
Purchase alternate flow
deflector for sensor
There are particles in the flow Install filter before the
viscosity sensor in the flow
Measurement Sample contains Run sensor Purge function
bubbles Modify installation to
minimize bubble presence at
sensor.
Display reading 0cp, “Sensor Piston is stuck Clean sensor and piston
Time-Out”, or viscosity Measurement sample is too Operate within the calibrated
output constant 0mA thick or too thin measurement range
There is no fluid in the Fill chamber with the fluid to
measurement chamber be measured
There is no piston in the Insert the piston into the
measurement chamber chamber
Piston is inserted upside down Insert the piston into the
in the measurement chamber chamber with the nipple
facing outward
Quick Clean has been Wait for quick clean cycle to
activated (Serial port variable end (5-10min.)
ATO) Disable Quick Clean
Sensor is wired incorrectly Check sensor wiring

Sensor or wiring is damaged Perform sensor diagnostics
TCV Value appears too high Incorrect LLG coefficient Determine LLG coefficient
or too low and enter with proper +/- sign
Viscosity readings appear too Sensor is dirty Clean the measurement
high or too low chamber
Wrong Setup/ Piston Select correct Setup/ Piston
System is out of calibration Perform system checkout to
verify calibration
Viscosity Output is constant Viscosity is outside of mapped Check the Viscosity Output
20mA or 4mA range mapping Points (VOP)

Serial Port Problems Possible Cause Solution
Typing within the terminal Baud rates do not agree Change the terminal programs
program yields gibberish with baud rate property to 2400,
each keystroke 9600 or 19200 to match the
ViscoFuel2000
Typed characters are not Cable is not plugged in Plug in serial port cable at
displayed within the terminal both ends
program window Cable is not of the correct Use a standard RS232 Cable,
type. not a Null Modem Cable
Cable is plugged into a Change the Com port setting
different communications port of the terminal program
than intended (i.e. Com.1
instead of Com.3)
Any or all of the terminal Compare the settings with the
program properties are instructions in chapter 6
incorrectly set.
The terminal program is hung Exit the terminal program and
up restart the connection
XON/XOFF has been set to Send Control-Q Character to
XOFF restore flow control
Typed command results in an Command is not valid Check the Syntax of the
error in the form “E**” where command
“**” represents a number Change the operating mode of
from 0-20 (See Serial Port the viscometer
Error Codes Below) Variable is read-only
Typed command results in an Attempt was made to set a Check serial port variable
error “E17” read-only variable chart in chapter 6 to verify
each variable’s set privileges
7.5 Serial Port Error Codes
E00 Sign in invalid position E11 Value too small

E01 Point in invalid position E12 Value too large
E02 Word or number too long E13 Value too small or too large
E03 Character in invalid position E14 Line too short or long
E04 Too many characters in line E15 Invalid line count character
E05 Not a valid variable mnemonic E16 Invalid checksum
E06 Not a valid command E17 Can't write to this variable
E07 Command requires floating point value E18 Can't export this variable
E08 Command requires integer value E19 Current output calibration variable invalid
E09 Command requires a single character E20 Can’t do current output calibration while
E10 Command requires a string doing other calibration

7.6 Sensor Diagnostics
To test the sensor and its intermediate wiring (see Fig. 7-3), disconnect the sensor at the connector
(electronics side) then:
Warning: The sensor should never be connected or disconnected while the power is ON.
1. Verify that lead #5 (ground runner with black sheath) is electrically common with the body of
the sensor. Total resistance should be no more than one ohm.
2. Verify that odd numbered leads (#1, #3, #7 and #9) are not common with #5. Electrical
resistance between each lead and #5 should exceed one megohm.
3. Verify that the resistance between #1 and #2 leads (blk-blk/wh) is 8-18 ohm. These wires are
connected to one of the coils.
4. Verify that resistance between #8 and #9 leads (blu-blu/wh) is also 8-18 ohms.
5. Resistance #3 - #4 (red-red/wh) should be 100-140 ohms. This wire pair is connected across
the RTD, so its resistance depends upon sensor temperature.
6. Resistance #3 - #6 (red/wh-ylw/wh) should be less than one ohm. If there is a long cable run it
may be several ohms.
7. Resistance #4 - #7 (red-ylw) should also be one ohm or less, or a least a sensible two-way
cable resistance.
1
Coil A (8-18 Ohm)
2
3
6
RTD (100-140 Ohm)
4
7
8
Coil B (8-18 Ohm)
Fig. 7-3: Schematic Representation of Sensor
If all of the resistance measurements are within specifications, the sensor is very likely to be operable.

