HP5890 SeriesII Parts and Installation

Discussions about GC and other "gas phase" separation techniques.

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I've recently come into possession of a few old HP 5890 SeriesII GCs. The problem is they're missing various parts, so I'm hoping someone will be able to help me. I've managed to get hold of a copy of Chemstation E.02.02 which I believe is compatible with this GC (please correct me if I'm wrong). The problem is, this software is seemingly only for GCs with Ethernet connections. From what I've found online it is possible to connect the HP5890's using Ethernet connections, but I've no idea how. Can someone tell me how to get it from the RS232/GPIB rear panel connector (P/N 19257-60020) to an Ethernet cable? Part numbers would be particularly useful if you know them.

Thanks!
E02.02 is the latest version of Chemstation MSD and is not compatible with the 5890GC. The last version that was was B service pack 2 which runs on Windows 2000 SP4.

The 5890 cannot communicate via ethernet. It uses GPIB/HPIB and you need a computer with either an ISA or PCI GPIB/HPIB interface card. Alternately they make a GPIB to USB adapter. Your biggest problem is you need Chemstation MSD B, a computer running windows 2000, the PC card/usb adapter and GPIB cables.
Before getting too far, what are you trying to do with them? If you're just looking to manually inject with an FID as your detector it should be pretty doable. If you're looking to add an injector tower and controller or a purge-and-trap it becomes a lot more complicated even with just an FID and if you're wanting to use a Mass Spec detector it becomes vastly more difficult.
carl.nott wrote:
Before getting too far, what are you trying to do with them? If you're just looking to manually inject with an FID as your detector it should be pretty doable. If you're looking to add an injector tower and controller or a purge-and-trap it becomes a lot more complicated even with just an FID and if you're wanting to use a Mass Spec detector it becomes vastly more difficult.


I'm just looking to manually inject with a TCD, but I've no way retrieving the spectra. No autosampler or MS. I thought in theory it would be quite easy to get these old machines up and running, but it's proving to be anything but.
My 5890-FID uses a Computer with Windows 2000 SP4 and an ISA gpib controller card, and a G1512 controller/7673 injector system though I may hook in a Tekmar 2000 and turn it into an ethanol machine. It isn't that complicated. Once you find a suitable computer and controller card and software you just need the gpib cable.

cable 10833b goes from the 5890 to PC and 3485-2300 (actually that is the number of the connector on the end of the cable it might be a home made cable I think you might want an 10833D) goes from the back side of the cable hooked into the GC to the G1512 autosampler controller which if you don't have a 7673 autosampler you don't need.
MSCHemist wrote:
My 5890-FID uses a Computer with Windows 2000 SP4 and an ISA gpib controller card, and a G1512 controller/7673 injector system though I may hook in a Tekmar 2000 and turn it into an ethanol machine. It isn't that complicated. Once you find a suitable computer and controller card and software you just need the gpib cable.

cable 10833b goes from the 5890 to PC and 3485-2300 (actually that is the number of the connector on the end of the cable it might be a home made cable I think you might want an 10833D) goes from the back side of the cable hooked into the GC to the G1512 autosampler controller which if you don't have a 7673 autosampler you don't need.



Ok, thanks, that's really useful. From what I've found online my GCs have the 19242-60030 board. Is there a way to connect this up to the backplane connector #19257-60020? Alternative I could buy the HPIB/Serial comms board #19257-60010, a ribbon cable, the backplane connector #19257-60020, and then just the 10833b straight into the computer. Presumably the RS232 cable would work in place of the 10833b cable? I've seen posts on here about Unichrom too, so would that suffice as a software in place of Chemstation?
I've never messed with RS-232 cable. I am not sure if Chemstation could talk to it. I think I looked into unichrom and gave it up and just kept using Chemstation MSD B version (G1701BA). Someone might be able to drop box you an A or B version. B version can also run on Windows NT.

The harder part is finding a controller card. Most were ISA and ISA ports were phased out after the Pentium 3. There are some PCI port ones. Alternately you can fork over for a usb to GPIB converter. I am not sure if just the expensive one Agilent sells will work or if some of the cheaper generics will.
Actually I dropboxed someone G1701BA and the link is still good. If you email me at sschoe2[at]yahoo.com I will send you the link.
Member KM-USA has some 5890 stuff for sale, including 82341 and 82350 HPIB/GPIB boards for the computer. viewtopic.php?f=7&t=27106&p=300314#p300314
I see your 5890 doesn't have a card/port with gbib communications. That will be tricky I have no idea what kind of cable and software you need.
Yeah, my experience has been with Chemstation and HPIB interfaces. If you get the 19257-60010 and an HPIB cable and an 82350 PCI HPIB card you can run GC Chemstation A.09.03 on Windows XP.
Without a GP-IB (HP-IB) interface on the 5890 you are limited to using HP-IL (INET) communication. This will not directly interface with any of the Chemstation software except through a very special HP-IL to HP-IB converter box, and I haven't seen one of those in years.

If you do need to add a HP-IB interface to the 5890 you'll need to make sure that you are running rev G or later ROMs, otherwise you will not have control of the HP-IB interface card (the one in the GC, not in the computer). This should not be an issue if you have Series II as you state; also Series II came with the HP-IB interface in place of the HP-IL interface.

For G1701AA and G1701BA you really need to use the ISA cards; this can be a bit tough to find from a computer standpoint. There are Chinese motherboards that you can buy that will run Windows 98 SE and that still have ISA slots. I don't own the GC-only Chemstation software since the GC-MS software was always so superior, so I can't tell you anything about the GC-only setup.
Mark Krause
Laboratory Director
Krause Analytical
Austin, TX USA
I think you should be able to get either the pci card or usb adapter to work but the safest bet would be an ISA port computer with Windows NT or 2000. If you scrounge around I'm sure someone somewhere at your facility or online might have an old Pentium II or III computer with an isa port. I have an old pentium III stored here that I was going to dump just in case the old HP Kayak running my 5890 ever bites the dust.

I prefer Win2000 as it supports usb flash drives better. I thumb drive all the data from my instruments to my office computer an analyze them using G1701EAsp2 the latest version. I can analyze MSD data FID data it can even do dad data from my old G1600ax CE instrument or from an Agilent HPLC.
if you have a few $k's to spend, you don't need to regress to using ISA cards in ancient computers running out of date windows versions while trying to ensure all the bits you have are compatible with whatever version of Chemstation you are running.

I've been running my 5890 for 24 years using a package called GCwerks . It runs on a modern computer and operating system, is far superior to Chemstation and communicates over ethernet, using converters where necessary to change to serial or GPIB at the device end. It may not suit you but worth a look I think.
(Disclosure: I know the developer but I don't work for him or get a commission, just a satisfied customer)
Order one of the supported communication boards on Ebay:

* HPIB/RS-232C communications (DICE board) - HP part 19257-60010
* RS-232C communications - HP part 19242-60030

1st-one comm board allows both ChemStation and UniChrom running.\
2nd-one is cheaper (~500USD) and no host controller and no expensive GPIB cable required.

As the GPIB host controller can be used Keysight 82357
https://www.keysight.com/en/pd-851808-p ... eed-usb-20

http://www.unichrom.com/hpx890/hpx890e.shtml

Download UniChrom and test it in demo mode,
Installation manual is here:
http://www.unichrom.com/hpx890/hp5890%2 ... %20eng.pdf

Feel free to contact.
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