F-900
Ethylene Gas Analyzer
Maximize shelf life... Minimize shrinkage.
Operations Manual
Page 1: ...F 900 Ethylene Gas Analyzer Maximize shelf life Minimize shrinkage Operations Manual...
Page 2: ......
Page 3: ...re Menu 9 Taking a Measurement 10 Graph View 11 Monitor Mode 13 Measurement Settings 14 Hot Keys 14 Field Mode 16 Setup Menu 17 Setup Measure 17 Setup GC Emulation Mode 17 Setup Autosave 20 Setup Sens...
Page 4: ...PDATE 49 CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE OF THE F 900 54 Refilling the Electrochemical Sensor 54 INTERFERING GASES 58 WARNINGS 59 TECHNICAL SUPPORT 60 Customer Service 60 Frequently Asked Questions 61 Guidel...
Page 5: ...nsive gas sampling and gas chromatography analysis The intent of the F 900 s portable design is to aid the research community in developing real world ethylene management applications for the benefit...
Page 6: ...viewing in direct sunlight Rechargeable Li Ion battery provides 4 hours of monitoring in the field Multiple configurations to accommodate in vivo research and controlled atmosphere monitoring Instant...
Page 7: ...is 20 ppm Resolution 1 ppbv Accuracy 5 at 10 ppm 10 at 1 ppm 10 at 100 ppb adjusted for temperature and humidity Display Sunlight visible transflective LCD Operating environment 0 C 45 C 0 90 humidit...
Page 8: ...ional Resolution 0 1 ppm Repeatability 0 1ppm short term Accuracy 2 up to 3000ppm Sample Cell 100mm x 10 2mm 3 94 x 0 4 diameter Warm up time 3 minutes Weight 172 6 g Low Resolution Carbon Dioxide Sen...
Page 9: ...the following options Measure Setup View and File You are now at the F 900 Main Menu After the instrument is powered on the uptime and battery life remaining will be displayed on the bottom line The u...
Page 10: ...l manner will power off the F 900 Unpacking the F 900 The F 900 base unit arrives with the F 900 a black moveable handle and several accessory parts to use with the instrument Included are the charger...
Page 11: ...eason the F 900FK arrives in a hard sided carrying case and has a chamber and wand with flexible tubing to sample fruit or plants The F 900FK also includes that parts and accessories that arrive with...
Page 12: ...To charge the F 900 Connect the mini USB cable to the front panel of the F 900 Plug the charger into the wall Check the charger status on off and battery life at the View Battery menu Figure 6 The bat...
Page 13: ...900 is not actively measuring Turn off the CO2 sensor when charging the unit otherwise the recharge rate will be slow Always turn the CO2 sensor to off for the fastest recharge either using the mini U...
Page 14: ...ing the RIGHT arrow to get into the Measure Menu The F 900 will begin to warm up The display will show the File that is open and the Flow of gas being pumped through the instrument Below this will be...
Page 15: ...e display indicates the current ethylene value Below that is the dynamic range here it is 1 000 ppm The y axis scale is set by the highest value shown in the buffer This range will scale vertically de...
Page 16: ...o a narrower 2 ppm range The graph begins on the left side and moves with the vertical line towards the right as more data points are added Once the time line reaches the right side of the display the...
Page 17: ...O2 sensor or O2 sensor on board the value will be displayed in percentage If the unit is equipped with a low resolution ethylene sensor the value will continue to be displayed in large bold font but t...
Page 18: ...the Setup Menu portion of the manual Hot Keys In Monitor Mode a number of hot keys or shortcuts to measurement filter and cleaning features are available The function of the various applications are d...
Page 19: ...s always on If the sensor detects over 20ppm ethylene the F 900 will auto escape from monitor mode to prevent poisoning of the electrode This will stop the measurement If the sensor becomes poisoned i...
Page 20: ...then closed in the chamber This allows ethylene levels to be recorded during ripening without damaging the fruit Leaf chambers available for the CI 340 Photosynthesis System are compatible and interc...
Page 21: ...o analyze a small sample in a syringe the GC Emulation Mode should be used With the simple addition of our inline injection port small volumes of analyte can be accurately measured The GC emulation mo...
