Commands
and Tips for Thermo Scientific Devices
Vanquish Autosampler (VAS)
The commands and properties listed below are available for the Vanquish Autosampler. Some commands and properties may not be visible because a display Filter level was applied.
General
Command/Property |
Description |
Alarm |
Displays the current alarm state of the device. |
AutoRackShakeAmplitude* |
See section on Rack Type Handling. |
AutoRackShakeCycles* |
See section on Rack Type Handling. |
BarcodeValidated* |
See section on Rack Type Handling. |
BuzzerVolume |
Sets the volume of the audible alarm. |
CarouselLocked |
Displays whether the rack carousel is currently locked due to a pending Charger rack transfer. |
Connects the module with Chromeleon. |
|
Connected |
Sets the connection status of the module: Connected or Disconnected. |
Disconnects the module from Chromeleon. |
|
DoorLeft / DoorRight |
Indicates the status of the door in use: Open, Closed. |
DrainPump |
Deactivates/activates the drain pump and displays the current status of the drain pump. Note: Even if you set this property, activation and deactivation might automatically be carried out by the firmware under certain circumstances. |
DrainPumpInterval |
Sets the interval after which the drain pump becomes activated. Thermo Fisher Scientific recommends leaving the default value. |
DriverID |
Displays the identification number of the driver. |
DriverManufacturer |
Displays the manufacturer of the driver. |
DriverVersion |
Displays the driver version. |
FirmwareVersion |
Displays the firmware version of the autosampler. |
InitiateChangeRack |
Rotates the specified segment to the front to enable an easy removal or exchange of the sample rack. Note: The
following only applies if
a Charger is connected: |
Leak |
Indicates whether the leak sensor has detected a leak. |
LeakSensorMode |
Activates or deactivates leak detection:
|
Light |
Specifies the behavior of the sample compartment light when the autosampler doors are closed: On, Off. Note: When the left door is open, the sample compartment light is on. |
LowerFanSpeed* |
See section on Temperature. |
ModelNo |
Indicates the technical name of the device. |
MuteAlarm |
Mutes the alarm signal. |
NeedleHeight |
Specifies the distance between the bottom of the sample container and the position to which the needle is lowered when drawing sample. Safe value = 2000 µm. Caution: Thermo Fisher Scientific recommends using the Safe value if you use vials of different sizes, as a certain vial height might not correspond to the set NeedleHeight value which can result in severe damage to the needle. |
Occupied* |
See section on Rack Type Handling. |
OrientationAlert* |
See section on Rack Type Handling. |
RackInSampler* |
See section on Rack Type Handling. |
RackType* |
See section on Rack Type Handling. |
Reset |
Resets the driver and performs an inventory scan to detect the current rack configuration in the sampler. May be required in some cases after a sequence error or a problem during a rack transport between sampler and Charger. |
SerialNo |
Indicates the serial number of the connected module. |
See section on Temperature. |
|
See section on Temperature. |
|
Temperature.Value* |
See section on Temperature. |
Temperature_Ambient* |
See section on Temperature. |
TemperaturePWM* |
See section on Temperature. |
UpperFanSpeed* |
See section on Temperature. |
UserBarcode* |
See section on Rack Type Handling. |
Sampler
Command/Property |
Description |
AbortInject |
Interrupts the current injection of the sampler. This command can only be activated manually. It is only necessary if a manual injection has been started. If a batch is running, use Abort batch immediately instead. |
Busy |
Indicates if this sampling unit is:
-OR-
|
Cleanup |
Initiates an internal cleanup procedure of the sampler. Usually this is automatically done when a sampling procedure is aborted. Note: This command can only be called manually. A cleanup procedure takes at least three times the specified wash time. |
DispenseSpeed |
Specifies the speed at which the sample is flushed out of the sample loop. |
DrawDelay |
Specifies the time delay between sample draw and needle movement out of the sample. Increase this value with faster draw speeds or viscous samples to avoid air bubbles in the autosampler flow path. |
DrawSpeed |
Specifies the speed at which solvent is drawn into the needle. |
IdleVolume |
Defines the volume in the metering device during sample processing. |
Inject |
Initiates a sample injection. |
