PDA Diagnostics Window

Note:  You cannot access diagnostics when the 996 PDA detector is acquiring data; the PDA Diagnostics menu command in the Diagnostics menu of QuickSet is grayed out.  You cannot exit from the Diagnostics dialog box until selected tests run to completion, or you click Stop.

Function

Use the PDA Diagnostics window to run internal or interactive diagnostics to test the functionality of the Waters 996 PDA detector.

Types of Diagnostics

There are three types of PDA diagnostics: startup, internal, and interactive.

Startup Diagnostics

Run automatically when you power on the 996 PDA detector.

Internal Tests

Checks the basic functionality of the 996 PDA detector.  All internal tests produce either a Pass or a Fail result.  These tests do not require connections to test equipment.  You run internal diagnostics when a 996 PDA detector has failed startup diagnostics or when there is an unexplained change in the Reference spectrum.  Internal diagnostics include the following:

 CPU test

 Timer test

 Shutter test

 Lamp test

 Wavelength Accuracy test

 Communications test

 Optics test

 ROM test

 DSP test

 RAM test

Interactive Tests

Require electrical connections to test equipment.  You run interactive diagnostics when communication problems occur with devices connected to analog, event in, or event out terminals.  Tests include:

 Event Input test

 Event Output test

 Analog Output test

 Analog Output Ramp test

Parts of the Window

The PDA Diagnostics window consists of the following functional areas:

•	Menu Bar – Displays menu commands for using the PDA Diagnostics window.  For details, click here [image].

•	Toolbar – Displays buttons that provide shortcuts to some of the commonly used menu commands.  For details, click here [image].

•	Internal Tests Tab – Runs internal diagnostics to test the PDA detector.  For details, click here [image].

•	Interactive Tests Tab – Runs interactive diagnostics to test the PDA detector.  For details, click here [image].

•	Progress Bars – Indicate the status of the current test and all tests that you selected.

•	Diagnostics Control Buttons – Control the selection and running of diagnostic tests.

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PDA Diagnostics Menus

The menu bar in the PDA Diagnostics window displays the following menus:

  File − Provides a command to exit from the PDA Diagnostics window.

  View − Displays/hides the toolbar and the status bar.

  Commands − Provides commands that you use to control the operation of the diagnostic tests.  Same as the control buttons at the bottom of the window.

  Help − Accesses the Millennium32 Online Help system and Help on PDA diagnostics, and also provides resource usage statistics and copyright informaton.

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File Menu (PDA Diagnostics)

This menu displays the Exit command, which closes the PDA Diagnostics window.

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View Menu (PDA Diagnostics)

Toolbar

Displays/hides the PDA Diagnostics window toolbar.

Status Bar

Displays/hides the PDA Diagnostics window status bar.

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Commands Menu (PDA Diagnostics)

Run

Sequentially executes the diagnostics that you select (same as the Run button).  The selected diagnostics run once to completion.

Stop

Halts the selected diagnostics (same as the Stop button).  Any test that is running is allowed to run to completion.  If tests are running cyclically (you selected Run to Failure), the current cycle is not completed.

Run to Failure

Sequentially executes, in a cyclical manner, the diagnostics that you select.  The selected diagnostics continue to run until one test fails (same as the Run to Failure button).  This command is available only for Internal Tests.

Set All Diagnostics

Selects all the Internal Tests (same as the Set All button).  You can also use this command when you want to run most but not all diagnostics.  After selecting all diagnostics with this command, you can deselect the individual tests that you do not want to run.  This command is available only for Internal Tests.

Clear All Diagnostics

Deselects all diagnostics that you have already selected and clears all displayed results (same as the Clear All button).  This command is available only for Internal Tests.

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Help Menu (PDA Diagnostics)

Millennium Help Topics

Accesses the Millennium32 Online Help System in the form of the Help Topics Browser.  The Browser includes three tabs (Contents, Index, and Find) that provide you with the flexibility to navigate through all topics found in the online Help sytem.

Help on PDA Diagnostics

Accesses the Help topic for the PDA Diagnostics window (same as pressing F1).

About PDA Diagnostics

Displays copyright information and system resource usage.

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PDA Diagnostics Toolbar

The toolbar displays a shortcut button that provides access to the PDA Diagnostics window context-sensitive Help.  You can move (dock) the toolbar to another location in the PDA Diagnostics window (for example, below the menu bar or to the left, right, or bottom edge of the window) or outside the window on the desktop.

Tool	Function
(Help)	Context-sensitive Help tool.  Click the tool, then click an object in the window to display Help information on that object.
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Performs a set of diagnostics on the 68000 processor in the optics bench.  This is a pass/fail test.


Generates a series of interrupts that the central processing unit (CPU) must then detect.  If an interrupt is not detected by the CPU, an error message appears.  This is a pass/fail test.


Closes and opens the shutter four times and verifies the spectra recorded in each shutter position.  If a dark or light energy spectrum is not in the correct energy range, the test fails, and indicates whether failure is due to the Reference spectrum or dark spectrum (Dark current).


Ignites the D2 lamp, and checks the lamp energy and spectrum.  The test fails if the lamp does not light or the energy spectrum is unacceptable.

If you specify repeated testing, the 996 detector electronics allow a 1-minute lamp cool-down period between tests.  This is a pass/fail test.

If the front panel lamp indicator is on and the lamp test fails, there is insufficient energy reaching the photodiode array.

