Felix Storch F-950 User manual

Operations Manual
F-950
Three Gas Analyzer

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
Manufacturer:
CID Bio Science, Inc.
Felix Instruments –Applied Food Science
1554 NE 3rd Ave
Camas, WA 98607
Declares that the CE-marked Product:
Product Models (s):
Model F-950
Complies With:
89/336/EEC Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive
73/23/EEC Low Voltage Directive
Compliance Standards:
EN 55027 RF Emissions Information
Technology Equipment
EN 50082-1 EMC Immunity Standard
EN 60950 Safety of Information
Technology Equipment
Including Electrical
Business Equipment
October 23, 2014 Leonard Felix
President

Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................1
Features....................................................................................3
Specifications ...........................................................................4
Unpacking the F-950 ....................................................................5
Operating Instructions .................................................................6
Loading the Battery..................................................................6
Basic Operation........................................................................8
Measurement Modes...............................................................9
Interfering Gases........................................................................11
PolarCept................................................................................12
Measure .....................................................................................16
Continuous Mode...................................................................16
Controls ..............................................................................17
Trigger Mode..........................................................................18
Fixed Volume Mode ...............................................................20
Auto-Escape Feature..............................................................24
Setup ..........................................................................................25
Setup Mode............................................................................25
Setup Calibration....................................................................26
Setup Set Zero........................................................................27
Setup Date and Time..............................................................29
Setup RH Conversion..............................................................30
Setup GPS...............................................................................31
Setup Language......................................................................31
Setup Factory Settings............................................................31

File..............................................................................................32
File Select...............................................................................33
File New .................................................................................34
File Delete..............................................................................34
File Review.............................................................................35
Data Files on the Computer...................................................36
Firmware Update.......................................................................38
Installing the F-950 Driver .....................................................38
Updating the Firmware..........................................................40
F-950 Menu System Diagram.....................................................45
Appendix I: F-950 Controller Software and Sensor Calibration.46
Appendix II: Sampling from a Jar ...............................................56
F-950 Production Test Check Sheet...........................................58
FELIX INSTRUMENTS HARDWARE WARRANTY..........................60
Warranty Registration Card.......................................................63

F-950 Instruction Manual rev. 10/17/16
1554 NE 3rd Ave, Camas, WA 98607, USA 1
Phone: [phone]
[email protected]
www.felixinstruments.com
Introduction
Congratulations on the purchase of your new F-950 Three Gas
Analyzer!
The new F-950 Three Gas Analyzer measures 3 critical gases:
ethylene (C2H4), carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2), to
maintain optimum produce quality at every phase.
The F-950 is used to:
Inspect storage and packing environments
Verify ethylene mitigation efficacy
Optimize ripening storage atmosphere conditions
Quality assure MAP (Modified Atmosphere Packaging)
for ethylene-sensitive products
Ethylene affects ripening, aging, and spoilage in produce. The F-
950 measures levels of ethylene, CO2and O2in the atmosphere,
and can be scaled to many environments, from cold storage to
warehouse to transportation container.
Simple to operate and weighing less than a kilogram, the F-950
uses an electrochemical cell to measure ethylene between 0-
200 ppm in air. It records date, time, relative humidity,
temperature, and coming soon GPS location. The F-950 is ideal
for measuring ethylene production across a wide range of fruit
or floral types and is especially suitable for managing ethylene
emissions from perishable cut produce products.

F-950 Instruction Manual rev. 10/17/16
21554 NE 3rd Ave, Camas, WA 98607, USA
Phone: [phone]
[email protected]
www.felixinstruments.com
The F-950 is ideal for Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)
applications. Most MAP gas analyzers are only equipped to
measure CO2and/or O2concentrations. Quality assurance for
perishable cut produce demands a more comprehensive
analysis. The F-950 makes it possible to respond to the change
in ripening gases to ensure longer shelf-life and higher quality
commodities.
We hope you enjoy using your F-950 Three Gas Analyzer.

