The information provided in this literature was reviewed for accuracy at the time of publication and is believed to be correct, however LAB DYNAMICS, Inc. accepts no liability for any errors it contains and reserves the right to alter specifications without notice. For current information contact LAB DYNAMICS directly. It is the users responsibility to ensure product suitability for use within their application.
Modbus® is a registered trademark of Modicon, Incorporated. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
© 2023 LAB DYNAMICS, INC., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. FLUIDLINK®, LABDYNAMICS®, AND THE RESPECTIVE LOGOS ARE TRADEMARKS OF LAB DYNAMICS, INC.
WARNING: THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT DESIGNED FOR USE IN, AND SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR PATIENT-CONNECTED APPLICATIONS.
WARNING: KEEP FINGERS AWAY FROM ROTOR WHILE PUMP IS IN OPERATION. STOP PUMP BEFORE LOADING OR UNLOADING TUBING.
This device has been designed to comply with the standards and regulations set down by the European EMC Directive 2014/30/EU using BS EN 61326-1: 2013.
This device has been designed to comply with the standards and regulations set down by the European Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU using BS EN 61010-1: 2010, and Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC using BS EN ISO 12100: 2010.
This instrument has been manufactured under the following quality standard: ISO 9001:2008 (Certification Pending).
Note: The standards referred to in the design and construction of these products are those prevailing at the time of product launch. As the standards are altered from time to time, we reserve the right to include design modifications that are deemed necessary to comply with the new or revised regulations.
As per directive 2012/19/EU, please observe the applicable local or national regulations concerning the disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment.
The FLUIDLINK® i400 Intelligent Laboratory Pump is a compact, feature-rich peristaltic pump with unmatched ease-of-use and built-in automation connectivity. This User Manual will guide you through the proper setup and operation of the i400 pump and includes important safety information.
The User Manual is written for use by Novice Users (who require only the basic operational knowledge) as well as more Advanced Users, including Automation Engineers. The manual is formatted as a "Quick Start" guide, which offers deeper Advanced User topics where applicable. The Quick Start format is meant to encourage reading all necessary topics before operating the pump.
Please observe the following:
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
The i400 Pump is a highly accurate and easy-to-use laboratory peristaltic pump. Although the touch-screen interface of the pump is highly intuitive, we strongly encourage new users to take a few moments to read this manual. The next section will introduce you to the touch-screen User Interface, followed by a section describing the Physical Connections of the pump.
The OVERVIEW screen is the initial operational screen you'll encounter, and presents the most frequently used information in a single consolidated view. Take a moment to get familiar with the features found on this screen and features that are common to many other screens.
Figure 1.1: OVERVIEW screen with all indicators shown.
Figure 1.2: OVERVIEW screen showing screen-top indicators.
Figure 1.3: OVERVIEW screen showing screen-bottom indicators.
Figure 1.4: OVERVIEW screen showing SCREEN NAME, SYSTEM TIME, RPM, and mL/min.
Figure 1.5: OVERVIEW screen showing FLUIDLINK.IO (REMOTE) & Industrial Network Indicator, and TUBING description.
Figure 1.6: OVERVIEW screen showing RUN STATUS indicator.
Figure 1.7: OVERVIEW screen showing ACTION SEQUENCE indicator group.
All signal and electrical connections to the i400 are located on the BACK PANEL. The i400 has an ingress protection rating of IP33 when all connections are secured by their attached caps or terminated with the appropriate connectors.
Figure 2.1: BACK PANEL connections.
Figure 2.2: BACK PANEL connections (cont.).
Figure 2.3: Provided connectors.
WARNING: NEVER SPRAY-DOWN (WASH-DOWN) THE PUMP UNLESS ALL CONNECTORS OR WATER-RESISTANT CAPS ARE SECURELY IN PLACE.
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
Placing the i400 Pump into service only takes a few minutes, after which all your settings, calibration data, and preferences are permanently stored, and are automatically restored on subsequent reboots. The next set of instructions will step you through the STARTUP and SHUTDOWN process and configuring some of the basic settings.