If the sensor and wiring assembly fail the previous tests, the following measurements should be made
on the sensor if it has an integral connector.
2 8
3 7
4 6
Fig. 7-4: 300/400 Series Connector at Back End of Sensor
With the cable disconnected, verify:
1. Resistance pin 1- case, pin 3 - case, and pin 8 - case exceeds 10 megohm.
2. Resistance pin 1 - pin 2 and pin 5 - pin 8 is 8-18 Ω for a 300-series sensor and 8-12 Ω
otherwise.
3. Resistance pin 3- pin 4 is 100-140 Ωdepending on temperature).
4. Resistance pin 3 - pin 6 and pin 4 - pin 7 are less than 1 Ω
1 6
2
5
3 4
Fig. 7-5: 500 Series Connector at Back End of Sensor
With the cable disconnected, verify:
1. Resistance pin 1- case, pin 3 - case, and pin 5 - case exceeds 10 megohm.
2. Resistance pin 1 - pin 2 and pin 5 - pin 6 is 8-12 Ω
3. Resistance pin 3- pin 4 is 100-140 Ω (depending on temperature).
If all of the resistance measurements are within specifications, the sensor is very likely to be operable.

Appendix A: Reference Materials
General Specifications
Sensors (See also Chapter 2 for Any Exceptions)

Dynamic Range 20 to 1
Maximum Temperature 190°C (374°F), Process Sensors Only
Maximum Recommended Pressure 1000 psi, Higher ratings potentially available
Wetted Metals 316L and 430 Stainless Steel
Electronics
Terminal Strip Output 4-20mA
Temperature Units Fahrenheit or Celsius
Operating Temperature 10°C-65°C (50°F - 150°F)
Relative Humidity 10-95%, non-condensing
Primary Power 100-230VAC 50/60Hz
System
Viscosity accuracy ± 1.0% Full Scale
Viscosity Repeatability ± 0.8% Reading (+-0.5% Typical)
Temperature Accuracy ± 0.2°C within 20°C of Calibration Point(s)
Temperature Repeatability ± 0.1°C
Measurement Period Less than 30 sec. @ full scale
A-VP-VF2K Rev B.doc

ViscoPro, ViscoLab, and ViscoFuel Setup Sheet
Setup Index (SUI) ___________
Setup Name (SUN) = _________________________________________
Sensor/Piston Description ___________________________________
Viscosity Range * VRG = _________ cP
Calibration Index CIN = _________
Temp Units # TUN = _________ (°C = 1, °F = 2)

Visc Units # VUN =_________ (cP = 1, cSt = 2)
Temp Comp Ref Temp TCR = _________ deg
Temp Comp Gradient TCC = _________
Density DEN = _________ g/ml
Control Variable # CVB = _________ (visc = 0, temp = 1, TCV = 2)

Control Setpoint CSP = _________ cP / cSt / deg
Control Prop Band CPB = _________ cP / cSt / deg
Control Stabilization Time CST = _________ min
Expected Control Output ECO = _________ %
Temp. Alarms TAS = _________ _________ deg

Visc Alarms VAS = _________ _________ cP / cSt
TCV Alarms XAS = _________ _________ cP / cSt
Timeout Alarm Threshold # TAT = _________ (defeat = 0)
Temp. Output Scaling # TOP = _________ _________

Viscosity Output Scaling * VOP = _________ _________
TCV Output Scaling * XOP = _________ _________
Stroke Seconds Limits SSL = _________ _________ sec

Adaptive Timeout ATO = _________ (defeat = 0)
Hot Start Limit # HSL = _________ (defeat = 0)
Averaging Points AVP = _________
History Type # HIT = _________ (points = 1, minutes = 2)
History Minutes # HIM = _________
History Points # HIP = _________
Baud Rate # BDR = _________ Baud
Note: All variables are indexed with the Setup Index (SUI) except those noted as fo llows.
* Variable indexed by viscosity calibration index (CIN)
# Variable not indexed
A-VP-VF2K Rev B.doc

