Accuracy AccuProbe HH06 User Manual

Color meter

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AccuProbe HH06

Color Meter

User Manual

Accuracy Microsensors, Inc.

Pittsford, New York

USA

June 1998

June 1998, Manualk.doc

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Page 1  AccuProbe HH06 Color Meter User Manual Accuracy Microsensors, Inc. Pittsford, New York June 1998 June 1998, Manualk.doc...
Page 3: Table Of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF FIGURES ........................... 4 INTRODUCTION ............................5 PHYSICAL FEATURES ..........................7 Unpacking the instrument ........................... 7 Handling the instrument ..........................7 Keyboard and liquid crystal display ......................10 Installing batteries ............................ 11 Connecting external power ........................13 Turning on the instrument ........................
Page 4: Table Of Figures
MEASUREMENT PROCEDURES ......................39 Illuminants ..............................49 Whiteness ..............................40 Yellowness ..............................41 Color difference ............................43 Color coordinates ............................. 45 Averaging multiple measurements ......................47 CHECKING THE INSTRUMENT ......................51 Checking the battery level......................... 51 Determining the unit ID ..........................52 Checking temperature ..........................
Page 5: Introduction
(from a laboratory spectrophotometer), the unit performs as a color difference meter that provides color differences using several modern color difference formulas. When operated as a portable unit, the AccuProbe HH06 color meter can “remember” every measurement. These measurements may subsequently be extracted by a personal computer.
Page 7: Physical Features
Carefully remove the instrument and all other contents from the carton. Save the original carton to use in the unlikely case that you may have to return the product for repairs. The package contains:  1 AccuProbe HH06 color meter 1 Power supply and AC power cord 1 RS232 interface...
Page 8 Sensor Center Cross The center of the cross is directly above the center of the lens in the sensor on the underside of the unit. Liquid Crystal Display This is a reflective display, there must be some room light for you to be able to read it.
Page 9 Examine the underside of the color meter to identify the sensor, the power selection switch, and the battery compartment door. 8 mm Nosecone and Sensor Optional nosecones have different shapes, but mount to the same center. Serial Number Label Power Selection Switch Ridges in Battery Cover Battery Cover Rear Feet...
Page 10: Keyboard And Liquid Crystal Display
On the back of the unit you will find one socket for external connections. Standard Back Plate The optional security back plate covers the socket so that the cable cannot be removed without removing the back plate. Security screws are used with security back plates.
Page 11: Installing Batteries
Installing batteries First remove the battery compartment cover. To do this, hold the unit upside down in your weaker hand. Place the heel of your stronger hand on the back of the unit. The fingers of your stronger hand should now be able to touch the ridges in the battery compartment cover.
Page 12 Once the cover and any old batteries are removed, install two standard alkaline (or lithium for longer life) 9-volt batteries in their holders by lining up the holder clips to the battery contacts. Place the battery tilted in the holder with the edge toward the center of the unit, elevated as shown in Figure 5.
Page 13: Connecting External Power
Connecting external power To connect external power, plug the power supply accessory into the AC line, plug the power supply output into the RS232 connector box, and plug the modular connector into the socket on the rear panel of the instrument as shown in Figure 7. 9-Pin D RS232 Connector...
Page 14: Turning On The Instrument
Turning on the instrument The power selector switch is located on the underside of the unit. This is a small slide switch labeled “0” and “1” . A modular cable socket is located on the rear panel of the instrument, through which external power is supplied. The “1” position of the slide switch selects battery power;...
Page 15 The AccuProbe HH06 color meter is designed to be operated with either battery power or external power, and considers the case where both forms of power are present to be an error condition, as this could unnecessarily discharge the batteries. If you have been operating your instrument on battery power and you connect external power without switching the batteries off, the instrument will display the message...
Page 17: Standard Operations
STANDARD OPERATIONS Power reset When power is applied, the AccuProbe HH06 color meter will perform a series of Power Reset Operations. When the unit is turned on, the instrument will flash the message Please wait while it automatically performs a self check. This diagnostic operation tests the basic operation of the sensor, electronic hardware, and the internal processor;...
Page 18 If the temperature is outside the preset limits, the instrument will display: Too cold to measure Press MODE if ok Too hot to measure Press MODE if ok Should this happen, move the unit to a warmer or, respectively, colder place and let it stabilize before trying it again.
Page 19: Measurement
These numbers represent the reflectance of the sample viewed by the sensor. The displayed measurement result is a specific calculation made using the sample reflectance. The AccuProbe HH06 color meter is capable of generating measurement results in a variety of formats. The...
