Focustronic Alkatronic User Manual
Focustronic Alkatronic is a highly advanced device that automatically measures alkalinity in your aquarium system and performs actions to prevent alkalinity from going above or below your desired reference values. It acts like a safety belt, intervening when your alkalinity falls outside of the reference values you choose. The aquarist's primary technique for maintaining alkalinity, such as pH computers for Ca-reactors or dosing stations for Balling, will still act as the primary means of alkalinity control. The safety and stability provided by Alkatronic is more reliable when acting in that capacity. It is like the "lane-assist" feature of a car, when you occasionally drift out of the lane, the machine will correct it for you.
Alkatronic doses carbonate solution from a separate pump when alkalinity falls below your low reference value, and shuts off a socket (for instance for your water-feeding pump if you run Ca-reactor or your Balling-unit if you have that) when alkalinity rises above your high reference value. When Alkatronic interacts, you will be able to track these actions through an on screen graph or list, in our app. This contains information when Alkatronic had to interact, and exactly what it did. Based on that, you can then fine-tune your primary equipment.
Advertisement
Advertisement
11
1
User manual
English v 3.6
Introduction
Basic Philosophy
Set-up-procedure
Placement
Connecting hoses and prepare the measuring-beaker
Establish software connection
Socket setup and connection
Physical set-up
Establish Bluetooth-connection
Prime hoses and Calibrate pumps/electrode
Prime hoses
Calibrate Pumps
Calibrate the pH-electrode
Functions and Graph Screens
Measurement interval
HOME-screen
Extra measurement
Table/history
Aquarium volume
Reference values/actions
Low reference value
High reference value
Action mode
Wash out mode
Test pump accuracy
Test pH-electrode accuracy
LCD-Screen
Measurement postponed function
Export Data
Alert Reagent/Bu
ff
er Bottle
Auto Update Mode/Upload Mode
Connection to an aquariumcomputer/pH-computer
Setup connection between Alkatronic and Aquariumcomputer
Programming tip to Apex/aquariumcomputer-user
Cloud-functions
Baseline calibration
2
8
10
11
11
11
12
7
8
5
5
15
21
21
21
21
23
23
24
17
18
19
19
19
20
20
16
16
16
15
15
16
17
17
4
4
5
Maintenance
Change hoses in the pumps
Pump A and C
Pump B and D
Changing the pH-electrode
Recalibration
pH-electrode
Pumps
Trouble shooting
Bad accuracy
Bad precision
No connection between app and machine
No wifi-connection
Failsafe message ”Restart”
Appendix
Recipe for carbonate-solution
Mixing reagent solution
Changing hoses in Pumps
Fail-safe messages in LCD
Specifications
3
28
28
29
30
30
32
32
32
35
37
38
26
26
26
26
26
26
26
26
28
Product Registration – Warranty
Each unit of Alkatronic carries a limited factory warranty for 12 months upon registration.
The online registration must be done within 14 days after purchase in order to be deemed valid.
FOCUSTRONIC will also send update information such as firmware updates or new features information via the registered email account.
Product warranty is not transferrable.
Please register via our website www.focustronic.net/product-registration .
4
Introduction
Congratulations on your choice of this highly advanced device, which automatically measures alkalinity in your aquarium-system, and also within your own settled reference intervals, performs actions to prevent alkalinity from going above or below your desired reference values.
Please read the whole manual very carefully before setting up and using the device.
There may be slight di ff erences (of no importance) between what is on the screen of the device and the pictures within this manual.
Basic Philosophy
The basic principal of Alkatronic is to act like a safety belt, intervening when your alkalinity falls outside of the reference values you choose. The aquarist s primary technique for maintaining alkalinity, such as pH-computers for Ca-reactor or dosingstations for Balling, will still act as the primary means of alkalinity control. The safety and stability provided by Alkatronic is more reliable when acting in that capacity. It is like the "lane-assist" feature of a car, when you occasionally drift out of the lane, the machine will correct it for you. Alkatronic will dose carbonate-solution from a separate pump when alkalinity falls below your low reference value, and shut o ff a socket (for instance for your water-feeding pump if you run Ca-reactor or your
Balling-unit if you have that) when alkalinity rises above your high reference value.
When Alkatronic interacts, you will be able to track these actions through an on screen graph or list, in our app. This contains information when Alkatronic had to interact, and exactly what it did. Based on that, you can then fine-tune your primary equipment.
The main purpose of the Alkatronic is thus to prevent a rapid drop (or increase) in dKH due to some failure, which can cause the death of all of your corals, and the second purpose is to achieve a very stable dKH value by helping you fine-tuning your ordinary equipment.
5
Set-up-procedure
When setting up this device for first time, follow every points below very carefully until page 13.
Placement
Make sure you place the Alkatronic in a location that allows you to easily manage regular maintenance. The machine must be placed in a horizontal position. Actually, some very very small tilting to the left is no harm, and actually some benefit
(but is not needed), but never tilting to the right !
It is possible to mount the device directly on a wall with our included wall mount, or just let it stand on a flat surface. The height di ff erence between the Alkatronic and the water surface level from where the machine will take the water for testing, should not exceed 40-50 cm.
The reagent bottle should be placed as close as possible to the machine and ideally at the same level or as maximum 20 cm lower than the machine.
Make sure that if you adjust any of these positions (the reagent bottle or the machine itself), you recalibrate the pumps, as the delivery amount of fluids can vary based on the suction heights.
Connecting hoses and prepare the measuring-beaker
All connections are made of Luer-connections.
The female part of the Luer is factory-mounted in the walls of the machine, and the external hoses described below (1-5) should be installed tightly on the male part of the Luer, which should then be twisted on the female part. See pictures below. This makes it very easy to detach the external hoses when moving the machine.
Female Luer
(Mounted in wall)
Twist to attach, detach
External hose
Male Luer
6
In the package we include:
• Silicon hose, ID=3.2mm.
• Silicon hose, ID=1.6mm
Please note:
• Hoses running from tank/bottles should be as vertical as possible. Reduce as much horizontal length as possible.
• You have to cut the proper length yourself, as that will vary between di ff erent set-ups.
• The hose for the connections 3,4 and 5, you can use an ordinary 4/6 hose of any kind, as these hoses are not crucial concerning function or accuracy.
• But never use other hoses than included concerning connection 1 and 2!
• It is strongly recommended to have as short length as possible concerning connections 1(maximum 0.5m) and 2 (maximum 1m, preferably shorter).
1) Cut the hose 1.6 mm in a proper length (if needed). Connect one end to the inlet
” Reagent In (1) ” and the other end to the long plastic pipe. Put this plastic pipe down in the reagent bottle.
