RF515 Multi-Parameter Wireless Transmitter

Part No: RF515 (3372996)

We will be obsoleting RF500 system at the end of 2022. Find out more information, including the last order date and FAQs.

Use the RF515 Multi-Parameter Wireless Transmitter in wide ranging applications to automate monitoring of parameters such as pressure, gas, flow, level, dissolved oxygen, CO2 and many more.

  • LCD Screen for Local Display
  • Current Measurement Range: 4-20mA
  • Voltage Measurement Range: 0-1V / 0-10V
  • Warranty: 2 Years

RF515 Overview

Multi-Parameter Wireless Transmitter

Use the RF515 Multi-Parameter Wireless Transmitter in wide ranging applications to automate monitoring of parameters such as pressure, gas, flow, level, dissolved oxygen, CO2 and many more.

With inputs of current and voltage, the Comark RF515 transmitter can be easily connected to a control loop and programmed to measure an extensive range of parameters.

This Product cannot be used without the RF515 Adapter.

As part of an RF500 Wireless Monitoring System, the transmitter caters for applications from manufacturing, food and beverage production, power generation, chemical and gas industries.

  • LCD screen for local display at point of measurement
  • LEDs allow checks of active/alarm indication in situ
  • Selectable scales
  • BioCote Antimicrobial Protection to inhibit growth of bacteria, mould and fungi providing an extra line of defence in high-risk environments
  • High Gain Antenna available

 


Battery Change Process

To change the battery in your RF515 Temperature Transmitter simply follow the following steps:

 

  • Turn the power off to any Sensor Connected to the RF515
  • Disconnect the Sensor from the Transmitter
  • Undo the battery cover and remove the Lithium C battery
  • Wait for the screen to go off completely
  • Insert the new RFBATT and re-fit the battery cover
  • Reconnect the Sensor to the Transmitter
  • Reconnect the power to the Sensor
  • The RF515 Temperature Transmitter should re-connect to the Gateway automatically
  • Dispose of the old battery safely – Note Lithium Batteries should not be disposed of in General Waste

 

Technical Specifications

NameValue
System Accuracy with RF515A at 23°C0.3% of reading
Resolution @ 0-10V1mV
Resolution @ 0-1V0.1mV
Resolution @ 4-20mA1µA
Operating Temperature Range-30°C to + 70°C / -22°F to 158°F
Storage Temperature Range-40°C to +85°C / -40°F to 185°F
RF Frequency2.4GHz using IEEE 802.15.4
Standard AntennaExternal, removable, Omni directional with pivot. Length: 90mm from pivot
High-Gain Antenna (Optional)Length: 235mm from pivot
Radio RangeTypically 50 metres indoors
Clock Accuracy20ppm (1 minute/month) at 25°C
Logging Memory32000 records
Logging FrequencyProgrammable between 1 minute and 60 minutes
Monitoring Frequency1 Minute
LEDsRed - Warning / Green - Active
Case MaterialOver Moulded food safe clear Polycarbonate with BioCote® antimicrobial
Environmental ProtectionCase enclosure designed to meet IP67 BS EN 60529
Battery TypeReplaceable Lithium 'C' Cell Saft LSH14 Light
Battery LifeUp to 3 years
DimensionsL 84mm x W 107mm x D34mm
Weight270g
Channels2 Channels
Measurement Range - Generic Current4-20mA
Measurement Range - Generic Voltage0-1V / 0-10V
EMCETSI EN 301489-1 v 1.71 (2006-7)
Warranty2 Years

*You will need to Sign In to view additional content

Documentation

Downloads

 NameVersionSizeDate
RF515 Transmitter Firmware3.0.028.09 KB4th December 2014

Articles / FAQs

Name Date
How do I perform a Task and Data Retrieve?

How do I perform a Task and Data Retrieve?

A ‘Task and Data Retrieve’ command is usually requested when there is a reason for a GAP to have appeared in the Data. This can be as a result of re-building your Gateway from a recent Manual Backup, for example.

The ‘Task and Data Retrieve’ command will attempt to recover all data from the Transmitter, including Task information and all alarms occurring for the period in question. Please note however, that during the retrieve process all historic alarms will re-occur on the Gateway and will need to be acknowledged in the normal way. It is therefore recommended that you inform other users that Alarm E-mails will be resent during the process.

The process itself can take several hours to complete, depending on the amount of data being retrieved, however the Transmitter will continue to log normally during this period, but new alarms will not be sent until the old data is up to date.

Once the process is complete you will have a ‘Retrieved Task’ on your Gateway in the Transmitter Task History and the data pertaining to that Task. A new data period will be started when all the data has been recovered.

To complete the Task and Data Retrieve navigate to the Transmitter Summary from the Home Page and click on the Serial No, top right hand corner of the screen. Then click Edit. From there tick the the box ‘Retrieve Task & Data’, enter your password into the box in the top bar and click Edit to finish.


