ZX-101XL Portable
Octane Analyzer
User’s Manual
Version 6.0
This manual provides you the information needed to operate the
ZX-101XL Portable Octane Analyzer.
ZELTEX, INC.
130 Western Maryland Parkway
Hagerstown, Maryland 21740
USA
Phone: 301-791-7080
Fax: 301-733-9398
E-mail: [email protected]
© Zeltex, Inc. 2007
Table of Contents
Table of Contents .............................................................................................................. 2
WARNING ........................................................................................................................ 3
Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 4
Appearance and Part Names ........................................................................................... 4
Keypad Description ........................................................................................................ 5
Other Parts and Accessories ........................................................................................... 5
Power .............................................................................................................................. 5
Printer Paper Installation ................................................................................................ 6
Using the ZX-101XL ......................................................................................................... 7
Measuring a Sample........................................................................................................ 7
Automatic Fuel Type Detection ...................................................................................... 8
Printing a Duplicate ........................................................................................................ 8
Changing/Activating Products ........................................................................................ 8
Adjusting the Calibration ................................................................................................ 9
Adjusting the Time and Date ........................................................................................ 10
Automatic/Manual ID Numbers ................................................................................... 11
Resetting Automatic ID Number .................................................................................. 12
Adjusting Number of Read Cycles ............................................................................... 12
Listing of Products ........................................................................................................ 12
Activating Constituents................................................................................................. 13
Setting (R+M)/2 ............................................................................................................ 13
Printing Constituent Data.............................................................................................. 14
Connecting to a Computer ............................................................................................ 14
Storing Samples ............................................................................................................ 15
Warning and Error Messages ........................................................................................ 16
General Specifications .................................................................................................... 19
Glossary ........................................................................................................................... 20
Appendix 1: Analyzed Sample Form .......................................................................... 21
Appendix 2: Applying Sample Holder Labels ............................................................ 22
Appendix 3: Combination Lock for Carrying Case .................................................. 23
Page 2
WARNING
THE ZX-101XL PORTABLE OCTANE
ANALYZERS ARE NOT
EXPLOSION-PROOF:
REASONABLE CARE MUST BE USED
IN HANDLING THESE INSTRUMENTS.
ALL SAMPLES SHOULD BE
CONTAINED IN SAMPLE HOLDERS
FOR SAFETY.
Page 3
Introduction
Appearance and Part Names
Page 4
Keypad Description
Key Name
Description
MEASURE
When the Display shows “Clear Chamber & Press Measure,”
remove any samples from the sample chamber and replace the
light shield. Press this key to begin the measurement.
MENU
Press this key to bring up a list of commands or options.
SELECT
This key is used to confirm the current selection.
CANCEL
This key cancels current entry in the instrument.
, 
These keys cycle through selections or menu items.
DUP
This key is used to print a duplicate of the last reading.
PAPER FEED
This key feeds paper into/through the printer
Other Parts and Accessories
The ZX-101XL is shipped with the following parts and accessories. Contact Zeltex if
you would like to purchase additional accessories.








ZX-101XL

Light Shield

3 Sample Holders

6 Extra Sample Holder Labels

A/C Adapter

RS232 Cable

6 Batteries
5 Rolls of Paper (one roll is in the instrument)
Calibration Software CD
Quick Start Manual
User’s Manual
Calibration Manual
Calibration Numbering Setup
Manual
Carrying Case
Power
The ZX-101XL can be powered by batteries or an A/C Adapter.
1) Battery Installation: Insert six 1.5V “AA” size alkaline batteries into the battery
compartment located on the lower back of the main body. Be sure that the batteries
are oriented as indicated in the battery compartment.
Note: When you are running the ZX-101XL on batteries, please make sure that the
instrument is shut off when not in use. The batteries will last much longer if the
instrument is turned off when sitting idle.
Page 5
2) A/C Adapter: Connect the A/C adapter cable to the A/C adapter jack located on the
right hand side of the instrument (the jack closest to the top of the instrument).
