Operation; Environmental Factors; Turning On And Fresh Air Setup - MSA ALTAIR 5X PID Operating Manual

US
5

Operation

Device operation is dialog driven from the display with the aid of the three function buttons
For more information, see the flow charts in
5.1

Environmental Factors

A number of environmental factors may affect the gas sensor readings, including changes in pressure, humidity and
temperature. Pressure and humidity changes affect the amount of oxygen actually present in the atmosphere.
Pressure Changes
If pressure changes rapidly (e.g., stepping through airlock), the oxygen sensor reading may temporarily shift and possibly
cause the device to go into alarm. While the percentage of oxygen may remain at or near 20.8 Vol %, the total amount of
oxygen present in the atmosphere available for respiration may become a hazard if the overall pressure is reduced by a
significant degree.
Humidity Changes
If humidity changes by any significant degree (e.g., going from a dry, air conditioned environment to outdoor, moisture laden
air), oxygen readings can be reduced by up to 0.5 %, due to water vapor in the air displacing oxygen.
The oxygen sensor has a special filter to reduce the effects of humidity changes on oxygen readings. This effect will not be
noticed immediately, but slowly impacts oxygen readings over several hours.
Temperature Changes
The sensors have built-in temperature compensation. However, if temperature shifts dramatically, the sensor reading could
shift.
Combined Humidity and Temperature Changes
When the device is calibrated in an dry, air conditioned environment and taken to a high temperature and high humidity outdoor
environment, a VOC Low or High alarm may be triggered by this sudden change. It is recommended that the PID sensors be
cleaned prior to this transition to avoid this situation, or to acclimate the sensor to the outdoor conditions in a known safe area.
5.2

Turning ON and Fresh Air Setup

Device operation is dialog driven from the display with the aid of the three function buttons (→
For more information, see the flow charts in
Turn the device ON with the
The device performs a self test:
During the self test, the device checks alarm LEDs, audible alarm, vibrating alarm and installed sensors.
The device displays:
• Startup logo
• Software version, device serial number, company name, department and user names
• IC / FCC ID Identifier
• Sampling system safety test
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12.1 Basic Operation.
12.1 Basic Operation.
button.
ALTAIR 5X PID
5 Operation
( Figure 2 ).
Figure 1 ).