YSI BODAnalyst - Manual (Page 58)

SECTION 11 CUSTOMIZING YOUR PROGRAM
The BOD Analyst software is flexible enough to handle the wide variety of ways that people do
their BODs. Some things are very simple and are little more than matters of personal preference.
This section outlines the advanced settings that can be used and specified in the YSI BOD
Analyst for Windows. For others, flexibility is essential because what works well in one
application will give poor results in another. You make your choices on several forms under the
Setup Menu.
11.1 THE BARCODE SCANNER
The barcode scanner can ONLY be used with the YSI 5100 DO instrument. The primary purpose
of the barcode scanner is to eliminate human error. Depending on exactly how you do your
BODs, it may or may not save you time. At the YSI Instrument Parameters Form you can set the
barcode scanner to be required, on, or off. The following table describes each setting.
Setting Description
Required Bottle numbers MUST be scanned in. No entry from the YSI
5100 Dissolved Oxygen Instrument or the computer keyboard
On Bottle numbers can be scanned in, entered from the YSI 5100
Dissolved Oxygen Instrument or entered from the computer
keyboard
Off Bottle numbers CANNOT be scanned in. Entry is done from
the YSI 5100 Dissolved Oxygen Instrument or the computer
keyboard.
11.2 AUTO-STABILIZATION
The program can automatically monitor the DO reading for stability. You set the criteria for
stability based upon your own needs. You can also tell the program when and how to store the
reading once it is stable. The biggest advantage is that you no longer have to make a decision
about stability for every single reading. The program will make the decision for you based upon
your criteria, leaving you free to do other things. This feature can save you time because readings
are stored as soon as they are stable. Your BOD results will be more consistent because every
reading is subject to the same criteria.
There are two basic stability criteria, hold time and change. For example, let's assume that the
hold time is 10 seconds and the change is 0.05 mg/L. If, in the most recent 10 seconds, the
minimum reading and the maximum reading do not differ by more than 0.05mg/L, the reading is
considered to be stable. Note that the hold time will be the minimum time that it takes to get a
reading. The program allows you to define one set of criteria for blanks and another set for all
other samples.
After storing a reading to one bottle, be sure that you move the DO probe to the next bottle
immediately. The probe can be equilibrating to the solution while you are entering the bottle