Installing Dionex Devices
AFC-3000 Automated Fraction Collector: Installation  

Device Type:

Fraction Collector

Device Driver:

Dionex: AFC-3000 Fraction Collector

Hardware Options
Supported:

For information about the available configurations and supported rack types, refer to the operating instructions of the instrument.

 

What is required?

License:

Timebase Class 1

The Fraction Collection Driver delivers intelligent fraction collection based on up to two detector signals. This driver requires the Fraction Collection or Extended Fraction Collection license.

Connection:

To connect the fraction collector to the Chromeleon PC, you can use either an RS-232 serial connection or a USB connection. A free RS-232 port or USB port and one of the following cables are required:

  • RS-232 cable (Dionex P/N 8914.0153, shipped with the instrument) to connect the instrument (COM 1 port)  to the server PC (COM port)

    OR

  • USB cable (Dionex P/N 6911.0002, shipped with the instrument) to connect the USB port on the rear panel of the instrument to a USB port on the PC.

Control Panel:

To control the instrument, use

  • UltiMate_3000_AFC-3000.pan from the
    Dionex Templates\Panels\Dionex_LC     folder in the Browser.

    OR

  • panel tabsets (refer to How to:  Controlling Devices from the Panel Tabset in the User Help section)

Note: Before you use a panel tabset that includes an AFC-3000 panel, open the UltiMate_3000_AFC-3000.pan panel (or any other panel), and connect the AFC to Chromeleon.

 

Hardware Installation

Device Connection using RS-232:

  1. Install the Chromeleon software.

  2. Connect the RS-232 serial cable to COM 1 serial (RS-232) port on the rear panel of the fraction collector

  3. Connect the RS-232 serial cable to a serial (RS-232) port on the Chromeleon computer.

Device Settings:

The communication parameters are set at the factory as follows:

Baud rate 9600

Data bits 8

Parity None

Stop bits 1

Flow control Xon/Xoff

Device Connection using USB:

  1. Install the Chromeleon software.

  2. Plug one end of the USB cable into the USB port on the Chromeleon computer and the other end into the USB port on the fraction collector.

  3. Install the driver for the virtual COM port. To install the virtual COM port, use the FTDI driver application (version 2.08.24 or later) provided on the Chromeleon Service Release DVD in the Drivers\USB Virtual COM Port directory. As a result, the USB device will appear as an additional COM port in the Windows Device Manager. For information on how to install the FTDI driver, refer to the installation instructions provided with the FTDI driver on the Chromeleon DVD.

  4. Stop and then restart the Chromeleon Server.

As an alternative, you can connect the AFC-3000 to a USB hub on an UltiMate 3000 system, and then connect the system to the Chromeleon server PC via only one USB cable, for example, from the pump.

Also refer to Connecting Dionex Devices via USB.

 

Software Installation

  1. In the Chromeleon Server Configuration, add the driver to a timebase. For details, see Adding, Configuring or Deleting Devices. After you have added the driver, the configuration dialog opens automatically.

  2. On each properties tab page, select the desired settings. For information about the settings on a page, click the Help button on a page or press F1. On the AFC page, in the Port list, select the serial interface port to which the fraction collector is connected. This is either the COM port on the Chromeleon computer to which the RS-232 serial cable is connected, or, if a USB cable is used for the connection, the port that was created during installation of the USB driver (Windows automatically allocates a number for the virtual COM port, for example, COM5).

  3. In addition, install the Fraction Collection driver in the same timebase. For more information, refer to Setting up Fraction Collection.

 

Further Information

For detailed installation instructions, refer to the operating instructions of the instrument.

For troubleshooting information, refer to Troubleshooting for USB and TCP/IP Connections.

For an overview of the different Dionex devices, refer to  Installing Dionex Devices.