Section 6 Troubleshooting; Calibration Errors - YSI 6 series User Manual

Troubleshooting

SECTION 6 TROUBLESHOOTING

This section contains troubleshooting tables that will be helpful to identify the causes of the most common
difficulties that may occur while operating the YSI 6-Series Sondes. The Symptom column describes the
type of difficulty that you might experience. The Possible cause column describes the conditions that
might cause the stated symptom. The Action column provides simple steps that can be followed to correct
for the "possible cause" and cure the "symptom" being experienced. The column entitled Ref is the number
of the reference section and subsection in the manual where you may find additional information.
Troubleshooting problems have been categorized into four general areas.
•
Calibration Error Messages
•
Sonde Communication
•
Sensor Performance
If you need assistance that this Troubleshooting section can not provide, please contact YSI Technical
Support.

6.1 CALIBRATION ERRORS

There are three main Calibration Error messages that are possible and are listed below, instead of in the
troubleshooting table. Only two of the error messages are related to sensor performance.
High DO Charge: This message indicates a malfunction in the Rapid Pulse DO sensor that is generally due
to the roughness of the electrodes on the surface of the probe face. The charge associated with the DO
sensor must be below 75 or the error message will appear when calibration is attempted. If this error
message is encountered, remove the DO probe from the sonde and resurface it according to the instructions
in Section 2.10, Care, Maintenance and Storage. After resurfacing the probe, activate the DO charge
parameter in the Report setup section of the sonde software and confirm that the value is within the
acceptable range of 50 ± 25. After resurfacing, allow the sensor to pulse in the Run mode for at least 5
minutes, during which time the DO charge may be expected to drop in value if the sensor is still functional.
If resurfacing according to the instructions in Section 2.10, Care, Maintenance and Storage does not
result in a lowering of the charge, contact YSI Technical Support for additional help.
Out of Range: This message indicates that the output of the sensor being calibrated does not conform to
the normal range for this parameter. This problem could be due to either a malfunctioning sensor or to a
calibration solution that is out of specification. If this error message is encountered, first insure that your
standards for pH, ORP, ammonium, nitrate, chloride, conductivity, and turbidity have not been
contaminated and that your DO sensor is in air (DO % Cal) or in a solution of known dissolved oxygen
concentration (DO mg/L). Also be certain that you have entered the correct value for the calibration
solution. If the calibration error message continues to occur, contact YSI Technical Support to determine
whether the sensor in question needs to be factory-serviced or replaced.
Bad Input: This message simply indicates that your keyboard input does not conform to the accepted
format for this parameter. For example, you may have entered the "letter O" instead of "zero" for a
calibration value. Return to the desired parameter in the Calibrate menu and repeat the calibration entry
being certain to enter only numbers.
The following troubleshooting tables can help you if you encounter problems with software,
communication protocol, or sensor malfunctions other than calibration errors.
YSI Incorporated Environmental Monitoring Systems Operations Manual
Section 6
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