On notification of firmware update and release, the AIR XS can be updated via the on-device firmware update functionality. The instrument requires the update to take place via the connection of an external USB device loaded with the latest firmware.

Carry out the following steps to update your firmware: 

1)    Insert the USB and wait a few seconds for it to be recognised

2)    Navigate to ‘Main Menu’ > ‘System > ‘Firmware Update’

3)    Follow the onscreen instructions

4)    The unit will update and automatically restart within a few seconds

Contact Trolex support.

Replace HEPA filters.

Open the particle inlet cap.

1. Wipe the outer casing with a damp cloth.
2. Use compressed air to clean the particle inlet.

1. Press and hold the centre button to go to the Main Menu
2. Go to Communication.
3. Configure RS485 baud rate and Ethernet settings.

1. Press and hold the centre button to go to the Main Menu
2. Go to Communication.
3. Configure RS485 baud rate and Ethernet settings.

Yes, via MODBUS RTU (RS485) or MODBUS TCP/IP (Ethernet) for integration with SCADA systems and Aethair’s Thiamis.

Yes, via MODBUS RTU (RS485) or MODBUS TCP/IP (Ethernet) for integration with SCADA systems and Aethair’s Thiamis.

1. Insert a USB device (minimum 8GB, FAT32 format)
2. Press and hold the centre button to go to the Main Menu
3. Navigate to Data Download > USB Download

No – AIR XS is not designed for use in Explosion Group or Zoned hazardous areas.

The AIR XS is designed for workplaces where airborne silica exposure is a concern, such as construction sites, mining, and manufacturing environments.

The device will activate visual alarms and, if configured, external audio/visual alarms.

The device will activate visual alarms and, if configured, external audio/visual alarms.

1. Go to Main Menu > Alarms
2. Choose a measurement period (1 min, 15 min, 1 hr, etc.)
3. Set a threshold limit
4. Select alarm mode (latching or non-latching)

1. Real-time RCS concentration (mg/m³)
2. Alarm status
3. Logged data trends

The device features a directional keypad with an ‘Enter’ (or middle) button for selecting options.

The device features a directional keypad with an ‘Enter’ (or middle) button for selecting options.

1. Mount the device on a suitable surface using the integrated brackets
2. Connect to a power source (100 V ac to 240 V ac or 9 V dc to 18 V dc)
3. Ensure the particle inlet and exit apertures are unobstructed
4. Connect communication cables if required

8.2 kg

8.2 kg

Width: 305 mm
Length: 305 mm
Diameter: 156 mm

Width: 305 mm
Length: 305 mm
Diameter: 156 mm

Optical Refraction Technology.

Optical Particle Counter.

The AIR XS uses a Optical Particle Counter (OPC) that analyses total airborne particulates and using Optical Refraction technology, is able to differentiate the percentage of RCS in real time.

The AIR XS is a real-time respirable crystalline silica (RCS) monitoring device that detects airborne silica particles using Optical Refraction Technology (ORT).

1. To automatically add a new device, connect the device to the computers USB port before following the steps belowIn the Devices section, click on the Actions button and click on Automatic Device Scan as shown below

   

2. A loading message will be displayed while the app automatically detects all of the connected devices
3. Once the app has finished scanning the new device(s) will be displayed in the Devices section as shown below:

Manually add a device

1. Click on the device to be configured in the Devices section. BreatheLITE will automatically download the device settings

2. Click on the Settings tab as shown below:

   

3. Make the required changes to the devices settings by changing the options in the settings tab
4. To save the device settings click on the Save button at the bottom of the settings

5. A notification will then be displayed to show the device settings were successfully saved

1. Click on the device to be identified in the Devices section
   
2. Click on the Identify button button as shown below:

   

3. The LED’s on the front of the selected device will then flash to identify itself

1. Connect the archived device to the PC
   
2. If the app has Automatic Device Discovery turned on, the app will automatically unarchive the device. If it is turned off please follow the steps below
   
3. In the Devices section, click on the Actions button and click on Automatic Device Scan as shown below:

   
   

4. The archived device will then reappear in the device list and will no longer be archived

1. Click on the device to be cleared in the Devices section
   
2. Click on the Clear button and a new popup menu will be displayed as shown below:

   

3. There are 4 options to choose from. These are highlighted below:

•  Alarm Logs: Select this to only clear the alarm logs from a device.
• Event Logs: Select this to only clear the event logs from a device.
• Telemetry: Select this to only clear the telemetry data from a device.
• Shift Summaries: Select this to only clear the shift summary data from a device.
• All: Select this to delete all of the data from a device.

