Apogee Instruments MQ-620 User manual

APOGEE INSTRUMENTS, INC. | 721 WEST 1800 NORTH, LOGAN, UTAH 84321, USA

TEL: (435) 792-4700 | FAX: (435) 787-8268 | WEB: APOGEEINSTRUMENTS.COM

OWNER’S MANUAL

QUANTUM METER

Models MQ-620

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Owner’s Manual ............................................................................................................................................................................... 1

Certificate of Compliance......................................................................................................................................................... 3

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................. 4

Sensor Models ......................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Specifications ........................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Deployment and Installation.................................................................................................................................................... 8

Operation and Measurement .................................................................................................................................................. 9

Maintenance and Recalibration............................................................................................................................................. 11

Troubleshooting and Customer Support................................................................................................................................ 12

Return and Warranty Policy................................................................................................................................................... 14

EU Declaration of Conformity

This declaration of conformity is issued under the sole responsibility of the manufacturer:

Apogee Instruments, Inc.

721 W 1800 N

Logan, Utah 84321

USA

for the following product(s):

Models: MQ-620

Type: Extended Range PFD Meter

The object of the declaration described above is in conformity with the relevant Union harmonization legislation:

2014/30/EU Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive

2011/65/EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS 2) Directive

2015/863/EU Amending Annex II to Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS 3)

Standards referenced during compliance assessment:

EN 61326-1:2013 Electrical equipment for measurement, control and laboratory use –EMC requirements

EN 50581:2012 Technical documentation for the assessment of electrical and electronic products with respect to

the restriction of hazardous substances

Please be advised that based on the information available to us from our raw material suppliers, the products

manufactured by us do not contain, as intentional additives, any of the restricted materials including lead (see

note below), mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), polybrominated

diphenyls (PBDE), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and

diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP). However, please note that articles containing greater than 0.1% lead concentration are

RoHS 3 compliant using exemption 6c.

Further note that Apogee Instruments does not specifically run any analysis on our raw materials or end products

for the presence of these substances, but rely on the information provided to us by our material suppliers.

Signed for and on behalf of:

Apogee Instruments, June 2020

Bruce Bugbee

President

Apogee Instruments, Inc.

Radiation that drives photosynthesis is called photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and is typically defined as

total radiation across a range of 400 to 700 nm. PAR is almost universally quantified as photosynthetic photon flux

density (PPFD) in units of micromoles per square meter per second (µmol m-2 s-1, equal to microEinsteins per

square meter per second) summed from 400 to 700 nm (total number of photons from 400 to 700 nm). However,

ultraviolet and far red photons outside the defined PAR range of 400-700 nm can also contribute to photosynthesis

and influence plant responses (e.g., flowering).

Sensors that measure PPFD are often called quantum sensors due to the quantized nature of radiation. A quantum

refers to the minimum quantity of radiation, one photon, involved in physical interactions (e.g., absorption by

photosynthetic pigments). In other words, one photon is a single quantum of radiation. Sensors that function like

traditional quantum sensors, but measure a wider range of wavelengths can be thought of as an ‘extended range’

quantum sensor.

Typical applications of traditional quantum sensors include incoming PPFD measurement over plant canopies in

outdoor environments or in greenhouses and growth chambers, and reflected or under-canopy (transmitted) PPFD

measurement in the same environments. The Extended Range PFD Sensor detailed in this manual uses a detector

that is sensitive to radiation up to about 1100 nm, well beyond the range of wavelengths that influence

photosynthesis and plant responses. This means this particular sensor should only be used for photon flux

density measurements under LEDs.

Apogee Instruments MQ-620 meters consist of a handheld meter and a dedicated sensor that is connected by

cable to an anodized aluminum housing. SQ-600 series Extended Range PFD Sensors consist of a cast acrylic

diffuser (filter), photodiode, signal processing circuitry mounted in an anodized aluminum housing, and are potted

solid with no internal air space. MQ series extended range PFD meters provide a real-time PFD reading on the LCD

display, that determine the radiation incident on a planar surface (does not have to be horizontal), where the

radiation emanates from all angles of a hemisphere. MQ series quantum meters include manual and automatic

data logging features for making spot-check measurements.

Apogee MQ series quantum meters covered in this manual are self-contained and come complete with handheld

meter and sensor.

Sensor model number and serial number are

located on a label on the backside of the handheld

meter.