Note: When completing Task and Data Retrieve it is important to be congnisant of the number of transmitters and also the relative mix of Meshing Transmitters vs Battery Only Transmitters. In either case though, it is important to start with the meshing units as these are always on and while they are completing their Task and Data Retrieve the responsiveness of the whole system can be compromised. So, identify the Meshing units and complete Task and Data Retrieve on these first. During this process the other Transmitters in the system will continue to log normally. When the meshing units are complete then you can start to batch up the rest of the battery only units. Irrespective of the remaining number of transmitters it is advised to complete the process Location by Location and if more than 5 transmitters in any single location, only complete the task on 5 at a time. if in any doubt contact technical support for advice’


24th March 2015
Why did my Transmitter start a new data period?

Why did my Transmitter start a new data period?

New periods are usually created for the following reasons:

  • Transmitter Clock Change
  • Transmitter Battery Change
  • Completion of Transmitter Task and Data Retrieve

On completion of any of the above your Transmitters will start a new period of data. Typically no data will be lost during this process.

If however, your Transmitter is automatically creating multiple periods it could be faulty. We would suggest that you re-task the Transmitter in question initially to see if this helps.

To re-task a Transmitter, simply log on to the Gateway, locate the relevant Transmitter on the Homepage and click on the Summary Graph. Once on the ‘Summary’ page, click the ‘Task’ icon. You should double-check the settings for the task, before clicking on ‘Program Task’ (or ‘Program’).

Please allow up to half an hour for the Task to be successfully sent to the Transmitter, assuming a 15 minute radio rate. If required, you can speed the process up by ‘provoking’ the Transmitter using an RF525 Transmitter Activator.

If the Transmitter in question is an RF516 PT100 Wireless Temperature Transmitter we would recommend that you ensure that the firmware version of the device is version 2.4.2 or higher.

Should the problem continue, then please contact us so that we can look into the issue further for you.

Returned Transmitters not logging (Unknown Task/Period)

Returned Transmitters not logging (Unknown Task/Period)

On occasion we have seen that RF500 System Transmitters that have been returned to a Customer after having been calibrated off-site, are not logging as expected and are showing an unknown task or period.

To resolve this issue you will simply need to re-task the Transmitter in question, to your specification.

Unfortunately, if your Transmitter hasn’t sent any data since going into the error state, then that data will be lost when the unit is re-tasked.

To re-task a Transmitter, simply log on to the Gateway, locate the relevant Transmitter on the Homepage and click on the Summary Graph. Once on the ‘Summary’ page, click the ‘Task’ icon. You should double-check the settings for the task, before clicking on ‘Program Task’ (or ‘Program’).

Please allow up to half an hour for the Task to be successfully sent to the Transmitter, assuming a 15 minute radio rate. If required, you can speed the process up by ‘provoking’ the Transmitter using an RF525 Transmitter Activator.

 

Transmitter showing Data Readings that are not representative of environment

Transmitter showing Data Readings that are not representative of environment

If your RF500 System Transmitter is recording and showing data readings that are erroneous and which are not related to the environment where they are measuring the temperature i.e. 56⁰C in a fridge or cold store, then we would initially suggest double-checking any connected probes, swapping them out for known good probes if appropriate.

If the Transmitter in question just has an integral sensor (RF513) or the connected probes have all been tested on other devices and found to be working OK, then you will need to contact us, as your Transmitter could be faulty.

 

Why does my Transmitter flash the antenna symbol three times when Activator used?

Why does my Transmitter flash the antenna symbol three times when Activator used?

On occasion you may find that one of your RF51x Transmitters will not communicate with your RF500 System Gateway device and when you attempt to ‘provoke’ the Transmitter using the RF525 Transmitter Activator, the small ‘antenna’ symbol (shown below) just flashes three times.

Antenna_Enunciation

This will potentially happen if the Transmitter in question believes that it is a Meshing (or Backbone) Unit. In which case, it will not communicate with the Gateway unless it is connected to an external Power Supply Unit (RF520).

RF525_001

Ensure that the RF520 Power Supply Unit is connected to the Transmitter and powered on, then try to ‘provoke’ the Transmitter once more, using the RF525 Transmitter Activator.

If the Transmitter is not meant to be a Meshing or Backbone Unit then ensure that it is not set to be a ‘Backbone’ Unit on the Gateway.

Confirm that this change has gone through on the Gateway before removing power from the Transmitter and re-installing.

18th March 2015
Transmitters show ‘No signal’

Transmitters show ‘No signal’

On occasion you may appear to suffer ‘signal loss’ between your Gateway device and your Transmitters. Initially, you should confirm that there are no ‘Low Battery’ warnings showing for your Transmitters on your Gateway Device.