Appendix B Calibration and Service
The procedures in this section depend on the use of the touch panel/display. If your installation
does not include a display, it will be necessary to use the optional Service Display. With the
power off, connect the display, taking care to mate the connectors correctly.
B.1 Entering Calibration and Service
Calibration and Service routines are normally hidden to prevent inadvertent loss of calibration
data. In order to access these routines, turn off the ViscoPro2000 power and then switch the
power back on while holding the ESCAPE key. This key must be held down while the unit
performs power up initializations and diagnostics. After the initial “welcome” screen, a
warning screen will instruct the user to press the ENTER button in order to enable calibration.
Doing so will allow the user to select Service Data or Calibrate from the Supervisory Menu.
Note that this screen also allows erasure of all calibration and configuration
data. Unless you are prepared to restore this information, don’t elect this
option!
Note that the viscosity calibration range and the sensor temperature calibration are determined
by the last choice of the setup. If there is any question regarding which sensor and piston are
selected, use the serial port to determine serial port variables SUI, CIN, VRG, and SIN.
If the system has not been set up and configured, do so before attempting to
perform any calibrations. Proceeding with incorrect settings will be futile
at best and may overwrite previous successful calibrations.
B.2 Service Data
The Service Data screen extends the capabilities of the diagnostic display for troubleshooting.
It is also frequently used before viscosity calibration to determine that the diameter of the
selected piston is correct and to preset the drive used for automatic calibration in order to speed
up that process. Once a reasonably close drive is determined, the Service Data screen may be
used in conjunction with the serial port to adjust the Drive Differential (DDF). The up time
tUp should be very nearly half of the total cycle time tt when the sensor is oriented at a typical
or average angle. Arranging the up-stroke time and down-stroke time to be equal allows the
effect of gravitational forces to cancel and therefore minimizes the sensitivity of the sensor to
orientation.
To enter Service mode, select "Service Data" on the Supervisory Menu and press ENTER. The
first screen allows the operator to adjust the drive level. The value first displayed will be the
calibrated drive value for the range in use.
The Service Data screen does not permanently change the calibration of the
sensor. When the viscometer is subsequently restarted by means of the Operate
screen, all calibration information will be restored.
B-VP2000 Rev C B-1

If it is desired to adjust the drive level, move the underline cursor using the ENTER or
ESCAPE keys to position the cursor and use the UP or DOWN keys to adjust. When a new
value has been selected, press ENTER until the diagnostic screen appears.
The information displayed on the diagnostic screen is essentially the same as that described in
section 7.1; please refer to that section for more details. The Service Data display differs from
the earlier diagnostic display in the following ways:
1. The drive on the up stroke will be the service drive (as set by the previous screen) plus the
drive differential, DDF; the downward drive will be the service drive minus the drive
differential. The calibrated drive, CDL, is displayed only for reference.
2. The high end and low end viscosity calibration information (if available) is disregarded.
The indicated viscosity will reflect only the nominal relationship between the cycle time
and viscosity.
3. Control of viscosity or TCV will stop. Temperature control will continue if active.
4. Temperature compensation will stop so that SDPM will be the calculated scatter for
viscosity—not TCV.
5. Adaptive timeout is disabled.
B.3 Calibration
The ViscoPro2000 system was carefully calibrated at the factory. The following
calibration procedures will rarely be needed in the field. If it is desired to verify
the calibration, it is suggested that a fluid with known properties be measured
using the viscometer to confirm correct calibration.
Calibration of the ViscoPro2000 involves three steps; (1) temperature calibration, (2) high end
viscosity calibration, and (4) low end viscosity calibration. Once a calibration step has been
completed, the resultant calibration coefficients will be stored in memory. Temperature
calibration can be repeated at any time, although this will rarely be required unless a new
sensor is being calibrated or operation is at a temperature extreme. If a new range is being
calibrated, both the high end and low end calibration should be performed.
Although software versions 1.05 and above use temperature compensation during calibration, it
is recommended that field calibration be done in a stable, thermostatically controlled area,
away from heater ducts, and with a gentle air motion across the sensor. A small desk fan
placed several feet from the sensor will work well.
To calibrate:
1. From the Supervisory Menu select "Calibrate." Then

