It is possible to read the pressure from three sensors at the same time.
Use the SCPI command :INST:SENS[x]:READ?
Where x = the Range number of the sensor set in the Comms Range Setup menu.
Please refer to the SCPI manual K0472 for the full details of the command.
The commands can be sent in a string using the character ; (semi-colon) between the commands.

An example of the command and the response is shown below.

Rack Mounting - Part number IO-RMK-P1000




Panel Mounting - Part number IO-PAN-P1000





 

The sensor reading was not displayed on the front panel when attempting to zero the sensor reading.
This caused the error message to be displayed.
 

The command returns two values. One is the raw reading the other is a filtered reading but it only filters noise.
So if the noise is < 0.005%FS a 2Hz single pole low pass filter is applied to the reading. If its greater then the filter is bypassed.
So if the pressure is very stable the filter is applied. This allows us to achieve stable readings at static pressures. If the pressure is changing (for dynamic pressures) the filter is ignored.

Gate times only apply to averaging filters. This is a single pole low pass digital filter so its defined as a 2Hz bandwidth – gate time does not apply to this type of filter.
 

The PN IS1000118M9922-2 has following looms in the kit,

Power Cable Assembly (x1)    Length - 230mm approx.
Display Loom (x1)                  Length - 270mm approx.
IDOS Cable Assembly (x2)    Length - 200mm approx.

Software Release SR0092 Rev L fixes this issue.
The  command :INST:SENS[x]:ZERO now allows any visible sensor range to be zeroed via SCPI. 

Rev L Software Status:-
Instrument main code - DK0406 V02.01.01
Instrument OS - DK0366 V02.00.00
Instrument Boot ROM - DK0365 V02.00.00

 

The Switch Test Task on the PACE 1000 is not supported via SCPI.

The command :INP:LOG? gives the status of the switch but it does not give the pressure reading at which the switch status changed.
Therefore the example below from the SCPI user manual K0472 Rev E is incorrect.



 

The Electrical Safety Standard EN 61010-1:2001 that the PACE 1000 conforms to mentions an altitude of 2000m.
The altitude of 2000m is to do with Electrical Insulation and the risk of arcing.
This is mainly an issue at high voltages, so doesn't really apply to the PACE 1000 as it operates from 24V dc.
The main issue is the power adapter as this also conforms to EN 61010-1:2001.
Insulation distances for the power adapter are stated in manufacturers specification.
For use at higher altitudes these distances may need to be increased, as with an increase in altitude, electrical creepage and clearance distances also increase.
 

This is a mistake in the user manual, the buzzer does not sound when the Alarm is triggered.

The Barometric sensor in a PACE 1000 is a 2000mbar absolute sensor.
The instrument will work and display correctly at pressures below 750 mbar abs.
 

Attached is an App Note for communicating with LabVIEW via USB.
 

There could be an issue with the USB stick.
Try using another USB stick to perform the upgrade.
If the upgrade still fails then it would appear that the flash memory on the mainboard has failed, in which case the mainboard will require replacing.
 

The PACE 1000 and the IDOS module are not ATEX approved (Intrinsically Safe) for use in an Hazardous Area.
For use with Hydrogen the sensor would require special cleaning (Oxygen Clean) which we do not offer. Also if under an over-pressure situation the isolating diaphragm were to rupture Hydrogen would come into contact with the Silicone oil which is potentially dangerous.
For the reasons above we would not recommend the PACE 1000 and IDOS module for this application.

The firmware upgrade does not affect the calibration of the instrument.
All the calibration data is stored within the sensor itself. The PACE 1000 just displays the digital signal that is coming from the sensor.

The Switch Test comes with either the Analogue Output option or the VFC option.
One of these options will need to be fitted to the PACE 1000 in order to have the Switch Test feature.
Check if you have a connector on the rear panel in the "Option" position as shown below.



If you have an option connector then the Switch Test is installed.
The connections for the Switch Test are shown in the table below.