Page 22: ...ned on a technician by technician basis as injection technique will alter the result Additionally setting the calibration point near the expected ethylene concentration will provide the most accurate...
Page 23: ...the sample and then press Enter 6 Wait 300 seconds 5 minutes for results 7 Press Stop to see ethylene value in ppm on display initial ADC 1609543 current ADC 1609383 peak ADC 1609616 area counts 5216...
Page 24: ...ram In the Setup Autosave menu the top line of the display will read enter and save and the directional arrows Next to is Autosave and Yes or No indicating whether this feature is turned on or off Bel...
Page 25: ...d Extended Range ER CO2 carbon dioxide and O2 oxygen Sensor Selection Press the RIGHT arrow when Sensor Selection is highlighted to see the list of sensors Use the UP DOWN arrows to select the sensor...
Page 26: ...and outlet valves on the instrument and recirculates the internal gases within the unit This is useful for purging the cell of high concentrations of C2H4 and can be used when moving from a high to l...
Page 27: ...ene The RH and T slope and offset are applied to the ADC voltage to correct for shifts in relative humidity and temperature that may occur during the sample period Offset Autocorrection Offset autocor...
Page 28: ...nd to ensure that the latest offset adjustment so that the unit is using the most recent zero change the Adjust enable line to Yes To return to factory calibration parameters select No Requesting If R...
Page 29: ...bration Re Calibration allows the user to re calibrate the sensor setting a new zero and span for the selected sensor IRGA CO2 Re Calibration is recommended weekly Extended Range CO2 Re Calibration is...
Page 30: ...reate zero CO2 gas When the gas is flowing or being drawn into the unit press Enter 4 The unit will count down from 49 HIRES or 99 LORES as it sets the zero for the CO2 sensor The humidity Temperature...
Page 31: ...ng an ambient air with approximately 400 ppm CO2 depending on proximity to urbanized areas Tips for Calibrating the F 900 CO2 Sensor with a buffer system The operator should stand away from the F 900...
Page 32: ...ents com http www felixinstruments com 28 4 Insert a longer plastic tube into the cap of the buffer bottle that will connect to the IN of the instrument Use hot glue or otherwise seal the tubing to th...
Page 33: ...ion Connect the In tubing to the unit Place the buffer bottle in a location that has stable CO2 concentration away from operator cars furnace photosynthesizing plants Here ambient air CO2 levels shoul...
Page 34: ...begin to run 3 Use pressurized N2 to create zero O2 gas When the gas is flowing and connected to the unit press Enter 4 The unit will count down from as it sets the zero for the O2 sensor The humidity...
Page 35: ...ents The default recommended flow rate is 200 ml min Varying the flow rate from 200 ml min may affect the calibration and increase error The flow value on the Sensor Status screen should be between 15...
Page 36: ...is used to filter out alcohols before the electrochemical sensor The purpose of the outbound chamber Chamber_Out A is to condition the air going back into the fruit chamber or room and occurs after t...
Page 37: ...ntakes Always ensure the conditioning chamber is seated properly when screwing it on the F 900 Chamber In B is on the right side of the back panel This chamber can be enabled in 2 different modes Cham...
Page 38: ...main reason for the cleaning step is to keep the water in the maximum adsorption range As the water becomes polluted with alcohols it will not filter as effectively This results in an increase in sign...
Page 39: ...eep the top panel of the F 900 facing up and do not tilt the instrument when there is water in the conditioning chamber When operating in SPECIAL mode do not operate the instrument with the display pa...
Page 40: ...n parameters Press the LEFT arrow to switch to the column containing the values in ppb parts per billion Use the UP DOWN arrow keys to set the desired level Press the LEFT arrow STOP or SAVE to exit b...
Page 41: ...ed through the opening for pin 4 or pin 5 Use a screw driver to tighten and clamp onto the wire creating a connection The removable section of the terminal block is designed to stay with the fan or ga...
Page 42: ...ales felixinstruments com http www felixinstruments com 38 Setup Board The Setup Board Menu should only be changed by a Felix Instruments Technician This menu allows the user the select the type of ha...
