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PRESTON PRESSURE PS-500 User And Maintenance Manual

Pitot-static/air data tester
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PS-500
Pitot-Static/Air Data Tester
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
MANUAL
For Model PS-500
PrestonPressure.com

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Summary of Contents for PRESTON PRESSURE PS-500

  • Page 1 PS-500 Pitot-Static/Air Data Tester OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL For Model PS-500 PrestonPressure.com...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Revision 0, August 2020 PRESTON PRESSURE LLC PS-500 USER AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Warranty and Liability Statement---------------------------------------------------- 2 1. General Information------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 3. Specifications ------------------------------------------------------------------ 4 4. Power Supply ------------------------------------------------------------------ 5 5. Vacuum and Pressure Pumps ------------------------------------------------ 5 6.

  • Page 3: Warranty And Liability Statement

    90 days from the date of purchase. Valves are warranted for a period of 180 days. Preston Pressure’s limit of liability shall be to repair or replace the product at their discretion. Transportation shall be pre-paid to the Preston Pressure factory or authorized service facility.

  • Page 4: General Information

    GENERAL INFORMATION Description of the PS-500 Pitot-Static Test Box The PS-500 Air Data, pitot-static test box is a digital display tester used to test aircraft altimeters, airspeed indicators, pitot-static systems, and other vacuum and low-pressure devices. This test box incorporates transducer sensor technology that is largely immune to the failures and costly repairs associated with analog instruments.

  • Page 5: Specifications

    Internal: 12 VDC (from internal rechargeable battery) Current draw: 540 mA with all systems operating Other Features: Leak test feature: 2 minutes, selectable down to 30 seconds VSI (vertical speed indicator) Note: The PS-500 does NOT have the precision required to test RVSM altimeter systems.

  • Page 6: Power Supply

     Power Supply The PS-500 power supply consists of an external transformer with an output of 12 volts DC. This supply is plugged into the round connector on the front of the tester. The transformer charges the 12-volt gel-cell lead acid battery that is internal to the PS-500.

  • Page 7: Front Panel Layout

    FRONT PANEL LAYOUT Front Panel Description  The front panel’s Altimeter buttons function as follows: The UNITS button is used to toggle between the various units of measurement available from the vacuum/altimeter section. (Altitude – feet, Altitude – meters, mBar, mmHg, inHg, PSIA) The EXIT button is used to exit out of the leak check mode.
  • Page 8 above 120 seconds nor under 30 seconds. Pressing the Units button will start the counter and display the leakage.  The front panel’s Airspeed buttons function as follows: The UNITS button is used to toggle between the various units of measurement available from the pressure/airspeed section.

  • Page 9: Theory

    CHAPTER 2 THEORY The PS-500 test box consists of two vacuum pumps linked in series, one pressure pump, reservoirs for the pressure and vacuum, a system of metering valves, and digital displays for indicating altitude, airspeed, and various other pressure measurements, based on pressures sensed in the sensor transducers.

  • Page 10: Electronic Theory

    The power for the altimeter and airspeed circuits is regulated from 12 VDC to 5 VDC and 3.3 VDC. The sensors used in the PS-500 test box are proprietary. The pitot sensor is not a differential pressure sensor as is most typically used in airspeed measurements. Instead,...

  • Page 11: Operation

    OPERATION  Preliminary Information Prior to using the PS-500 tester the user should become familiar with the unit by reading this manual and operating the tester independently of any other attached devices. For greater accuracy, the tester should be powered on for 10 minutes before use.

  • Page 12: Testing Aircraft Pitot System

    2 minutes or more. Rapid temperature changes will also mimic a leak. 7. Perform a leak check to monitor the leak rate. Verify that the PS-500 does not leak exceeding 100 feet per minute. Write down the leak rate for future reference.

  • Page 13: Testing Aircraft Static System

    5. Gently open Pressure Control valve until desired speed(s) are achieved. 6. Compare the airspeed of the PS-500 box to the airspeed indicated in the aircraft. 7. Go to approximately 75% of the maximum airspeed of aircraft indicator (or the speed specified by the manufacturer).

  • Page 14: Testing The Aircraft Pitot And Static Systems Simultaneously

    The EPR function is used to test engine pressure ratios. This ratio is the mathematic result of: High Pressure/Low Pressure. The PS-500 test box will display the low pressure, the high pressure (both in PSI), and the resulting EPR. To use the EPR function, proceed as follows: 1.

  • Page 15: Calibration Procedures

    The PS-500 test box is easy to calibrate. There are 5 set points used in the calibration of the altimeter side. Calibrating at multiple setpoints enables the altimeter to have a greater degree of accuracy, allowing it to self-correct to the nearest calibrated set point.
  • Page 16 Where XXX is the sensed altitude and YY is the internal correction factor currently stored in the calibration memory. Using the pneumatics of the PS-500 or an attached pressure standard, go to a pressure of 0 feet (referenced from 29.92 inHg), as read from the pressure standard.
  • Page 17 There is no need to re-cycle power. 13. Bring the PS-500 box back down to ground level pressure, then test each calibration point as specified in the chart. Enter the corrected value at each point. (The correction chart may be photocopied, cut out, and fixed to the test box for handy reference.)

  • Page 18: Airspeed Calibration

    Airspeed Calibration Procedures 1. If not already powered on, apply power to the PS-500 and allow unit to warm up for a minimum of 10 minutes. 2. Gently close the Pressure Control valve, Pressure Vent valve, and Crossbleed valve. 3. Connect a pressure standard to the Pressure Port. Maintain the altimeter side at 0 feet.

  • Page 19: Calibration Of Reservoir Gauges

    The correction value can also serve as a record to see if the sensors are drifting with age. Maximum allowable error at any airspeed is 2 Knots. (Generally, a maximum error of 1 Knot should be expected.) The airspeed has only one calibration point. PS-500 S/N FOR TEST DISPLAY FOR TEST...

  • Page 20: Maintenance Repairs And Troubleshooting

    1. Check color of beads in air reservoir/dryer. Change if pink or clear. The dryer is a common in-line dryer used in small air compressor systems. A new dryer can be purchased from Preston Pressure, or an internet search for “mini inline desiccant air dryer” may lead to an alternate source.

  • Page 21: Troubleshooting

     Troubleshooting Refer to the following chart of symptoms, causes, and repair comments: SYMPTOMS POSSIBLE CAUSES COMMENTARY Display shows garbage or Microcontroller had a 1.Turn off unit for 5 seconds freezes at the beginning power brown-out or there is before powering up again. display.

  • Page 23: Shipping And Storage

    CHAPTER 6 SHIPPING AND STORAGE Shipping Instructions  Partially open all valves  Ensure power switch is off  Package the test box inside another box, with at least 2 inches of packing material around the tester  Do not forget to also enclose the battery charger/power supply ...

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