Q&A about TR-81

Q1:Is there a battery life indicator on the LCD display?

When the battery power becomes low, a battery life warning signal will appear in the unit’s LCD display.

Q2:Is it possible to change the battery during recording?

Yes, it is possible but must be done within 30 seconds.

During the battery replacement, be sure not to press any buttons on the unit as it will cause unnecessary battery consumption.

Q3:Under what conditions can I get the expected battery life stated in the Specifications?

The specification applies when you use a new battery in the ambient temperature. Battery life is shortened in low temperature conditions.

For details of properties of batteries in low temperature, please contact the battery manufacturer.

Q4:What is the expected life of the TR-81 itself?

Except for the battery, there are no parts needing periodic replacement. However, if the unit is repeatedly used in both very cold and hot environments, the LCD operational life will be greatly shortened. You can expect a new unit to last about five years when used at normal temperatures.

Q5:I want to use the unit outdoors, is the unit waterproof, moistureproof and dustproof?

The TR-81 is not waterproof, moisture proof or dust proof. If you wish to use the unit outdoors or in areas where the unit may come into contact with moisture, water or excessive dust, it will be necessary to place the unit in a vinyl bag or wrap the unit in plastic wrap with a drying agent.

Q6:What is the temperature durability of the unit?

As stated in the specifications, the unit can be used within the range of -10 to +60°C.

Use in low or high temperatures out of this range may cause the display to be difficult to read, but recording will continue.

Please use in a humidity of 90%RH or less.

Q7:How much vibration can the unit handle while it is recording?

There is no problem using in a moving car, but directly affixing to a rolling chassis of truck driving off-road, for example, can cause recording malfunction.

If vibration causes the battery terminals to continually disconnect, power will temporarily go OFF causing the device to initialize and recorded data will be lost.

Q8:What is the sampling time?

See below for the sampling time for each channel :

Recording Interval :	Sampling Interval
1 sec. :	Measures every 1 second and records the average value of the measurement over the last 4 seconds.
2 sec. or longer :	Measures every 2 second and records the average value of the measurement over the last 8 seconds.

Q9:Is it possible to use the software to measure using real time communication?

One of the features is that the TR-81 itself records data, and therefore, real-time processing is not available for bundled software.

Real-time processing is possible, however, by writing your own software. Please contact your local distributor for the serial communications protocol specifications.

Q10:In the recorded data there appears to be unstable measurements here and there, what is happening?

If you download data to a PC when the TR-81 is recording data at a low battery level, measurement may be unstable. Pay attention to the service life of battery.

Q11:Is it possible to have continuous recording sessions so that for example the first session would measure and record point 1-100 and then the second session would measure and record points 101-300?

No. Recording always starts at one point. According to the specifications, when you push the start switch, recording begins after the previous data is cleared.

Q&A about "Hi for Windows" Software

Q1:I can not communicate with my computer using serial (RS-232C) communication, what should I do?

Check the TR-81

・Check to make sure that there is enough battery power and that the power of the main unit is ON.

・Check the connection between the computer and the unit. Communication will take place only through the serial port (RS-232C) and will not work through the printer port or any other port.

Check the Computer

・Make sure that the serial port settings are correct and that the port has not been rendered unusable by the settings. With some computers, especially all-in-one computers the serial port serves as the modem jack.

・Use the Device Manager to check whether the serial port can be used or not.

・Check to make sure that the serial port has not been rendered unusable by the BIOS setting.

・Sometimes communication will not work if a switch has been added to the serial port (RS-232C) or an extension cable has been added to the communication cable.

・If you have a computer with energy saving function settings, make sure that the serial port has not been turned off.

・If your desktop computer has two serial ports, try connecting the communication cable to the other port and try communicating again.

・Check to see if some other communication software is in use.

・If none of the above is the cause, there may be a malfunction or product failure. Please contact your local distributor.

Q2:I cannot download recorded data, what should I do?

・Check to make sure that there is stored recorded data in the unit. If there is no recorded data, downloading cannot occur Check the LCD display of the unit; if there is no data shown to be stored in the unit, downloading cannot be carried out.

If there is recorded data stored in the unit but data cannot be downloaded please see I can not communicate with my computer using serial (RS-232C) communication, what should I do?

Q3:The date and the time of the recorded data are different from the actual date and time. Why?

The unit has no internal clock. When you set up a programmed recording start or when you download data, the date and time shown are taken from your computer’s clock. If your computer’s clock is not correct, it will affect the recorded data.

Q4:Even with the magnification of the graph at 1x I still cannot view the entire graph, what should I do?

Check to see if the Vertical Axis Settings have been set to "Manual". If the setting has been set to "Manual" and the limit has been placed in the range, even with magnification at 1x you may not be able to view the entire graph.

Q5:Using Hi for Windows how many units worth of recorded data can I upload and view at the same time?

It is possible to upload and view up to four units of data with 2 channels of data from each unit.

Q6: Can I modify or correct recorded data measured by the TR-81?

It is possible to modify or make changes to the Channel Name and to Recording Start Date and Time, but you cannot modify the recorded data. In order to maintain the integrity and trustworthiness of the data, the software has been designed to not allow modifications to be carried out on actual recorded data.

Q7:How can I read the recorded data that I output in text file?

The software has been designed so as not to allow for the uploading of recorded data that has output in text file; this is to protect the integrity of the data.

Q8:Is it possible to delete excessive data?

Yes, first display only that data for the desired time period and then save that data by going to [File] - [Save Displayed Data]. Thereby you can save to a file only that data which you determine to be necessary.

Q9:If a reading exceeds the measurement range of the sensor, how does that recorded data appear?

Measurement range for the Pt100 sensor is from -200 to 600°C. When the measured value is out of this range, the display in the software will appear as follows:

Graph Display Area

The reading will appear at the maximum or minimum value for the measurement range.

In the Data List Display, Data List Printing, and Output as Text File

If the reading exceeds the measurement range, it will be shown as "Over". If the reading falls below the measurement range, it will be shown as "Under".

In the Calculation of Highest and Lowest Reading

If the reading exceeds the highest possible reading the High will be noted as "Over". If the reading falls below the lowest possible reading the Low will be noted as "Under".

In the Calculation of the Average Reading

If a reading exceeds the measurement range, the average value will be calculated using the maximum or minimum values for the measurement range for those measurements which exceed the range.

Q&A about Temperature Sensor

Q1:What is the thermal-hour constant for the temperature sensor?

It is a yardstick to show the response time of a sensor under Japan's JIS provisions (to show the time it takes to reach 63.2 percent of the difference between the temperature before a sensor is inserted into a product to be measuree and the temperature of a product).

Q2: What is Pt100?

It is aplatinum resistance thermometer sensor which is constructed to have a nominal electrical resistance at 0°C of 100ohm.