New to the world of XCalibur

[whdees]

Hello all!

The installation tech just finished installing our new GC/MS system from Thermo, a Trace 1310 with an ISQ mass spec. I must say it is an impressive piece of hardware, and I'm already acquiring some beautiful data...too bad I have no clue how to process it! I have been using Chemstation/Enviroquant for a couple of decades now, but XCalibur is completely new territory, and I'm wandering around lost in the woods. If anybody could point me in the right direction for some "new guy" resources, that would be great! I have been plowing through the manuals and watching the tutorials, but it really isn't sinking in very well...any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, Walt

[Vlado_ns]

Hi Walt,

After you created the sequence and got some data you should setup processing method. Go to the your sequence and in processing method tab right-click on that processing method and open it (when you created sequence i suppose you also created processing method). When you setup your processing method you have to go back to your sequence and mark all the data you have and click batch reprocess. Now go to the quan browser and open your sequence and create XQN method.
Maybe this isn't well explained but it's hard like this. When we've got the instrument from Thermo we have a basic training about Xcalibur.

This is link for Xcalibur manual for Quantitative Analysis:

http://www.unifr.ch/inph/vclab/assets/f ... n_0606.pdf

Best regards,

Vladimir

[tlahren]

Walt,

If you are still not comfortable with Xcalibur (which I am not) and you still have a copy of MSD Chemtation you can do the following:

In Xcalibur go to "TOOLS" then "File Converter." Navigate to you data folder. Select ".CDF" as the file type. At the bottom select a target location for the new files. At the Top window select the files you want to convert and click "Add Jobs." Now click "Convert" (I believe) and it will create .CDF versions of each data file.

Now in Chemstation click "File" then "Import AIA Raw Data Files..." and browse to your CDF files. It will convert the .CDF file into a readable ".D" chemstation data file. NOTE: With my particular system (Thermo DFS) I lose the file information during the transition so I have to print a sequence log with the file info as a reference with my printed data files.

This is a simple work-around to avoid Xcalibur.

[whdees]

Walt,

snip

Now in Chemstation click "File" then "Import AIA Raw Data Files..." and browse to your CDF files. It will convert the .CDF file into a readable ".D" chemstation data file. NOTE: With my particular system (Thermo DFS) I lose the file information during the transition so I have to print a sequence log with the file info as a reference with my printed data files.

This is a simple work-around to avoid Xcalibur.

this is a great idea, Ty, and XCalibur cheerfully converted my files to .CDF files, no problem...but I have to wonder which version of Chemstation/EnviroQuant you are using, because I cannot, to save my own life, find anything about importing AIA files into Data Analysis. I have 4 different versions of Chemstation - as far as I can tell, none of them will let me do that...I'm ready to open a hotdog stand on the beach, I'm so sick of these dang instruments and data stations. After 20+ years, you would think I would have a handle on things...

[tlahren]

but I have to wonder which version of Chemstation/EnviroQuant you are using, because I cannot, to save my own life, find anything about importing AIA files into Data Analysis.

Try typing "enhanced 1" in the command line (I am using Enhanced DA). Enhanced 1 will show the File Menu associated with "Enhanced DA." "Enhanced 2" will switch back to EnviroQuant Menu Style. The "Import AIA Raw Files" should be located under "FILE" menu option in "Enhanced 1" view. I hope this helps.

Ty

[whdees]

but I have to wonder which version of Chemstation/EnviroQuant you are using, because I cannot, to save my own life, find anything about importing AIA files into Data Analysis.

Try typing "enhanced 1" in the command line (I am using Enhanced DA). Enhanced 1 will show the File Menu associated with "Enhanced DA." "Enhanced 2" will switch back to EnviroQuant Menu Style. The "Import AIA Raw Files" should be located under "FILE" menu option in "Enhanced 1" view. I hope this helps.

Ty

it does help, Ty, thanks...and it never fails, as soon as I publicly state, "I'm too stupid to figure this out", I figure it out...our purge and trap data station, running in Enhanced mode instead of Environmental mode, will import and convert AIA files...the station I was trying to use seems to have some serious bugs which prevent it from doing it's job - I have never liked that particular station, now I have a definable reason for not liking it... thanks again. have an adult beverage on me!

[tlahren]

have an adult beverage on me!

Cheers! Glad it worked out for you. I know sometimes Chemstation can be a real headache but one can almost always find a way to do what they need/want with it. Have a great weekend!

Ty