UPDATE SYSTEMS, INC.

1200XT Users Guide

Update Systems, Inc.

10545 Baur Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63132
Phone 314.432.3282 • Fax 314.432.7843

Hardware Revision 1.0

Firmware Revision 2.00

Update Systems, Inc.

10545 Baur Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63132
Phone 314.432.3282 • Fax 314.432.7843

Hardware Revision 0.02

Firmware Revision 2.06
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Introduction

i
T
his document describes the setup and operation of the 1200XT Electric Actuator Control System. The
system provides reliable control and feedback to actuate valves and vanes. The 1200XT is fully
calibratable for 4-20 input and valve position ranges up to 179 degrees.
The manual is divided into three chapters. Chapter 1 gives an overview of the system modules and setup.
Chapter 2 gives detailed instruction on navigating the operational modes of the controller. Chapter 3 provides
instructions for reprogramming the controller. Carefully read the chapters Setup and Modes of Operation
before running and testing the actuator.

Chapter 1 – Setup _______________________________________________________________ 2

Chapter 2 - Modes of Operation ______________________________________________________ 5

Chapter 3 – Programming __________________________________________________________ 21

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Setup

1
MODULE OVERVIEW

Controller

T
he controller consists of seven connection ports listed as follows: PWR, MOTOR, 4-20IN/OUT,
MODBUS*, RELAYS, and PROG. These ports are described in Table 1. The controller user
interface is comprised of four buttons, one turn knob, a four-digit display, and five LED
indicators. The buttons are used for navigating menus, selecting options, viewing/clearing errors,
and calibrating the unit. The knob is used for manual valve positioning during calibration and other
miscellaneous tasks as described in this manual. The LED indicators are used in automatic mode to show
the type of information displayed. See Table 1.

Actuator Assembly

T
he actuator assembly consists of the motor, gear box, sensor board encased in an aluminum
housing, power supply1, and backup power supply2 .

1 Available 48VDC power supply option.

2 Available emergency power backup supply option.

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PORT PIN DESCRIPTION

PWR (POWER) 1 (GND) Input power ground

2 (+48V) 48VDC input power. The input is reverse voltage protected and fused.

MOTOR 1-4 Pre-assembled 4 pin, 1 row connector supplying the stepper motor drive current.

4-20IN/OUT 1 (IN +) “Positive” input for 4-20mA current loop. This input is over voltage protected and
designed to operate for reverse polarization (i.e. +IN and –IN are swapped). This
input is calibrated to control the valve position in [AUTO]matic mode.

2 (IN -) “Negative” input for 4-20mA current loop. (see above)

3 (OUT) Single ended output for 4-20mA current feedback. This output is proportional to
valve percent open (i.e. 4mA = 0% open and 20mA = 100% open). It directly
corresponds to the current state of the valve.

4 (GND) Ground for 4-20mA output.

MODBUS* 1 (B) MODBUS communication port for system control. Offers increased valve
resolution because of immunity to induced system noise and ability for remote
monitoring.

2 (A) See above.

RELAYS (ERROR 1) Normally-closed, non-polarized relay output for system error indication. An error
will cause the relay to open. See section on Error codes for more detail.
(60Vp, 600mA
max) (ERROR 2) See above.

(AUX 1) Normally-closed, non-polarized relay output for valve status indication. Relay will
OPEN when valve is fully OPEN. Software reconfigurable to Normally-open.

(AUX 1) See above.

(AUX 2) Normally-closed, non-polarized relay output for valve status indication. Relay will
OPEN when valve is fully CLOSED. Software reconfigurable to Normally-open.

(AUX 2) See above.

PROG 1-6 Input port for 1200XT Programmer. Programmer is used in conjunction with the
Flash Magic boot-loader software to update the controller firmware.

* MODBUS software has not yet been implemented and tested.

Table 1
1200XT Controller Port Description

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Programmer

T
he programmer is used to update the firmware of the controller. It requires a USB connection to
a computer with Flash Magic boot-loader software installed. More information about updating
the controller can be found in the programming section.

