Agilent 7200 QTOF MS Faults Mainboard Shutdown

Was anything done immediately before?  Change the RIS source?  Any power outage?

It is never recommended to leave a GC QTOF vented for longer than necessary since it takes so long to pump down to usable vacuum.

Sorry to say but an Agilent service call is the best way forward....

Hi Paul, thanks for the response. Nothing was changed, and no power outage (all the other instruments in the lab were fine). I agree with your thinking!

The Main board #1 shutdown cascades, so the other three shutdowns more than likely happen due to the MB1 shutdown. That could be something as simple as a not-fully-seated cable to a real problem with the board or any of the three piggybacked to it.  It also shuts down to protect the instrument and so could be related to any of the parts that it controls -- which is a lot!

We have the same issue after changing the filament. You mention if the cables weren't fully seated, do you mean the 4 (red, white, grey and black) pin cables that sit on the source? Those are the only ones we may have taken off and put back on - now we can't get the faults to clear or MS to pumpdown.

Red/White/Grey/Black - so a 7250 QTOF?

The MS should pump down no matter if the source cables are even connected.  Turn the mainframe power off, wait ten seconds or so, turn the mainframe power back on and hold the analyzer door closed against the transferline tipseal spring.  You'll need to hold it until the rough pump turns on and then evacuates the system enough to hold the analyzer door shut by itself.  Then let go and wait for the instrument to finish booting and the LED to turn on. Then go into MassHunter and tell it to Pump Down....and it should.

Red/White/Grey/Black - so a 7250 QTOF?

The MS should pump down no matter if the source cables are even connected.  Turn the mainframe power off, wait ten seconds or so, turn the mainframe power back on and hold the analyzer door closed against the transferline tipseal spring.  You'll need to hold it until the rough pump turns on and then evacuates the system enough to hold the analyzer door shut by itself.  Then let go and wait for the instrument to finish booting and the LED to turn on. Then go into MassHunter and tell it to Pump Down....and it should.

Wow, spot on with the 7250 Q-TOF there! I did close the screws on the door and then power cycled the whole system, didnt help. But I think holding the doors is the important bit here. I will do that now, push the analyser door closed until the pump kicks in and hopefully draws the door in to shut magnetically (if I understood that correctly) then let go. Off to try that now.

That's fixed it! We are back up and running. Holding the door did the trick, thank you! 

It's held closed by vacuum. 14.7 psi outside and 2x10^-5 or less inside.   There is a spring loaded tip seal on the end of the MS transferline that must be compressed for the analyzer door stainless steel plate to seal against the manifold O ring so that the system can pump down.