InjectResponseSignalTime |
Specifies for how long the relay indicates to the detector that the injection has taken place. Default value is 0.5 s. Increase this value if the detector does not recognize the injection signal reliably (this may be needed for some mass spectrometry detectors). If set to 0=NoSignal, injection is not indicated via relay. |
InjectWashMode* |
See section on Wash Procedure. |
LoopVolume |
Defines the volume of the sample loop as specified on the label of the loop. |
NotReadyCauses |
Indicates a list of causes which prevent the sampler from becoming ready for the next injection. |
Position |
Specifies the sample position in the sample rack or well plate. |
Starts an advanced sampling procedure of the next sample during the post-run equilibration time of the current run. The autosampler prepares the next sample (sample draw, wash, etc.) using the parameters defined in the corresponding PGM file. When the Inject command of the next run is executed, the injection valve immediately switches to the inject position. Usually, the injection valve would switch to the inject position only after all preparation steps specified in the instrument method have been executed after the Inject command. Caution: This should not be done while the analysis is still running as this could distort the results. |
|
Starts an advanced sampling procedure during the pre-equilibration period of the current run. When the Inject command is executed, the injection valve immediately switches to the inject position. Usually, the injection valve would switch to the inject position only after all preparation steps specified in the instrument method have been executed after the Inject command. For more information about starting an equilibration, refer to Equilibrating the Chromatography System (SmartStartup) Starting Equilibration (SmartStartup). |
|
Pump |
Specifies the device name of this pump device that delivers the flow through the column at inject time. |
SyncWithPump |
Enables pump stroke synchronization of the sampling and injection process with a Vanquish Quaternary pump or any other pump supporting pump stroke synchronization. By default, the value is set to On to ensure synchronization. Set this property to Off to stop pump stroke synchronization preliminary. Note: Pump stroke synchronization is only possible if the VAS driver is linked to a corresponding pump. This can be done either in the Vanquish Autosampler Configuration Wizard or later on the Links tab in the sampler configuration. If such a link is established, this property becomes available. You can also set this property to On or Off for every analysis by selecting or deselecting the Enable Stroke Synchronization check box on the Sampler Parameter page in the corresponding program. |
PunctureOffset |
After the needle has punctured the septum of the vial the carousel moves by this value to enlarge the hole in the septum for pressure equalization. Tip: Select this parameter when using large injection volumes and unslotted septa. |
Ready |
Indicates if the sampler is ready for another injection. |
Status |
Displays the status of the sampler. |
SwitchValve |
Switches the injection valve to the specified position: Bypass, Inject. |
ValveSerialNo |
Displays the serial number of the injection valve of this sampling unit. |
ValvePosition |
Displays the current position of the injection valve (Unknown, Bypass, Inject, Moving). |
Volume |
Specifies the inject volume. |
Wash* |
See section on Wash Procedure. |
WashPump* |
See section on Wash Procedure. |
WashSpeed* |
See section on Wash Procedure. |
WashTime* |
See section on Wash Procedure. |
Both autosampler and Charger are equipped with a barcode reader. Thermo Fisher Scientific provides sample racks and well plates with a dedicated barcode ("valid") encoding the RackType to automatically identify the autosampler and Charger inventory. Therefore, it is not necessary to manually configure rack types and check the correct needle orientation.
Tip:
The Vanquish Autosampler can automatically distinguish between deep and flat well plates. For this reason, a separate rack type "Deep Well Plate" is no longer provided in the list of available rack types. This means that in order to use deep well plates, you now only need to select the appropriate "Well Plate" variant, e.g. "WellPlate96" for a deep well plate comprised of 96 wells.
Note:
The following properties also apply to the Charger. They are only available if temperature control is enabled in the Chromeleon Server Configuration.
