Chemstation A.06.04 UV-spectrum question

[Chris972]

This might be a silly question, but can I view the UV spectrum of a peak using this software? The button I'm used to seeing under the "Data Analysis" sections seems to have gone missing.

Thing is that I've worked in the industry on "B.xx.xx" versions and now I'm back at the university for my Ph.D and of course it's a stoneage 1999 computer. Any help would be much appreciated! LC is an HP 1100 if that makes any difference.


One more question: how much would it cost to upgrade to the more modern software? Something made for WinXP for example? The current system is an HP Kayak running WinNT. It's slow and just lacks the intuitiveness I'm used to with other software. Would new hardware need to be purchased as well? I haven't taken the Kayak apart, but it's looks like some sort of pci slot that connects to the stack. Or no?

Another prof. in the building has recently bought an LC that I'm sure comes with newer software, is there any way of bumming a copy off of them? Hopefully that kind of question is not against the rules! My prof. has lots of money, but he's spending thousands a week on chemicals/post-docs and might shoot me in the face if I ask for anything over $500 .

[bisnettrj2]

The Chemstation you're using doesn't have the Spectral Tools module added on - therefore, you can't view any acquired spectra.

I'm not sure if you 'can' use a 'bummed' copy of his Chemstation, but I'm pretty sure your university would frown on software pirating. Chemstation is usually sold as a single-use license (unless the university bought the multi-use license when it purchased the other professor's instrument). However, you should be able to use his software in the offline Data Analysis mode to access any spectra stored in your datafiles.

You should call Agilent and get a salesperson on the phone to guide your purchasing needs. However, the packages are not typically cheap. To see all the various packages and upgrades they offer, check the link below:

http://www.chem.agilent.com/en-us/produ ... gp285.aspx

You could also check out third-party software. A websearch or a search in the Forum archives should give you some ideas of the range of available data processing packages out there.

Finally - anything over $500 is out of the question? Good luck getting a case of solvent or a new column!

[Chris972]

The Chemstation you're using doesn't have the Spectral Tools module added on - therefore, you can't view any acquired spectra.

I'm not sure if you 'can' use a 'bummed' copy of his Chemstation, but I'm pretty sure your university would frown on software pirating. Chemstation is usually sold as a single-use license (unless the university bought the multi-use license when it purchased the other professor's instrument). However, you should be able to use his software in the offline Data Analysis mode to access any spectra stored in your datafiles.

You should call Agilent and get a salesperson on the phone to guide your purchasing needs. However, the packages are not typically cheap. To see all the various packages and upgrades they offer, check the link below:

http://www.chem.agilent.com/en-us/produ ... gp285.aspx

You could also check out third-party software. A websearch or a search in the Forum archives should give you some ideas of the range of available data processing packages out there.

Finally - anything over $500 is out of the question? Good luck getting a case of solvent or a new column!

The universities don't fund things like that, it's mainly the NIH and other grants the professors get. So since we have the instrument and it works just fine, I'm almost positive my adviser would not be thrilled about updating the computer/software just for UV spectrum viewing and a more intuitive file system. That said, it's certainly a single use license.

Obviously a pirated copy is not great, I was mainly just wondering how the update process works. I was secretly hoping our current license could be used on the new software, i.e. install new software and use the license from the a.06.04.

Anyone have an idea on the hardware question? Do you know offhand if the chemstation hardware is connected to a pci slot, or anything other important info? I'd really like to at least get everything running on a >1ghz machine. Don't really want to bother with Agilent, because like I said there's little chance my adviser will want to spend money on something that works just fine for our purpose (we only really use the LC for very minor publishing purposes).

Thanks!

[Consumer Products Guy]

First, you need a DAD (diode-array detector) to get spectral scans. And then you'll need the 3D spectral software. The DAD connects to the computer and stack just like a VWD.

Your revision of software is NOT the hold-up.

[Chris972]

First, you need a DAD (diode-array detector) to get spectral scans. And then you'll need the 3D spectral software. The DAD connects to the computer and stack just like a VWD.

Your revision of software is NOT the hold-up.

There is a DAD. I've set it to store "all" spectra, just can't figure out how/where the data is stored. Perhaps I need the 3D spectral software? Any more help on this would be much appreciated. Is is something that can be installed to work with the a.06.04 software? If so that would be great!

My other question dealt more with the hardware connection from the stack to the computer. Before taking anything apart I just need to know what kind of bus is used. Hoping it's PCI, as that's pretty standard even in newer machines.

Thanks for all the help.

[Consumer Products Guy]

I believe the actual spectral software for the DAD is on the A.06.04 disc. You'd need the 10-character Agilent license for this though.

I'd guess that if you bought a license to updgrade from 2D to 3D spectral processing (Agilent only sells current software and licenses), that Agilent wouldn't care if you actually physically loaded up an older version. I think what you're looking for is G2180AA or G2180BA, first is 16 bit, second is 32 bit.