1. Connect the device via the USB cable to the computer
2. If the device is not shown in the device list, click on the Actions button and click on Automatic Device Scan. As detailed in the Devices section
   
3. Click on the device in the Devices section and the following screen will be displayed:

   

4. The next step is to click on the Download Data button and a popup menu will be displayed that will automatically download the devices data. Shown below:

   

5. Once the data has been downloaded, the popup will show that data download is complete, as shown below:

   

6. Click on the Close button to complete the telemetry download.

If the Trolex XD1+ STEL and TWA indicators are flashing red as shown below:

This means the Trolex XD1+ has detected an electronic failure of the internal memory. The XD1+ will alert the user and enter an error state.

If this happens, please contact our support team to raise a ticket.

If the Trolex XD1+ TWA and battery indicator are flashing red as below:

If this is happening to your Trolex XD1+ device, please contact the Trolex service team to raise a new support ticket

If an error occurs when downloading the device data from an XD1+, we recommend that you raise a support ticket and attach your log files that are located in the following locations:

Windows: C:\ProgramData\BreatheLite\

Mac: $UserDirectory\.BreatheLite\Data

Note: the logs are in the format of “yyyymmdd.txt”

Fault description: Lost memory comms. Communications to memory module has failed. Data logging functionality is lost.

Fault check: Power cycle to reset instrument processor and retry.if problem persists, please contact our support team.

Fault description: AIR XD sensor temperature too high. AIR XD is operating above specified temperature limits and has gone into safe mode.

Fault check: Reduce operating temperature below 50°C.

Fault description: Sensor laser current low. AIR XD particulate sensor may have failed.

Fault check: Please raise a ticket or contact our support team.

Fault description: AIR XD particulate sensor may have failed or is operating at excessive temperatures.

Fault description: No fan current. Fan may have malfunctioned.

Fault check: Check instrument is operating within rated temperature range.

Fault description: Communications with the particulate sensor assembly has been lost.

Fault check: Check ‘D’ type connector to sensor housing and power cycle unit.

Fault description: Failed to load and apply user-configured settings. As standard, default AIR XD settings will be applied.

Fault Check: Re-apply custom settings and check if unit saves and restores files. If this does not fix the issue, please raise a ticket or contact our support team.

If the internal temperature of the instrument is suspected to be below -10°C, for example, if it has been left powered off for a period of time in a very cold environment, damage to the optical assembly may occur when power is applied.

Allow the instrument to reach safe operating temperature before applying power.

AIR XD operates a protective thermal cut-out sequence when the temperature inside the instrument exceeds the maximum operating temperature of 45 °C.

This protective measure is in place to maintain the lifespan and operating functionality of the optical sensor assembly when the AIR XD is installed in environments with high ambient temperatures.

1. Select the appropriate Channel
   AIR XD has 2 x alarm channels that can be assigned one of four particulate sizes or TSP. To select the appropriate channel, go to Settings > Alarms > Alarm 1 > Channel Select and select the PM size that you want to monitor.
2. Select the Threshold Channel
   Select and assign an alarm to a specified data source. To select the data source, go to Settings > Alarms > Alarm 1 > Channel Select and select the PM size that you want to monitor.
   
3. Set Alarm Threshold
   Set the threshold value, which activates the alarm. Threshold values can be configured between 1 μg/m3 to 9,999 μg/m3 or 0.1 mg/m3 to 6,553.5 mg/m3. To set the threshold, go to Settings > Alarms > Alarm 1 > Set Threshold and select enter the value of the threshold.
   
4. Set Alarm Latching
   Configure the latching behaviour for the selected alarm. To set the alarm latching, go to Settings > Alarms > Alarm 1 > Latching En/Dis and select whether you want to enable or disable latching.

5. Enable/Disable the Alarm
   Enable to disable audio-visual alarms for selected alarm. To enable or disable the alarm, go to Settings > Alarms > Alarm 1 > Enable/Disable and select whether you want to enable or disable.

1. Select PM channel
   The AIR XD has 2 x 4 mA to 20 mA outputs that can be assigned to one of four particulate sizes or TSP. To select the channel go to Settings > 4-20mA > Channel 1 > PM Channel and then select the PM value.

