RBR RBRquartz3 Q User manual
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INSTRUMENT GUIDE
Q
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Table of contents
1
RBRquartz³ Q........................................................................................................ 3
2 Specifications....................................................................................................... 4
3 Hardware.............................................................................................................. 6
3.1 Opening and closing the instrument ...............................................................6
3.2
RBRquartz³ Q interface .....................................................................................7
3.3 Orientation and datum location ......................................................................9
3.4 Twist activation...............................................................................................10
3.5 Wi-Fi module ...................................................................................................11
4 General maintenance ........................................................................................ 13
4.1 Support kit.......................................................................................................13
4.2 Replacing the O-ring .......................................................................................14
4.3 Replacing the batteries...................................................................................15
4.4 Replacing the desiccant capsules ..................................................................16
4.5 Cables and connectors ...................................................................................18
4.6 Cleaning the instrument.................................................................................19
4.7 Calibrating the instrument .............................................................................19
5 Pressure sensor maintenance ........................................................................... 20
5.1 Removing the antifouling mesh assembly.....................................................20
5.2 Filling the syringe and de-gassing the buffer oil............................................21
5.3 Cleaning the buffer tube.................................................................................22
5.4 Refilling the buffer oil......................................................................................23
6 External pressure adaptor................................................................................. 26
7
Repairs ................................................................................................................ 27
8
Revision history.................................................................................................. 28
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1 RBRquartz³ Q
The RBRquartz3Q integrates the Paroscientific Digiquartz® pressure sensor forbest-in-classaccuracy and low drift
performance.
Intended for long-term autonomous or realtime observations of water level, tides and waves, the RBRquartz3Q can
resolve small changes over long deployments.Flexible measurement schedules and burst sampling permit
applications for tide, wave, and sea level measurements. The RBRquartz3Q has a large memory capacity, sufficient
power for extended deployments, and USB-C or Wi-Fi download for large data files.
RBRquartz3Q
The RBRquartz3Q features:
High accuracy
Internal USB-C connector
Large memory
Quartz stability
For a detailed description of wave and tide measurements, seeRuskin User Guide: Standard Instruments3.
Temperature
sensor
Pressure
sensor
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2 Specifications
Instrument
Specification Description
Storage 240 million readings
Power 8 AA-type cells
External power 4.5 to 30V
Communications Internal: USB-C; external: USB and RS-232/RS-485
Clock drift ±60 seconds/year
Depth rating Up to 260m
Housing Plastic
Diameter 100mm
Length ~510mm (with standard end-cap)
~570mm (with connectorised end-cap)
~500mm (with right-angle connectorised end-cap)
Weight(with batteries) 2.3kgin air, -0.25kgin water
.
Temperature
Specification Description
Range -5 to 35°C *
Initial accuracy ±0.002°C
Resolution 0.00005°C
Typical stability ±0.002°C/year
Time constant <30s (embedded)
*A wider temperature range is available upon request. ContactRBR for more information.
.
Pressure
Specification Description
Range 20 / 55 / 125 / 190 / 260dbar
Initial accuracy ±0.01% full scale
Resolution 100ppb (at 1Hz sampling rate)
.
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Accelerometer
Specification Description
Range ±3g
Resolution <100ng
.
Power supply selection
If connected, an external power supply will be used preferentially over the internal batteriesas long as the voltage
remains 4.5V or greater. If it drops below 4.5V or complete disconnection occurs, the system automatically switches to
the internal batteries.
Clock
The instrument clock is maintained during brief disconnections. This time is usually sufficient to change batteries. If the
clock is lost, the time will revert to January 2000. In this case, check the power supply and synchronise with the
computer again.
USB-C power
The USB-C cable provides power sufficient for configuration or data download. However, the instrument requires an
internal or external power supply to perform sampling.
.
Deployment estimates (with lithium thionyl chloride cells) .
Speed Burst samples Interval Time # of samples
16Hz - Continuous ~58 days ~79.5 million
4Hz 4096 120min ~400 days ~19.5 million
1s 60 30min ~4 years ~4.5 million
.