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Modes of
Operation

2
Overview

T
he 1200XT has six normal modes of operation and one special mode. The normal modes are
Passcode [PASS] mode, Manual [USEr] mode, 4-20 [AUto] mode, Calibration [CAL] mode,
Backup Sensor Calibration [bCAL] mode, and Configuration [CnFg]. The special modes are
Error [Err] mode mode. The normal modes, Passcode and 4-20mA, may be selected at any time
during normal operation. A valid passcode must be entered to access all other normal modes.
The Error mode is only accessible if a system error is present.
Press the MODE button next to the turn knob to cycle through all available modes. Cycling through the
modes with the MODE button does not change to that mode. A decimal in the right most corner of the
display is lit for all modes available to enter. The right most decimal is not lit for the current mode. When
the desired mode is displayed, press the ENTR button. The decimal indicator turns off to indicate that the
mode has been changed. The display will revert to the submenu of the selected mode one second after it
is changed. If the ENTR button is not pressed within two seconds the display will flash the current mode
for one second and return to its submenu. The current mode of operation is active until a new mode is
entered. The following sections describe each mode in more detail.
PASSCODE [PASS] MODE
A valid passcode must be entered to gain access to any normal mode other than 4-20mA Mode [AUto].
The passcode prevents accidental recalibration or mode changes. The user passcode is 3282. The
following paragraph explains how to enter the passcode.
Toggle the MODE button until the display reads [PASS.] (Figure 1), and then press the ENTR button to

Figure 1 Figure 2

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Figure 3 Figure 4
enter passcode mode. After the ENTR button is toggled, the display reads [PASS] for one second and then
shows four zeros; the first one is blinking. Use the knob to scroll the number up or down. When the
desired number is displayed, press the ENTR button. The next number will now blink. Continue this
process until all the numbers are entered (Figure 2). When a valid passcode is entered the display will read
unlock [ULoC] (Figure 3) or error lock [ELoC]. [ULoC] indicates that all other normal modes are now
available for selection. [ELoC] indicates that additional modes are not available due to error conditions.
This typically happens when both the primary and secondary (backup) valve position sensors have failed.
In order to relock the unit, enter [PASS] mode as previously described and then press the ENTR button
four times. [LoC] is displayed to indicate the additional normal modes are locked out (Figure 4). Any
incorrect passcode will lock the unit.

MANUAL [USER] MODE

As shown Figure 5, toggle the MODE button until the display reads [USEr.], and then press the ENTR
button to enter manual mode. After the ENTR button is toggled, the display will read [USEr] for one
second and then show a number as in Figure 6. The number is the raw degrees as seen by the shaft
position sensor.

Figure 5 Figure 6
The raw shaft position number can be used to verify the delta between two position points. Please note
that manual mode allows 360 degree turning of the shaft. Once the unit is calibrated, the user cannot
move the valve beyond its calibrated limits. To move the shaft in [USEr] mode, simply turn the
POSITION ADJUST knob. As the motor runs, the right most decimal indicator blinks. The rate of the
blink corresponds to the relative speed of the motor (i.e. faster rate of blinking during acceleration).

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4-20 [AUTO] MODE

During normal operation, the actuator will be in the 4-20 mode. This mode requires an input in the 4-20
IN/OUT port (Pins 1 and 2) as shown in Figure 7. The input is a non-polarized differential input, but the

Figure 7
standard connection is shown on the unit. The output pins 3 and 4 of the 4-20 port provide a current
signal that is proportional to the percentage that the valve is open. For example, the output will drive
20mA for a fully open valve (100% open), 12mA for a half open valve (50% open), and 4mA for a fully
closed valve (0% open). The 4-20 input should be calibrated to the actual input for maximum accuracy.
The calibration procedure is described in detail in the next section.

To enter 4-20 mode press the MODE button until the display reads [AUto.] (Figure 8), and then press the
ENTR button (Figure 9). In this mode, the valve will respond to the input 4-20 current source. The
[AUto] mode can display the status of four items: Percent Open, Temp Actual, Temp Max, and Cycles (see Table
2). Press the ENTR button to cycle through the status options. The Temp Actual and Temp Max options
may be viewed in Fahrenheit or Celsius by turning the POSITION ADJUST knob.

Figure 8 Figure 9

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Indicates percentage that valve is open. It

directly reflects the current state of the valve
base on the main shaft sensor. The 4-20
output is related to this value with 4mA
Percent Open meaning 0% open and 20mA meaning 100%
open.

Indicates the current internal temperature of

the actuator. This reading is updated every
second. The default format is Celsius. The
temperature may be viewed in Fahrenheit by
Temp Actual turning the POSITION ADJUST knob.

Indicates the maximum internal temperature

that the actuator has ever reached. The default
format is Celsius. The temperature may be
viewed in Fahrenheit by turning the POSITION
Temp Max ADJUST knob.

Indicates the total number of actuator start

cycles. The number is displayed in scientific
notation, where En represents 10n. For
example, the number displayed in the adjoining
Cycles figure (2.8E5) is equal to 280,000 cycles.

