background image

F-900 Instruction Manual 8/14/2017 

1554 NE 3

rd

 Ave, Camas, WA 98607, USA Phone: (360) 833-8835 

46 

www.felixinstruments.com

 

the terminal block are possible, such as controlling ethylene scrubbers or connection to an 
external control system.  

The F-900 will perform action at the high and low levels, when set. If the concentration of 
ethylene rises above the Gas_Hi, the gas will be shut off. If the ethylene concentration is lower 
than the Gas_Lo, the gas will be turned on.  

 

  Press the up/down arrow to switch between parameters.  

  Press the right 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 or Save to exit back to the Setup Menu. Any changes made will 

automatically be saved. 

  Enabling 

CONTL_OUT

 will turn on the standard terminal control, using the output of the 

pins to control turning on or off the gas and/or the exhaust fan.  

  Enabling 

CONTL_IN (Clean)

 allows use of the analog input pin to supply a voltage to 

control the cleaning mode (input signal). This terminal control mode was developed for 
using the F-900 with other external advanced control systems. When this mode is not 
being used, set to DISABLE.  

o

  Note: if Setup>Chamber: Chamber In is currently set to Special, enabling 

CNTL_IN (CLEAN)

 will overwrite Chamber In to Off

.

 

o

  Terminal Connections:  

  Pin 1: Ground 

  Pin 10: Control voltage. Control voltage could be applied during 

Measure>Monitor Mode to control cleaning mode. Specifically: 

  0.0-1.0V: Cleaning disable (Closed Loop Off, Chamber In Off) 

  1.5-5.0V: Cleaning enable (Closed Loop On, Chamber In On) 

To connect a gas control to the terminal block of the F-900, first pull off the removable portion of 
the terminal block (pull straight out). The piece in the figure below will separate from the F-900. 
Slide the wire from what is going to be controlled through the opening for the appropriate pin. 
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, gas or external control so, if the F-
900 needs to be moved, the terminal block can be disconnected easily. The total power draw of 
the F-900 is .5-1.5 AMP, the max of 1.5 is assuming all sensors are installed and running. 

Setup                       Terminals 

VALUE                            PPB 
 

GAS_HI                         00000 
GAS_LO                        00000 
CONTL_OUT              DISABLE 
CONTL_IN (Clean)   DISABLE 
 

Содержание F-900

Страница 1: ...vice may not cause harmful interference and 2 this device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation Complies With 89 336 EEC Electromagnetic Compa...

Страница 2: ......

Страница 3: ...r and Battery Power 13 Measure Menu Taking a Measurement 14 Sensor Stability 14 Graph Mode 14 Monitor Mode 15 Measurement Settings 17 Notes About Measurements with the F 900 17 Electrochemical Sensor...

Страница 4: ...Automatically Set Zero Offset Correction 34 F 900 Menu System Diagram 36 Setup Menu 37 Setup Measure 37 Setup Autosave 37 Setup Sensor 38 Setup Calibration 39 C2H4 Calibration 39 Offset Correction 40...

Страница 5: ...g 77 Method 2 Sampling with Filtration Trapping 77 Method 3 Long Term Monitoring with Filtration 78 APPENDIX II Guidelines for Measuring Sample Bags 79 To Collect a Sample Using a Sample Bag 79 Analyz...

Страница 6: ...ailable only through elaborate and expensive 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 m...

Страница 7: ...monitoring in the field Multiple configurations to accommodate in situ research and controlled atmosphere monitoring Instantaneous and accumulated measurement modes Monitor and Graph View Quick conne...

Страница 8: ...80 mL min Measuring Rate 1 second intervals open or closed loop Warm up time 1 minute C2H4 PPB Sensor Electrochemical Nominal Range 0 10 ppm Resolution 0 001 ppm Lower Detection Limit 0 025 ppm 25 pp...

Страница 9: ...ter Warm up time 3 minutes Weight 172 6 g Offset Recalibration Weekly Span Recalibration 6 months calibration gas required CO2 Percent Sensor Infrared Sensor Pyroelectric detector Nominal Range 0 20 R...

