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5975 problems

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2018 7:43 pm
by James_Ball
I have a 5975 that is only giving a low signal that looks like grass when I scan it after it was down for a column swap. I have tried most everything to diagnose it including swapping the analyzer from a known good instrument into it and get the same results. Not even air and water peaks are showing up now, with either analyzer.

I have sent this information to Agilent but when they sent the quote for working on the instrument they only included a source electronics board ( the one with the source wires on the inside) and a triple axis detector. I just don't see how they would conclude this is the problem when I told them that even with another known good analyzer was used. (Analyzer was the entire side door, side board, quads, source, EM ect just swapped as a unit)

Anyone have any idea what this might be caused by?

Myself I am leaning towards either a power supply problem or main board.

Re: 5975 problems

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2018 9:12 pm
by MSCHemist
Most likely main electronics board. The ribbon cable has been known to go bad as well.

Re: 5975 problems

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2018 6:52 pm
by cjm
I had this problem and swore it was electrical in nature. I was asked to change the column out and reluctantly, I did. Problem went away. Have you capped the transfer line and tried scanning with no column installed?

Re: 5975 problems

Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2018 8:59 pm
by James_Ball
cjm wrote:
I had this problem and swore it was electrical in nature. I was asked to change the column out and reluctantly, I did. Problem went away. Have you capped the transfer line and tried scanning with no column installed?


That is the next thing I am going to do. If that doesn't work then I am going to swap the cable that goes from the main board to the side board and see what that does, could just not be getting proper signals through if something is messed up in that ribbon cable.

Re: 5975 problems

Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2018 9:57 pm
by James_Ball
Well using a blank ferrule and I now have scans showing water and air. Maybe it was just a huge leak somewhere, but it would have had to be massive since I could not even see water before. Going to keep an eye on it since it was powered down for two days for the holiday, so it could still be something electronics related.

Re: 5975 problems

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2018 5:01 pm
by LALman
James_Ball wrote:
Well using a blank ferrule and I now have scans showing water and air. Maybe it was just a huge leak somewhere, but it would have had to be massive since I could not even see water before. Going to keep an eye on it since it was powered down for two days for the holiday, so it could still be something electronics related.
That narrows it down to a large leak or maybe a crack in your inlet.

Re: 5975 problems

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2018 10:11 pm
by James_Ball
LALman wrote:
James_Ball wrote:
Well using a blank ferrule and I now have scans showing water and air. Maybe it was just a huge leak somewhere, but it would have had to be massive since I could not even see water before. Going to keep an eye on it since it was powered down for two days for the holiday, so it could still be something electronics related.
That narrows it down to a large leak or maybe a crack in your inlet.


Crack in column not far from the MS inlet :roll:

Definitely getting a new ion gauge so I can tell when we are not getting enough vacuum. Wasn't big enough leak to make the rough pump gurgle, but was big enough to completely kill the ionization.

Re: 5975 problems

Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 3:20 pm
by LALman
James_Ball wrote:
LALman wrote:
James_Ball wrote:
Well using a blank ferrule and I now have scans showing water and air. Maybe it was just a huge leak somewhere, but it would have had to be massive since I could not even see water before. Going to keep an eye on it since it was powered down for two days for the holiday, so it could still be something electronics related.
That narrows it down to a large leak or maybe a crack in your inlet.


Crack in column not far from the MS inlet :roll:

Definitely getting a new ion gauge so I can tell when we are not getting enough vacuum. Wasn't big enough leak to make the rough pump gurgle, but was big enough to completely kill the ionization.
I got a used HP/Agilent 59864B ion gage on E-bay for <$300. If you have one that has died; I can post a link to the most likely repair that will fix it, that worked for mine.

Re: 5975 problems

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2018 9:39 pm
by James_Ball
LALman wrote:
James_Ball wrote:
LALman wrote:
That narrows it down to a large leak or maybe a crack in your inlet.


