Hitachi L7200 Autosampler: Installation

Installing and Controlling Third-Party Devices
Merck Hitachi L7200 Autosampler: Installation

Dionex recommends operating the Merck Hitachi L7200 Autosampler with the new Merck (or Hitachi) LaChrom HPLC System Device Driver (see Merck Hitachi LaChrom HPLC System: Overview).

Chromeleon still provides the old device driver (Obsolete: Merck Hitachi L7200/L7250 AS (D-Line)) only for compatibility reasons. The old driver requires a D-Line converter for each device.

Hardware Installation

Device Connection:

Use a D-Line cable to connect the Merck Hitachi L7200 Autosampler to a D-Line converter. Use the upper D-Line socket of the L7200 (labeled RELAY BOX) as power is supplied to this socket only.

Connect the D-Line converter itself to a free COM port of the controlling PC using a fully connected null modem cable. (Dionex part no. 1310.2263, for more information, refer to Null Modem Cable.)

Device Settings:

Select the following communications settings, as described in the product manual (see Instruction Manual, Advanced Operation):

Turn off the instrument.
Hold down the UTILITY key and turn on the instrument.
Set the following parameters:

Baud rate: 4800

Data bits: 7

Parity: Even

Stop bits: 2

Termination: CR

Turn off the instrument.

Software Installation

Install the Device Driver in the Chromeleon Server Configuration. (For more information about the program, refer to Software Installation and Communication The Server Configuration Program.)

Start the Chromeleon server.
Start the Server Configuration program.
Add the autosampler to the timebase. Select Add Device on the Edit or context menu, and then select Hitachi (or Merck) from the Manufacturers list box and L7200/L7250 AS (D-Line) from the Devices list box.
The following settings are required:

On the General tab page, select the COM port to which the autosampler is connected. In addition, disable the Demo Mode.

On the Rack tab page, specify the rack type used with your autosampler

On the Syringe tab page, specify the syringe volume used with your autosampler.

The Error Levels tab page classifies the severity of any errors that occur. It is generally not necessary to change the default settings.

Application

Tips:

Operating several instruments, for example, an L7100 Pump plus an L7200 Autosampler requires a separate D-Line converter for each instrument.

Due to limitations in the D-Line command set, only the following basic operations are supported:

Connect (see Reference Information Connect/Disconnect)
Disconnect (disconnects the autosampler from Chromeleon but does not disconnect the autosampler from D-Line control)
Inject (with the Vial Number and Sample Volume parameters)
Sampler busy

For an overview of the different settings and commands supported by the L7250 Autosampler, refer to Commands and Tips for Third-Party Devices Merck Hitachi Autosamplers: Settings and Commands.

Further Information

Tip:

For more installation details, refer to the manual for the instrument.

For an overview of the autosampler, refer to Merck Hitachi L7200 Autosampler: Overview.

For information about AS2000 and AS4000 Autosamplers, refer to Merck Hitachi AS2000 and AS4000 Autosamplers: Overview and Merck Hitachi L7250 Autosampler: Overview.

For an overview of the different Merck Hitachi instruments that can be controlled by Chromeleon, refer to Merck Hitachi.