Quick Start Guide

Version 3.0.1
February, 2021
Unity Scientific UScan Quick Start Guide Version 3.0.1

Warranty, Exclusions and Limitations

UNITY SCIENTIFIC warrants workmanship and materials to be free from defects for a period of
one year from the date of shipment.

Excluded from the warranty coverage are products a) which have been subjected to mechanical,
electrical or other misuse or abuse b) which have been disassembled or repaired or attempted
to be, by other than UNITY SCIENTIFIC authorized servicing agents.

The foregoing warranty shall be in lieu of all other warranties, expressed or implied, and the
Corporation expressly disclaims any warranty for merchant ability or fitness for a particular
purpose.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Corporation, repairs and replacement parts provided
by the Corporation under its warranty shall be guaranteed only for the non-expired portion of the
original warranty on the repaired product.

The liability of UNITY SCIENTIFIC to any purchaser or user of its products shall not in any case
exceed the cost of correcting defects in a product as herein provided and, upon expiration of
one year from the date of sale, all such liability shall terminate. In no event shall the Corporation
be liable for interruption of operations, loss of profit, or special or consequential damages.

Unity Scientific
113 Cedar St. S-3
Milford, MA 01757

Phone: (203) 740-2999

Fax: (203) 740-2955

Email: [email protected]

Visit us on the web at www.unityscientific.com

Unity Scientific, UScan, InfoStar, SpectraStar and UCal are all trademarks of Westco Scientific
Instruments, Inc., d/b/a Unity Scientific. All other trademarks are the property of their respective
companies.

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Contents

Contents ................................................................................................................................................ 3
1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 4
1.1 Scope of the Quick Start Guide ............................................................................................ 4
2 UScan User Interface .................................................................................................................... 5
3 Configuration of First Product ..................................................................................................... 7
3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 7
3.2 Entering Configuration Mode................................................................................................ 8
3.3 Demo Mode Configuration (Optional) .................................................................................. 8
3.3.1 Demo Setup .................................................................................................................... 8
3.4 Scan Method Configuration .................................................................................................. 9
3.4.1 Create a new Scan Method ........................................................................................... 9
3.5 Calibration Method Configuration ...................................................................................... 11
3.5.1 Create Calibration Method .......................................................................................... 11
3.6 Create a Product .................................................................................................................. 13
3.6.1 Create a Product .......................................................................................................... 13
3.7 Analyze a Sample ................................................................................................................ 16

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1 Introduction

The UScan™ program serves as the primary user interface for routine quantitative analysis
applications for the Unity Scientific SpectraStar 2nd generation family of instruments. The
primary objective in the development of the UScan software was to make it as intuitive and easy
to operate as possible to use without compromising any of the vital features or functionality
needed for demanding NIR analysis.
UScan is designed around a graphical main operations screen designed for easy operation via
touch screen. This design makes for easy training and operation in both laboratory and at-line
process control operations.

1.1 Scope of the Quick Start Guide

This Quick Start Guide is designed to provide a basic set of instructions to set up UScan and
configure a Product for analysis. The screen examples reference a demonstration setup, and
the files referenced are included with the UScan installation program. If the guide is followed, a
functioning UScan installation will be configured in demo mode.
For customers with Unity NIR Instruments, the Quick Start Guide can be used to configure the
first product, substituting their files and configuration settings for the standard ones in this
guide.
For a complete explanation of UScan including all the configuration and operation options,
please see the UScan Software Manual.

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2 UScan User Interface

UScan is designed around a central graphical user interface (UI) that can easily be operated with
a touch screen for routine operations. Sample analysis and routine diagnostics are performed
from the main UI, with configuration and other advanced operations accessible behind a
password protected icons.

The main UI is presented below, along with a description of its function.

Descriptions

Section Icon Description

Status Product Active Product Name
Cup Type Required Cup Type

UScan Help

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Configuration

Quit UScan

Views Result View

History View

SPC View

Spectrum View

Operation TAS
(not functional in demo mode)

TAS Diagnostics
(not functional in demo mode)

Lamp Health
(not functional in demo mode)

Choose Product

Scan Sample

Print Sample

Instrument Health
(not functional in demo mode)

Scan Reference

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3 Configuration of First Product

3.1 Introduction

Configuration of UScan for routine analysis involves creating re-usable blocks of settings
termed Methods and combining these methods to create Products. The Products are then
selected and used for routine analysis.

There are two types of methods – Scan Methods and Calibration Methods.

Scan Methods contain settings related to sample cup type and all the scanning settings that are
used to analyze that cup type. UScan installations generally have at least one Scan Method per
cup type that they use.