Page 20: Error Checking
distributor, your supervisor, or you will normally have selected a particular format. For example, if your unit has been set-up to pick colors from a PANTONE® Color System the instrument might display: #007 DE*=0341 17-1842TP The number 17-1842TP is a code that identifies a particular shade of red from a PANTONE fan deck.
Page 21 Note: Sample presentation to the instrument is a very important part of the measurement. For best results you should establish a sample and instrument handling technique which gives the most repeatable results for each type of sample. Whenever a measurement warning message appears there are three options: 1.
Page 22 Finally, when the batteries drop below a specified limit during measurement, the instrument will display: Press MODE if OK Low power? Any measurement made at low power should be expected to be inaccurate. Switch to external power or replace the batteries as soon as possible.
Page 23: Sample Types And Sample Presentation
SAMPLE TYPES AND SAMPLE PRESENTATION Sample presentation The instrument is calibrated for samples which are flat and fill the aperture of the nosecone. The nosecone defines the distance from the sensor to the sample, defines the orientation of the sample, and blocks external light. Samples should be presented to the instrument so that they contact the entire circumference of the nosecone.
Page 24: Non-Homogenous Samples
Non-homogenous samples Any sample which has mechanical structure or reflects differently at different angles should always be averaged over orientation. This means that the sample (or instrument) should be rotated between measurements. You should examine the sample by eye and determine the nature of the structure.
Page 25: The Instrument Control Menu
THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL MENU To review the use of the keypad discussed so far, the green DO key is used to initiate measurements, the UP and DOWN arrow keys are used to select measurements and displays, and the square MODE key is used to accept a displayed command or continue from error conditions.
Page 26 Sequential operation of the DOWN arrow key would generate the following displays > Pick Cal Check > Cal Check Average > Average Battery Check > Battery Check Service Menu > Service Menu Setup > Setup Pick > Pick Cal Check >...
Page 27: Display Control
DISPLAY CONTROL The instrument may store several hundred sample measurements and each of these measurements may provide data for a number of different measurement displays. While the instrument is Ready to Measure the arrow keys may be used to walk through stored samples or measurement displays.
Page 28: Multiple Sample Display
instrument as discussed in the “Instrument Control” section and specific operations sections below. Multiple sample display If you will always use the instrument to perform the same measurement -- Whiteness Index, for example -- then it may be valuable to see the Whiteness Index for multiple samples.
Page 29: Working With Stored Sample Measurements
WORKING WITH STORED SAMPLE MEASUREMENTS The instrument may store and remember up to 500 sample results. There are two situations in which it may be necessary to select one of the stored results. First, to examine data for a sample other than the last one measured. Second, to identify a stored sample as the standard to be used for color difference calculations.
Page 30: Manually Selecting A Standard
Manually selecting a standard Color difference and Pass/Fail displays require a standard and a sample. The standard may be any stored sample. Stored samples may be from measurements performed with the instruments or may have been placed into the instrument from a personal computer. When measurements are placed in the instrument from a personal computer to be used as standards, they will generally have text defining a standard name, and may also have tolerance data.
Page 31: Automatic Standard Selection
Automatic standard selection If, and only if, standards have been inserted into the instrument from an external computer, the instrument can automatically select the standard “closest” to each measurement. To enable automatic selection, you must first enter the standards from the external computer, then enable automatic selection.
Page 32: Disabling Sample Measurement Storage
Are You Sure?? If Yes Hit MODE If you now press the square MODE key all stored samples will be erased. If you do not want to erase stored sample data, press the green DO key. Please note that this message will time out.
Page 33: Picking Colors From A Searchlist
PICKING COLORS FROM A SEARCHLIST The unit may have a set of standard colors and color names installed at the factory or by the distributor. Typically this would be a commercial color classification set, such as that from Pantone, but might also be a private set such as one from a paint manufacturer. In either case, the color names are significant (and usually copyrighted) because these published names can be used to communicate or specify color to anyone else who has access to the same commercial color classification set.
Page 34: Finding A Color Neighborhood
X,Y,Z is ENABLED X,Y,Z is DISABLED Press the DOWN arrow key until you see either: Closest (DE*) is ENABLED Closest (DE*) is DISABLED If screen reads DISABLED press the square MODE key to change the screen to read ENABLED. Press the green DO key to return to Ready-to-Measure. At Ready-to-Measure press the arrow keys until you see a display of the form #007 DE*=0341...
