KILN care IKON User manual

Page IKON Manual
20
IKON Range
Instruction manual.
2022
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IKON Instructions

Page IKON Manual
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Thank you for choosing to purchase one of the IKON Range of
kilns for your ceramics work.
We hope you will have many years happy use out of your kiln.
The IKON range utilises the latest in technology an mo ern
esign to bring a premium top loa ing kiln an all of the benefits
that go with it.
Please rea this manual fully to get to know your kiln before use.
In ex
Page
2 Safety notices
3For your records / Where to site your kiln
4Electrical connection
7The Lid Seal / Initial firing
8The vents
9 Loading
10 Looking after your kiln
11 KCR32C asic instructions
15 Trou le shooting
17 Contact us.
Safety notices
Your IKON is designed and uilt to meet all European Directives and British
Standards.
However, as with all kilns, there are certain measures that you must take to
achieve optimum safety.
Electricity
The IKON range meets all Electrical Safety Directives, including a door safety
switch. However, the kiln is electric and as such certain measures should e
taken.
Keep the kiln dry.
IKON Manual Page
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We declare that the equipment descri ed elow was manufactured ourselves to comply
with directives listed.
We do not give any assurance that the equipment is suita le for any purpose other than
that listed elow and must e operated and maintained in
accordance with our operating instructions.
Pro ucts.
IKON range of kilns.
Directives.
LVD - Low Voltage Directive 2006/95/EC.
EMC - Electromagnetic Compati ility Directive 2004/108/EC.#
‘#The equipment is intended for use only in premises having a service current capacity
of 100 A per phase, supplied from a distri ution network having a nominal voltage of
400/230 V,
The user should determine in consultation with the supply authority, if necessary, that
the service current capacity at the interface point is sufficient for the equipment.
Harmonize Stan ar s.
BS EN 1088:1995+A2:2008, BS EN 55014-1:2006, BS EN 55014-2:1997.
Description.
Ceramics / glass kiln
Purpose of use.
Firing of ceramic and glass items up to the maximum temperature
stated on the kiln data plate.
Pro uct serial number.
As per affixed data plate.
Manufacture year.
2022
Technical documentation is held for this product.
Lee Sherwin,
Director,
Kilncare Limited, The Kiln Works, 907 Leek New Road, Baddeley Green,
Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, United Kingdom, ST2 7HQ.
European Declaration of Conformity.

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IKON Manual Page
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Never attempt to remove any of the kiln covers or do any repair work when the
kiln is plugged into a mains electricity socket or with the isolator turned on.
Never use the kiln if external ca les are damaged.
Have the kiln tested y a competent person at least every 12 months.
Hot Surfaces
The kiln will have hot surfaces. Do not touch the kiln when it has een on for
any period of time as the case temperatures will rise with time.
Keep pets clear at all times.
Keep the kiln clear of flamma le items such as curtains etc.
Your new arrival
For your recor s
Date of purchase. ___________________
Company purchase from ____________________
First ate of use _________________
Unpacking your kiln
Once unpacked please show consideration to the environment when disposing
of your kiln packaging.
Initial Inspection
Once unpacked it is time to give the kiln a good inspection to make sure that it
has travelled well. We have the a solute strictest quality controls on our kilns
so you can e assured that the kiln has already gone through a rigorous
procedure efore it arrives with you. However, accidents can happen.
Where to install your kiln
Position the kiln allowing a minimum of 30cm clearance around oth sides. The
kiln casing will get hot and so any com usti le material must e kept at a safe
distance. Never leave com usti le materials on the kiln or touching the kiln
during a firing.
Do not site the kiln close to flamma le items such as curtains etc.
The floor or ench must e capa le of carrying the weight of the kiln. The IKON
does have air clearance under it and so there should e no need to protect the
floor, however, if your firings are to e prolonged then it is advisa le to sit the
kiln on a heat resistant material.

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IMPORTANT. It is advised that the kiln is left untouched until the kiln has
finished its given program and fully cooled.
