The controls are arranged in columns. Each of the twelve rods-and-cylinders is controlled by the buttons and dials in the column above it.

The left column

The parameters that cannot be set independently for each unit are in the column completely to the left. Here the controls are for the counter shut down feature (1..4), the cycle time (5) and the Start-all (6) and Stop-all (7) buttons.

	1	Reset the shut down counter to zero. Any currently running experiments will not be shut down, but counting will start over from zero.
	2	Selects if the counter display (3) advances each cycle (turned left), each 10 (middle), or 100 (right). This switch only influences what is displayed. When it is turned while counting, (only) the displayed value (3) is likely to become incorrect.
	3	LCD screen of the shut down counter. The shut down counter will start counting when the Start-all button (6) is depressed until the Stop-all button (7) is pressed or when the preset number is reached. If the shut down counter is NOT used, but the Start-all button (6) WILL be used, the shut down counter must be disabled (4). In all other cases the shut down counter doesn't require any attention.
	4	The number of cycles for shut-down is set with thumb wheel switches in an unusual way. The left two switches are used to set the first two digits of the required number. The third thumb switch sets the number of trailing zero's. In this way 25,000 is set as 25-3, 67 is set as 67-0 and 1000 as either 01-3 or 10-2. A setting of 00-0 disables the counter shut down feature. 99-9 has the same effect ;-)
	5	The cycle time is set with a bank of four thumb wheel switches (5). This sets the cycle time in hundredths of a second. One second is set as 0100. The fatigue tester is not designed to handle cycle times shorter than 0.1 sec. (set as 0010).
	6	Start-all units and the shut down counter
	7	Stop-all units and the shut down counter
	The other 12 columns The parameters that can be set for each of the twelve units.
	8, 9	Pressure regulators to set the high (8) and the low force (9). Pull out to adjust, push to lock. The forces can be regulated between 1.8 (the weight of the rod) and over 200 Newtons.
	10	Resets the five-digit counter (12) to zero
	11	Selects if the counter (12) advances each cycle (turned left), each 10 (middle), or 100 cycles (right). Do not turn this switch during counting.
	12	5-Digit counter. When the unit is not set to Disabled (16), it starts counting when the start button (6 or 18) is pressed and stops when Stop (7 or 19) is depressed or when the rod comes below the position set with the level dial (17).
	13	green LED, lights constant during cycling.
	14	yellow LED for the high force, flashes during the tests
	15	Multiturn dial to set the on-time. One turn is one second. The small window on top (1) shows the number of turns or seconds. The fraction of a second can be read from the circular scale (2). The dial in the picture is set at 2.74 seconds. With lever (3) the dial can be locked against accidental turning.
	16	Selector switch to set the unit in one of four modes; mode 1/Disabled, mode 2/Only low force, mode 3/Normal cycling, and mode 4/Only high force. Mode 1 is turned left, mode 4 is turned right. When the unit is disabled it cannot be started and the cylinders are decompressed. In the other modes, the unit needs to be activated by depressing the start button (6 or 18).
	17	The unit will be stopped if the rod goes too far downward. The vertical position of the rod where the unit is switched off can be adjusted a few millimeters with this control. In many cases this can be used to stop the unit when the sample fractures.
	18	Starts the unit in the mode selected with switch (16).
	19	Stops the unit and decompresses the cylinder.
	20	The pneumatic cylinder that delivers the required force.
	21	Latch to hold the pneumatic cylinder in place. When this is released the cylinder can be flipped backward. In this way the rod can move further upward, when the sample and its holder are put in position.
	22	Connector with the load cell. With this 5-pin Din connector the Load cell readout can be connected, to monitor the forces during the adjustment procedure. The maximum load is 200 Newtons
	23	Extendable rod. With 11 and 17mm fork wrenches the correct extension can be set. The extendable part comes in two forms. The brass one has a flat end, the stainless steel one ends with a 5-millimeter ball, which can be used when the experiment requires a simple antagonist.