> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.aethlabs.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.aethlabs.com/microaethalometer-tm-ma600/manual/installation.md). # 4. Installation Rack installation and connection setup for the microAethalometer™ MA600. ## Setup at a Glance The following sequence takes the MA600 from unpacked to a first measurement. Each step points to the section with the full procedure. 1. **Install in the rack.** Mount the MA600 in a standard 19-inch equipment rack. It needs 3U (5.25") of rack space with adequate ventilation on the sides and rear (§4.1). 2. **Connect power.** Connect the supplied 12V DC power supply to the sealed M8 circular connector labeled **12V DC IN** on the rear panel, then plug the supply's AC end into a rack power strip or outlet. The MA600 is powered by external 12V DC only and has no internal battery (§4.2.1). 3. **Confirm the filter tape cartridge.** The MA600 ships with a MAFT-L85 filter tape cartridge (85 sampling locations) already installed. Confirm the cartridge is seated and the door is secured. To replace it, see [Chapter 8: On-Board Operation](https://docs.aethlabs.com/microaethalometer-tm-ma600/manual/pages/Ih2DrJl96GAEm7I3ctnc#id-8.4-filter-tape-cartridge-replacement) §8.4. 4. **Connect the sample tubing.** Connect the supplied sampling hose to the **inlet** port on the rear panel, routed from the measurement environment. The **outlet** port exhausts to room air and requires no hose (it can be plumbed elsewhere if desired). The inlet is a 1/4 inch push-to-connect port — push the tube in completely to create a seal (§4.2.2). If your unit is equipped with the optional Nafion dryer, also connect the purge circuit (§4.3). 5. **Install microAeth® Manager and connect over USB.** Install microAeth Manager on a computer and connect the MA600 through the front-panel USB mini-B port to configure settings and download data. See [Chapter 7: microAeth Manager Software](https://docs.aethlabs.com/microaethalometer-tm-ma600/manual/pages/6rxWlVGc1QCXvhFlnucJ#id-7.2-connecting-to-the-ma600) §7.2. 6. **Start a measurement.** Power on the instrument by pressing and holding any front-panel button for approximately 2 seconds. Allow about 30 minutes of warm-up, then navigate to **Start Measurement** and press the center button. See [Chapter 8: On-Board Operation](https://docs.aethlabs.com/microaethalometer-tm-ma600/manual/pages/Ih2DrJl96GAEm7I3ctnc#id-8.3-starting-and-stopping-measurements) §8.3. ## 4.1 Rack Requirements * Standard 19" equipment rack * 3U (5.25") of rack space * Adequate ventilation on sides and rear * Access to power for the 12V DC supply * Sampling inlet line routed from the measurement environment ## 4.2 Connections ### 4.2.1 Power The MA600 is powered by external 12V DC only and has no internal battery. Connect the provided 12V DC power supply to the sealed M8 circular connector labeled **12V DC IN** on the rear panel, then plug the supply's AC end into a rack power strip or outlet. ### 4.2.2 Inlet and Outlet The inlet and outlet ports are 1/4 inch push-to-connect ports located on the rear panel. **Always push tube in completely to create seal.** * Connect sampling hose to the **inlet** port. Route from the measurement environment. * The **outlet** port exhausts to room air and requires no hose. If desired, connect a hose to route the exhaust elsewhere (for example, outdoors). {% hint style="warning" %} Ensure the aerosol inlet is at atmospheric pressure with no differential pressure between the inlet and the instrument environment. Use a dedicated sampling line for the microAethalometer if other instruments are sampling in parallel. {% endhint %} ![MA600 rear panel with the sample outlet and sample inlet ports labeled by arrows; always push the tube in completely to create a seal](https://272274374-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F1fOQ2MnLWcq0ntHW3LLY%2Fuploads%2FZS7GGz5vwxY3clgULopq%2FMA600in-out.jpg?alt=media\&token=322d4523-cb59-417b-8d49-60f4aed50ab8) ### 4.2.3 RS-232 Serial The MA600 has a DB-9 RS-232 serial port for data connections to external systems. Connect using the provided DB-9 cable to your data acquisition system, logger, or computer if you wish to log data externally. {% tabs %} {% tab title="Video" %} {% @arcade/embed url="" flowId="Y8WDR9A34sW4Z49MILys" %} {% endtab %} {% tab title="Text + Images" %} 1. Connect the RS-232 DB-9 cable from the MA600 rear panel to your data acquisition system. 2. Configure the baud rate in microAeth Manager (default: 1000000). 3. Configure data format (Verbose or Standard) and streaming settings in mAM. 4. Serial data output begins automatically when sampling starts. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Text Only" %} 1. Connect RS-232 DB-9 cable to your data acquisition system. 2. Configure baud rate and data format in microAeth Manager. 3. Serial data output begins automatically during sampling. {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} ### 4.2.4 USB The USB mini-B port on the front panel connects to a computer with microAeth Manager Software for instrument configuration and data download. ## 4.3 Optional Nafion Dryer The MA600 supports an optional Nafion sample dryer for conditioning the aerosol sample in high-humidity environments. It is a factory-installed option: when ordered, the dryer ships pre-installed inside the instrument, so there is no customer installation procedure.
