Chromatography Forum

Hi, folks!

Suddenly, our Agilent Q-TOF 6530A has failed.
I have problems with signal stability, the signal intensities over time looks like saw at all masses (like this: VVVVVVV, for clarity )
The intensity of adjacent scans can differ up to three times, but the ratio of this "instability" is stable in time: somelike 3x, 1x, 3x, 1x, 3x, 1x.
I have tried to change nebulizers, ion sources, to clean ion transfer capillaries, change calibrant mixes and so on, but the problem still persists. Due to this, I can't even do a mass calibration.
Diagnostics tool haven't reveal any problems...

Maybe someone has encountered this kind of problem? The MS has now become a piece of furniture.

Thanks for the replies!

Really naive suggestion, but have you tried turning it off and on again? You can push the main on/off button at the bottom right corner off, count to five, and turn it back on, and it won't vent! This will cause all the onboard control computer and electronics to reset, which can get the system out of a mess if it's got itself confused. Failing this, it's definitely worth getting in touch with Agilent for assistance.