Calibration Traceability

Apogee MQ series quantum meters are calibrated through side-by-side comparison to the mean of four transfer

standard quantum sensors under a reference lamp. The reference quantum sensors are recalibrated with a 200 W

quartz halogen lamp traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

MQ-620

Calibration Uncertainty

± 5 % (see Calibration Traceability below)

Measurement Range

0 to 4000 µmol m-2 s-1

Measurement

Repeatability

Less than 0.5 %

Long-term Drift

(Non-stability)

Less than 2 % per year

Non-linearity

Less than 1 % (up to 4000 µmol m-2 s-1)

Response Time

Less than 1 ms

Field of View

180°

Spectral Range

340 to 1040 nm ± 5 nm (wavelengths where response is greater than 50 %; see Spectral

Response below)

Directional (Cosine)

Response

± 2 % at 45° zenith angle, ± 5 % at 75° zenith angle (see Directional Response below)

Azimuth Error

Less than 0.5 %

Tilt Error

Less than 0.5 %

Temperature Response

-0.11 ± 0.04 % per C

Uncertainty in Daily Total

Less than 5 %

Housing

Anodized aluminum body with acrylic diffuser

IP Rating

IP68

Operating Environment

-40 to 70 C; 0 to 100 % relative humidity; can be submerged in water up to depths of 30 m

Meter Dimensions

126 mm length, 70 mm width, 24 mm height

Sensor Dimensions

30.5 mm diameter, 37 mm height

Mass

140 g (with 5 m of lead wire)

Cable

2 m of two conductor, shielded, twisted-pair wire; additional cable available; TPR jacket

Warranty

4 years against defects in materials and workmanship

Spectral Response

Cosine Response

Directional, or cosine, response is defined as the

measurement error at a specific angle of radiation

incidence. Error for Apogee SQ-600 series Extended Range

PFD Sensor is approximately ± 2 % and ± 5 % at solar zenith

angles of 45° and 75°, respectively.

Mean spectral response measurements of

six replicate Apogee SQ-600 series Extended

Range PFD Sensors. Spectral response

measurements were made at 10 nm

increments across a wavelength range of

300 to 1100 nm in a monochromator with

an attached electric light source. Measured

spectral data from each PFD sensor were

normalized by the measured spectral

response of the monochromator/electric

light combination, which was measured with

a spectroradiometer

AM-320 Saltwater Submersible

Sensor Wand

Apogee MQ series quantum meters are designed for spot-check measurements, and calculation of daily light

integral (DLI; total number of photons incident on a planar surface over the course of a day) through the built-in

logging feature. To accurately measure PFD incident on a horizontal surface, the sensor must be level. For this

purpose, each MQ model comes with a different option for mounting the sensor to a horizontal plane.

The AM-320 Saltwater Submersible Sensor Wand accessory incorporates a mounting fixture at the end of a 40

inch segmented fiberglass wand and is well-suited for saltwater use. The wand allows the user to place the sensor

in hard reach areas such as aquariums.

The AL-100 leveling plate is recommended

for use with the MQ-500. To facilitate

mounting to a cross arm, the AM-110

mounting bracket is recommended for use

with the AL-100. (AL-100 leveling plate

pictured)

MQ series quantum meters are designed with a user-friendly interface allowing quick and easy measurements.

To power the meter, slide the included battery (CR2320) into the battery holder, after removing the

battery door from the meter’s back panel. The positive side (designated by a “+” sign) should be facing out from

the meter circuit board.

Press the power button to activate the LCD display. After two minutes of non-activity the meter will revert

to sleep mode and the display will shut off to conserve battery life.

Press the mode button to access the main menu, where manual or automatic logging are selected, and

where the meter can be reset.

Press the sample button to log a reading while taking manual measurements.

Press the up button to make selections in the main menu. This button is also used to view and scroll

through the logged measurements on the LCD display.

Press the down button to make selections in the main menu. This button is also used to view and scroll

through the logged measurements on the LCD display.

Logging: To choose between manual or automatic logging, push the mode button once and use the up/down

buttons to make the appropriate selection (SMPL or LOG). Once the desired mode is blinking, press the mode

button two more times to exit the menu. When in SMPL mode press the sample button to record up to 99 manual

measurements (a counter in the upper right hand corner of the LCD display indicates the total number of saved

measurements). When in LOG mode the meter will power on/off to make a measurement every 30 seconds. Every

30 minutes the meter will average the sixty 30 second measurements and record the averaged value to memory.

The meter can store up to 99 averages and will start to overwrite the oldest measurement once there are 99

measurements. Every 48 averaged measurements (making a 24 hour period), the meter will also store an

integrated daily total in moles per meter squared per day (mol m-2 d-1).

The LCD display consists of the total number of logged

measurements in the upper right hand corner, the real-time

PPFD value in the center, and the selected menu options along

the bottom.

Reset: To reset the meter, in either SMPL or LOG mode, push the mode button three times (RUN should be

blinking), then while pressing the down button, press the mode button once. This will erase all of the saved

measurements in memory, but only for the selected mode. That is, performing a reset when in SMPL mode will

only erase the manual measurements and performing a reset when in LOG mode will only erase the automatic

measurements.

Review/Download Data: Each of the logged measurements in either SMPL or LOG mode can be reviewed on the

LCD display by pressing the up/down buttons. To exit and return to the real-time readings, press the sample

button. Note that the integrated daily total values are not accessible through the LCD and can only be viewed by

downloading to a computer.

Downloading the stored measurements will require the AC-100 communication cable and software (sold

separately). The meter outputs data using the UART protocol and requires the AC-100 to convert from UART to

USB, so standard USB cables will not work. Set up instructions and software can be downloaded from the Apogee

website (http://www.apogeeinstruments.com/ac-100-communcation-cable/).

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