Remem er, whilst the kiln is cooling it may e possi le that the external case
temperature actually increases.
KEEP PETS AND CHILDREN AWAY FROM THE KILN DURING ITS FULL
CYCLE AND UNTIL COOL.
Do not site the kiln outside.
It is advised to site the kiln in a room that has ventilation.
After the first couple of firings there are almost no emissions from the kiln ut
there will always e vapour etc released y whatever you are firing in the kiln
so room ventilation is always advisa le.
The type of room venting required depends on many factors and so it is est to
contact a ventilation specialist if in any dou t.
Electrical connection
The IKON V46 and V61E come fitted with a 13 amp plug top. They are
designed to work from standard 230v socket outlets. It is advisa le to have your
chosen socket outlet tested y a qualified electrician prior to use to ensure its
sound condition.
V61 and V61X require connection y a qualified electrician to a suita le
electrical supply with protective earth.
IMPORTANT!
The design voltage for the IKON V46 and V61 is 230v. All 3kw kilns that work
from a 13amp plug top can result in the plug and socket getting warm to the
touch. However, this will vary depending on the condition and age of the socket
eing used, the condition and fit of the plug top and also the actual voltage of
the socket which can vary higher or lower.
It is advised that the plug and socket are checked regularly for signs of over
heating.
If in any dou t, contact a competent person or qualified electrician to assess
the plug and socket condition whilst the kiln is eing used, they may decide that
the kiln is etter to e on it’s own dedicated switched spur supply..
Do not use the kiln from an extension lead.
If the kiln is to e used on a 3-phase supply a neutral must also e supplied.
The electrical supply MUST have a sound earth connection.
Your IKON range (except IKON V46 and V61) kiln is supplied ready for connec-
tion to a 3-phase supply. If your supply is single phase then use the connection
IKON Manual Page
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Back up
We pride ourselves on our ack up and after sales service and so in the unlikely
event of any pro lems please do not hesitate to call our staff for friendly help and
advise.
Contact us at
Kilncare lt ,
The Kiln Works, 907 Leek New Roa , Ba eley Green,
Stoke on Trent, Staffor shire, Unite King om.
ST2 7HQ,
Tel [phone] / 535338
E-mail [e-mail], Web www.kilncare.co.uk
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condition of the glass 1 amp fuse in the rear power panel of the kiln. Access to
this fuse is y removing top screws to the lower rear panel and swivelling the
panel open.
If the a ove appear correct contact Kilncare.
The control is working correctly, is showing that the kiln is receiving power
but the kiln is not heating up.
With the kiln unplugged/isolated, check the ca le from the kiln to the controller
for damage.
Check that the controller is securely plugged into the kiln.
With the mains turned off, a competent person should e used to check the
condition of the internal wiring and electrical contact points.
If there is no o vious damage then the kiln will need to e checked over with an
electrical meter.
Controller shows an ERROR message.
Consult the controller manual and contact Kilncare.
Plug top is getting hot on 3kw mo els.
The plug top will get slightly warm with use ut if it is getting hot consult a
qualified electrician to test the condition of the socket outlet and the plug top.
A crackling noise can be hear when the kiln is firing.
This will e a loose connection and needs to e fixed immediately y a
competent person.
Continued use will almost certainly result in the connection failing.
Kiln is not reaching temperature or is slow.
This could e either an element failure, a urnt connection a loss of supplied
power or a component failure.
Get the kiln checked y a competent kiln engineer.
Cracks in the kiln brickwork.
Minor cracking is to e expected, see page 9 of this manual.
IKON Manual Page
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link fixed to the side of your connection panel. The link fits across the 3 fused
terminals as shown opposite in Fig. 1.4. Make sure to tighten all 3 screws.
We recommen that the centre terminal is then use to make your live
connection with the wire sitting un er the fork rather than on top of it.
The terminals are for use with ca le of a size up to 10mm.
REMEMBER that if the kiln is then re-connected to a 3-phase supply then the
link MUST e removed.
The lue and green terminals are for Neutral and Protective Earth respectively.
