When an exothermic reaction drives digestion temperature above the programmed ramp rate, EasyCONTROL instantly shuts off microwave power, applying it again when the temperature falls back to the ramp rate. Other microwave systems use simple software that only shuts down power when a set temperature point is exceeded. This type of software does not have the capability to adjust power to follow a programmed ramp rate. As a result, digestion may be inconsistent between samples, and of course, the risk of an overpressure or even vessel failure is much higher. This diagram shows how effectively EasyCONTROL brings an exothermic reaction under control and the temperature back to the program ramp rate (red line). The green line shows delivered microwave power – note how the power is continuously varied by the PID controller. Other systems only have on/off control of microwave power.

EasyCONTROL software eliminates the guesswork of determining the microwave power settings appropriate for a given run, as it automatically adjusts the power to match the number of samples in the rotor. Other systems have less sophisticated software which requires the user to modify microwave power settings based on the number of samples being digested – leading to multiple microwave programs for the same sample type. With EasyCONTROL, microwave power is always optimized, and consistent digestion quality is assured – every time.