Printer Paper Installation
1) Switch power to ON.
2) Remove the gray plastic cover from the printer.
3) Make sure the end of the paper is cut at a steep
angle. Start feeding the paper into the slit inside
the Paper Roll Compartment, using the pointed
end of the roll to guide the paper. Continue to
feed the paper by pressing the PAPER FEED
key.
Page 6
Using the ZX-101XL
A NOTE ON THE TEXT
Throughout this manual, keystrokes are represented in bold type; references to
messages on the computer screen or the ZX-101XL display screen are in
“quotes.”
Measuring a Sample
1) Switch power to ON. The display will show version number (e.g. 4.00) followed by a
15-second countdown after which “Clear Chamber & Press Measure” will appear.
2) Make sure there is no sample holder in the sample chamber. Cover the chamber with
the light shield.
3) Press the MEASURE key to standardize the instrument. After the “Reading” takes
place, “Put in sample” will appear on the display. This indicates that the instrument
has been standardized: it is now ready to measure the sample. (The ZX-101XL must
be standardized prior to making any measurement.)
4) Remove the light shield from the sample chamber.
5) Place the filled sample in the sample chamber, being careful to align the alignment
stripe on the sample holder with the left alignment stripe on the instrument.
6) Carefully replace the light shield over the sample holder. This shield must always be
used when measuring a fuel sample or a standard; otherwise, the results will be
incorrect.
7) Press MEASURE. After the “Reading” takes place, “Remove and Replace” will be
displayed.
8) Remove the sample holder and rotate it to align the stripe on the sample holder with
the right alignment stripe on the instrument.
9) Carefully replace the light shield over the sample holder.
10) Press MEASURE. After the “Reading” takes place, “Remove & Press M” will be
displayed.
11) Remove the sample holder and cover the empty chamber with the light shield. Press
MEASURE.
12) After the measurement is complete, repeat steps 3-11 to measure another fuel sample.
Page 7
At any prompt where you have to either enter a sample or remove a sample and press
ENTER, the instrument will allow you only 30 seconds to do so. If, after the elapse of 30
seconds, you have not completed the task required, the ZX-101XL will flash
“TIMEOUT” and automatically return to “Zero Adjust”. This is a feature designed to not
allow the readings to get stale.
Note: The ZX-101XL has a number of warnings for possible bad readings. See Warning
and Error Messages in this manual for details.
Automatic Fuel Type Detection
When enabled, the ZX-101XL has the ability to detect what type of fuel is being
analyzed. Depending on what calibrations are purchased, the “Switch” in the ZX-101XL
can determine if the sample entered is Gasoline, Ethanol Blended Gasoline, or Gasoline
below 90-RON.
To activate the Switch:
1) Turn instrument on.
2) Press 1. The printout will inform you that the Switch has been activated for the next
sample reading.
3) Measure the sample as described in Measuring a Sample.
If you decide that you do not want the Automatic Fuel Type Detection activated, press
CANCEL before taking the reading.
Printing a Duplicate
To print a duplicate copy of the last reading, press the DUP key. This will print an exact
copy of the previous reading with the line “DUPLICATE #X” after the heading, where X
indicates the number of duplicates that have been printed.
Changing/Activating Products
The ZX-101XL is designed to allow you have between 1 and 10 products active at any
one time. In any product, you can have between 1 and 4 constituents active. All active
products with their active constituents will be printed. Any product that is not active will
not be printed whether the constituents are active or not.
To activate a product:
1) Turn instrument on.
Page 8
2) After countdown is complete, press MENU. Press the  or  button until the display
reads “Enable Products”.
3) Press SELECT. “Enter Product #” will be displayed on the LCD.
4) Press the number key that corresponds to the product to toggle the product off or on.
Example:
Product 0 = Gasoline
a) Press 0. “Gasoline Off” is displayed. Product # 0 - Gasoline is
deactivated.
b) Press 0 again. “Gasoline On” is displayed. Product # 0 - Gasoline is
activated.
5) Press CANCEL when complete.
