1 Vectrino
1 Vectrino
1 Vectrino
ECTRINO
V E L O C I M E T E R
USER GUIDE
2009
Vectrino 3
V ECTRINO
V E L O C I M E T E R
Copyright © Nortek AS 2009. All rights reserved. This document may not – in whole or in part – be
copied, photocopied, translated, converted or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable
form without prior consent in writing from Nortek AS. Every effort has been made to ensure the
accuracy of this manual. However, Nortek AS makes no warranties with respect to this documentation
and disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Nortek
shall not be liable for any errors or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the
furnishing, performance or use of this manual or the examples herein. Nortek AS reserves the right to
amend any of the information given in this manual in order to take account of new developments.
Microsoft, ActiveX, Windows, Windows 2000, and Win32 are either registered trademarks or
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Other product names,
logos, designs, titles, words or phrases mentioned within this publication may be trademarks,
servicemarks, or tradenames of Nortek AS or other entities and may be registered in certain jurisdictions
including internationally.
Tel: +47 6717 4500 • Fax: +47 6713 6770 • e-mail: inquiry@nortek.no • www.nortek-as.com
Vectrino 5
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction .................................................................................................... 7
Getting Started........................................................................................................... 7
Contents of Your Shipment ....................................................................................... 8
Software .................................................................................................. 17
Vectrino software options ........................................................................................ 17
Installation................................................................................................................ 18
Configurations.......................................................................................................... 18
Maintenance .................................................................................................. 27
Preventive Maintenance .......................................................................................... 27
Corrective Maintenance........................................................................................... 27
Upgrading .................................................................................................. 29
Upgrading Software ................................................................................................. 29
Upgrading Firmware ................................................................................................ 29
Chapter 1
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing Nortek’s Vectrino velocimeter! Your Vectrino has
been designed to provide you with many years of safe, reliable service.
The Vectrino is a high-resolution acoustic velocimeter used to measure
turbulence and 3D water velocity in a wide variety of applications from the
laboratory to the ocean. The basic measurement technology is coherent
Doppler processing, which is characterized by accurate data and no
appreciable zero offset.
Getting Started
This guide in combination with the Quick Start guide which is part of the
Help function in your Vectrino software, will help you getting started with
your Vectrino. As initial preparation for using your new Vectrino
velocimeter, we recommend the following steps:
1 Verify that you have received all parts (see next page).
2 Install the Vectrino software on a computer (see chapter 5, Software).
3 Perform a functional test of your new Vectrino (see chapter 7, Test and
Verification).
4 Mount the Vectrino in accordance with the guidelines (see chapter 6,
Mounting Guidelines).
8 Chapter 1
Introduction
Chapter 2
Product Specification
Mechanical
Vectrino cylinder: 70 mm
Vectrino height: 388 mm
Transport weight: 8 kg
Dimensions
Transport box: 88 x 27 x 12 cm
Transport and storage box: 88 x 34 x 12 cm
Weight in air: 1.2 kg
Sampling Volume
Distance from probe: 0.05 m (nominal)
Diameter: 6 mm
Height (user selectable): 3–15 mm
Echo Intensity
Acoustic frequency: 10 MHz
Resolution: Linear scale
Dynamic range: 25dB
10 Chapter 2
Product Specification
Sensors
Temperature: Thermistor embedded in probe
Range: –4 °C to +40 °C
Accuracy/Resolution: 1 °C / 0.1 °C
Time response: 5 min.
Data Communication
I/O: RS 232. The software supports most
commercially available USB–RS 232
converters.
Baud rate: 300–115 200 (user setting)
Max. cable length: 50 m
User control: Vectrino standard or Vectrino¨ software
Analog outputs: 4 channels standard, one for each
velocity component. Output range is 0–5 V,
and scaling is user selectable.
Synchronization: Multiple Vectrinos can be synchronized.
Each can operate as either master or
slave.
Software (“Vectrino”)
Operating system: Windows 2000®, or newer
Features : Instrument configuration
Data collection
Data storage
Probe test modes
Vectrino 11
Power
DC Input: 15–48 VDC
Peak current: 2.5 A at 15 VDC (user selectable)
Max. consumption at 200 Hz: 1.5 W
Connectors
Bulkhead: Splash-proof connector or MCBH-12-FS
waterproof connector
Cable: Splash-proof or PMCIL-12-MP waterproof
Materials
Standard model Delrin® housing. Stainless steel (316) probe and screws.