Page 43: ...e View Files menu allows the user to review the filenames and file size of any files on the F 900 To view collected and saved data either download files via USB or eject the SDcard and insert it in a...
Page 44: ...V_Charger should increase when you connect the USB charger V_3volt is the digital voltage from the CPU and the V_Analog is the converted analog voltage View Battery The View Battery menu displays ind...
Page 45: ...The Board refers to the hardware version of the unit Features described in this manual are associated with all versions of hardware When discrepancies occur they are listed along with the version that...
Page 46: ...of the instrument when performing measurements The View GPS screen displays the mode of the GPS sensor SEN GPGGA as well as the values for latitude longitude altitude and indicates the number of sate...
Page 47: ...nection with a computer to transfer data from the F 900 Clear or Truncate a File Pressing the RIGHT arrow key when Clear is highlighted on the display engages the unit in the file truncate mode This m...
Page 48: ...the UP or DOWN arrow keys to select a file Once a file is selected to be deleted press the RIGHT arrow key to delete the file Press ENTER to confirm Or to escape without deleting the file press the LE...
Page 49: ...ing files with firmware version 1 07 The filename must end in a number or else the file will be corrupt and no data will be saved to it Pressing the SAVE key in the Create mode deletes the character u...
Page 50: ...t column Open File File01 3201 RoomA2 1022 Fruit7 0 Fruit9 2 An empty file will have a zero as the file size If the file is corrupt the file size will be a negative number Any file with a negative fil...
Page 51: ...inal file on the SDcard after the measurement has been made because if any changes are made to the original file it can break the alignment of the file causing error and data loss In order to keep the...
Page 52: ...included are the date and time of the measurement the ethylene level in ppm the mode monitor measure or cleaning the CO2 concentration the temperature of the gas stream in degrees Celsius the relativ...
Page 53: ...inc com CI 900 software php Always double check the webpage for the latest compatible firmware version depending on the serial number of the F 900 1 Transfer code application DL203_900 exe 2 Firmware...
Page 54: ...sales felixinstruments com http www felixinstruments com 50 c Follow the prompts in the libsusb win32 Inf Wizard i Click Next after making sure the device is connected to the system ii Select the F 90...
Page 55: ...WA 98607 USA Phone 360 833 8835 Fax 360 833 1914 sales felixinstruments com http www felixinstruments com 51 iv Re name the Device Name to F 900 and click Next v Save the inf file and remember where v...
Page 56: ...er open the 900 Firmware folder 4 Open the DL203_900 exe Transfer Code to CI 203 or F 900 application 5 Select File and Open 6 Navigate to the F 900 ver x xx bin This is the code for the instrument Th...
Page 57: ...Power on the F 900 and check the firmware version at the top of the display The Transfer Code software application will indicate that no instrument is found if the F 900 is not connected to the compu...
Page 58: ...environment in which it is used the sensor cell may need to be replenished with distilled water every 2 3 weeks if Chamber In B is not set to ON and filled with distilled water The electrolyte level...
Page 59: ...will have 1 2 ratio Any unit that measures 40 R H should in theory never dry out To Refill the Sensor By Opening Up the F 900 BE EXTERMELY CAREFUL NOT TO DRIP WATER ONTO ANY INTERNAL PARTS OF THE F 9...
Page 60: ...beled Interscan 6 Disconnect the tubing entering the white connection on the sensor by holding the base of the white connector in your hands firmly while sliding out the tubing You may need to push up...
Page 61: ...r 12 Fill the syringe with distilled water 13 Remove the red plug from the port Insert the needle of the syringe in the port 14 Inject water SLOWLY into the cell until the sensor returns to its origin...
Page 62: ...he ethylene analyzer Please note that the response values given are not absolute Table 1 Interfering Gas and the F 900 sensor Ripening fruit emit a complex mixture of hydrocarbons including ethylene O...
Page 63: ...rooms or chemical storage rooms Damage to the analyzer can occur if the fluid reservoir level is too low or if the inlet and outlet gas connections are blocked while the pump operates This can cause...