Property |
Description |
Activates and deactivates the temperature control of the autosampler. If a Charger is connected, the temperature control of the Charger is activated or deactivated as well. |
|
Controls the temperature of the sample compartment. If a Charger is connected, the temperature inside its compartment is controlled as well. |
|
Temperature.Value |
Displays the current temperature of the sample compartment. If a Charger is connected, this value is also valid for the Charger compartment. |
Temperature_Ambient |
Displays the current ambient temperature. |
TemperaturePWM |
Displays the current heating (positive) or cooling (negative) power of the sample compartment temperature unit in [%]. |
UpperFanSpeed / LowerFanSpeed |
Displays the current fan speed. |
Note:
Most wash procedures can also be defined on the Sampler Parameter page of the Program Wizard or Editor for the Vanquish autosampler. (For more information about the wizard or editor, refer to Control The Program Wizard, and Chromeleon (Overview) The PGM Editor.)
There are two ways to start a wash procedure to clean the needle externally:
Manual start by sending the Wash command.
Automatic start during the Inject command.
The injection wash procedure can be customized by means of the following properties:
Command/Property |
Description |
InjectWashMode |
Specifies if and when a wash procedure is to take place: NoWash, BeforeDraw, AfterDraw, Both. |
Wash |
Initiates a cleaning cycle of the needle exclusively: On, Off. The duration is specified using the property WashTime. |
WashPump |
Deactivates/activates the wash pump: On, Off. Note: This is only required if you have changed the washing liquid to refill the tubes. It is not designed for PGM files and can only be set manually here or on a Control Panel if no batch is running. |
WashSpeed |
Sets the flow speed of the washing solvent into the wash port. The flow speed is delivered by the wash pump. Note: If you upgraded to Chromeleon 6.80 DU15a or later but use an instrument method of any previous Chromeleon version, you will get an error message that the WashSpeed value is out of range, and the method cannot be started anymore. In order to fix your instrument method, change the WashSpeed value manually: Divide the old value by 0.06 and enter the new value. |
WashTime |
Specifies the duration in seconds the needle remains in the wash port. |
System Wellness and Predictive Performance
Command/Property |
Description |
BCR_ScanCounter |
Displays the number of barcode reader scans. |
CoolingWorkload |
Indicates the total cooling workload of the thermostatting unit since it was installed. |
DrainPumpHours |
Displays the total operating hours of the drain pump since it was installed. |
DrainPumpTubeChanged |
Execute this command after the tube of the drain pump has been changed. The DrainPumpTubeHours counter will be reset. |
DrainPumpTubeChangeDate |
Displays the date of the last exchange of the referring component (Year - Month - Day). |
DrainPumpTubeHours |
Commands and properties of the total operating hours of the drain pump tube. |
*.Limit |
Enter a value. An error is issued as soon as the specified value is reached. |
*.Value |
Displays the operating hours of the drain pump tube since it was installed. Note: The DrainPumpTubeChanged command resets this counter. The date of the last exchange is stored in DrainPumpTubeChangeDate. A Warning and Limit setting is provided – both are disabled by default. |
*.Warning |
Enter a value. A warning appears as soon as the specified value is reached. |
ExceptionLogClear |
Clears the error log of the device. Note: An error log is created if the firmware has crashed during an operation. The firmware sends all error log entries to the driver at connect time to be reported in the daily audit trail. You get a warning message about the error and are asked to send the affected audit trail to hardware service for inspection if this happens more often, and to use this command to clear the internal logs. |
HeatingWorkLoad |
Indicates the total heating workload of the thermostatting unit since it was installed. |
HorizontalDriveMovements |
Displays the total number of movements of the horizontal drive. |
InjectValveSwitches |
Displays the total number of switches of the injection valve. |
MeteringDriveMovements* |
Displays the total number of movements of the metering device drive. *See the section on Metering Device for more information. |
MeteringHeadChange* |
Wellness counter to log the latest exchange of the metering device head. *See the section on Metering Device for more information. |
NeedleChanged |
Execute this command after the needle has been changed. The NeedleMovements counter will be reset. |
NeedleChangeDate |
Displays the last exchange date of the needle (Year - Month - Day). |
NeedleDriveMovements |