Adjusting the Calibration
The ZX-101XL 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-101XL 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-101XL:
1) Turn on the instrument.
Page 9
2) After countdown, press MENU, then the  or  button until the display reads “Slope
& Bias”.
3) The screen will display “Enter Prod. #.” Enter the number of the product you want to
adjust (between 0-9).
If you select the wrong product, press CANCEL.
4) The name of the product chosen will be displayed. Enter the number of the
constituent you want to adjust (between 1-4).
5) On the screen will appear “Bias: 0.0”.
When adjusting only the Bias:
When adjusting the Slope and Bias:
6) When the screen displays “Bias,”
type in the new Bias (No slope)
number from the prediction printout
using the number keypad. Be careful
of negative signs and decimal place.
Press SELECT.
7) When the screen displays “Bias,”
type in the Slope Bias number from
the prediction printout. Be careful of
negative signs and decimal place.
Press SELECT.
7) When the screen displays “Slope,”
DO NOT change slope of 1.00! Press
SELECT again.
8) When the screen displays “Slope,”
use the ZX-101XL’s keypad to enter
the Slope number from the
prediction printout. Press SELECT
again.
If you enter a number incorrectly, press CANCEL to set the number back to 0.00 for bias
or 1.0000 for slope.
9) The instrument will print the changes and then return to the main screen.
Adjusting the Time and Date
Adjusting the Time:
1) Turn Instrument on.
2) After countdown press MENU. Press the  or  button until the display reads “Time
& Date”.
3) Press SELECT. The screen will display “1)TIME 2)DATE”.
4) Press 1.
5) The screen will display the time currently in the instrument.
Page 10
6) To adjust time, press 1 to cycle through hours, 2 for minutes, and 3 for seconds.
7) Once the time is adjusted correctly, press SELECT and the time will be set.
Adjusting the Date:
1) Turn instrument on.
2) After countdown press MENU. Press the  or  button until the display reads “Time
& Date”.
3) Press SELECT. The screen will display “1)TIME 2)DATE”.
4) Press 2.
5) The current date is displayed on the screen.
6) To adjust the date, change the month by pressing 1, the day by pressing 2, and the
year by pressing 3.
7) Once the date is adjusted correctly, press SELECT and the date will be set.
Automatic/Manual ID Numbers
The ZX-101XL identifies all readings with a four digit identification number. The
numbering is automatic consecutive numbering unless the instrument is set for manual
number entry. To set the numbering to manual or automatic numbering:
1) Turn on the instrument.
2) After countdown is complete, press MENU.
3) Press the  or  button until the display reads “Auto/Manual Num”.
4) Press SELECT.
5) The display will show “Auto Number” or “Manual Number”.
6) To toggle to the correct numbering type, press the  or  button.
7) Once the correct numbering type is displayed, press SELECT.
Page 11
Resetting Automatic ID Number
This will set the automatic consecutive numbering back to 0001.
1) Turn on the instrument.
2) After countdown is complete, press MENU.
3) Press the  or  button until the display reads “ Reset ID # “.
4) Press SELECT.
5) The display will show “ID # Reset” and then return to the main screen.
Adjusting Number of Read Cycles
The ZX-101XL 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 instrument.
2) After countdown, press MENU. Press the  or  button until the display reads “Set
Readings”.
3) Press SELECT. The screen will now display “Read Cycles = __ .”
4) Select a number between 1 and 9.
5) Press SELECT.
Listing of Products
The ZX-101XL allows the user to easily obtain a printed listing of products available in
the instrument.
1) Turn instrument on.
2) After countdown, press MENU. Press the  or  button until the display reads “Print
Products”.
3) Press the SELECT key. “Confirm print?” is displayed.
Page 12
4) Press the SELECT key again to have the instrument print each product number and
name. If a product is unnamed the instrument will print “<no name>“. Press
CANCEL to cancel the print.
Activating Constituents
The ZX-101XL allows you to have up to 4 constituents active for each product.
1) Turn instrument on.
2) After countdown is complete, press MENU. Press the  or  button until the display
reads “Enable Cons”.
