Installing and Controlling Third-Party Devices
Perkin Elmer Autosystem (XL) and Clarus GCs: Installation

Device Type:

Gas chromatograph

Device Driver:

Perkin Elmer: Autosystem (XL)/Clarus Gas Chromatograph

Hardware Options
Supported:

Autosystem, Autosystem XL, Clarus 400/480, Clarus 500/580, and Clarus 600/680.

Up to two Injectors

  • Packed Column Injector (PKD)

  • Split/splitless Capillary Injector (CAP)

  • Programmable On Column Capillary Injector (POC), providing two modes:
    – independent ramps (POCI) and
    – oven ramps (POCO)

  • Programmable Split/splitless Capillary Injector (PSS), providing two modes:
    – independent ramps (PSSI)
    – oven ramps (PSSO)

  • Gas Sampling Valve (GSV)

 

Up to two of the following detectors:

  • Flame Ionization Detector (FID)

  • Electron Capture Detector (ECD)

  • Thermal Conductivity Detector (TCD)

  • Nitrogen Phosphorous Detector (NPD)

 

Additionally: Integrated or external autosampler

Restrictions:

  • Control via the ports of the IntegraLink card is not supported (neither ethernet port nor IEEE/GPIB port).

  • Digital data acquisition only.

  • Maximum data collection rate: Due to instrument restrictions, the data collection rate is limited to 50 Hz (Clarus 600/680) or 25 Hz (all other Autosystem/Clarus models.

  • PSS/POC: No ballistic (step) gradients for temperature

  • PPC: No step gradients for column flow

  • The Cryo option is not supported.

  • Calibration procedures are not supported.

  • When Chromeleon controls the GC, keyboard input is disabled except for browsing. Manual start (for injections using a Gas Sampling Valve) and stop of the GC, however, is possible.

  • It is not possible to use values from user-defined columns in programs controlling the Perkin Elmer Autosystem (XL) GC.

  • (Autosystem and Autosystem XL GC only): Detection and handling of missing vials not supported.

    Important:

    In case of a missing vial error, the user has to interact and manually abort the run. If no user interaction occurs, the sampling process is stopped, the GC remains in the ‘Ready’ state for ever, and the sampling process cannot be resumed.

What is required?

License:

Timebase Class 1

Connection:

Autosystem and Autosystem XL:

Null modem cable (RS232 cable) with 25-pin connector (Dionex part nos. 8914.0103A, 8914.0120, or 8914.0121; for more information, refer to  Null Modem Cable.)

Clarus GCs:

Null modem cable (RS-232 cable) with 9-pin connector (Dionex part no. 1310.2263).

Hardware
Prerequisites:

To control the GC, a free RS-232 port is required on the Chromeleon Server PC.

Firmware
Prerequisites:

Autosystem: Firmware version 1.6 or later.

Autosystem XL: Firmware version 3.500 or later.

Clarus 500: Firmware version 4.110 or later.

Clarus 600: Firmware version 3.3.63 or later.

Clarus 680: Firmware version 5.0.70 or later.

(PPC: Firmware version 3.70 or later.)

Control Panel:

PE_GC.pan

Hardware Installation

Device Connection:

Autosystem (XL)

Connect the Autosystem GC, using a null modem cable with 25-pin connector (Dionex part no. 8914.0103A, see  Null Modem Cable).

 Caution:

It is not possible to control the Autosystem GC via a 9-9pin cable plus adapter.

Also, note that it is not possible to connect the GC via the IntegralLink card (neither using the serial port nor the IEEE/GPIB port) to the PC. The IntegralLink card is connected to the serial port on the GC. The card is installed behind the right cover of the GC. Carefully open the cover and disconnect the card from the GC. Connect the PC with the ethernet port on the GC, instead.

Clarus 400/480, Clarus 500/580 and Clarus 600/680:

Use a null modem cable (RS-232 cable) with 9-pin connector to connect the Clarus GC. How the cable is connected to the Clarus depends on whether the GC provides a 9-pin RS-232 port or not.

