Product Support Section
PPM Technology is committed to providing the best after sales service possible to it's customers. We have a friendly team of engineers and chemists who are only too happy to help with any problems you have with our instruments. This is backed-up by a close team in both servicing and R&D departments.

Importance of Calibration

The importance of calibration with using electro-chemical cells for measuring toxic gas is that their working life is determined by the activity of the electrodes used to detect the gas. This activity is gradually reduced over time by contaminant gases and poisons such that the sensor sensitivity � the amount of current generated per ppm of target gas - drifts gradually downwards. If the instrument into which the sensor is built is calibrated regularly as recommended, this downward drift can be compensated for by gain adjustment and any low output sensors replaced immediately. Therefore it is important that the instruments are calibrated regularly to confirm that the cell is functioning properly and correctly.

If the instrument is left without calibrating and the sensor reaches the end of its working life the cells output may be insufficient to generate an alarm condition. A situation could therefore arise that toxic level of gas is present, but the gas detection equipment is incapable of warning users.

Returns Cover Sheets

If you are having problems with your instrument then we would be happy to service or repair it for you. However - you may be able to fix the problem yourself. Check the PPM Service FAQ and How To Guides first.

If you are still having trouble then get in touch with us by submitting a TroubleTicket detailing the problem, we will try to help you as much as we can via email or the phone.

Finally we may have to ask for the instrument to be returned to us for servicing and repair in which case it will need to be accompanied with a Returns Cover Sheet. This will let us quickly deal with your instrument. Instruments returned without a completed Cover Sheet can't be processed and will be delayed.

Also note the terms and conditions (DDP) for returning instruments to us. Cover Sheets are available here, please choose one of the formats below and confirm that you agree to the terms by clicking 'OK'. Our returns procedure changed on 1st of August 2007 to comply with H.M. Revenue & Customs IPR guidelines - be sure to read the new terms carefully before returning any goods to us...
PDF Download	Print out and fill by hand before placing in the box with your instrument.
TERMS FOR RETURNING EQUIPMENT FOR SERVICING & REPAIR: PPM Technology Limited has received authorisation from the H.M. Revenue & Customs in the UK to use Inward Processing Relief (IPR) Scheme when importing goods from outside the European Community for Servicing and/or Repauir. This facility, which enables us to obtain Duty Relief on those Goods, is conditional upon our strict adherence to various procedures specified by H.M. Revenue & Customs in our Approval. In addition we must submit detailed Returns to H.M. Revenue & Customs every 3 months indicating what Goods have been imported/re-exported back to customers or scrapped accordingly. In order to comply with those requirements we ask all our customers to follow the revised procedure outline below. Contact us prior to returning any goods to obtain a Returns Reference Number. Ensure that your selected courier is aware of our requirements for UK Customs Clearance. Enclose a Commercial Invoice with each shipment: A clear heading stating: Invoice for Customs Purposes Only - Goods returned to UK for Servicing and/or Repair. State a realistic Fair Market Value for the returned goods: Value for Customs Purposes Only = £......... Declare the following: Import of these Goods into the UK is covered by Inward Processing Relief Authorisation No: IPR0925/570/10 & Customs Procedure Code: 51 00 00. You must state exactly what goods are being returned including and Serial Numbers etc.. Against each item please show the appropriate Customs Commofity Code: Fromaldemeter, Glutaraldemeter, SAS or PPMonitor - UK Commodity Code=90271010 Base Unit, AMS-2, SPC-1 or Other Accessories - UK Commodity Code=90279050

What's Included?

When an instrument is returned to us we check the overall performance of the instrument and check any problems reported. We will then compare these results with the records for that instrument.

In particular we check for sensor degradation and calibration drifts. If all is well we then clean, re-calibrate and re-test the instrument to the original specification before replacing the battery and returning to the customer. We also issue a new calibration certificate and update our own records.

In the case of a problem we will contact the customer and explain any action required to fix it and quote any charges incurred. It's for this reason that it's important to fill in the Cover Sheet properly.

For technical reasons the TroubleTicketExpress system has been taken off-line. Generate a New Ticket Track your Ticket

Software Registration

If you wish to receive a registration key for your new software then please register here.

Latest versions

Below is a list of various firmware and software with the latest version numbers. If you have an older version then you may be able to upgrade. See below on how to check your current version number.

As of Friday September 19, 2008:

FIRMWARE:

   INSTRUMENT   | VERSION | BUILD DATE
----------------+---------+-------------
Formaldemeter   | 1.08    | 30 Aug 2008
(400 + htV)     |         |
----------------+---------+-------------
Glutaraldemeter | 5.04    | -na-
(MkIII)         |         |
----------------+---------+-------------
AMS-2           | 2.12    | 05 Jul 2005
----------------+---------+-------------
Other instrument firmware is obsolete.

SOFTWARE:

   TITLE         | VERSION 
-----------------+---------
AMS-2 Downloader | 3.2 r8
(for AMS-2 v2+ only - previous versions unsupported)
-----------------+---------
SPC-1            | 1.06 (07 Feb 2007)
-----------------+---------
SPC-2            | TBC
-----------------+---------
PPMonitor        | 2.0.7.3 (beta)
-----------------+---------

Finding your version number:

Hand-held instruments

On hand-held instruments other than Formaldemters, Formaldemters II, Glutaraldemters and Glutaraldemter II proceed as follows:

1. With the instrument turned off press and hold the right-hand calibration button while turning the instrument on.
2. The words GAIn will appear on the LCD - release all the buttons.
3. Press down the left-hand calibration button.
4. The firmware version is shown in the screen: vX.XX

Base Unit or AMS-2

The older Base Unit shows the firmware version on the screen briefly when it's first turned on. On the newer AMS-2 units you need to hold down the 'Enter' key while turning the power on to see the firmware version.

Software Packages

On the majority of software titles the version information can be found by selecting the 'About' item from the 'Help' menu.

Latest Available Upgrades

New testers required: If you would like to help PPM Technology with it's latest product development then please add your e-mail details to our testers list here and we might give you a call. A new project is currently approaching the public beta stage so we will soon be sending out invitations!

SPC-1 Released: The first release candidate from this project is now being offered - thank you to all those involved in the testing of this software. If you are still using your beta version please get in touch for more details on upgrading your system.

AMS-2 Downloader v3: This project has now moved from the beta phase with the release of v3.2 r8. If you are still using previous beta versions thank you for your help in spotting mistakes and bugs - please get in touch with the developer to arrange for an upgrade to the full version. If, after the upgrade, you continue to find bugs or errors please continue to submit them.

AMS-2 Downloader v2: Some users have had problems with installing this application on Windows 2000 and NT machines. An upgrade is available which should overcome this issue - get in touch with our sales desk with your details in order to claim your free upgrade. Don't forget that v2 also replaces v1 of the application.

If you find that our products don't quite 'fit the bill' or would like to use our products as part of a larger system or project then get in touch. Our experienced design team can help you to realise a solution based on our technology at a competitive rate.

If required we can provide support to your own technical team; carry out the design work or even deliver the entire project ourselves. We can also provide on-site expertise in installation, trouble-shooting and some user training.

We have expertise in Chemistry, Electronics, Software & Firmware Installation and can also access experts in many other fields so feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or requests.