Mielta Katana Instruction manuelle
Fuel level sensor
«Katana»
Setup and Operation Manual
Hardware version 12
Software version 2.2.2
Configuration program version 2.1.0
Amended on 13.08.2021
Tambov 2022
Table of contents
1. Description 3
2. Specification 4
2.1 Power supply 4
2.2 Frequency output 5
2.3 RS485 interface 5
3 Installation and Connection 7
4 Configuartion of the sensor 11
4.1 Connection to the sensor 12
4.2 Calibration 13
4.3 Taring 14
4.4 Other settings 15
5. Transportation and storage 18
6. Warranty terms 18
7. Package contents 18
2
1. Description
Fuel Level Sensor (FLS) Katana MIELTA is designed to measure the level of light
petroleum hydrocarbons (diesel fuel, gasoline, kerosene, etc.) in containers for various
purposes. Sensor can be installed both on stationary objects, and on vehicles and railway
transport.
Sensor uses the linear capacitor capacitance measuring method. Capacitance value
depends on the level of dipping into the dielectric liquid.
The sensor is made in a durable plastic housing with IP68 protection, equipped with
a flexible cable and a sealed connector. The sensor mounts in a hole in a container (tank)
and has a flange for mounting with screws.
3
2. Specification
Table 1.
Supply voltage
8 – 55 V
Average power consumption
0,5 W
Measurement period
1 sec
Average interval
1-60 sec
Relative level measurement error over the entire
range
1%
Frequency output: maximum frequency range
30-2047 Hz
Frequency output discreteness
1 Hz
Frequency output pull-up to the power supply
3.3 В, 470 kOhm
Frequency output current limitation
0,1 А
RS485 baud
9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200
baud, 8n1
Measurement part length
990 mm
Cable length
0,7 m
Mounting kit cable length
7 m
Operating temperature
-40..+80 °С
Housing Ingress Protection
IP68
Sensor dimensions
82 х 86 х 1015 mm
2.1 Power supply
FLS is designed to work in the on-board power with a nominal voltage of 12 or 24
volts, has a reverse-polarity protection, over-voltage protection and a self-repairing fuse. A
wide range of operating voltage allows the sensor to work stably even in abnormal situations
- when the voltage is low up to 8 V or raised above the norm up to 55 V.
If the supply voltage exceeds 55 V, a protective diode and a self-repairing fuse in the
FLS circuit is triggered, and the sensor power is turned off. After reducing the supply voltage
level to the operating (normal) range, the sensor restores its operability.
2.2 Frequency output
The sensor`s frequency output is designed to transmit the data in a discrete signal
form of variable frequency and a 50% duty cycle. The positive signal potential is provided by
a pull-up to the sensor supply via resistor. The negative potential is formed by a transistor,
operating in a common-emitter circuit. The frequency output maximum current is limited to
100 mA. When the maximum current limit is exceeded, the high-speed protection is
triggered and deactivates the output. When the current is reduced to an acceptable value,
the frequency output continues to function.
The lower value of the output frequency is 30 Hz. The upper value is set
programmatically in the range of 500-2048 Hz.
If an error occurs, the sensor sets the frequency corresponding to the error code (see
Table 2). The error is also duplicated over the digital protocol.
Table 2.
4
Freq., Hz
Error code
Error description
20
20
Level is less than the minimum at calibration
Max +50
5000
The level is higher than the maximum at
calibration
Max +100
6000
Exceeding the measurement limits, short circuit
of the measuring system
If it is necessary to match the frequency output to a voltage level lower than the
sensor supply voltage, it is necessary to turn-off the inbuilt pull-up and use an external
pull-up resistor. The nominal value of the resistor is selected in such a way that, when
short-circuited to ground, it provides a current in the range of 5-10 mA (for example, a
resistor from 1200 to 2400 ohms is needed for 12V).
When connecting the sensor to the data reading system (tracker), it is necessary to
combine potentials (connection of negative power wires).
2.3 RS485 interface
The digital interface RS485 is made according to the international standard ANSI
EIA/TIA-485-A. The data is transmitted using a protocol developed by MIELTA, which is
compatible with the LLC protocol for receiving fuel level data.
The digital interface is designed to receive telemetric data from the sensor, configure
parameters and update the firmware. It is used to connect to a monitoring system or a
personal computer (PC) using a USB-RS485 adapter. To work with a PC, a configurator
program is used, which implements all possible functions of the sensor.
The RS485 interface allows you to connect several sensors to one terminal port (Pic.
1, 2). All MIELTA satellite terminals support the connection of up to 8 any sensors or
peripherals on the RS485 bus.
Picture No 1. Type "star" connection scheme.
