Configuring an F-Value Application Channel

An F-Value Application channel outputs a single analog value that represents the cumulative sterilization effect, expressed as the equivalent time in minutes at the sterilization temperature. The calculation accounts for the entire temperature profile including periods below, at and above the sterilization temperature.

Note - You can only access this function if you have the Can access Applications permission. To add, update or delete an Application channel, you must also have the Can configure permission. If you need to access these functions and do not have permission, please contact your system administrator.

See the F-Value section in Using the Applications Operator Panel for details on updating the run time data.

To configure an F-Value Application channel:

From the EPM Data User Interface screen, select Options - Functions - Applications:
The Applications screen displays, from the left-hand side, select the required F-Value Application channel. The configuration fields display in the right-hand side:
If you are not already in Configuration lock, the Configuration lock screen displays:

Enter a reason if required and then select Confirm . The system configuration is now locked pending the submission of your update and the Configuration Locked icon displays on the status bar.

Note - Configuration lock does not affect the operation of the EPM device.

See Configuration Lock for details.
Complete as required:
- Type - Defaults to F-Value.
- Descriptor - Defaults to Application <n> where n is the next number in sequence from the previous Application channel. We recommend that you enter a unique name for the channel (max 40 characters), for example, “f-val” or “Sterilization F-Value”.
  
  Note - This is not case sensitive, for example, 'AbC' is regarded as identical to 'abc '.
  
  Tip - When an External link icon displays next to a function’s Descriptor, it indicates that one or more of its parameters are mapped to a Modbus server register table. Select External link to display the Modbus register address, data type and related mapping details, which enables alignment with the exported Modbus register map. See Exporting a Modbus Address Map for details.
- Application Configuration - Select Expand if it does not expand automatically:
  - Temperature Unit - Defaults to °C. Select the unit of measurement for the temperature parameters from the available list (^°C, ^°F, K or ^°R) Centigrade, Fahrenheit, Kelvin or Rankine.
  - Input Temperature - Current measured temperature.
    
    Select a dynamic data source, for example, an I/O channel or Maths channel from the available list or enter a numeric constant, see Linking a Channel as an Input for details.
  - Sterilization Temperature - Defaults to 121.1 °C. Enter the reference sterilization temperature.
  - Minimum Lethal Temperature - Defaults to 75 °C. Enter the lowest temperature lethal to expected contaminants.
    
    Tip - Referred to as 'Low cut off' in a 6000 series recorder.
  - Lethality Constant - Defaults to 10 °C. Enter the number of degrees the temperature must be increased by to achieve a factor-of-ten (1 Log 10) reduction in the number of organisms.
    
    Tip - Referred to as 'Temperature interval' in a 6000 series recorder.
Configure any chart and presentation settings for the selected channel, see Configuring the Chart and Presentation Settings of an Application Channel for details.
From Alarms, select Expand if it does not expand automatically, and then select Add alarm to configure an alarm for this channel. See Configuring an Alarm for details.
Once complete, select Review pending changes screen to review updates to the configuration, and submit them. See Reviewing and Submitting Changes for details if required.

Note - Reviewing and submitting can be completed in bulk once you have completed all your additions and/or updates.

Last update - April 2026