Run Aborted and Target Z Position Error on Parallel Capillary Instruments

This Information Applies To: Agilent 5200/5300/5400 Fragment Analyzer, Agilent Femto Pulse, Agilent ZAG DNA Analyzer

Issue: The instrument encounters a run error, Run Aborted, Position fault: Did not reach target Z position (Figure 1). This error can occur if the drawer gets opened when the stage is still moving. The error occurs soon after starting the run. 

Figure 1. Run Error:CtrlTaskStage Error 

Resolution: 

System Reboot: 

Perform an entire system reboot as described in the Agilent Knowledge Portal article Full Power Cycle for Agilent Parallel Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments and as mentioned in the following steps: 

1. Turn off the instrument.
2. Turn off the computer.
3. Unplug the two USB cables labeled CCD and HUB from the back of the computer.
4. Wait for approximately 10 minutes before reconnecting the USB cables.
5. Reconnect USB cables to different, nonadjacent ports and reconnect power cables to the instrument and PC. We recommend keeping at least one port empty (unused) between the two USB cables.
6. Turn on the computer and wait for it to complete startup.
7. Turn on the instrument.
8. Launch the controller software.

If the issue persists, please perform a stage reset as described in the following procedure.

Reset Stage:

Please ensure the instrument is connected and that the stage is not holding any plate. This can be checked by opening each drawer and making sure all the white plate carriers are in the drawers. Then perform a stage reset from the controller software:

1. From the instrument controller software, open the Utilities drop-down menu (Figure 2).
2. Select the Hardware I/O option and locate the stage section of the newly created window (Figure 3).
3. Click Reset stage and ensure that the holding number directly above the reset button goes to zero (Figure 3). Before you reset the stage, please ensure that the stage is not holding a plate, then click Yes to proceed (Figure 4).

Figure 2: Select Hardware I/O from the Utilities menu of the controller software. The Fragment Analyzer controller software is shown as an example in this figure.  

Figure 3: Reset stage to holding number value to zero.

Figure 4: Confirm that you wish to proceed with the stage reset after checking that the stage is not holding a tray.

 If the error persists: 

1. Take a screenshot of the error message.
2. Bypass the error(s) and collect the event and error reports from the instrument controller software one by one. To collect the reports, open the instrument controller software (Login as an Administrator), click Admin, select and collect the Event Report, then select the Error Report (Figure 5). 
3. Please send the screenshots, event report and error report to your local Agilent support representative.

Figure 5: Steps to collect the event and error reports. The Fragment Analyzer controller software is shown as an example in this figure. 

Caution: Before you reset the stage, ensure that it is not holding a plate. If the stage is holding a plate, the instrument might be damaged and the stage will not get reset.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

PR7000-8669