G1313A Autosampler Help

[triskaidekaphile]

Hi,

I am having an issue with our G1313A autosampler. All modules in ChemStation (B.04.03 SP2) show up as green and ready to go, except for the sample tray. It is red, and there is a general "Not Ready" status. If I try to run a method, I get a "nRdy Wait" message with a 10 minute countdown, after which nothing happens. If I pull out the tray either before or during the run, the system says that the tray is missing, so I'm assuming the sensors are working properly. I have also touched up the white paint on the tray pins in case it was too dirty for the sensors to pick up properly. In the diagnosis menu, all the autosampler tests work perfectly, and I have tried rebooting the entire system, running the repair feature on the chemstation install disk, updated the firmware (to A6.50), and I also installed everything on a different computer to see if there was something that the repair feature didn't fix. I have tested it with a few different methods, as well as the default method loaded into chemstation, and it still hasn't worked. Also, the door sensor is working properly. I have tried everything that Agilent support has recommended, so any other ideas would be greatly appreciated. I also have some screen captures that I can add if it will be of any help.

Thanks,
Patrick

[Consumer Products Guy]

All modules in ChemStation (B.04.03 SP2) show up as green and ready to go, except for the sample tray. It is red, and there is a general "Not Ready" status. If I try to run a method, I get a "nRdy Wait" message with a 10 minute countdown, after which nothing happens.

If I remember right, that's what the system is supposed to do if a module is detected as "not ready".

If mine, first thing I would do is disconnect the communication and remote cables to the autosampler module and see if I could then get the "not ready" light to go out. As long as that module thinks it's "not ready", the system will not go forward.

[ATAlR]

In Chemstation you can hover with your mouse over the red status indicator and it will show you the error. Also open current logbook and there it will also show error

[tkubowicz]

Hello

It is red, and there is a general "Not Ready" status.
Patrick

If LC is in "not ready" state it should be yellow. If it is red it looks like there is error.
I'd recommend:

1.Check logbook for error description - it is better described in logbook
2.Check different tray
3.Check tray configuration and check if it is working for other tray types.
4.I'd try to load different firmware (upgrade/downgrade) to see if it is linked to firmware issue
5.Check module only with hand controller to see if it is not ready when only hand controller is plugged in.

Regards

Tomasz Kubowicz

[triskaidekaphile]

Consumer products guy: the cables have all been disconnected and reconnected numerous times during this process. The not ready status is within chemstation, not on the autosampler unit itself.

ATAIR: Hovering over the red status indicator does not give any information regarding the problem, and no error shows up in the logbook.



Tomasz: -The LC itself says that it is ready, or in Pre-run (right-hand lights on instrument are all off or yellow). The red not ready status is within chemstation.
-there are no errors listed in the logbook
-I have tried a different tray in this instrument, and tried this tray in another instrument, and that was not the problem.
-I could not find another tray type to try
-I upgraded the firmware from A.10 to A.50, I tried the on-disk repair feature for chemstation, and I tried installing chemstation on a different computer, and it didn't work. I also tried a forced cold start on the module, and that did not fix anything.
-we don't (as far as I know) have a hand controller to test

Update: I have contacted Agilent technical support, and a technician remote controlled the system through our computer, and was unable to find any issues with our chemstation setup or drivers, we did an additional forced cold start, he went through the diagnostic tests again and all the autosampler tests work properly from there. He thinks it may be a damaged motherboard. On-site technical support will be a minimum of $3500, and buying another unit would be around the same. If anyone has any last-ditch ideas I can try, or knows of anyone that may have spare parts for this unit, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,
Patrick

[tkubowicz]

Hello

Try as below:

1.Remove all modules from Chemstation configuration so you have only detector.
2.Try to load default method to see if detector only is ready to run.
3.If it works try to add modules one by one to see which one makes LC "not ready" - it will help to narrow it down.

Note: I wouldn't suspect mainboard - if there is serious problem module will not initialize.

Regards

Tomasz Kubowicz

[bunnahabhain]

Do you have solvent level warning activated? From the picture it looks like the software thinks bottles A and D are empty. You can enter the bottle size and fill volume and see if that hepls.

[Multidimensional]

I just looked at the image and thought the same thing. Easy diagnosis. It is clearly trying to tell you that ALL OF THE MODULES are Fine. NO ERRORS are shown at all for the modules. It IS showing a Not Ready indication (very obvious pop up screen). Note how the Not Ready IS NOT ASSOCIATED with the modules. It is in fact related to the two solvent bottles (as just noted), A and D, which the system understands are EMPTY and can not begin the run. The answer is in front on you. You have activated the solvent level function and the system is warning you just like it is supposed to.

[triskaidekaphile]

The solvent level check box was not checked, and we had tried imputing the solvent levels just to make sure that that wasn't the issue. Also, there was no solvent level notification in the error logs.

The system started working spontaneously again. It wasn't working when I went to a class, and when I came back, the status was ready, and sequences started running as normal.

[Multidimensional]

You must have reset the solvent levels when you checked them on the screen. The RED indicators shown for each bottle was confirmation that the problem was in fact the system detecting "empty bottles" (as determined by solvent usage). Red for the two bottles and the separate Not Ready indicators were present (NO errors shown/No Not Ready error for the modules) and that was the problem. There are no "Bottle Level errors" recorded in the instrument log because the system does not record any errors of that type (they reside outside of the pump, so are not instrument errors). It really was that simple and the system worked exactly as designed to alert you to the problem.

Some people use the "Bottle Fill" feature, but we recommend to not use it because it will shut down a run when you forget to reset the levels after refilling the bottles (and people always seem to forget to reset or adjust the software levels). Great idea, Bad feature. Now you know.

[triskaidekaphile]

The solvents level check box was verified as unchecked by me, a co-worker, and the agilent support technician. It was not the solvent bottles.

[ATAlR]

Is there another module that is not configured, like detectors FLD, RID ...? The other modules have to be turned off as they are not part of the method so they cannot get into ready state. All connected modules have to be in ready state (not just configured) to start analysis

[ATAlR]

Also Chemstation A and B versions are not officially supported by W10. I had successfully installed it on one of our computers and run it for few weeks, only to found out that MS Update (even with disabled update service) removed all my location settings, UAC and some more settings that prevented me to all of a sudden start Chemstation

[andrewgoring]

Hi,

I am having the same problem. Did you figure out how to fix it? Or did it just spontaneously start working.

Thanks