SA-9600 Surface Area

Software Manual

Version 4.0

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Introduction The operation and data Presentation of the SA-9600 Surface Area analyzer is performed using a Microsoft Windows® based software package. The communications between the analyzer and the Personal Computer (PC) is performed using an RS-232 serial link. As a Windows® software package the SA-9600 program utilizes the advantages of the graphical user interface, in order to provide an instrument that is easy to use. Users familiar with windows based software will also benefit from a shorter leaning curve as the software has a consistent user interface as other Windows® based software. The software has built-in security and when security is activated all the menu items and buttons described in this manual may not be available based on the permissions assigned to the user. About this Manual This manual explains each of the functions available in the software. These functions either control the analyzer or handle data processed functions such as saving and retrieving information and data manipulation. This manual is written for a user who is familiar with computers and has knowledge of the various terminologies used, such as pull-down menus, dialog boxes etc. It is also assumed that the user is familiar with Microsoft Windows operating system and with standard functions such as saving and retrieving data in applications and performing file operations such as copying files. If the user is not familiar with these items please refer to the documentation provided with Windows software or consult a book specifically written for this purpose.

Computer Requirements In order to run the SA-9600 software, an PC running Windows XP operating system is required. The following specifications are the minimum configuration required. 1. Computer running at 1 GHz or higher speed. 2. 1 Gb of memory. 3. Hard disk drive with sufficient capacity to hold operating system, program files

and data. 4. Monitor with a minimum resolution 1024 x 768 5. Mouse or similar pointing device. 6. Printer. (Color graphics printer is recommended) 7. Windows XP® operating system. (Must be installed on the computer prior to

installation of the SA-9600 software.) 8. CD ROM Drive

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Installing Software: 1. Insert the software CD in the drive. After a few seconds the software should

automatically start the installation program. 2. If the software does not automatically start, use Windows Explorer or using the

“MY Computer” Icon locate your CD ROM drive. Then click on the “SETUP.EXE” icon to execute the installation software.

3. After a few seconds you will se the following screen.

4. Once the installation software starts up you will see the “Welcome” screen.

5. Click the ‘Next >‘ button to continue with the installation.

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6. The Installation program will then display information where the software will be

located on your computer. At this time you have the option to change the location if necessary by pressing the ‘Browse’ button. Press ‘Next >’ to continue.

7. The Installation program will then display the name of the folder that will be

created under the “start” button “All Programs”. (Default name is: ‘SA-9600’) You could change this name if necessary. To continue, press ‘Next >’ button.

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8. The software will then start copying the files from the CD to your hard drive. After

all the files are copied you will see the completion screen. Press the ‘Finish’ button to exit the installation software. (Depending on your computer setup, a windows explorer window may pop up showing the software that was installed. If this is the case you may not see the completed screen as it will be hidden behind the explorer popup.)

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Connecting the Surface Area Analyzer to the Computer: In order to communicate from a PC to the SA-9600 analyzer you would need to meet the following requirements:

1. Have a Desktop PC or Note Book computer with a Serial Port. HORIBA does not recommend the use of USB to serial converters as some of them do not work with our analyzers. If your computer does not have a serial port you can add one by installing a PCI serial card on a desktop PC or a PCMCIA serial card in a notebook. (This assumes that your desktop computer has an empty PCI slot or in the case of a notebook a empty PCMCIA slot. Some of the newer computers do not have such slots. If this is the case you will have to obtain a computer with the necessary slots.)

2. You will also need a serial cable. The serial cable on the PC side is usually a

Female DB-9 connector. The analyzer side requires a Male DB-25 connector. Installing and Configuring the Cable and Switch

1. Install the serial cable from the PC serial port to the analyzer. Note that the analyzer has two DB-25 connectors on the back of the unit. The serial port is the lower connector.

2. Once the cable is installed, power up the computer and analyzer. You will find

two LED’s on the rear panel of the analyzer. The left LED should be flashing. This indicates that the analyzer is working properly. The LED on the right

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should be lit solid. If this LED is not lit change the position of slider switch next to the LED’s. If right LED does not stay lit, your have a hardware problem.

This may be due to one of the following reasons.

a. Bad serial cable. b. Cable not plugged to a valid serial port on the computer. c. Cable not plugged to correct port on the analyzer. d. Defective hardware on the computer or analyzer.

If this is the case you will need to resolve the hardware issue by replacing the defective part or by plugging to a valid port.