Calibration Methods contain settings related to a calibration model and how the calibration
model should be used. The calibration model might be a quantitative PLS based model, an MLR
model, or a Calculated Constituent model.

Every Product must have one Scan Method and at least one Calibration Method. More than one
Calibration Method can be combined into one Product.

A diagram of Product Configuration is below:

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3.2 Entering Configuration Mode

To enter configuration mode, select the icon from the upper right section of the main
user interface (UI). A password dialog will open. The default user and password are both
‘admin.’ The advanced configuration screens will now be available from buttons across the top
of the main UI.

To log out from the administrator user, press the icon present in the upper right of the UI.

To return to the routine analysis screen, press the Main button from the top menu buttons
present in the main UI.

3.3 Demo Mode Configuration (Optional)

If UScan is being installed on a Windows PC for demonstration or training purposes, please

follow the instructions below to configure UScan for demo operation. If UScan is installed on an
instrument, please skip section and proceed to Scan Method Configuration.

When UScan is operated in Demo mode, a spectra file substitutes for an instrument as the
source of a sample spectrum. Most the other product configuration and sample scanning /
management tasks are the same as when UScan is installed on an instrument.

3.3.1 Demo Setup

From the Configuration screen, click the Global Settings tab from the top of the window, then

Demo Setup. Click the Browse button and navigate to C:\Unity\Models directory. Select
an SVF file from this directory to use as your spectra source (in this case XT_Demo.svf). Press

the Save button to save this setting.

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3.4 Scan Method Configuration

Please follow the instructions below to configure a Scan Method. The instructions below are
for a standard demo setup. Please modify as needed.

3.4.1 Create a new Scan Method

Click the Scan Method button from the top menu. To create a new Scan Method, press the Add

button. Enter Powder Cup as the name for the Scan Method as shown in the dialog
below.

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Enter the settings as shown in the two examples below to configure the Powder Cup Scan
Method settings:

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Stepped mode with 12 sample scans is recommended for most applications.

When finished, press the Save button to save the Scan Method.

3.5 Calibration Method Configuration

The Calibration Method contains all the analytical settings that an instrument needs to predict
constituent values from a sample spectrum, or calculate additional constituent values from
available data. Every Product must have at least one Calibration Method, but more than one
Calibration Method can be combined into a Product to produce the desired analytical results.

Please follow the instructions below to configure a Calibration Method. The instructions below
are for a standard demo setup. Please modify as needed.

3.5.1 Create Calibration Method

Click the Calibration Method button from the top menu. To create a Calibration Method, press

the Add button. Enter Demo as the name for the Calibration Method as shown in the
dialog below.

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Press the Browse button and navigate to C:\Unity\Models directory. Select a PRD file
from this directory to use as your calibration source (in this case XT_Demo.prd). Enter Demo as
the Description.

Click to select the Constituents tab and verify that the names match.

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When finished, press the Save button to save the Calibration Method.

3.6 Create a Product

A Product is the collection of settings and calibrations that a UScan user selects to analyze a
sample. A Product must have one (1) Scan Method, and one (1) or more Calibration Methods.

Please follow the instructions below to configure a Scan Method. The instructions below are
for a standard demo setup. Please modify as needed.

3.6.1 Create a Product

Click the Define Product button from the top menu. To create a Product, press the Add
button. Enter Demo as the name for the Product as shown in the dialog below.

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Press Save to continue creating the Product. Click to select the Add Scan/Cal Methods
tab and click to select the Powder Cup Scan Method and the Demo Calibration Method.

Click to select the Display Parameters tab. Press the Edit button. Press the Add
icon and enter Distances in the name as shown below.

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Place check marks next to Display GD and Display ND to select these options as shown below.

Press the Save icon to save the Display settings.

To finish configuring the Demo product, click the Groups tab and click Main as the Product
Category and Main as the Product Image as shown below:

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When finished, press the Save button to save the Product.

3.7 Analyze a Sample

UScan should now have a Product ready for analysis. Please follow the instructions below to
analyze a sample.

If UScan is still in Configuration Mode, please press the Main button from the top menu buttons
to return to the main user interface.

Select a Product to analyze by pressing the select Product button from the lower
panel in the main screen. From the dialog below, click to select Main Product Category and
then Demo from the Products.

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Demo Product along with the proper Cup Type will now be displayed in the upper left status
section of UScan.

Press the Scan button to initiate the analysis. In Demo mode, UScan will simulate analyzing a
sample with a progress bar displayed.

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When finished, the sample results will be displayed in the Result View. Click the other views to
see the other display options.

UScan now has a functioning Product and is ready for demonstration, training or practice with
Sample Management operations. Please see the UScan Operations Manual for more detailed
information about these functions.

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