Table 2
Description of Status Indicators

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CALIBRATION [CAL] MODE

The 1200XT is designed to easily calibrate valve range, valve direction, and 4-20 input. The unit requires
BOTH 4-20 input and physical position calibration. Three calibration menu options are available, full
calibration [FCAL], position only [pCAL], and 4-20mA input only [iCAL]. Once calibrated, the actuator
simply returns the percentage open (0% - 100%) when placed in [AUto] mode. The current output will
linearly supply a range starting at 4mA for valve zero percent open through 20mA for valve one hundred
percent open. The step-by-step procedure to calibrate the unit is given below. The controller is designed
to calibrate the 4-20 input and position with a single step. Remote calibration, covered in the next section,
can be used to calibrate physical position only.
Step 1: To enter calibration [CAL] mode, toggle the MODE button until [CAL.] is displayed (Figure 10),
then press the ENTR button.

Figure 10

Step 2: After entering [CAL] mode, the display will read [FCAL] as shown in Figure 11. Press the ENTR
button to enter this cal mode. The display will read [oPEn]. If desired, turn the knob to select the
position [pCAL] or 4-20 only calibration modes [iCAL] (see the corresponding next two sections). The
unit may now be calibrated for the valve-open 4-20 input and the desired valve-open position. Apply the
desired current input signal on the 4-20 IN/OUT port pins 1 and 2 to be associated with valve open (e.g.
Figure 12). The main machine controller (e.g. a PLC) normally provides the reference input. The 1200XT
will calibrate to an input ranging from 3mA to 23mA.
*Step 3: If position is to be calibrated with the controller, follow this step; otherwise, skip to step 4. Next,
use the POSITION ADJUST knob to place the valve at the desired open position. As the knob is turned,
the unit will display the raw feedback from the shaft sensor in degrees (Figure 13).

Figure 11 Figure 12
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PLEASE NOTE: Turning the knob will move the valve one degree for each detent (course adjust). If
the OPEN button is held down while the knob is turned, the valve position will attempt to adjust by a tenth
of a degree for each detent (fine adjust). The actual resolution taking into account hysteresis for manual
adjustment is two-tenths of a degree. Once the OPEN button is released, the current 4-20 input and
position will be stored.

Figure 13
Step 4: To preserve a previous Open calibration, press ENTR to skip (the current raw postion will flash on
display); otherwise, press and release the OPEN button to store the input reference [and position]. If fine
adjust was used as described in Step 3, then simply release the OPEN button. If Step 3 was skipped,
Remote calibration may be used to set the position. The unit will display [SEt] to indicate that the
calibration parameters have been saved for open position as shown in Figure 14.

Figure 14
Step 5: When the display reads [CLoS], the unit is ready to calibrate valve closed. Apply the desired 4-20
input as described in Step 2.
*Step 6: If position is to be calibrated with the controller, follow this step; otherwise, skip to step 7. Next,
use the POSITION ADJUST knob to place the valve at the desired closed position (Figure 15 and 16), as

Figure 15 Figure 16
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described in Step 3.

Step 7: To preserve a previous Closed calibration, press ENTR to skip (the current raw postion will flash
on display); otherwise, press and release the CLSD button to store the input reference [and position]. If
fine adjust was used as described in Step 6, then simply release the CLSD button. The unit will display
[SEt] to indicate that the calibration parameters have been saved for closed position as shown in Figure 17.

Figure 17

Step 8: When the display reads [dFLt], the unit is ready to calibrate valve default safe position in the event
of an error event (e.g. undervoltage, or power failure). Press and release the OPEN button to set the
default safe position to valve fully open. Press and release the CLSD button to set the default safe position
to fully closed. Alternatively, turn the POSITION ADJUST knob to a desired position and press ENTR.
Once, the OPEN, CLSD, or ENTR button is toggled, the unit will automatically calibrate the backup sensor .
See Backup Calibration Mode for more detail. Once calibration is complete, and the display will show [donE]
(Figure 19) and then revert back to [FCAL] after two seconds. The unit may be recalibrated at any time.
See next page for FULL CALIBRATION Flowchart.

Figure 18 Figure 19

*Note: If the full open and full closed positions are equivalent, the valve will not move as the 4-20 input
signal is swept across its range.

