X-Rite FlexoDot User manual

FlexoDot
Operator’s
Manual

X-RITEDOT®
i
Federal Communications Commission Conformity
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a
Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when
the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment
generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy, and if it is not
installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, it may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in
a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in which case the
user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.
NOTE: Shielded interface cables must be used in order to maintain
compliance with the desired FCC and European emission requirements
Industry Canada Compliance Statement
This Class A digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian
Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe A respecte toutes les exigences du
Réglement sur le matériel brouilleur du Canada.
CE DECLARATION
Manufacturer's Name: Barric Ltd.
Manufacturer's Address: Vinces Road
Diss, Norfolk IP22 4WY
U.K.
Model Name: X-RiteDot
Model No.: CTP50
Directive(s) Conformance: EMC 89/336/EEC LVD 73/23/EEC
Warning:
This is a class A product. In a domestic environment this product may cause
radio interference in which case the user may be required to take adequate
measures.

X-RITEDOT®
ii
CAUTION: Operational hazard exists if battery charger other than X-Rite
SE30-102 (100-240V) is used. Use only X-Rite battery pack SE15-34, other
types may burst causing personal injury.
VORSICHT: Betriebs- und Verletzungsgefahr besteht bei Gebrauch von
anderen Adaptern als X-Rite SE30-102 (100-240 V). Verwenden Sie nur den
X-Rite Akkupack SE15-34.
ADVERTENCIA: No use otro cargador de las pilas que no sea la pieza
X-Rite SE30-102 (100-240V), por el riesgo de mal funcionamiento del equipo.
Use solamente las pilas SE15-34 de X-Rite, es posible que los otros tipos
puedan estallar y causar daños corporales.
ATTENTION: Ne pas utiliser d’adaptateur autre que SE30-102 (100-240V)
de X-Rite au risque de mauvais fonctionnement de l’appareil. Utiliser
seulement le bloc de batteries SE15-34 de X-Rite, il y a danger d’explosion et
de blessures avec les autres types.
AVVERTENZA: Non usare un altro caricabatterie che non è del pezzo X-Rite
SE30-102 (100-240V), per il rischio di malfunzionamento dell'apparecchio.
Usare solamente gli accumulatori SE15-34 di X-Rite, è possibile che altri tipi
possano scoppiare e causare danno personale.
WARNING: This instrument is not for use in explosive environment.
WARNUNG: Das Gerät darf in einer explosiven Umgebung NICHT verwendet
werden.
ADVERTENCIA - NO use este aparato en los ambientes explosivos.
ATTENTION: Cet instrument NE DOIT PAS être utilisé dans un
environnement explosif.
AVVERTIMENTO - NON usare questo apparecchio in ambienti esplosivi.
CAUTION: When using the PosiDot solution, avoid contact with eyes and
mouth. Keep away from children. Stains cloth.
In case of contact with eyes, rinse immediately with plenty of water until
irritation subsides.

X-RITEDOT®
iii
Proprietary Notice
The contents of this manual are the property of X-Rite, Incorporated and are
copyrighted. Any reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited.
Publication of this information does not imply any rights to reproduce or use this
manual for any purpose other than installing, operating, or maintaining this
instrument. No part of this manual may be reproduced, transcribed, transmitted,
stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language or computer language, in
any form or by any means, electronic, magnetic, mechanical, optical, manual, or
otherwise, without the prior written permission of an officer of X-Rite, Incorporated.
This instrument may be covered by one or more patents. Refer to the instrument for
actual patent numbers.
Copyright © 2004 by X-Rite, Incorporated
“ALL RIGHTS RESERVED”
X-Rite® and X-RiteDot®are registered trademarks of X-Rite, Incorporated. All other logos,
brand names, and product names mentioned are the properties of their respective holders.
Warranty Information
X-Rite, Incorporated warrants each instrument manufactured to be free of
defects in material and workmanship (excluding battery pack) for a period of
twelve months. If the fault has been caused by misuse or abnormal
conditions of operation, repairs will be billed at a nominal cost. In this case,
an estimate will be submitted before work is started, if requested. The unit
shall be returned with transportation charges prepaid.
THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS. THIS
WARRANTY OBLIGATION IS LIMITED TO SERVICING THE UNIT
RETURNED TO X-RITE, INCORPORATED OR AN AUTHORIZED SERVICE
DEALER FOR THAT PURPOSE.
X-Rite, Incorporated offers a repair program for instruments out of warranty. For
more information, contact X-Rite Customer Service Department.
Always include serial number in any correspondence concerning the unit. The serial
number is located on the bottom of the instrument housing.
This agreement shall be interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of
Michigan and jurisdiction and venue shall lie with the courts of Michigan as selected
by X-Rite, Incorporated.

