ANKOM RF User Manual

2052 O’Neil Rd, Macedon NY 14502

Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.ankom.com

Operator’s Manual

Rev F 8/29/14

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Table of Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................................. 5

Warranty ....................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Contact Information ..................................................................................................................................................... 5

Instrument Description ................................................................................................................................................. 7

Safety Precautions ........................................................................................................................................................ 9

Instrument Setup – Equipment .................................................................................................................................. 11

Instrument Setup – Software...................................................................................................................................... 13

Instrument Software Functionality ............................................................................................................................. 17

Temperature Sensing .................................................................................................................................................. 33

Operating Instructions ................................................................................................................................................ 35

Troubleshooting .......................................................................................................................................................... 40

Appendix A – Vent Valve Cleaning .............................................................................................................................. 41

Appendix B – Buffer, Inoculum, & Sample prep for Rumen studies ........................................................................... 42

Appendix C – Head Space Analysis ............................................................................................................................. 45

Appendix D – Conversion of Pressure to Gas Production........................................................................................... 46

Appendix E – Base Coordinator Specifications ........................................................................................................... 47

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Operator’s Manual

Please review the entire manual before you begin operating this product.

Introduction

ANKOM Technology designs, manufactures, and markets instruments and support products used by analytical
laboratories around the world in the environmental, agricultural, biomass, and food industries. ANKOM
Technology can provide you with products for determining or monitoring detergent fibers, dietary fibers, fat,
digestibility, microbial fermentation (anaerobic or aerobic) and more.

Committed to Total Customer Satisfaction, ANKOM designs every product based on a thorough assessment of
customer needs.

Congratulations on your purchase of the ANKOMRF Gas Production System. We are confident that this product
will effectively serve your needs.

This manual will provide you with details that will help you achieve the best possible results.

Warranty

ANKOM Technology warrants the ANKOMRF Gas Production System against any defects in workmanship or
material for one year after the original date of purchase. This warranty does not include damage to the instrument
resulting from neglect or misuse. During the warranty period, should any failure result from defects in
workmanship or materials, ANKOM Technology will, at its discretion, repair or replace the instrument free of
charge.

Extended warranties are available upon request.

Operating Temperature: 5-60°C

Contact Information

ANKOM Technology is committed to your total satisfaction, and is therefore always available to help you get the
most from your ANKOM products. We are also very interested in any comments or suggestions you may have to
help us improve.

For any questions or suggestions regarding your instrument, please contact us at:

 Telephone: [phone]
 Fax: [phone]
 www.ankom.com

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Instrument Description

General Description

The ANKOMRF Gas Production System is designed to measure the kinetics of a microbial fermentation in an
automated fashion by monitoring the gas pressure within multiple Modules and remotely recording the data in
computer spreadsheets. Equipped with a temperature sensor, each Module can also monitor the temperature of its
environment. The system can include up to 50 individual Modules that communicate information to a computer
using radio frequency (RF) transmission. From the computer interface the operator can control numerous variables
such as data recording intervals and the automatic release of pressure through internal valves in each Module.

Examples of Instrument Applications

Current and potential applications for the ANKOMRF Gas Production System include, but are not limited to, Rumen
Nutrition, Human Digestion, Yeast Activity, Biomass-to-Fuel, Biodegradability, Biochemical Oxygen Demand
(BOD), Soil Quality, and more.

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Operator’s Manual

A Module connected to a Glass Bottle is referred to as a Module Assembly.

Glass Bottles

Modules

Synthetic Grease

Bottle Gaskets

Reference Module Zero

Luer Check Valves
with Caps

Antenna Extension
Assembly

Vent Valve Cleaning Kit

Battery Charger

CD with Operating
Software

USB Cable

Base Coordinator

System Components

The ANKOMRF Gas Production System Base Kit includes the following components:

5 – Modules (part # RF1)
5 – Glass Bottles (bottle types to be chosen by the customer) – there is one Glass Bottle for each Module
1 – Reference Module Zero (ambient pressure only – part # RF5)
6 – Rechargeable Battery Packs (part # RF16) – 1 in each Module and 1 in the Reference Module Zero
1 – 10 Station Battery Charger (part # RF25)
1 – Base Coordinator w/ USB Cable (part # RF2) and antenna (part # 7143)
1 – Antenna Extension Assembly (part # RF29)
1 – CD containing the Computer Drivers and Operating Software (part # RF3)
1 – Vent Valve Cleaning Kit (part # RF22)
2 – Luer Check Valves (part # 7139)
2 – Male Luer Caps (part # 7147)
5 – Bottle Gaskets (part # 7074)
1 – Sythetic Grease (part # RF41)

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Each ANKOMRF Gas Production System network requires a connection to a
unique laptop or desktop computer. The computer does NOT have to be
dedicated to the ANKOM system.

You must run GPM software version 9.7.1 or greater if you are adding
Modules with temperature sensors to an existing system. Existing Modules
can be upgraded to include temperature sensors. Contact ANKOM for details.

WARNING: For the 250 ml – 1000 ml narrow-mouth Glass Bottles, never
apply pressure exceeding 10 psi while purging your system (eliminating
oxygen), or allow the pressure in the Bottles to exceed 10 psi (685 mbar)
during an experiment.

For the 1.8 L wide-mouth bottles, never let pressure exceed 1 psi.
Always wear safety glasses and appropriate lab protection when handling the

Modules.

Using this system and/or its components in a manner not specified by the
manufacturer voids the warranty and may result in harm to the user.

Please review the entire contents of this manual before you begin operating
this product.