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START
FULL CALIBRATION (FCAL)
(Position and 4-20mA) ENTER PASSWORD [PASS] 3282

Toggle MODE button until [CAL]

Press ENTR button

Turn knob to [FCAL]

Press ENTR button

N
CALIBRATE
OPEN?
[oPEn]
Y

Apply desired current (3-23mA) to 4-20

Use POSITION ADJUST knob to place valve

at open position (See STEP 3 NOTE) Press ENTR button

Press OPEN button

[SEt]

N
CALIBRATE
CLOSED?

[CLoS] Y

Apply desired current (3-23mA) to 4-20

Use POSITION ADJUST knob to place valve

Press ENTR
at closed position (See STEP 3 NOTE)

[SEt]
Press CLSD button

CAL DEFAULT CAL DEFAULT CAL DEFAULT

TO OPEN? TO CLOSED? TO CUSTOM?
[dFLt]

Press OPEN button Press CLSD button

Use POSITION ADJUST knob to place valve

at custom position (See STEP 3 NOTE)

Backup Calibration Press ENTR button

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4-20mA CALIBRATION ONLY [iCAL] MODE

This mode of calibration is identical to the previous method EXCEPT that the valve POSITION
calibration is NOT affected. [iCAL] mode is useful if the 4-20mA signal needs to be calibrated (or
recalibrated), but the user does not want to affect the physical position calibration. No backup sensor
calibration is necessary. See Flow Chart below.

START

ENTER PASSWORD [PASS] 3282

Toggle MODE button until [CAL]

Press ENTR button

Turn knob to [iCAL]

Press ENTR button

CALIBRATE N
OPEN?

[oPEn]
Y
Apply desired current (3-23mA) to 4-20 input
Press ENTR button
Press OPEN button
[SEt]
N CALIBRATE
CLOSED?
[CLoS]
Y
Apply desired current (3-23mA) to 4-20 input

[dOnE]
Press CLSD button

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POSTION CALIBRATION ONLY [PCAL] MODE

This mode of calibration is identical to the previous method EXCEPT that only the valve POSITION
calibration is affected. [PCAL] mode is useful if only the position needs to be calibrated (or recalibrated),
but the user does not want to affect the 4-20 mA calibration. Backup sensor will automatically recalibrate.
See Flow Chart below.

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POSITION ONLY CALIBRATION

(PCAL) START

ENTER PASSWORD [PASS] 3282

Toggle MODE
Toggle button
MODE until
button [CAL]
until
[CAL]
Press ENTR button

Turn knob to [PCAL]

Press ENTR button

[oPEn]
N
CALIBRATE
OPEN?

Use POSITION ADJUST knob to place valve

at open position Press ENTR

Press OPEN button

[SEt]

N
CALIBRATE
CLOSED?

[CLoS] Y

Use POSITION ADJUST knob to place valve

Press ENTR
at closed position (See STEP 3 NOTE)

[SEt]
Press CLSD button

CAL DEFAULT CAL DEFAULT CAL DEFAULT

TO OPEN? TO CLOSED? TO CUSTOM?
[dFLt]

Press OPEN button Press CLSD button

Use POSITION ADJUST knob to place valve

at custom position (See STEP 3 NOTE)

Backup Calibration Press ENTR button

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BACKUP CALIBRATION [bCAL] MODE

The backup shaft position sensor maintains valve operation in the event of main sensor failure. This
allows machine operation to continue until the unit is repaired. The backup sensor is specifically designed
for ninety degree valve. If backup calibration fails, unit will still operate with main encoder and no error
will display. If main position encoder failure, unit will attempt to run in backup mode. The
ERROR lamp will blink steadily indicating that the unit is in backup mode. The ERROR lamp
will double blink if the main and backup encoder have both failed, indicating the unit is
operating using saved step counts with no feedback. In either case, the unit will continue to run
but should receive maintenance as soon as possible.

Backup calibration is automatically engaged after a successful position calibration through a full calibration
[FCAL], or position only calibration [pCAL]. The valve will first initialize to the closed position [brSt].
The valve will then turn back and forth through the whole previously calibrated range. During the
calibration, the controller is searching for four magnetic transitions. The count is displayed as -b # and b-
#. Once the backup sensor is successfully calibrated, the display will read [donE]. If the backup
calibration is unsuccessful, the display will read [bErr].

Figure 20 Figure 21

Figure 22

Backup calibration may be manually initiated by toggling the MODE button and entering [bCAL]. Once
[bCAL] is selected, the display reads [Strt]. Press ENTR to begin calibration. As described previously, the
display will read [donE] upon successful calibration; otherwise [bErr].

