Connecting Devices to the Chromeleon Server PC
Connecting Dionex Devices via TCP/IP

 Note: 

Using a TCP/IP network connection (LAN) for communication between the Summit devices and Chromeleon was required under Windows NT 4.0, which did not support USB. For Windows XP and later operating systems, we generally recommend connecting Summit devices via USB  to the Chromeleon server PC.

To ensure reliable communication between the Summit devices and the Chromeleon server with a LAN connection, we recommend using a LAN connection that is independent of the office LAN, i.e., an instrument LAN, between the devices and the Chromeleon server PC. This type of connection requires that you install a separate 10Mbit network interface card in the Chromeleon server PC and assign unique IP addresses to all connected devices.

If your PC already contains a separate network interface card for operating Summit HPLC devices, the pump can be connected to this card. To use a DX-LAN card for a TCP/IP connection (instrument LAN), first uninstall the card completely. Afterward, reinstall the card and establish the connection.

 Caution:  

Dionex cannot guarantee reliable communication when operating the UCI Universal Chromatography Interface or the UVD 170U/340U detector on an office LAN because the load of the office LAN is a decisive factor. Overload of the office LAN may result in timeouts and loss of data and thus disturb automatic operation of Chromeleon. That is why we advise against operating the UCI Chromatography Interface or the UVD 170U/340U detector on an office LAN.

Connecting devices via an instrument LAN

If you wish to connect only one device, you can connect the server PC and the TCP/IP-enabled Summit device via a crossover cable, a special network cable with crossed-over data lines. These lines are usually marked by colors (red, yellow) to distinguish the cable from standard network cables. Thus, the structure of the instrument LAN is as follows (peer to peer connection):

If you wish to connect several TCP/IP-enabled Summit HPLC devices to the server PC, you must use a hub (10Mbit) to establish the connection to the instrument LAN. In this case, use standard network cables (Dionex part no. 8906.2038) instead of the crossover cable:

Network Interface Card (NIC)

A instrument LAN connection between the TCP/IP-enabled Summit device and the Chromeleon server requires the installation of a separate 10 Mbit network interface card (NIC, in the Chromeleon operating system = adapter) in the Chromeleon server PC. Install the card, according to the manufacturer's instructions; click Start > Settings > Control Panel > Network > Adapters > Add).

Configure the network adapter for the instrument LAN (here [2] 3Com Fast EtherLink XL NIC (3C905B-TX)) on the Bindings tab page. First, select all protocols in the Show Bindings for field to verify that the TCP/IP protocol is installed. Install the TCP/IP protocol, if necessary:

Then, select all adapters in the Show Bindings for field and disable all protocols for the 10MBit network card of the instrument LAN except the TCP/IP protocol:

The IP address and subnet mask need to be entered for the separate network adapter because the TCP/IP protocol is used for the instrument LAN. The dialog box for entering the IP address and the subnet mask opens automatically during the installation.

 Note: 

You can reopen this dialog box later, if you need to change the IP address and subnet mask. Select Start > Settings > Control Panel > Network > Protocols. Then, select the TCP/IP protocol and open the Properties of Microsoft TCP/IP dialog box, using the Properties command on the context menu:

In the Adapter field, select the network interface card for the instrument LAN and the Specify an IP address option.

 Caution:

Do not change the settings for the office LAN network interface card!

The second network card must have a different IP address. Therefore, first identify which IP range is already used. Open a DOS command box by clicking Start > Programs > Command Prompt and enter: Ipconfig /all. Differentiate between the two following cases:

Case A: Already used IP address ¹ 192.168.60.xxx 
Case B: Already used IP address = 192.168.60.xxx

Case A:

Select the address from the range given below and enter the subnet mask specified below:

IP Address: 192.168.60.xxx (xxx can be any numbers between 1 and 254)
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

 Note:

The subnet mask determines which part of the IP address describes the network and which part defines the individual devices connected to the network. Instrument LANs have different network addresses. Based on the subnet mask 255.255.255.0 in the above example, the term "192.168.60" describes the network, while ".xxx" defines the individual modules connected to the network.

Do not enter a gateway address. Communication between the TCP/IP-enabled device and the Chromeleon server is always direct.

Case B:

If the range 192.168.60.xxx is already used for the office LAN, use a different network range for the instrument LAN, e.g., use 192.168.61.xxx.

 Tip:

In this case, make sure that the addresses assigned to the individual Summit HPLC modules also start with 192.168.61.

For information about the appropriate value for your individual configuration, contact your system administrator.

Do not enter a gateway address. Communication between the TCP/IP-enabled device and the Chromeleon server is always direct.

Applies to both, case A and case B

It may happen that some of the TCP/IP-enabled Summit devices you want to control via the separate 10MBit network card have already been assigned an IP address and a subnet mask. In this case, when selecting the IP address of the network adapter of the server PC, be sure that only the last digit differs from the IP address of these devices. Otherwise, it may not be possible to address the connected Summit HPLC devices. (For information about how to configure Dionex devices, see  Connecting Dionex Devices via TCP/IP: Configuring Devices (CMIPUTIL)).

A valid configuration for case A would be, for example:

A valid configuration for case B would be, for example:

 Tips:  

Every device on the same network must have a unique IP address. Selecting duplicate IP addresses may cause conflicts on the network.

Do not use 0 or 255 as the last numbers in IP addresses.

To check the selected settings, enter the following commands at the DOS level (Start > Programs > Command Prompt)

 ipconfig /all

What it does: Lists the configuration of all network interface cards. The newly installed 10MBit network interface card has been configured successfully if this command also returns its IP address and subnet mask.

route print

What it does: Checks whether you can address the TCP/IP-enabled Summit device with the network interface card used for the instrument LAN. The new network interface card is correctly configured if the indicated network (here, 192.168.60.0) is displayed under Target and its subnet mask under Net mask.

ping 192.168.60.51

What it does: Checks the connection to the TCP/IP-enabled Summit device with the IP address entered (in this example: 192.168.60.51). If the installation is correct, the TCP/IP-enabled device will respond to the ping command.

To control devices via the new network interface card, they need to be configured correspondingly, including the IP address and subnet mask. Use the IP Utility program on the Chromeleon CD to configure the IP address and the corresponding subnet mask (see  Connecting Dionex Devices via TCP/IP: Configuring Devices (CMIPUTIL).

 Tip:  

This program is not required for configuring the P680 pump. You can enter the required settings directly on the pump. For more information, refer to the P680 Operating Instructions.

For an overview of the interfaces with which the different Dionex devices are equipped, refer to  Table: Connecting Dionex Devices.

If the instrument does not respond, refer to  Troubleshooting for USB or TCP/IP Connections.