ZX-440XL

Liquid Fuel Analyzer

User’s Manual
Version 2.0

This manual provides you the information needed to operate the

ZX-440XL Liquid Fuel Analyzer.

ZELTEX, INC.
130 Western Maryland Parkway
Hagerstown, Maryland 21740
USA

Phone: 301-791-7080
Fax: 301-733-9398
E-mail: info@zeltex.com
 Table of Contents
Table of Contents ............................................................................. 2
WARNING ....................................................................................... 3
Introduction ...................................................................................... 4
Appearance and Part Names .............................................................. 4
Other Parts and Accessories ............................................................... 4
System Setup ...................................................................................... 5
Printer Paper Installation .................................................................... 5
Sample Holder Procedure .................................................................. 6
Using the ZX-440XL ........................................................................ 7
Measuring a Sample ........................................................................... 7
Changing Products ............................................................................. 8
Adjusting the Calibration ................................................................... 8
Adjusting the Date and Time ............................................................. 9
Resetting Automatic ID Number ..................................................... 10
Adjusting Number of Read Cycles .................................................. 10
Listing of Products ........................................................................... 11
Printing Constituent Data ................................................................. 11
Printing a Line Feed ......................................................................... 11
Connecting to a Computer ............................................................... 12
Adjusting the Brightness .................................................................. 12
Adjusting the Contrast ..................................................................... 12
General Specifications ................................................................... 13
Glossary ........................................................................................... 14
Appendix 1: Analyzed Sample Form ......................................... 15
Appendix 2: Applying Sample Holder Labels ........................... 16

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 WARNING

THE ZX-440XL LIQUID FUEL

ANALYZERS ARE NOT
EXPLOSION-PROOF:
REASONABLE CARE MUST BE USED
IN HANDLING THESE INSTRUMENTS.

ALL SAMPLES SHOULD BE

CONTAINED IN SAMPLE HOLDERS
FOR SAFETY.

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 Introduction
Appearance and Part Names
Light Shield
Sample Chamber

Measure Button

Printer Paper Eject Touch-Screen Display

Button
Printer

(Rear View)

A/C Line Cable On/Off

RS-232 Port Connector Switch

A/C Line Fuse

Other Parts and Accessories

The ZX-440XL is shipped with the following parts and accessories. Contact Zeltex if
you would like to purchase additional accessories.

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  ZX-440XL  Calibration Software CD
 3 Sample Holders with Lids  Quick Start Manual
 6 Extra Sample Holder Labels  User’s Manual
 A/C Line Cable  Calibration Manual
 RS232 Cable  Calibration Numbering Setup
 1 Amp, Slo-Blow fuse Manual
 4 Rolls of Printer Paper

System Setup
Follow these steps to install the ZX-440XL Liquid Fuel Analyzer:

1) Place the ZX-440XL on a sturdy table.

2) Place the supplied line cord into the universal socket that is built into the back of the
ZX-440XL.

3) Assure that the ZX-440XL is properly grounded.

If the AC wall outlet has a true ground terminal then the ZX-440XL will be grounded.
If the AC outlet is not firmly traceable to the earth, then a separate ground must be
installed in order for the ZX-440XL to perform properly.

4) Avoid Electrical Noise

Electrical machinery may cause "noise" on an AC power line. Although the ZX-
440XL has been designed to be relatively immune to such electrical noise,
instrumentation or generators being cycled on and off may interfere with the ZX-
440XL performance.

In facilities with unusually poor power regulation, an external power supply regulator
or line filter should be used.

5) Install the Printer Paper (see Printer Paper Installation)

6) Turn on the On/Off Switch.

7) Allow the ZX-440XL to warm up.

All optical instruments require a warm-up period to insure that the optics
and electrical systems have stabilized at operating temperature. Once
turned on, the ZX-440XL requires approximately twenty minutes to warm-up
prior to performing measurements

Printer Paper Installation

1) Press the Printer Paper Eject Button to open the paper cover.

2) Set a roll of paper into the printer as shown in the figure below.

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3) Close the paper cover by pressing both ends of the cover with the edge of the paper
emerging from the printer from the paper cutter.

Sample Holder Procedure

To ensure accurate readings, follow these procedures when dealing with the sample
holders.

 Clean sample holders inside and out with alcohol or soap and water. Dry thoroughly
before use. Note that acetone may be used, but avoid getting acetone on sample
holder label.

 Check to assure sample holder label is not peeling or torn. (Replacement labels are
available.

 Make sure inside of sample chamber is clean. Use a small amount of soapy water on
a paper towel or cotton swab. Do not use acetone in the chamber.

 Be sure that the windows in the chamber are clean and free of obstructions.

CAUTIONS:

 Never use sample holders without lids.

 Never pour gasoline into sample holder while sample holder is in sample chamber.

 Always fill sample holder above the fill line.

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 Using the ZX-440XL

Measuring a Sample
1) Switch power to ON and allow the instrument at least twenty minutes to warm up.

2) A standard (empty chamber) reading must be done first. Make sure there is no
sample holder in the sample chamber. Cover the chamber with the light shield. This
shield must always be used when measuring a fuel sample or a standard; otherwise,
the results will be incorrect.

