3scort TD-150 User manual
TD-150 and TD-500 Installation and Configuration
User Manual
Contents
TD-150 and TD-500 Installation and Configuration 1
User Manual 1
Definition and purpose of the sensor 1
Basic terms and concepts 1
Tank preparation 4
Sensor preparation 7
Sensor configuration and fine-tuning 10
Sensor calibration 16
1. Open the “Sensor calibration” menu and click the slider “Calibration without fuel” and after filling the sensor
with fuel press “Full” 18
2. Setting the “Empty” calibration value 19
3. Setting operating mode 21
4. Measurement ranges 23
Sensor installation. Tank calibration 23
Filtration 32
Connecting sensor to GPS tracker 33
Sensor FW update 35
Changing COM port number 36
Checking connection between sensor and tracker via Rs485. 38
Common issues and how to resolve them 41
Setting Full and Empty calibration manually 46
Using the same tank calibration table for different sensors 48
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Mounting dimensions 48
Sealing the sensor 49
Wiring with fuse (FU1) or resistance (R1) 52
Definition and purpose of the sensor
High-precision fuel level sensors (hereinafter referred to as “FLS” or “sensors”) of
the Escort brand are designed to determine the filling level of petroleum products in
fuel tanks, reservoirs and storage tanks. Sensors TD-150 and TD-500 are used in
transport equipment as a fuel level meter, in industry - as a level meter for any light oil
products. Type of measurement FLS Escort - capacitive. Its readings are based on the
dielectric constant of the medium in which it operates; in this case, the medium is
various types of light oil products (gasoline, diesel, kerosene, motor oil).
More detailed specifications are presented in the technical data sheets of the
devices (access via the links: TD-150 Passport_TD-150.pdf (fmeter.ru) and TD-500
Passport_TD-500.pdf (fmeter.ru)).
Basic terms and concepts
Fuel level sensor (FLS) - a device designed to measure the fuel level.
Serial number - a code consisting of a series of letters or numbers assigned to a
product (sensor).
CNT - an oscillatory circuit, thanks to which the basic level of filling the measuring
tubes of the sensor with fuel is calculated. This level is converted to a final value
determined by the data interface.
Data transfer protocol - is a set of specific rules or logical-level interface conventions
that governs the exchange of data between various programs or devices. In the case of
TD-150 and TD-500 sensors, the main transmission protocol is LLS.
Data transfer mode - is a kind of border between two objects or nodes, which are
regulated by a special accepted standard and implemented using established
methods, tools and rules. The following modes are typical for TD-150 and TD-500:
RS-485 (Passive and Active), Analog, Frequency, RS-485 Modbus, Pulse. The names
of the modes are determined by the interface through which the readings are
transmitted.
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Interface- is a physical connection method and/or a set of software tools by which data
is transferred between two or more devices.
RS-485 - digital data transmission mode. The sensor waits for a corresponding request
from the receiving device. Works under the LLS protocol. Based on CNT, a value is
formed in arbitrary units of the selected range (1-1023 c.u. or 1-4095 c.u.)
Active (periodic) RS-485 - a variation of the above mode of operation, in which the
sensor, without waiting for a request from the receiver, itself transmits data packets
every 2 seconds.
RS-485 Modbus - is a variation of RS-485. The only difference is that data transfer is
carried out using the Modbus protocol. Available only for TD-500.
Analog - is a mode in which the corresponding voltage is formed on the basis of CNT
in the approximate range of 0.2-5V (TD-500) or 0.2-9V (TD-150).
Frequency- the mode in which the corresponding frequency in Hz is formed on the
basis of CNT (301-1323 Hz with a range of values 1-1023; 301-4395 Hz with a range of
values 1-4095)
Pulse - a mode in which a burst of pulses with a frequency of 27 Hz is formed on the
basis of CNT. The number of impulses in a pack corresponds to the measured fuel level.
The minimum level corresponds to a pack of 2 pulses, the maximum - a pack of 1025
pulses. Available only for TD-500.
Navigation terminal - is the main element of the system for monitoring the operation
of transport, carried out using satellite communications. Without it, it is impossible to
control the transport, to determine the coordinates of the location of the vehicle. It
collects information from sensors and the onboard transport system, and then
transfers it to a device / server that belongs to a specialist who controls the process.
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Output interfaces of TD-500 and TD-150
TD-500
TD-150
RS-485 LLS
RS-485 LLS
RS-485 MODBUS
-
Frequency
Frequency
Analog
Analog
Pulse
-
Periodic RS-485 LLS
Periodic RS-485 LLS
TD-150 and TD-500 fuel level sensors installation and configuration procedure
includes the following steps:
1. Preparation of the tank (selecting installation spot, removing fuel vapors
and fumes, drilling a whole)
2. Preparation of the sensor (cutting or extending the tubes of the sensor)
3. Sensor calibration and configuration (setting Full and Empty calibration
values)
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4. Installing the sensor in the tank
5. Tank calibration (to create a tank calibration table; NB: be sure to have
enough fuel to be able to fill the tank completely)
6. Connecting the sensor to a GPS tracker
ATTENTION! The one above is the only right order of steps. You cannot
calibrate the sensor before changing its length. You cannot set Empty calibration
value, then do the tank calibration and after that set the Full calibration value.
Please, make sure that you read this manual thoroughly before you install the
sensor.
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Tank preparation
To prepare the tank, you need to:
●Empty the tank and clean it from any dirt if necessary
●Remove any fuel vapors and fumes (especially if it is a gasoline/petrol tank);
to do so you can boil some water in a separate recipient and administer the
vapor from that recipient into the tank so it could “push” the fuel vapors and
fumes out; be sure to keep the fire used to boil the water far enough from the
fuel tank (Fig 1)
Fig. 1 Removing fuel vapors
●Find the geometric center of the tank (Fig. 2) and drill a little hole in it using
a ø3mm bit then probe the space around for any reinforcement plates or
baffles inside the tank using a piece of wire (Fig. 3);
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Fig. 2 Selecting the spot
Fig. 3 Drilling a hole to later probe for any obstacles inside with a piece of wire
●If the space around the selected spot is clear, drill a bigger hole with a ø
30-35 mm bimetallic hole saw; be sure to tilt the saw a little bit to prevent
the cut piece from falling into the tank (Fig. 4 and 5). Use a magnet to collect
the metal shavings and keep them from falling inside the tank.
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Fig. 4 Drilling a hole at an angle
Fig. 5 Removing the cut piece
If the sensor cannot be installed in the geometric center of the tank, try to pick a
spot as close to the geometric center as possible; that spot also must coincide
with the point where the tank’s height is at its maximum. This way you minimize
the magnitude of the oscillations in the level readings caused by the fuel’s
sloshing during the trips.
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Sensor preparation
Before calibrating the sensor, you need to adjust the length of its measuring
tubes according to the height of the tank by either cutting or extending them. The
length of the tubes should be calculated based on the following formula:
L = H - 15 mm,
where L is the length of the tubes after they were cut or extended and H is the
height of the tank at the installation spot.
ATTENTION!!! The minimum length of the tubes must not be less than 15 cm
(150 mm). Otherwise the sensor will not work properly.
The maximum length of the tubes can reach 6 m.
Fig. 6 Measuring the height of the tank
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This manual suits for next models
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