Page 35 You will now see either X,Y,Z is ENABLED X,Y,Z is DISABLED Now press the DOWN arrow key until you see either L/D Neighbors is ENABLED L/D Neighbors is DISABLED If screen reads DISABLED press the square MODE key to change the screen to read ENABLED.
Page 36 If screen reads DISABLED press the square MODE key to change the screen to read ENABLED. Press the green DO key to return to Ready-to-Measure Press the DOWN arrow key until you see a display of the form #007 Y:12-6206TP B:12-6207TP This display tells you that the PANTONE®...
Page 37: Search Performance
Search performance Searchlists are intended to be used as an aid to visual color judgment. A number of conditions affect the performance of the search process. In addition to the instrument effects of sample type, sample presentation, and power quality which affect the measurement process discussed earlier in this manual, there are several effects related specifically to searchlists.
Page 39: Measurement Procedures
MEASUREMENT PROCEDURES Most measurement displays assume a particular form of color calculation. This may include illuminant (e.g. daylight or tungsten), observer (e.g. 10 Degree, 2 Degree), color space (e.g. CIE, Hunter), and difference formula (e.g. CIE, CMC). The selection of these options may have been made by the distributor, or by a Personal Computer, but they may also be changed on the instrument using the Setup branch of the instrument control menu.
Page 40: Whiteness
Whiteness The standard instrument will calculate and display CIE Whiteness and ASTM E313 Whiteness. If the desired display is already enabled, and the arrow keys are set to Toggle Display, then you will be able to use the arrow keys to examine the Whiteness of any sample. To enable Whiteness display follow the path: Ready-to-Measure MODE to Pick...
Page 41: Yellowness
Whiteness (E313) is DISABLED If you wish to be able to display ASTM E313 Whiteness and the screen reads DISABLED press the square MODE key to change the screen to read ENABLED. Now press the green DO key to return to Ready-to-Measure. Yellowness The standard instrument will calculate and display CIE 1925 Yellowness and ASTM E313 Yellowness.
Page 42 If you wish to be able to display ASTM E313 Yellowness and the screen reads DISABLED press the square MODE key to change the screen to read ENABLED. Now press the DOWN arrow key and you should see either Yellowness(1925) is ENABLED Yellowness(1925) IS DISABLED...
Page 43: Color Difference
Color difference The standard instrument will calculate and display three dimensional color difference in uniform color space (Lab) coordinates. Uniform color space defines three directions, a Light to Dark direction, called L*, a Red to Green direction called a*, and a blue to yellow direction called b*.
Page 44 shows the sample (011) and standard (010) used to calculate the difference, the total color difference (DE), and the name (Measurmnt 010) of the standard. If the standard was installed over the RS232 interface this name can have any form. If no text name has been provided the instrument constructs a name of the form shown.
Page 45: Color Coordinates
DL*, Da*, Db* is DISABLED If you wish to be able to display the storage locations for sample and standard and DL*,Da*,Db* and the screen reads DISABLED press the square MODE key to change the screen to read ENABLED. Now press the UP arrow key and you should see either DL*, Da*, Db*, DE is ENABLED DL*, Da*, Db*, DE...
Page 46 To enable color coordinate display follow the path: READY-to-MEASURE MODE to Pick UP to Setup MODE to Display Mode MODE to Display Enable. You will now see either X,Y,Z is ENABLED X,Y,Z is DISABLED If you wish to be able to display tristimulus (XYZ) and the screen reads DISABLED press the square MODE key to change the screen to read ENABLED.
Page 47: Averaging Multiple Measurements
So long as there is a measurement stored in the instrument you should be able to use the arrow keys to get to a display of the form #011 L*=9110 a*=0157 b*=2628 #011 X=8825 Y=7866 Z=1747 Color coordinates are displayed to two places past the decimal and the decimal is not displayed.
Page 48 Press the green DO key to initiate the first measurement. The display should read 001 Rdy/Average 01 of You may now reposition the sample for the second measurement in the average. Press the green DO key to initiate the second measurement. The display should read 001 Rdy/Average 02 of You may now reposition the sample for the third measurement in the average...
Page 49 Adjust Count 0003 You may now use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to adjust the count. If you depress the DOWN arrow key twice the count will change to 0002 then -0002. When you have set the count to the desired value, use the green DO key to return to Ready-to-Average or Ready-to-Measure.
Page 51: Checking The Instrument
CHECKING THE INSTRUMENT Checking the battery level If you are using batteries, eventually you will need to replace them. The instrument is designed so that the number of measurements that can be made using fresh batteries is greater than the number of measurements that the unit will remember. There are three factors which determine battery life.
Page 52: Determining The Unit Id
Batt Power 044% ******* This means that the batteries have 44% of their life left. Normally this would be over 200 measurements. Press the green DO key to return to Ready-to-Measure. Determining the unit ID Each unit is assigned a unique 16-character ID. This ID defines the information on the unit configuration, microcode ID, etc.
Page 53: Checking Software
