OHAUS TX-110AU Balance Data Printer (STARiTECH Brand, Compatible with OHAUS and Multi-Brand Analytical & Industrial Balances)

Overview

The OHAUS TX-110AU Balance Data Printer is a dual-mode (impact dot matrix + thermal), regulatory-compliant peripheral engineered for seamless integration with analytical, precision, and industrial balances—including OHAUS SCOUT series, Sartorius CPA/BS/Q/P, Mettler Toledo ME/AG/ZB/AL, Shimadzu TX/AP/ATX/AUW, AND, A&D, and INTEK Midrics platforms. Unlike generic label printers or basic serial loggers, the TX-110AU functions as an embedded laboratory data acquisition and reporting module—capturing real-time weight values via RS232, USB, or RS485 interfaces and transforming them into auditable, tamper-evident printouts compliant with ISO/IEC 17025, FDA 21 CFR Part 11 (when deployed with appropriate access controls), and GxP-aligned quality systems. Its 8-pin impact printing mechanism—using Epson ERC-09/ERC-22 ribbons and standard 57 mm plain paper—ensures archival-grade permanence of records, eliminating thermal fade concerns critical in pharmaceutical stability studies, QC release testing, and regulated calibration workflows.

Key Features

• Regulatory-ready reporting architecture: Dual-level user permissions (administrator/operator), configurable timestamps, electronic signature fields, and immutable report headers/footers support GLP, GMP, and ISO 9001 documentation requirements.
• Multi-application firmware: Native modes include Weighing (tare/net/gross), Statistical Analysis (up to 300 entries; mean, SD, CV%, min/max, delta), Formulation Tracking, Pipette & Volumetric Flask Calibration (aligned with JJG 646–2006, auto-K_t temperature correction to 20 °C), Loss-on-Drying (LOD), and Accumulation Weighing.
• Customizable report templates: Fully editable header/footer sections—enabling inclusion/exclusion of instrument ID, sample name/batch number, operator ID, date/time, sequence number, and institutional logos—without firmware modification.
• Integrated 128×64 OLED display with bilingual (English/Chinese) UI for local configuration, real-time status monitoring, and on-device preview of report layouts.
• Expandable connectivity: Optional barcode scanner or USB keyboard input for direct sample ID entry; USB host port supports FAT32-formatted flash drives for CSV/Excel-exportable audit logs (no proprietary software required).
• Data integrity safeguards: All printed reports embed time-stamped metadata; no post-print editing capability; statistical calculations performed using 64-bit double-precision floating-point arithmetic to eliminate rounding artifacts.

Sample Compatibility & Compliance

The TX-110AU is protocol-agnostic—supporting ASCII-based weighing data streams from virtually all major balance manufacturers without OEM-specific drivers. It has been validated for use with OHAUS SCOUT Pro, Sartorius Quintix/Entris, Mettler Toledo XPE/MS-TS, and Shimadzu AUW/ATX series instruments under routine lab conditions (20–25 °C, 45–65% RH). All printed outputs meet the evidentiary criteria defined in Annex 11 (EU GMP), ALCOA+ principles (Attributable, Legible, Contemporaneous, Original, Accurate), and USP Analytical Instrument Qualification guidelines. Raw weight data, calibration logs, and statistical summaries are generated with full traceability—including instrument serial number, environmental temperature (if relayed by balance), and operator-assigned batch identifiers.

Software & Data Management

No host PC or proprietary software installation is required—the TX-110AU operates autonomously via its onboard microcontroller and embedded firmware. Configuration is performed locally using the OLED interface and tactile keypad. All settings—including report layout, statistical parameters, calibration constants, and user access rights—are stored in non-volatile memory with battery-backed retention. For laboratories requiring centralized oversight, exported CSV files from USB storage can be ingested into LIMS or ELN platforms (e.g., LabWare, Benchling, Veeva Vault) without format conversion. Audit trails—comprising login attempts, parameter changes, and print job logs—are retained internally and printable on demand.

Applications

• Pharmaceutical QC labs: Generating GMP-compliant weight records for API release, excipient verification, and reference standard preparation.
• Calibration laboratories: Executing pipette and volumetric glassware calibration per ISO 8655 and JJG 646–2006, with automatic volume conversion and uncertainty-aware reporting.
• Academic research: Documenting gravimetric analysis, reaction stoichiometry, and material synthesis steps with timestamped, signed output.
• Food & beverage QA: Performing moisture content determination (LOD), net weight verification, and batch-wise statistical process control (SPC).
• Contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs): Maintaining consistent, vendor-agnostic data capture across heterogeneous balance fleets during tech transfer and process validation.

FAQ

Does the TX-110AU require driver installation on Windows or macOS?
No—operation is entirely self-contained. It communicates via standard serial/USB CDC protocols and requires no OS-level drivers.
Can it print graphs or trend curves directly from balance data?
Yes—the built-in data buffer enables real-time plotting of up to 100 consecutive weight readings as a line chart on plain paper, useful for monitoring settling behavior or dynamic processes.
Is thermal printing mode suitable for long-term record retention?
Thermal mode is intended for draft or internal use only. For permanent archives, impact printing with ERC-series ribbons on plain paper is recommended and validated per ISO 11799.
How does it handle multi-balance environments?
Each TX-110AU unit can be assigned a unique device ID and configured to accept data from one primary balance at a time; switching between instruments requires manual reconfiguration or external multiplexer hardware.
What happens if power fails during a statistical calculation?
All intermediate results are preserved in protected RAM; upon restart, the unit resumes calculation from the last completed step without data loss.