To power-up the i400 connect the i400 AC-DC Power Converter to the POWER input on the BACK PANEL, then connect the converter to an appropriate AC power source. The i400 was intentionally designed without a power ON/OFF button, in order to prevent accidental interruptions.
When the i400 is first powered-up a series of STARTUP SCREENS are displayed. If you don't press any options during STARTUP then the i400 will continue to load the FLUIDLINK/OS and display the default OVERVIEW screen.
During STARTUP you're presented the option to change the local language (by pressing the Globe Icon on the initial screen). Your language choice will be saved and can be changed in the future by REBOOTING the system.
Figure 3.1: Sequence of STARTUP SCREENS.
From the SYSTEM SETTINGS menu (A), select SHUTDOWN... (B), then select SHUTDOWN (C). When the REMOVE POWER screen appears disconnect power to the pump (D).
Figure 3.2: Sequence of SHUTDOWN SCREENS.
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
Connect a weight scale to enable a multitude of performance enhancing and time saving features unique to the FLUIDLINK line of products.
Connect the i400 Scale Serial Cable from the WEIGHT SCALE port on the pump to the DB9 serial communications port of your scale. The weight scale must support MT-SICS Command Protocol and be equipped with an RS-232 (DB9) communications interface.
NOTE: "SCALE TASKS" and scale operation details are covered in a later chapter.
From the SYSTEM SETTINGS menu (A), select SCALE SETUP (B), followed by SCALE SETUP (C). Follow the system prompts to complete setup process.
NOTE: A "SCALE" icon has been added to the screen-top indicators, for easier access to SCALE SETUP and SCALE OPERATION screens.
Figure 4.1: Settings for attaching a weight scale input.
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
The i400 has many features that rely on accurate SYSTEM TIME settings. The next set of instructions will step you through setting the system clock manually, or using a network connection that provides network time services to SYNC TO NETWORK CLOCK.
By default the SYSTEM TIME settings are set to SYNC TO NETWORK CLOCK, which requires a working internet connection to the MAINTENANCE RJ45 port on the BACK PANEL.
From the SYSTEM SETTINGS menu (A), select SET CLOCK (B), deselect the checkbox for SYNC TO NETWORK CLOCK (C) to disable network clock synchronization, and to allow for setting the Date & Time manually.
Figure 5.1: Accessing the SET CLOCK functions.
IMPORTANT: AFTER STARTUP THE SYSTEM TIME MAY DISPLAY IN YELLOW (e.g., 12:45:00 ) TEMPORARILY, THEN CHANGING TO THE COLOR WHITE AFTER SYNCHRONIZING WITH THE NETWORK TIME. IF THE SYSTEM TIME CONTINUES TO DISPLAY IN YELLOW THIS INDICATES THAT THE SYSTEM CLOCK SETTINGS REQUIRE ATTENTION.
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
The i400 is preloaded with a collection of FACTORY CALIBRATION RECORDS for the most common tubing sizes, and allows for creating an unlimited quantity of USER CALIBRATION RECORDS for your own specific tubing types.
The four roller flip-top pumphead loads quickly and is designed for trouble-free continuous use. After verifying the pump rotation is stopped, lift the flip-top to load or unload tubing.
From the screen-bottom press TASKS button (A), then press TUBING + CAL (B), and use the listbox (C) to select the CALIBRATION RECORD to match the loaded tubing size.
Figure 6.1: Settings for viewing and selecting a TUBING CALIBRATION RECORD.
WARNING: KEEP FINGERS AWAY FROM ROTOR WHILE PUMP IS IN OPERATION. STOP PUMP BEFORE LOADING OR UNLOADING TUBING.
IMPORTANT: USE ONLY COMPATIBLE TUBING SIZE: 0.5/1.6mm TO 4.8/1.6MM (BORE/WALL).
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
The i400 has a simple PRIMING interface, allowing for control of priming speed, ROTATION DIRECTION, and making adjustments to TOTALIZERS values.
From the screen-top press ROTATION DIRECTION indicator (A) to switch from CW to CCW direction. This setting can only be changed when the pump is idle.
Figure 7.1: Setting pump ROTATION DIRECTION.