The Nafion dryer is an active dryer. It removes water vapor from the sample through a Nafion membrane, using vacuum together with a counter-flow of dry purge air (reflux mode). The dryer is built into the MA600 enclosure but is driven by an external purge pump. The dryer connections are on the rear panel, in the section labeled **FOR DRYER USE ONLY**, and consist of two ports: * **DRYER AIR IN (ATTACH FILTER)** — the purge-air inlet. An inline filter **must** be attached to this port so that only clean, filtered air is drawn through the dryer. * **DRYER VACUUM OUT (TO PUMP)** — connects to the purge pump. Purge pump options: * Use the AethLabs purge pump, which is sold with the dryer by default. * Supply your own purge pump. Connect the purge pump to the **DRYER VACUUM OUT (TO PUMP)** port and attach an inline filter to the **DRYER AIR IN (ATTACH FILTER)** port, then set the drying purge-air flow with the front-panel needle valve (see *Adjusting the Purge-Air Flow* below).
MA600 rear-panel dryer ports

MA600 rear panel, FOR DRYER USE ONLY: DRYER AIR IN (ATTACH FILTER) with the inline filter fitted, and DRYER VACUUM OUT (TO PUMP) with the purge-pump line connected.

{% hint style="info" %} If included, the Nafion dryer ships pre-installed. Field setup is: attach an inline filter to the **DRYER AIR IN (ATTACH FILTER)** port, connect the purge pump to the **DRYER VACUUM OUT (TO PUMP)** port, and set the drying purge-air flow with the front-panel needle valve. No inline plumbing between the dryer and the sample inlet is required. {% endhint %} ### 4.3.1 Adjusting the Purge-Air Flow (Front-Panel Needle Valve) When the MA600 is ordered with the Nafion dryer add-on, the drying purge-air flow is set with a needle valve on the **front panel, in the lower-left corner** — a small black fitting adjusted with a **flat-head screwdriver**. Make this adjustment after the purge pump is connected to the **DRYER VACUUM OUT (TO PUMP)** port and the inline filter is attached to the **DRYER AIR IN (ATTACH FILTER)** port. The purge-air flow is set using the on-board **Test Flow** function. While Test Flow is running, the display reports the sample air stream **temperature** and **relative humidity (RH)**, so you can see the effect of the dryer in real time and tune the needle valve to the correct flow. **Setting the Purge-Air Flow** 1. Confirm the dryer plumbing is complete and the purge pump is running: * The purge pump is connected to the **DRYER VACUUM OUT (TO PUMP)** port on the rear panel. * An inline filter is attached to the **DRYER AIR IN (ATTACH FILTER)** port. * The purge pump is powered on. 2. Power on the MA600: * Connect rear-panel power. * Press and hold any one of the three front-panel buttons for 2 seconds. * Wait for the startup sequence to finish (logo, firmware version, serial baud rate, and AutoSample setting). 3. Install a filter tape cartridge and position the tape at an **unused sampling location** (see [Chapter 8: On-Board Operation](https://docs.aethlabs.com/microaethalometer-tm-ma600/manual/pages/Ih2DrJl96GAEm7I3ctnc#id-8.4-filter-tape-cartridge-replacement) §8.4). Use **Release Tape** / **Clamp Tape** from the menu to advance to a fresh location so the reading is not affected by a previously loaded spot. 4. Set the instrument to **DualSpot®** sampling mode, via the on-board menu or microAeth Manager (see [Instrument Settings](/microaethalometer-tm-ma600/manual/instrument-settings.md)). Set the purge-air flow in the same mode the instrument will run in. 5. Start **Test Flow**: * From the status display, use the **left** and **right** buttons to scroll the active menu to **Test Flow**. * Press the **center** button to select it. 6. Let the readings stabilize. While Test Flow is running, the display shows the sample air stream **temperature** and **relative humidity (RH)**. Wait for the values to settle before making any change so you have a true baseline. 7. Adjust the needle valve: * Locate the needle valve on the front panel, in the lower-left corner (a small black fitting). * Using a flat-head screwdriver, turn the valve in **small increments** to set the drying purge-air flow. Turning **clockwise** tightens the valve and **lowers** the flow; turning **counter-clockwise** raises it. * After each small change, pause and watch the on-screen temperature and relative humidity. 8. When the relative humidity has settled at the target drying level, stop adjusting. Exit Test Flow and begin normal measurement. {% hint style="warning" %} The temperature and relative humidity readings respond slowly to a change in the needle valve. Turn the valve in small increments and wait for the on-screen values to settle after each change before adjusting further — do not chase the reading, or you will overshoot. {% endhint %} ![Close-up of the MA600 front-panel needle valve (lower-left corner), the small black fitting used to adjust purge-air flow](https://272274374-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F1fOQ2MnLWcq0ntHW3LLY%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-d83941ea2b113b504621393c1e315d4850a3ee79%2Fma600-needle-valve.jpg?alt=media) ## 4.4 Environmental Considerations ### 4.4.1 Temperature Operating range: 5–40 °C. Ensure the rack environment is climate-controlled. ### 4.4.2 Humidity For high-humidity environments, use the optional Nafion dryer. Changes in relative humidity affect particle optical properties and can impact measurements. ### 4.4.3 Contamination For high-concentration or dusty environments, consider using a microCyclone™ size-selective inlet upstream of the MA600.