2. Map 4 mA to 20mA to data channel
   Map the selected 4 mA to 20 mA output to the required data channel (“Live”, “Average 1” or “Average 2”). To map the data channel go to, Settings > 4-20mA > Channel 1 > Data Channel and then select the option you require.
3. Set maximum PM value
   Set the 4 mA to 20 mA scaling range for each 4 mA to 20 mA output. (0 to 9,999 μg/m3 or 0.1 to 6,553 mg/m3.  To set the maximum PM value go to Settings > 4-20mA > Channel 1 > Max PM and then set the value.

4. Enable/Disable
   Enable or disable 4 mA to 20 mA outputs. To enable or disable the 4 mA to 20mA output go to Settings > 4-20mA > Channel 1 > En/Dis and then select the option.

5. Check Status
   Check the overview status of the 4 mA to 20 mA channels. To check the status of the 4 mA to 20mA outputs go to Settings > 4-20mA > Status.

To change the AIR XD STEL or TWA periods, go into Settings > Averaging Time and then select either the STEL or TWA option. Enter a new time period and save the new settings.

Once the new settings have been configured, you will then need to select “TWA Auto Reset” from the menu.

The PM density setting on the AIR XD allows you to set a custom PM density value for known particulates in the installation environment.

To change the PM density, go into Settings > PM Density, and enter and set a new PM density value.

Note: The AIR XD uses a PM density value to calculate the mass of known particulates in the installation environment (1.65 g/ml as default).

AIR XD maps PM sizes against selected channels (“Ch1” to “Ch4”). Each channel can be defined a custom PM size.

Passcode protection of the device settings is enabled by default but can be disabled or enabled by going to Settings > Passcode > En/Dis.

The settings passcode can be changed to a custom value by going to the following menu options System > Passcode > Set Passcode.

Once the user has entered the new passcode they will be required to enter the previous passcode before the change takes place.

Our AIR X Particulate Monitors don’t hold any of these accreditations.

• Extract the data in CSV format
• Download all relevant reports in PDF Format. To do this, on the toolbar, select the report you wish to download. Set the filters and select ‘view results’.

• On the toolbar, navigate to the report that you want to schedule
• Using the ‘filter’ panel, filter the report data as required then select ’email’. This will open the ’email report’ window
• Within the ‘recipients’ box, select each person you want to receive a copy of the report and select ‘add’
• Select ‘periodically’ and this will display the schedule options
• Select the frequency that the report should be sent and select ‘OK’

• View live collated exposure data and employee location
• Monitor alerts and alarms from daily activities
• Track third-party sensor exposure trends and KPIs
• View reports by division, region or other categorisations, for example, by project

• Detailed reports on employee system use
• Reports on dust exposure data
• Reports on GPS location data
• Reports the alerts and alarms communicated to Reactec Analytics

• Improve corporate visibility of workplace health and safety risks
• Streamline workflows and automate manual processes
• Record business-critical data in a central repository
• Prevent data silos stored in disparate systems
• Integrate personal risk data with EHS systems

Typically, water droplets (such as rain) won’t register on the unit as they are too large, and the unit is designed to prevent ingress.

Fine mists may be detected by the sensor as they will be able to pass through if they don’t have the mass to fall vertically, consideration should always be given to this when interpreting your data and occasionally dense mist may cause saturation of the device readings.

Each product has a varying accuracy rating which can be found in the technical specification in the technical brochure.

Accuracy is determined in the industry as ± % and is usually a benchmark against another known brand of real-time monitor. This is the case for our products as well, although we have also tested in some cases against gravimetric plus XRD analysis; however, these should only be used as indicative due to the inherent accuracy of gravimetric plus XRD also being ± 30% as an accepted estimate).

You can find further information on compliance checks for your AIR X unit in the ‘Compliance check’ section of the respective user manual.

You can, but we strongly recommend against doing this to avoid the possibility of moisture entering the asperator (or spray bottle), Moisture will contaminate the dust sample causing the particulate sensor to not record all dust sizes.

In the event that you do, if possible you should warm the dust sample at 65C for two hours and then shake the asperator enough times to allow the dust particles to separate. In the event of a “FAIL” result, this will often be the cause.

You should get approximately 5 compliance checks to 5 different units out of 1 vial of reference dust. We recommend this because the longer you keep the reference dust in the asperator (or spray bottle), the higher the chance that moisture will get in and cause the dust to merge, which will cause your device to not monitor for the correct size dusts.