Страница 10: ...evel is too low or if the inlet and outlet gas connections are blocked while the pump operates This can cause false readings or irreparable damage to the sensor Use a T valve when connecting the F 900...

Страница 11: ...orking electrode R reference electrode C counter electrode E electrolyte Image credit doi 10 1093 aob mcs259 The F 900 flow rate is regulated by a pump and a flow meter Additional optional sensors are...

Страница 12: ...ts a complex mixture of hydrocarbons including ethylene Oxidation of these other gases in the electrochemical sensor cannot be readily distinguished from ethylene This causes the ethylene value to be...

Страница 13: ...t filter when measuring a gas mixture or interfering gases present will be reported by the instrument Alcohols can induce a baseline shift and or change the sensitivity of the ethylene sensor To recov...

Страница 14: ...part of the tubing accessory kit Male and female quick connectors can be added to tubing and used to connect sample bags or custom chambers to the F 900 Figure 6 Accessories and parts that arrive with...

Страница 15: ...ample fruit or plants The fruit chamber includes a closed chamber lid and a lid with a seal to allow sampling of fruit still intact on the plant The F 900RK includes all the parts and accessories that...

Страница 16: ...tery life remaining will be displayed on the bottom line The uptime or time the instrument has been powered on is displayed in hours minutes followed by the battery life in percent Note If the F 900 d...

Страница 17: ...will flash powering off on the top line when you hit the power key For fastest charging of the F 900 use the highest rated port on the charger and do not connect any other USB devices to the charger...

Страница 18: ...CO2 PCT sensor is from 0 20 and does not have the same power draw To turn off on the CO2 PPM sensor 1 Go to Setup Sensor Sensor Selection 2 When asked Are you sure you want to continue press Enter 3...

Страница 19: ...display will show the file that is open and the flow of gas being pumped through the instrument Below this will be whether the initialization is automatic or manual If the initialization is automatic...

Страница 20: ...hed For example if the current data is 3 486 ppm the user may use the up key to zoom in to the 5 ppm range but cannot zoom in to a narrower 2 ppm range The graph begins on the left side and moves with...

Страница 21: ...en 4 5O C above ambient and in turn relative humidity readings are affected The use of water in Chamber In PolarCept see page 8 will also affect relative humidity readings The detection rate Det Rate...

Страница 22: ...s changed The Set Zero procedure begins by automatically closing the IN and OUT port valves on the front of the instrument Closed Loop and enabling Chamber Out On with KMnO4 The instrument will contin...

Страница 23: ...d not covered If connected to tubing or a fruit chamber disconnect and reconnect the tubing from the IN port If using water in Chamber In remove the top panel of the F 900 and ensure no water has ente...

Страница 24: ...in Chamber Out and it should be turned on Possible reasons to condition the air returning to the fruit chamber include scrubbing humidity with silica gel or scrubbing CO2 with soda lime Build up of c...

Страница 25: ...900 Instruction Manual 8 14 2017 1554 NE 3rd Ave Camas WA 98607 USA Phone 360 833 8835 20 www felixinstruments com Observe and record the rate of change of ethylene over time with the F 900 Monitor Mo...

Страница 26: ...Gas Chromatograph GC No need for N2 H2 or bottled air Portable No heating or oven required Predicts ethylene concentration without chromatography Figure 13 GC Emulation port connected to front of inst...

Страница 27: ...ult GC Emulation Mode Tips In general higher injection volume will also increase signal detection Recommended minimum injection volume is 5 ml The F 900 requires about 5 10 minutes of warm up time whe...

Страница 28: ...Injection port setup 3 Wait for the instrument to stabilize 4 Set parameter then press Enter 5 Inject the gas sample then press Enter Stabilizing environment Enter Skip C2H4 x xxxppm Humidity Temperat...

Страница 29: ...ments com Figure 15 Injection of gas sample 6 Wait while the sample is processing 140 seconds 7 View the results Enter to repeat for another sample or Stop to exit Figure 16 Proper technique for filli...

Страница 30: ...he first step is obtaining an offset point the zero point and second step is obtaining a span point Lastly it is good practice to verify the calibration using another standard gas See Table 1 for a su...