X-RITEDOT®
iv
Table of Contents
Section 1: Overview and Setup ................................................ 1-1
Instrument Description....................................................................................1-1
Unpack and Inspect.........................................................................................1-1
Apply Power ...................................................................................................1-2
Charging/Discharging the Battery ..................................................................1-2
Charging Conditions ...................................................................................1-2
Battery Indicator Status...............................................................................1-3
Attaching the AC Adapter ..........................................................................1-3
Instrument I/O Serial Interface .......................................................................1-3
Section 2: User Interface........................................................... 2-1
Operation Keys ...............................................................................................2-1
Left Side key...............................................................................................2-1
Right Side key.............................................................................................2-1
Center key...................................................................................................2-1
Instrument Screens..........................................................................................2-1
Key Icons ....................................................................................................2-2
Primary Screen Icons ..................................................................................2-2
Secondary Screen Icons ..............................................................................2-3
Typical Measurement Screen......................................................................2-4
Measurement Options .....................................................................................2-4
Setting Measurement Options.....................................................................2-5
Adjusting the Screen Contrast.....................................................................2-5
Setting the Measurement Type ...................................................................2-5
Setting Substrate Type ................................................................................2-6
Section 3: Editing Instrument Utilities..................................... 3-1
Fast Charge Mode...........................................................................................3-2
Screen Ruling Units ........................................................................................3-2
Screen Saver Timeout.....................................................................................3-2
Local Electrical Supply Frequency .................................................................3-3
Feature Upgrade..............................................................................................3-3
Time & Date ...................................................................................................3-4
Section 4: Operation.................................................................. 4-1
Film % Dot Measurement...............................................................................4-1
Flexo Plate % Dot Measurement ....................................................................4-3
Zoom Mode ....................................................................................................4-5

X-RITEDOT®
v
Image (frame) Storage and Transfer ...............................................................4-7
Storing Images ............................................................................................4-7
Transferring Images....................................................................................4-8
Percentage (%) Dot Storage..........................................................................4-10
Storing % Dot Samples.............................................................................4-10
Download Stored % Dot Samples.............................................................4-12
Erasing Stored % Dot Measurements .......................................................4-12
Section 5: Service and General Maintenance ......................... 5-1
Repair Information..........................................................................................5-1
Cleaning the Instrument..................................................................................5-1
General Cleaning ........................................................................................5-1
Cleaning the Target Glass...........................................................................5-1
Replacing the Battery Pack.............................................................................5-2
Troubleshooting ..............................................................................................5-3
Accessory Items..............................................................................................5-4
Instrument Upgrades.......................................................................................5-5
Instrument Specifications................................................................................5-6

X-RITEDOT®
vi

X-RITEDOT®
1-1
1. Section 1: Overview and Setup
Instrument Description
FlexoDot brings the ability to measure exact dot sizes and
screen rulings on CTP and conventional flexo printing plates.
Unpack and Inspect
After removing the instrument from the shipping carton,
inspect it for damage. If any damage has occurred during
shipping, immediately contact the transportation company. Do
not proceed with operation until the carrier’s agent has
inspected the damage.
Your instrument was packaged in a specially designed rigid
case and carton to assure against damage. If shipment is
necessary, the instrument should be packaged in the original
case and carton. If the original packaging materials are not
available, contact X-Rite to have replacements shipped to you.
Graphical Display
Viewer
Operation Keys
Serial/Power Port
Interface Cable
Mac Connector (optional)
AC Adapter
Black Mat
PosiDot Solution
Wipes

