The instrument should be calibrated before use. It should also be calibrated if there is a change in conditions (temperature, humidity, etc.) Generally, the calibration should be checked by taking a reading on the supplied standard at least every half-hour during continuous use.
We recommend that instruments are returned to Rhopoint or an accredited service centre on a yearly basis. Current generation instruments will remind you when the recalibration is due.
You can dismiss the warning that appears by pressing the centre button, and the instrument will function as normal. This message depends on the calibration date programmed into the instrument, which will match the calibration date declared on the certificate. The calibration is valid to 1 year from the date of calibration, or from the date of first use (if this has been filled in). After this, the instrument can be used for comparative use only. It cannot be used as part of a traceable process.
The instrument must be returned to an accredited service centre for recalibration.
To remove dust, there is a cleaning cloth supplied. Take care to touch only one side of it and use the other side to clean the tile. This will help stop finger grease from building up over time. If a replacement cloth is required, you can contact an accredited service centre, or use a fresh cleaning cloth suitable for glasses.
If you suspect there is a greasy residue on the tile, breathe on it. Any grease will show up as a slight rainbow sheen. This can usually be removed with a fresh cleaning cloth. Iso-Propyl Alcohol can be used to remove larger amounts of grease. Ensure that the IPA is removed from the tile with a lint-free cloth while still wet. Allow the tile up to an hour to settle before use.
If available, dry, clean air from a compressor can be used to remove dust.
The calibration tile will need replacing if the read area on the tile is damaged.
If in any doubt, please contact our service department who will be able to assist you in determining if a replacement is required.
You will need to send both for a full calibration. The gloss meter must be used with a certified standard for traceable results. It has its linearity tested against NIST standards. The tile has a value assigned. When the instrument is calibrated on the provided tile, the results are traceable to our NIST certification in accordance with BS EN ISO 2813, which is the main standard for the measurement of gloss.
We do have a tile-only calibration option however, we would recommend that this is used only for additional tiles.
The first thing to check is the battery. Connect the instrument to a power source via the USB cable. A computer, or the supplied mains>USB converter will both work. Leave the instrument for 30s, and then try to power up again.
If the instrument beeps but the screen does not turn on, this indicates that there is an issue with the screen. This will require repair at a Rhopoint accredited service centre.
If the LED lights at the base of the instrument turn on when the power button is held, then the instrument is in programming mode. This will require repair at an accredited service centre.
There are three possible error messages that may result from a failed calibration.
This message appears when the results of a calibration do not match the stored one. If you have calibrated your instrument on a different tile from the normal one (such as a mid-gloss tile) you can safely ignore this message.
Check that the instrument is correctly seated on the calibration tile and that the protective white tissue supplied with the instrument has been removed.
Check the tile and optics for contaminants. A residue-less solvent such as Iso-Propyl Alcohol can be used to clean these surfaces.
This message appears on instruments that have a haze measurement function when the haze is higher than expected. If you are calibrating on a low-gloss tile, this message can be safely ignored. If this is done regularly, “Haze Tolerance” in the calibration menu can be set higher.
Check the instrument is correctly seated on the calibration tile, and the white tissue supplied with the instrument has been removed.
Check the tile and optics for contaminants. A residue-less solvent such as Iso-Propyl Alcohol can be used to clean these surfaces.
This means that the stored calibration has been lost or corrupted. The only function of the instrument that it will affect is calibration error detection. This message can be dismissed and the instrument used as normal. This issue will be resolved as part of a standard annual recalibration with an accredited service centre.
The first thing to remember is that each gloss measurement angles has different sensitivities at different gloss values. The 60° angle is used for general-purpose measurements. The 20° angle is most sensitive at high gloss values, and the 85° angle is sensitive at low gloss values.
The next thing to consider is the physical stability of the instrument. Even a small rocking motion can produce large variations in the gloss reading.
The finish quality of the surface can have a large impact. Uneven colours or textures will add a random variation to the gloss measurements. The best way around this is to take several samples and average the results. The more variation in the surface, the more samples will be required for a repeatable measurement.
If the instrument is used in the wrong range, it can become oversaturated. This occurs when measurements on mirror-like surfaces (130+GU @60°) are taken using the black range. To get accurate results on a mirror-like surface, the range must be set mirror or auto in the measurement menu.
The first thing to try with an error is pressing the reset button. This is in a recess on the base of the instrument, near the serial number sticker.