Страница 31: ...egulator the gas is drawn out of the regulator cylinder by the pump of the F 900 When the regulator is fully twisted onto the cylinder the PSI on the gauge will move Rotate the regulator until it is t...

Страница 32: ...ghlighted 2 Options for calibration parameters and recalibration can be seen Select Re Calibration Note Changes to any of the calibration parameters should be performed under the supervision of a Feli...

Страница 33: ...tting offset using the KMnO4 in Chamber out and will give a countdown to completion Zero calibration takes the instrument around 15 20 minutes to complete 6 Once offset has been set the F 900 will imm...

Страница 34: ...ndard gas to set zero Please see page 29 An alternate method exits for setting zero with the use of Soda Lime and is described below 1 Select the re calibration function for the CO2 ppm sensor 2 The d...

Страница 35: ...0 Use extra tubing to get the intake source away from human breath Use a buffer tank system to stabilize the intake source 1 Find and clean an empty bottle with cap which is at least 3L in volume 2 Dr...

Страница 36: ...6 Connect the in tubing to the intake port on the instrument 7 To use the buffer bottle make sure that the tubing is clear from obstruction Connect the In tubing to the unit Place the buffer bottle i...

Страница 37: ...PM CO2 PCT Please follow the Standard Operating Procedure on page 29 and refer to Table 1 on page 27 to calibrate this sensor The firmware supports a 3 point calibration for this particular sensor for...

Страница 38: ...following steps If using PolarCept it is recommended that the set zero process be completed with Chamber IN enabled The DI water used for PolarCept can introduce additional impurities Setting zero wi...

Страница 39: ...and Closed Loop On Off Figure 20 Measurement Settings Menu display left flow path of internal gas stream right Manually Set Zero PolarCept Enabled To perform an offset with PolarCept enabled first fol...

Страница 40: ...default 30 minutes and happens during Sensor Stability the first screen when measurement mode is initiated The default interval between offset corrections is 24 hours for continuous use or during the...

Страница 41: ...ity Graph View Monitor View Settings Setup Measure GC Emulation Monitor Autosave Sensor Sensor Selection Calibration C2H4 PPB Calibration Parameters Re calibration PPM Calibration Parameters Re calibr...

Страница 42: ...search Kit and requires the use of the inline injection port with septum To save changes in the Setup Measure menu press Save Use the up and down arrows to toggle between options Setup Autosave To sel...

Страница 43: ...measurement will toggle Autosave to off To avoid changing any configuration press the Stop key to exit back to the Setup Menu Setup Sensor The Setup Sensor Menu has Sensor Selection Sensor Selection a...

Страница 44: ...alibration Menu Press Enter to confirm and get into the menu The options at the Setup Calibration menu are C2H4 CO2 O2 system DAC flow and injection parameters C2H4 Calibration Re calibration or chang...

Страница 45: ...or upon startup if more than 24 hours have passed between uses The offset will be corrected when the user first enters measurement mode and is in the Sensor Stability screen To enable the automatic o...

Страница 46: ...e appropriate shift in time and press Save Setup Flow The air flow of the F 900 is an important factor for taking good measurements The default flow rate is 80 ml min Flow rate is adjustable from 80 2...

Страница 47: ...itioning chamber is seated properly when screwing it on the F 900 The purpose of the inbound chamber Chamber In is to condition the air before it reaches the sensor Chamber In additionally provides a...

Страница 48: ...is necessary To use Chamber Out to condition the air replenishing the fruit chamber enable Chamber Out in the Setup Chamber menu and fill Chamber Out with the appropriate consumable Connect the fruit...

Страница 49: ...In with distilled water to max fill line located on back of F 900 This mode may not be applicable at high ethylene concentrations When the F 900 is using the water to filter out alcohol the water must...

Страница 50: ...bic filters in line with the internal tubing This is to protect the F 900 in case any water is sucked into the instrument when using PolarCept To avoid drawing water into the internal tubing of the F...