2) Cut the hose 3.2mm in a proper length. Make it as short as possible, and ideally not longer than 1 meter . Connect one end of hose A to the inlet ” Water In
(2) ” and the other end to the included microfilter. Place the microfilter in a sump area
(or other area where you want to take the water sample to measure) where it will never be exposed above the water´s surface. Never use this hose without the microfilter, and make sure the microfilter never can float up!
3) Cut the 3.2 mm (or similar hose, like an ordinary 4/6 hose of any kind) in a proper length. Connect one end of this hose to the outlet ” Waste out(3 )” , and place the other end in a container which will collect the wastewater from the measuring procedure. If you measure every 6 hours, the waste volume is around 1.5 liter/week. Every measure produces around 55 ml of waste water.
4) Cut the 3.2mm (or similar hose, like an ordinary 4/6 hose of any kind) in a proper length. Connect one end of this hose to the inlet ” Alk In (4) ” and place the other end in a container of carbonate-solution, made according to our recipe (see appendix A).
5) Cut the hose 3.2mm
(or similar hose, like an ordinary
4/6 hose of any kind) in a proper length. Connect one end of this hose to the outlet ” Alk Out (5 ) ”, and lead that hose to a sump area with ample circulation.
6) Put the included small white magnetic rod into
1
2
3
4
5
7 the measuring beaker, and place the beaker inside the machine in its fitting.
Make sure the pipes inside the machine are in proper position!!
T he premounted silicon hoses on the pipes should be in contact with the pipeholder, and in that way guarantee correct positions, but that may need to be fine-tuned by the user, so take very good care to ensure the following pipe-positions (fig
2a,2b):
Wait to install the pH-probe until it is calibrated, let it be in the transport cup until then.
Figure 2a
• Pipe from Pump C should be a few cm above surface of the water.
• Pipe from pump B must be in contact with the bottom. Very important!!
• Pipe from pump A must be around 2 mm above bottom. Very important!!
Pump A
Pump C
Pump B
Pump D
Figure 2b
Establish software connection
The next step is to establish a connection between the APP in the phone/tablet and the machine.
General information:
The connection between Alkatronic and App concerning the most crucial functions, is based on BT-connection, as that is the most safe and stable connection. But it could take sometimes 5-10 seconds for the app to connect when opening the app from a sleeping mode. That is normal!. Just wait, and
within 10 seconds the app will connect and you will see a green dot in the app window.
8
1. Go to APP-store and download the app. Do not open the app yet.
2. Make sure you have Bluetooth enabled on your Phone/tablet.
3. Power upp the Alkatronic with the AC-adapter. Never use any other adapter than the one provided!
4. Open the Alkatronic app. Select ”Add
New Device”. Follow the on-screen instructions, type in the serial number and user account details. Connection between the App and Alkatronic is confirmed by a green dot at the Alkatronic logotype.
5. In the app on the Main-screen, click on settings, scroll down to wi-fi, and type the SSID and password of your home-router. This Wifi connection is not needed for the direct communication between the app and Alkatronic when you are near the machine, but it is needed in order to reach the machine outside of your home through the cloud, get alerts and also to establish time-sync. After entering the data, press save.
Socket setup and connection
Physical set-up
For Calciumreactor-user with pH-probe controlled CO
2
-dosing
1) Plug the Alkatronic-socket into a power plug from wall.
2) Put the cord from the pump that feeds the calcium reactor with aquarium water into the Alkatronic socket. See Figure 4.
Now, as long as the Alkatronic socket is ”open”, which is indicated by a red light on the socket, the Alkatronic socket gives power to your pump that feeds your
Ca-reactor (which usually is a peristaltic pump for continuously use). Only when a measured dKH is above your settled high reference value (and action mode is
9 enabled), will the Alkatronic plug shut o ff , and thus shut o ff the feeding pump, so that no alkalinity is added to the aquarium. Se also ” Reference value/actions ”
Socket from Alkatronic
Cord to pump that feeds the Careactor with aquariumwater, or cord to a third party Dosing-station.
Figure 4
For Calciumreactor-user with timer-controlled CO
2
-dosing
1) Plug the Alkatronic-socket into a power plug from wall.
2) Plug the timer that controls the CO
2
-solenoid into the Alkatronic socket. See
Figure 5.
Now, as long as the Alkatronic socket is ”open”, which is indicated by a red light on the socket, the Alkatronic socket gives power to your ordinary timer that controls the solenoid to the CO
2
-supply. Only when a measured dKH is above your settled high reference value (and action mode is enabled), will the Alkatronic plug shut o ff , and thus shut o ff the CO
2
, independently of what your ordinary timer wants to do. See figure 5. See also ” Reference value/actions ”
Socket in wall
Socket from Alkatronic
Ordinary timer, controlling CO
2
solenoid
Cord to CO
2
-solenoid.
Figure 5
For Balling-user
1) Plug the Alkatronic-socket into a main power plug from wall,
10
2) Plug the cord from the dosing station of Balling solutions into the Alkatronic socket. See Figure 4
Now, as long as the Alkatronic socket is ”open”, which is indicated by a blue light on the socket, the Alkatronic socket gives power to your Balling-station, and therefore your doing station is controlled by its internal schedule. Only when a measured dKH is above your settled high reference value (and action mode is enabled), will the
Alkatronic socket shut o ff , and thus independently of what your dosing station
”wants to do”, it will shut down until dKH is back again within the reference values.
See also ” Reference value/actions ”
For Calciumreactor and/or Balling users with an aquariumcomputer with a
BNC-port for pH electrode
These users can, instead of or in addition to our own Alkatronic socket, connect
Alkatronic to an ordinary pH input of an aquarium computer (or pH computer) through an ordinary BNC-cable. The aquarium computer will then receive the dKH values from Alkatronic on its pH-input, and you can use this dKH-information to implement any actions you desire through your aquarium computer's programs.
Establish Bluetooth-connection
• Go to settings and enter the MAC- address (see attached info in package) of the included socket at ”Plug 1”-field, slide the button to orange, and press save. If your are not able to slide the button to orange (shadowed), then go to settings and switch ”action mode” to enable, then try again.
Now that you have a BT-connection between Alkatronic and the socket, the socket should have turned on. Try to toggle the Plug 1 button and make sure the socket reacts. Do not forget to leave it on enable (orange). If for some reason it is not turning on, check that you have BT-connection (green dot on home-screen), and action mode enabled . If ”action mode” is disabled, the control of BT-socket is deliberately locked.
As long as the measured dKH is below the ”High reference value” the socket will be left on. If the machine measures a dkH above the settled High reference value, and action mode is enabled, the socket will be turned o ff , and the machine will measure again after 2 hours.