SECTION ONE
1-2
Apply Power
The Center key is used to turn the instrument on. The
instrument automatically powers itself down after approx. one
minute of nonuse.
NOTE: To start the instrument when either ”fast charging” or ”trickle
charging“ message is displayed, press and hold the Center key for
approx. two seconds.
Charging/Discharging the Battery
Only use the AC Adapter supplied to charge the battery pack. The
battery pack must remain in the instrument at all times to operate.
Your new X-RiteDot battery comes in a discharged condition
and must be charged before use (up to 14 hours for full charge).
Upon initial use (or after a prolonged storage period), the
battery may require three to four charge/discharge cycles before
achieving maximum capacity. It is normal for a battery to
become warm during charging and discharging.
It is important to condition (fully discharge and then fully
charge) the battery every two to three months. Failure to do so
may significantly shorten the battery's life. To discharge,
simply operate your instrument under the battery's power until
it shuts down or until you get a low battery warning. Then
recharge the battery for up to 14 hours.
A charged battery will eventually lose its charge if unused. It
may therefore be necessary to recharge the battery after a
storage period.
Charging Conditions
No battery charging will take place when the instrument is
connected to the AC adapter after it is already powered down.
You must turn on the instrument to initiate charging.
After the instrument powers down (when connected to the AC
adapter), the following charge conditions occur:
•If the battery is charged, the instrument will automatically
go into trickle charge and the message “trickle charging”
will be displayed.
•If the battery charge is low, the instrument will charge in
the following sequence: “discharging” followed by “fast
charging”, followed (after about three hours) by “trickle
charging.”

OVERVIEW AND SETUP
1-3
NOTE: A fast charge may be manually invoked if desired. Refer to
Fast Charge Mode in Section 3 for additional information.
Battery Indicator Status
The battery icon located in the status bar displays the following
conditions.
Indicates the battery is fully charged.
Indicates the battery has sufficient charge for a substantial
number of measurements.
Indicates the battery is low and will provide approximately
50 additional measurements.
(icon flashing) Indicates the battery is extremely low and
must be charged immediately.
Attaching the AC Adapter
1. Verify that the voltage indicated on the adapter complies
with the AC line voltage in your area. If not, contact
X-Rite or an authorized representative.
NOTE: Older X-RiteDot models, labeled ccDot4 and earlier use a
different AC adapter than the newer ccDot5 and X-RiteDot models.
Never use your X-RiteDot power supply with an older ccDot4
model or you will permanently damage the ccDot 4 instrument.
2. Insert the mini-DIN plug from the interface cable into the
back of the instrument.
3. Insert the small plug from the adapter into the power-input
of the DB9 plug on the interface cable.
4. Plug the appropriate detachable line cord into the adapter
and then plug the line cord into an AC wall receptacle.
Instrument I/O Serial Interface
Your instrument connects to a PC or Mac computer using a
serial RS-232 interface cable. To connect to a Mac, you will
need to purchase an optional serial adapter or USB converter.
Mini-DIN
Interface Cable
DB9 Plug
AC Adapter Plug

SECTION ONE
1-4
To install the interface cable:
1. Insert the mini-DIN end of the interface cable into the I/O
port located on the back of the instrument.
2. For a PC, attach the DB9 plug to an available COM port.
For a Mac, attach the optional Mac serial adapter (P/N
SE108-DB9PA) to the DB9 plug. Then plug the other end
into a modem port.
NOTE: An optional USB to Serial converter is available from X-Rite. The
converter is plugged into the DB9 connector and then into the
computer’s USB port. Order P/N SE108-USBSERADB9.
PC Connection Diagram
MAC (legacy) Connection Diagram
Optional USB to serial converter
(P/N SE108-USBSERADB9)

