Agilent Technologies 7890B User manual

Agilent Technologies
Agilent 7890B
Gas Chromatograph
Operation Manual

Notices
© Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2013
No part of this manual may be reproduced
in any form or by any means (including
electronic storage and retrieval or transla-
tion into a foreign language) without prior
agreement and written consent from
Agilent Technologies, Inc. as governed by
United States and international copyright
laws.
Manual Part Number
G3430-90054
Edition
First edition, January 2013
Printed in USA or China
Agilent Technologies, Inc.
2850 Centerville Road
Wilmington, DE 19808-1610 USA
Agilent Technologies, Inc.
412 Ying Lun Road
Waigoaqiao Freed Trade Zone
Shanghai 200131 P.R.China
Warranty
The material contained in this docu-
ment is provided “as is,” and is sub-
ject to being changed, without notice,
in future editions. Further, to the max-
imum extent permitted by applicable
law, Agilent disclaims all warranties,
either express or implied, with regard
to this manual and any information
contained herein, including but not
limited to the implied warranties of
merchantability and fitness for a par-
ticular purpose. Agilent shall not be
liable for errors or for incidental or
consequential damages in connection
with the furnishing, use, or perfor-
mance of this document or of any
information contained herein. Should
Agilent and the user have a separate
written agreement with warranty
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arate agreement shall control.
Safety Notices
CAUTION
A CAUTION notice denotes a hazard. It
calls attention to an operating
procedure, practice, or the like that, if
not correctly performed or adhered to,
could result in damage to the product
or loss of important data. Do not
proceed beyond a CAUTION notice
until the indicated conditions are fully
understood and met.
WARNING
A WARNING notice denotes a hazard.
It calls attention to an operating
procedure, practice, or the like that, if
not correctly performed or adhered to,
could result in personal injury or
death. Do not proceed beyond a
WARNING notice until the indicated
conditions are fully understood and
met.

Operation Manual 3
Contents
1 Introduction
Chromatography Using a GC 10
The Operating Panel 11
The display 12
Status lights 12
Beeping instrument 13
Blinking setpoint 13
The keypad 14
2 Operating Basics
Overview 16
Instrument Control 17
To Start Up the GC 18
To Shut Down the GC for Less Than a Week 19
To Shut Down the GC for More Than a Week 20
Correcting Problems 21
3 Keypad Operation
The Run Keys 24
The GC Component Keys 25
The Status Key 26
The Info Key 27
The General Data Entry Keys 28
The Supporting Keys 29
Method Storage and Automation Keys 30
Keypad Functionality When the GC Is Controlled by an Agilent Data
System 31
The Service Mode Key 31
About GC Status 32
Status board 32
Alert tones 32
Error conditions 33
Blinking setpoint 33
About Logs 35
Maintenance log 35

4Operation Manual
4 Methods and Sequences
What Is a Method? 38
What Is Saved in a Method? 38
What Happens When You Load a Method? 39
Creating Methods 40
To load a method 41
To store a method 41
What Is a Sequence? 43
Creating Sequences 43
Automating Data Analysis, Method Development, and Sequence
Development 47
5 Running a Method or a Sequence from the Keypad
Running Methods from the Keypad 50
To manually inject a sample with a syringe and start a run 50
To run a method to process a single ALS sample 50
To abort a method 50
Running Sequences from the Keypad 51
To start running a sequence 51
To pause a running sequence 51
To resume a paused sequence 52
To stop a running sequence 52
To resume a stopped sequence 52
Aborting a sequence 52
To resume an aborted sequence 52
6 Chromatographic Checkout
About Chromatographic Checkout 54
To Prepare for Chromatographic Checkout 55
To Check FID Performance 57
To Check TCD Performance 62
To Check NPD Performance 67
To Check uECD Performance 72
To Check FPD+Performance (Sample 5188-5953) 77
Preparation 77
Phosphorus performance 78
Sulfur performance 82