F-950 Instruction Manual rev. 10/17/16
1554 NE 3rd Ave, Camas, WA 98607, USA 3
Phone: [phone]
[email protected]
www.felixinstruments.com
Features
Portable, lightweight and easy to operate.
Rapid response time, with data points saved every second.
Repeatable, precise measurements.
Three versatile modes of operation
Measure in Continuous, Fixed Volume, or Trigger mode depending on
your application.
True sunlight readable transflective display.
The contrast of the display increases under brighter sunlight.
Removable, re-chargeable standard sized batteries.
Included stand-alone battery charger enables charging one battery
set while using another. Two sets of batteries are included with the
device. Additional button-top 19670 (or protected 18650) batteries
can be purchased from your preferred battery vendor.

F-950 Instruction Manual rev. 10/17/16
41554 NE 3rd Ave, Camas, WA 98607, USA
Phone: [phone]
[email protected]
www.felixinstruments.com
Specifications
F-950 Specifications
Air Sampling Rate
70 mL/min
Measuring Rate
Automated; 1 sec intervals
Data Storage
Removable 4 GB SD card
Display
Sunlight visible transflective LCD
Operating environment
0°C - 45°C (0-90% humidity non-
condensing)
Battery Capacity
7 hours
Dimensions
18 x 13.5 x 5.5 cm
Weight
0.95 Kg
Enclosure
Powder coated aluminum
Warm-up time
< 3 minutes
Sensors
Ethylene Sensor
Electrochemical
Nominal Range
0 –200 ppm
Lower Detection Limit
0.5 ppm
Resolution
0.1 ppm
Accuracy
5% ±0.5 ppm Continuous mode
±10% Fixed Volume mode
Carbon Dioxide
Sensor
Infrared Sensor, Pyroelectric detector
Nominal Range
0 –20% (200,000 ppm)
Full scale resolution
0.01%
Accuracy
±5% Continuous mode
±10% Fixed Volume mode
Oxygen Sensor
Electrochemical
Nominal Range
0-100%
Resolution
0.1%
Accuracy
±5% Continuous mode
±10% Fixed Volume mode

F-950 Instruction Manual rev. 10/17/16
1554 NE 3rd Ave, Camas, WA 98607, USA 5
Phone: [phone]
[email protected]
www.felixinstruments.com
Unpacking the F-950
The F-950 arrives with a hard-sided carrying case, two sets of
batteries and a charger, a removable 4 GB SD card, and several
accessory parts. The unit comes with an external conditioning
chamber and potassium permanganate (KMnO4), used to scrub
the air entering the system. A sampling port with needle is
included for fixed volume samples from packaging and an
external PolarCept filter for reducing interfering gases. The
sampling port is pictured below, connected to the intake.

F-950 Instruction Manual rev. 10/17/16
61554 NE 3rd Ave, Camas, WA 98607, USA
Phone: [phone]
[email protected]
www.felixinstruments.com
Operating Instructions
WARNING: Do not store the F-950 without batteries! Charged
batteries must be present in the instrument to maintain the
accuracy of the sensors, even when the unit is powered off.
If the batteries of the F-950 discharge during storage, replace
with charged batteries and allow the instrument to stabilize 48
hours before use. There is a small internal battery to maintain
the bias voltage for the ethylene electrochemical sensor. This
small internal battery will last for 1 day without the main
batteries before sensor sensitivity is affected by losing its bias
voltage. The calibration parameter data is intact with or without
batteries.
Fully charged main batteries allow for storage time of over 1
year. For long-term storage, consider attaching the potassium
permanganate (KMnO4) external conditioning chamber to the
inlet and outlet of the F-950 (see image below).
Aged batteries or batteries that started
out with less charge will reduce the
storage time available. The Li-ion
batteries have little self-discharge and a
life of about 3 years.
Loading the Battery
The F-950 uses 18650 Li-ion 3.7V
3100mAh rechargeable batteries. For longer lifespan, charge
the batteries at 0.25A. For a faster charge, charge at 1A. The
batteries must be removed from the F-950 to be charged.