3) Press the blue Measure Button. The screen will display “Reading Standard” and then
“Insert sample, close lid, and press Measure”

4) Open the light shield and place the filled sample holder in the sample chamber, being
careful to align the alignment stripe on the sample holder with the left alignment
stripe on the instrument.

5) Carefully replace the light shield over the sample holder.

6) Press the blue Measure Button. The screen will display “Reading Sample” and then
“Remove, turn, and replace sample and press Measure”

7) Remove the sample holder and rotate it to align the stripe on the sample holder with
the right alignment stripe on the instrument.

8) Carefully replace the light shield over the sample holder.

9) Press the blue Measure Button. After the “Reading” takes place, the results will be
displayed.

10) After the measurement is complete, repeat steps 2-9 to measure another fuel sample.

Note: The ZX-440XL has warnings for possible bad readings. See below:

Warning/Error Message Explanation

1) Instrument Too Hot or The ZX-440XL was set up with a temperature

Instrument Too Cold check. If the instrument temperature is too cold or
too hot, these warnings will appear on the printout.

2) Too High or Too Low This occurs when the reading for a particular
constituent is outside the range of the calibration.
The results of samples read that lie outside of the
calibration range are not as reliable.

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Changing Products
The ZX-440XL is allows you to have up to 10 products stored in internal memory. In
any product, you can have between 1 and 3 constituents.

1) Turn instrument on.

2) Touch “MENU”

3) Touch “Change Products”

4) If the product you wish to load is not on the display, touch “Next” until it is.

5) Touch the product you wish to load. The product will be loaded and the ZX-440XL
will return to the main display.

Adjusting the Calibration

The ZX-440XL has been carefully calibrated to measure accurately (the Octane
calibration is traceable to Waukesha Knock Engines, ASTM test 2699 and 2700). The
equation used is: Results = Bias + (Slope) (X), where X is the summation of the optical
data multiplied by the constants. Some users may desire to have the ZX-440XL traceable
to their own knock engines or labs. For those users the following adjustment procedures
are provided:

1) Bias Adjustment (shifts all readings up or down the same amount)

2) Slope Adjustment (changes the angle of prediction line to agree with the new
knock engine)

Before making any adjustments, you must first measure at least 5 samples for which you
have laboratory analysis. These samples should also cover the range of the calibration.
Once the samples have been measured, use the Statistical Analysis portion of the
provided Calibration Software to determine if an adjustment is necessary. Print the
Statistical Analysis and note the adjustment that the software recommends. If you are
unable to use the Calibration Software or are simply uncomfortable with determining
when an adjustment is necessary, feel free to use the Analyzed Sample Form found in
Appendix 1 of this manual and contact Zeltex for assistance.

Once you have determined the adjustment to be made, follow these instructions for
making an adjustment to the ZX-440XL:

1) Turn on the instrument.

2) Touch “MENU”

3) Touch “View/Modify Product”

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4) Touch “Adjust Slope/Bias”

5) Touch the name of the constituent that you wish to adjust.

6) On the screen will appear “Slope: 1.00”.

When adjusting only the Bias: When adjusting the Slope and Bias:

7) When the screen displays “Slope,”
DO NOT change slope of 1.00!
Touch “Done”
8) When the screen displays “Bias: 0.0”
touch  and  to enter the Bias (No
slope) number from the prediction
printout. Touch “Done” when
complete.
7) When the screen displays “Slope:
1.00” touch  and  to enter the
Slope number from the prediction
printout. Touch “Done” when
complete.
8) When the screen displays “Bias: 0.0”
touch  and  to enter the Slope
Bias number from the prediction
printout. Touch “Done” when
complete.

9) The final adjustments will be shown on the display. Touch “Done” to return to the
main screen.

Adjusting the Date and Time

1) Turn on the instrument.

2) Touch “MENU”

3) Touch “Date/Time”

4) Set the Date

a) Touch the month, a square will be placed around it. Touch  and  to adjust
it.
b) Touch the day, a square will be placed around it. Touch  and  to adjust it.
c) Touch the year, a square will be placed around it. Touch  and  to adjust
it.
d) Touch “Done”

5) Set the Time

a) Touch the hour, a square will be placed around it. Touch  and  to adjust
it.

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 b) Touch the minute, a square will be placed around it. Touch  and  to
adjust it.
c) Touch AM/PM, a square will be placed around it. Touch  and  to adjust
it.
d) Touch “Done”

Resetting Automatic ID Number

This will set the automatic consecutive numbering back to 1.

1) Turn on the instrument.

2) Touch “MENU”

3) Touch “Next Page”

4) Touch “Instrument Options”

5) Touch “Reset Sample Number”

6) The screen will display “Sample Number reset to 1”

Adjusting Number of Read Cycles

The ZX-440XL is designed to allow you to use between 1 and 9 repetitions to get the
maximum accuracy with the minimum time needed for your samples.

Zeltex recommends that you use two repetitions on fuel samples for the best accuracy.

1) Turn on the instrument.