2. Press ENTER.
B-2 Calibration and Service

3. Use the UP and DOWN keys to select either Cal Temperature, Cal Viscosity High, or Cal
Viscosity Low.
It will not usually be necessary or appropriate to calibrate the temperature when a

new piston is being installed in an existing sensor.
It is necessary to recalibrate a viscosity range if the piston for that range has been
replaced, even if it has nominally the same diameter.
4. Press ENTER to initiate the calibration.
B.3.1 Calibrate Temperature
To calibrate the temperature measurement circuits, the sensor should be placed in a stable
thermal environment with the piston removed and a reference thermometer inserted into the
measurement chamber, touching the bottom. If the system is set up to control the sensor
temperature, control may be enabled to stabilize the sensor temperature during temperature
calibration. The temperature should preferably be close to the desired operating temperature
for maximum accuracy. The calibration software will require thermal stabilization prior to
accepting input. During this time a test of temperature stabilization will be made every three
seconds. If the temperature has not changed more than 0.3 degrees Celsius since the beginning
of the stabilization test, the numerator and denominator in a stabilization clock will be
incremented. If the temperature has changed more than 0.3 degrees Celsius, the numerator will
be reset to zero and a new test begun. When the numerator equals the denominator, both will
increment again. A stability test will be satisfied as soon as the numerator equals a count of
100, which corresponds to no more than 0.3 degrees drift in five minutes. (Five minutes is the
minimum time required for a successful stability test.)
To Calibrate Temperature:
1. From the Calibrate Menu select "Calibrate Temperature". Then

2. Press ENTER.
3. Remove the piston, place the sensor in a stable environment, and put a temperature reference
probe into the measurement chamber.
4. Note the first informational screen, which points out that coils are OFF during calibration,
and then press ENTER.
5. With the second screen indicating progress in stabilization, wait for the fourth line to
indicate "Enter to Continue" (which will occur as soon as the numerator reaches a count of
100). Then
6. Press ENTER
7. Using the UP, DOWN, ENTER, and ESCAPE control keys, adjust the temperature indicated
to agree with the reference probe. Then
8. Press ENTER until the next screen appears.
9. Review the displayed value and then
A. if correct, press ENTER, or
B. if incorrect, press ESCAPE and repeat steps 7, 8, and 9

The new calibration coefficient will be permanently stored after the final ENTER
keystroke—not before. If you want to terminate a calibration without storing new
calibration coefficients (i.e. abort a calibration), simply press the ESCAPE key to
return to the Supervisory Menu.
B.3.2 Calibrate Viscosity High
Viscosity calibration involves the measurement of an NIST-traceable fluid in a stable

environment and adjustment of the viscometer to produce an indicated viscosity which
corresponds to the known value. Calibration on the "high end" of the viscosity range should be
done with a fluid which at the calibration temperature has a known viscosity of at least 50% of
full scale and no more than 130% of full scale. For example, with a 10-200 cP range, the high
end cal fluid should be more than 100 cP and less than 260 cP at the calibration temperature,
which will be typically 5 to 10 °C above ambient.
Since viscosity calibration depends on knowledge of the calibration fluid

temperature, it is necessary to have the sensor temperature properly calibrated
before proceeding with a viscosity calibration.
It is useful to distinguish between “primary calibration” and “secondary calibration.” A