Some versions of firmware will power off as soon as an error is encountered. This means that the fixes below will not be possible. In this case, the instrument will need to be returned to Rhopoint.
| Code | Meaning | Cause |
| 1 | Cannot open config.ini | File system corrupt or Dataflash fault. |
| 2 | Cannot write config.ini | File system corrupt or Dataflash full. |
| 3 | Cannot read config.ini | File system corrupt. |
| 4 | Corrupt data config.ini | File data corrupt. |
| 5 | Cannot open calib**.dat | File system corrupt or Dataflash fault. |
| 6 | Cannot write calib**.dat | File system corrupt or Dataflash full. |
| 7 | Cannot read calib**.dat | File system corrupt. |
| 8 | Error saving data | Unable to create/write to results file. Dataflash full or faulty. |
| 9 | Error reading folders | File system fault, Dataflash probably corrupt. |
| 10 | RTC oscillator failure | Main board hardware failure. |
| 11 | Cannot create bstats.dat | Dataflash full or faulty. |
| 12 | Cannot open bstats.dat | File system corrupt or Dataflash fault. |
| 13 | Cannot write bstats.dat | File system corrupt or Dataflash full. |
| 14 | Cannot read bstats.dat | File system corrupt. |
| 15 | Cannot open sysdat.bin | Unable to open file – UC3B flash corrupt. |
| 16 | Cannot write sysdat.bin | File system corrupt or Dataflash full. |
| 17 | Cannot read sysdat.bin | File system corrupt. |
| 18 | Cannot open log.txt | File system corrupt or Dataflash fault. |
| 19 | Cannot write log.txt | File system corrupt or Dataflash full. |
| 20 | Cannot open cf.bin | File system corrupt or Dataflash fault. |
| 21 | Cannot write cf.bin | File system corrupt or Dataflash full. |
| 22 | Cannot read cf.bin | File system corrupt. |
| 23 | Scanner micro failure | Failure to connect to scanner. |
| 24 | Error saving stats data | Unable to create/write to stats.csv. Dataflash full or faulty. |
| 25 | Cannot open passfail.dat | File system corrupt or Dataflash fault. |
| 26 | Cannot write passfail.dat | File system corrupt or Dataflash full. |
| 27 | Cannot read passfail.dat | File system corrupt. |
| 28 | Corrupt data passfail.dat | File data corrupt. |
| 29 | Cannot open summary.csv | File system corrupt or Dataflash fault. |
| 30 | Cannot write summary.csv | File system corrupt or Dataflash full. |
| 31 | Cannot delete summary.csv | File system fault, Dataflash probably corrupt. |
| 32 | Undefined error | Main board hardware error. |
Delete config.ini:
Error code 2 can be caused by full memory.
This error must be resolved by an accredited service agent.
Check to see if memory is full – if so, delete readings. They can be backed up and archived with a PC. If this problem persists, or the memory was not full, then the instrument must be returned to an accredited service agent.
For error code 16, make sure the memory is not full. If this does not resolve the error, then the instrument must be returned to an accredited service agent.
For error code 21, make sure the memory is not full. If this does not resolve the error, then the instrument must be returned to an accredited service agent.
First, press the reset button.
For instruments manufactured after June 2023, the following procedure should resolve the issue:
If the issue continues, please contact an accredited service agent.
The instrument must be returned to an accredited service agent.
For error code 26, make sure the memory is not full. If this does not resolve the error, follow the rest of this procedure.
For error code 30, make sure the memory is not full. If this does not resolve the error, follow the rest of this procedure.
The main board requires replacing – return to Rhopoint.
Measurement loops occur when the instrument cannot decide whether the surface it is measuring is a mirror or black gloss surface. The crossover is at ~130GU. In the measurement menu, “Range” can be set to “BLACK”, “MIRROR” or “AUTO”. If the sample you are measuring is in the crossover zone, try setting the range manually.
More recent versions of firmware handle switching between ranges better. You can contact an accredited service centre for details about whether there is a firmware upgrade available for your instrument.
This error can also be caused by calibration – if the black range is calibrated on a mirror surface, or vice versa, then this problem can occur. Enter the calibration menu, and make sure “Range” is set to “BLACK”, then calibrate the instrument on the supplied black tile. If a calibrated mirror tile is available, repeat this process for the mirror range.
In older versions of firmware, the instrument shut down after experiencing a fatal error. In this case, the instrument’s memory is usually full. Make sure you have backed up any important measurements to a computer with the USB connection. Switch the instrument on, and in the menu, select “Delete All Batches”.
If this does not resolve the issue, the instrument will require repair with an accredited service centre.
You can contact an accredited service centre for details about whether there is a firmware upgrade available for your instrument.
During power-up, the instrument takes an average of the input to each button to use as a baseline. This means that if your fingers or other conductive objects are near the buttons during power-up, it can affect their operation.
Bespoke cutter die - 1 or 2 of the same shape
Bespoke cutter die - More than 5 different size shapes or additional punched holes within shapes.
