Problem moving HPLC 1100 system to Windows XP with PCI card

[conlab]

I've spent countless hours working on this issue so far, so I'm hoping someone here is able to help me out with this. We have an HPLC 1100 system that is currently connected to an ancient Windows 95 PC, using an ISA card. This install has worked fine and probably hasn't changed since it was originally installed. However, there is quite a bit of risk in running on this PC so we would like to move the system to a Windows XP computer that we can at least readily find replacement hardware for.

The install on the Windows 95 computer uses version A05.02 of the ChemStation software. The modules in the 1100 stack are:

G1315A (connected to the PC)
G1316A
G1313A
G1311A

We have an 82350B PCI card that we can use for this, along with version A10.01 of the ChemStation software. I have installed this, along with the L02.01 Agilent IO libraries (the one that came on the CD for A10.01) on the Windows XP system, with no issues at this point. I ran IO config and set it as follows (as per the install doc):

SICL = hp82341
VISA = GPIBO
Logical Unit = 7
Bus Address= 30
System Controller = Checked

During the install of the ChemStation, I entered our license keys for the LC ChemStation and Spectral Evaluation. I ran the Configuration Editor, selected the hp82341 card, and added the 1100 System Access under Modular 3D LC System with address of 26, which is the same as what was used on the old system. As far as I can tell, this is all that's needed to establish communication with the 1100.

When I start the Instrument 1 Online app the module configuration screen appears and after a several second delay, comes up with an error:

"Module's &%@&@-CU's could not be opened. Check firmware version"

This error repeats itself if I click ok to it. The &%@&@ symbols change with each error message, but otherwise it's the same.

I've tried v15 of the IO libraries as well with the same result. In this version, in the Connection Expert screen the instrument attached to the PCI card shows up as GPIB0::26::INSTR, with a warning on it about the IDN string not being valid. If I run the Interactive IO app and send it the "*IDN?" command, it just returns "«x00»«x03»?". I don't know if this is how the 1100 is supposed to show up in here or if this is part of the main problem.

My best guess here is the firmware on the 1100 is not a sufficient level to run with either the 82350B PCI card, or the A10.01 ChemStation software, but I haven't found anything that says this setup requires a specific firmware level. I'm rather hesitant to try and update the firmware on this unit given how old it is and expensive it would be to replace if anything went wrong, so I'm hoping there is just some configuration problem somewhere that I've set wrong.

I don't think I can check the current firmware on the unit right now without an RS232 cable attached (which I would need to obtain) so I wanted to post in here in the hopes that somebody that knows this system better can tell me what's going on. I'm grateful for any help you can provide, please let me know if you have any questions and I'll try my best to answer them.

Thanks.

[kubowicz.tomasz]

Hello

For Chemstation A.10.02 and below 1100/1200 modules need firmware revision A.05.05/10 or/and below.
You can use "Firmware update tool" to upgrade/downgrade firmware. It should be on CD with Chemstation (in Folder "support"). Firmware files also are on CD.

Regards

Tomasz Kubowicz

[Consumer Products Guy]

I agree: likely needs firmware upgrade. You appear to have the 82350 board set up correctly.

We have one system with 1100 modules and 82350 board and A.10 ourselves, but think it's Win 2000.

[conlab]

Thanks for the quick response! Do you know how risky it is upgrading the firmware on the 1100? I imagine this hardware is at least 15 years old and probably hasn't had a firmware update done since it was installed. Would this typically be a smooth process, or is it common to have problems?

Tomasz, you mention the firmware needs to be A.05.05/10 or below for use with the A.10 software. Surely the firmware on the 1100 is below A.05.05 given it's currently being used with a much earlier version of the ChemStation software, and hasn't had any firmware updates done to it that I know of. Is there a minimum firmware version that the modules need to be at (e.g. less than A.05.05, but greater than A.xx.xx)?

[chemstation]

Hi conlab,

This is not applicable for you, but anyone else with an ethernet card may benefit from the
following experience, and how the firmware upgrade can be safely done, the trick is with
the JetDirect Card to recover.