 

The DPI 145 and PACE 1000 protocols are different also there is not a DPI 145 emulation mode on the PACE 1000.
For this application the PACE 1000 would not work without some modification of the program.
Attached is the PACE 1000 communication manual.
 

Issue is caused by a bug in the software.
This has been corrected on Release Rev G14 of the PACE 1000 software.
 

For use with the IDOS UPM and PACE1000 we have a 5 metre extension cable, our part reference AA500F-7, this extension cable will provide 6 metre (1 metre + 5 metre) overall length.
There is also a 10 metre extension cable our part reference AA500F-11 and an 18 metre extension cable our part reference AA500F-8.
The cables are end-to-end male/female stackable.

To remain compliant with the EU EMC directive the maximum PACE1000 to IDOS UPM cable length (including default IDOS 1metre cable) must be less than 30metres.
 

When entering the analogue option menu it will show "Analogue Output" and "Analogue Input". This option was available from software release E DK406 V01.10.12. 

This is a added functionality is to use any valid range displayed in any of the three tabs or P1-P2 and P2-P1 as input for analogue card.

To select the electrical output you need to select analogue output setup, then enter and from the list select/scroll to the correct output you require. 


 

It's not possible to get a pressure reading from the device homepage.
Normally you need a software application in order send a SCPI command to the PACE 1000 to request the pressure reading.
Attached is an Ethernet Application note that gives some examples of free Applications that can be used to communicate with PACE over ethernet.
Also attached is the SCPI communication manual, the command :SENS? can be used to request the pressure reading (see page 94 of the attached manual K0472).
One possible solution would be to setup a basic webpage to read the current air pressure from the PACE 1000 and then access that webpage from the other PC's.

The PACE 1000 display reading is updated two times per second, this would be the same for both the IPS and IRS sensors.
The comms update rate is 8 timer per second.
The Update Rate of the TERPS sensor itself is 5 to 400 New data readings per second.
The Update Rate of the IPS sensor itself is 440 to 3520 New data readings per second.

The sensor type IRS1/IRS2 is programmed into the sensor itself so cannot be changed. The instrument would need to be returned to have the sensor replaced.

This was due to a bug in the software prior to instrument main code DK0406 V01.02.02. Instruments showing this problem should have the instrument main code upgraded to DK0406 V01.02.02 or later.

Although the IDOS connector is fitted to the PACE Control Module the PACE 5000/6000 do not support the IDOS Universal Pressure Module (UPM).
 

The Gross Leak Detected message is displayed if the leak rate is greater then 5% of the Test Pressure value per minute.
Below is an excerpt from the attached Leak Test Enhancements document.

This message indicates that the temperature reading from the sensor is incorrect.
The sensor will still respond to pressure but may have an offset at Zero.
We recommend replacing the Control sensor.
 

As it is not a high pressure application plus the Control Module pressure sensor will have a Stainless Steel diaphragm and there is only 5% Hydrogen, it will be Ok to use ARCAL 5 with a 7 bar g Control Module.
 

Our site compressed air that we use with our PACE controller mini rigs is specified as:-
Dried to <-26°C pressure dew point (Residual water content 110ppm) Filtered to 99.9% of <1 micron particles.
Reference document PR05-01001
 

• CM0, 1 & 2 are all gauge sensors. CM3 is absolute
• CM3 will only work in “pseudo-gauge” mode if the CM3 is a CM3-B
  • In pseudo-gauge mode the reading on screen is still coming from the CM3 TERPS sensor (TERPS minus baro = pseudo gauge e.g. 2000mbara – 1000mbara (baro) = 1000mbarg). The reading is not from the CM2 gauge sensor, which is also installed.
• The traditional “zero” function on CM0,1 and 2 cannot be used on CM3 2bar & 3.5bar as it negatively affects the overall uncertainty of the CM3 sensor.
  • If you are using the CM3 in pseudo gauge mode and you press “zero” you are not zeroing the gauge sensor, you are taring the CM3 absolute sensor against the baro (e.g. 1001mbara (REF) – 1001mbara (baro) = 0mbarg)
• The zero function on CM3 can only be used for 8bar+ (due to the uncertainty calculation and the effect that the tare against the baro has on the uncertainty at lower pressures. See the attached CM3 whitepaper for further details)
• The calibration manual K0450 has been updated to reflect the CM3 procedure required
  • Baro “as found” followed by correction if needed
  • Zero of the reference (CM3) sensor against the baro (found in the calibration menu, reference > pressure zero)
  • “as found” on the reference sensor followed by correction if needed
  • All calibrations should be carried out using 7 digits where possible. If stability to 7 digits is not possible then the measurement system itself should be analysed for faults first before then consulting the Druck Technical Support Team.

