Commands and Tips for Third-Party Devices
Shimadzu LC-10A, LC-20A, LC-30A and LC-2010 HPLC Systems: Troubleshooting

LC-10A, LC-20A and LC-30A

If the manual inject valve stays in the ‘Inject’ position at the end of the current Sample / start of next sample in a sequence, the next run is immediately started by the Shimadzu hardware (that is: without waiting for the valve to be switched to ‘Load’  and back to ‘Inject’ position.

As a result, It is not possible to let the system run into the next sample automatically and then wait until the user switches the valve into Bypass state and back to Inject.

LC-10A

• Error: After execution of the PretDilute command in the Advanced and Dilution injection mode, too much solvent is delivered into the target vial.

  Description/Cause: Due to incorrect behavior of the syringe plunger too much solvent is delivered into the target vial during execution of the PretDilute command. This error occurs both in the Advanced and the Dilution injection mode.

  Remedial action: A workaround is available only for the Advanced mode. For the Dilution mode there is currently no solution available. It is therefore recommended to use the Advanced injection mode instead.

  As a remedy, execute a PretRinse command before each PretDilute command. As a result, the syringe plunger will be moved into the correct start position so that the precise volume of liquid is delivered. For illustration, see the following example:

  PretRinse

  PretSet a1, sn, Add, 50 ; source vial = "UpperHalf"

  PretVial a1

  PretAir 5

  PretNStrk

  PretAspir 100 ; sample volume

  PretVial sn

  PretNStrk

  PretDisp 103

  PretDilute 100 ; dilution volume

  PretMix 3,150,150,rs,rs

  PretWait 1.0

  PretGotoF0

• Error: "[Abort] {HPLC_System} Fatal Instrument Error (NOT LINKED, 0)."

  Cause: This error occurs if an instrument that is configured in the System Controller is not connected to the LC-10A system.

  Remedial action: Check the connections of the instruments to the System Controller and make sure the instruments are turned on. If an instrument was removed from the system, adapt  the system configuration in the System Controller and then reload the driver to the Chromeleon Server Configuration (see Hardware Installation  Shimadzu LC-10A/20A Prominence HPLC System: Installation).

• Error: "[Error] 09:00:58 {HPLC_System} Error in task Remote: Configuration settings mismatch with the actual connection."

  Cause: This error may occur if the operating mode set in the server configuration on the Pumps tab page does not match the setting on the instrument.

  Remedial action: Check and change the operating mode on the device if necessary:

  1. Press the key 1 to open the ANALYSIS FILE menu.

  2. Press the F3 key (T.PROG) to open the TIME PROGRAM menu.

  3. Press F1 (P.CTRL), and then use the F1 - F4 key to select the operating mode (ISO, B.GE, T.GE, LPGE).

LC-10A and LC2010

• If communication to the Chromeleon server cannot be re-established after a fatal communication error, the Chromeleon server might not run stable afterward (due to the Shimadzu software). Restart the server to solve the problem.

• When communication to Chromeleon is interrupted, the instrument may be in KEYLOCK state afterward. In this case, it is not possible to control the instrument by Chromeleon. Cancel KEYLOCK state by pressing the F5 key from the System Controller's Main menu and enter the system password.

• It is not recommended to cancel the KEYLOCK state as described above while the instrument is under normal control by Chromeleon. Especially terminating an instrument run or a manual data acquisition via the instrument keypad can cause unexpected effects during the following operation, e.g. sample run.

• Chromeleon uses the ANALYSIS FILE #0 file and the associated TIME PROGRAM. Thus, changes made while the instrument is operated in stand-alone mode are lost when you reconnect to Chromeleon later.

SIL-30A and SIL-30AC Autosamplers

When stopping a batch abruptly during sample pretreatment, in some rare cases the sampler may not perform any wash operations. After resuming the sequence the next sample is started (indicated by highlighting the sample in the sample table), however, the sample will get stuck forever.

LC-2010

• When configuring the LC_2010 HPLC System for the first time in the Chromeleon Server Configuration program, the following error may occur:

  "[Error] 10:50:51 {HPLC_System} Error in task PollCfg:
  Configuration settings mismatch with the actual HPLC system."This error may indicate that you have installed an LC-10A HPLC System in Server Configuration program. Uninstall the LC-10A HPLC System and install the LC-2010 HPLC System instead.

• "[Error] 10:51:27 {HPLC_System} Error in task PollCfg: Invalid Parameter."This error may indicate that self-test of the LC-2010 HPLC system failed. Check the system and press CE or restart the system if necessary.

• "[Error] 17:51:25 {HPLC_System} Error in task Remote: Invalid function."This error may indicate that the LC-2010 HPLC System was not in Ready state when the Connect command was issued. Check the system; stop data acquisition, or perform a SIL rinse operation if necessary.

• In very rare cases, it may happen that the LC-2010 displays "Calculating…" and seems to be frozen. You may have to wait some time until the system responds again. If you do not want to wait, you may turn the system off and on again and perform the following steps:

   Tip: 

  If you perform these steps, ALL settings, including the communication, start, and shutdown settings, are reset to the factory defaults. This means that you have to reenter all settings on the system (for example, the settings described in the Device Settings section in the Administrator Help section: Hardware Installation  Shimadzu LC-2010 HPLC System: Installation).

  1. Press the [VP] key.

  2. Press the [F4](CALIB) key.

  3. Enter the login ID "00000" on the system.

  4. Press the [F2](OK) key.

  5. Select "7: Initialize Parameters."

  6. Press the [Enter] key.

  7. Press the [F2](OK) key.

  8. Restart the system.

• Problem: Only 100 µl are injected although the injection volume is larger than 100 µl and the 2000 µl syringe was configured in the Server Configuration program.

  Reason: The 100 µl injection was set on the device. Set the 2000 µl syringe on the device, following the steps in the Device Settings section in the Shimadzu LC-2010 HPLC System: Installation topic in the Administrator Help section.

SPD-M20A

• "[Abort] 16:44:36 0.000 {UV} Could not upload device settings to PDA." This error may occur if you either forgot to remove the detector from the list of devices that is directly controlled by the Shimadzu controller, or if there is a general hardware synchronization issue. If this error occurs, please check if you set up the device correctly. To do so refer to the section "Device Settings" in Shimadzu SPD-M10Avp/M20A PDA Detector: Installation.

• "[Error] 15:35:17 {HPLC_System} Error in task AutoZero:  Invalid operation." The error may occur if you trigger an Autozero command for the detector from either a Panel or directly from the Commands view (F8 dialog box) while no data is currently being acquired. The detector does not support an Autozero command that is issued outside data acquisition. Therefore, make sure to issue an Autozero command only while data is being acquired.

For a list of error messages that might appear in Chromeleon refer to the Error Levels tab page in the Server Configuration program.

For information about how to install the Shimadzu LC-10A HPLC System, refer to Hardware Installation  Shimadzu LC-10A/LC-20A HPLC System: Installation in the Administrator Help section.