Displays the total number of movements of the needle drive to move the needle vertically. Note: The counter continues counting needle drive movements regardless of whether the needle has been changed. |
NeedleMovements |
Wellness counter to measure the total number of vertical needle movements since the needle was installed. Note: The NeedleChanged command resets this property. The date of the last exchange is stored in NeedleChangeDate. A Warning and Limit setting is provided – both are disabled by default. |
NeedleObstructions |
Displays the total number of obstacles in the way of the needle movements since the needle was installed. |
NeedleSeatChanged |
Execute this command after the needle seat has been changed. The NeedleSeatCounter will be reset. |
NeedleSeatChangeDate |
Displays the last exchange date of the needle seat (Year - Month - Day). |
NeedleSeatCounter |
Wellness Counter to track the total number of needle movements into the needle seat since the needle seat was installed. Note: The NeedleSeatChanged command resets this property. The date of the last exchange is stored at NeedleSeatChangeDate. A Warning and Limit setting is provided – both are disabled by default. |
Operating Hours |
Displays the total operating hours since the autosampler was shipped. |
PowerOnTime |
Displays the operating time since the autosampler was powered on. |
Qualification |
Information about checking the functionality of the device. |
*.GracePeriod |
Specify a time span during which you are still allowed to use the autosampler and Charger after the qualification due date. |
*.Interval |
Specify the interval after which the next qualification of the autosampler and Charger is due. |
*.LastDate |
Indicates the date the last qualification was performed. |
*.LastOperator |
Indicates the operator who performed the last qualification. |
*.WarningPeriod |
Specify a time span within you will be reminded of the next qualification due date. |
QualificationDone |
Call this command after a successful qualification run. |
SelfTest |
Initiates a self test of the autosampler. |
SelfTestPassed |
Reports the result of the latest self test initiated with the SelfTest command. The property is set to No while a self test is running. Note: This property does not monitor implicit self tests after a power cycle. |
Service |
Information about the service or service on the device. |
*.Interval |
Specify an interval after which the next service of the autosampler and Charger is due. |
*.LastDate |
Indicates the date the last service was performed. |
*.WarningPeriod |
Specify a time span within you will be reminded of the next service due date. |
ServiceDone |
Execute this command after the service has been performed. |
TotalInjections |
Displays the total number of injections. |
TrayDriveMovements |
Displays the number of movements of the carousel. |
WashPumpHours |
Displays the total operating hours of the wash pump since it was installed. |
Metering Device
Command/Property |
Description |
MeteringDriveMovements |
Displays the total number of movements of the metering device drive. |
MeteringHeadChange |
Wellness counter to log the latest exchange of the metering device head. |
*.Interval |
Displays the interval after which a service of the module is due. This is set to None by default. |
*.LastDate |
Displays the date of the exchange that was last reported. |
*.LastOperator |
Displays the name of the Chromeleon operator who executed the corresponding reset command: MeteringHeadChanged. Note: For firmware version 1.05 and older, this wellness property is left empty and the 'MeteringHeadChanged' command will be rejected. |
*.WarningPeriod |
Displays the specified warning period within the system will issue a warning to remind you of the next due date for re-qualification. This is set to None by default. |
MeteringHeadChanged |
The Chromeleon operator triggers this command after an exchange of the metering device. The command sets the 'MeteringHeadChange' wellness counter to the current date. |
UndockMeteringHead |
Moves the metering device into a position that enables replacement of the metering device head. Notes:
|
DockMeteringHead |
Moves the metering device back to the operating position. Notes:
|
MeteringHeadStatus |
Displays the status of the metering device with respect to the metering device exchange commands. At connect time, the driver checks the position of the metering drive motor to decide whether the sampling unit is operational or in exchange position:
|
Further Information
Thermo Scientific Vanquish Charger: Commands
Thermo Scientific Vanquish Autosampler and Charger: Tips
Thermo Scientific: Commands and Tips.
For installation details, refer to Hardware Installation: Thermo Scientific Devices:
Thermo Scientific Vanquish Autosampler: Installation
For more information, refer to the Vanquish Autosampler Operating Manual.