Adding Modules

The ANKOMRF Gas Production System has a modular design that allows the user to increase or decrease the
number of samples tested. The Reference Module Zero is used to monitor and record atmospheric pressure. The
Base Coordinator is used to communicate with up to 50 Modules each programmed with a unique ID number and
system address. If you have a system with less than 50 Modules, more can be ordered to complete your system.
When ordering additional Modules, it is important to let ANKOM know what Module numbers you currently have
(for example: 1-5) so that the new Modules can be programmed correctly for your system. The Module number is
displayed on the Module’s label and on the chip plugged into the circuit board. If your system is complete with 50
Modules and you would like to add more Modules, an additional RFS Base Kit is required. This second Base Kit
will communicate on a different network than the original. It is possible to have as many as 5 Base Kits and 250
Modules in a facility.

Safety Precautions

This system is designed to meet and/or exceed the applicable standards of CE, CSA, NRTL and OSHA.

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Caution: Damage to the circuit board and batteries can occur if the batteries
are connected backwards.

Rechargeable batteries lose charge when not being used.
Always charge your Rechargeable Battery Packs (part # RF16) for at least 3

hours just prior to their use. A fully charged battery when plugged into a
Module should read 6.7 volts or higher on the GPM software screen.
Typically, a fully charged Rechargeable Battery Pack should be able to power
a Module for at least 10 days under normal conditions (20-40°C, GPM
settings of 1 minute Live Interval and 1 Valve Open sequence per hour).

Individual performance may vary depending on testing conditions. Although
Modules will function properly, battery packs may have to be recharged at
more frequent intervals when operating at lower temperatures. When
running the system, remember to check the battery voltage daily and change
the battery pack when the voltage decreases to 6.3 volts or lower. Changing
the battery pack during the run will not affect the results.

Do not allow water into the Module: When placing a Module Assembly in
water, do NOT allow the water level to reach the vent tube or water damage
will occur. When using a water bath, do NOT cover the bath and the RF
modules with a lid as the trapped humidity will be detrimental to the
electronics. Instead, use bath balls to cover the surface of the water and
control the temperature and evaporation.

Battery Connection

Instrument Setup – Equipment

Battery Connection

Before using your system you must connect the battery packs within each Module by connecting the male
connector on the battery pack to the female connector on the circuit board. The locking tab must be facing the
adjacent white connector.

Temperature Control

The Module Assembly (includes the Module connected to a Glass Bottle) can be placed in a cabinet incubator or in
a shallow water bath to maintain appropriate temperatures.

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Operator’s Manual

Antenna Extension Assembly (part # RF29) connected to the Base Coordinator

1) When using the extension, you should run the system with both antennas

connected as shown in the picture above. The antenna closest to the Base
Coordinator will pick up the Reference Module Zero signal while the
antenna connected to the end of the extension cable will pick up the signals
from the modules.

2) It is important to keep metal shelving or cabinets away from the Base

Coordinator and Modules to avoid interference with the component
antennas. Metal may disrupt radio frequency and may cause delays in
system communications.

"T"

fitting

7143

Antenna

RF Communication

Radio Frequency (RF) technology allows the Modules to be located away from the Base Coordinator without the
need for cumbersome wire connections. Although the RF signal from the Modules can be detected at distances of
10 ft. or more, for the best signal reception it is recommended that you place the Modules (including Reference
Module Zero) as close as possible to the Base Coordinator. If necessary, it is possible to extend the antenna from
the Base Coordinator with an ANKOM Antenna Extension Assembly (Part # RF29, shown below). This will allow
you to place the antenna closer to the Modules.

To install the antenna extension, follow the steps below:

(1) Screw the Antenna Extension Assembly (the female part of the “T” fitting) onto the Base Coordinator.
(2) Screw the original Antenna (part # 7143) onto the Antenna Extension Assembly at the male part of the

cable.

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You must run GPM software version 9.7.1 or greater if you are using Modules
with temperature sensors.

If the window above does not display automatically on your screen, then open
My Computer on your computer screen. (If the My Computer icon is not
already on your desktop, you can access it via the button in the
lower left corner of your desktop screen). With My Computer open, double­click on your CD device icon to open the window above.

Instrument Setup – Software

Computer Software Requirements

To run the GPM software, your computer must have the following programs.

 Windows XP or later
 Microsoft Excel 2003 or later
 Internet Explorer 5.0 or later
 Microsoft.Net
 Windows Installer

If not already loaded, the ANKOMRF Gas Production System installation program will install:

 Microsoft.Net
 Windows Installer

Instrument Software Installation

To install your GPM software, follow the steps below:

(1) Insert the GPM CD into your computer. After a few moments, the following window should open

showing the contents of the CD.

(2) Double-click the Setup icon in the window above. The following message box is displayed.

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The version number on this message box will correspond to the GPM
software version you are installing.

(3) Click the Next> button in the message box above to proceed with the software installation. The following

message box is displayed.

(4) In the message box above, put a check mark in the box () next to “I accept the terms of the License

Agreement” by clicking on the box.

(5) Click the Next> button and the following message box is displayed.

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(6) In the message box above, the Destination Folder box shows the name of the folder path in which your

GPM software program will be stored. If the name is not what you want it to be, then type the name of
the folder, or click the Browse button to go to the folder in which you would like to store this program.

(7) In the message box above, click the Install button. If there is already a version of the GPM software

installed on your computer, the following message box will be displayed. Otherwise, you will see the
installation begin, in which case you can skip step #8 and go right to step #9.

(8) To load the updated GPM software, click the OK button. The following message box is displayed.

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