When a subsequent dKH measurement is below the
High reference value , the socket will go back to ”on”.
11
If action mode is disabled, the socket will not react to the dKH values, but will be left in it's last position. For safety reasons, the socket is always in ON-mode
(orange) after a power up of the machine. Remember that if you want to be able to change the socket both manually with the toogle-button, or let the machine do so by automatic actions, you must have ”action mode” enabled.
Prime hoses and Calibrate pumps/electrode
Prime hoses
Now you must prime the hoses from Pump A, C and D . See fig 2a.
1) Go to the main menu and select ”Prime Hose”, and begin with Pump A.
2) Press START, and make sure the water is moving upwards in the hose from the tank water. Follow it carefully until it is delivered into the test vial and you are sure there are no air bubbles anywhere in the hose. Press STOP.
3) Now do the same for Pump C (reagent fluid) , and Pump D (carbonate solution).
Do not worry if there is now some water/reagent in the test vial, there should be.
Calibrate Pumps
Pump A
1) Take out the pipe from Pump A, by moving the pipe forward from the probe holder, and place it in the largest test cylinder (100 ml cylinder).
2) In main menu, press ”Calibrate” and then select ”Pump A”.
3) Make sure the pipe is placed down in the test-cylinder, and press
Calibrate.
4) Pump A now starts, and stops automatically.
5) When it stops, take the pipe out of the cylinder, place the cylinder on a horizontal surface, and read the water line. Make sure to read it correctly, see Fig 3a. Observe that in this 100 ml cylinder every line corresponds to 1 ml.
6) Note the value in the number fields with one decimal, then press save . Make sure the command is taken by looking at the LCD, where the entered value will be shown.
If it is not shown, press save again. Now return the pipe to its proper position in the holder, see figure 2b.
Fig 3a. Read at the red line
Fig 3b. The value here is 8.5 ml. (3 lines below 10.0 ml)
12
Pump C
1) Take out the pipe from Pump C by moving pipe forward from the probe holder, and place it in the smallest test cylinder. (25 ml cylinder).
2) In the main menu, press ”Calibrate” and then select
”Pump C”.
3) Make sure the pipe is placed down in the test cylinder, then press ”Calibrate”.
4) Pump C now starts, and stops automatically.
5) When it stops, take the pipe out of the cylinder, place the cylinder on a horizontal surface, and read the water line.
Make sure to read correctly, see fig. 3a and 3b! Observe that in this 25 ml cylinder every line corresponds to 0.5 ml!!. See figure 3b.
6) Note the value in the number fields with one decimal, then press save . Make sure the command is taken by looking at the LCD, where the entered value will be shown.
7) Now return the pipe back to its proper position in the holder , see figure 2b.
8.5 ml
Pump D
1) Take the hose from ”Alk/Out” and place it in the smallest test cylinder.
2) In the main menu, press ”Calibrate” and then select ”Pump D”.
3) Make sure the pipe is placed down in the test cylinder, then press ”Calibrate”.
4) Pump D now starts, and stops automatically.
5) When it stops, take the pipe out of the cylinder, and place the cylinder on a horizontal surface, and read the water line. Make sure to read it correctly, see
Figure 3.
6) Note the value in the number fields with one decimal, then press save . Make sure the command is taken by looking at the LCD, where the entered value will be shown.
7) Now return the hose back to its proper position in the sump area.
Calibrate the pH-electrode
Brand new electrode
1) The pH electrode´s BNC connection is already pre-mounted so you do not have to unscrew the back panel until you need to replace the electrode (every 2 years).
2) Take o ff the transport-cup on the pH electrode.
3) Make sure there are no air-bubbles in then tip after transport by shaking it gently and very carefully, to allow bubbles to escape upwards in the electrode.
4) Rinse the electrode carefully in tap water to eliminate crystals from transporting fluid. Immediately proceed to the calibration procedure, and if you do not do that, make sure the electrode does not dry in the meantime. Never keep the electrode tip (the last 3 cm of the electrode) dry for more than 2-3 minutes.
13
Calibration procedure
1. Go to main menu and select ”Calibrate”, then select ”pH electrode”.
2. Rinse the electrode carefully in RO or distilled water, and then wipe the electrode carefully without touching the glass tip .
3. Place the electrode in pH 7.00 solution, then press the
”pH 7”-button.
4. On the LCD you will now see a message to wait 2 minutes to let the pH electrode to stabilize. Do not touch any buttons during those 2 minutes. The machine will wait the
2 minutes automatically.
5. After 2 minutes a message will appear ” Calibration 7.00-
OK ”. If it says ”Calibration failed” then just press the pH 7 button again and wait. This ”OK”-message will be followed by a short series of the new calibrated pH-values, which should be very close to 7.00. This is just for information and a further confirmation that the calibration data was correct.
6. Now rinse the electrode very carefully in RO or distilled water, and wipe o ff carefully with water, but do not touch the glass bulb.
7. Place the electrode in pH 4.00 calibration fluid, and press the ”pH 4” button.
8. On the LCD you will again see a message to wait 2 minutes to let the pH electrode stabilize. Do not touch any buttons during those 2 minutes. The machine will wait the 2 minutes automatically.
9. After 2 minutes a message will appear ”Calibration 4.00-OK”. If it says
”Calibration failed” then just press the pH 4 button again and wait. This message will be followed by a short series of the new calibrated pH-values, which should be very close to 4.00. This is just for information and a further confirmation that the calibration data was correct.
10. Now the electrode is calibrated! Do not forget to rinse it again before placing it in machine.
Now place the electrode in its proper position in the holder and make sure it is located correctly in the test-beaker. Use the rubber ring to make the electrode to be still in its proper position, which is around 2-3 cm above the bottom of the measuring beaker.
Do not place it too close to the bottom, it must never touch the rotating magnetic rod!
If this is the first time you start the machine, there will now probably be no water in the test-vial, so in that case immediately press ”Prime Hose Pump A” to manually fill the test vial with around 50 ml water (not important to be exact 50 ml).
It is extremely important that the pH electrode is never dry, so do this immediately if the test-vial is empty.
TIP: If you press ”Test pump accuracy” and choose ”Pump A”, then it will automatically fill exactly 50 ml. This is the most convenient way to fill the test vial if it is almost empty.
14
NOW, the machine is installed, calibrated, and ready to start measuring!
Read below to see all of the capabilities of the machine and how to perform basic and advanced functions.
NOTE, the first 2-3 measurements after installing a brand new unit, may not measure correct values. It will normally take 2 measurements to get correct values after the very first set-up.