Environmental
Operating temperature: –4 °C to +40 °C
Storage temperature: –15 °C to 60 °C
Shock and vibration: IEC 721–3–2
Options
Your Vectrino can be shipped with the following components to suit your
requirements. For further information, contact Nortek.
• Standard or Vectrino¨ firmware (upgrading to Vectrino¨ is also
available as retrofit)
• 4-beam down-looking probe or side-looking probe. Fixed stem or
flexible cable
• 12-pin splash-proof connector or Impulse 12-pin underwater
connector
• 10, 20, 30 or 50 m cable with your choice of splash-proof or Impulse
underwater connector
• Combined transportation and storage cage
Vectrino 13
Chapter 3
Technical Description
System Components
Probe
The probe is made of titanium and consists of four receive transducers and
a transmit transducer. It is mounted either on a fixed stem connected to the
main housing through the probe end bell, or on a cable connected to the
main housing through the same probe end bell.
Transducers
Each of the four receive transducers is mounted inside a receiver arm. The
transmit transducer is in the centre of the probe. The transducers are
covered with hard epoxy.
Electronics Modules
The electronics module is located inside the pressure case and consists of a
single board with the power transmitter, analog and digital signal
processing, power conditioning, and interface circuits.
Temperature sensor
The temperature sensor (thermistor) is located inside the probe head.
14 Chapter 3
Technical Description
Chapter 4
Functional Description
This section briefly describes some of the underlying principles that control
the operation and application of the Vectrino velocimeter.
The Vectrino has two modes of operation:
• Command mode. In command mode the Vectrino is ready to accept
your instructions.
• Data Acquisition Mode. The Vectrino enters data acquisition mode
when you click any of the Start commands (e.g. Start Data Collection)
in the Vectrino software. The Vectrino collects data without interruption.
Doppler Theory
The Vectrino uses the Doppler effect to measure current velocity. The
Sound does not reflect from
water, but from particles Doppler effect is the change in pitch that is heard when either the source of
suspended in the water. These a sound or the listener is in motion. When you hear a vehicle with a siren,
particles are typically
suspended sediment or seeding the pitch is higher when the vehicle is heading towards you, and lower
particles, and move with the when it is going away. The change in pitch tells you how fast the vehicle is
same average speed as the
water. The velocity that is moving.
measured is consequently the
velocity of the water. The Vectrino transmits short pairs of sound pulses, listens to their echoes,
and, ultimately, measures the change in pitch or frequency of the returned
sound.
16 Chapter 4
Functional Description
Data Handling
The Vectrino software saves data in binary files, which are easily converted
to ASCII format files, using the conversion module in the software.
• The *.hdr file is a self-documented table. Please note that this file
contains a detailed data format description of all files that are
generated.
• The *.dat file contains velocity data at the full sample rate.
ASCII files are easily imported into most spreadsheets and data analysis
programs. For turbulent data analysis, Nortek recommends the use of a
specially developed program, ExploreV. You can learn more about this
program on our web pages: Go to www.nortek-as.com, and click your way
to Products > Software products > ExploreV.
Vectrino 17
Chapter 5
Software
This chapter provides you with basic information about the software,
installation of the software and its configuration. For further information,
about the software, its configuration and use, please see the Help function in
the Vectrino software.
Installation
Follow these steps to install the software on a computer running Windows:
Insert the memory stick and run the Setup.exe file.
Follow the on-screen instructions. Accept the default settings.
If prompted to restart your computer, do so to finalize the installation.
Configurations
Using the enclosed cables, connect the Vectrino instrument to the power
and the USB port on your computer, and start the Vectrino software.
To configure the settings of your Vectrino, you can either
select Data collection > Load From Instrument to read back the current
settings from the instrument
or
select Data collection > Edit Configuration to load the settings from the
configuration file.
The Configuration dialog box where you can adjust the settings will open.
Vectrino 19
Chapter 6
Mounting Guidelines
What to consider
• Make sure that there are no obstructions between the sensor and the
focal point (sampling volume) located about 5 cm from the transducers.
• Consider the effects of large objects on the flow itself. A rough rule of
thumb is that objects disturb the flow as far as 10 diameters away from
Note: When mounting your
Vectrino, use the recessions to the object. Flow disturbance is greatest directly downstream in the wake
strap it to the structure. Never behind the object.
use the probe stem as mounting
point. • All acoustic transducers must be submerged during data collection.