F-950 Instruction Manual rev. 10/17/16
1554 NE 3rd Ave, Camas, WA 98607, USA 7
Phone: [phone]
[email protected]
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To remove the batteries, twist the battery compartment cap,
located on the bottom of the case. The cap can be twisted with
fingers or a screw-driver to tighten or loosen. Take care when
removing batteries, as the cap is spring loaded. Both batteries
should be inserted into the unit positive (+) side first (towards
intake or top). The battery compartment and exhaust port are
pictured below.

F-950 Instruction Manual rev. 10/17/16
81554 NE 3rd Ave, Camas, WA 98607, USA
Phone: [phone]
[email protected]
www.felixinstruments.com
Basic Operation
To turn the instrument on, press the green power button. The
Felix Instruments logo will flash, followed by the main menu.
The top of the display reads Felix Instruments, and the current
version of firmware the unit is running is displayed in the lower
left hand corner. The battery meter is listed on the lower right
hand side of the display.
For information on the latest firmware version, please visit the
F-950 support webpage (www.felixinstruments.com/support/f-
950-support).
The main menu displays the following options: Measure, Setup,
and File. If the green power button is pressed, the display will
prompt for confirmation before shutting off the F-950.
To scroll between menu items in the list, use the Up and Down
arrows. To select an option from the menu list, use the Right
arrow. To exit, use the Left arrow.

F-950 Instruction Manual rev. 10/17/16
1554 NE 3rd Ave, Camas, WA 98607, USA 9
Phone: [phone]
[email protected]
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Measurement Modes
Three measurement modes are present on the F-950:
continuous, trigger and fixed volume. To change measurement
mode go to Setup > Mode from the main menu (page 25).
In fixed volume and trigger mode, the instrument reports values
in terms of VOC (volatile organic compounds). VOC’s are
aromatic compounds like ethylene, esters and alcohols. Their
production increase with produce aging and spoilage. The F-950
ethylene sensor cannot distinguish ethylene from many other
VOC’s. PolarCept was designed to optimize and improve the
accuracy of ethylene measurements. PolarCept is an external
water filter, which reduces the signal from interfering gases
reaching the ethylene sensor. PolarCept is recommended in
Fixed Volume and Trigger mode. PolarCept dramatically reduces
the amount of interfering gases like alcohols and esters that are
present in a sample, allowing ethylene to pass through to the
sensors. For more information on PolarCept, see page 11.
Continuous measurement mode measures the air entering
through the input of the instrument. The controls default to
Loop “Open” and Pump “On”. Continuous mode can be used
with or without the sample port attached to the front of the
instrument. The data is saved every one second in continuous
mode.
Trigger measurement mode begins with the valve closed and
the pump off. To start taking a measurement, press the square
start button on the key-strip of the F-950 to initiate a new
measurement. The pump will run and air will enter the F-950

F-950 Instruction Manual rev. 10/17/16
10 1554 NE 3rd Ave, Camas, WA 98607, USA
Phone: [phone]
[email protected]
www.felixinstruments.com
until a stable reading has been reached for all sensors, or until
the user stops the measurement by pressing the start button
again. The final values will be displayed under the word “last” in
the graph and saved to the SD card. The pump will then turn off
until the user initiates a new measurement.
Trigger mode can be used with or without the sample port
attached to the front of the instrument. The instrument will
detect and report total VOC’s present in the sample.
Trigger mode should be used in place of continuous mode if
expecting high ethylene concentrations. Trigger mode allows a
purge of the internal volume of gas in the instrument between
samples and will help protect the ethylene sensor from over-
saturation.
Fixed Volume measurement mode draws in a sample of a small,
set volume of gas (default 15 mL). The sampling port with the
needle attachment is required for Fixed Volume mode and
MAP applications. The instrument will detect and report total
VOC’s present in the fixed volume sample.