As always we recommend that the connections are done y a qualified
electrician.
Fig. 1.4
Portable Appliance Testing
It is possi le, depending on the type of esta lishment that the kiln is to e used
in that the kiln may e required to e Porta le Appliance Tested along with other
electrical items.
It is important that the controller is disconnected efore testing or there is a risk
of the high voltage associated with the test effecting the controller
permanently. The solid state relay may also need to e linked out.
On initial testing, the kiln may show a low insulation resistance reading, this is

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normal and will improve as the kiln dries. Kilns are porous y nature and will
a sor moisture from the atmosphere, especial if the kiln is new or has had a
period of inactivity.
Periods of testing will e stipulated y the testing ody.
KILNS AND R.C.D. “TRIPS”
Due to the reasons stated a ove and due to insulation material properties, a
certain amount of leakage to earth will pro a ly e evident, therefore the fitting
of a 30ma R.C.D. in the circuit can create a fault condition at low temperatures
if the kiln is damp, at higher temperatures as the kiln insulation heats up or
when first fired or used after a long period of inactivity.
This pro lem is relatively rare ut can e solved y the fitting of a 100ma
R.C.D.
Consult us or a fully qualified electrician for advice.
Connecting the controller
The controller supplied with your kiln will e fitted with a connecting plug. It will
mate to a matching socket fitted to the rear of the kiln ut it could also e on the
side or front depending on kiln specification.
The socket is sided and so will only allow the plug to e inserted in the correct
manner.
Once the plug is inserted lock it into place using the securing clamp.
Always ensure the mains power to the kiln is turned off efore fitting or
removing the plug.
The controller can e wall mounted or it can e mounted to the control
mounting racket that sits on the side of the kiln.
Use the 2 pins provided to hold the controller holster whilst the fixing screws for
the kiln racket are already screwed into position on the kiln.
See Fig. 2.4.
Fig
Fig.
2.4
2.5
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Example program
If you require the kiln to start a 7am, fire at 85c per hour to 600c then full speed
to 1060c and no soak.
It would e programmed like so. We will presume that it is eing programmed at
5pm the evening efore. We will make this program 24.
Press “step”. Use “up” or “down” to select 24 in the top display.
Press “step”. Use ”up” or “down” keys to enter “85” for ramp time.
Press “step”. Use ”up” or “down” keys to enter “600” for temperature.
Press “step”. Use ”up” or “down” keys to select a dwell time of “0.00” hours.
Press “step”. Use ”up” or “down” keys to enter “FULL” for ramp time.
Press “step”. Use ”up” or “down” keys to enter “1060” for temperature.
Press “step”. Use ”up” or “down” keys to select a dwell time of “0.00” hours
Press “step” Use “down” key to select “END”.
Press “start” Use ”up” or “down” keys to select a delay time of “14.00” hours.
Press “start” The kiln will start.
Top display will flash program num er then”14.00” with a flashing dot.
The ottom window will show”- -“ and the delay triangle will flash.
The a ove example is a typical asic iscuit firing with a 14 hour delayed start
Trouble shooting
Control has no lights
If the “mains on” light on the kiln is not illuminated :-
Check that the socket outlet that the kiln is plugged into is turned on or that the
mains isolator is turned on.
Check that the controller is securely plugged into the kiln.
With the kiln unplugged or turned off, check the ca le from the kiln to the
controller for damage.
Check If the “mains on” light on the kiln is illuminated:-
Check that the “on / off” utton on the ottom of the controller is in the “on”
position.
Check that the controller is securely plugged into the kiln.
With the mains turned off a competent person should e used to check the

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Preset Programs. #First kiln set firing is pre-set in program 22
P
r
o
g
Prog. type
Seg. 1
Ramp
c/hr
Seg. 1
Temp
Seg. 1
Hold
Hr/min
Seg. 2
Ramp
c/hr
Seg. 2
Temp
Seg. 2
Hold
Hr/min
Seg. 3
Ramp
c/hr
11 Slow Bisque 60 600 00 FULL 1000 00 END
12 Normal
Bisque
100 600 00 FULL 1000 00 END
13 High Bisque 100 600 00 FULL 1140 00 END
14
Brush-On
Earthenware
Glaze Cone
6
100 300 00 FULL 1000 00 END
15
Standard
Earthenware
Glaze
100 300 00 FULL 1100 00 END
16
Earthenware
High Temp.