Functions and Graph Screens
Measurement interval
The machine automatically measures dkH according to an hour interval you decide. You can set measurement intervals between 2h-12h. Go to the home screen, select settings, and then set your desired interval with the +/- buttons. This value is the time between 2 measurements.
15
HOME-screen
Home-screen is the first view you see when opening the app. At the top you always see:
• Latest measured value
• When it was measured
• When the next measurement will be
Below this you will see a graphic history of the last 3 days. ” Overview graph/history ”.
This graph has two lines showing the settled reference value (see below). The white dots are measurements. If the dKH is above or below the settled reference value, the dots will be blue or red respectively, telling us that here the machine has also performed an action to correct a deviating dKH. Click on the ” Show
All Graph/History ” to see what type of actions the machine performed, and also get more values in list form.
If a dot is black, the value was preceded by a wash out of a suspected error measurement. The black dot and
that value is the correct and settled value. For more info see ” Wash out mode ”.
16
Extra measurement
On the home-screen there is a button called ” Extra measurement ”. When pressed, the Alkatronic will perform an extra measurement independently of the settled measurement interval.
Table/history
On the home-page below the graph, there is a button called Table/history.
When pressed, you will get additional data in table form. If you want older history, go to ” cloud-functions ”.
Aquarium volume
In settings you can enter the total volume of your aquarium system. The machine uses this value to calculate the proper amount of carbonate to dose if your dKH gets below your low reference value. In settings, you also can choose the unit between liter and gallon.
Reference values/actions
This is where you set your low and high dKH reference values for when you want the machine to intervene if the measured dKH is outside these values
17
Low reference value
In settings, choose this value with one decimal.
When the measured dKH is below Low reference value, and ” action mode ” is enabled, Alkatronic will dose carbonate.
Algorithm for dosing carbonates
When Alkatronic calculates the proper dose of carbonates, it uses the aquarium volume you have set, and the di ff erence between the measured dKH and the value of ” low reference value ”.
Alkatronic is using the following algorithms to dose the lacking dKH in a smooth and safe way:
• If the di ff erence of dKH and low reference value > 0.14
, then the half dose of lacking alkalinity is dosed.
• If the di ff erence of dKH and low reference value < 0.14
, then the whole dose of lacking alkalinity is dosed.
• If the di ff erence of dKH and low reference value > 0.9
, then Alkatronic will never dose more than 0.45 dKH at same time.
With these algorithms, you will reach the target in a safe and smooth way, mostly within 1-3 doses. Remember that when machine is doing an action, it will do next measure (and if needed an action again) every 2 hours.
When the dKH value are back within the reference intervals, the measurement frequency is back according to the settings.
High reference value
When the measured dKH is above High reference value, and ”action mode” is enabled, Alkatronic will shut o ff the socket.
When dKH is below your settled High reference value, Alkatronic will keep the socket open.
As long as the dKH is outside these reference values, Alkatronic will measure at an interval of 2 hours, independently of the measurement interval you have selected in settings. When the dKH is back again within the settled reference values, the machine will continue to measure according to your settings in
” measurement interval ”.
Action mode
When action mode is set to o ff (white), no actions like dosing carbonates and/or closing the socket, will be taken. When action mode is set to on(orange), the machine will interact according to the
18 explanations above. Default mode for security reasons is ”o ff ”, so please do not forget to actively set this button to what you desire.
Wash out mode
Even though the machine measures with very high precision, rarely an error measurement may occur. One example would be due to temporary air in the hoses.
To avoid actions as a result of these potential error measurements, the machine will always compare a new measurement with the previous measurement. If the di ff erence is more than 0.20 dKH, the machine will redo the measurement for safety reasons. It could of course be a true deviation from the previous measurement, for example if your measurement interval is very long and you could have actually had that big of a deviation. In that case, the machine will re-measure and accept that value as true. The main principal of the wash out mode is that the machine will redo a measurement if the di ff erence in alkalinity is more than 0.20 dkH from the previous measurement, and when the di ff erence is <=0.20, accept that value and set it for true.
The washed out value/s will not be shown in either the graph or the history as we interpret them as false. But, as an indication that a value was proceeded by a wash out sequence, that value will be marked with a black dot. Thus, this ”black value” is correct, but gives you info that 1-2 values before that have been washed out.
There are 2 reasons that the wash out sequence will kick in. One is, and that is the main goal of this algorithm, when the machine performs an error measurement. The other reason could be that the value is actually correct, but the time between 2 measurements is so big that the alkalinity has actually changed that much.
If you notice that there are many black dots on the graph you should increase the measurement frequency.
If you notice many black dots despite having a high measure frequency, you should check the physical installation to ensure everything is correct. If that still does not resolve the issue, look over the Ca-Reactor/Balling Station to make sure there are no issues with them that are causing the large variations between measurements.
Sometimes you do not want this wash out function . Maybe you deliberately measure with very low frequency, and therefore almost all of the time get more than
0.20 dKH in di ff erence between the measurements, Maybe you know in advance that the next measurement will deviate significantly from the last measurement (after a water change, the first measurements of a newly installed machine, set up of a new new aquarium). In these cases it could be convenient to disable this function, which is done in the settings, by choosing ”Wash out mode”, ”o ff ”(white). Orange button=On. Default mode is ”on”, so please do not forget to actively set this button to what you desire.
We encourage a measure frequency of at least every 6 hours, with this function enabled.
Test pump accuracy
This function allows you to control the calibration status of the pump, for instance to help decide if there is a need to recalibrate the pump.
When you press this button, test pump accuracy, you test the accuracy of the latest calibration of pump A, C or D.
Before pressing the button to start the test, take out the pipe from the probe holder from the pump you want to check, and place that pipe in a proper measure cylinder.
Then press ”test pump (A,C,D)” of the pump you aim to test, and the pump will start and stop after a certain time. Read the delivered volume in the test vial. Ideally, the delivered fluid volume should be the following:
• Pump A:49.5-50.5 ml
• Pump C:9.9-10.1 ml
• Pump D:9-11 ml
If the delivered volume deviates from the above intervals, go to calibrate and recalibrate that pump!
19
Test pH-electrode accuracy
If you correctly calibrate the electrode every 6 months, you should rarely need this function.
When you press this button, test pH-electrode accuracy and then push start, you will see a continuous pH reading on the LCD screen.
You can now easily check if the pH electrode is accurate or needs recalibration.
Carefully rinse the electrode in RO or distilled water, wipe it o ff , and place it in a solution with a known pH. Then compare the expected value with the reading on the
LCD.
This function will help you decide if there is a need to recalibrate the pH electrode. If you correctly calibrate the electrode every 6 months, you should rarely need this function.
