Clarity discussion forum

Hi,

The confusion is about the time defined in PRM files. In report we can see the PRM information, there are two times -- creat and acquisition. I'm not very sure the word used in English version because I use the CHS version. In my opinion, Clarity should first do the acquisition and then creat the PRM file, so the creation time should be later than acquistion time. If the creation time is always earlier than acquisition time, it's also OK.

The issue is that our customers did a series acquisitions by the same method, nether the creation time always later than acquisition time or the creation time is always earlier than acquisition time, sometimes they are equal. How to explain this phenomenon?

Best reagrds!

Dear Daniel,
the times noted in the prm file and in the method are constructed as follows:
File Created date and time is Windows time, when the file was changed for the last time for any reason.
Acquired Date date and time is the time counted by Clarity, when the acquisition is over.

Under normal circumstances, both times should be the same when the chromatogram is created. If the chromatogram is long enough, the File Created time may be later than the Acquired Date time, but usually the difference is less than 1 second, so maximum of a difference there is should be 1s.
Then the windows step in. The File Created time may change every time the file is saved onto a different disc drive etc, thus not retaining its information. The Acquired Date time will always stay the same.

Now, as to your customer's findings, the Acquired Date should always be the same or older than the File Created. However, it is possible to have it the other way too because not all computers have the same date and time settings synchronized, so for example when the file being created is saved into the network disc (which is part of another computer), the difference between both times may cause File Created time being older than the Acquired Date.

Could this type of behaviour cause the issue described by your customer? If not, we will be interested in the file which behaves differently, both as a pdf report and the original prm file for the inspection.

Best Regards,
Daniel

Dear Big Dan ,

Thank you for the answer. The issue is just what you said, in some prm files the creation time is older than or the same as the acquisition time, in a few prm files the creation time is earlier than acquisition time. I can't insert images received from our customer in this post, see the followed descriptions:
1. creation time is much earlier than acquisition
Creation time: 2011-1-19 10:33:23
Acquisition: 2011-1-19 11:30:08
2. creation time is a little older than acquisition
Creation time: 2011-1-19 15:47:50
Acquisition: 2011-1-19 15:47:49
3. creation time is a little earlier than acquisition
Creation time: 2011-1-19 13:27:14
Acquisition: 2011-1-19 13:37:22
4.same
Creation time: 2011-1-19 14:43:51
Acquisition: 2011-1-19 14:43:51
There may be some special reasons made the issue, the files are from a same customer.

Best regards.