Glaze
100 300 00 FULL 1140 00 END
17
Mid-Range
Stoneware
Glaze
100 300 00 FULL 1200 00 END
18
Standard
Stoneware
Glaze
100 300 00 FULL 1245 00 END
19 Onglaze 100 400 00 FULL 780 00 END
20 Lustre 100 400 00 FULL 750 00 END
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The Li Seal
One of the IKON’S most unique features is its three tier lid seal system. This
ensures maximum efficiency from the kiln y keeping heat losses through the
seal to an a solute minimum.
The first line of defence is the recessed rickwork that provides a stepped
“ rake” to the heat y dropping the lid rickwork into the opening of the
cham er y a few millimetres.
Next is the rick on rick seal etween the lid and cham er. Most kilns
availa le rely on this as their ONLY method of lid seal.
Finally is the outer anti-draught seal that sweeps up and closes off any final
routes of heat loss.
If it appears that the seal is compromised then it may e apparent in the seal
line of fig. 2.5. It will no longer e a continual rown line ut will e roken
where the heat has escaped. It is also possi le that there is residue on the
Stainless steel metalwork of the lid also.
If this is the case the seal can e gently eased up ack into position
using a small putty knife, flat modellers knife with no sharp edges or slightly
curved fork handle.
If that is not suffice then the seal is relatively easy to replace altogether and
new seals are availa le.
The usual cause for a loss of the integrity of the outer anti-draught seal is if it is
leant on whilst loading or unloading the kiln.
Initial firing
Before using the kiln it is advisa le to fire the kiln empty to a temperature of
1000 degrees centigrade at a rate of around 85 degrees per hour.
Program 22 is pre-set for this firing. Consult the KCR32C instructions
later in this manual.
Open the exhaust and inlet shutters efore starting and leave them open for the
duration.
This will dry and “settle” the kiln.
Also if you have purchased the kiln furniture set with the kiln it is advisa le to
load the furniture into the kiln for drying on this first firing. The kiln furniture will
have een cut with a wet cutter and invaria ly contains a large amount of
water.
Load the kiln furniture using the props supplied to allow air space etween the .
On the first firings, a slight odour will e emitted, this is the remnants of inding

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resins in the insulation and should stop after two or three firings depending on
temperature of the firings.
For this initial firing we recommend that the kiln is in a well ventilated area.
We suggest that prior to the initial firing, that you fully read this instruction
manual and the controller manual to ensure you are familiar with all aspects of
the kiln and usage of the controller.
We also recommend that this firing is monitored to ensure that the kiln is
operating in a correct manner.
Control
The controller supplied with this kiln has already een set and the
characteristics of the kiln have een entered in to it.
The kiln and the controller will have already een put through a test firing at the
factory.
Please read the instructions on control efore starting to use your IKON kiln.
Operation
The vents
Your IKON has an inlet port, on the lower right hand side of the cham er and
an exhaust port on the upper left side of the cham er.
The inlet port can e opened or closed y sliding the shutter arm forward or
ackwards.
The outlet port has a shutter flap that is opened or closed using the lack all
handle on the outlet exhaust. Move the Handle in towards the kiln to close the
kiln and away from the kiln to open it. The handle can e left anywhere
In etween to limit the amount of air leaving the kiln.
For a iscuit firing the exhaust port should e left fully open up to a temperature
of around 600c in order to allow all moisture from the work to e released from
the kiln cham er. The inlet port can also e open if there is plenty of moisture to
e released from the ware during this cycle if not required.
After the drying temperature has een reached the vents would then e closed
to allow the kiln to reach its final temperature.
For glaze vapour, the vents will e closed after the glaze has finished releasing.