LCD-Screen
On the LCD-screen there is some basic info. Between measurements the machine is in standby mode and will always show the last measured dKH-value, when the next
20 measurement is going to be performed, and on the second line, if any actions were taken based on the last measured value (Socket o ff , Dosed xx.xx ml, dKH OK).
• Last measured value
• When next measurement will be
• If any actions were taken based on the last measured value.
• dKH OK
• Dosed xx.xx ml
• Socket o ff
When making changes in settings, LCD screen will shortly show these settings. You will of course always see the settings in the App, as the App and Alkatronic remembers all settings, even after a power-o ff .
• Low reference value
• High reference value
• Aquarium Volume
• Measure frequency (distance between 2 measurements in hour).
Measurement postponed function
The scheduled measurement is always starting at XX:00. That means that if you happen to play with the app , like sending commands to Alkatronic (like doing a calibration or something else) within 10 minutes before a scheduled measurement should be performed , then this scheduled measurement will not start, but is blocked, both for convenience and for safety reason. In that case, the machine will postpone the scheduled measurement one hour, to XX+1:00, and will in LCD-display show, after your are done with the app-commands, :” Measure postponed to XX+1:00 ”. You can still finish your commands to the app until XX:30.
After that time, XX:30, in ”postponed mode”, the machine will not react to any commands from app, to ensure the measurement, now XX+1:00, for sure will be performed .
Export Data
In the main menu, you have a button called
” Export Data ”. When clicking on this, your mail-client will be opened and include the measurements from the history, in that mail.
21
Alert Reagent/Bu
ff
er Bottle
In the settings you have the possibilities to reset the reagent and bu ff er(carbonate) bottles, in order to get an alarm/alert when they are needed to be refilled. If you for instance refill the reagent bottle up to 1000 ml reagent fluid, then click at ” Refill Reagent Bottle ” and in popup window enter ”1000ml”. After that, click at
” Refill Reagent ” in the submenu ” Alert ” and enter (in ml) the remaining volume when you wants receive the alarm/alert.
Auto Update Mode/Upload Mode
In the settings you can choose in which way you want further software-updates. If you enable ” Auto Update Mode ” the firmware will automatically by wifi, be updated. If you want to manage these updates manually, then please disable this button.
If the ” Upload Mode ” button is enabled,
Alkatronic will send data to the cloud.
Connection to an aquariumcomputer/pH-computer
Our included socket is mandatory for users with no aquariumcomputer, and also for users with no free pH-port on an existing aquariumcomputer. However, users with a free BNC-pH port on their aquariumcomputer can connect Alkatronic to that port through an ordinary BNC-cable, and send the latest dKH value to your aquariumcomputer (like an Apex or similar). Then in your aquariumcomputer you can handle that information anyway you want, like control the outlet to your CO
2
solenoid, feed pump for your calcium reactor, or Balling-station. Basically you can do the same things you would do with our own included socket, however you have the option to use the latest dkH measurement anyway you desire.
Setup connection between Alkatronic and Aquariumcomputer
1) Connect a BNC cable between the Alkatronic upper BNC output (BNC 1) and a pH input on the aquariumcomputer
2) In the aquariumcomputer, select the correct pHport and go to that computer's pH calibration process
3) In the Alkatronic app, select ” Calibrate ”, then
22 select ”BNC”
4) Go to the aquariumcomputer s pH calibration menu (for reference see manual), and select pH 7.00 calibration .
5) In the Alkatronic app now click the 7.0 button .
Now the Alkatronic will send a signal to your aquariumcomputer that simulates a ”pH 7.00 signal”.
When you are sure that your aquariumcomputer has received the signal, and it has stabilized (2-3 minutes), press calibrate on the aquariumcomputer. Please refer to your aquariumcomputer’s manual if you do not know how to perform it’s ph calibration process. If you need any support, contact the aquariumcomputer's manufacturer.
6) Go to the aquariumcomputer's pH calibration menu (for reference see manual), and select pH 10.00 calibration .
7) In the Alkatronic app, click the 10.0 button . Now the Alkatronic will send a signal to your aquariumcomputer that simulates a ”pH 10.00 signal”. When you are sure that your aquariumcomputer has received this signal, and it is stabilized (for sure, wait 3-5 minutes), press calibrate on the aquariumcomputer. Again, reference your aquariumcomputer's manual if you need any help with it's ph calibration process.
Now, your aquariumcomputer will understand the dKH values that Alkatronic will be sending.
OBS: As the signal from Alkatronic is analogue, and the signal to the third party aquariumcomputer is rounded to nearest tenth (In Alkatronic we have the resolution of hundredths) , there could be a small di ff erence between the true value from
Alkatronic and the shown value on the aquariumcomputer by +-0.05dKH( but mostly within +- 0.02dKH
) . Of same reason, that the signal is analogue, you can sometimes see in the third party aquariumcomputer a small fluctuation of the signal by 1-2 hundredths. This is norma l and depends on how the receiving aquariumcomputer handles the signal. Anyway, this is not a problem, as you never make actions based on di ff erence of only hundredths. Please also read chapter below and using the ”defer” command in for instance the Apex to avoid actions based on a small sudden fluctuation of these hundredths. Also remember that the aquariumcomputer can only receive dKH values from 7.00 and upwards, and the upper limit depends on the aquarium computer's limit to show high pH values. So if your aquariumcomputer is showing a dKH value very close to 7.00dKH, the true value could be that or lower. The correct values will of course always be displayed on the Alkatronic LCD screen and in the Alkatroni c app and at our cloud. The measure range of Alkatronic is between 4.48dKH-15.4dKH. Alkatronic will also of course perform all of the actions you want it to, independent of what value you have on your aquariumcomputer.
Also note that if the Alkatronic is restarted from being powerless, you need to let the machine make a measure before it can start to send the measurements to the third party aquariumcomputer or ph-computer. After powering up the Alkatronic and before a new measurement has been done, the value sent from Alkatronic to the third party computer is not a true value but will be close to ”7.0”. As long as you
23 know this, that is not a problem. Normally you never power o ff the Alkatronic , and if you do, just press ‘extra measurement” upon restarting to do a fresh measurement so the third part computer will have a fresh value to read. After that, Alkatronic will continuously send the last measured value to the aquariumcomputer.
We can not take any responsibility for whether or not the aquariumcomputer interprets the value as correct, we can only control our signal from Alkatronic and guarantee that is correct.