Страница 51: ...developed for using the F 900 with other external advanced control systems When this mode is not being used set to DISABLE o Note if Setup Chamber Chamber In is currently set to Special enabling CNTL...

Страница 52: ...r 0 max C2H4 range 20ppm or 200ppm 9 Analog Input reserved 10 Analog control input for cleaning use with CONTL_IN enabled The digital outputs 4 5 and 6 can sink up to 45mA to drive an optocoupler They...

Страница 53: ...33 8835 48 www felixinstruments com for calculated concentrations displayed on the F 900 Those concentrations are then updated every 200 milliseconds to a DAC output on the terminal block for CO2 and...

Страница 54: ...ight contains the file size The options are use the up or down arrow keys to scroll through the files press the left arrow or Stop to exit to the View Menu Note A file with a negative number for the f...

Страница 55: ...ly The Charge will read off when no charger is plugged in and Complete when finished charging The Board refers to the hardware version of the unit Features described in this manual are associated with...

Страница 56: ...PS menu and is synchronized with minute and second alignment Often when the instrument is turned on indoors the latitude longitude and altitude will be blank This occurs when no satellite signal can b...

Страница 57: ...he file name or set up This feature is useful if it is necessary to do a number of similar measurements The user can take these measurements to a particular file copy the results clear the file and be...

Страница 58: ...d 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 saves the file Should the file name be identical to another file name the instru...

Страница 59: ...the screen if the file was opened successfully Press Stop or the left arrow to go back to the File Menu Moving the cursor to another file after opening a file and then exiting the menu by pressing eit...

Страница 60: ...instrument and the computer while performing measurements If the user tries to operate the instrument through the computer the files are subject to becoming out of sync breaking alignment and causing...

Страница 61: ...computer before making changes or starting analysis Below is an example of ethylene data plotted for PolarCept that shows the typical peaks and valleys for the measure cleaning cycle At the end of the...

Страница 62: ...Check It Gas Analyzer which can be similarly applied to other Felix Instruments products 1 Install FlashAir Wi Fi card software appropriate to the SD card a Visit https www toshiba co jp p media engl...

Страница 63: ...images stored on the FlashAir card can be viewed and the internet can also be accessed This is convenient when for example uploading image files downloaded form a FlashAir card onto social networking...

Страница 64: ...the internet access point password Enter the password for the access point that you will use o In your browser enter http flashair to view or stream your files For more information on the Toshiba Fla...

Страница 65: ...software Always double check the webpage for the latest compatible firmware version depending on the serial number of the F 900 Please contact Felix Instruments technical support with questions about...

Страница 66: ...er to proceed installing libusb driver This could take up to 1 minute to complete Note Wait for Windows obtaining driver process to complete before clicking Install driver When the device drivers and...

Страница 67: ...ctions in the software to hold down the Power button 7 Release the Power button when instructed 8 Wait for the flash to be erased and then written When the firmware transfer is complete the software w...

Страница 68: ...Phone 360 833 8835 63 www felixinstruments com 3 Connect the device to computer via USB and repeat the download firmware procedure After the firmware update is successful it is recommended to let the...

Страница 69: ...p exe from https felixinstruments com support F 900 software B Install C Launch the downloaded G A S program Connection to the GAS software is available through USB cable connection 1 The searching bu...

Страница 70: ...e The Control Panel menu displays toggle keys and a simulated device screen which allow the user remote control of the F 900 The Calibration menu navigates the user through the calibration process for...

Страница 71: ...but the graphic display switches the CO2 and O2 concentrations See the Control Panel section below for more information on the simulated device screen Another known bug is if the monitored F 900 has a...

Страница 72: ...int calibration process for the F 900 Including Zero Calibration and Span Calibration The set zero process will require known standard gas of 100 Nitrogen N2 gas to set a zero baseline Next the user w...

Страница 73: ...tically initiate a continuous measurement to run the standardized tests on the sensors Checking Sensor Signals will check each of the raw sensor signals on your device Each of these values are tested...

Страница 74: ...still not fall within the reported accuracy range of the specified sensor This means that even if a sensor passes this diagnostic it may need calibration depending on the accuracy desired The final au...

