Clarity discussion forum

Hi, I am a relatively new user to Clarity having only used it since
March 2008. I currently run a HPLC system for sugar analysis but will
soon be using it for biogenic amine analysis too.

I am pleased with Clarity's ease of use and functionality and the
options to customise it for your own specific requirements.

However, I have noticed a couple of strange things happen occasionally
when using Clarity- when you try and open/set a chromatogram on the
background of the data window it often scales the background
chromatogram rather than the current 'in progress' chromatogram.

Also, I find that whenever I click the 'run sequence' button the pump
switches off and doesn't restart until its made the injection- this can
obviously cause inaccurate chromatograms as the machine then has to
're-equilibrate'. I'm not sure if there is a setting to remedy this as
it didn't used to do this. I have checked the idle state is set to a
flow rate of 0.5ml/min and I can't see why it would suddenly start to do
this.

If anyone could advise it would be much appreciated.

Best wishes,

Helen Aldred-Jones

Dear Helen,

Thank you for reporting us the problems. We will look on the problematic parts as soon as possible.

However, in the last paragraph, you are reporting problems with the pump. I believe it is Sykam S2100 pump, but as Clarity can control large number of various instrumentation, it would be appropriate to specify which pump it is in the report next time.



To speed up the process of finding the solution, it would help us to have the configuration files of your Clarity station and the method used. The best way to send them will be to use the Help - Send Report by E-Mail command from the main Clarity window. Add another file to the report, please - the method file you use on the Clarity Instrument you have problems with (extension *.met, it should be saved in the selected project directory).

Also, one other possible reason for problems comes to my mind - the pump's firmware may be older then the version supported by Clarity. Try to use the LC Status button in the Method Setup - LC tab, the firmware version should be listed in the resulting Hardware Configuration dialog. Add this info to the report email too, please.



With best regards,

Daniel Mentlik



Daniel Mentlik

DataApex s.r.o.

Podohradska 2

15500 Prague

e-mail: mentlik@dataapex.com

web: www.dataapex.com

Hello Helen,

If you are a SYKAM S2100 pump user, than you have the problem that has
no solution - the pump stops, because on the beginning of each
injection it should get the gradient table (even if you are working
with isocratic methods). During this time the pump stops and this is
the problem of the pump's firmware.
You could only try to use the Sequence- Options- Idle time to perform
the column equilibration before analysis - the method is send at the
beginning of Idle time and the flow will not be interrupted immediately before run.

Best regards,
Eugene
gogol@abacus-as.ru

Hi Eugene,

Yes I do use a Sykam S2100 pump and I am currently using it in isocratic
mode, although strangely it is a problem that has developed as it was
fine for a while with the older version of Clarity then it developed
this 'quirk' of stopping when you run a sequence. It still does it with
the new version of Clarity as well as the older version so I'm wondering
if there is a hidden setting which has caused it to suddenly change. My
idle sequence hasn't changed and I can't find any settings to indicate
why it would decide to stop everytime as it also stops when an injection
has finished when it moves on to the next injection.

Daniel-

The firmware for the pump hasn't changed so I'm at a loss to explain why
it has recently started doing this as surely if it was a firmware fault
it would always have stopped?

Best wishes,

Helen Aldred-Jones
Quality Assurance Coordinator
First Milk Cheese Company Ltd - Haverfordwest
Merlins Bridge, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA61 1JN
helenaldred-jones@firstmilk.co.uk
01437 761513 / 01437 761512
07825 362347
Be the change you want to see in the world
Please consider the environment before printing.

Hello Helen,

I had faced such problem not very long ago. Unfortunately there
is no hidden settings in the pump, and the data exchange protocol of
the pump allows only this way of operating. It is not Clarity problem.
I think it is because the pump was designed to work without PC and it
is not operated directly, but only through loading the gradient table
- befor each injection. I will not stop, if it will be operated not
from the PC directly, but from the Autosampler for example - then it
will start after each injection the program #1 (or #2, I don't
remember) stored in the pump's memory. Without any interruptions.
The other way is to disconnect it from the PC (or to remove it from
Clarity settings) - as far as you use it in isocratic mode.

--
Best regards,
Eugene mailto:gogol@abacus-as.ru