Operating your Vectrino when the transducers are out of water will not
cause any damage, but your data will be meaningless. For side-looking
probes, it is possible to collect 2D-data with only the lower receiver arms
submerged.
• The best quality is achieved if the main flow direction is perpendicular to
the transmit axis. Flow directly into the transmit axis should be avoided.
• Make sure your mounting structure is stable. Small vibrations in the
mount can generate large accelerations in the data.
Vectrino 21
Chapter 7
Test and Verification
Verify that your equipment is working as expected.
Communication
Check that you have installed the software correctly according to the
procedure in chapter 5, Software, and then follow this procedure to test
the communication:
1 Using the enclosed cables, plug in the AC adapter, and connect the
Vectrino cable and USB converter to the USB port on your computer.
2 Start the Vectrino software.
3 Select Communication > Serial Port, and specify which port number
to use.
4 Accept the default baud rate settings (19200 baud), which is also the
default baud rate for the instrument.
5 Click the toolbar button Connect. The Vectrino instrument should reply
to the break with an identification string.
You can change the setting if you upgrade in-situ using long cables. The
Vectrino verifies the received head file and firmware upgrade files before
they are allowed to replace the existing head and firmware files, hence,
using the wrong transmission speed will not cause trouble.
Transducers
1 Fill a bucket with water and a little dirt (as sound-scattering material).
2 Click Data collection > Start Data Collection. While the transducers
are in the air, the velocity measurement will look like random noise.
3 Immerse the transducers in the water, and observe the velocity, the
standard deviation, and the amplitude in counts. Note the change in the
graphical view of the velocity when the probe is lowered into the water.
In the air the graphs are noisy; in water they should be smooth.
Probe Check
Designed to act as a measurement quality assurance tool, the Probe Check
function in the Vectrino software lets you inspect the region where the
Vectrino makes its measurements by showing how the signal varies with
range. You can use it to diagnose and correct problems and to optimize
data collection.
Vectrino 23
Signal-to-noise ratio:
The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)
is defined as follows:
A
SNR 20log )
A
Chapter 8
Synchronizing Multiple
Instruments
Your Vectrino can serve as master for other Vectrinos, or its sampling can
be controlled by other sensors. This comes in handy when you need to use
several Vectrinos for a single set of measurements.
The RS485 standard: RS485 is
a balanced, half duplex If you connect a controller to the Vectrino, you can set up a fairly
transmission standard which sophisticated system in which the controller can power the Vectrino and
allows for communication over
long distances in noisy provide it with sync pulses to control the sampling accurately. The
environments.
controller can serve as a storage device.
Note: On some older Your Vectrino can be synchronized with other instruments via a pair of sync
instruments the sync lines are
labeled Sync in and Sync out. lines. To avoid noise problems and to make cabling easier, the two sync
These should be treated as lines are RS485 which is balanced and bi-directional.
Sync– (Sync In) and Sync+
(Sync Out). The sync lines are labeled Sync– and Sync+.
Chapter 9
Maintenance
Before you assemble a system that involves custom cables, power supplies
or the like, first assemble and test the Vectrino using just the cables and
power supply that came with the system. This is the easiest way to get the
system up and working. If you encounter problems, you can always return
to this setup to confirm that they are not caused by a faulty instrument.
Preventive Maintenance
Preventive maintenance is your primary tool to keep your Vectrino in shape
and ready for action and deployment.
Clean your Vectrino Velocimeter regularly. Use a mild detergent, and pay
special attention to the transducers.
Corrective Maintenance
Only qualified personnel are allowed to perform corrective maintenance
activities. Please refer to the separate service manual or contact Nortek for
further assistance.
Vectrino 29
Chapter 10
Upgrading
Upgrading Software
Note: If you enter the download
section without logging in, you You will find the latest release of the software for your Vectrino at
will be prompted to log in when www.nortek-as.com/support. To download the software, log in, and choose
you attempt to download a file.
If you are not a registered user,
Software Download in the menu on the left. Then locate the file for your
simply follow the link to the Vectrino in the list, and click to download it.
registration form.
To upgrade the software, follow the procedure for software installation (see
Chapter 5).
Upgrading Firmware
Firmware refers to the internal software of the instrument, as opposed to
the instrument software running on a computer and described in this
manual.
When you purchase a brand new instrument from the factory, it contains
the latest firmware version, and there is no need to upgrade the firmware.