Transmitters show ‘No signal’ when they have been continuously out of contact with the Gateway for a duration of 5 times the radio rate or a minimum of 1 hour. For the standard radio rate of 15 minutes, this amounts to approximately 1 hour 15 minutes before a ‘No signal’ is flagged. In that time, the Gateway has determined that it has not received a valid signal/data packet from the Transmitter.

The table below details some basic troubleshooting, should you encounter this issue:

What to look for Remedy
Are other transmitters indicating ‘No Signal’ If yes, then check the Audit Trail for ‘RF Network Reset’ messages. These are normal. Transmitters will re-connect automatically and there is no reason for alarm.
Has the Gateway reset? This will cause Transmitters to drop off the Gateway, but they will quickly re-connect
Is it just one or two Transmitters? Then the issue could be related to the location of these Transmitters and or the Meshing Units supporting them in the mesh network. Go and visit the Transmitters and check to see that all is well with the local Meshing Units. You should also ensure that the Antenna of the affected Transmitter(s) is securely connected and is set to an upright position.
Have they got flat battery warnings? Change the battery as soon as possible

 

18th November 2014
Batteries only last a few months

Batteries only last a few months

Battery life quoted for RF5xx Transmitters makes a number of assumptions about the operating use and conditions. Transmitters are assumed only to transmit one data record to your RF500A/AP Gateway every 15 minutes. Operation of the Transmitter is assumed to be at ambient, approx. 23°C. Deviations from this specification will have an effect on the battery life of each Transmitter.

For example:

  • Prolonged use at extremes of low or high temperature will reduce the battery life
  • A Transmitter that has lots of alarm occurrences will also have a reduced battery life
  • A System with poor radio coverage where the Transmitter has to constantly re-send its data to the Gateway will reduce the battery life

 

What to look for Remedy
Transmitters in cold environments Possibly move the transmitter/fit a power supply/use the hi-capacity upgrade battery
No signals on the Gateway Check the status of the meshing units in the system
Lots of temperature alarms Adjust alarm limits or cure the cause of the alarms

 

Low battery indication does not clear

Low battery indication does not clear

The ‘Low Battery’ message on the homepage of the Gateway might not clear immediately after you have changed the battery of one of your transmitters.

battery-lo

 

When a Transmitter battery is replaced, it generates a ‘Battery Good’ event record and queues it for transmission to the Gateway. The ‘Low Battery’ message on the Homepage of the Gateway is cleared when the Gateway receives this ‘Battery Good’ record from the Transmitter. This event record is also posted to the Audit Trail as pictured below.

AuditTrailBatt

The Transmitter data queue could be several thousand records long and may take several hours before the ‘Battery Good’ record is sent. You can check this progress by looking for the last data on the homepage of the Transmitter. When the data is up-to-date then the ‘Low Battery’ warning should also clear.

The best way to avoid this delay is to change the battery soon after the first ‘Low Battery’ warning message is posted on the Gateway homepage. The longer the Transmitter is left in the low battery condition the longer the data record queue becomes.

Beware of re-tasking the Transmitter, because the data record queue is cleared as a result. The ‘Battery Good’ record will also be cleared and the Gateway ‘Low Battery’ message will not clear even through the Transmitter appears to be working normally.

Should this happen, then simply remove and refit the battery of the Transmitter in question, so that the Transmitter believes that a new battery has been fitted.

 

How do I add a new Transmitter to my Gateway?

How do I add a new Transmitter to my Gateway?

To add a new Transmitter to your existing RF500 Gateway device, simply follow the instructions below, or refer to the ‘Transmitter Management’ section of the in the RF500 Webview Help Guide (Pages 46-47).

Transmitter settings are usually only able to be accessed by a System ‘Administrator’, although the permissions required to add a new Transmitter, can be granted to a ‘Restricted User’.

To add a new Transmitter you should navigate to the Gateway Home Page, click the Administration’ button, followed by theTransmitters’ button.

A categorised list of Transmitter Serial Numbers will then be displayed (as below), along with the option to ‘Add New’.

Transmitter_Administration_Add_New_01

Click on the ‘Add New’ button (as shown above) after which you should get a form, similar to that shown below;

Transmitter_Administration_Add_New_02

You will need to enter the following information to add a new Transmitter:

  • An ‘Administrator’ or ‘Restricted User’ Password
  • The Serial Number (case sensitive) of the Transmitter to be added

Once you have entered that information and decide on the other options you require, simply click on the ‘Save’ button.  Your newly added Transmitter should now appear in the section entitled ‘Searching for the following Transmitters’.


Note: This KB Article refers to RF500 Gateways running software issue 33A or 33B and RF500A/RF500AP Gateways running software version up to and including M8.


 

 

19th November 2014
How do I change the battery in my Transmitter?

How do I change the battery in my Transmitter?

