Model: DT800

Hi,

First of all i do follow the upgrade FAQ and i can't find doing anything wrong. But makes the first upgrade step upgrading to 316v4b. I see the bootloader starts in details then it just get stuck and i see some strange letters.

The "OK" button is just grey marked, and the loading bar haven't even started. My first problem is I have version 2 update 10 and when I log with my sensors in "average" it looks good at the beginning.

But then some of the sensors show something like 9999e^-10 (I don't know exactly but you get it). And the strange part is I'm running two identical schedules with one difference.

One with 5 min interval (rate) on "average" and one with 1 min interval also on "average". All on my 1 min schedule works but on my 5 min schedule i get that 9999e^-10 value on two sensors!

I've noticed that the battery backup in my DT800 doesn't work anymore either could that be the problem? I'm pretty newbie on this i hope someone can help! Edit: i had v 4.10 anyway sorry but i did press cancel after installing 316v4b then i just tried to install v4.10.

Now I saw in dataTaker it was 4.10, I really hope it is and I hope now it solves the sensor problems.

Jimmy

Good evening Jimmy,

1. 99999 error
   The error 99999 is caused by the sensors being over or under range.
   For example if you try to read a PT100 and don't have one connected or you have exceeded the input level for sensor.

2. Firmware upgrade.
   If the DT800 reports 4.10 then the upgrade has worked correctly. If a firmware upgrade fails then it will revert back to the original.

Cheers,
Roger

Ok thanks!

Though I still got sensor problems, cut from the log. It gets 0.00000 on sensor 8,9 and 5 about once a minute randomly. Now I have taped all my cables so they aren't in contact with any cables etc:

Sensor 1 PT385 (2W)
Sensor 2 PT385 (2W)
Sensor 3 PT385 (2W)
Sensor 4 PT385 (2W)
Sensor 5 TK (2W)
Sensor 6 PT385 (2W)
Sensor 7 PT385 (2W)
Sensor 8 TK (2W)
Sensor 9 TK (2W)

Seems to be the thermocouples, I have no ground shield on them. Maybe that is the problem. I can see they read a temperature rise, when heating them. But the readings is unstable as in the picture.

Jimmy

Good morning Jimmy,

A reading of exactly zero on a temperature is quite strange. To read a thermocouple you need to read the Voltage output of the thermocouple and the internal reference temperature then calculate the thermocouple temperature. If the thermocouple voltage is zero then reading will be the reference temperature.

Can you please run the TEST command on the DT800? We need to see if anything fails and if so what items fail.

Cheers,
Roger

Good afternoon (it's morning here in Sweden),

There you said something I haven't made anything with my thermocouples. Should I set them on (V) reading under excitation? (doesn't even know what that word means). I see my PT385 is marked (mW) and TK is marked (none). Otherwise what should I do?

Good morning Jimmy,

Ok, DT800 looks to be healthy so should be working.

Thermocouples do not need excitation. They produce voltage proportional to the temperature difference between the two ends of the thermocouple. This is known as the Peltier - Seebeck effect.

The V will turn on Voltage at the * terminal but this is not needed (refer above). PT100's on the other hand need a precise current that is power limited so you can read the value of an accurate resister that is sensitive to temperature changes.

To check what is happening can you please run a simple program?

1. Connect a short between the + and - of channel 1
2. Program channel 1 as a K type thermocouple (no other options to be used)
3. From the internal channels list pick REFT.

Running the code will give you two channels of data. The first channel will give a temperature reading of a zero Volt input. The second will give the reference temperature. Both should be the same reading.

Cheers,
Roger