Elveflow’s OB1 troubleshooting guide



General Information


The purpose of this guide is to help any Elveflow user to troubleshoot, diagnose and resolve problems quickly but also provide as well our support team with  a clear description of your situation, so that we can examine your case as efficiently as possible.


    

1. Possible causes, questions and recommendations:


Prior to any diagnosis, please make sure that the OB1 is powered and connected (USB cable) and the power button is pressed. Please also check the connection of your pressure or vacuum sources. The air that is in your compressor tank has to get out of that air tank and to your OB1 to allow you to do some work. So please check the compressor hose is turned ON and connected to the appropriate inlet on the back of your OB1. The same goes for a Vacuum pump (if you’re using one) so again, please check Vacuum pump hose is is turned ON and connected to the appropriate inlet on the back of your OB1. Finally, check that your pressure or vacuum sources match your OB1 channel ranges.


1.1 Is the OB1 recognized by the ESI software ?


If not, please check the following:

  • Try to reset the instrument using the front panel button (POWER).

  • Launch NI-MAX, by typing NI MAX in the Windows menu and clicking on NI MAX software, and make a screenshot of the devices connected and send it with the rest of the informations to the customer email (see section 2)



1.2 Is your issue concerning the calibration (pressure too low, cannot reach pressure min)?


If yes, please check the following: 

  • The presence of a pressure going inside the OB1. 

  • The channels output plugs are screwed correctly when calibration is running. 

  • If you cannot reach vacuum value (ex: -500 mbar), maybe your pump is not turned ON or connected so please try to run a new calibration again by connecting vacuum and pressure sources. 

  • If you can’t reach -800 mbar for example, maybe it is because your vacuum source is not powerful enough.



1.3  Can you reach the maximum pressure ?


If not, check the following: 

  • Did you get any liquid backflow? Check if you have any liquid that came back from the reservoir through the pressure tube and went to the channel pressure output. If it is the case, the OB1 may be damaged and may need to be repaired. 

  • Please adapt the input pressure source (back of the OB1, max pressure 10 bar) so that it delivers more pressure than the OB1 channel maximum pressure. Do no exceed 10 bar input pressure to not damage the OB1 internal components.



1.4  Is your OB1 noisy ?


When operating, the OB1 regulates the pressure and makes transient noise while regulating the pressure.This is perfectly normal.
Now if the OB1 makes  constant noise, please check:

  • If there is no leak in your microfluidic setup (pressure tubing from OB1 to reservoir, reservoir pressure and liquid connections) 

  • That plugs are screwed correctly on each OB1 outlet before calibration, and during your experiment.

  • If some kind of hissing noise can be heard from the OB1, then please close the channel outlets with a plug and make sudden pressure switches using for example the square fonction of the OB1.
    In this case, use the channel range as extrema values of this fonction for at least 30 seconds (e.g. 0 to 2000 mbar if using a 2 bar channel), using a short period such as 1 second for example.



1.5 Is  your screen not responding ? 


If yes, please check the following: 

  • Is your OB1 detected? if not, launch NI-MAX (see 1.1 above) and take a screenshot of the devices connected and send it with the rest of the informations to the customer email address  (see section 2)

  • Is your OB1 working properly? (target pressure similar to real pressure, read sensors...etc.)? If yes, the issue comes mainly from the screen, we are sorry for the inconvenience. Please send this information in the detailed description of section 2.



1.6 Is your OB1 giving random pressure values, not responding correctly to pressure setpoint or seems to be very unstable ?


If yes, check the following:

  • If you are using digital flow sensors, make sure that you have no digital flow sensor that is physically disconnected from your OB1 but still present in the list of sensors in the ESI. If it is the case, please remove from ESI any digital flow sensors that are not physically connected to the OB1. 

  • Update your ESI software version.



1.7 Did you disconnect any Digital Flow Sensor?


If you are using digital flow sensors, make sure that you have no digital flow sensor that is physically disconnected from your OB1, but still present in the software list of sensors in the ESI. If it is the case, please remove from ESI any digital flow sensors that are not physically connected to the OB1. 



1.8 Do you get backflows when using a dual regulator OB1 Channel?


When using a dual regulator (OB1 channel able to work with both vacuum and pressure), start the ESI software before the vacuum pump and stop the vacuum pump before closing the software. When the software does not run, dual regulators are fully open to the vacuum side. This may cause backflows.
We advise to do operate in the following order:

  1. Turn on your OB1,
  2. launch the software,
  3. add OB1 to the ESI,
  4. then turn on the vacuum and pressure sources
  5. then put your sample.


Then once it is finished,

  1. go back in ESI and set pressure at 0
  2. remove the sample,
  3. block the pressure output of the OB1,
  4. turn off the vacuum and the pressure
  5. then close the ESI.


1.9 Do you get bubbles in your reservoir (dip tube) when using a dual regulator OB1 Channel?


When using a dual regulator OB1 Channel, bubbles can be observed at the dip tube of a filled reservoir that is connected to a dual channel, even when 0 mbar pressure is applied. This is because a small voltage signal variation can translate into a small vacuum applied to the channel. If having this offset is an issue for you we suggest either setting a positive counter pressure, or using a Normally Closed (NC) valve. 


2. Still got issues?


You can let us know if you still need help to get your Elveflow OB1 working sending us the documents listed below, taking care to elaborate on your issue in as much detail as possible,  so that we can examine your case as quickly and efficiently as possible.


In that respect, please send an email to customer@elveflow.com, with the following elements :

● Detailed description of the issue. Please also tell us if you notice: 

  • Blue OB1 screen with nothing displayed?

  • When did this issue begin happening?

  • Has it been occurring consistently, or does it happen on and off?

  • Have you tried any solutions on your own?

● Picture of the OB1 showing the connections (front and back of the device). 

● The sensors you are using (if applicable)

● Screenshots or video if possible

● Buyer name or Invoice reference and any instrument Serial Number (OB1, sensor, etc...).

● The following file C:\Users\Public\Documents\Elvesys\ESI\data\ConfigESI.ini

  • if this ConfigESI.ini file is unavailable (it is only available in the most recent ESI versions), please send the file C:\Users\Public\Documents\Elvesys\ESI\data\ESI.ini

● Any error code displayed by the ESI software (if applicable).