"

The PACE controllers are designed to control into a sealed system that is leak tight.
We do not have a value of the maximum leak rate that the PACE is able to supply. As the customer is using negative gauge then their vacuum pump needs to have the capacity to maintain a negative pressure below the requested set point. Adding a volume into the Negative Supply line may help to maintain the vacuum in the negative supply (item 7 in the attached diagram Figure 2-4).

The following components should be included in the uncertainty calculation:- 
NLHR (0.005% Rdg + 0.005% FS)
Calibration standard uncertainty
Long Term Drift

This should be firstly expressed as 1 sigma standard deviations (base on their distributions).
Then use the equation for expanded uncertainty U=2*sqrt( sum of uxi^2).
 

Helium is not a suitable media to be used with PACE controllers because over time (unable to predicate the time scale) it may affect the performance and damage the sensors diaphragm and valves. The main problem with helium is the issue of migration through the sensors isolation diaphragm. The Helium molecules are very small and if the pressure is high enough and the exposure time long enough then migration can occur leading to measurement errors. This phenomenon has not been thoroughly tested but we know it can happen therefore we cannot guarantee that the reading will not be affected.

A Cycle Count of 9999999 can be entered into the Test Program.

SCPI commands to support the Leak Test option have only recently been added, therefore if your PACE has old software then it will first need to be upgraded.
For the PACE 6000 the Leak Test is supported via SCPI from Release C12 and above.
For the PACE 5000 the Leak Test is supported via SCPI from Release F23.
Attached are the software history documents for the PACE 5000 & the PACE 6000.
Also attached is Revision D of the SCPI user manual, the commands for the Leak Test option are on pages 56 & 57.
The command :INST:TASK1:LKT:STAR 1 starts the Leak Test on Module 1. 

Usually this issue would be caused by a lack of supply pressure.
When initially controlling to 1 bar there may be a slight drop in the positive supply pressure as the internal volume of the Control Module manifold and the device under test is pressurised up to 1 bar.
If there is a large volume connected to the output of the control module then there will be a greater drop in the positive supply pressure as the volume is pressurised up to 1 bar. How far the pressure drops will depend on the flow through the pressure regulator/positive supply hose and whether either one of these restricts the flow.
The positive supply pressure should return to its original value once the system volume reaches a pressure of 1 bar.
To help maintain the positive supply pressure a Reservoir can be added to the positive supply line.
For further information please see item 7 in Figures 2-5/2-6 and the Note (+) in section 2.7.1 of the PACE 5000/6000 User Manual K0443 Issue D.
Another possibility is that there may be a large leak on the system and the positive supply is unable meet the flow rate required to feed the leak. In this instance the positive supply pressure will not recover to its original value and will remain low.

Any of the soft options can be enabled locally.
An order for the option(s) needs to be sent to the Customer Care Team. They will then provide a 10 digit activation code for the option(s) requested.
To enable the option(s) follow the "Option Enable Process" described in section 6.8 of the PACE 5000/6000 user manual K0443.

It is not possible for PACE to control down to 0.1 Torr abs (0.13 mbar abs).
For PACE to control there has to be a differential pressure across the valve, at such low pressures there will be very little differential pressure across the valve.
Our engineering team have previously managed to control down to 2 mbar abs but this was very difficult to achieve, therefore this is not an application that we would recommend PACE for.