Operation Manual 5
To Check FPD+Performance (Sample 5188-5245, Japan) 84
Preparation 84
Phosphorus performance 85
Sulfur performance 89
To Check FPD Performance (Sample 5188-5953) 91
Preparation 91
Phosphorus performance 92
Sulfur performance 96
To Check FPD Performance (Sample 5188-5245, Japan) 99
Preparation 99
Phosphorus performance 100
Sulfur performance 104
7 Resource Conservation
Resource Conservation 108
Sleep Methods 108
Wake and Condition Methods 110
To Set the GC to Conserve Resources 112
To Edit an Instrument Schedule 115
To Create or Edit a Sleep, Wake, or Condition Method 116
To Put the GC to Sleep Now 117
To Wake the GC Now 118
8 Early Maintenance Feedback
Early Maintenance Feedback (EMF) 120
Counter types 120
Thresholds 121
Default Thresholds 122
Available Counters 123
To Enable or Change a Limit for an EMF Counter 126
To Disable an EMF Counter 127
To Reset an EMF Counter 128
EMF Counters for Autosamplers 129
Counters for 7693A and 7650 ALS with EMF-enabled firmware 129
Counters for ALS with earlier firmware 129
EMF Counters for MS Instruments 130

6Operation Manual
9 GC-MS Features
GC/MS Communications 132
Venting the MSD 132
MS Shutdown events 132
To Set Up a Vent Method 134
To Manually Prepare the GC for Venting the MS 135
To Manually Exit the MS Vent State 136
To Use the GC When the MSD is Shut Down 137
To Enable or Disable MS Communications 138
10 Configuration
About Configuration 140
Assigning GC resources to a device 140
Setting configuration properties 141
General Topics 142
To Unlock the GC Configuration 142
Ignore Ready = 142
Information displays 143
Unconfigured: 143
Oven 144
To configure the oven for cryogenic cooling 145
Front Inlet/Back Inlet 147
To configure the Gas type 147
To configure the PTV or COC coolant 147
To configure the MMI coolant 149
Column # 151
To view a summary of column connections 154
Composite Columns 160
To configure composite columns 161
LTM Columns 162
LTM Series II column modules 162
Cryo Trap 163
Front Detector/Back Detector/Aux Detector/Aux Detector 2 165
To configure the makeup/reference gas 165
Lit offset 165
To configure the FPD heaters 165
To ignore the FID or FPD ignitor 166

Operation Manual 7
Analog out 1/Analog out 2 167
Fast peaks 167
Valve Box 168
To assign a GC power source to a valve box heater 168
Thermal Aux 169
PCM A/PCM B/PCM C 172
Pressure aux 1,2,3/Pressure aux 4,5,6/Pressure aux 7,8,9 174
Status 175
Time 176
Valve # 177
Front injector/Back injector 178
Sample tray (7683 ALS) 180
Instrument 181
Using the Optional Barcode Reader 182
Barcode reader power 182
Installing the barcode reader 183
To scan configuration data using the G3494B RS-232 barcode
reader 183
To scan configuration data using the G3494A USB barcode reader 184
To uninstall the RS-232 barcode reader 184
11 Options
About Options 186
Calibration 186
To zero a specific flow or pressure sensor 188
Column calibration 188
Communication 193
Configuring the IP address for the GC 193
Keyboard and Display 194

8Operation Manual

9
Agilent 7890BGas Chromatograph
Operation Manual
Agilent Technologies
1
Introduction
Chromatography Using a GC 10
The Operating Panel 11
This document provides an overview of the individual
components that make up the Agilent 7890B Gas
Chromatograph (GC).

10 Operation Manual
1Introduction
Chromatography Using a GC
Chromatography is the separation of a mixture of
compounds into individual components.
There are three major steps involved with separating and
identifying components of a mixture using a GC. They are:
1Injecting a sample into the GC. (This takes place at the
inlet.)
2Separating the sample into individual components. (This
takes place inside the column in the oven.)
3Detecting what compounds were in the sample. (This is
done in the detector.)
During this process, status messages from the GC are
displayed, and user changes to parameter settings can be
made through the operating panel or data system.
Refer to the Advanced Operating Manual and the Getting
Started manual for more details.
Inlet
Oven
Detector
Operating panel
Power switch

Introduction 1
Operation Manual 11
The Operating Panel
The operating panel consists of the display, status lights, and
keypad. See “Keypad Operation” and the Advanced Operation
Manual, along with the complete suite of documentation
included on the Agilent GC and GC/MS User Manuals &
Tools DVDs that are included with your GC shipment for
more detailed information.
Display
Shows status, setpoints, current
activity, and messages.
Keyboard
Use to enter settings and program the
GC.
Status lights
LEDs indicate general status, run
state, program state, external
control, and maintenance due.