For cooling the vents can e opened at any point after the final temperature has
een reached. At this point it may e of advantage to open oth the inlet and
outlet ports. However, when and how the vents are opened for cooling is very
much a preference.
Closing the li
The lid has a gas spring on either side to assist in the closing and opening of
the lid. The gas springs will also reduce the risk of the lid getting damaged y
IKON Manual Page
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Press “start” and the top display will show a time, for instance “0.10” or “PASS”.
The ottom display will show “ - - “ and the delay triangle will light.
Delay is the time in hours and minutes efore the kiln will actually start. Set the
desired time using the “up“ and the “down“ keys. If no delay is required hold the
down key until the display shows “PASS”. Pass is elow 0.00.
the top display will show kiln temperature and the ottom display will go lank.
Press “start” again and the top display will riefly display the Program num er
then it will egin the program. Depending on the program contents the delay
triangle or the ramp triangle will flash and the segment num er will e displayed
in the ottom display.
If a delay has een set the delay triangle will flash and the top display will act
as a count down timer showing the hours and minutes remaining efore the kiln
starts to fire.
As the kiln fires the top display will show the kiln temperature and the ottom
display will show the segment num er. If the kiln is clim ing the upward facing
ramp triangle will flash. When the kiln is holding temperature the dwell light will
flash.
To stop a program
Press “start”.
To pause a program
Press and hold the “Function" key then press the “Pause” key.
The top display will alternate etween the current temperature and
“ - - “. This temperature will e held indefinitely or until the pause key is pressed
again. A warning reminder will e sounded every 10 seconds during the pause.
When the pause is stopped the kiln will continue through the program from
where it was paused.
To forwar a program
At any time the controller can e made to skip to the next segment. To do this,
hold the “Function” key and press “advance”. This can e useful if the pause
utton is used. It may e that at the end of the manual pause you do not require
To view entere program ata
This can e done whether the kiln is firing or not. Press the step key, each
press will forward the display to the next section. Once viewed, press the “start”
key once to return the control display to kiln temperature.

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To set a program
If whilst in programming mode no uttons are pressed for a few seconds the
controller will time out and go ack to kiln display.
The KCR32C has 32 setta le programs. Each program has 32 segments.
Press the “step” key. The top display shows the program num er, for instance
1 . The ottom display shows “Pn”. Use the up or the down keys to select the
program required.
Press “step”. Top display will show a ramp rate, for instance “85”, “FULL” or
“END”. The ottom display will show 1, this is segment 1. This segment is how
fast you would like the kiln to reach its first temperature in degrees per hour. A
slow firing might require the first temperature to e reached “50” degrees per
hour. Whilst a fast firing would e set to reach temperature as quickly as
possi le so the rate required would e “FULL”.
Press “step” and the top display will show a temperature for instance “600”. The
ottom display will still show 1 and a light will illuminate a ove temperature.
This temperature is in Celsius. This temperature is your first temperature. Use
the “up” or “down” keys to select the desired temperature.
Press “step”. The top display will show a time, for instance “0.30” or “PASS”.
The ottom display, again will show “1” and the triangle a ove dwell will
illuminate. Dwell is the time in hours and minutes that you require the kiln to
hold the first temperature.
Press “step”. Top display will show a time, for instance “85”, “FULL” or “END”.
The ottom display will show 2, this is segment 2. . This segment is how
fast you would like the kiln to reach its second temperature.
At this point, if the kiln is required to finish, press the ”down” key until “END” is
shown in the top display.
End is elow 00.
All the a ove is segment 1, the controller has 32 segments and so for more
complicated firings carry on as a ove y setting the next time, temperature and
dwell.
When you have programmed all you require, select “END” at the start of the
following segment.
Press “start” and the controller will display kiln temperature again.
To run a program
Press ”step” ottom display will show “Pn” and the top display will show the
program num er. Use the “up” or “down” keys to select the program num er
required.
IKON Manual Page
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eing dropped whilst eing closed ut it is advised that the closing process is
done completely manually and with care. The ricks of the kiln are strong ut
also relatively easy to damage with rough treatment.