We recommend that a compliance check is carried out every 3 months. However, in activities where your unit is exposed to extremely high levels of dust, this should be done more frequently to ensure your device is working as required.

You must carry out a compliance check to your AIR XS Silica Monitor every month. However, in activities where your unit is exposed to extremely high levels of dust, this should be done more frequently to ensure your device is working as required.

The sensor is expecting a range of dust particles between 0.3 and 40ug during this test, when the dust sample is applied the laser will size the dust particles and organise them in to the correct bins and then analyse the data, if all bins are filled this confirms the laser is working across the complete range and the unit will confirm this with a ‘PASS’ indication.

In the event that your device fails its compliance check, we recommend you that you run a sensor cleaning operation as highlighted in ‘Compliance check’ section of the user manual.

You’ll get enough reference dust to carry out a compliance test for an entire year. You’ll get

• 1 x base station that the device sits in
• 1 x hood with a hole for the dust particles to be sprayed through
• 4 x vials of reference dust which contains different sized particles
• 4 x asperators (or spray bottles)

You can download BreatheMOBILE here or from the Apple or Google Play stores.

You can download Breathe here.

You can download BreatheLITE here.

You can download BreatheXS here.

ANSWER

We recommend regularly carrying out the following actions in the order they appear:

1. Check for external damage to the device. Plastic parts should not be cracked or broken which could affect
2. the IP rating of the product.
3. Check for damage or wear to the main product membrane, LED icons and power/function switch.
4. Check for damage to the USB data / charge port.
5. Remove the silicon cover and regularly cleaning with a damp warm cloth to prevent stray dust particles.
6. Wipe the unit down with a damp cloth at the end of the day after use.
7. Use a small paint brush clean the any external dust or debris caught within the grille.
8. Use canned compressed clean air, spray the device inlet for 10 to 15 seconds to clean the dust path.
9. Wipe down the XD1+ inlet surfaces with a damp cloth to remove any external dust and debris.

Carrying out a compliance check to your device tests that your it’s monitoring for the correct size dust particles. This means that when your device is in use, you know that it’s monitoring for all
particulates ranging from PM1 to PM10.

As long as the monitor continues to pass its compliance check, and the structure of the monitor is as manufactured (i.e. no damage to the housing etc.) the unit can continue to be used.

As the test dust is used to check the performance of the monitor, there has to be very tight tolerances in the process, as you’ll see on the dust vial, the dust has a wide spread of particle sizes from 0.36 μm to 40 μm, once the vials have been opened, moisture can cause the particles to amalgamate, which would lead to the monitor failing a compliance check, as the particles won’t be of the correct size spread.

Regulation 10 of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH Regulations) indicates that, irrespective of the monitoring technique employed, “[t]he monitoring shall take place at regular intervals, and when any change occurs which may affect exposure.”

Therefore, once the process which may result in exposure changes in any way, shape or form, monitoring should be performed. Real-time monitoring technology provides several advantages over traditional gravimetric sampling in that it’s instant (compared to several days for gravimetric) and less fraught with operational constraints, especially when no in-house expertise are available to conduct the traditional exposure monitoring.

Remember the level of exposure to your employees can change, this means the initial assessment can change regularly based on environmental, personnel behaviour or process events.

We’d always recommend consulting a professional based on your specific application and local legislation as many standards don’t allow real-time monitoring as a basis for compliance but only as a supplementary data source.

In the UK, HSG173 is a useful document for more information. However, whilst this should be taken in taken context of the full document, ‘Appendix 2’ states the following guidance: “[t]he monitoring equipment and method of analysis that you choose has to fit the requirement of the strategy and not vice versa”

“The sampling technique you choose needs to be appropriate for the given work situation and not significantly influence the employees behaviour by being, too heavy, obstructive or noisy.”

No. No form of exposure monitoring (real time or gravimetric) can be used to eliminate control measures on its own. Many people use real-time particulate monitoring as the most effective method to assess their control measures and may qualify their finding with legislated methods if making substantial changes.

PPE is widely considered the last line of defence, so by using live data many companies have found much more detailed information on how their work processes may result in high levels of particulate exposure. In turn, this may lead to better measures which may eliminate or effectively control the hazard at source, and, in some cases, they may have reduced or eliminated the need for PPE.

