The following features help you to identify and eliminate the source for problems that may arise during operation of the device.

TIP

For information about operating issues that might occur during the operation of a Vanquish system, refer to the Vanquish System Operating Manual.

To facilitate device identification, have the serial number and technical name available when communicating with Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Status Indicators

The status indicator LED bar on the front side of the device and the STATUS LED on the keypad inside provide quick visual feedback on the operational status of the device. If the device firmware detects a problem, the status indicators are red.

Alarms

Leaks are a potential safety issue. Therefore, if a leak sensor detects leakage, beeping starts to alert you in addition to the message in the Instrument Audit Trail and the status indicators changing to red. Follow the instructions in this manual to find and eliminate the source for the leakage.

Instrument Audit Trail Messages

If the device firmware detects a problem, the problem is reported to the chromatography data system.

The chromatography data system logs information about all events related to instrument operation for the current day in an Instrument Audit Trail. The Instrument Audit Trail is named with the current date, using the format yyyymmdd. For example, the Instrument Audit Trail for May 15, 2023, is named 20230515.

The Instrument Audit Trails can be found on the ePanel Set (Audit ePanel). In addition, Audit Trails for each instrument are available in the Chromeleon 7 Console Data view, in the folder of the instrument.

Messages in the Instrument Audit Trail may be preceded by an icon. The icon identifies the seriousness of the problem. For possible causes and remedial actions, see Messages.

Troubleshooting Parameters

The following parameters provide helpful information for troubleshooting if a problem occurs in the charged aerosol detector:

Parameters

Description

Gas flow ratio

Displays the ratio of the nebulizer gas pressure to the charging gas pressure.

As a standard, the Gas Flow Ratio is Normal.

For troubleshooting information on the gas flow ratio, see Additional Device Operating Issues.

Charger voltage

Displays the voltage applied to the corona needle to charge the (secondary) ion gas stream. Typical value ranges from 2.0 - 3.0 kV.

If the value is outside of this range, contact Technical Support.

Charger current

Displays the current that is required to charge the (secondary) ion gas stream. Typical value ranges from 0.98 - 1.02 µA.

If the value is subject to fluctuations or outside of this range, contact Technical Support.

Firmware Failure

If a firmware failure occurred during operation of the module, an exception log has been created about the processes during the firmware failure. The firmware sends the exception log to the Instrument Audit Trail when the module is connected in the chromatography data system.

In this case, observe the following:

  • Send the Instrument Audit Trail as .cmbx file to the Technical Support before you clear the log.

  • To clear the exception log and continue operation of the module, perform the command ExceptionLogClear.

For more information, refer to the Chromeleon Help.