3. Once the cable is installed, run the “System Administration” software module. 4. From the “File” menu select “Test Communications”

5. The software will then load the HORIBA serial test program and display

another window as shown below.

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6. From the “File” menu select “Test Serial Ports. 7. Once the menu selection is made the software will display all serial ports

detected on the PC and will start to check each port for an SA-9600 analyzer. 8. If an analyzer is found the software will indicate if the unit is single channel or

a triple channel unit. A message window will also pop-up indicating the serial port number.

9. The software will save the location information and use it to communicate with

the analyzer. 10. If the software is unable to locate an analyzer this may be due to a hardware

failure or issue with the serial port on the computer. In this case contact HORIBA for assistance.

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Starting the program and logging into the software From the Start menu select All Programs, then select the SA-9600 program folder and finally select SA-9600 Measure icon to start the software. While the program is starting it will also try to establish communications with the analyzer and obtain various setup parameters including type of analyzer, number of stations etc. During this period you will see the following screen with the “Please Wait” message.

If there are any problems obtaining information stored on disk or from the analyzer the software will display an appropriate error message. If no analyzer is detected the software will disable all measurement related functions but will continue to work in the display mode. The program is ready when the Display Window or the log in screen appears..

System Security If the system security system is activated the login dialog box will appear. If your system does not have a login screen, you may skip this section. In this case user must enter a valid username and a password in order to use the software. If this is the first time an user is using the system the software many also prompt the user to change the password. The username and the initial password is setup by the system administrator. Please contact your system administrator if you require assistance with your login.

Password Dialog Box

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Changing the Password Users may change their password by pressing the Change button on the password dialog box, provided the system administrator has authorized such changes. The system may also have a minimum number of days required between password changes, and changes prior to that time will not be permitted. The administrator may also setup your password requiring you to change it on initial login. When changing the password the system will display a dialog box with the username and the fullname already filled. To change the password enter a new password and repeat the entry in the “Verify Password” field and press OK. If the verify password field matches the new password field your new password will be accepted by the system.

Change Password Dialog Box

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Measurement and Display Windows The SA-9600 Measure software displays two tabs that contain the Measurement Window and the Display Window.: Display Window

The Display Window is used for viewing measurement results and to perform tasks such as Printing and Editing parameters. On start-up the software automatically displays this window without any sample data.

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Display a Previously Measured File A previously measured file can be displayed by opening the file from the file pull down menu. Click on the “File” menu and select “Open” . From the Open Dialog Box select the file and click on the “Open” button.

If the file opened is a multipoint sample or contains multiple runs, the window will display a graph of the data points in addition to the tabular data. The actual display of this window depends on the type of measurement. Printing Results Data displayed on the Display Window can be printed, using the “File” pull-down menu and selecting “Print”. The SA-9600 software prints reports to the default printer assigned to the computer and does not display any dialog box prior to printing. Software can also be configured to automatically print the results after a measurement.

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Editing Information Associated with a Measurement Certain information associated with measurement data can be modified after the measurement. The most common changes are sample weights. You can also change sample identification information such as Sample Name, Company and other fields. The number of runs, Type of Measurement and certain information based on the type of measurement, cannot be changed after the measurement. To edit information use the “Conditions” menu and select “Change Conditions for Current Sample” the software will then display an edit window with only the fields valid for change. If the security module is activated the fields available of editing may be further restricted based on the “Group” settings for the user. Restricted fields will be displayed but they will be grayed-out and you will not be permitted to change the values in those fields. Resaving Sample Information Sample information displayed on the measurement screen is already saved on disk when the measurement was performed, but may be resaved on disk using another name or at a different location. To resave data use the “File” menu and select “Save”. Using the “Save Sample As:” dialog box save the sample. Depending on your system configuration you may not be able to overwrite a sample in which case you will have to select a new name.

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Measurement Window

Measurement Window. The Measurement Window controls the analyzer and performs sample measurements. The window also has a real-time graph showing the detector response of the analyzer. Use the real-time graph to make sure that detectors show a zero voltage (+/-.01) before starting a measurement.

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Monitoring Controlling Prep Station Heaters

Updating Temperatures From the Measurement Window you can activate the sample degas heaters. Depending on analyzer model you will either have two or three sample prep. stations. Each of these prep stations has a heating mantel which is controlled by the analyzer. The heating mantels can be set up to 300c and the heaters can be turned ON for a maximum of 180 minutes. To change the Temperature or Time press the “Update Temp.” Button located on the top left section of the window. You will then see the “Prep Station Temperature” dialog box. Change the values as necessary and press the “Update” button to send the new settings to the analyzer. The “Update” button is not available while a measurement is in progress. Monitoring Temperatures The Set point of the heaters, the current temperatures and the time remaining are displayed on the Measurement Window. Once the time reaches zero the heaters will automatically turn OFF.