To correct a Lamp Test failure:

1.	Clean the flow cell.  See the Waters 996 Photodiode Array Detector Operator’s Manual.

2.	If the lamp test fails after you clean the flow cell, check lamp usage.  See the Waters 996 Photodiode Array Detector Operator’s Guide.


Checks the 996 PDA detector optics wavelength calibration by testing the position of the 486 nm deuterium emission line.  The test computes a wavelength error from the difference between the measured line position and 486.0 nm.  If the difference is greater than 1.0 nm, the test fails.

After each test, the screen indicates the wavelength error in nm, and whether the test passed or failed.  The two messages are:

=OK  :   486 Wavelength error N.NN nm.

=BAD  :  486 Wavelength error N.NN nm.

where N.NN is the difference in wavelength between 486 nm and the deuterium wavelength reading.


Sends a data string over the IEEE-488 bus to the detector, and the detector returns the following string:

=OK:  IEEE Communication passes.


Performs five diagnostics on the optics portion of the 996 PDA detector.  The returning message is either of the following:

=OK  :  Optics Test passes

=BAD :  Optics Test fails in phase n

where n represents the specific optics diagnostic (described below) that failed:

•	Phase 1 – Examines the readout value from the digital signal processor (DSP) system with the lamp off.  The spectrum should be consistent with an unilluminated PDA.

•	Phase 2 – Ignites the D2 lamp, and examines the spectrum from the PDA.  The spectrum should exceed minimum intensity threshold and be properly registered on the detector.

•	Phase 3 – Checks for stray light.  The intensity at the low- and high-wavelength extremes should show a percentage reduction from the intensity at maximum.

•	Phase 4 – Opens the shutter, and compares the spectrum from the PDA to the spectrum recorded before the lamp was ignited.  If the spectra are identical within comparison tolerance, the phase test passes.

•	Phase 5 – Releases the shutter.  The PDA spectrum should promptly return to the illuminated spectrum recorded in phase 2.


Performs a checksum test on the EPROM by summing data in all memory locations and comparing the sum against the stored value.  It is a pass/fail test.


Verifies the proper operation of the digital signal processor (DSP) in the 996 PDA detector electronics.  It is a pass/fail test.


Writes data strings into memory, reads the data string from each memory location, then compares the two strings.  When a failure occurs, the test Indicates the failed address, the trial written string, and the erroneous read string.


Detects the presence (or absence) of a TTL-level (+5 V) digital signal at the specified event inputs on the optics bench.  If the test passes, the option button to the left of the Input 1 or Input 2 field is turned on (black dot in the circle).

Note: When you run the Event Input test using a TTL voltage source, switch On the voltage source before you perform the test.


Sends a TTL-level (+5 V) digital signal to the specified event output.  You observe the event output state in ohms with a multimeter connected to the specified event output.

Note: Event Outputs 1 and 2 work in conjunction with each other (that is, Output 1 is activated when Output 2 is de-activated and vice-versa).  An Event Output must be de-activated before it can be tested.  Before you test an Event Output, make sure that the other output is activated.  To activate an Event Output in PDA Diagnostics, select the output, then click Run.


Sends user-specified values to the Analog Output Channels in the range of −0.1 to 2.2 V.  There is no failure response to this test.  You must measure the output voltage and determine if it is suitable.


Cycles the two analog outputs through a ramp-shaped output waveform.  (The voltage ramps up then ramps down.)


Sequentially executes the diagnostics that you select.  The selected diagnostics run once to completion.


Stops the selected diagnostics.  Any test that is running is allowed to run to completion.  If tests are running cyclically (you selected Run to Failure), the current cycle is not completed.


Sequentially executes, in a cyclical manner, the diagnostics that you select.  The selected diagnostics continue to run until one test fails.  This button is available only for Internal Tests.


Selects all the Internal Tests.  You can also use this command when you want to run most but not all diagnostics.  After selecting all diagnostics with this command, you can deselect the tests that you do not want to run by clicking them.  This button is available only for Internal Tests.


Deslects all selected diagnostics and clears all displayed results.  This button is available only for Internal Tests.


Indicates in real time the stages of completion for each internal test that you are running.  When the entire length of the progress bar is filled with solid boxes, the current internal test is finished.


Indicates in real time the stages of completion for multiple internal tests that you are running.  When the entire length of the progress bar is filled with solid boxes, all selected internal tests are finished.


Specifies the output voltage for the Analog Output Test.  The value you set here is sent to the PDA detector analog outputs.  Available choices: − 0.1 to 2.2.  Default: 2.0.


Specifies the channel to be used for the Analog Output Ramp test.  Available choices: Channel 1 and Channel 2.  Default: Channel 1.


Indicates in real time the stages of completion for each interactive test that you are running.  When the entire length of the progress bar is filled with solid boxes, the current interactive test is finished.


Indicates in real time the stages of completion for multiple interactive tests that you are running.  When the entire length of the progress bar is filled with solid boxes, all selected interactive tests are finished.


PDA Diagnostics Table of Contents

# $ K A ! > PDA Diagnostics Window

# $ K A ! > PDA Diagnostics Menus

# $ K A ! > File Menu (PDA Diagnostics)

# $ K A ! > View Menu (PDA Diagnostics)

# $ K A ! > Commands Menu (PDA Diagnostics)

# $ K A ! > Help Menu (PDA Diagnostics)

# $ K A ! > PDA Diagnostics Toolbar