The Leak Rate specification for all Control Modules is 0.05% FS per minute.

The Leak Test procedure is as follows:-
Allow instrument to acclimatise to room temperature.
Ensure that the Output port is blanked.
Enter the Test Pressure and select control mode (see recommended Test Pressures below).
Allow the instrument to control at the test pressure for 3 minutes.
Select measure mode and measure the change in pressure over 1 minute.
Calculate the change in pressure as a percentage of the Control Module Full-scale.
Check that the leak rate is below 0.05% FS.
If the leak test is outside the specification, diagnose and rectify the leak, then re-run leak test.

Alternatively if the Leak Test option is installed you can use the following procedure:-
Allow instrument to acclimatise to room temperature.
Ensure that the output port is blanked.
Select the Leak Test task.
Enter the recommended test pressures 1 & 2 according to the table below.
Enter Control Dwell as 3 minutes and Measure Dwell as 1 minute.
Run the Leak Test and check that the leak rate is below 0.05% FS over the dwell time of 1 minute, (this limit applies to test pressures 1 & 2).
If the leak test is outside the specification, diagnose and rectify the leak, then re-run leak test.


 

The leak rate specification is 0.05%FS/min using a Control Dwell of 3 minutes and Measure Dwell of 1 minute. The leak rate is measured over the Measure Dwell time. Therefore for a 10 bar control module (CMO-11G) this would be 0.005 bar/min.

Refer to attached K0478 Addendum to PACE user manual K0443.

If DK0367 V03.02.04 is installed then there is a very intermittent timing issue in issuing the vent in progress status this can cause the ethernet to stop responding. Upgrading the PACE software to DK0367 V03.02.07 (beta) solves the issue.
 

This may be caused by a bug in the control module software. Check the version of control module software DK364 in the software status menu. If DK 364 is version V02.02.13 (Release 13) then this requires upgrading to version V02.03.10 (Release 14) or later.

The PACE 5000 has a maximum power rating of 100VA.

The minimum End Slew Rate setting is dependent on the Pressure range of the control module.

For example:-
For a 1 bar control module set to 6 digits resolution you can set the End Slew Rate to 0.00001 bar/second.
For a 1 bar control module set to 7 digits resolution you can set the End Slew Rate to 0.000001 bar/second.
However with the resolution set to 7 digits the last digit is quite unstable so the controller is unlikely to control to 0.000001 bar/second.
Therefore we would say that practically 0.00001 bar/second would be the minimum value.

For a 350 mbar control module you can set the End Slew Rate to 0.001 mbar/second, this is with the resolution set to 6 or 7 digits.

Insert the following two lines before the ID_PROG_END line.

ID_PROG_BREAK
ID_PROG_VENT
ID_PROG_END

When you press the Stop icon the program should go to the BREAK line in the program and then perform a VENT.
 

Only one port at a time can control the PACE, for example from PC/PLC A, though other ports can read/listen at the same time, for example from PC/PLC B .
We have customers that control over ethernet and listen on RS232. 
 

The table below gives the old part numbers and the corresponding new part numbers for the Control Module valves.
 

For the pressure media the PACE datasheet states:- "Dry, oil free, non-corrosive gas maintained at a value of 10% above the maximum required outlet pressure, Dry air or Nitrogen recommended." 

We would consider Dry Air as Air that has a Dew Point of -40°C or below.
Bottled Nitrogen or bottled Dry Air from a reputable supplier would be suitable. 

Currently there is not a USB driver for the PACE 5000.
The engineering team have advised that the Intecal V10 and 4Sight2 drivers are not suitable for use with Python software.
However they are currently developing a driver that can be used with any software language including Python, this is expected to be available towards the end of 2019.
In the mean time the customer could use the RS232 port and a USB to RS232 converter to communicate using Python. The USB to RS232 converter that we supply with the Genii, P/N IO620-USB-RS232 could be used.

