Autosampler Control
Autosampler Commands (AS-AP)

Sample Preparation

All AS-AP sample prep commands (Pipet, Mix, Mix_DrawDispense, Dilute, DiluteWithWash, and ReagentFlush) must be grouped together in the program. Place them at the beginning of the program, after the AS-AP option commands and before t=0.000. You do not need to specify event times for the sample prep commands. Include an ExecuteQueue command after the sample prep commands to allow them to be completed before injection.

For details about the sample prep commands, see  Defining Sample Preparation Steps.

 Note:

If you use the Program Wizard to create a program (see The Program Wizard), the sample prep commands are entered on the third Sampler Options page in the wizard.

In the example below, 20 µl are pipetted from vial RA1 and delivered to vial RA2. 5 µl are pipetted from vial RA7 to vial RA2. The contents are mixed by shaking the tray five times.

Relative Vial Location

In the sample preparation commands, a vial location can be specified either as an absolute position or as a relative position. In relative positioning, the CurrentVial is the current sample vial position specified in the sample list in the Sequence. In the example below, 20 µl of liquid are pipetted from the current sample vial and then expelled into the vial, 1 position past the current vial.

Sample Overlap

If the AS-AP Sample Overlap option is enabled in the control program, the autosampler performs sample preparation commands for the next sample in a sequence while data acquisition is occurring for the currently running sample in the sequence:

When the autosampler is preparing a sample, the Status field in the sequence displays Preparing and the sample line is in yellow. A message is also logged in the Audit Trail.

Sample overlap is not allowed when the autosampler is running in the sequential or sequential concentrate mode.

Also, refer to  Overlapping Samples.

Cycle Time

Cycle time controls the time between injections. When a cycle time is specified, the autosampler delays sample injection until the specified time has elapsed since the previous injection. This is accomplished with the Wait CycleTimeState command. When running a batch, the Wait CycleTimeState command in the first program in the batch is ignored.

The following example sets a cycle time of 30 minutes.

 Note:

For an overview of the individual commands for the autosampler, refer to  Dionex AS-AP Autosampler.