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Starting a Measurement Prior to starting a measurement, the instrument should be prepared with required gases flowing. You will also need to degas the samples and prepare them for analysis. These steps are documented in the analyzer instruction manual. Once the analyzer is setup, the following steps will guide you in performing the measurements: Please note that whenever the text refers to zero or close to zero the actual value should be within -0.020 to + 0.020.

a. Watch the real-time window and wait till all channels are close to zero. If you have just turned ON the analyzer you should give it 20 minutes to stabilize before starting a measurement. If the analyzer does to reach zero after 20 - 30 minutes, you may have to adjust the unit by removing it covers. If this is necessary please contact HORIBA service for instructions.

b. Install the samples in the test station(s) if you have not already done so. Installing the cells will make the channel values increase after 20 – 40 seconds and then come back to zero. Wait for this event to take place.

c. Once the channels are zero. Press the Green “Start” button.

d. The software will now display a conditions dialog box. e. In this box type in sample identification information and other

parameters as necessary. Note that if the security option is activated you may not be able to enter or change one or more fields.

f. Once the necessary changes are made press to OK button to continue.

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g. The software will next display the Save Dialog box.

h. Enter a valid file name to capture the measurement result. To continue press the “Save” button. Note that on certain system configurations, the software may not permit you to select or enter a filename that already exist. In this case you will have to select another filename.

i. Once the save filename is assigned the software will start the measurement and the “start” button will be replaced with a Red “Cancel” button. Even though the “Cancel” button is displayed, depending on the current operation of the analyzer the cancel function may not be possible and will have no effect. In this case the only way to cancel the operation is by turning OFF the analyzer from the power switch in the rear panel.

j. While the samples analysis is in progress you the software will display the current status on the left side list box and also show the detector response on the real-time window.

k. Once the analysis is completed, the “Cancel” button will disappear and the “Start” button will re-appear.

l. If the display window is empty, the results will automatically be displayed in the window and the software will switch to the display mode. When the display window contains prior measurement data, the software will prompt you before showing the data.

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Exporting Data The SA-9600 software provides an Export option that will convert measurement data files to ASCII files that can be read my other programs. The Converted file is a text file with each field separated by a comma (CSV format). Configure Export Parameters Before selecting files for export, users must define the fields that are to be exported, by selecting Configure Export Parameters. If you select “Export Files” before configuring the export parameters, you will see the following error message.

. Selecting Items to Export

The Configure Export Parameters dialog box contains two list boxes. The list box on the left shows all items that are available for export. The list box on the right shows the items that are selected for exporting. When the software is first installed the right side

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list box is empty. To add items to this list box either double click on a item in the left side list box or highlight a item on the left side and press the “Add>>” button. To delete an item from the right side, highlight the item (Click on the item) and press the “Delete” button. If you need to clear all items on the right side list box press the “Clear” button. Click the “Include Field Names” check box if you wish to have column headings for the exported data. After completing the selections, click the ‘OK” button to save this configuration and exit the screen. Select “Cancel” if you do not wish to save any changes made.

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Export Files

The Export Files dialog box contains two list boxes. The one on the left, shows all the measurement data files found in the assigned folder. When the dialog box opens, the software automatically fills this list box with files from the folder that was last used to save data. Change Path

You can select a different directory by pressing the “Change Path” button and selecting a folder from the folder tree. (Similar to Windows Explorer)

Selecting Samples for Export In order to export files the files from the left side list box must be moved to the right side list box. You can add items to right side list box either double click on a item in the left side list box or highlight a item on the left side and press the “>>Move>>” button. To delete an item from the right side, highlight the item (Click on the item) and press the “Delete” button. If you need to clear all items on the right side list box press the “Clear” button. To add all files, simply press the “>>Move All>>” button.

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Once the files are selected, press the “Export Files” button. The software will then display an “Export Files” dialog box.

Type a filename for the exported data, and press the “Save” button. The software will then proceed to export all the files selected. After competing this operating, the software will indicate the number of files written. This count should match the number of files selected. If the numbers do not match this is due to the fact that one or more files selected for export was in use or defective.