Helium is not a suitable media to be used because over time (unable to predicate time scale) it may affect performance of the PACE. The main problem with gases like helium and hydrogen is the issue of migration through the isolation diaphragm. Helium is the worst, but hydrogen is also prone to this because the molecules are very small and if the pressure is high enough and the exposure time long enough then migration can occur leading to measurement errors.
This phenomenon has not been thoroughly tested but we know it can happen therefore we cannot guarantee that the reading will not be affected.

Check the software status as communication via the Ethernet was only supported from Software Release 12 onwards. Therefore the Instrument Main Code DK367 needs to be at V02.01.43 or higher. If the instrument has an earlier version of software installed then it will require upgrading to the latest version.

The instrument may have failed to install the application. Try the following method to see if the application will install.
Copy the attached Upgrade file to the USB stick.
Remove the cover from the PACE 5000. Insert the USB stick into the PACE 5000. Switch on the instrument, then press and hold down the switch SW1 on the mainboard. Keep the switch held down until the instrument displays Platform Upgrade, the switch can then be released and the application should install.

It depends on the software version whether this feature is displayed or not.
When support for the CM3 was introduced at software version DK0388 V02.00.04 this value was then displayed in the calibration menu.
The symbol shown is “sigma” which is the standard deviation, it gives an indication of the stability of the pressure reading.
Initially when pressure is applied the value will be shown in black digits, then as the pressure reading stabilises it will show in blue digits, then it will change to green digits when the reading is stable enough to enter the calibration point. If the digits do not turn green then this could indicate a possible issue with the calibration system eg system leaking.
If you want to see this feature in the PACE 6000 calibration menu then you will need to upgrade the PACE 6000 Software DK0388 to V02.00.04 or later.
 

The Power Consumption will be no more than 250W as this is what the PACE 6000 Power Supply is rated to.
 

1. With the instrument set to dual display mode, a separate Test Program can be run on each control module simultaneously. Each control module will be running independently.

2. You only need to purchase one Test Program option. Test Programs can then be written and assigned to each module. 

General rules in Test Program:-
When running a Test Program, the RANGE command can only be used to select a sensor on THIS module – if it tries to select a sensor on the OTHER module it will crash – we cannot defend this in code.
Therefore the Test Program cannot be used in single screen auto-ranging mode.

With the instrument set to single screen mode and independent ranges a Test Program can be run on the range that has been selected.

You would have to switch the range to Module 2. Then go into any of the Analogue output settings (1 or 2), the option to change it from Module 1 to Module 2 should now be available. 
Basically, whichever module you want to set up in the analogue output settings needs to have been selected in the range first. 
You should be able to use:
•    Analogue output 1 and 2 to monitor Module 1 OR
•    Analogue output 1 and 2 to monitor Module 2 OR
•    Analogue output 1 to monitor Module 1, analog output 2 to monitor Module 2 OR
•    Analogue output 2 to monitor Module 1, analog output 1 to monitor Module 2

Fitting the Control Modules the opposite way round in a PACE 6000 won't cause any safety issues - providing all other safety concerns are correctly addressed.
The software doesn't 'know' which module is fitted in what position but it assumes that the rules stated in the manual are obeyed.
So if the modules are fitted the wrong-way-round they will still be displayed according to the software rules.
That is when in dual screen mode the lower s/n will appear on the right side of the display even though the control module is actually fitted on the left side of the instrument (when looking from the front). This may cause some confusion.
There could possibly be some operational issues if the instruments are being controlled remotely. 

The max airspeed for the PACE is 650 knots.
Therefore for Airspeed you can use a CM3-B 2 bar abs, this will give 1 bar pseudo gauge which would cover the range of 650 knots (866 mbar).
For Altitude you can use a CM3 2 bar abs.

The Aeronautical Option is installed on the PACE 6000 chassis.
The Aeronautical can be added at a later date. You would need to place an order for the option, we would then supply a 10 digit code that can be entered into the PACE 6000 to enable the option.

Below is the option enable process from the PACE 5000/6000 user manual.