F-950 Instruction Manual rev. 10/17/16
1554 NE 3rd Ave, Camas, WA 98607, USA 11
Phone: [phone]
[email protected]
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Interfering Gases
No analytical method is completely specific. Gases present in
the environment, other than the “target” gas of a
measurement, may affect instrument response. Interferences
are not necessarily linear, and may also exhibit time dependent
characteristics. The following table details the approximate
cross-sensitivity of the ethylene sensor to several common
interfering gases. A 20% cross sensitivity means that 100 ppm of
the interfering gas would read the same as 20 ppm of the target
gas (ethylene). Therefore, 20 ppm H2S should read <40 ppm on
the F-950: 10 ppm NO2should read <5 ppm: 10 ppm Cl2should
read -0.1 ppm.
Gas
Interfering gas (ppm)
Cross-Sensitivity (%)
H2S
20 ppm
< 200
NO2
10 ppm
< 50
Cl2
10 ppm
< -1
NO
50 ppm
< 80
SO2
20 ppm
< 50
CO
400 ppm
< 30
H2
400 ppm
< 0.5
C2H4
80 ppm
< 100
NH3
25 ppm
< 0.1
HCHO
4 ppm
90
CO2
50000 ppm
< 0.1
Ripening fruit emit 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 falsely high in the
presence of interfering gas.

F-950 Instruction Manual rev. 10/17/16
12 1554 NE 3rd Ave, Camas, WA 98607, USA
Phone: [phone]
[email protected]
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Felix Instruments has tested a method to absorb some of the
competing gases and provide better ethylene measurements.
This method, PolarCept, uses distilled water in an external
chamber and has been shown to filter out some polar
hydrocarbons and alcohols to produce less interference.
PolarCept
It is recommended to use the external PolarCept filter when
measuring a mixture of gas (such as when sampling fruit) or
interfering gases may be reported by the instrument. The
external filter can be used with any of the three measurement
modes, and is recommended for Fixed Volume and Trigger
Modes. PolarCept should only be used with 1.5 mL of distilled
or deionized water.

F-950 Instruction Manual rev. 10/17/16
1554 NE 3rd Ave, Camas, WA 98607, USA 13
Phone: [phone]
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The PolarCept filter consists of a plastic molded part,
hydrophobic filter and O-ring. It is also used with the “fixed
volume tubing” and sample probe needle. A small plastic
syringe is used to fill and empty PolarCept. Once the
hydrophobic filter and O-ring are in place, it should be very
difficult to remove it, creating a leak-proof seal. Additional
hydrophobic filters are included as replacements, when the
filter is soaked with water or damaged during removal.
Eventually the water in the PolarCept filter will become
saturated with trapped interfering gases and should be replaced
with fresh distilled water. Saturation rates will depend on the
measurement mode and amount of interfering gases present in
the sample environment. The table below shows example
saturation times when measuring headspace of bananas (with a
maturity index of 5) in Continuous Mode. This sample contains
various mixed hydrocarbons, ethylene and VOCs. The total VOC
in ppm listed is the signal reported by the C2H4 sensor in ppm.
VOC concentration
PolarCept saturation (min)
3 ppm
20
100 ppm
1
To fill the PolarCept filter, attach an empty syringe to the
hydrophobic filter. The plunger of the syringe should be
completely depressed. Lower PolarCept over a cup of distilled
water and draw in 1.5 mL with the syringe. Attach the sample
needle and fixed volume tubing to stop leaks. To empty
PolarCept, re-attach the syringe and push the water out the
sample needle end.

F-950 Instruction Manual rev. 10/17/16
14 1554 NE 3rd Ave, Camas, WA 98607, USA
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To properly use PolarCept, keep the sample needle pointed
downwards while measuring, as seen in the example below on
the left. The water in the filter should “bubble” as the gas
sample is pulled through it, causing some of the interfering
gases to be trapped.

F-950 Instruction Manual rev. 10/17/16
1554 NE 3rd Ave, Camas, WA 98607, USA 15
Phone: [phone]
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See the following graph of measured ethylene concentration by
the F-950 with and without using PolarCept, measuring the
same headspace of bananas. After about 20 minutes, the water
becomes saturated, and the signal beings to rise with PolarCept.
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
010 20 30 40 50 60 70
Ethylene (ppm)
Time (min)
F-950 PolarCept
No Polarcept Polarcept