12 Operation Manual
1Introduction
The display
The display shows details of what is currently happening in
the GC and allows you to make changes to parameters as
necessary.
The cursor, <, shows the current active line. Use the scroll
keys to select a different line in the display and
to view additional lines in the display.
A blinking asterisk (*) prompts you to press [Enter] to store
a value or [Clear] to abort the entry. You cannot perform any
other task until this is done.
Status lights
The status lights provide a basic look at what is currently
happening inside the Agilent 7890B GC.
A lit LED on the status board indicates:
•The current progress of a run (Pre Run,Post Run, and
Run).
•Items that may require attention (Rate, Not Ready,
Service Due, and Run Log).
•The GC is controlled by an Agilent data system
(Remote).
Actual Setpoint
OVEN
Temperature 150.0 150.0
Initial time 1.000<
Rate 1 20.000

Introduction 1
Operation Manual 13
•The GC is programmed for events to occur at specified
times (Clock Table).
•The GC is in gas saver mode (Gas Saver).
Beeping instrument
A single beep means that a problem exists, but the problem
will not prevent the GC from executing the run. The GC will
emit one beep and display a message. The GC can start the
run and the warning disappears when a run starts.
A series of warning beeps sound if the GC encounters a
more serious problem. The GC starts with one beep. The
longer the problem persists, the more the GC beeps. For
example, a series of beeps sound if the front inlet gas flow
cannot reach setpoint. The message Front inlet flow shutdown is
briefly displayed. The flow shuts down after 2 minutes. Press
[Off/No] to stop the beeping.
A continuous beep sounds if a hydrogen flow is shut down
or a thermal shutdown occurs. Press [Clear] to stop the beep.
Fault messages indicate hardware problems that require user
intervention. Depending on the type of error, the GC will
beep once or not at all.
Blinking setpoint
If a gas flow, multiposition valve, or the oven is shut down
by the system, Off or On/Off will blink on the appropriate
line of the components parameter listing.

14 Operation Manual
1Introduction
The keypad
All of the parameters required to operate the Agilent 7890B
GC can be entered through the GC’s keypad. Normally,
however, most of these parameters are controlled using an
attached data system, such as Agilent’s OpenLAB CDS or
MassHunter software.
When an Agilent data system is controlling your 7890B GC,
it is possible for the data system to disable editing of the
GC’s current method from the keypad.
The Run keys
GC Component keys
General data entry
keys
Supporting keys
Method Storage and
Automation keys
Status key
Service Mode key

15
Agilent 7890B Gas Chromatograph
Operation Manual
Agilent Technologies
2
Operating Basics
Overview 16
Instrument Control 17
To Start Up the GC 18
To Shut Down the GC for Less Than a Week 19
To Shut Down the GC for More Than a Week 20
Correcting Problems 21
This section describes a few basic tasks that an operator
performs when using the Agilent 7890B GC.

16 Operation Manual
2Operating Basics
Overview
Operating the GC involves the following tasks:
•Setting up the GC hardware for an analytical method.
•Starting up the GC. See “To Start Up the GC”.
•Preparing the automatic liquid sampler. Install the
method- defined syringe; configure solvent and waste
bottle usage and syringe size; and prepare and load
solvent, waste, and sample vials.
•For the 7693A ALS, see its Installation, Operation, and
Maintenance manual.
•For the 7683 ALS, see manual Operating the 7683B
ALS on a 7890 Series GC.
•Loading the analytical method or sequence into the GC
control system.
•See the Agilent data system documentation.
•For standalone GC operation see “To load a method”
and “To load a stored sequence”.
•Running the method or sequence.
•See the Agilent data system documentation.
•For standalone GC operation, see “To manually inject a
sample with a syringe and start a run”, “To run a
method to process a single ALS sample”, and “To start
running a sequence”.
•Monitoring sample runs from the GC control panel or the
Agilent data system program. See “About GC Status” or
the Agilent data system documentation.
•Shutting down the GC. See “To Shut Down the GC for
Less Than a Week” or “To Shut Down the GC for More
Than a Week”.