X-RITEDOT®
2-1
2. Section 2: User Interface
Operation Keys
Perform measurements and screen/option navigation with the
three keys located below the display screen.
Left Side key
Use to navigate through the available options. Each time the
key is pressed, the highlighted square (reverse image) moves to
the next option. Navigation generally follows a left-to-right and
top-to-bottom sequence. Press this key to decrease numeric
values when editing.
Right Side key
Use to toggle an option’s status or access a screen where
additional options exist. Press this key to increase numeric
values when editing.
Center key
Use to turn the instrument on and take measurements. Press this
key to return the instrument to the main screen when at the
primary or secondary screens.
Instrument Screens
When the instrument is powered-up, the main screen appears.
The startup screen contains the status bar and firmware version.
The status bar displays the current settings for the instrument.
You can edit the measurement setup functions from the
Primary screen. The Secondary screen contains additional
options you can use in conjunction with the software packages.
Status Bar
Right Key
Center Key
Left Key
Firmware Version

SECTION TWO
2-2
Press the Left key to see the primary screen option icons. Press
the Right key to see the secondary screen option icons.
Key Icons
The icons located above the keys indicate a specific action
when the key below it is pressed. See Operation keys later in
this section for additional information on the keys.
Navigate icon. Moves the highlighted square to the next option
when the key (left) below this icon is pressed.
Return icon. Returns the instrument screen to the previous
screen when the key (center) below this icon is pressed.
Select/Toggle icon. Toggles an option’s status or accesses a
screen where additional options exist when the key (right)
below this icon is pressed.
Primary Screen Icons
The upper portion of the screen displays the available options
of the instrument. Depending on the instrument model, all
options shown may not appear. The key icons along the bottom
of the screen are used to describe the actions of the instrument
buttons below.
Positive or Negative material (negative film). Indicates
the measurement type.
Option Icons
Key Icons

USER INTERFACE
2-3
Flexo Plate (reflectance) or Film (transmission).
Indicates the substrate used during a measurement.
Contrast icon. Used to access the contrast adjustment screen.
Utilities icon. Used to access the utilities screen where
instrument parameters are set. See Setting Instrument Utilities,
Section 3.
Switch menu icon. Used to access the Secondary screen.
Secondary Screen Icons
The secondary screen is similar to the primary screen. The
remaining options are displayed on this screen. The icons along
the bottom are also used to navigate, return and select/toggle.
Depending on the instrument you have, all options may not
appear.
Two times, Four times, or , Eight times.
Indicates the level of zoom set to display sample dots when the
zoom tool is activated.
Zoom tool icon. Activates the zoom mode.
1st film roll, 2nd film roll, 3rd film roll, or
4th film roll. Indicates the number of image storage locations
set. Refer to Image Transfer and Storage in Section Four.
Option Icons
Key Icons

SECTION TWO
2-4
Frame store enabled or Frame store disabled.
Indicates the status of the image storage option. See Image
Transfer and Storage in Section Four.
Percentage dot store. Used to store percentage dot
measurements (1-64) in the instrument. This function is also used
to download the stored measurements to a computer using the
KeyMagic software. See Percentage Dot Storage in Section Four.
Switch menu icon. Used to return to the Primary screen.
Typical Measurement Screen
A typical measurement screen displays the instrument status at
the top with the measurement results below it. In this example,
dot value and size is displayed along with screen angle and
ruling.
Screen angle and ruling (LPI) and dot size is automatically
calculated each time a dot measurement is taken, in the range of
approx. 20-40% and 85-95%. For “chain” dots, the range is 15-
30%. These ranges are used as they generally represent dot
structures where the elements can be evaluated as non-
touching, individual points. The calculation is performed after
the measurement is taken. Therefore, if you do not wish to view
the ruling/angle/size, you can take additional dot measurements
immediately without having to wait for the calculation.
Measurement Options
Before you take any measurements, set the measurement
options. The options will remain as set until changed. The status
bar on the measurement screen displays the current settings.
Status Bar
Dot Value
Screen Angle and Ruling
Status Bar
Dot Size (microns)