There is a catch on either side of the kiln cham er to keep an even pressure
across when fully closed.
As the kiln is used and settles in, the catches may need to e tightened to
maintain the quality of the lid seal, in particular the effectiveness of the outer
anti-draught seal around the edge of the cham er.
The li switch
The safety of the kiln is maintained with an automatic lid switch that disengages
the kiln power to the elements ass soon as the lid is opened. The elements will
not receive power again until the lid is fully closed.
Loa ing
Before loading the kiln it is advisa le to turn the kiln off at the mains supply,
even though your safety is ensured y the lid safety switch.
You may have purchased the kiln with a kiln furniture set or you may e using
your existing furniture.
The first att can e laid directly onto the floor of the kiln to maximise the
internal height of the kiln although for est results, raising the ottom shelf from
the floor may e advantageous.
There are enough props for 3 per layer. If multi stacking layers of atts always
ensure the each layer of props is directly a ove the one elow.
When loading the kiln furniture e careful, remem er, the atts are harder than
the rick wall of the kiln and in our experience a large proportion of kiln wall
damage is caused y careless kiln furniture loading.
For o vious reasons, care must always e taken when loading larger o jects
into deeper kilns to avoid ack strain.
What to expect on the initial firing
Once the lid has een closed and the power turned on, a click will e heard at
the ack of the kiln, this is the safety contactor, the red “mains on” light on the
kiln should illuminate and the controller should illuminate.
If there is no display on the controller at this point check that the on-off utton
on the controller is in the “on” position..
Once the controller has started the kiln, the operation will e relatively silent

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10
due to the kilns solid state switching. There may e a hum or slight uzz heard
as the elements are powered.
As mentioned earlier there may e odours from the kiln.
Kiln brickwork cracking.
After the initial firing small or hairline cracks may appear at various points in the
kiln rickwork and possi ly again at the first higher stoneware temperatures.
This is normal and is due to expansion and contraction of the kiln ricks. After
only a few firings the cracking will stop. Please don’t hesitate to call of if you
have any concerns a out this.
Looking after your kiln
A large contri uting factor to element failure is often that de ris from general
kiln use starts to clog up the grooves that the elements sit in causing them to
overheat.
Periodically clean out these grooves and remove the dust and de ris.
This can e done y rushing gently with a suita le rush or y using a filtered
vacuum cleaner.
REMEMBER. After the first few firing the elements ecome less supple and so
when cleaning the grooves e gentle with the elements and try not to distur
them too much.
As always when working with refractory materials, wear protective clothing and
use a suita le dust mask.
If an element starts to “curl” out of the groove it can e saved ut the earlier you
try the etter the result.
Heat around the area that is starting to curl out with a gas gun and, once the
element is orange, ease it ack into position with a heat resistant tool.
This repair can result in urns if care is not taken and so if in dou t, contact a
recognised kiln engineer.
Depending on use it is advisa le to check all electrical connections are tight
every 6 months or so and that no ca les are discolouring due to heat.
It is advisa le to have the kiln periodically checked y a qualified person to
ensure all electrical components are in a healthy condition.
Safety contactor circuit
All IKON kilns are fitted with a dou le safety contactor circuit and overheat
protection as secondary ack up against any failure making them one of the
safest kilns availa le..
IKON Manual Page
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IKON kilns use an internal protection circuit inside the controller to determine
over temperature conditions and so safely shut the kiln power off.
Such protection will protect the kiln, it will not protect the medium eing fired
from the effects of reaching the pre-set protection temperature.
KCR32C instructions
KCR32C WIFI as elow. GATEway instruction in separate manual.
On power up controller will go into test mode then after a few seconds will settle
down and show kiln temperature in the top display.
Before starting, make sure that only the top display is illuminated, if any other
lights are lit press the “start” key to extinguish them.
Buttons in ex
Start / stop
Step
Back
Up
Down
Function Fn
Advance
Pause lI
Event
Information i