The following information describes how to change the battery of your RF51x Transmitter.


Battery Change Procedure

The Transmitter latches any low battery condition and must be powered off fully for it to clear. You will need to wait for the display to go completely blank, in order to ensure that the low battery status has cleared. To replace the battery:

  • Disconnect all plugs from the Transmitter and remove it from its mounting bracket by sliding it upwards.
  • Locate the battery cover on the underside of the unit and using a screwdriver undo the two retaining screws, then remove the battery cover.

transmitter-battery-change

  • Remove the exhausted battery and wait a few seconds for the display to clear completely.
  • Replace the battery with a fresh (new) one, ensuring the polarity is correct and taking care to snap the new battery in cleanly, without making and breaking the contacts repeatedly.
  • Replace the battery cover and do up the two screws, taking care not to over-tighten them.
  • Observe any local restrictions on disposal of the used battery cell.

Note: All RF51x Transmitters are fitted with a high power 3.6V primary lithium-thionyl chloride C-size cell as standard.


 

Manufacturer part number: Saft LSH14 LIGHT or Saft LS26500

The Saft LS26500 battery can only be used in Transmitters manufactured after April 2009. The date-of-manufacture is encoded in the serial number of each unit. The serial number has the format MMYYxxxx where MM represents the 2-digit month and YY represents the 2-digit year in which the transmitter was manufactured. Only use Saft LSH14 LIGHT (Comark Instruments part number # RFBATT) or Saft LS26500 as replacement battery cells.


18th November 2014
RF5xx Transmitter Status Codes (COdE) Explained

RF5xx Transmitter Status Codes (COdE) Explained

Under certain conditions your RF5xx Transmitter might display a Status Code on the LCD screen which takes the form of the word ‘COdE’ followed by either a 3- or 4-digit alphanumeric sequence. These Status Codes can help in diagnosing the reason why a Transmitter might be failing to transmit data to the Gateway.

COdE_QuestionMarks

The ‘COdE’ based message is only seen on RF5xx Transmitters with Firmware Version 3.0.0 or higher.

It is worth noting that Status Codes generally indicate a problem, that can be resolved by the user. For detailed information on the Status Code that your RF5xx Transmitter is displaying, please select the appropriate code from those listed below:
 

 

6th November 2014
RF5xx Transmitter Fault Messages (FAULt) Explained

RF5xx Transmitter Fault Messages (FAULt) Explained

Under certain conditions your RF51x Transmitter might display a Fault Message on the LCD screen which takes the form of the word ‘FAULt’ followed by either a 3- or 4-digit alphanumeric sequence. These Fault Messages are alerting you to a failure of some kind within the device.

FAULt_QuestionMark

A ‘FAULt’ based message is only seen on RF5xx Transmitters with Firmware Version 3.0.0 or higher.

It is worth noting that Fault Messages generally cannot be resolved by the user. For detailed information on the particular Fault Message that your RF5xx Transmitter is displaying, please select the appropriate variant from those listed below:

 

 


This article refers to a Fault message seen on Transmitters with Firmware Version 3.0.0 or higher. The following full fault messages are covered by this article: 

001,101,201,301,401,501,601,701,801,901,A01,B01,C01,D01,E01,F01,1001,1101,1201,1301,1401,1501,1601,1701,1801,1901,1A01, 1B01,1C01,1D01,1E01,1F01,002,102,202,302,402,502,602,702,802,902,A02,B02,C02,D02,E02,F02,1002,1102,1202,1302,1402,1502,1602,1702,1802,1902,1A02, 1B02,1C02,1D02,1E02,1F02,004,104,204,304,404,504,604,704,804,904,A04,B04,C04,D04,E04,F04,1004,1104,1204,1304,1404,1504,1604,1704,1804,1904,1A04, 1B04,1C04,1D04,1E04,1F04,008,108,208,308,408,508,608,708,808,908,A08,B08,C08,D08,E08,F08,1008,1108,1208,1308,1408,1508,1608,1708,1808,1908,1A08, 1B08,1C08,1D08,1E08,1F08


 

 

RF5xx Transmitter Error Messages (ErrOr) Explained

RF5xx Transmitter Error Messages (ErrOr) Explained

Under certain conditions your RF5xx Transmitter might display an Error Message on the LCD screen which takes the form of the word ‘ErrOr’ followed by either a 3- or 4-digit alphanumeric sequence. These Error Messages can help in diagnosing the reason why a Transmitter might be failing to transmit data to the Gateway.

Error_Question_Mark

The ‘ErrOr’ based message is only seen on RF5xx Transmitters with a Firmware Version 2.4.2 or lower.

It is worth noting that these Error Messages generally indicate a problem, that can be resolved by the user. For detailed information on the Error Message that your RF5xx Transmitter is displaying, please select the appropriate code from those listed below:


 

 

 

27th January 2015