primary calibration is a high end viscosity calibration where the magnetic force on the piston is
adjusted until the unit responds to within 2% of the standard relationship between viscosity and
the sensor cycle time. This means that the cycle time will be almost exactly 26 seconds when
the fluid viscosity value is equal to the rated full scale viscosity. The primary calibration
concludes by determining a small mathematical correction (less than 2%) to produce the
specified measurement accuracy for high end fluids without further adjustment of the sensor
drive level.
Once a primary (high end) calibration is performed for a measurement range, the software
considers any subsequent calibration of that range—either a high end or low end calibration—
to be a secondary calibration. This means that the calibration will produce mathematical
corrections without changing the magnetic force on the piston. A secondary low end
calibration will not over-ride the previous high end calibration nor will a subsequent secondary
high end calibration over-ride a previous low end calibration.
If a piston for a new viscosity calibration index is being calibrated, the software will
automatically perform a primary calibration. If it is desired to do a primary calibration when a
calibration has already been done for that index, it will be necessary to delete the old
calibration from memory in order to enable a new primary calibration. This is accomplished by
setting the drive level calibration coefficient to zero. See section 6.4.6 for details on this
procedure. A case where this would be desired is when calibrating a new piston that replaces a
piston that has been lost or damaged.
Alternatively if the correct drive level is known, perhaps through use of the Service Data
procedure, this drive level may be entered through the serial port. This will allow the quicker

secondary calibration procedure to be used for the high end calibration. Note, however, that if
the Service Data procedure has just been utilized to determine the appropriate drive level and a
primary calibration is subsequently undertaken, the value for service drive is used as the initial
trial calibrated drive level. If this drive is actual correct and the sensor already stable, the
primary calibration procedure should proceed rapidly.
To calibrate the viscosity, it is necessary to establish a sensor environment which simulates

normal operating conditions. For practical reasons, calibration is usually accomplished on a
benchtop with the sensor clamped in free air. It was previously emphasized that a stable
thermal environment is important. A gentle breeze on the body of the sensor will allow the self
heat from the sensor operation to be carried away without shifting natural convection currents.
The sensor should be oriented perhaps 20 to 30 degrees from vertical. Vertical operation of the
sensor introduces excessive scatter in the viscosity data which will prevent successful
calibration. However it is necessary to have the piston run completely submerged in calibration
fluid throughout its entire cycle to avoid buoyancy and surface tension effects which will also
affect accuracy. Depending on the sensor construction, it may be necessary to supply a collar
or dam to allow additional fluid to pool on the face of the sensor. The sensor and piston should
be thoroughly cleaned and then partially filled with the high end calibration fluid mentioned
above. The piston should then be pushed to the bottom of the measurement chamber (pointed
end first) and the chamber topped off with fluid. It is extremely important to avoid trapping air
bubbles in the calibration fluid.
When the sensor is ready for calibration, the following procedure is followed:
1. On the Supervisor/Calibrate Menu select "Cal Viscosity High." Then press ENTER.
2. Note the first informational screen, which directs use of the proper piston and calibration
fluid, and then press ENTER.
3. With the temperature stability screen displayed wait for the numerator to reach 100 and the
fourth line to read "Enter to Continue". Then press ENTER.
The display backlighting will flash and electrical ALARM level will be set HIGH
when user input is required.
4. The system will now require entry of the viscosity of the NIST-traceable reference fluid at a
temperature close to the calibration temperature. Use UP, DOWN, ENTER, and ESCAPE
keys to adjust the indicated viscosity to the value on the reference chart at the indicated
temperature. Then press ENTER.
5. The system will now require entry of the viscosity of the reference fluid at a second
temperature, 5 deg Celsius or 10 deg Fahrenheit above the first temperature. Use UP,
DOWN, ENTER, and ESCAPE keys to adjust the indicated viscosity to the value on the
reference chart at the second indicated temperature. Then press ENTER.
6. The system will now begin an automatic calibration, comparing the rolling average of
measured TCV values to interpolated values derived from the chart values entered. Make
sure the indicated value agrees with the viscosity shown on your reference chart to at least
three significant figures. If not, press ESCAPE and repeat the calibration. The next line is
the Standard Deviation as a Percent of Mean (SDPM). Prior to accepting the calibration,