3) The ZX-101XL now asks you to “Enter Prod. #”. Type in the product number of the
constituent you want to activate.
4) The product name you have selected will now appear on the screen. If this is correct,
press the number of the constituent you wish to activate/deactivate adjust (between 14). Once you have pressed 1, 2, 3, or 4 the constituent name should appear on the
screen.
5) Press  to enable the constituent (a * will appear by the constituent name). Press  to
disable the constituent.
6) Press SELECT to save these changes. Then press CANCEL, CANCEL to return to
the main display.
Setting (R+M)/2
When using the ZX-101XL, you have the option of having any name for a product or
constituent entered into the instrument using the Calibration Software (see Calibration
Software Manual). If you are using a constituent that is the average of two other
constituents, such as (R+M)/2, you may wish to have the instrument automatically
average those two numbers and print it as constituent 3. The user must enable the first
three constituents for this to work (see Activating Constituents). To set constituent 3 as
the average, you would do the following:
1) Turn instrument on.
2) After countdown is complete, press MENU. Press the  or  button until the display
reads “Enable Cons”.
3) The instrument will now ask you to “Enter Prod. #”. Type the product number of the
product you want to average constituents 1 and 2. That product name will now be
displayed.
Page 13
4) If this is the correct name, press 0. “AVG mode ON” will flash briefly on the display.
Pressing 2 again will toggle to “AVG mode OFF”.
5) Press CANCEL, CANCEL to return to the main display.
Printing Constituent Data
The ZX-101XL allows the user to easily obtain a printed listing of the constants for each
product.
1) Turn on instrument.
2) After countdown is complete, press MENU. Press the  or  button until the display
reads “Print Cons”.
3) The instrument will now ask you to “Enter Prod. #”. Type the product number of the
constituent data you wish to print out.
4) The constituent data will start printing immediately. Once finished, you may enter
another product number or press CANCEL to return.
Connecting to a Computer
The ZX-101XL 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-101XL to the computer using the supplied
RS-232 Cable and put the ZX-101XL into Data Link mode.
1) Turn instrument off.
2) Connect the RS-232 cable to the RS-232 Port on the side of the ZX-101XL.
3) Connect the RS-232 Cable to a free RS-232 port on the computer.
4) Turn instrument on.
5) After countdown is complete, press MENU. Press the  or  button until the display
reads “Data Link”.
6) Press SELECT. The screen will now display “DATA LINK”
Page 14
Storing Samples
The ZX-101XL has the ability to store the OD’s and sample ID’s for 25 samples in
battery-backed RAM. The samples are stored in the same memory as the calibration
constants. This means that the samples are preserved even when the ZX-101XL is turned
off. The samples that are saved in the ZX-101XL's memory can be downloaded to the
PC using the Calibration Software.
To save the last sample that was read, press MENU, then the  or  button until the
display reads “Store Sample.” The instrument will print the message: “Sample Saved X
of 25” where X will be the position from 1 to 25.
After saving 25 samples, the instrument will wrap around and begin to save again in
position 1. If this happens, the ZX-101XL will ask the user “Overwrite X of 25?” Press
SELECT to confirm or CANCEL to cancel.
Page 15
Warning and Error Messages
The ZX-101XL has a number of warnings and error codes built into it. Some of them are
overridden automatically on the analyzer. Others require you to start the reading again. If
the instrument overrides the warning, it will still print the warning on the printout. When
a warning is overridden, analyze the sample a second time to ensure an accurate reading.
If you believe that you are getting one of the warning or error messages in error or you
have any questions about these messages, please contact Zeltex for technical support.
Warning/Error Message
Explanation
1) ERROR: TOO DARK
This error occurs if the energy reaching the
detector is less than the acceptable level. This is
normally caused by not having the sample holder
turned to the alignment stripe.
2) ERROR: TOO LITE
This will be displayed if the detector is in
saturation. This normally is caused by not placing
the light shield on correctly during the reading or
Zero Adjust.