GCs equipped with 9-pin RS-232 port:

If a 9-pin RS-232 port is provided on the Clarus, connect the cable directly to the 9-pin port. The port is located under the instrument's top cover. (Note: Do not confuse with 9-pin port for firmware updates!) To access the port proceed as follows:

  1. Turn off the GC.

  2. Remove either the upper or the right cover of the GC.

  3. Connect one end of the RS-232 cable to the 9-pin port of the GC. Connect the other end of the cable to the RS-232 port on the PC.

GCs not equipped with 9-pin RS-232 port:

If no 9-pin RS-232 port is provided on the GC, connect the RS-232 cable with the serial communication cable that connects the IntegralLink card with the main board:

  1. Turn off the GC.

  2. Open the right cover of the GC.

  3. Disconnect the serial cable from the IntegralLink card (but do not disconnect the cable from the main board).

  4. Then connect the RS-232 cable that comes from the PC with the free end of the serial cable.

 Caution:  

Do NOT use the 25-pin port on the GC.

Also, note that it is not possible to connect the GC via the IntegralLink card (neither using the serial port nor the IEEE/GPIB port) to the PC. The IntegralLink card is connected to the serial port on the GC. The card is installed behind the right cover of the GC. Carefully open the cover and disconnect the card from the GC. Connect the PC with the ethernet port on the GC, instead.

 Note:  

It is not possible to control the Clarus GC via a UCI-50 or UCI-100 Universal Chromatography Interface.

Device Settings:

Before connecting the GC, you have to configure the inlet, valve, and detector types. These basic settings must match the installed hardware. Chromeleon checks the configuration when connecting. If the settings do not match, the connection is not established.

Autosystem (XL):

Chromeleon uses the GC method number 4. Make sure that the method is available before you install the GC in Chromeleon.

  1. First, identify the active method. The active method is displayed on the instrument’s Main menu.

  2. If the method displayed is not method number 4, press the Method key and select Setup.

  3. If method number 4 is not displayed, it is not available yet. Either create a new method number 4 or save an existing method as method number 4.

 Note:

If the serial COM port on the Autosystem or Autosystem XL is configured to forward data to a printer, go to the System menu, set Extrn to Comptr, and set the computer type to LINK.

Clarus 400/480, Clarus 500/580 and Clarus 600/680:

  1. In contrast to the Autosystem (XL), is not possible to explicitly create method number 4 for the Clarus. Therefore, verify that a minimum of 4 methods is available.

  2. If there are less than 4 methods, create one or more new methods: In the Method Editor, click File > Open, select a method and confirm the selection by clicking OK. Click File > Save as and enter the name for the new method in the Name input field. Confirm the action by clicking OK.

For more information about how to create a method on the instrument, refer to the operating manual for the instrument.

Internal autosampler

When using the internal autosampler, verify that the instrument is selected in the device configuration (Components tab page, see below). On the autosampler's Configuration menu, set the autosampler to multi-program mode:

  • Autosystem: Set Automation Configure to Multi.

  • Autosystem XL: Set Automation Configure to AutoSamp and Autosampler Config to Multi.

If you do not want to use the internal autosampler, set Automation Configure to Off.

External autosampler

To make sure that the GC receives a signal from the autosampler immediately after injection was performed, connect pin 3 (ground) and pin 4 (signal) on the TB1 connection port with the injection output on the autosampler.

Non-controlled autosampler

If you are using a non-controlled autosampler, the GC must also communicate its "inject" start signal to the autosampler, e.g., via the READY OUT signal (pins 10 and 11 on the TC1 connection port). This contact is open while the GC is not ready; it is closed when the GC is ready.

 

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.)

  1. Start the GC and the Chromeleon server.

  2. Start the Server Configuration program.

  3. Add the gas chromatograph to the timebase. Select Add Device on the Edit or context menu, and then select Perkin Elmer from the Manufacturers list box and  Autosystem (XL)/Clarus Gas Chromatograph from the Devices list box.