What happened to me was that I was flashing each module, one at a time, (sounds like the
safe thing to do correct?, nope!) As the firmware I was flashing could not talk to the other
modules, so after I rebooted the module I could not see the other modules, as such I could
not flash them, let alone use them. Oops !

Fortunately I figured out that by moving the JetDirect Card into the back
of each of the other modules, I was able to flash them with all the same firmware version

make sure you record the MAC address of the JetDirect card.

regards
Alex

[conlab]

Thanks chemstation. I wish that we had the ability to use a LAN connection with this unit, I have a feeling it would have made this process a whole lot easier.

I have a little bit more information if this is of any use. I did some poking around on the current system and I believe the firmware running on the 1100 modules now are A.02.32 from 1997-05-21. Is this a version that should work with the A.10.01 software and 82350B card?

It looks like the firmware versions on the A.10.01 CD are A.05.06 - are there any problems upgrading from A.02.32 to this version? Also, if this upgrade was performed successfully, but it did not resolve the problem, would this prevent the existing A.05.02 ChemStation software from being able to communicate with it?

[chemstation]

Hi conlab,

e.g. A JetDirect 400N card can be bought for less than $50 USD
Converts 1100 HPLC modules and 8453 UV-vis to the LAN interface
(yes, it is the same card that goes into HP printers)

http://www.sci-support.com/items/Agilen ... d-1687.htm

Just double check with your friendly Agilent representative

kind regards
Alex

[conlab]

Yeah, we looked at the LAN option, but found we needed to get a mainboard upgrade first to support this, and the mainboard upgrade is no longer available from Agilent.

[conlab]

Update and further problems:

We've gone ahead with trying the firmware update to A.05.06 to see if this solves our problem. We connected the null modem cable to the G1315A module and ran the Firmware Update Utility. It was able to see all modules ok, and provided confirmation that firmware A.02.32 is currently loaded on these units.

Today I started the firmware update on all modules. The resident firmware looked to upload ok to each module, but it then just stopped here and didn't update the main firmware. Looking in the manual I found this scenario here:

------------------
In case the update process stays for a few minutes at the end of the update of
the resident firmware without turning into the resident mode (see Figure 45
on page 34), required for the main firmware update, then click on Cancel
Update and then OK. If the system/modules are still available (shown in the
instrument window and the update window as resident module by product
number - R (e.g. G1365B-R:)), then click in Start Update to continue.
If this is not possible, then
• close the Firmware Update Tool,
• re-boot the modules,
• restart the Firmware Update Tool and
• restart the update.
------------------

Checked the status lights on the modules and each of them had a flashing amber light, indicating they were running in resident mode as expected, except for the G1315A, where the light was off. It seems like this module is holding up the process by not being able to switch into resident mode.

I cancelled the update and the status dialog indicated that the resident firmware was loaded ok. I then received a message from G1316A, G1313A and G1311A saying they were in resident mode, matching the status lights, and didn't receive this same message from G1315A. We power cycled the modules, then tried the update again, and had the exact same problem.

Does anyone have any insight as to why the G1315A doesn't appear to be able to go into resident mode? Do you have any ideas about where to go from here? I only have two thoughts right now:

- Try updating the firmware on each module individually, though I have some doubts that this will allow the G1315A to continue with the update. If I do this on the G1315A first, will I lose communication to the other modules and if so, can I connect to each one individually using the serial connection to update the firmware on each?

- Locate an earlier version of the firmware - perhaps going from A.02.32 to A.05.06 is too big of a jump?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

[bunnahabhain]

This was not using chemstation but MassLynx, but I had trouble using the most recent version of Agilent IO Suite. Try some older versions. maybe this helps.

[kubowicz.tomasz]

Hello

You need to update them individually (except TCC G1316, there is no LAN slot so you need to update it with other with LAN slot).
You can use hand controller/firmware to update firmware partially - resident or main. It is quite easy procedure (it is in manual).

Regards

Tom