Programming tip to Apex/aquariumcomputer-user
As the signal to Apex/Profilux/other ”third party aquarium-computer”=(TAQ), is analogue, it will fluctuate some 1/100ths up and down. This is the case for all analogue signals, like temp, pH, ORP etc. In the TAQ you will probably want to set reference levels when you want di ff erent things to happen if your value is below, or above a certain level. Remember to always use the command ”Defer”, to prevent bouncing between on and o ff if the values are very near your settled reference value.
Ex:
In your Apex you want to shut o ff the CO
2
-solenoid if dKH is above 8.50 dKH. If
Alkatronic measures for instance 8.45 dKH, the value in your Apex from time to time could go above 8.50 due to the small instability of the analogue signal. You do not want your Apex to react to these minor and temporary fluctuations above your reference values. You need to add a function in your Apex code that tells your apex to only react if the value have been outside your reference values for a certain amount of time . In Apex you call this Defer.
In the example below, you want Apex to shut o ff an outlet if dKH is above 8.50 dKH, but only if it is above that level for more than 10 minutes. This will prevent the
Apex from bouncing between on and o ff , if you are very close to the settled reference level.
Fallback ON
Set ON
If dKH > 8.50
Then OF F
Defer 010:00 Then OFF
Cloud-functions
With the cloud, you can reach the measuring data, export all data to an excel-file, and control some of the functions, from a place outside the home. Do not forget to have the button ” Upload mode ” in enabled position. Open this link in a webbrowser:
24 http://www.focustronic.net/ alkatronic-cloud
Then log in with that account name and password you registered when assigned to the app and machine.
Baseline calibration
Observe: This function is coming very soon. We will inform by a fw and app update.
This function should NEVER replace a calibration of the pumps and pH-electrode, but is ONLY used if you of some reason have a reagent concentration that is not correct, thus leading to a significant inaccuracy. The typical, and probably the only situation, you would need this function is if you mix the reagent yourself, and do some failure in that process, thus leading to a reagent with not perfect concentration. Thus this function will save you, and you can still use the reagent.
Following condition must be true, if this function should be used:
Correct calibrated pump A and C, and correct calibrated pH-electrode, but still a dKH measurement from Alkatronic which is deviating more than 0.2dKH from the true dKH measured by a high quality reference test.
If you decide to use this function, and all conditions is fulfilled for that (se orange box), then go to ” Baseline calibration ” in settings.
Now you slide the button to ”ON”, to make it possible to enter data. If you have the button in OFF-position, it will not be possible to enter any data, and the Baseline calibration is not active.
In the data-field enter following dKH values:
Field 1: ”dKH value from Alkatronic”
Field 2: ” dKH value from a reference test ”
Make sure you really have correct values when you enter these in the data-fields.
Thus, concerning the Alkatronic dKH-value, let Alkatronic measure at least twice and be sure these 2 values are very near each other as an indication that the measurement is correct performed. And concerning
25
the dKH from the reference test, make it twice of same reason, and be absolutely positive that the reference test is showing the true dKH value.
Press save. From now, all values measured by Alkatronic will be recalculated with a factor which compensate for the not perfect mixed reagent.
All values in the app and LCD-display will be marked with a ”*”, if this function is enabled.
Do not forget to disable the function again when you refill with reagent with correct concentration!
26
Maintenance
Change hoses in the pumps
Pump A and C
Every 6-8 months
Pump B and D
Every 12 months
OBS: Always use original hoses from FOCUSTRONIC for this purpose . We will not guarantee precision/accuracy, nor safety, if you use other hoses than our replacement hoses. It is of the utmost importance that these hoses are of correct quality, diameter, length, with correctly positioned stops, and are specialized for this machine and it´s pumps.
Changing the pH-electrode
The included pH electrode is of high quality and is specially chosen for this purpose.
If properly handled, it will last for 2-2.5 years. After these 2+ years it will need to be replaced. You can purchase the electrode at Focustronic, or at the local dealer where you bought the machine. When you replace the electrode you have to unscrew the back-lid and in the upper right corner of the circuit board connect the
BNC cable to the BNC-contact. Be very careful not to touch the electronics on the circuit board. If you are concerned about performing this task, please contact
Focustronics support and we will guide you through it. After that, follow the instructions on page 11, from point 2 and onwards.
Recalibration
pH-electrode
Recalibration around every 6 months. A brand new electrode could manage a longer interval, but an electrode after 1-2 years will require some more frequent calibration than before, so 6 months is appropriate independently of the age of the electrode. The electrode will last around 2.5 years if handled properly.
Pumps
Pump A and C
Every 2-4 weeks. You can always run the function ” test pump accuracy ” to check if calibration is needed, as the interval could di ff er depending on the age of the hose inside the pump. Thus 2-4 weeks in only a guideline, and could vary. The machine will give you an alert when time to calibrate, as a reminder.
27
Pump B and D
Pump B never needs to be calibrated
Pump D, every 8 weeks or less, depending on how much that pump had to be run(it is the carbonate dosing pump). Also here (see above) you can always use the ” test pump accuracy ” function to find out if the pump needs to be calibrated.
28
Trouble shooting
Bad accuracy
Defines as more than 0.2dKH di ff erence from the known dKH.
• First of all, make sure that you really know the ”correct” dKH. That is not easy, as even a brand new manual KH test from the market, mostly have an inbuilt inaccuracy of around 0.2-0.3dKH! Most manual dKH tests measure too high, as it is di ffi cult to judge the proper color shift of these tests and the reagent due to its small volume is fast contaminated/diluted. If you for instance find that Alkatronic measures constant 0.2dKH below a manual test, and you have done the checklist below, it is most likely that you have no inaccuracy from Alkatronic at all!
• Check pump calibration status for Pump A and C, by using the ” Test pump accuracy ” function (see above). If the volume of the delivered fluid isn´t within the ranges below, redo the calibration of that pump.
• Pump A:49.5-50.5 ml
• Pump C:9.9-10.1 ml
• Make sure you were reading the measure cylinders correct when you calibrated! See page 12.
• Check pH electrode by using the ”t est pH -electrode ” function (se above) and if the reading is deviating more than 0.1 pH from the reference fluid, redo the pH calibration.
• Make sure that the pipes are in correct positions! The pipe from pump B must be in contact with bottom and the pipe from pump A must be around 2 mm above botton, and the pipe from pump C should be around 20 mm above surface level when measurement vial is in standby mode (containing 50.0 ml).
• If you have excluded incorrect calibrated pumps and electrode by procedure above, and you are 100% sure about the true dKH, then it is only one explanation left: Slight inaccuracy of the reagent.
In that case you have probably not been careful enough when mixing the reagent. If that is the cause, please consider using the ” Baseline calibration ”, see page 23.
