YSI 6500 Environmental Process Monitor - Manual (Page 46)

SECTION 5 PROPER USE AND CARE OF THE 6500
SYSTEM
You are now ready to use your system to monitor the water quality of your stream by
simultaneously measuring key parameters such as temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity,
and pH. Within this section are tips, precautions and protocol for quality assurance.
5.1 DECIDING HOW TO USE YOUR MONITORING SYSTEM
VISUAL DISPLAY AND LOGGING CAPABILITY
In the simplest configuration, the 6500 environmental process monitoring system may be used as
a convenient, weatherproof visual display of parameters associated with your stream. Readings
can be taken at desired time intervals and manually recorded to a notebook. These readings can
be later transferred to a computer spreadsheet to help track process conditions, or use the data in
compliance reporting.
Two sondes, #6920 and #600XLM, have logging capability. These two sondes are able to store
recorded data into their memory, which then later can be downloaded into a PC or
Display/Logger. If the 6500 can not be connected to a system such as SCADA, data can still be
recorded using one of these two sondes. See the 6-Series Sonde Operations Manual for more
details.
ACTIVATING ALARMS
Alternatively, if you have the required equipment, you may choose to use one of the advanced
features of the 6500 system, relay activation. You can program set points for desired parameters
and use up to four relays to activate visual or audible warnings regarding parameters that have
fallen out of a specified range.
INTEGRATION WITH A SCADA
If you have a SCADA system or other data collection device, the 4-20 mA loop output feature
may be used to track real-time values of key parameters from the 6-Series Sonde even though the
monitor/sonde deployment site is hundreds of meters away. There are eight 4-20 channels,
allowing you to use more than one type of reporting unit for the four sensors available in the 6-
Series Sonde. For example, you may choose to monitor dissolved oxygen in % air saturation and
mg/L concentration along with temperature, conductivity, total dissolved solids, and pH.