However, new functionality (and in rare cases bug fixes) is likely to be
offered in the future, requiring an upgrade of the firmware. New firmware
is posted on our web site at www.nortek-as.com/support. When you
upgrade your firmware, make sure you also have the latest version of the
software as new versions are often released at the same time.
30 Chapter 10
Upgrading
To do a firmware upgrade:
Note: If you have not registered
with us already, you will need to 1 Log in at www.nortek-as.com/support.
do this first. Click the link New
User on the right, and fill in the 2 Choose Software Download in the menu on the left, and download
registration form to register. the new firmware file to your computer.
3 Click on Configuration > Firmware Upgrade in the Vectrino software,
browse to the downloaded firmware file and select it.
If you upgrade to the Vectrino¨ firmware, you will now be prompted to
enter a license key:
The License Key dialogue box
will appear when you attempt to
upgrade the firmware.
The license key can be found on the memory stick that accompanied your
Vectrino¨. If you cannot locate it, please contact Nortek AS for a new
license key.
4 If prompted, enter the license key and click OK. If you have the
standard Vectrino, simply click OK to start downloading the file to the
instrument. This will produce the following box:
Chapter 11
Further Information and Help
Visit www.nortek-as.com
At our website, www.nortek-as.com, you will find technical support, user
manuals, and the latest soft- and firmware updates for the Vectrino and
our other products, as well as more general information, technical notes
and user experience regarding data analyses and related matters.
Our aim is that our users should be able to find any information they may
need regarding our instruments and the use of them online. If you are
unable to find the information you are looking for, we encourage you to
use our forum.
Nortek’s Forum
Nortek’s forum on the web is where users from all over the world meet to
discuss and share their experience with Nortek’s instruments.
If you have comments, questions, application tips, suggestions for
improvements, or simply want to learn from others or share your own
experience with other users all over the world, we encourage you to register
and post to our forum.
32 Chapter 10
Upgrading
Contact Information
If you need more information, support or other assistance, you are always
welcome to contact us by e-mail, phone, or fax.
E-mail: inquiry@nortek.no
Phone: +47 67 17 45 00
Fax: +47 67 13 67 70
Nortek AS
Vangkroken 2
NO-1351 RUD, Norway
Vectrino 33
Chapter 12
Returning Your Vectrino for
Repair
Insurance
We recommend that you fully insure your return shipment in case it is lost
or damaged, as Nortek AS does not cover freight insurance on repairs.
Nortek AS is not responsible for instruments damaged or lost in transit. Nor
shall we be held responsible for consequential damage as a result of
instruments being damaged or lost in transit.
Nortek AS will insure the instrument upon returning the goods to you. We
will bill you for the insurance along with the costs for repair and freight.
For warranty repairs, the transport and freight insurance from Nortek
AS to you will be covered by Nortek AS.
34 Chapter 11
Returning Your Vectrino for Repair
Customs regulations
The regulations and requirements covering the export and re-import of
items sent for repair varies from country to country. In the past, some of
our customers have experienced problems because they have failed to
provide the proper documentation. If these matters are not managed
correctly, you may be charged import duties and taxes for a second time
when your instrument is returned to you.
At Nortek we must meet our own country’s regulations when instruments
are repaired and subsequently returned. This, however, may not be
sufficient for your country.
To avoid problems, we strongly recommend that you, as part of your own
procedures for handling returns, always check with your customs
authorities as to what information, documents etc. they need from you and
from us. Then let us know what you need from us by e-mail, fax or mail. We
will do our very best to help you.
NOT A SALE – TEMPORARY EXPORT TO
NORWAY FOR REPAIR ONLY
PROFORMA INVOICE
SENDER (Exporter) RECEIVER
Name: Name: NORTEK AS
Address: Address: Vangkroken 2
City: City: NO-1351 RUD
Country: Country: NORWAY
Tel.: Tel.: +47 67 17 45 00
E-mail: Fax: +47 67 13 67 70
Fax: E-mail: inquiry@nortek.no
Contact: Contact: Jonas Røstad
ABOUT THE GOODS
Date:
No. of Units:
Tracking no.:
Weight:
Value:
NORTEK RMA No.:
Reason for Export:
Exporter’s signature
Vectrino 37
APPENDIX
Drawings and Dimensions
On the following pages you will find drawings with dimensions for your
Vectrino.
38 Appendix
Drawings and Dimensions
Vectrino 39
40 Appendix
Drawings and Dimensions
Vectrino 41
42 Appendix
Drawings and Dimensions
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