Chromatography Forum

My lab have just received a new Waters Acquity Premier UPLC for the front end of a Sciex 5500 MS. We use Analyst 1.7.1 software for data acquisition.

Everything is communicating fine and I can control the system via the Waters Console. However, I am unsure on three things:

1) Do I need to create a hardware profile that includes the Waters UPLC, and if so how do I do this?

2) How do I create acquisition methods? I've tried using the Acquity Method Editor and managed to save these on top of a Sciex acquisition method file. However, when I open the acquisition methods, only the MS parameters are displayed. When I open the LC method again in the Acquity editor, all the changes I made previously have disappeared.

3) How do I set an injection volume? This is normally within the LC settings and the Sciex batch file will pull it through from the companion software (this is how it works when using an Agilent LC). Or is it necessary to manually set the injection volume in the batch?

Thanks in advance for any tips!

I've never done this, so I'm guessing...

Sciex is not a Waters entity, so I'm guessing that you need to setup your acquisition in the Sciex software so that it just goes when triggered.
Then you use Empower to control your front end and include a wire running to the Sciex to tell it whenever an injection has been made.

If this does not help, talk to your vendors as clearly, one or both have left you in the lurch.

Thanks for the reply DR.

Thankfully I figured everything out and it all works smoothly. Acquity UPLC systems are fully compatible with Analyst software (and Sciex OS I believe). For anyone else in this situation, this is how you do it:

Firstly, you need to install the relevant Waters device drivers (info here: https://support.waters.com/KB_Inst/Chro ... ex_Analyst). For reference, I am using Analyst 1.7.1 with HotFix 1, and I used the Waters device drivers 2022 (release 1).

You should see "ACQUITY Console" and "ACQUITY Method Editor" appear in your Analyst companion software list in the bottom left.

Secondly, set up communications with your Acquity modules (follow this guide: https://support.waters.com/KB_Inst/Chro ... t_software).

Open the ACQUITY console from within Analyst to configure your UPLC modules. If you have a Sample Organizer, this may not show up straight away. You have to configure this manually in the console.

Next, create a hardware profile in Analyst with your mass spec, then add the UPLC via Add device > Software application > Software application (not configured) > ACQUITY UPLC.

To make methods, activate your hardware profile and create a method as normal within Analyst. Put in your MS method settings then save the method. Next, open the ACQUITY method editor and open the .dam file you just saved. Input your LC settings here then click File > Save method as, and save over the .dam file. That should be it. To input injection volume, do this in the batch editor within Analyst.