[bisnettrj2]

Chris972:

In terms of the instrument connection - how is your stack currently connected?

[lmh]

A pirated copy, although not unduly hard to achieve with Chemstation, is not only "not great", it's illegal, and amounts to operating as a parasite on other groups (including academic groups) who do pay for their software.

Please pursue your sensible aim to get this instrument working the way it should, but please do it legally. It's not fair on other universities not to.

[Chris972]

I believe the actual spectral software for the DAD is on the A.06.04 disc. You'd need the 10-character Agilent license for this though.

So the software I need is on the disc we have? Is it loaded as a separate program or is it an add-on for chemstation?

I would wonder why it wasn't installed when we had the machine put together, which was done a couple years back before I was part of the group.

Please pursue your sensible aim to get this instrument working the way it should, but please do it legally. It's not fair on other universities not to.

Hey I'm not looking to harm anyone else, but to be quite honest I don't think it would be harming anyone. I'm not out to profit with such software, it's purely for academic growth. Like I previously said it wouldn't even be used in papers as we rely much more heavily on NMR and HRMS, for obvious reasons.

All I want is to see my data.

[lmh]

no, sorry, I didn't want to imply you are profiteering. You're just trying to do your job. The problem is that for those of us who compete for limited public grant funding, it's difficult when some universities are able to cost projects really cheaply. I don't mind if they are genuinely efficient, but it's irritating when you hear stories of university labs pirating software and otherwise evading (or hiding) legitimate costs. It sets expectations that the rest of us can't (ethically/legally) meet. It's also a little bit like shoplifting. It means that the big companies have to charge that little bit more to all their legal customers to cover the profit they aren't making on the less legal users.

I appreciate that the staff at the bottom just need the tools for the job. But the professors above need to understand that hoping their staff will have the initiative to pirate something without actually putting the school or the prof's bum on the line, just isn't morally acceptable. I'm sure it's a minority thing among profs, but I've met it a few times and it really gets me in rant mode! Sorry again to have ranted.

[Chris972]

no, sorry, I didn't want to imply you are profiteering. You're just trying to do your job. The problem is that for those of us who compete for limited public grant funding, it's difficult when some universities are able to cost projects really cheaply. I don't mind if they are genuinely efficient, but it's irritating when you hear stories of university labs pirating software and otherwise evading (or hiding) legitimate costs. It sets expectations that the rest of us can't (ethically/legally) meet. It's also a little bit like shoplifting. It means that the big companies have to charge that little bit more to all their legal customers to cover the profit they aren't making on the less legal users.

I appreciate that the staff at the bottom just need the tools for the job. But the professors above need to understand that hoping their staff will have the initiative to pirate something without actually putting the school or the prof's bum on the line, just isn't morally acceptable. I'm sure it's a minority thing among profs, but I've met it a few times and it really gets me in rant mode! Sorry again to have ranted.

I know what you mean, wasn't taken the wrong way at all.

We're kind of guided here to "do whatever you can to make things cheaper/better" with some/little emphasis on being up to legal code. It's problematic since such software is so darn expensive.

Any other ideas on what I can do to see my data? Can it be exported to excel and pieced together based on retention time? (for example if the apex is 4.34m could I get the DAD data and construct a UV plot in excel?)

Thanks again for all the help!

[bisnettrj2]

Can you use the other professor's Chemstation? Maybe come in after-hours and use the offline data-processing version? That way, you can access the spectra in your datafiles with existing equipment/software.

[Consumer Products Guy]

So the software I need is on the disc we have? Is it loaded as a separate program or is it an add-on for chemstation?

Insert the disc, go to upgrade your ChemStation, see if G2180AA or G2180BA is listed. If so, it's on your disc. You might even be able to see separate directories called G2180AA or G2180BA on the disc. However, you'd need the 10-character license number to load that. I cannot provide that.

[Chris972]

So the software I need is on the disc we have? Is it loaded as a separate program or is it an add-on for chemstation?

Insert the disc, go to upgrade your ChemStation, see if G2180AA or G2180BA is listed. If so, it's on your disc. You might even be able to see separate directories called G2180AA or G2180BA on the disc. However, you'd need the 10-character license number to load that. I cannot provide that.

Okay great, thanks.

I'll have to call up the guy who helped set everything up and see where the software is located. I'm sure we have the license laying around somewhere too.

Really appreciate the help, it's just not the same running an LC and not being able to see my UV spectrums!

[nimbi63]

Go to Start, Programs, ChemStations (it may be HP ChemStations), and Add License. This will open the license panel and list the currently installed licenses. If it shows only one license installed, you don't have spectra module installed. The licenses come in a yellow 8.5 x 5 inch envelope that say 'registration number'. (Probably placed in a drawer long ago, and tossed out later.) If you have one that says G2180AA, that is the spectra license number. With the license number, we can guide you thru installation.