Operating Basics 2
Operation Manual 17
Instrument Control
The Agilent 7890B GC is typically controlled by an attached
data system such as Agilent OpenLAB CDS. Alternately, the
GC can be controlled entirely from its keypad, with output
data being sent to an attached integrator for report
generation.
Agilent data system users – Please refer to the online help
included in the Agilent data system for details on how to
load, run, or create methods and sequences using the data
system.
Standalone GC users – If you are running your GC without
an attached data system, see the following for details on
loading methods and sequences from the keypad:
•“To load a method”
•“To load a stored sequence”
For details on running methods and sequences from the
keypad see:
•“To manually inject a sample with a syringe and start a
run”
•“To run a method to process a single ALS sample”
•“To start running a sequence”
For details on how to create methods and sequences using
the GC keypad, see “Methods and Sequences”.

18 Operation Manual
2Operating Basics
To Start Up the GC
Successful operation begins with a properly installed and
maintained GC. The utility requirements for gases, power
supply, venting of hazardous chemicals, and required
operational clearances around the GC are detailed in the
Agilent GC, GC/MS, and ALS Site Preparation Guide.
1Check gas source pressures. For required pressures, see
the Agilent GC, GC/MS, and ALS Site Preparation Guide.
2Turn on the carrier and detector gases at their sources
and open the local shutoff valves.
3Turn on the cryo coolant at its source, if used.
4Turn on the GC power. Wait for Power on successful to
display.
5Install the column.
6Check that the column fittings are leak free. See the
Troubleshooting manual.
7Load the analytical method. See “To load a method”.
8Wait for the detector(s) to stabilize before acquiring data.
The time required for the detector to reach a stable
condition depends on whether the detector was turned off
or its temperature was reduced while the detector
remained powered.
Table 1 Detector stabilization times
Detector type Stabilization time starting
from a reduced temperature
(hours)
Stabilization time starting
from detector off
(hours)
FID 2 4
TCD 2 4
uECD 4 18 to 24
FPD 2 12
NPD 4 18 to 24

Operating Basics 2
Operation Manual 19
To Shut Down the GC for Less Than a Week
1Wait for the current run to finish.
2If the active method has been modified, save the changes.
3Turn off all gases, except the carrier gas, at their sources.
(Leave the carrier gas on to protect the column from
atmospheric contamination.)
4If you are using cryogenic cooling, turn off the cryo
coolant at the gas source.
5Reduce detector, inlet, and column temperatures to
between 150 and 200 °C. If desired, the detector can be
turned off. See the following table to determine if it is
advantageous to shut down the detector for a short time
period. The time required to return the detector to a
stable condition is a factor. See Table 1.
WARNING
Never leave flammable gas flows on if the GC will be unmonitored.
If a leak develops, the gas could create a fire or explosion hazard.

20 Operation Manual
2Operating Basics
To Shut Down the GC for More Than a Week
See Maintaining Your GC manual for procedures for
installing columns, consumables, and so on.
1Load a GC maintenance method and wait for the GC to
become ready. For more information about creating
maintenance methods, see the Maintaining Your GC
manual. (If a maintenance method is not available, set all
heated zones to 40 °C.)
2Turn off the main power switch.
3Shut off all gas valves at the gas source.
4If you are using cryogenic cooling, shut off the cryo
coolant valve at the source.
5When the GC is cool, remove the column from the oven
and cap both ends to keep out contaminants.
6Cap the inlet and detector column fittings and all GC
external fittings.
WARNING
Be careful! The oven, inlet, and/or detector may be hot enough to
cause burns. If they are hot, wear heat-resistant gloves to protect
your hands.