the value should be less than 1%, preferably < 0.5%. If the automatic calibration routine is
complete and the accuracy is acceptable, the fourth line reads "Enter to Accept". To
continue the calibration press ENTER. If you do not want to save this calibration, press
ESCAPE at the final screen. To permanently save this calibration, press ENTER.
B.3.3 Calibrate Viscosity Low
Low end viscosity calibration adjusts the response to fluids that are close to the bottom end of
the full accuracy measurement range. The low end calibration must be done after completing a
primary (high end) calibration to assure full accuracy across the entire viscosity range. The
adjustments made to the calibration at the low end do not affect the previous results at the high
end. Fluids used should be 5-25% of full scale at the calibration temperature. For example,
with a 10-200 cP range, the low end calibration fluid should be 10-50 cP at the calibration
temperature.
To calibrate the viscosity measurement on the low end, prepare the sensor as for the high end
calibration, using the appropriate low end calibration fluid as mentioned above. Then:
1. On the Supervisor/Calibrate Menu select "Cal Viscosity Low" and then press ENTER.
2. Note the first informational screen, which directs use of the proper piston and calibration
fluid, and then press ENTER.
3. With the temperature stability screen displayed wait for the numerator to reach 100 and the
fourth line to read "Enter to Continue", and then ENTER.
The display backlighting will flash and electrical ALARM level will be set to the
HIGH state when user input is required.
4. When the screen requests entry of the first calibration fluid viscosity, adjust the indicated
value to agree with the reference chart value corresponding to the indicated temperature,
then press ENTER.
5. The system will now require entry of the viscosity of the reference fluid at a second
temperature 5 deg Celsius (10 deg Fahrenheit) above the first temperature. Adjust the
indicated value to agree with the reference chart value corresponding to the second reference
temperature and then press ENTER.
6. The indicated value of viscosity should agree with that shown on your reference chart to at
least three significant figures. If not, press ESCAPE and repeat the low end calibration. The
second line is the Standard Deviation as a Percent of Mean (SDPM). The value should be
less than 1%. Typical values in a stable environment are 0.5%. If the first line agrees with
the chart value and the second line is <1%, and the fourth line reads "Enter to Accept", press
ENTER.
7. Note the last informational screen. If you do not want to save this calibration, press
ESCAPE. To permanently save this calibration, press ENTER.
B.4.0 Calibration of the Current Loop Drivers (Optional)

The 4-20 mA output current drivers have been factory calibrated and should
rarely need to be re-calibrated. The following procedure will permanently reset
them.
The previous sections described the procedure for changing the mapping of any of the current
outputs, e.g. setting 4-20 mA to correspond to 50-70 cP rather than the "normal" 0-100 cP, etc.
The following sections describe the procedure to assure that the actual electrical outputs
correspond to the intended value; e.g., 0 cP corresponds to exactly 4.00 mA, etc. Its use can
include adjustments to compensate for downstream conversion errors so as to assure the
numerically displayed data maps correctly to the electrically output data.
Be sure NOT to connect an ammeter to the first two pins on the outside end of the
I/O connector. These are the ALARM OUT, which is a 5 VDC TTL output that
will draw excessive current, possibly damaging your meter or the circuit.
B.4.1 Calibration of the Viscosity Output Current Driver
On the serial port, type c voc <CR>.
The response will be of the form:
c voc
692.000
With a precision milliammeter connected to the Viscosity Current Output terminals of the I/O
connector on the ViscoPro2000 Daughter Board, measure the actual output current. The value
should be very close to 4.00 mA. To increase the measured current output, type a small
positive integer number and then a "carriage return". To decrease the current output, type a
small negative integer and then "return". An Increase of "1" increases the output current by
approximately 0.006 mA.
Continue the process until the measured output current is as close to 4.00 mA as desired. Then
type any letter(s) and a "return".
The result will be of the form:
a
3401.000
The ViscoPro2000 will then attempt to source exactly 20 mA. Repeat the necessary up or
down adjustment using positive or negative integers until the measured current output is
precisely 20.00 mA, then type any letter and "return". The display will be of the form:
a
690.000 3402.000
The same pair of calibration numbers may be obtained at any time through the command
D VOD.