2) Touch “MENU”

3) Touch “View/Modify Product”

4) Touch “Set Number of Cycles”

5) Touch  and  to adjust the number of cycles

6) Touch “Done” to return to the main screen.

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Listing of Products
The ZX-440XL allows the user to easily obtain a printed listing of products available in
the instrument.

1) Turn on the instrument.

2) Touch “MENU”

3) Touch “View/Modify Product”

4) Touch “Print Product List”

5) When the printing is complete the ZX-440XL will return to the main screen.

Printing Constituent Data

The ZX-440XL allows the user to easily obtain a printed listing of the constants for each
product.

1) Turn on the instrument.

2) Touch “MENU”

3) Touch “View/Modify Product”

4) Touch “Print Constituent Data”

5) Touch the constituent that you would like to print.

6) When the printing is complete the ZX-440XL will return to the main screen.

Printing a Line Feed

1) Turn on the instrument.

2) Touch “MENU”

3) Touch “Next Page”

4) Touch “Printer Options”

5) Touch “Line Feed” to print a line feed. Repeat as necessary.

6) Touch “Cancel” to return to the main screen.

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Connecting to a Computer
The ZX-440XL comes with Calibration Software that allows you to create your own
calibrations, make backups of the current calibration, and view the optical data for a
sample. To do this you must connect the ZX-440XL to the computer using the supplied
RS-232 Cable and put the ZX-440XL into Data Link mode.

1) Connect the RS-232 cable to the RS-232 Port on the back of the ZX-440XL.

2) Connect the RS-232 Cable to a free RS-232 port on the computer.

3) Turn on the instrument.

4) Touch “MENU”

5) Touch “Data Link”

Adjusting the Brightness

1) Turn on the instrument.

2) Touch “MENU”

3) Touch “Next Page”

4) Touch “Display Options”

5) Touch “Adjust Brightness”

6) Touch  and  to adjust the brightness.

7) Touch “Done” when complete.

Adjusting the Contrast

1) Turn on the instrument.

2) Touch “MENU”

3) Touch “Next Page”

4) Touch “Display Options”

5) Touch “Adjust Contrast”

6) Select the contrast that works best for you.

7) Touch “Done” when complete.

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 General Specifications
1. MEASUREMENT
Measuring Principle: Near-Infrared Transmittance using 32 wavelengths covering the
range from 604 nanometers to 1045 nanometers.

2. PRINTER OUTPUT
Measured Results with time, date, and identification number

3. AC Power Requirements
100 to 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz with autoswitching

4. DIMENSIONS
Main Body: 16 x 16 x 12 inches

5. WEIGHT
22 lbs.

6. SAMPLE SIZE
200 mL with 75mm wavelength

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 Glossary
Accuracy – Refers to how closely the readings of the known samples match the samples’
predetermined lab values in a given instrument.

Bias – The average overall shift of the calculated results from the ideal laboratory values.
A Bias Adjustment will compensate for this.

Constants (also referred to as K values) – Figures determined during calibration of the

instrument which are used in the equation:

Result = K0 + (K1OD1 + K2OD2 + . . . KNODN)

Constituent – One of the properties of the product being measured, such as RON or
MON..

Data Link – The mode that the ZX-440XL must be in to communicate with the
Calibration Software.

ID’s – The identification numbers of the samples.

MON – Motor Octane Number

Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) – The mathematical process to fit the optical data to
the lab data.

Optical Data (OD’s) –The data obtained by the instrument from each of its filters which
it then applies to the above equation to calculate the results.

Precision – Refers to how closely the same sample repeats its readings in a given
instrument

Reduce / Reduction – See Multiple Linear Regression

Regression – See Multiple Linear Regression

RON – Research Octane Number

Slope and Bias – More than just an average overall shift of the calculated results from
the ideal laboratory values. A Slope and Bias adjustment will compensate for this.

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 Appendix 1: Analyzed Sample Form

SEND TO: Zeltex, Inc. USA, FAX NO.: 1-301-733-9398

FROM: Company name, Country ___________________________________________

CONTACT PERSON: (please print) _________________________________________

PHONE: Country code ________ Number __________________________________

FAX:
_____________________________________________________________________

Enter in the Analyzed Sample columns, ten (10) samples that have been analyzed by your
lab. In the corresponding columns, enter the ZX-440XL readings for the same samples.
Fax to Zeltex for advice concerning any needed adjustments.

Samp. LAB 440XL LAB 440XL LAB 440XL

# CON 1 CON 1 CON 2 CON 2 CON 3 CON 3

10

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 Appendix 2: Applying Sample Holder Labels
1) Locate the seam that runs from the top to the bottom of the sample holder. This seam
is where you will start the new label.

2) Carefully place lead edge of the label along the seam of the sample holder, making
sure the label will be on the flat surface all the way around the sample holder, as close
to the bottom as possible.

3) Apply the label to the sample holder, stretching slightly as applied. Do not pull too
tightly.

4) Wrap completely around the sample holder, trying to smooth out air bubbles as you
go.

5) Once the label has met the other side, press down the end securely. The edges do not
need to line up exactly, but they should be close.

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