  4. A wizard guides you through the initial installation. The following settings are required:

On the General page, select a free COM port and click Next.

On the Device Settings page, select Get settings from device to download the configuration from the GC. You can change these settings on the following pages, if necessary.

 Tip:  

When installing the GC, make sure that all detectors are enabled in the GC configuration before automatically downloading the configuration from the GC. (For the Clarus, you may temporarily disable any unused detectors on the Config dialog on the GC, e.g., to reduce gas consumption or wear. For details, refer to the manual for the instrument.)

On the Components page, select the components of the installed gas chromatograph.

On the Inlets page, select the installed inlet(s).

On the Columns page, select the installed column(s).

On the Detectors page, select the installed detector(s).

On the Valves page, select the valve(s) you have installed.

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

  1. To control the gas chromatograph, connect the PE_CG.pan Control Panel in the Chromeleon client to the corresponding timebase.

Adapting the Server Configuration for simultaneous use of the internal and external autosampler

If your system includes the internal and external autosampler, adapt the Chromeleon Server Configuration as follows:

1. Internal autosampler

  1. Install the instrument in the server configuration program (if necessary).

  2. On the Components tab page, select the Use internal autosampler check box.

 

2. External autosampler

a) Non-controlled autosamplers (e.g., older models of the Perkin Elmer Headspace autosampler):

If you are using an autosampler for which no device driver is available, install a remote inject driver:

  1. Install the Remote Inject driver in the timebase. (Select Add Device on the Edit or context menu, and then select Generic from the Manufacturers list box and Remote Inject from the Devices list box.)

  2. On the General tab page, select the GC_INJECTOR inlet port from the Inject Port drop-down list.

 

 Tip:

If more than one Perkin Elmer GC module is installed on your server, add the device name of the other module(s) in the Inject Port field next to GC_INJECTOR. Verify that the device name corresponds to the device currently used to ensure that the correct inject port was selected.

 

b) External autosamplers controlled by Chromeleon (e.g., Perkin Elmer TurboMatrix Headspace Autosampler):

  1. Install the external autosampler in the server configuration program.

  2. Select an inject port if required. Verify that the device name in the Inject Port field corresponds to the device currently used to ensure that the correct inject port was selected.

 

 Tip:

If you install more than one autosampler in one timebase, all autosamplers are automatically named Sampler. On the General tab page, rename the second autosampler (e.g., to ExtSampler). This is to avoid conflicts in the installation environment (also, see: Naming Devices ...). When you rename an autosampler, you will have to reconnect the related control elements on the control panel, also (see How to…: Controlling Devices from the Control Panel  Connecting a Control Panel to a Chromatography Device). In addition, the PGM files must be changed accordingly.

This completes the configuration of the external autosampler. You can now operate the GC with the external and/or internal autosampler. To select an autosampler for sample injection, add the sampler name in front of the inject command in the PGM File (e.g., Sampler.Inject).

 

 Note:

It is not required to change the Sever Configuration or PGM File for installations that include only an internal or external autosampler.

Application

To use properties that can be set to any retention time in the PGM File, you must explicitly define them in each PGM File because the event table of the GC method is deleted after each run. Other values, such as initial values of the method run or configuration properties, are not part of the method's event table. Thus, they are not changed after the run. You do not have to enter these values explicitly in the PGM File.

For information about the device-specific commands and tips for certain applications, refer to Device Control/Commands and Tips for Third-Party Devices  Perkin Elmer Autosystem (XL) and Clarus GCs.

Troubleshooting

Refer to Device Control: Commands and Tips for Third-Party Devices  Perkin Elmer Autosystem (XL) and Clarus GCs: Troubleshooting.

If you have special problems, please contact Dionex Service.

Further Information

 Tip:

For more installation details and for information about the different applications, refer to the manual for the instrument.