USER INTERFACE
2-5
Setting Measurement Options
All measurement options are located in the Primary screen.
To set options:
1. Press the Center key to turn on the instrument.
NOTE: Hold the Center key down for 2 seconds if a charging
message is displayed.
2. Press the Left key to advance to the primary screen.
3. See the following procedures to edit options.
4. After setting options in the primary screen, press the
Center key to return to the measurement screen.
Adjusting the Screen Contrast
The contrast of the instrument screen can be adjusted to
accommodate varying lighting conditions.
1. Using the Left key , move the flashing highlight to the
Contrast icon .
2. Press the Right key to access the contrast adjustment
screen.
3. Press the Left key ↓to decrease contrast and the Right key
↑to increase contrast. The contrast can be adjusted in 10%
increments.
Setting the Measurement Type
The instrument can be set to measure on positive or negative
(negative film) material.

SECTION TWO
2-6
1. Using the Left key , move the flashing highlight to the
Measurement Type icon or .
2. Press the Right key to toggle between the two
options.
Setting Substrate Type
The instrument can be set to measure on flexo plate
(reflectance) or film (transmission).
1. Using the Left key , move the flashing highlight to the
Substrate Type icon or .
2. Press the Right key to page through the two options.

X-RITEDOT®
3-1
3. Section 3: Editing Instrument Utilities
The Utilities screen consists of six configurable settings that are
used to customize your instrument.
To access the utilities screen:
1. Press the Center key to turn on the instrument.
NOTE: Hold the Center key down for 2 seconds if a charging
message is displayed.
2. Press the Left key to advance to the primary screen.
3. Using the Left key , move the flashing highlight to the
Utilities icon .
4. Press the Right key to access the utilities screen.
5. See the following procedures to edit the utilities.
6. After setting options in the utilities screen, press the
Center key to return to the primary screen.

SECTION THREE
3-2
Fast Charge Mode
The instrument can be forced into a fast charge mode if desired.
After the instrument has reached a sufficient charge, it will
automatically change to trickle charge mode.
1. Using the Left key , move the flashing highlight to the
Fast Charge icon .
2. Press the Right key to activate the fast charge. The
instrument will display “Fast Charging” on the instrument
display.
NOTE: To exit the fast charge mode, press and hold the Center key for
2 seconds to enter the main measurement screen.
Screen Ruling Units
The screen ruling displayed during a % dot measurement can
be set as inches or centimeters.
1. Using the Left key , move the flashing highlight to the
Screen Ruling icon or .
2. Press the Right key to toggle between the two
options.
Screen Saver Timeout
You can adjust the time that it takes the instrument’s screen to
automatically return to the main measurement screen to meet
your requirements.
1. Using the Left key , move the flashing highlight to the
Timeout icon , , , , , or .
2. Press the Right key to page through the six timeout
options.

EDITING INSTRUMENT UTILITIES
3-3
Local Electrical Supply Frequency
The instrument’s electrical supply can be set at 50 hertz or 60
hertz line frequency.
NOTE: This setting is used to “synchronize” the instrument with the
frequency of “flicker” when a light table is used for transmission
measurements from film. Setting this option to the incorrect level will
make transmission dot measurements inaccurate, but will not damage
your instrument.
1. Using the Left key , move the flashing highlight to the
Frequency icon or .
2. Press the Right key to toggle between the two
options.
Feature Upgrade
Your instrument can be upgraded with new features by entering
a new key code obtained from X-Rite.
1. Using the Left key , move the flashing highlight to the
Key icon .
2. Press the Right key to access the key code entry
screen. Make a note of the existing key code number in
case it needs to be entered at a later time.
3. Enter the first digit/character of the new key code number
obtained from X-Rite by pressing the Right key to
advance to the correct digit/character.
Existing key code