Commands and Tips for Thermo Scientific Devices
Thermo Scientific TRACE 1110 GC

This topic contains some helpful hints and tips related to the commands, properties, and general control of the TRACE 1110 GC.

Refer also to the user documentation supplied with your TRACE 1110 GC for more information on controlling the instrument.

Time Display

Times are shown on the GC instrument panel using a decimal separator, but represent minutes and seconds, i.e. "MM.SS". This is inconsistent with Chromeleon. For example, 2.50 on the instrument panel means 2 minutes 50 seconds, whereas 2.50 in Chromeleon means 2 minutes 30 seconds. (Note that Total Time is displayed on the GC instrument panel in minutes and seconds using a colon separator, i.e. “MM:SS”.)

Stopping a Run

It is not recommended to manually press the Stop button on the GC instrument panel (runs should be stopped using Chromeleon). If the Stop button on the GC is pressed, you should stop the run in Chromeleon afterwards. Chromeleon has no way of detecting that the Stop button on the GC has been pressed – the current injection will simply go to the “Finished” state and execution of the running sequence will continue. You must stop the batch in Chromeleon in order to abort the running sequence.

WaitForXXX Properties

If any of the WaitForInjTempReady, WaitForDetTempReady, WaitForInjGasFlowReady, WaitForDetGasFlowReady, WaitForAuxTempReady, or WaitForFlameReady properties are enabled on the GC, the GC will not become ready until all injectors (temperatures / gas flows), or all detectors (temperatures / gas flows), or all auxiliary heaters (temperatures), or all FID detectors (flame status) respectively become ready. Ensure that values in unused modules are set appropriately so that the modules will go to the ready state. This can be done in one of two ways:

• Manually on the GC instrument panel before controlling it with Chromeleon, i.e. setting temperatures, flows, and flame etc. appropriately.

• In the PGM File, by including appropriate setpoints.

It is recommended that all of the WaitForXXX properties are set to Enabled, even when there are unused modules (temperature / flows / pressure may not have reached the set values). However, in the event that the GC does not reach a ready state when there are unused modules, it may be helpful to set the WaitForInjTempReady and WaitForDetTempReady properties to Disabled.

If multiple FID detectors are installed, but not all of them are being used, it is recommended that you set WaitForFlameReady to Enabled, but in the password-protected configuration area on the GC instrument panel, you should remove any unused FID detector(s) from the configuration, so that the GC does not wait for them to become ready.

 Note: 

When a new TRACE 1110 GC PGM File is created using the Program Wizard, Chromeleon automatically adds lines to the PGM to set the WaitForXXX properties as follows:

• WaitForInjTempReady is set to Enabled if an inlet is configured. Otherwise it is set to Disabled.

• WaitForDetTempReady is set to Enabled if a detector is configured. Otherwise it is set to Disabled.

• WaitForInjGasFlowReady is set to Enabled if an inlet with EPC (Electronic Pressure Control) is configured. Otherwise it is set to Disabled.

• WaitForDetGasFlowReady is set to Enabled if a detector with EPC is configured. Otherwise it is set to Disabled.

• WaitForAuxTempReady is set to Enabled if an auxiliary heater is configured. Otherwise it is set to Disabled.

• WaitForFlameReady is set to Enabled if an FID detector with a FlameIgnite command is configured. Otherwise it is set to Disabled.

OvenFan Property

When a new TRACE 1110 GC PGM File is created using the Program Wizard, Chromeleon automatically adds a line to the PGM to set the OvenFan property to On. During a run, when the OvenFan property is set to On, the oven fan is activated automatically when it is needed to help heat or cool the oven.

 Note: 

If the OvenFan property is set to Off, the oven fan is deactivated and cannot be used during a run.

ReadyDelay and PreReadyAutoZero Properties

In the Commands dialog box, ReadyDelay and PreReadyAutoZero values are read-only and cannot be changed in Chromeleon. They can only be edited via the password-protected screen on the GC itself.

Emergency Program

An Emergency Program specified for the TRACE 1110 GC must not contain the following:

• Time steps

• AcqOn/AcqOff commands

If an emergency program is specified and it contains any time steps or AcqOn/AcqOff commands, a Ready Check will detect the errors and it will not be possible to start the batch.

Use the Commands view to check and edit the commands and properties specified in an emergency program (see  Manually Editing a PGM File in the Commands View).

 Note: 

When a new TRACE 1110 GC PGM File is created using the Program Wizard, commands and properties with time steps, including AcqOn/AcqOff commands, are added by default to the PGM File. The time steps and AcqOn/AcqOff commands must be removed before the PGM File can be used as an emergency program.

For example, the following section of a TRACE 1110 GC PGM File, created using the Program Wizard, cannot be used in an emergency program because it contains time steps at 0.000 and 30.000 min, and AcqOn/AcqOff commands:

The time steps at 0.000 and 30.000 min, and the AcqOn/AcqOff commands, must be removed from the PGM File before it can be used as an emergency program, as follows:

Inlet and Detector Gases

For inlets, the carrier gas type can be changed from Chromeleon (on the Inlet page in the Chromeleon Server Configuration program).

For detectors, the reference/makeup gas types can only be edited via the password-protected screen on the GC itself (hence they are read-only in Chromeleon).

For information about how to install the GC, refer to Hardware Installation  Thermo Scientific TRACE 1110 GC.