Page 64: ...s are to answer your technical questions by phone or by e mail at support felixinstruments com Felix Instruments contact information Felix Instruments 1554 NE 3rd Ave Camas WA 98607 USA Phone 800 767...
Page 65: ...persimmons plums and tomatoes Source Wikepedia com 2 What should I do if I see moisture develop in the tubing when monitoring a fruit in the chamber a Silica gel can be used to dry out the gas stream...
Page 66: ...need to create a file to save data into Go to File Create Change the file00 to the desired file name and press save Next open the file to save measurements Go to File Open and use the arrows to highli...
Page 67: ...rigerated apple storage rooms in order to assess the safety to young apple trees During the winter months the safe level for storage of first year apple trees is below 50ppm d Commercial apple growers...
Page 68: ...stream so that any ethylene that is measured must have come from the fruit in the chamber 13 During a monitoring experiment will the sealed fruit chamber influence the result as time goes on a The ai...
Page 69: ...1914 sales felixinstruments com http www felixinstruments com 65 Sensitivity to C2H4 0 1 L L or 100 nL L Therefore the F 900 optimally detects around 1500 nL hr If the specimen weighs 50 grams then t...
Page 70: ...mmended 5 Do not ship sample bags by air unless the cargo cabin is pressurized 6 Do not overfill bags 7 Secure polypropylene value when opening closing by holding side stem while turning entire upper...
Page 71: ...ap and pierce the septum Do not allow the needle to puncture the bag material when piercing the septum 7 Do not use the fitting valve as a handle or hanging device Although it is durable it is not int...
Page 72: ...not authorized by Felix Instruments Material and equipment covered hereby which is not manufactured by Seller is to be covered only by the warranty of its manufacturer Seller shall not be liable to th...
Page 73: ...or non emergency assistance call 1 281 441 4400 SECTION 2 COMPOSTION AND INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS Composition Name CAS by Weight Sulfuric acid 7664 93 9 9 8 Water 7732 18 5 90 2 Toxicological Data o...
Page 74: ...ater and non abrasive soap Be particularly careful to clean folds crevices creases and groin Cold water may be used If irritation persists seek medical attention Wash contaminated clothing before reus...
Page 75: ...ventilation wear suitable respiratory equipment If ingested seek medical advice immediately and show the container or the label Avoid contact with skin and eyes Keep away from incompatibles such as a...
Page 76: ...REACTIVITY DATA Stability The product is stable Instability Temperature Not available Conditions of Instability Not available Incompatibility with various substances Extremely reactive or incompatibl...
Page 77: ...UN2796 PG II Special Provisions for Transport Not available SECTION 15 OTHER REGULATORY INFORMATION Federal and State Regulations TSCA 8 b inventory Sulfuric acid Water Other Regulations OSHA Hazardou...
Page 78: ...pping of interfering gases This can be thought of as the baseline response Procedure 1 Turn on the F 900 verify chambers are set to off and flow is set to 200 ml min 2 Connect experimental setup as sh...
Page 79: ...thod is to determine the effeteness of the interfering gas trap for long term measurements This will require the trap to self regenerate between consecutive measurements The regeneration time is defau...
Page 80: ...1554 NE 3rd Ave Camas WA 98607 USA Phone 360 833 8835 Fax 360 833 1914 sales felixinstruments com http www felixinstruments com 76 Figure 15 Set up for fruit chamber using potassium permanganate KMnO4...
Page 81: ...ts com 77 F 900 PRODUCTION TEST CHECK SHEET SERIAL NUMBER Firmware Version SENSOR Weight grams C2H4 F 900 fully assembled Optional Sensors Included Yes No C2H4 Low Resolution C02 High Resolution CO2 L...
Page 82: ...F 900 Instruction Manual rev 1 16 2014 1554 NE 3rd Ave Camas WA 98607 USA Phone 360 833 8835 Fax 360 833 1914 sales felixinstruments com http www felixinstruments com 78...
Page 83: ..._________________ Fax ____________________________ Felix Instruments Serial Number s __________________________________________________ Purchase Date _____________________ Purchase Price _____________...