External MCBH-6-MP connector pinout
Pin No. USB RS-232 RS-485
1Ground
2 Power +4.5 to +30V
3 N/C From the
instrument (Tx) From the
instrument (Tx-)
4 +5V Into the
instrument (Rx) Into the
instrument (Rx+)
5 D- N/C Into the
instrument (Rx-)
6 D+ N/C From the
instrument (Tx+)
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1.
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3.
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3.
3 Hardware
3.1 Opening and closing the instrument
.
Opening theinstrumentwith a standard end-cap
Twist the battery end-cap counterclockwise.
Once fully unscrewed, pull the end-cap away from
the housing.
.
Closing the instrument with a standard end-cap
Place the end-cap back on the instrument until
almost fully closed.
Twist the end-cap clockwise until aligned with
PAUSE. Openinstrument with a standard end-cap
Opening theinstrumentwith a connectorised end-cap
Twist the battery end-cap counterclockwise.
Once fully unscrewed, pull the end-cap away from
the housing.
Unplug the umbilical cable.
.
Closing the instrument with a connectorised end-cap
Plug the mini-display port connector into the
instrument as shown.
Twist the end-cap counterclockwise two full
rotations to unwind the umbilical cable.
Twist the end-cap clockwise back on the
instrument until aligned with PAUSE.
Open instrumentwith a connectorised end-cap
Remember to keep the O-ring clean and avoid scratching the O-ring mating surfaces. Carefully inspect the O-
ringbefore deploying the instrument.
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3.2 RBRquartz³ Q interface
The RBRquartz³ Q instrument provides an internal USB-C port and, depending on the end-cap type, an
externalMCBH-6-MP connector.
.
.
USB-C connection
Remove the battery end-cap to access the USB-C port located inside the instrument body.
A USB-C desktop cable is supplied in the instrument support kit. Use this cable to download data from the instrument
to your computer.
Mini-display port
The mini-display port is located next to the USB-C port. This is the port to use for the umbilical cable from the
connectorised end-cap.
Refer to Opening and closing the instrument for details on accessing connection ports.
Refer to Specifications for the external MCBH-6-MP connector pinout diagram.
Mini-display port USB-C port
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End-cap types
RBR standard instruments are compatible with three different end-caps. These end-caps are interchangeable between
instruments.
MCBH connector
.
Patch cables and underwater extension cables are sold separately. See RBR Cable Guide for details.
.
MCBH connectors
Only connectorised battery end-caps have the external MCBH-6-MP connector. Depending on your needs, they may be
wired to support the USB, RS-232, or RS-485 communication (selected at the time of order).
Connectorised end-cap Right-angle connectorised end-cap
Standard end-cap
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3.3 Orientation and datum location
Vertical deployment (recommended)
RBR performs an offset adjustment with the pressure sensor facing downwards, as shown in the first image. It is
recommended to deploy the instrument vertically to match the way it was calibrated.
When deployed vertically, the datum for the pressure measurements for the RBRquartz³ Q is located at the centre of the
pressure sensor port, at the lowest surface of the instrument.
.
..
Recommended orientation:
sensors facing down
Datum location
Horizontal deployment
It is acceptable to deploy the RBRquartz³ Q horizontally if necessary. Note that, with the instrument on its side, there
will be a significant change to the datum due to the internal head values. Assess the correct offset to your preferred
datum point before deployment.
Avoid deploying the instrument vertically with the sensor facing up! Such orientation will affect performance
of the pressure sensor due to increased build-up of sediment.
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3.4 Twist activation
All RBR Generation3standard instruments are equipped with twist activation as a standard feature. SeeRuskin User
Guide: Standard Instruments3.
Sampling
Twist activation allows you to start or pause the instrument without the need to connect to a computer.
When you select "Twist activation" in Ruskin, the instrument starts to sample based on the twist PAUSE/RUN position
rather than a schedule. To start sampling, first click "Enable" in Ruskin to enable logging. The status will then become
"Paused". Turn the battery end-cap to the RUN position. Theinstrument will vibrate with one long pulse and start
sampling. To pause it, turn the battery end-cap to the PAUSE position. Theinstrument will vibrate with three short
pulses to indicate it has paused logging.
.
Twist activation mode
Left: PAUSE, right: RUN
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Wi-Fi
Twist activation allows you to connect to the instrument over the Wi-Fi when using a mobile device.
See Wi-Fi module for details.
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