5
When connecting several sensors at a distance less than 20 m from a tracker, the
"star" scheme is recommended. This scheme does not require additional terminal
resistors..
Picture No 2. Type "bus" connection scheme.
The "bus" scheme connection is used to connect several sensors at distances up to
100 m. In this case, an external termination resistor of 120 ohms 0.25 W is required, which is
connected at the location of the most remote sensor from the terminal.
If the length of the bus is more than 20 meters, it is recommended to use a shielded
twisted-pair. The cable shield is connected only from one side to the «-» terminal's contact
("-" supply). The connection of the cable shield to the sensor's «-» is not required. The
terminal and sensor power supplies must have a common «-» potential.
Before connecting several sensors to the common bus, it is necessary to configure
each of them individually. All devices on the bus are assigned a unique addresses.Then for
each sensor set the address, the transmission rate and the type of data requested (level,
output frequency or temperature) in tracker.
The digital value "level" is in the range 30 - 4095. Values of 20, 5000 and 6000 are
error codes in the sensor operation (Table 2). The digital value "frequency" is the frequency
formed at the sensor frequency output, the upper value of which is programmed (see
"Frequency output" section). The value "temperature" reflects the actual temperature in the
sensor housing.
3 Installation and Connection
The sensor is mounted at the top of the fuel tank and opposite to the lowest point of
the bottom of the tank. The surface for mounting the sensor must be horizontal and selected
with regard to the availability and ease of installation.
6
Picture No 3. Mounting dimensions of FLS.
The central hole has a Ø25 mm diameter (Pic. 3). The mounting holes diameter is
chosen based on the material of the fuel tank and the fixation method. Self-tapping screws
are used to fix the sensor. When the sensor is mounted on a metal tank, It is drilled 4 holes
with a diameter of 4-4.5 mm or It is used screws with a drill. When the sensor is installed in a
plastic tank, It is drilled 4 holes with a diameter of 3 mm and it is used self-tapping screws
without a drill.
7
Picture No 4.Dimension of FLS.
Installation procedures:
1. Select a location for installation, clean it of contamination.
2. Mark the holes according to the template, drill and remove the sawdust.
3. Measure the depth of the tank from the bottom to the mounting surface.
4. Measure the sensor length from the mounting flange 20 mm shorter than
the measured depth of the fuel tank.
5. Saw off the tube and the central electrode, clean off the burrs, put the remote
insulator into the end of the measuring tube.
6. Calibrate the sensor (section 4.2).
7. Clean and degrease the mounting surface of the fuel tank. Apply sealant to the
surface, glue a rubber gasket. Apply a sealant to the rubber gasket and install the
sensor.
8. Fixate the sensors with screws.
9. Connect the cable connector.
10. Seal the sensor mounting and connector.
If necessary, to avoid obstacles in tanks of complex shape, the measuring tube of the
sensor can be bent. Bending is performed by using specialized pipe bends with a bending
radius of at least 250 mm. The bend angle should not exceed 15 degrees. (Picture 5).
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The operations sequence during bending:
1. Disconnect sensor from the power supply;
2. Calculate the location of the fold, mark it on
the sensor tube;
3. Place the sensor tube in the pipe bend with a
mark in the middle;
4. Connect the measuring device (multimeter)
in the continuity mode with probes to the
tube and the central electrode, respectively;
5. Bend the tube until the required angle is
reached, preventing the closure of the central
electrode and tube;
6. If there is an electrical shortage of the central
electrode and tube, it is necessary to reduce
the angle of the bend by applying force to the
folding position on the reverse side, until the
central electrode from the tube insulation
guaranteed;
7. Cut the pipe to the required length.
8. Calibrate, install and taring the sensor.
If necessary, the sensor tube can be
bent in two or more places to give it a complex
shape.
Please, note that the tube, after bending, loses its symmetry and linearity, which
directly affects the sensor readings. A sensor without taring can have non-linear distortions
in the readings at different levels. During sensor`s taring, it is recommended to do more
measurement points (30-50 points per meter) to compensate for nonlinearity.
Table 3.
№ Pin
Wire color
Purpose
1
Red
Plus power (“+”)
2
Black
Minus supply (“-“) (GROUND)
3
Yellow
RS485-A
4
Blue
RS485-B
5
White
Frequency output
6
-
-
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Рисунок 6. Нумерация контактов в разъеме
жгута.
Рисунок 7. Нумерация контактов в
разъеме ДУТ.
●All electrical connections must be soldered or crimped. Seal the joints using a
heat-shrinkable adhesive tube.
4 Configuartion of the sensor
To configure the Sensor use the configurator program. Viewing Sensor information is
available without limitations, and to change the settings is required a password. By default,
the manufacturer sets the password «0000».
Picture 8. Main window of the configuration program
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Table des matières
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