From the screen-bottom press TASKS button (A), then press PRIMING (B), press any droplet icon (C) to start priming, pressing the STOP icon in the center when finished (D). Press CLOSE if finished, or press TOTALIZERS to make any manual adjustment to the totalized values.
Figure 7.2: Operating the PRIMING function.
The TOTALIZERS pause their recording when PRIMING, and can be manually adjusted to account for additions made during priming. There are two TOTALIZERS shown; CALCULATED TOTAL (mL) and SCALE TOTAL (mL). The calculated total is calculated by tubing and calibration characteristics, while the scale total is based on readings from a connected scale.
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
To alleviate confusion when using several pumps in close proximity, you can set a unique PUMP NAME to help distinguish between pumps.
From the SYSTEM SETTINGS menu (A), select RENAME PUMP (B), use the on-screen keypad (C) to enter a new name for this pump.
Figure 8.1: Setting PUMP NAME.
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
The i400 is the only laboratory pump that supports simultaneous mixed-mode operation for ATTENDED (MANUAL MODE), INDUSTRIAL, and REMOTE modes.
The MANUAL MODE screen allows you to enter either an RPM value, or a flow rate in mL/min, in a range supported by the calibrated values of the loaded tubing.
NOTE: "INDUSTRIAL" and "REMOTE" modes are covered in the NETWORKING section of this manual.
From the screen-bottom press MODE button (A) to toggle from the OVERVIEW screen to the MANUAL MODE screen. Use the MODE button to toggle through each available operational screen.
Figure 9.1: Switching between operational screens using the MODE button.
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
The i400 makes complex dosing schemes easy to configure and run with stored dispensing sequences called "Action Sequences" (referred to as "ASEQ" for short).
An ASEQ is composed of (5) parameters:
From the screen-bottom press TASKS button (A), then press CREATE SEQUENCE (B), then press NEW DOSING PLAN (C) and follow the on-screen prompts.
NOTE: Upcoming versions of FLUIDLINK/OS enable using multiple independent dispensing sequences. Currently the i400 supports one ASEQ at a time, which is not saved after a power cycle.
Figure 10.1: Selecting menu items for composing a new ASEQ.
Understanding each type of RUN STATUS, and using ASEQ EDIT feature:
Figure 10.2: Overview of current ASEQ parameters on the OVERVIEW screen.
Figure 10.3: Stop or Modify an ASEQ (trigger) with "ASEQ EDIT" button.
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
The Exponential Mass Flow (EMF) functionality of the i400 makes it easy to configure complex linear, stepped-linear, and exponential delivery strategies.
EMF (Dosing) Plans are easily authored via the i400’s touch screen. However, lengthy or extremely detailed plans can be cumbersome to create on a compact screen interface. To create more complex plans you can use the tools available to you in the FLUIDLINK Cloud (see section IMPORTING AN EMF (DOSING) PLAN).
An EMF PLAN is composed of (4) parameters:
To begin manually authoring an EMF Plan, press the MODE button to change operational screens until the EMF MODE screen appears, then press the + EMF PLAN button (A) followed by the NEW EMF PLAN button (B). Enter an INITIAL FLOW RATE, then advance to the next screen by pressing the right arrow (C). Enter the FINISH FLOW RATE, then advance to the next screen by pressing the right arrow (D).
Figure 11.1: Authoring an "EMF Plan".
Enter the TIME SPAN for this EMF STEP (Figure 11.2 below), then press the right arrow (D) to move to the next screen. At this point you can create another EMF STEP by pressing + ADD A STEP, or press FINISH SETUP (E) to move to the next screen.
Pressing + ADD A STEP automatically creates an INITIAL FLOW RATE from the previous EMF STEP'S FINISH FLOW RATE, for your convenience. There are no limits to the number of EMF STEPS that you can create, and the FINISH FLOW RATE can be either a higher or lower flow rate than its INITIAL FLOW RATE.
After pressing FINISH SETUP (E) you determine if the pump should CONTINUE AFTER (F) by maintaining the last set point of the FINISH FLOW RATE of the final EMF STEP, or STOP AFTER (F).
Figure 11.2: Authoring an "EMF Plan" (cont.)