B.4.2 Calibration of the Temperature, TCV and Control Current Drivers
Repeat the above process substituting c toc, c xoc, and c coc for the initial commands,
respectively, in order to calibrate temperature, TCV, and control current drivers. Of course, be
sure in each instance to have the precision output current milliammeter connected to the
appropriate I/O port on the daughter board.
All current output calibration data may be seen by typing the export command
E CAC <CR> . The result gives
e cac
COD 693.000 3401.000
TOD 700.000 3422.000
VOD 710.000 3438.000
XOD 682.000 3413.000
If the output calibration is changed, it is suggested that the new calibration data be noted for
future reference.
B.4.3 Conversion of Calibration Coefficients
Software version 1.06 introduced a modified calibration algorithm which necessitated certain
changes in the calibration coefficients. If it is desired to upgrade from version 1.05 or earlier
software without re-calibration, the coefficients may be converted using these formulas:
CHC NEW = 3.908 (CHC OLD − 1)
100
CLC NEW = CHT • CLC OLD − 0.899 (CHC OLD − 1)
VISC FullScale
CLT NEW = 2
Software version 1.07 made some additional changes. To convert earlier calibration data, the
index will be different. In version P1.07, the calibration index refers to the number or index of
the calibration and not the viscosity range number. It will then be necessary to add the full
scale viscosity range using the variable VRG and specify the corresponding temperature
calibration using the variable SIN. If there are calibration coefficients DPD, DPT, and DPU it
will be necessary to set DDF and SXF using the following formulas:
DDF = ( DPU 100 − 1) × CDL
SXF = 0 if DPT = 0,
SXF = 3 otherwise.
The temperature calibration information will be unchanged except that it must have a
temperature calibration index added.

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VP2000 Contents & Cover Rev I.doc

§2. Sensor Installation ................................................................................... 2-1

§3 Mounting the Electronics......................................................................... 3-1

§4 Connecting the Electronics

§6 System Optimization and Advanced Features

§7 Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Appendix A: Reference Materials

VP2000 Contents & Cover Rev I.doc

Flow Deflector Fence

Fig. 1-1: Cutaway View of Sensor Tip Installed in a Pipe Line.

1.2 Calibration and Model Information

1-System Overview Rev A.doc 1-2 System Overview

1.3 System Checkout

Caution: Use proper care when working with AC line power.

Never connect or disconnect the sensor when the power is applied.

1.4 Maximum Ratings and Approvals

1.5 Warranty Information

1-System Overview Rev A.doc 1-2 System Overview

2.2.1 Installation of the SPC501/SPL501 in a Vessel

2.2.2 Installation of the SPL- 571 in a Vessel (Compressor)

2-500Series Rev C.DOC 2-1

Fig. 2-1: Typical Vessel Installation

SPL - 571 SPC – 501

Fig. 2-2: Pipeline Installation

2-500 Series Rev C.DOC 2-2 Sensor Installation

Fig . 2-3: Typical Thermal Jacket Installation

2.3 Installation Tips

Minimizing Flow affects

Perfecting Sensor Orientation

2-500 Series Rev C.DOC 2-3 Sensor Installation

Maximum Recommended Particle Size

Range Size in Microns

Practical Extension Cable Limits

Thermal Gradients at High Temperatures

Never connect/disconnect sensor wiring when system is turned ON!

The connectors used on SPC-501 sensors utilize a push-pull locking mechanism—do

All Installations should conform to applicable local codes and standards.

2-500 Series Rev C.DOC 2-4 Sensor Installation

Electronics is contained within a ½ DIN enclosure and is powered by 100-240Vac 50-60Hz

3.2 Panel Mounting

Fig. 3-1: Cutout Dimensions for Panel-Mount Installation

To mount the electronics in a panel (fig 3-2):

1. Cut hole in the panel according to dimensions in fig. 3-1 above.

3 Buckeye Rev B.doc 3-1

Fig. 3-2: Mounting the Electronics in a Panel

3-2 Mounting the Electronics

Power, Switch & Fuse

Figure 4-1: Connection Panel

4.2 Sensor Interconnect

When wiring the sensor

4-Benchtop Connections Rev A.doc 4-1 Connecting the Electronics

4.4 Continuous Control Output Connection (Optional)

Figure 4-2 Continuous Control Output

4-Benchtop Connections Rev A.doc 4-2 Connecting the Electronics

4.5.1 Time -Proportional Control (Optional)

Load Power Source

Fig 4-3: Relay Output Connection

4-Benchtop Connections Rev A.doc 4-3 Connecting the Electronics

Fig 4-4: Sourced 24VDC Output Connection

4.5.2 Alarm Relay Output (Optional)

Load Power Source

Fig 4-5: Relay Output Connection

4-Benchtop Connections Rev A.doc 4-4 Connecting the Electronics