Gerstel MPS2 Agilent 6890/5973 Windows 7 Configuration

[marshallp]

Thanks for taking time to check out this thread.

I recently purchased a Gerstel MPS2 from a reseller and tasked myself to install and get it operational myself but it's proving to be more challenging than I thought it would be.

Annoyingly the MPS was not shipped with PC/GC comm cables or installation software. However, I do have my own Gerstel firmware CDs from a previous place of work. So far I've got to the point of trying to make the PAL Loader program to communicate with the MPS, but all I get is 'Cannot connect to target loader'. I'd like to get past this hurdle before I talk about my ready signals comm cable. I've tried all the COM port options on the PAL Loader Setup page.

I'm sure in my previous place of work this PAL Loader (1.1.1) communicated okay between an MPS2 and a Windows 2000 PC via RS232. I know we upgraded to Windows 11 and the MPS2 RS232 now goes to a Moxa NPort which does RS232 to ethernet conversion and it works. I don't know why we needed to take that approach on the upgrade to Masshunter rather than straight to a serial port on the PC, maybe someone is able to answer that.

Here is my PC config at the moment:
- OS: Windows 7
- Serial port: ASIX AX99100 PCIe to High Speed Serial Port
- PAL Loader 1.1.1
- Gerstel MPS2

I've tried both serial and null RS232 cables but get the same response. Can anyone confirm what type it should be? There isn't a crazy pinout is there?

Can anyone let me know if they know a working configuration for a Windows 7, PAL Loader 1.1.1 (or other) for a Gerstel MPS2 (maybe CTC PAL would be equivalent too).

Thanks!

[marshallp]

Just an update on no progress.

Tried a Windows XP 32-bit OS and got no further.

Tried a straight and crossover serial cable once more and got no further.

Can anyone confirm the pinout of the PAL RS9B-3000 cable?

Thanks!

[marshallp]

Update:

Can confirm that the RS9B-3000 cable works. The pin out is as follows:
1 > 1
2 > 7
2 > 9
3 > 4
4 > 3
5 > 8
6 > 6
7 > 2
8 > 5
9 > 2

1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9

Default COM port settings do not work for me. The flow control must be on Xon / Xoff or Hardware for it to work for me.

Loader works fine now and backed up the MPS.

I had an issue where when I swapped the 2.5ml HS syringe out for the 10ul syringe, it did not recognise there was a syringe. I think there is some setting/object I can't find to tell it to turn off auto detection.

Anyhow, I overcame this by flashing with the MPS2 HS Liquid backup and worked perfectly. Although there is now no serial number displayed on the terminal or PAL Loader info. Guidance on how to flash that back on would be appreciated.

Now my next issue, is a result of attempting to install Maestro. I installed selecting the E.02.00.493 option. The problem is I'm using E.02.02.1431 and took the gamble on installing.

I think Maestro has overwritten some initialization script and my version doesn't like it. I now get an error message 'Undefined symbol: _enhapp' which appears regardless of using the MPS configuration or ALS configuration.

Any guidance on that error would be appreciated. Perhaps someone can search for 'enhapp' contained in files within the msdchem folder for me to see if there are any hits for me.

Another thing I hadn't realised was needing a User ID for the MPS. Being a resell this wasn't given, I hope Gerstel are able to send it to me after given them a serial number.

[marshallp]

Anyone with Gerstel Maestro 1.3+ CD please message me, thanks.