Note: When errors 1 or 2 appear, press R on the keypad to print the maximum and
minimum values and the filters which have given you a problem. This function is
extremely helpful when talking to Zeltex about any problem.
3) AMBIENT TEMP TOO HIGH
or
The ZX-101XL was set up with a temperature
check. If the instrument temperature is too cold or
too hot, these warnings will appear on the printout.
AMBIENT TEMP TOO LOW
4) VALUE TOO HIGH
or
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.
VALUE TOO LOW
5) BAD CURVE
This will appear only if A, B, and C have been
activated for the calibration. This can be displayed
for each constituent in case you do have different
blends of fuel for different products or
constituents. This warning will appear on the
printout.
6) HIGH VARIANCE
This is displayed if the variance between the two
readings is more than normal variance in the
Page 16
sample. This tells you that the repeatability within
the sample is not as reasonable as we would
expect. This could be caused by light leaks,
sample not aligned correctly or just variations in
the samples.
If the ZX-101XL gives frequent High Variance Warnings, try the following:
•
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 that 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 or alcohol in the chamber.
•
Make sure that the windows in the chamber are clean and free of obstructions.
CAUTIONS:
•
Never use sample holders without lids.
•
Never pour fuel into sample holder while sample holder is in sample chamber.
•
Always fill sample holder to the fill line.
7) UNABLE TO DETERMINE
This will only occur of the Automatic Fuel Type
Detection is enabled. If the ZX-101XL is unable
to determine the type of fuel being measured, this
message will be displayed as well as the option for
you to choose which product you wish to show the
results for or the option to try again.
8) TIMEOUT
At any prompt where you have to either enter a
sample or remove a sample and press ENTER, the
instrument will allow you only 30 seconds to do
so. If, after the elapse of 30 seconds, you have not
completed the task required, the ZX-101XL will
flash “TIMEOUT” and automatically return to
“Zero Adjust”. This is a feature designed to not
allow the readings to get stale.
Page 17
9) RAM RESET
This message is displayed when there is a failure
with the internal memory. This will cause all of
the calibration constants to be lost. If this
happens, you must restore a backup of the
calibrations using the Calibration Software (refer
to Creating/Restoring a Backup File in the ZX101XL Calibration Software Manual).
If the message occurs more than once, please
contact Zeltex for further instructions.
Page 18
General Specifications
1. MEASUREMENT
Measuring Principle: Near-Infrared Transmittance based on technology from the United
States Department of Agriculture using 14 wavelengths covering the range from 893
nanometers to 1045 nanometers.
2. PRINTER OUTPUT
Measured Results with time, date, and identification number (manual or automatic)
3. POWER SOURCE
Six AA 1.5V alkaline batteries or 9V A/C adapter (included)
4. DIMENSIONS
Main Body: 4.7 x 13.5 x 2.2 inches
5. WEIGHT
3 lbs.
6. ACCESSORIES
Sample Holders
Light Shield
Printer Paper
A/C Batteries
User's Manual
Carrying Case
Part Number
ZXP 113
ZXP 122
ZXP 116
ZXP 103
ZXP 111
ZXP 106
x3
x1
x5 rolls *
x6
x1
x1
* One roll is supplied in instrument
Page 19
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-101XL 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.
Page 20
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-101XL readings for the same samples.
Fax to Zeltex for advice concerning any needed adjustments.
Samp.
#
LAB
CON 1
101XL
CON 1
LAB
CON 2
101XL
CON 2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Page 21
LAB
CON 3
101XL
CON 3
LAB
CON 4
101XL
CON 4
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.
Page 22
Appendix 3: Combination Lock for Carrying Case
Your combination lock is set at the factory to open at 000. You may leave it at this
setting or you can set your own secret combination in the following manner:
1) With the lock open, push button (1) in the direction of the arrow and hold down until
the second operation has been performed.
2) Set number wheels (2) to the desired combination. Do not forget the combination
you have set!
3) Now release the button (1). Press the button again as a check.
Your case will now open only at your secret combination. If you want to change the
combination again, simply repeat these steps.
Page 23