The sensor always measures pH and temperature. It also measures salinity and conductivity, but only when operating in waters with salinity levels below 7 ppt (parts per thousand). Above 7 ppt the salinity and conductivity output will be 99.99.
No, our ground-breaking technology negates this common issue.
Yes, all our sensors are CE certified.
Yes, our sensors are fitted with an integral 8 GB memory card allowing in excess of 15 million data points to be collected.
During measurement, a low concentration of biocide is produced locally to the transducer. Extensive testing has shown that this is enough to keep the transducer clean — another factor that sets these sensors apart from other water quality sensors.
Our sensors measure pH in waters from 0.1 ppt to 40 ppt salinity, without the need to recalibrate.
In continuous mode, the first measurement takes 4 minutes as the sensor performs reference checks to ensure a calibration-free reading. After that, measurements are output every 5 seconds.
Yes, a user can fully configure the timing of operation and the measurement rate, from continuous or on an interval between 10 minutes and 240 minutes.
Yes — set on a user-programmable timer or triggered automatically when immersed in water.
Our sensor has been designed to be very low maintenance — no calibration required. The only maintenance needed is an abrasion of the transducer surface. How often this is required depends on your measurement frequency. The sensor outputs a health number which tells you when abrasion is needed. A video on transducer abrasion can be found in the documentation.
The transducer will require replacing after approximately 300,000 measurements. The transducer health number tells you when the transducer requires abrading and replacing.
No. Our sensor has been designed for minimal maintenance and simplicity of operation — the transducer is easy to replace in the field.
Our sensor is an intelligent device, constantly checking itself, and will notify operators when maintenance or replacement is required via a Health Number. More information can be found in the documentation.
No. Our sensor can be stored wet or dry, setting it apart from today's glass electrode technology.
Data can be streamed through RS232/RS485 communications using either Modbus or our utils terminal program.
Data is stored internally on an integrated SD card capable of saving over 15 million measurements of pH, temperature and conductivity. All data can be downloaded when the sensor is retrieved or accessed via a communications medium.
All our sensors are pressure tested to 1.5x their stated depth rating. Our current maximum depth unit is 1250 m.
No — all our sensors can operate in either environment.
Our sensor is easily configurable and delivered with the transducer installed. The sensor is custom configured at the factory and ready to go within minutes of power-up.
Our sensor has a profiling mode which reduces averaging in the sensor to capture dynamic changes faster, with a current accuracy of ±0.2 pH unit.
The immersion sensor checks whether the sensor is submerged in water. If the sensor is not immersed, it will stop measurement and set the Transducer Health status to 4. In Continuous Mode, the sensor will wait for 5 minutes before checking again. In Interval Delay Mode, the sensor will wait for the configured interval delay before rechecking. Measurement will automatically resume once immersion is detected.
Technical FAQs
The sensor requires external power taking anything from 6 to 42 VDC.
Yes, we have provided many units with battery packs. Please see the AQ² Accessories page for further details.
During operation, the sensor consumes 90 mA @ 12 V DC. In sleep mode, current draw is reduced to below 60 mA @ 12 V DC. A low-power version is available, with power consumption of <40 mA at 12 V DC during operation and <1 mA at 12 V DC when idle. The sensor can be powered off completely when not monitoring.
Communication is through RS-232 or RS-485 and the sensor can be operated using either Modbus protocols or a terminal program.
The DTU enables easy configuration of the sensor via a PC, with power supplied directly through the computer's USB port. It is ideal for quickly setting up and testing the sensor in laboratory trials, as well as preparing the sensor for remote deployments where direct communication is not possible.
15 m is standard for RS-232 communication protocols, however greater distances can be reached using suitable cabling.
Yes, you can configure multiple sensors sequentially through a single DTU. However, if you want to operate multiple sensors simultaneously, you will need multiple DTUs.
Our default baud rate is 57600. This is user configurable, with supported baud rates of 115200, 57600, 56000, 38400, 28800, 19200, 14400, and 9600.
The pin-out information can be found in the user guide.
Yes, we can tailor pin-outs and connectors to your requirements. Please contact us for further details.
Yes, our units communicate via RS-232 or RS-485 and can be used with standard GSM and free-space communication networks.
Yes, we supply a DTU-A (Analogue Signal Unit) to allow for analogue output. See the Analogue Signal Unit for details.
Yes, multiple DTUs can be connected to a PC via different COM ports running Windows Terminal.
Yes, this is available for free download from the documentation section.
No — as long as you have RS-232/RS-485 comms, you can upgrade the firmware directly.
Integration FAQs
The Integration Kit allows for easy integration into any bespoke system. Drawings and step files of the integration kit can be found in the documentation.
We are open to licensing our electronics designs and firmware for integrators to incorporate the control electronics into their systems. Please contact us for more information.
Yes. Due to the small form factor and rugged design, our sensors are ideal for mounting to any AUV or ROV. We also have our Integration Kit available for bespoke integration requirements.
Yes. Due to the small form factor and low power consumption, our sensors are ideal for mounting to any buoy or flotation device.
We will be very happy to help. Please contact us for integration support.
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