Bad precision
Defines as more than 0.1dKH variance between 2 measurements of the exact same water (thus not biologically active water).
• Check the microfilter for obstructions and make sure it is not too dirty (do you need to wash it or replace it?) , and make sure it can never float up.
29
• Check for large amounts of visible air in the hoses from pumps A and C. A small amount of air is normal and will not influence the results.
If there are a lot of air bubbles in the reagent canister, use your fingertip or something similar to tap the outside of the container in order to let any air bubbles dissipate and escape from the reagent vial wall. Also make sure the reagent vessel is not lower than 20 cm below the machine.
Check so all luer-connections and hoses are tight.
• Check the magnetic stirrer, ensure the magnetic rod is in place, and not loosing its orbit within a measurement cycle. If it does, make sure that the test vial is placed tightly and correctly in the test vial holder.
• Check that the pipe in the reagent bottle is below the surface.
• Check that the placement of the machine and reagent bottle is according to our guidelines.
• Make sure that the pipes are in correct positions! The pipe from pump B must be in contact with the bottom and the pipe from pump A must be around 2 mm above the bottom , and the pipe from pump C should be around 20 mm above surface level when the measurement vial is in standby mode (containing
50.0 ml).
• Brand new hoses in the pumps, could need some run in time, so after installing new hoses in pump, the first 1-2 days could be with slight lower precision (but probably not). That will very fast disappear, and need no actions.
No connection between app and machine
First of all: The connection between Alkatronic and App concerning the most crucial functions, is based on BT-connection, as that is the most safe and stable connection. But it could take sometimes 5-10 seconds for the app to connect when opening the app from a sleeping mode. That is normal!. Just wait, and within 10 seconds the app will connect and you will see a green dot in the app window.
All computers could as a very seldom occasion be locked in due to digital corruption. If this occurs, thus no response from Alkatronic despite several try to connect with the app, check these:
• Make sure there is no message on LCD like ” Measure postponed to XX:00”. In that case the machine deliberately takes no commands from 30 minutes until next scheduled measurement starts ( read more at page 19 ).
• Have you BT connection enabled at phone/tablet?
30
• Make sure you don´t have another unit (phone/tablet) already connected to
Alkatronic. The BT connection can not connect to more than one device at same time.
• Try to kill the app and open it again. If App after that does not succeed to connect, and you have BT enabled at phone, and are only a few meters from machine, then restart the Alkatronic by unplug and plug the power-cable. Then retry to connect and it should connect. Do not forget to select the action and wash out modes as these are always o ff as default when power up (of safety reason).
No wifi-connection
The Alkatronic only allows a single connection at a time (Bluetooth via App, or Wifi to cloud).
When App is connected, the Wifi is disabled and vice versa.
If issues with connecting to your home router, try this:
1. Restart the Alkatronic
2. Wait for BT connection
3. Clear the wifi credentials and press save
4.
Enter the wifi credentials and press save
5. Enable alerts for ”dKH high” and ”dKH low”, and press save
6. Kill app
7. Restart Alkatronic again. DO NOT OPEN THE APP NOW.
8. Wait for a few minutes (still do not connect with app)
9. Check in router to see if you can see “raspberrypi”, if you do, Alkatronic now communicates with your router.
Once you have got this connection to the router, you will of course not have to do these actions anymore(and mostly not at all, as also the first connection is automatically).
Failsafe message ”Restart”
If LCD shows “Restart”, this is a fail-safe action from Alkatronic due to that the measured value of some reason was higher than 15.4dKH
The reason can be one of these:
1. The true dKh value is really above 15.4 dKH
2. You have forgot to put the magnetic rod in the measuring beaker
3. Stirrer not moves (contact support)
4. No reagent, or too little reagent is delivered:
I. Reagent bottle is empty
II. Reagent pipe not in proper position in bottle
III. Hose inside pump C got
31 loose. This can be quickly solved by taking out the hose from the pump by moving the plastic holderings forward, and putting a new cable tie around it. Make sure the plastic connectors are aligned so the hose will not be twisted.
32
Appendix
Recipe for carbonate-solution
The machine's dosing algorithms are based on the carbonate-concentration from an ordinary Balling recipe or similar. Almost all ready to buy solutions and recipes from other companies, are based on this standard carbonate-concentration. It is of no importance if the carbonate-mixture is made of HCO
3
, CO
3
or a mix between these . As long as you use one of these common standard recipes below, or a ready to buy solution with similar content (almost all commercial liquids are) , Alkatronic are doing the correct dosing calculations and you only have to set the correct volume of your system in settings.
Here is some of the most common recipes, which all of them works perfect with
Alkatronics dosing algorithms:
• Recipe based on NaHCO
3
1 liter RO-water
81 g NaHCO
3
• Recipe based on NaHCO
3
/Na
2
CO
3
1 liter RO-water
66 g NaHCO
3
10 g Na
2
CO
3
• Recipe based on Na
2
CO
3
1 liter RO-water
52 g Na
2
CO
3
If your carbonate strength/recipe deviates from recipes above with a factor of
X-times stronger, just divide you aquarium volume by X, and type that value in settings under Aquarium volume .
Mixing reagent solution
The reagent solution comes in two versions:
• Ready to use solution
• Economic concentrated solution
The ”ready to use solution” does not need any preparation, and can be used from scratch.
The economic package is an extremely favorable solution in regards to the running cost, and is mixed with 4 times more RO/distilled water than the reagent volume . This 4/1 relation is also correct if you choose to weight the reagent and water, as the reagent have same specific gravity as the RO-water. (Theoretically the
33 reagent have slight higher specific gravity but the di ff erence is extremely small so we can without loosing accuracy, neglect that).
Thus, depending on your equipment at home, you can choose between either using the ” weight method ” or the ” volume method ”. If you do not have lab-equipment concerning measuring volume, like a ” volumetric flask ”, or a ” graduated cylinder ” of at least 500ml, we recommend user in first place go for the ”weight method” , and using a reasonable good kitchen scale, with resolution of 1g, and at least a max capacity of 2500-3000g. That method will, if following our instructions very carefully, give an accuracy of the ready to use solution by 0.2% or better. That have absolutely no impact at all of the final measurements.
The volume method, with a lab-grade volumetric flask, can give an accuracy of the ready to use solution by 0.1% in best case. There is no need to chase numbers in this field, so 0.2% is absolutely fine, and will not be seen in the measurements.
Weight method
Most users will find this method the best and most straight forward, and is recommended if you do not have lab-grade volume measuring items.
The only thing you need is a kitchen scale of reasonable quality with a resolution by
1g, and preferably a maximum weight capacity of at least 2500-3000g.