The next screen (shown below) displays a summary of the EMF PLAN. To make any changes press the CANCEL button and start over. To accept the EMF PLAN press the COMMIT button (G), which returns you to the EMF MODE screen.
When ready, press START EMF (H). The system will change from a RUN STATUS of STANDBY to EMF .
Figure 11.3: Authoring an "EMF Plan" (cont.)
Optionally, once EMF delivery is started, you can press the MODE button (I) to toggle to the OVERVIEW screen where you can view the active flow rate of the running EMF PLAN. Once started, the display for "mL/min." will display in a faded "inactive" color. Once the i400 has established a stable INITIAL FLOW RATE this indicator will change to a solid indicator (typically between 30 and 45 seconds).
Figure 11.4: Authoring an "EMF Plan" (cont.)
NOTE: Very small flow rates require a period of time for the PID to be fed enough information to take over control. The i400 is intelligent enough to know what speed to start from in order to deliver a flow rate matching the EMF Plan, and will go to that rate immediately upon starting a delivery. Once the PID takes over you’ll see the mL/min change color from white to black (Figure 11.4 above), showing that PID is in control, and the status message (on the EMF MODE screen, under the "START EMF" button) will update to display the STEP# and flow rate (set point) currently in queue.
NOTE: For effective use of Exponential Mass Flow (EMF) delivery modes at high delivery rates, where stable scale readings aren't always possible, it's recommended to DISCONNECT the SCALE and allow the CALCULATED TOTAL(IZER) to regulate delivery.
NOTE: Once an EMF PLAN is loaded a replacement plan can be loaded to take its place, but only after STOPing any currently running EMF delivery.
Before you can import EMF Plans you'll first need to author them using the tools available to you in the FLUIDLINK Cloud. It isn't necessarily to LINK your pump to your FLUIDLINK.IO account to create and import EMF Plan files, however, it can be an easy way to transfer EMF Plan Files to your pump. The instructions below cover the steps for downloading files and importing them to your pump with a USB drive, and don't require a network connection to your i400 pump.
Here are the steps to create and download an EMF Plan using an internet browser:
Formatting the USB drive:
The drive must be exFAT formatted, and named "i400_UPDATE". At the root of the drive create a folder named "EMF_PLANS". Copy all downloaded EMF Plan files to this directory.
// USB Drive must be "exFAT" formatted Drives/i400_UPDATE/EMF_PLANS
Example: If you authored a plan and named it "Sample 3-step stop at 500mL", the downloaded file would be named "Sample3-stepstopat500mL.bin", which you would copy to the EMF_PLANS directory on the USB drive.
Drives/i400_UPDATE/EMF_PLANS/Sample3-stepstopat500mL.bin
Importing EMF Plan files from USB drive:
To import an EMF Plan, press the MODE button to change operational screens until the EMF MODE screen appears, then press the + EMF PLAN button (A) followed by the IMPORT/LOAD EMF button (B). Ensure the USB drive is attached to the WEIGHT SCALE USB port on the back of the i400 pump. If a scale was connected an alarm will occur, be certain to clear the ACTIVE ALARM before proceeding.
Press the COPY USB FILES button (C), the imported EMF Plans appear in the listbox at the top of the screen.
Figure 11.5: Importing an "EMF Plan".
Tap a selection from the listbox and press the LOAD SELECTED button to continue. Follow the remaining steps as listed above in the AUTHORING AN EMF (DOSING) PLAN [Manually] instructions.
NOTE: If an error is encountered after pressing COPY USB FILES button an error message will be displayed in the caption at the top of the screen.
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
Use a scale* with the i400 to take advantage of ”One Step Calibration” and many other features, including ”Disruption Dampening”, a proprietary disruption dampening algorithm that filters out bad readings caused by accidental bumps.
*Weight scale must support MT-SICS Command Protocol and be equipped with an RS-232 communications interface.
From the screen-top press SCALE indicator (A), then press SCALE TASKS (B), and perform TARE and ZERO functions as you would with any standard scale.
Figure 12.1: Accessing the SCALE operation screen.
From the TASKS: SCALE screen press the MORE... button (A), then select either LOCK KEYPAD or UNLOCK KEYPAD, or DISCONNECT to uninstall an attached SCALE.
