Please see our User Guides for full technical support

Operational
Are the sensors CE certified?
Yes
Do the sensors require calibration?
No, none of our sensors require any calibration, all units are calibration-free
Do your sensors suffer from reference drift?
No, our ground-breaking technology negates this common issue
Does the sensor suffer from biofouling?
During the 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
What salinity range does the sensor work over?
The OC and AQ sensors work throughout the entire salinity range – from 0.05 ppt to 40 ppt without the need to recalibrate
What is the measurement frequency?
The sensor’s fastest measurement rate is 17 secs
Can the frequency of measurement be user configured?
Yes, a user can fully configure the timing of operation and the units sample rate
When in continuous mode using a single scan command, how frequently will a sample be taken?
This is dependant on the scan command used, but will take between 1.5-3.5 mins for the first measurement as the sensor conducts the reference checks to provide the calibration-free measurement and then there will be a measurement every 17-25 secs thereafter
Can the sensors start measuring automatically?
Yes, set on user programmable timer or when immersed in water
What is the maintenance frequency?
The OC and AQ sensors have been designed so they are very low maintenance – no calibration! The only maintenance that is required is an abrasion of the surface of the transducer after around 15,000 measurements. A video on transducer abrasion can be found here
How long will the transducer last?
The transducer will require replacing after c.300,000 measurements
Do I need to send the unit back for replacement of the transducer?
No, the sensors have been designed for minimal maintenance and simplicity of operation, the transducer is easy to replace in the field
How do I know when the transducer requires service or replacement?
Our sensors are intelligent devices, constantly checking themselves, and will notify operators when maintenance or replacement is required with a Health Number. More information on this can be found here
Do you have a video to show how the transducer is replaced?
Yes, this can be found here
Are there any special storage conditions?
No, the sensor can be stored wet or dry, setting itself apart from today’s glass electrode technology
If deployed on a buoy or AUV/ROV, how do I retrieve the data?
Data can be streamed through 232/485 comms using either Modbus or a simple user-controlled interface via a terminal program
If deployed on a stand-alone battery system, how do I retrieve the data?
Data is stored internally with our sensors to an integrated SD card capable of saving >15 million measurements of pH, temperature and conductivity. All data can simply be downloaded when the sensor is retrieved or accessed via a communications medium
What depth can your sensors operate to?
All our sensors are pressure tested to 2x stated depths range, our maximum unit is currently 1250m, however, we are looking to deploy a 3000m unit in the near future
Do you have specific sensors for fresh and saltwater use?
No, all our sensors can operate in either environment. This is user specific by choice of scan command. ScanO 2.5-40ppt and ScanF 0.05-2.5ppt
Are your sensors suitable for use in aquaculture?
Yes, our AQ5 sensors have been developed for use in RAS and well boat deployments, and the AQ50 for deeper offshore facilities
How long does a typical sensor deployment take for installation and programming
The sensor is easily configurable and is delivered with the transducer installed. The sensor is configured to continuous monitoring on delivery and can be custom configured and ready to go within minutes of power-up
Can the sensor be used for profiling?
Currently, the fastest sampling is 17 secs however ANB is working internally to speed this up
Does the sensor have onboard storage?
Yes, the sensors are fitted with an integral 8GB memory card allowing in excess of 15 million data points to be collected
Can you demonstrate the accuracy of the sensor compared to a conventional glass sensor?
Please review our Trials page
Will the sensors cope in high alkaline solutions?
Please contact us to discuss your requirement in detail
Can the sensors be used in human/animal/fish sludge?
Please contact us to discuss your requirement in detail
How do the sensors perform in continental waters with low conductivity?
The sensor works to 100uS and no issues are seen as our sensors generate a peroxide, not a chlorate or chloride solution for anti-biofouling
Can the speed of sensing be improved on the current 17 secs?
Yes, we are actively working on this and expect sense times to decrease to c.8 secs
Will conductivity/salinity remain calibration-free?
Our aim is to achieve this, although on first release we may have a one time setup conductivity/salinity calibration on out of box operation
How will the sensors manage deployments in tidal areas where salinity levels exceed our ScanO & ScanF thresholds?
Here we recommend a selection of ScanO unless very low salinity levels are seen. However, in the coming months, we will be releasing new firmware that is more dynamic and the sensors will auto-tune their parameters for conductivity
Technical
How is the sensor powered?
The OC and AQ sensors require external power taking anything from 5 to 42VDC
How do we communicate with the sensor? 
Communication is through RS232 or RS485 and the sensor can be operated by either Modbus protocols or a terminal program
When do I need to use a DTU (data transfer unit)
The DTU allows the sensors to be easily configured on a PC with power supplied to the sensor through the USB port of the computer and is perfect for quickly setting up and testing the sensor for lab trials and for setting the sensor up for remote deployments where there is no communication to the sensor possible. The DTU comes as a standard for the OC ranges and can be purchased as an optional extra for the AQ range
How far can the sensor be installed from a DTU?
15m as standard RS232 communication protocols, however, greater distances can be reached using suitable cabling
Can I use one DTU to configure multiple sensors?
Yes, although to run multiple sensors at one time you will need multiple DTUs
What is the power consumption of the sensor?
In operation, the sensor consumes 100 mA. In sleep mode, the sensor draws less than 60 mA, or can be powered off completely when not monitoring
What are the supported baud rates?
When your sensor arrives, it will be set at 57600, however, the user can easily change the baud rate from 115200 to any one of: 56000, 38400, 28800, 19200, 14400 and 9600
What are the details on the sensor pinout/connector?
The pin-out information can be found in the user guide
Can the sensor pinout/connector be altered for my application?
ANB provides a standard 6-pin SubConn connector as standard for the OC300 and OC1250 sensors using the pin-out information provided on its website. However, we can tailor pin-outs and connectors to your choice. Please contact us for further details
Can the sensors be battery-powered?
Yes, we have provided many units with battery packs. Please see here for further details
Can the sensors be connected to data transmission mediums such as GSM for remote data retrieval
Yes, our units communicate via RS232 or RS485 and can be used with standard GSM and free space communication networks
Do the sensors have an analogue output?
Currently the sensors have a digital output (RS232/485), we are currently working to implement an analogue output
Can one PC communicate with more than one sensor simultaneously?
Yes multiple DTU’s can be connected to a PC via different comms ports and running windows terminal
Do you have your own GUI for sensor control/interaction?
Yes. This is available for free download here
Do I need a DTU to upgrade the firmware?
No, as long as you have RS232/RS485 comms, you can upgrade the firmware
Integration
Can the sensor be integrated?
The OC and AQ integration kit allows for easy integration into any bespoke system.  Drawings and step files of the integration kit can be found here
Can we license the technology?
ANB are open to licensing their electronics designs and firmware for integrators to incorporate the control electronics into their systems. Please contact us for more information
Can the sensor be mounted on AUVs/ROV’s?
Yes, due to the small form factor and rugged designs our sensors are ideal for mounting to any AUV/ROV device, we also have our iKIT available for bespoke integration requirements
Can the sensors be fitted to buoys and flotation devices?
Yes, due to the small form factor and low power consumption, our sensors are ideal for mounting to any buoy or flotation device