However this must be evaluated and substantiated with the correct risk assessments and control measures and local guidelines strictly adhered to. A professional should always be consulted before removing any safety measures in place.

Regulation 10 of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH Regulations) speaks to the duty placed on employers pertaining to “Monitoring exposure at the workplace”.

With particulates it’s not always immediately obvious whether there is a risk to the health of employees. More often than not, dangerous levels of exposure to particulate matter are regularly invisible to the human eye.

Furthermore, monitoring will provide a better understanding of when, where and why exposure is occurring.

Failure or deterioration of the control measures could result in a serious health effect, so regular or continuous monitoring is critical to ensure no changes have occurred to mitigate the controls. Direct reading monitoring technology is also the best possible short-term measure to evaluate the effectiveness of control measures.

Demonstrating duty of care to your employees and visitors by investing in monitoring is a positive way to influence Health and Safety culture.

Most of our devices have 1,2,4,8 and 12-hour time-weighted avarages (TWA) this is because a TWA inherently will take into account any (or zero) readings into its average.

Where the device or consideration for a persons’ exposed hasn’t been operating for the 8-hour average, the calculation will include the null period of zero readings. Reducing the on device reading can be misleading if it’s not understood, so shorter time frames are included for local extrapolation depending on requirement.

Note: If you’re looking for indicative readings against an 8-hour sample then the 8-hour average reading should be used, but the device must be running for 8 hours before the reading is
generated.

Trolex AIR X dust monitors can be configured to log particulate data sizes based on specific areas of interest (PM4.25 – inhalable, for example). During logging intervals, the unit captures size data for all particles that pass through the sensor, which can be reviewed at a later point in time and correlated with other size fractions as outlined in the relevant guidelines.

Advice on the relevant size fraction to be measured for a particular material hazardous to health may be obtained from EH40/2005 Workplace Exposure Limits and the Approved Code of Practice on the COSHH Regulations.

• Inhalable fraction approximates to the fraction of airborne material that enters the nose and mouth during breathing and is therefore available for deposition anywhere in the respiratory tract.
• Thoracic fraction is the fraction of inhaled airborne material penetrating beyond the larynx.
• Respirable fraction is the inhaled airborne material that penetrates to the lower gas exchange region of the lung.

Our take is that any particulate material that has the potential to be inhaled is bad news. Our technology gives you an early indication and warning of this, allowing you to do something about it.

Currently most regions don’t accept real-time monitoring as part of your legislative compliance process; however, some do recommend various types of monitoring to enable the best decisions to be made.

We recommend that you check your local legislative guidelines to ensure you’re fully compliant and use real-time monitoring quick, simple indicative monitoring to support good decisions and protect peoples’ health.

Re-calibration is not possible in field due to the complexity of the technology; however, by performing a compliance check with a Trolex certified sample the unit will verify if it’s still reading within tolerance. Compliance checks should be completed monthly to ensure confidence with your product.

It’s recommended that real-time monitors are operated with location and proximity consideration to any atomising dust suppression systems. Device readings will include counts based on atomised or misted sizes that pass through, within the particle detection range of the sensor.

• 1 x base station that the device sits in
• 1 x hood with a hole for the dust particles to be sprayed through
• 4 x vials of reference dust which contains different sized particles (enough reference dust to carry out a compliance test for an entire year)
• 4 x asperators (or spray bottles)

The Trolex TX8005 AIR XD Dust Monitor is designed to provide detailed, accurate, real-time data on airborne particulates so that users can take appropriate actions to stay safe and ensure personnel are fully protected from particulate-related health hazards. The AIR XD allows users to simultaneously monitor multiple Particulate Matter (PM) sizes (PM1.0, PM2.5, PM4.25, PM10, as well as custom sizes) and can report on Total Suspended Particulates (TSP). Precise data is collected for measurable particulates, enabling detailed size profiling and analysis using the application software.

AIR XD uses an innovative optical particle counter (OPC) that combines adaptive particle flowrate with advanced sensing technology to ensure a high level of measurement accuracy. The size of each particle is instantaneously measured and classified at up to 10,000 samples per second to allow detailed real-time reporting in high dust environments.

As AIR XD records data on all particulates between 0.35 μm and 40 μm, users can easily access and view detailed information about a wide range of PM sizes. Measurement information can be viewed via the instrument display or as live or historical readings using the AIR XD Breathe application software.