The generator is run from a PLC with a color touchscreen that South-Tek programs at the factory to control valve timing and nitrogen production. This article explains the screens you use day to day: the home screen, starting and stopping, run hours, trending graphs, menu navigation, the maintenance (valve test) menu, the information screen, and the optional E-Stop.
In this guide
Home screen
The home screen shows system status, the purity set-point, nitrogen storage tank pressure and purity (if the sensor option is included), and run hours. From here you can manually start or stop the unit and navigate to the Menu, Graph, or Alarms screens (the Alarms button appears when an alarm is active).
Figure 1: Home screen, Off (left) and On (right)
Powering on and off
Power to the unit is switched with an external power switch or disconnect, typically supplied by others. This is separate from the touchscreen Start/Stop button described below.
Starting and stopping
The Start/Stop button is in the upper left corner of the touchscreen. Green means the unit is started ("On"); red means stopped ("Off"). Press it to switch states, and the button changes color to confirm.
- When On, the unit automatically cycles through the adsorption beds to produce nitrogen and fill the storage tank. At the cut-out pressure it enters Standby and pauses production; when tank pressure falls to the cut-in pressure it restarts automatically.
- When stopped, all valves return to their normal position. The air compressor does not need to be valved off, since the internal valving automatically stops airflow to the system.
- It is recommended to valve off the nitrogen storage tank outlet to the process when stopping, so tank pressure does not fall below the cut-in pressure. Losing tank pressure can cause purity to fall out of specification briefly when the unit restarts.
System run hours
Run hours are shown on the home screen in the upper right corner, below the current time and date. They count only when the system is actively cycling and producing nitrogen; standby time is not included.
Trending graphs
The Graph button on the home screen brings up historical trending data for the sensors included with your generator. Every unit has a nitrogen storage pressure transducer, so every unit trends tank pressure. Optional displays include oxygen purity, air flow, nitrogen flow, and incoming air pressure. Contact South-Tek if you want additional graphical displays.
Figure 2: Graph (trending) screen
- Adjust the Y-axis scale by entering new min and max values in the lower left corner. Press the box, enter values on the keypad, and the graph rescales automatically.
- The M button scrolls through history; the G button adds horizontal gridlines. Use Next to move to the next graph, or Exit to return to the home screen.
Menu and navigation
The Main Menu is opened from the home screen and is password protected; enter the user password (6557). From the Main Menu you can reach all options except Factory Settings.
Figure 3: Main Menu screen
The Main Menu options, and where each is covered in detail:
- Sensor Setup / Calibration — see the Oxygen Analyzer & Sensor Calibration article.
- Maintenance Menu — the valve test, covered below.
- Alarms / Filter Parameters — see the Alarms & Troubleshooting article.
- Communication Settings — see the Data Logging & Network Communication article.
- Cut-In / Out Parameters — see the Purity, Pressure & Standby article.
- Factory Settings — password protected for South-Tek technicians only. Contact South-Tek for assistance.
- Language — selects the display language.
Maintenance menu (valve test)
The Maintenance Menu lets you toggle each valve individually to verify it is working. Put the unit in Stopped mode and valve off the nitrogen generator outlet before toggling valves, and reset all valves to Off before restarting the system.
Figure 4: Maintenance Menu (valve toggle test)
Information screen
The Information screen lists details about your unit: current run hours, software version, manufacture build date, serial number, and date of commission. It also has a shortcut button to the filter history.
Figure 5: Information screen
Emergency stop (E-Stop)
The E-Stop is an optional button that stops all generator functions in an emergency. It can be mounted on the side or the face of the nitrogen generator.
Related Articles
- N2-GEN TS, CS, and S Series — Start-Up & Shutdown
- N2-GEN TS, CS, and S Series — Purity, Pressure & Standby
- N2-GEN TS, CS, and S Series — Alarms & Troubleshooting
- N2-GEN TS, CS, and S Series — Oxygen Analyzer & Sensor Calibration