Focustronic Alkatronic User Manual
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Focustronic Alkatronic User Manual

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User manual
English
v 3.6

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Summary of Contents for Focustronic Alkatronic

  • Page 1 User manual English v 3.6...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    Action mode Wash out mode Test pump accuracy Test pH-electrode accuracy LCD-Screen Measurement postponed function Export Data Alert Reagent/Buffer Bottle Auto Update Mode/Upload Mode Connection to an aquariumcomputer/pH-computer Setup connection between Alkatronic and Aquariumcomputer Programming tip to Apex/aquariumcomputer-user Cloud-functions Baseline calibration...
  • Page 3 Product Registration – Warranty   Each unit of Alkatronic carries a limited factory warranty for 12 months upon registration.  The online registration must be done within 14 days after purchase in order to be deemed valid.  FOCUSTRONIC will also send update information such as firmware updates or new features information via the registered email account. ...

  • Page 4: Introduction

    Based on that, you can then fine-tune your primary equipment. The main purpose of the Alkatronic is thus to prevent a rapid drop (or increase) in dKH due to some failure, which can cause the death of all of your corals, and the second purpose is to achieve a very stable dKH value by helping you fine-tuning...

  • Page 5: Set-Up-Procedure

    13. Placement Make sure you place the Alkatronic in a location that allows you to easily manage regular maintenance. The machine must be placed in a horizontal position. Actually, some very very small tilting to the left is no harm, and actually some benefit...
  • Page 6 In the package we include: • Silicon hose, ID=3.2mm. • Silicon hose, ID=1.6mm Please note: • Hoses running from tank/bottles should be as vertical as possible. Reduce as much horizontal length as possible. • You have to cut the proper length yourself, as that will vary between different set-ups.

  • Page 7: Establish Software Connection

    General information: The connection between Alkatronic and App concerning the most crucial functions, is based on BT-connection, as that is the most safe and stable connection. But it could take sometimes 5-10 seconds for the app to connect...

  • Page 8: Socket Setup And Connection

    2) Put the cord from the pump that feeds the calcium reactor with aquarium water into the Alkatronic socket. See Figure 4. Now, as long as the Alkatronic socket is ”open”, which is indicated by a red light on the socket, the Alkatronic socket gives power to your pump that feeds your Ca-reactor (which usually is a peristaltic pump for continuously use).
  • Page 9 -solenoid into the Alkatronic socket. See Figure 5. Now, as long as the Alkatronic socket is ”open”, which is indicated by a red light on the socket, the Alkatronic socket gives power to your ordinary timer that controls the solenoid to the CO -supply.

  • Page 10: Establish Bluetooth-Connection

    2) Plug the cord from the dosing station of Balling solutions into the Alkatronic socket. See Figure 4 Now, as long as the Alkatronic socket is ”open”, which is indicated by a blue light on the socket, the Alkatronic socket gives power to your Balling-station, and therefore your doing station is controlled by its internal schedule.

  • Page 11: Prime Hoses And Calibrate Pumps/Electrode

    If action mode is disabled, the socket will not react to the dKH values, but will be left in it's last position. For safety reasons, the socket is always in ON-mode (orange) after a power up of the machine. Remember that if you want to be able to change the socket both manually with the toogle-button, or let the machine do so by automatic actions, you must have ”action mode”...

  • Page 12: Calibrate The Ph-Electrode

    Fig 3b. The value here is 8.5 ml. (3 lines below 10.0 ml) Pump C 1) Take out the pipe from Pump C by moving pipe forward from the probe holder, and place it in the smallest test cylinder. (25 ml cylinder). 2) In the main menu, press ”Calibrate”...
  • Page 13 Calibration procedure Go to main menu and select ”Calibrate”, then select ”pH electrode”. 2. Rinse the electrode carefully in RO or distilled water, and then wipe the electrode carefully without touching the glass tip. 3. Place the electrode in pH 7.00 solution, then press the ”pH 7”-button.
  • Page 14 TIP: If you press ”Test pump accuracy” and choose ”Pump A”, then it will automatically fill exactly 50 ml. This is the most convenient way to fill the test vial if it is almost empty. NOW, the machine is installed, calibrated, and ready to start measuring!

  • Page 15: Functions And Graph Screens

    Read below to see all of the capabilities of the machine and how to perform basic and advanced functions. NOTE, the first 2-3 measurements after installing a brand new unit, may not measure correct values. It will normally take 2 measurements to get correct values after the very first set-up.

  • Page 16: Extra Measurement

    For more info see ”Wash out mode”. 
 Extra measurement On the home-screen there is a button called ”Extra measurement”. When pressed, the Alkatronic will perform an extra measurement independently of the settled measurement interval. Table/history On the home-page below the graph, there is a button called Table/history.

  • Page 17: Low Reference Value

    When Alkatronic calculates the proper dose of carbonates, it uses the aquarium volume you have set, and the difference between the measured dKH and the value of ”low reference value”. Alkatronic is using the following algorithms to dose the lacking dKH in a smooth and safe way: •...

  • Page 18: Wash Out Mode

    explanations above. Default mode for security reasons is ”off”, so please do not forget to actively set this button to what you desire. Wash out mode Even though the machine measures with very high precision, rarely an error measurement may occur. One example would be due to temporary air in the hoses. To avoid actions as a result of these potential error measurements, the machine will always compare a new measurement with the previous measurement.

  • Page 19: Test Pump Accuracy

    Test pump accuracy This function allows you to control the calibration status of the pump, for instance to help decide if there is a need to recalibrate the pump. When you press this button, test pump accuracy, you test
 the accuracy of the latest calibration of pump A, C or D.
 Before pressing the button to start the test, take out the
...

  • Page 20: Measurement Postponed Function

    • Socket off When making changes in settings, LCD screen will shortly show these settings. You will of course always see the settings in the App, as the App and Alkatronic remembers all settings, even after a power-off. • Low reference value •...

  • Page 21: Alert Reagent/Buffer Bottle

    Our included socket is mandatory for users with no aquariumcomputer, and also for users with no free pH-port on an existing aquariumcomputer. However, users with a free BNC-pH port on their aquariumcomputer can connect Alkatronic to that port through an ordinary BNC-cable, and send the latest dKH value to your aquariumcomputer (like an Apex or similar).
  • Page 22 6) Go to the aquariumcomputer's pH calibration menu (for reference see manual), and select pH 10.00 calibration. 7) In the Alkatronic app, click the 10.0 button. Now the Alkatronic will send a signal to your aquariumcomputer that simulates a ”pH 10.00 signal”. When you are sure that your aquariumcomputer has received this signal, and it is stabilized (for sure, wait 3-5 minutes), press calibrate on the aquariumcomputer.

  • Page 23: Programming Tip To Apex/Aquariumcomputer-User

    Normally you never power off the Alkatronic, and if you do, just press ‘extra measurement” upon restarting to do a fresh measurement so the third part computer will have a fresh value to read. After that, Alkatronic will continuously send the last measured value to the aquariumcomputer.

  • Page 24: Baseline Calibration

    Following condition must be true, if this function should be used: Correct calibrated pump A and C, and correct calibrated pH-electrode, but still a dKH measurement from Alkatronic which is deviating more than 0.2dKH from the true dKH measured by a high quality reference test.
  • Page 25 Press save. From now, all values measured by Alkatronic will be recalculated with a factor which compensate for the not perfect mixed reagent.

  • Page 26: Maintenance

    If properly handled, it will last for 2-2.5 years. After these 2+ years it will need to be replaced. You can purchase the electrode at Focustronic, or at the local dealer where you bought the machine. When you replace the electrode you have to unscrew the back-lid and in the upper right corner of the circuit board connect the BNC cable to the BNC-contact.
  • Page 27 Pump B and D Pump B never needs to be calibrated Pump D, every 8 weeks or less, depending on how much that pump had to be run(it is the carbonate dosing pump). Also here (see above) you can always use the ”test pump accuracy”...

  • Page 28: Trouble Shooting

    If you for instance find that Alkatronic measures constant 0.2dKH below a manual test, and you have done the checklist below, it is most likely that you have no inaccuracy from Alkatronic at all! •...

  • Page 29: No Connection Between App And Machine

    All computers could as a very seldom occasion be locked in due to digital corruption. If this occurs, thus no response from Alkatronic despite several try to connect with the app, check these: Make sure there is no message on LCD like ”Measure postponed to XX:00”. In •...

  • Page 30: No Wifi-Connection

    7. Restart Alkatronic again. DO NOT OPEN THE APP NOW. 8. Wait for a few minutes (still do not connect with app) 9. Check in router to see if you can see “raspberrypi”, if you do, Alkatronic now communicates with your router.
  • Page 31 loose.  This can be quickly solved by taking out the hose from the pump by moving the plastic holderings forward, and putting a new cable tie around it. Make sure the plastic connectors are aligned so the hose will not be twisted. ...

  • Page 32: Appendix

    As long as you use one of these common standard recipes below, or a ready to buy solution with similar content (almost all commercial liquids are) , Alkatronic are doing the correct dosing calculations and you only have to set the correct volume of your system in settings.
  • Page 33 reagent have slight higher specific gravity but the difference is extremely small so we can without loosing accuracy, neglect that). Thus, depending on your equipment at home, you can choose between either using the ”weight method” or the ”volume method”. If you do not have lab-equipment concerning measuring volume, like a ”volumetric flask”, or a ”graduated cylinder”...
  • Page 34 There is of course very easy maths behind this, but for your convenience look at this table as a help: Weight of reagent Final weight after adding RO-water 200 g 1000 g 300 g 1500 g 400 g 2000 g 500 g 2500 g 600 g...

  • Page 35: Changing Hoses In Pumps

    Volume of reagent Volume of RO-water Final Volume of ready to use solution 200 ml 800 ml 1000 ml 300 ml 1200 ml 1500 ml 400 ml 1600 ml 2000 ml 500 ml 2000 ml 2500 ml 600 ml 2400 ml 3000 ml 
...
  • Page 36 attachments, and make sure it is pushed down all the way. 5. Now push down the hose between the inside wall and wheel.This is more easy if you simultaneously with your finger rotate the wheel. 6. Now make sure that the hose is pressed down enough so there is some space between the rim and hose (see arrow in the picture below).

  • Page 37: Fail-Safe Messages In Lcd

    first days. After that, a calibration frequency of 2-4 weeks, should be sufficient. Fail-safe messages in LCD Alkatronic have several fail-safes for security reason. Some of them will show up with a message in the LCD-display. Here is an explanation of the different fail-safes messages: ”Please restart”:...

  • Page 38: Specifications

    Specifications Accuracy and precision +- 0.05dKH Measure range 4.8dKH-15.4dKH Water amount/measure 50 ml ～8 ml Reagent amount/measure Dimensions 22x14x27 cm Connectivity Wifi/Bluetooth, USB(fw update) Update procedure Wifi or USB Software iOS app, Android app coming soon On board-LCD Yes Pumps 2 steppers, 2 DC-motors Basic technology pH-electrode-based titration...

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