MODE to check Display Mode UP to Clear Samples UP to Clear Standard UP to Illuminant UP to Temperatures If you now press square MODE the instrument will display +26.48 C ambient +26.94 C sensor The display will update every second until you touch any key. Checking software Under some conditions you may need to know which software was installed in your unit.
Page 54: Checking Color Performance
Checking color performance On the back of the battery door you will find a calibration check target. The target may be two colors,-- white and black, or four colors -- white, light gray, dark gray, and black Either the factory, or the distributor, or your manager will have loaded the unit with the correct values for the target.
Page 55 Figure 8 Checking target with landing pad Figure 9 Target and sensor alignment If you do not have a landing pad you may place a 3.5-inch diskette under the feet in the back of the instrument. This should make the back feet level with the calibration target. If...
Page 56: Cleaning The Lens Assembly And Full Calibration
you have neither a landing pad nor a diskette, you may hold the target to the measuring port by clamping the front of the unit and the battery door between the fingers of your free hand. In any case, you should never perform any calibration or calibration check process unless you are sure you have presented the target to the sensor properly.
Page 57 To clean the lens, unscrew the black plastic nosecone from the sensor to expose the protective glass lens cover as shown in Figure 10. Then, using lint-free cloth and a small amount of distilled water, carefully clean the cover glass and wipe it dry. Do not use commercial cleaners, lens cleaning fluids, or abrasives as they can scratch the surface or leave contaminants...
Page 58 >Full Calibrate About In response, press the square MODE key and read the message Measure Black Ready Hit Mode Present the black calibration target to the measuring port. Use the landing pad if possible. When you have presented the target properly press the square MODE key again and the display will say Measuring, followed by three averaging messages.
Page 59: Operation With A Personal Computer
The type of power supply provided may have been determined by your dealer or your manager. The power supply has to meet specific requirements for output polarity, isolation from ground, and line and load regulation. Only supplies approved by Accuracy Microsensors should be used. General purpose replacement power supplies will generally not work properly, and may damage the instrument.
Page 60: Power Switching
the power requirement of the instrument, but the advantages of a universal input supply which exceeds power requirements and is correspondingly insensitive to large power variation, often outweigh the small cost advantage of a smaller supply. The universal input supply will operate from voltages over the range 100VAC to 240VAC 50Hz to 60Hz and has a modular AC cord which may be changed to match the power input and socket type of local power.
Page 61: Typical Operations With An External Computer
Typical operations with an external computer Since the instrument can save a large number (usually 500) of sample measurements, this data is usually transferred from the instrument to a larger computer for analysis. The command set of the instrument allows the external computer to read the stored samples and reset the storage of the instrument.
Page 62: Communications Reset
All measurement error conditions, averaging operations, and menu operations are functional while the instrument is Under PC Control. If a measure warning occurs the operator is expected to use the square MODE or DO key to accept or reject the measurement.
Page 63: Appendix A. Instrument Menu Structure
APPENDIX A. INSTRUMENT MENU STRUCTURE Top Level items listed in the following are in CAPS for clarity, while on the instrument display will be normal, i.e. PICK will be shown as Pick and AVERAGE as Average. PICK Standard Picks a standard for color difference calculations Active Picks a sample from the set of stored measurements CAL CHECK...
Page 64 redness or greenness of a sample. A positive value of a* indicates a sample is red, while a negative value for a* indicates a green sample. The b* parameter indicates the yellowness or blueness of a sample. A positive value of b* indicates a sample is yellow, while a negative value for b* indicates a blue sample.
Page 65 to the selected standard, in a single display. The DL* is an indication of how close two samples are in terms of LIGHTNESS. Chroma and saturation are not included in this calculation. The Da* is an indication of how close two samples are in terms of Redness or Greenness.
Page 66 measurement is retained Storage Enabled Each measurement is stored, up to a total of 500. Storage Disabled Only the last measurement is retained Unit Serial # Shows a 16 character unique Serial # on the display Diagnostics Runs a diagnostic program (not implemented in the initial release) Clear Comm Link Used to release instrument from Personal Computer control.
Page 67: Appendix B. Message Index
APPENDIX B. MESSAGE INDEX The index below lists the manual pages which describe messages appearing in the instrument display AC Power Detected Please Recheck ambient Please wait 17, 51 Batt Power Rdy/Average Battery Check Rdy/Measure Check OK REMOTE MEASURE Cleaning Advised Sample steady? CMOS batt error sensor...
Page 68: Appendix C. Trouble Shooting
APPENDIX C. TROUBLE SHOOTING Nothing in Display Check Power Selector Switch Check Battery Installation Check Power Supply and LED in Interface Dark Blocks in Display Cycle power, Check power Check memory card seating Buzzing Sound Check both batteries fully inserted Check both batteries good.