Страница 75: ...ted in your country Felix Instruments is committed to providing customers with high quality timely technical support Technical support representatives are there to answer your technical questions by p...

Страница 76: ...see moisture develop in the tubing when monitoring a fruit in the chamber a There is a protective hydrophobic filter inside the IN port on the front of the F 900 This will prevent moisture from fully...

Страница 77: ...the file name is a negative number this indicates an error You should delete the file and create it again Then open it and check that the value is zero Now you can save data into this file 6 What cons...

Страница 78: ...runs out of water a If the cell runs out of water the lead electrode could undergo sulfation This would affect the sensitivity by reducing the active area on the lead electrodes It is more likely tha...

Страница 79: ...ty measured a The temperature and relative humidity sensors are located inside the F 900 before the electrochemical sensor There is an additional relative humidity sensor after the ethylene sensor to...

Страница 80: ...t methods for detecting ethylene in plants Annals of Botany 2012 DOI 10 1093 aob mcs259 Golding J Shearer D McGlasson W Wyllie S Relationships between Respiration Ethylene and Aroma Production in Ripe...

Страница 81: ...harvest Responses of Malindi Cavendish Banana to Various Storage Conditions International Journal of Fruit Science volume 13 4 p 373 2013 DOI 10 1080 15538362 2013 748378 Pech J Bouzayen M Latche A Cl...

Страница 82: ...00 5 After sampling the headspace for 5 minutes or a set period of time of your choosing take a syringe sample and run it in the GC gas chromatograph Record result in spreadsheet program such as Micro...

Страница 83: ...the method and how to realize if the cleaning period should be extended Procedure 1 Fill conditioning Chamber In with distilled water and clean the water using potassium permanganate in an in line col...

Страница 84: ...value when opening closing by holding side stem while turning entire upper portion of fitting one revolution Store bags flat Do not roll or crease bags during storage Do not use bags at temperatures a...

Страница 85: ...ndle or hanging device Although it is durable it is not intended for these uses Analyzing a Sample Bag with the F 900 Connect the sample bag to the IN port of the F 900 Open the sample bag to allow ga...

Страница 86: ...APPENDIX III 8L Chamber Accessory These visuals supply the user with the basic Do s and Don ts of working with the 8L Chamber accessory Designed for measuring samples in a closed system the 8L chambe...

Страница 87: ...for the 0 20 range When recalibrating the CO2 PCT sensor choose the expected or desired range and calibrate with the recommended concentration If using the 0 100 CO2 range values above 20 are extrapo...

Страница 88: ...a measurement Press the right arrow again to skip the sensor stabilization a There is a short lag in the F 900 Controller software as it pulls data from the F 900 instrument This lag interval is adju...

Страница 89: ...andard gas is connected The data should be trending towards the expected concentration and begin to stabilize 9 Wait at least 7 minutes once the signal has stabilized and does not change more than 40...

Страница 90: ...00 Instruction Manual 8 14 2017 1554 NE 3rd Ave Camas WA 98607 USA Phone 360 833 8835 85 www felixinstruments com 11 Disconnect the calibration gas and watch the data trend toward ambient ethylene lev...

Страница 91: ...r regulators are acceptable just use a T junction when connecting to the instrument to protect the instrument from damage 3 Determination of the size of tank to order Consider how many calibrations ca...

Страница 92: ...Ethylene C2H4 in air Part number 103DSxxxC2H4A xxx ppm concentration 2 5 10 20 75 100 or 500 ppm CO2 balance Nitrogen Part Number 103DSxxxxCO2N xxxx ppm concentration 1 000ppm or 2 000ppm Part Number...

Страница 93: ...Sensors Included Yes No C02 PPM CO2 PCT O2 PCT CALIBRATION PARAMETERS C2H4 PPB C2H4 PPM Internal offset Internal gain Calibration RH Calibration T RH slope RH offset T slope T offset Optional Sensors...

Страница 94: ...is not manufactured by Felix Instruments is to be covered only by the warranty of its manufacturer Felix Instruments will not be liable to the Buyer for loss damage or injury to persons or to property...

Отзывы: