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WARRANTY The Fido X4 equipment that is the subject of this manual is covered by a standard warranty. The terms of the warranty are defined by the "Terms and Conditions of Sale" that was in effect at the time of purchase.
"System Overview" on p. 14. 1.1 Technical Support This manual is only one of the ways you can learn about the Fido X4. Each Fido X4 kit pur- chase includes operator training and access to FLIR Detection’s customer service portal. Register your system at...
FLIR Fido® X4 Operations Manual Safety IMPORTANT: Before operating the Fido X4, you must read, understand, and follow all instructions, warn- ings, cautions, and legal disclaimers. 2.1 Safety Conventions and Labeling This section describes the safety labels and symbols used in this manual. Failure to observe these safety indicators could result in operator injury or system damage.
System Overview 3.1 Theory of Operation The primary concept of operation for the Fido X4 Handheld ETD is high throughput screening for trace explosives residues. The screening process consists of three basic steps: 1. Samples are collected from operational surfaces via reusable sample media (Sampling Swipes).
FLIR Fido® X4 Operations Manual Figure 3-3: Fido X4 (back and right side) 3.4 Primary Hardware Components 3.4.1 Thermal desorption module (TD) The primary function of the thermal desorption module, or thermal desorber (TD), is to pro- cess trace particulate samples by heating a sample swipe, which vaporizes particulate mater- ial that was collected. ...
For more information, see "The Keypad" on p. 22. 3.4.5 USB-C port The Fido X4 has one data port which can be used to connect the device to a PC. USB-C is a modern standard for Universal Serial Bus and is capable of powering the device and sending and receiving large amounts of data quickly. ...
Figure 3-4: Sensing element (dot enlarged) The Fido X4 sensing element contains the highly sensitive and selective fluorescent and chemiluminescent sensing materials that make-up TrueTrace technology. During operation, the unmarked end of the sensing element is inserted into the thermal desorber and heated.
3.5.2 Sample swipes Figure 3-5: Sample swipe Fido X4 Sample swipes are made of thin, thermally stable materials that are designed to effi- ciently collect particulate samples from operational surfaces, and also effectively allow desorption of those particles during sample processing.
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FLIR Fido® X4 Operations Manual The Fido X4 reference standard is a core element of the system diagnostic functions. Its pur- pose is to verify that system performance meets a predetermined threshold for detection of trace explosives. The reference standard contains a trace amount of explosive material designed to elicit a metered response across the sensor array, when processed.
Getting Started 4 Getting Started This chapter describes some basic features of the keypad and display of the Fido X4. 4.1 The Keypad 4.1.1 Overview The Fido X4 has rubberized tactile input keys (Figure 4-1) located below the display.
FLIR Fido® X4 Operations Manual 4.1.2.2 Menu key from most screens to bring up the Fido X4's Main Menu. If the Main Menu is already open, pressing will exit the menu and return to the active operational screen. For more information, see "Fido X4 Menus" on p. 25.
4.2 Fido X4 Menus Press to display the main menu of the Fido X4. The selections on the main menu rep- resent primary system functions. Each entry on a menu screen has its name in bold text near the left edge of the screen. Some menu entries include an icon to the left of the menu name as an additional visual cue.
• Threat Table: The Threat Table option takes you to a glossary of substances that are detected by the Fido X4. For examples of the kind of information that is displayed in the threat table, see "ID command" on p. 46.
4.2.5 Device Status menu Select the Device Status menu item from the main menu to access the following inform- ation about the Fido X4. The information on the Device Status menu is display only; you can- not modify it. Serial Number: Each Fido X4 ETD can be identified using its unique serial number. All data stored on the device will include this serial number.
Also, ensure that a sensing element is installed in the system. 5.1.1 Startup To turn on the Fido X4, press and hold the power button, releasing when the display back- light becomes visible, which takes about three seconds. After several seconds, the first of several FLIR splash screens will appear.
FLIR Fido® X4 Operations Manual 5.1.2.1 Startup Wizard While the Fido X4 is heating, you may choose to play the Startup Wizard. The Startup Wizard is a series of short videos, without sound, which show the procedure for verification, sampling, and changing the sensing element. Press during startup to begin the Startup Wizard.
Figure 5-5: Extending the reference standard Step 3: With the holes facing toward the Fido X4 display, insert the reference standard into the thermal desorber (TD) slot as shown in Figure 5-6. Figure 5-6: Reference standard in TD slot...
Store the closed reference standard in the kit. Step 8: When analysis is complete, the Fido X4 will automatically display the result: “Verify Pass," "Verify Fail," or an error message will appear. If “Verify Pass” appears (Figure 5-8), select OK.
5.3 Collecting a Particulate Sample 5.3.1 Trace detection The Fido X4 is designed for trace detection of explosive particulate. Trace is defined as an amount of a substance or chemical that cannot readily be seen by the naked eye. Substance quantities are often less than 1 microgram.
Operating the Fido X4 Figure 5-17: Sample inserted in TD Slot Step 5: When the TD closes, the Fido X4 will display the message “Gathering Particles” (Figure 5-18) and a meter bar will appear to indicate sample progress. Figure 5-18: Gathering Particles screen Sampling lasts for a maximum of 10 seconds.
5.4 Collecting a Vapor Sample 5.4.1 Vapor Detection Mode The Fido X4 is capable of operating in two different sampling modes, Particle (see 5.3) Mode and Vapor Mode. While Particle Mode provides the most comprehensive means for threat detection based on various chemical and environmental principles, Vapor Mode provides some unique advantages for sampling and detecting specific threats with very high vapor pressures, or when contact with a sample is impossible.
FLIR Fido® X4 Operations Manual sensing element (see 3.5.1), along with alarm thresholds, is displayed. The type of graph is determined by the Fido X4 Vapor Mode settings (5.4.2). Search mode does not provide category- or substance -level threat identification. Its main pur- pose is for sorting out possible threats from "noise."...
Figure 5-30:Threat details displayed by ID command 5.6 Turn Off the Fido X4 Press the power button and hold to power down the Fido X4. A message will display to acknowledge that the power key has been pressed. A countdown will display to show pro- gress toward initiating the shutdown sequence.
6.2 Creating Reports You can use the Fido X4 to generate reports, which include: • all individual data files from each sample recorded during a time period you select, including screen captures from the original sample analysis •...
After a summary report is generated, it is temporarily stored on the device. Reports can be accessed by connecting the Fido X4 to a computer, using the USB-C to USB-A data cable. To conserve storage space, reports are erased from the device after a power cycle. For more information, see "Connecting to a Computer"...
Service and Support Portal: https://flir.link/x4. 7.1 USB Connection Plug in the included USB cable to the Fido X4 USB port, then connect the USB end of the cable to your computer’s USB port (see Figure 3-3). The first time the Fido X4 is connected to a computer, there may be a delay as any necessary drivers are configured by the operating system.
Connecting to a Computer If a report is generated while the Fido X4 is connected to the computer via USB, the Fido X4 will briefly disconnect while the report is generated. The Fido X4 will then reconnect with the new report available.
8 System Maintenance Fido X4 requires basic maintenance and cleaning to ensure optimal performance throughout operation. All basic maintenance can be completed by the end-user. Fido X4 does not require periodic calibration or factory-performed maintenance. 8.1 Replacing the Sensing Element The sensing element will periodically need to be replaced.
Figure 8-2: Opening the sensing element compartment (1) Step 3: Pull the door out horizontally, parallel to the Fido X4, as shown in Figure 8-4, until it is fully extended in that direction. Figure 8-3: Opening the sensing element compartment (2)
FLIR Fido® X4 Operations Manual Step 4: Tilting the head of the Fido X4 downward at an approximately 45-degree angle as shown in Figure 8-11, lift the sensing element door up to expose the sensing element. Figure 8-4: Accessing the sensing element Figure 8-5: Sensing element in place Caution: The sensing element is HOT.
Step 3: Hold it by the marked end (Figure 8-1). Step 4: Insert the unmarked end into the sensing element compartment in the Fido X4 (see Figure 8-5). Step 5: The sensing element will meet some initial resistance from the O-rings that it seats into.
8.2.2 Replacing the battery During operation it may be necessary to replace the Fido X4 system battery when the charge becomes low. The system will notify the user when the battery needs to be replaced. ...
Rotate the TD up to click the latches into place. 8.5 Replacing the Detector Inlet The Fido X4 is equipped with a user-replaceable detector inlet (3.4.2 , p.17). The inlet should only need to be replaced in the event of a serious clog or physical damage. A spare detector inlet and additional O-rings are provided in the maintenance kit.
8.6.1 Clean System menu Figure 8-10: Clean System menu Occasionally the Fido X4 system can become dirty or contaminated with residue or envir- onmental contaminants. The Clean System menu provides instructions on how to clean the Fido X4 to ensure optimal performance throughout operation. There are two types of clean- ing covered on this menu.
Materials needed Alcohol swab or pad Procedure Step 1: Power off the Fido X4 and allow 15 minutes for surfaces to cool. Step 2: Remove the TD by depressing the tab latches on each side. Step 3: Using an alcohol swab or pad, clean the circular metal surface and the plastic sur- rounding it.
• Follow your protocols. 9.1 Don’t Panic It is important that the operator of the Fido X4 be able to maintain awareness and presence of mind. Do not indicate to the person responsible of the item begin screened that anything is wrong.
If a person has handled ammonium nitrate fer- tilizer, they might cause an alert. • Since the Fido X4 detects the elemental sulfur in black powder, a person might have recently handled match heads, or vulcanized rubber (vehicle tires) which will cause an alarm.
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This document is changed in accordance with our Quality Management system. All changes are archived. Publ. No.: 4226044 Revision: C Language: en Issue date: April 15, 2020...
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