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Problem with 6890 GC Ion and Spectrum signals missing

Buder

I am trying to operate a 6890n GC with the help of an operator that knows how to start a measure. The system consist of both the GC and the detector unit, as well as a Windows NT where the software exist to control it. We are able to start a measure by booting the system and applying a name to the job like example.d Then we can start the system after heat is right and we can see the detector acquire data with the name we specified, we can also see 2 signals live in the swoftware but the ion and spectrum is not updating. This is confirmed in the end by a error message saying that "Neither GC nor MS Data collected; consult logbook". The GC Signal 1 and 2 updates, but not the Total ion and spectrum. I have two problems at least. in the data directory after the run I cannot see any run.log that seems to be the logbook so I am not able to debug och look for what is wrong. Also it appears as if there is signal missing somehow. I am not sure if the signal comes from the detector unit or directly from GC, the thing is that on the back I have 3 special connectors, one is called Sampler 1, the other Sampler 2 and one is Tray. There is cable in the Sampler 1, but not Sampler 2, and the Tray is connected to , well the tray of course. Is both the Sampler connectors suppose to be connected, and if so where? I have not been able to find is the Sampler 2 is required, we do not have a cable for it and it was acquired "as is" and so it has been running before.

How can I find out why we are not getting the Ion and Spectrum signals? What am I missing?

I know these are old things but I am comfortable with the NT system and knows about the equipment from a engineering point of view, I do not know how to debug/find problems in such a system and I have no log file to inspect.

J

  • 0 in reply to Buder

    I asked above and didn't read an answer, sorry if I missed it.  Does the Retention Time clock work during a run?  Does the time increase?

  • 0 in reply to paulsalverda

    Hi, and thanks for your reply. Yes this time is increasing properly. So my take is that the "process" works. I think I attached a file in the other question in the forum with that timer running , I´ll check.

  • 0 in reply to Agilent

    Hello and thanks. The remote cable is there, the machine has been used a lot some years ago. The retention time starts and increases according to Paul this means the start is working. All in all in the end like the dialog says above there is not data in the folder of the measure. Comared to some real old runs, there is NO files at all, while for those that work there are a number of files including a db file called data I think. There is simply no data collected or run. Please have a look at my logbook I attached in the other forum thread that I posted. You can see the logbok and it runs until we abort because there is not data in the Ion and Spectrum diagrams during the measure / acquire phase. You can also see how the MS is working, "acquiring data" but even so no data is there.

    When we run we "start" the measure and let the system prepare, at one point we have to much the button "start" on the GC and after a while there is a start trigger that makes the retention time increase, the temperature starts increasing , as expected from our set point of 30 C up to about 230 C in our case. We usually abort before that because we cannot see any signal from the detector at all. 

    When we do start we only specify a new folder/project name but nothing more. I think there is a override of the detector somewhere as well which I am not sure I understand, the operator at site claims this is of no importance it should collect data anyway.

    Can you point me to the starting process of a measure. I am not sure "they" know how to properly run. As stated in my other thread here I can see logs full of scripting language in the few folders where data was collected. Also I can see many settings dialogs about the detector for instance that usually have no setting. I was thinking maybe there is a parameter starting file needed at start.

    The system uses the SKIN2021.M file in the MS, it reads so in the display. Nto sure if I need to tend to that one or chose something else. I do get a post init log file in the folder but it only lists a few 30 parameters, way less than on a old good measure. 

    I have tons of manuals to this thing. Where should I look for performing a standard measure?

    Thanks

  • 0 in reply to paulsalverda

    Hmm, looked like I did anser this, but yes the timer starts and increases

  • 0 in reply to paulsalverda

    Hi... I have a similar problem with a used 6890-5973 we just bought. Everything seems to work fine until the end of the run when it says" Neither GC nor MS data collected".  Do I need this cable also? Image shows our setup.

  • 0 in reply to SamK

    Looks like remote cable is missing from picture above.  You'll need the same part number that Paul listed previously.  It's needed so the MSD knows when the run starts actually starts.

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