Thermo Scientific Nicolet Series User manual

Nicolet Series FT-IR Spectrometers
Nicolet iS20
User Guide
269-335700 Revision A November 2018

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For Research Use Only. This instrument or accessory is not a medical device and is not intended to be used
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WARNING Avoid an explosion or fire hazard. This instrument or accessory is not
designed for use in an explosive atmosphere.

Thermo Scientific Nicolet iS20 User Guide iii
C
Chapter 1 Welcome. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
About the Help System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Finding Other PDF Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Ordering Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Contacting Us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Chapter 2 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Turning the Power On and Off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Indicators and Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Installing a Smart Accessory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Collecting Data With the Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Collecting Data With the Module. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Setting the Purge Gas Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Aligning Your Spectrometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Verifying the Laser Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Cooling a Detector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Chapter 3 Installing or Replacing Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Installing a Purge Kit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Installing a Sample Compartment Extension Kit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Installing Baseplate-mounted Accessories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Installing Slide-mounted Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Installing Other Accessories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Replacing the Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Changing the Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Installing Sidewall Adapters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Chapter 4 Maintaining Your Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Cleaning Your Instrument. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Static Electricity Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Maintaining Detector Dewars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Checking the Humidity Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Replacing the Humidity Indicator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Replacing the Desiccant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Regenerating the Desiccant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Contents

Contents
iv Nicolet iS20 User Guide Thermo Scientific
Checking and Changing the Purge Gas Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Chapter 5 Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Using the Troubleshooting Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Instrument Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Error Messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Thermo Scientific Nicolet iS20 User Guide 1
Welcome
The Thermo Scientific™ Nicolet™ iS™20 spectrometer has integrated validation features, a
powerful software suite, and many other features that make it easy for you to collect data. It
was designed to allow you to install optional hardware and perform several service and
maintenance procedures yourself, and this help system, or electronic documentation, contains
detailed information about performing such procedures.
If you are using the electronic help version of this document, you can access information by
double-clicking the book in the Contents tab that interests you, and then double-clicking the
topic you want to read. There is also an Index tab where you can search for topics by phrase or
keyword, and there is a Find tab that allows you to search for specific words.
Conventions Used
Safety precautions and other important information use the following format:
WARNING Indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in death or
serious injury.
CAUTION Indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in minor or
moderate injury.
NOTICE Follow instructions with this label to avoid damaging the system hardware or
losing data.
Note Contains helpful supplementary information.
Tip Provides information that can make a task easier.

Welcome
About the Help System
2Nicolet iS20 User Guide Thermo Scientific
About the Help System
To view the electronic Help version of this document, choose Spectrometer Help Topics from
the Help menu in OMNIC software.
Finding Other PDF Documents
PDF files of system documentation are in the electronic documentation package provided
with your instrument.
Ordering Parts
To o r d er p a r t s , contact us.
If you need to send the instrument or an accessory to us for repair, call or e-mail us first for
any shipping requirements or other instructions.
Contacting Us
For Technical Support, please contact: www.thermofisher.com
If you have problems with your system, refer to the Troubleshooting information for help, or
call Technical Support.
Note To expedite and assist in problem diagnosis, please be prepared to send us a copy of
your diagnostics log file. The diagnostic log includes a history of important system
parameters and events that occur during system operation. To copy the diagnostics log to
your Windows desktop, start OMNIC software and choose File > Copy Diagnostics File
to Desktop. Attach this file to an e-mail message to our Technical Support group.

Operation
Turning the Power On and Off
Thermo Scientific Nicolet iS20 User Guide 3
Operation
Turning the Power On and Off
To turn the system power on or off, press the power switch on the power supply.
Indicators and Buttons
The status indicators for the instrument are located on the touch panel, which is on the main
cover of the instrument. This panel also has buttons that allow you to operate the instrument.
•Background button. Acquires a background spectrum, which shows the response of the
instrument when no sample is present.
•Sample button. Measures the current sample installed in the instrument sample
compartment. The sample data is ratioed with the background data, which leaves only
the signals from the sample.
Humidity indicator
Scan bar
Background button Sample button
Workflow button
Stop button
OK/Enter button

Operation
Indicators and Buttons
4Nicolet iS20 User Guide Thermo Scientific
•Workfl ow button. Can be used to assign a software workflow (macro) to the touch panel
for automated operations with the instrument. For information about creating macros,
see the Macros Basic User Guide in your instrument documentation set. To assign a
Macros Basic macro (.mac) file to the operations panel, open OMNIC software and
choose Collect (menu) > Experiment Setup > Advanced (tab). Then choose Browse
next to Macro For Macro Button and select the macro file.
•Humidity indicator.The humidity indicator monitors the level of humidity inside the
spectrometer. The status is indicated by the color of the indicator:
•OK/Enter button. Can be used to confirm a message box displayed in OMNIC software.
•Stop button. Can be used to cancel a message box displayed in OMNIC software.
•Scan bar. Provides instrument status information. Scan states:
– Solid-pulsing green light—Instrument is ready for use.
– Moving green light—Data collection is in progress.
– Solid-pulsing yellow light—Scheduled maintenance required. For more information,
click the System Status icon (shield) in OMNIC software. See the OMNIC Help
system for details.
– Quick-pulsing red light—Instrument requires attention. For more information, see
System Status in OMNIC software.
BLUE
(good)
LIGHT BLUE
(Change desiccant)
PINK
(Call service)

Operation
Installing a Smart Accessory
Thermo Scientific Nicolet iS20 User Guide 5
Installing a Smart Accessory
To install a Smart Accessory™ in the sample compartment, lower the accessory into the sample
compartment and press gently downward until the accessory locks in place. Then rotate the
accessory lock (located on the top of the instrument at the back edge of the sample
compartment) so that it holds down the accessory.
Collecting Data With the Instrument
For information about collecting data with your instrument, please see the getting started
manual that came with the instrument.
Collecting Data With the Module
You must use Thermo Scientific™ OMNIC™ software to collect data. OMNIC can be started
by using the OMNIC shortcut on your system desktop. For additional information, please see
the OMNIC help (available through the Help menu in OMNIC) or the printed
documentation that came with the system microscope or spectrometer.
Note
• If you want to remove a Smart Accessory, simply reverse the steps in this procedure.
When you are not using an accessory, store it in a dust-free environment like a cabinet
or box.
• For information about installing other kinds of accessories, see Installing Other
Accessories.

Operation
Setting the Purge Gas Controls
6Nicolet iS20 User Guide Thermo Scientific
Setting the Purge Gas Controls
You must connect a source of purge gas (dry air or nitrogen) to purge your instrument of
moisture and other environmental contaminants. For best results the purge gas should be
dried to a dew point of -70 °C (-94 °F) or below. Use the following instructions to set the
purge gas controls.
1. Open the shutoff valve.
2. Adjust the pressure regulator until the gauge indicates that the pressure is between 0.7 and
1.4 bar (70 to 140 kPa, or 10 to 20 psig).
NOTICE We recommend that you maintain seal and desiccation and/or purge your
instrument at all times. Equipment damage due to failure to maintain seal and desiccation
and/or purge is not covered under the warranty. If you have questions about this
requirement, please contact us.
CAUTION Never use a flammable gas to purge your instrument. The purge gas must be
free of moisture, oil, carbon dioxide and other reactive or infrared-absorbing materials. To
prevent laser damage, use only dried air or nitrogen to purge your instrument.