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ERROR [Err] MODE

An Error mode is available for menu selection when a system error is present. Currently, the 1200XT has
four standard error codes. A description of these codes is given in Table 3.

CODE NAME DESCRIPTION

E-01 Motor Voltage Is Too Low The supply voltage has fallen below 40.0V DC.
E-02 Input 4-20 Is Invalid The 4-20 current input is invalid. This fault can occur
due to an open or shorted input.
E-03 Main Encoder Is Not Working No valid feedback from main shaft encoder. Fault can
occur due to faulty or no connection of the MOTOR
port, main shaft encoder failure, or blocked valve – i.e.
required torque exceeds maximum output.
E-04 Motor Voltage Is Too High Nominal supply voltage is above 51.0V
Table 3
Actuator Error Codes

Any of the listed errors will result in the, the ERROR indicator will light, and the Error relay will open
(RELAYS port, pins 1 and 2, see Table 1.0). The Input 4-20 error will cause the valve to move to default
safe position if possible. All errors will automatically clear when the fault is corrected, except for E-03
Main Encoder Is Not Working. Fault E-03 must be manually cleared because of the possibility of the valve
being physically stuck. In the case of complete actuator power failure, the ERROR relay will open.

To enter [Err] mode, toggle the MODE button until the display reads [Err.] and press ENTR (Figure 23).
One or more error codes may be present (Figure 24). Use the POSITION ADJUST knob to scroll through

Figure 23 Figure 24

the current fault list. To manually clear all errors toggle the ENTR button. The display will read [ECLr]
(Figure 25). Press and release the ENTR button again within one second and the error will clear. The
controller will then display error codes that still exist or revert back to the previous mode if no other errors

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are present. The actuator will attempt to move to the desired position and re-flag the error if there is still a
problem.

Figure 25

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CONFIGURATION [CnFg] MODE

This mode is used to configure the actuator motor speed and the default state of the relays (ERROR,
AUX1, and AUX2).
Step 1: To enter Configuration [CnFg] mode, toggle the MODE button until [CnFg.] is displayed (Figure
26), then press the ENTR button.

Figure 26

Step 2: After entering [CnFg] mode, the display will read [Sr #] as shown in Figure 27. Turn the knob to
desired speed setting and press the ENTR button (Figure 28). Refer to Table 4 for the Step Rate vs. speed.
Press the OPEN or CLSD button to check current relay status (i.e. normally closed [nCLd], or normally
open [noPn]) -Figure 29. While the current switch status is displayed, the default may be changed by
pressing the OPEN or CLSD button for normally open [noPn] or normally closed [nCLd], respectively

Figure 27 Figure 28

Figure 29 Figure 30

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(Figure 30).

CONFIGURE (CnFg)

START

Table 4
ENTER PASSWORD [PASS] 3282
Step Rate (SR) setting vs. Time

Toggle MODE button until [CnFg]

Press ENTR button

Relay (Dry contact) Configuration

Change Step N
Rate (Sr)?

Y
Press OPEN or CLSD button once
to view current relay Turn knob to select
configuration. new step rate (0 – 10)
nOpn = Normally Open
nCLd = Normally Closed Press ENTR button
to save

Press OPEN or CLSD button while

status is displayed to save a new
configuration.

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Programming

3
Overview

T
he 1200XT features an external programming port (PROG) to easily upgrade the firmware.
Attaching the USB-driven 1200XT Programmer to the controller and running the Flash Magic
boot-loader software included with this document package accomplish reprogramming the unit.

Boot-loader installation

F
lash Magic boot-loader software must be installed on a PC with one available USB port. The
installer program is provided in the document .zip package. It can also be downloaded from
http://www.flashmagictool.com/. Double-click on the FlashMagic.exe file and follow the
installation instructions.

Programming Procedure
Step1: Attach the 1200XT Programmer to the controller (Figure 32). The controller should be powered
for reprogramming.

Figure 32
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Step 2: Using a standard USB cable, connect the 1200XT Programmer to a PC with Flash Magic installed.

Step 3: Open Flash Magic and configure as shown in Figure 33. Use Browse to select the .hex file
(Version 0.01 is provided in the .zip document package). The 1200XT Programmer will create a COM
port when the USB is attached to the PC. Be sure the correct COM port is selected in Flash Magic. The
available COM ports may be viewed through the Control Panel -> System Devices or by typing the
command MODE in a DOS prompt.

Figure 33

Step 4: Click Start and wait for programming and verification to complete.

Step 5: Unplug the 1200XT Programmer and cycle power to the controller. The firmware update is now
complete.

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