Crack in column not far from the MS inlet :roll:

Definitely getting a new ion gauge so I can tell when we are not getting enough vacuum. Wasn't big enough leak to make the rough pump gurgle, but was big enough to completely kill the ionization.
I got a used HP/Agilent 59864B ion gage on E-bay for <$300. If you have one that has died; I can post a link to the most likely repair that will fix it, that worked for mine.


I seem to remember a fix for the ion gauge, just didn't remember where I found it before. Is it similar to cleaning the penning gauge used in the ICPMS from Agilent?

Re: 5975 problems

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2018 11:40 pm
by LALman
James_Ball wrote:
LALman wrote:
James_Ball wrote:

Crack in column not far from the MS inlet :roll:

Definitely getting a new ion gauge so I can tell when we are not getting enough vacuum. Wasn't big enough leak to make the rough pump gurgle, but was big enough to completely kill the ionization.
I got a used HP/Agilent 59864B ion gage on E-bay for <$300. If you have one that has died; I can post a link to the most likely repair that will fix it, that worked for mine.


I seem to remember a fix for the ion gauge, just didn't remember where I found it before. Is it similar to cleaning the penning gauge used in the ICPMS from Agilent?

Its the filter caps. Here is the link... HP/AGILENT HP59864B Micro-ion Ionization Gauge also Granville-Phillips 342, 343 series vacuum gauge. Also he provides a test circuit to emulate the triode tube. It worked beautifully for us.

Re: 5975 problems

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2018 9:27 pm
by James_Ball
LALman wrote:
James_Ball wrote:
LALman wrote:
I got a used HP/Agilent 59864B ion gage on E-bay for <$300. If you have one that has died; I can post a link to the most likely repair that will fix it, that worked for mine.


I seem to remember a fix for the ion gauge, just didn't remember where I found it before. Is it similar to cleaning the penning gauge used in the ICPMS from Agilent?

Its the filter caps. Here is the link... HP/AGILENT HP59864B Micro-ion Ionization Gauge also Granville-Phillips 342, 343 series vacuum gauge. Also he provides a test circuit to emulate the triode tube. It worked beautifully for us.


The gauge on the 5975 is the self contained all metal unit, Micro-Ion E G3170-80001. I think this repair is for the controller on the ones that use the glass ion triode gauge.

Re: 5975 problems

Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 5:25 pm
by LALman
Ah, pity. For information purposes, that gage and triode combo also works for the 5971 MS as well as the 5973 MS.

Re: 5975 problems

Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2018 7:07 am
by Schmudde
For detection of leaks in the column oven i lke to use the AeroDuster MS-222N from miller-stephson. They are from the U.S. but they have a Distribution in the UK. Originaly ist designt for the microelectronic industry for cleaning. The Spray contains a FKW wich give a specific Signal in the ms.

You only have to go in the tune mode and scan the masses and than spray with the AeroDuster on the Fittings or whereever you suspect the leak. if a leak is there you get instantly the MS signal.

There is one Problem with the AeroDuster. Miller-Stephson are no longer allowed to ship the Spray into Germany. But I´ll try a Substitute and give you folks a update as soon as possible.

Re: 5975 problems

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 11:18 pm
by James_Ball
Schmudde wrote:
For detection of leaks in the column oven i lke to use the AeroDuster MS-222N from miller-stephson. They are from the U.S. but they have a Distribution in the UK. Originaly ist designt for the microelectronic industry for cleaning. The Spray contains a FKW wich give a specific Signal in the ms.

You only have to go in the tune mode and scan the masses and than spray with the AeroDuster on the Fittings or whereever you suspect the leak. if a leak is there you get instantly the MS signal.

There is one Problem with the AeroDuster. Miller-Stephson are no longer allowed to ship the Spray into Germany. But I´ll try a Substitute and give you folks a update as soon as possible.


I have used this before and it works very well. This time though the leak was so bad that there were no peaks detected. Well actually it was detecting all masses because there was essentially no mean free path through the analyzer so the ions were being destroyed before they could be separated by mass by the quads :(