NOTE: For effective use of Exponential Mass Flow (EMF) delivery modes at high delivery rates, where stable scale readings aren't always possible, it's recommended to DISCONNECT the SCALE.
Figure 12.2: Accessing more scale features.
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
The i400 can perform an unattended “One-Step Calibration”, executing a series of complex (and time consuming) multi-point calibration processes using scale feedback, and without requiring operator supervision.
NOTE: Calibration is an automated process requiring an integrated scale. Upcoming versions of FLUIDLINK/OS will accommodate "Manual" calibration.
Supplies and preparation before you press START CAL:
From the screen-bottom press TASKS button (A), then press TUBING + CAL (B), then press CALIBRATE... (C) and press SAVE RECORD AS (D) to begin setting up a calibration routine.
Figure 13.1: Executing a tubing calibration.
The calibration process will run unattended, and may take between 15-45 minutes (A), dependent on the tubing size and its flow rate. Once calibration completes the CLOSE button will display (B), press it to continue. The newly created CALIBRATION RECORD is automatically loaded and displayed (C).
Figure 13.2: Calibration process ending with newly created record.
Calibration can fail for any number of reasons; running out of supply media, frequent disturbances to the scale, or by being canceled by the operator. In most cases rerunning a calibration yields successful results.
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
Alarms will cause your system to be HALTED and require manual intervention by the operator in order to restore operation.
ACTIVE ALARMS can be triggered by different types of events. The i400's screen will flash yellow to alert an operator of an alarm condition.
Figure 14.1: Screen flashing to indicate an alarm condition.
From the screen-bottom press STATUS button (A), look at the message under ACTIVE ALARMS (B) for alarm details. To acknowledge the alarm press (C). You may be required to leave the alarm active and correct the cause or condition prior to clearing the alarm.
Figure 14.2: Viewing and clearing an alarm condition.
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
The content for INDUSTRIAL and REMOTE networking settings can be found in this section, or by selecting "NETWORKING" from the menu located in the upper right corner of this screen.
Figure 15.1: NETWORK SETTINGS menu.
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
The i400 Operating System (FLUIDLINK/OS) receives regular service and feature updates. Software updates can be downloaded and installed by the end-user.
From the screen-bottom press the STATUS button (A), the currently installed version is listed under the FACTORY INFORMATION (B) heading.
Figure 16.1: Viewing current FLUIDLINK/OS version.
NOTE: Receive notifications about new updates by joining our mailing list.
Software updates are installed via a USB drive (not supplied) which you'll connect to the WEIGHT SCALE port on the BACK PANEL of the i400. After downloading the update ("i400_PACKAGE.zip"), transfer it to the root of a properly formatted USB drive. The drive must be exFAT formatted, and named "i400_UPDATE".
// USB Drive must be "exFAT" formatted Drives/i400_UPDATE/i400_PACKAGE.zip
From the SYSTEM SETTINGS menu (A), select SHUTDOWN... (B), followed by MORE OPTIONS... (C), press OPTIONS (D) and select SOFTWARE UPDATE from the dialog (E). Follow the system prompts to initiate the update process (F).
Figure 16.2: Launching the software update program.
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
During Operation:
Mechanical Maintenance:
Cleaning:
IMPORTANT: DON'T USE WINDOW CLEANERS, HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS, COMPRESSED AIR, AEROSOL SPRAYS, SOLVENTS, AMMONIA, ABRASIVES, OR CLEANERS CONTAINING HYDROGEN PEROXIDE TO CLEAN THE PUMP. AVOID GETTING MOISTURE IN ANY OPENING, AND DON'T SUBMERGE YOUR PUMP IN ANY CLEANING AGENTS.
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
WARNING: THIS PRODUCT DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE ATEX DIRECTIVE AND MUST NOT BE USED IN EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERES.
WARNING: THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT DESIGNED FOR USE IN, AND SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR PATIENT-CONNECTED APPLICATIONS.
WARNING: KEEP FINGERS AWAY FROM ROTOR WHILE PUMP IS IN OPERATION. STOP PUMP BEFORE LOADING OR UNLOADING TUBING.
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
WHAT TO DO NEXT: