Milestone Microwaves are operated via an industrial grade control terminal featuring a full-color VGA (640x480), 6.5” touch screen display. The terminal features 1 USB port (printer), 2 PS2 ports (optional mouse and keyboard), and 3 RS 232 ports (for external devices).

The terminal runs Milestone’s unique EasyCONTROL software, providing simple and intuitive, but extremely flexible and powerful control over the microwave chemistry. No need to have a PC on the bench to display and view programs. Automatic real-time monitoring and feedback-based control of multiple parameters offers unsurpassed process control. Simply recall a factory stored program or create a new one. Press ‘Start’ and the system automatically follows the drawn temperature profile, utilizing a sophisticated PID (proportional-integral-derivative) controller. 

EasyCONTROL monitors and controls the chemical process in real-time, monitoring reaction temperature at 20 times per second. A key advantage of EasyCONTROL, over other less sophisticated systems, is that microwave power output varies in real time, dependent upon the temperature of the sample solution. This has several important benefits that make the ETHOS EX the easiest and safest system to use:

• EasyCONTROL’s PID controller continuously varies delivered microwave power, allowing the programmed temperature profile to be followed precisely. Other systems have only on/off control of microwave power, which gives much less control over the digestion.

• EasyCONTROL controls the reaction throughout the run, for example reducing power instantly should an exothermic reaction occur. Other systems can only switch off power and only when a set point is reached.

• The same method is used, regardless of the number of samples processed, since EasyCONTROL adjusts power to match the sample load. With other systems, the method has to be manually modified whenever the number of samples changes.

• Superior control means uniform temperature irrespective of the number of samples in the run.

USB and PC card ports are provided for method and data file transfer via memory stick or PC card and Milestone’s EasyDOC Windows-based software. All methods and runs are saved, and can be transferred to/from the hard drive of the PC, offering unlimited memory for storing all sample preparation data. With EasyDOC software, it is also possible to export the run data to a spreadsheet.