It is advisable to not mix too much at each occasion. We recommend mixing a maximum of 2500-3000 g each time.
That will last around 8-9 weeks in normal usage. If you mix larger quantity each time, and maybe do some slight error, you will regret that.
The advantage with this method is that you perform the whole procedure by one single weighting , and in that way reduce errors.
As the specific gravity of our reagent is 1.00g/ml we can still use the 1/4 relationship between the weight of the reagent and RO water.
Practical procedure:
In this example you wants to make 2000ml of a ready to use solution :
• Place a canister (please make sure it is completely clean and only are used for this purpose from start) on the scale.
• Press ”tare” on the scale to make the readings to 0.00 g
• Now carefully fill upp with reagent to the readings of exact 400g.
• DO NOT remove the canister from the scale, let it be, still reading 400 g of course, and now add RO-water until you read exact 2000 g at the scale. Done!
Advice:! It is maybe not easy to hit the weight targets exact, so when you are quite near the target value, use a pipett or syringe (never used before) or similar to add the last reagent/water very precise! Plastic pipette or syringe ( use it only ones, and use new and completely clean ) are easy to get from pharmaceutical shop or aquarium shop.
34
There is of course very easy maths behind this, but for your convenience look at this table as a help:
Weight of reagent
200 g
300 g
400 g
500 g
600 g
Final weight after adding RO-water
1000 g
1500 g
2000 g
2500 g
3000 g
Volume method
If you choose this method you should have a 500-1000ml ”graduated cylinder” or
”volumetric flask” to perform this mixing. If you have not, go for the ” weight method ”.
We also recommend using a funnel to avoid spilling any reagent or water. The volume relation between reagent/RO water should be exact 1/4.
It is advisable to not mix too much at each occasion.
We recommend mixing a maximum 2.5-3 liter each time.
That will last around 8-9 weeks in normal usage. If you mix larger quantity each time, and maybe do some slight error, you will regret that.
If you for instance wants to have 2000ml of a ready to use solution, then pour up exactly 400 ml reagent, and mix that with 1600 ml RO-water. Always use 4 times more RO-water than the reagent, thus keep the 4/1 relation, and it will be correct. There is of course very easy maths, but for your convenience look at this table as a help:
Graduated cylinder and funnel.
Volumetric flask
35
Volume of reagent
200 ml
300 ml
400 ml
500 ml
600 ml
Volume of RO-water
800 ml
1200 ml
1600 ml
2000 ml
2400 ml
Final Volume of ready to use solution
1000 ml
1500 ml
2000 ml
2500 ml
3000 ml
Changing hoses in Pumps
According to our recommendations, we advice to change hoses in Pump A and C every 6-8 months, and for Pump B and D every 12 months. These recommendations are based on a normal usage.
Please refer to following text and pictures how to perform this changing procedure.
1. Turn the plastic housing a few degrees counterclockwise. Then it should be very easy to lift o ff the plastic housing.
2. Now you have to carefully pull out the hose, and start with pushing the attachment towards you. It should be with no significant resistance, so take care to not break the plastic part.
3. Carefully pulling out the hose and at same time with your fingers rotate the wheel some degrees. Now it should be quite easy to remove the hose.
4. Take the new hose and start with push down the
attachments, and make sure it is pushed down all the way.
5. Now push down the hose between the inside wall and wheel.This is more easy if you simultaneously with your finger rotate the wheel.
6. Now make sure that the hose is pressed down enough so there is some space between the rim and hose (see arrow in the picture below).
36
With the larger hose (Pump A,B and D) this could be a little tricky part. Then use the following method to fine adjust the position of the hose:
• When the hose is in position but just have to be pressed down a few more mm, start the pump with ”prime hose”. At same time as the pump now is running, take the the plastic housing and carefully replace it. If you feel that the plastic housing is touching the hose, then just use the plastic housing to press down the hose some more, until you feel that the plastic housing is not touching the hose anymore.
Then the hose is in proper position. If you find this di ffi cult, contact our support and we will guide you.
Important :
1.
When a new hose is installed it requires a short time of run-in , so after the hose is correctly installed, run the pump with ”prime hose” for around 5 minutes.
2. Then wait 5 minutes (the hose properties is di ff erent if it is warmed up by long time running), and then calibrate the pump.
3. If the pump, after newly installed hose, is stalling, then that depends on that the hose is to close to the plastic housing. Then try to push it further down so it is
37 not attaching the plastic housing at all, AND also run in the hose further some minutes.
4.
Sometimes a newly installed hose, even if it is in perfect position, may stall a few seconds . This is very soon disappearing after only a few minutes of running time, and depends on that a completely new hoses is some rigid.
5. Even if our hoses is of very high consistent, they may have some slight variability the first days after newly installed. Therefore we advice user to check the calibration status with ” test pump accuracy ” and if necessary recalibrate a few times the first days. After that, a calibration frequency of 2-4 weeks, should be su ffi cient.
Fail-safe messages in LCD
Alkatronic have several fail-safes for security reason. Some of them will show up with a message in the LCD-display. Here is an explanation of the di ff erent fail-safes messages:
”Please restart”:
This means that you must restart machine manually, please read about this at page
30.
“ Out of Range/Re-Calibrate ”
This means that when you calibrated the pump/s, you have entered an invalid data, thus a volume that is out of range. Please then recalibrate that pump.
Machine will detect out of range if you have entered calibration data outside these values:
• Pump A: 35<X<70
• Pump C: 5<X<15
• Pump D: 5<X<15
Specifications
Accuracy and precision
Measure range
Water amount/measure
+- 0.05dKH
4.8dKH-15.4dKH
50 ml
Reagent amount/measure ~ 8 ml
Dimensions 22x14x27 cm
Connectivity
Update procedure
Software
Wifi/Bluetooth, USB(fw update)
Wifi or USB iOS app, Android app coming soon
On board-LCD
Pumps
Basic technology
Measure intervals
Regulating dKH
BNC output I
Yes
2 steppers, 2 DC-motors pH-electrode-based titration
2-12 hours
Doses carbonate, and controls a socket (BT) yes, to any third party aquarium computer/pH controller
BNC output II Prepared for Dosetronic
Need of other equipments No, standalone
Cloud feature
Energy consumption yes
(as max during a measure cycle) 12W
38
39

Public link updated
The public link to your chat has been updated.
Advertisement
Key features
- Automatic measurement of alkalinity
- Prevention of alkalinity from going above or below desired reference values
- Dosing of carbonate solution when alkalinity falls below low reference value
- Shutting off of socket when alkalinity rises above high reference value
- Tracking of interactions through on-screen graph or list
- Export of data
- Cloud-functions