Installing and Controlling Third-Party Devices
Varian 3600 GC: Installation

Device Type:

Gas chromatograph

Device Driver:

Varian: 3600 Gas Chromatograph

Supported Hardware Options:

Components

  • Column oven

  • Gas flow controller

  • Gas pressure controller

  • Two detectors

  • Auxiliary heater

  • Varian 8100/ 8200 autosamplers
    (including the CX and SX models)

  • Two Varian 1077 Injectors (split/splitless)

Detector

  • Flame Ionization Detector (FID)

  • Thermal Conductivity Detector (TCD)

  • Thermion Specific Detector (TSD)

  • Electron Capture Detector (ECD)

 

What is required?

License:

Timebase Class 1

Connection:

  • A special 9-pin serial cable (For more information, refer to  Varian Cable in the Appendix of the Hardware Installation section.)

  • One signal cable per detector (For more information, refer to  Varian Signal Cable.)

  • An A/D cable for data transmission (depending on the A/D converter used).

Hardware
Prerequisites:

The following hardware and firmware versions (or previous versions) are required:

CPU, IBDH ASSY 03-925367-33 REV 1, SCHEM 03-925370-00 with the following EPROMs: 03-910692-01 REV-A FCB4,
03-910693-01 REV-A AD94,
03-910690-01 REV-A 3475, 03-910691-01 REV-A ABFE
S I/O ASSY 03-917742-10 REV 5, SCHEM 03-917745-00
8035 Autosampler ASSY 03-918043-00 REV 1, SCHEM 03-918046-00 with the following EPROM: 03-910269-01 B

An A/D converter is required for data acquisition. A UCI Universal Chromatography Interface, a Dionex UI20 (Dionex part no. 46017), or any other A/D converter that can be controlled by Chromeleon, e.g., PE Nelson Boxes (including the appropriate signal cables per channel) may be used.

 Tip:  

Make sure that the sampler is always connected directly to the gas chromatograph.

A free RS-232 port is required.

Control Panel:

Varian3400.pan

Hardware Installation

Device Connection:

Use a special 9-pin serial cable (Dionex part no. 8914.0145) to connect the Varian 3600 GC. (For cable details, refer to  Varian Cable in the Appendix of the Hardware Installation section.)

 Tip:  

Do not attempt to connect the cable directly with the PC. Make sure that you connect that end of the cable to the PC that is correspondingly marked.

In addition, one Varian signal cable (Dionex part no. 8911.3600) is required per detector. (For cable details, refer to  Varian Signal Cable in the Appendix of the Hardware Installation section.)

For data acquisition, an A/D cable is required, also. The cable depends on the A/D converter used, e.g., a UCI Universal Chromatography Interface).

Device Settings:

The following communication parameters are used: 9600 baud, 7 data bits, 1 stop bit, even parity, and no protocol.

  • HW OnOff menu  
    Enable all available detectors.

  • SetChecks menu  
    If detector B is installed and shares the detector oven with detector A, set Wait Temperature Detector B Oven to NO.
    Set Wait for ext. device ready to NO and Initial Relays at run end to YES.

  • Column Parameters menu  
    Enable all available columns. Make sure that Length and Inner Diameter are configured. If these parameters are not configured, the gas chromatography may abort. After each serious error of the instrument or after an abortion of the firmware, reconfigure these parameters because Chromeleon cannot verify these values.

  • Other Config menu  
    To allow you to control the sample parameters set Standard Sampling Mode to NO and Sample Type to 4.

Restrictions:

Chromeleon does not support temperature ramps for the injector.

 Tip:

Dionex advises against manual input on the device. Chromeleon cannot read all settings from the device. Therefore, manual settings on the device may lead to errors in the program.

 

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 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 Varian from the Manufacturers list box and 3600 Gas Chromatograph from the Devices list box.

  4. The following settings are required:

On the Components tab page, specify the components that are installed.

On the Oven tab page, specify the limits for the controllable temperature range of the column oven.

On the InjectorA/B tab page, enable temperature control for the injector oven and define the controllable temperature range.

On the Detector A/B tab page, enable temperature control for the detector oven and define the controllable temperature range. In addition, specify the detector type.

On the Aux tab page, enable temperature control of the auxiliary device and define the controllable temperature range.

Open the Signal Configuration dialog box from the Signals tab page by double-clicking the respective channel. Assign a channel to the signal and name the signal in the Signal Name field according to the selected detector type.

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 Varian3400.pan Control Panel in the Chromeleon client to the corresponding timebase.

Application

The User Help section provides information about the commands and properties supported by the 3600 GC; refer to Commands and Tips for Third-Party Devices  Varian.

Troubleshooting

 Tips:

If a sample sequence includes a blank run, several Can’t set property error messages may be displayed at the beginning of the next sample. These messages can be ignored.

If Detector B Flameout appears on the device and/or in Chromeleon, but if the detector B is not used or not installed: Disconnect the device in Chromeleon, press the Reset key on the device, and reconnect the device to Chromeleon. In addition, delete the following command in the PGM File:

 GC_2.Autozero.

For more information about troubleshooting, refer to Commands and Tips for Third-Party Devices  Varian 3400/3600 GCs: Troubleshooting in the User Help section.

If you have any special problems, please contact Dionex Service.

Further Information

 Tip:

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

For an overview of the Varian instruments for which device drivers are available in Chromeleon, refer to  Varian.