Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Hitachi D-7000 HPLC Issues

ScienceHideout - 12-11-2018 at 15:24

Hi everyone,

Just acquired a Hitachi HPLC from the university trash. I have the interface, the pump, the autosampler, and the organizer. However, I am having some trouble getting it working. I was hoping to manually control it (I doubt I can find appropriate software), however after I plug everything it, it is telling me that the 'D-Line System is Not Ready.' Not sure what this means. To me it looks like the instrument modules just plug into one another with ethernet cables, but no luck.

Does anyone have experience with this instrument, or know where I can find a manual?

Thanks!

DavidJR - 12-11-2018 at 15:48

Is there some kind of remote interface connection between the modules that you need to connect? I have an HP 1050 and even with all the modules hooked up to the PC using the GPIB bus (replaced by ethernet in later models) you still need to connect all the modules together with a 9 pin cable that has logic level signals which are used to coordinate timing etc.

ScienceHideout - 12-11-2018 at 18:39

Hi David,

I think we should really have a designated analytical division on ScienceMadness! All of us amateur HPLCers seem to really rely on one another, based on the other posts in this section.

On the back of my instrument, I have the GPIB connection (on the interface module) that I'd imagine leads to a computer. I don't have that plugged into anything because I don't have a computer archaic enough for it. The autosampler and solvent pump both have 2 ethernet ports labelled 'D-Line' and one of the D-Line ports is labelled Relay Box. Maybe I require a switch? Other than those connections, the interface also has what seems to be a connection for a mass spectrometer, and a green 3-pin plug labelled signal, and one D-line port. The autosampler has 2 3pin connectors, series start in and A/S stop in. The solvent manager has 4 'event' ports and a pump start in. I don't have the cables I need to connect any of these except the d-line, but according to the error message that should be where my problem lies.

DavidJR - 13-11-2018 at 03:11

I'm not sure but it's possible that the 'ethernet' ports are not truly ethernet at all and they just used a standard connector for convenience/cost reasons. I think this is somewhat likely given that they label it 'd-line' and that the unit also has GPIB (why would you have GPIB and ethernet?).

Even if not using the interface module perhaps the other modules expect it to be connected.

ScienceHideout - 13-11-2018 at 12:20

In that case maybe I should order an adapter to connect the GPIB... it would still be nice to get a hold of a manual. Maybe one of the older chemists in my department would have one laying around: it seems like it was a common enough instrument.

DavidJR - 13-11-2018 at 12:50

I would hold off doing that until you find documentation or software or some more info. I thought, ok a GPIB card is a GPIB card, right? No. At the very least in the case of the HP/agilent chromatographs, the software is extremely picky about which exact GPIB card you have in the PC and though I originally bought a National Instruments one, I never got it fully working with that, and ended up giving up and buying the officially supported HP branded card.

I guess I had the advantage in that the service manuals for the HP 1050 can be found online fairly easily, and these contained useful info and service/repair procedures that I'd have been lost without.

[Edited on 13-11-2018 by DavidJR]

ScienceHideout - 20-11-2018 at 12:02

So the other day I spoke on the phone with a Hitachi engineer. He said that the 7000 series is built to last, and he's confident that I can get another 20 years out of the system if I care for it properly. Unfortunately, to run the system, a GPIB connection is necessary as well as genuine Hitachi software- only for remote control. He told me to hold the setup key while powering it on, which let me toggle D-line 'off.' Now I am able to manually control the HPLC unit.

I also won an eBay auction for 10 RPC columns, used, for $30. I'd usually advise against used columns since they could've been abused, and no one knows how many injections have already been made, but for $30 it was worth a shot. They are, thankfully, in good condition and are useable for my purposes. Now as far as a detector, I will be posting a new topic talking about my new... *drumroll*... ESI mass spec.

Melgar - 20-11-2018 at 13:07

Quote: Originally posted by ScienceHideout  
On the back of my instrument, I have the GPIB connection (on the interface module) that I'd imagine leads to a computer. I don't have that plugged into anything because I don't have a computer archaic enough for it.

My time to shine! What are you looking for? IBM PC-compatible 8088? 8086? 80286+?TRS-80? Commodore? Apple IIe? Macintosh 512K?

DavidJR - 20-11-2018 at 16:28

Quote: Originally posted by ScienceHideout  
So the other day I spoke on the phone with a Hitachi engineer. He said that the 7000 series is built to last, and he's confident that I can get another 20 years out of the system if I care for it properly. Unfortunately, to run the system, a GPIB connection is necessary as well as genuine Hitachi software- only for remote control. He told me to hold the setup key while powering it on, which let me toggle D-line 'off.' Now I am able to manually control the HPLC unit.

I also won an eBay auction for 10 RPC columns, used, for $30. I'd usually advise against used columns since they could've been abused, and no one knows how many injections have already been made, but for $30 it was worth a shot. They are, thankfully, in good condition and are useable for my purposes. Now as far as a detector, I will be posting a new topic talking about my new... *drumroll*... ESI mass spec.


Nice!

All of my columns are used ones from eBay. After a thorough cleaning process with progressively stronger solvents, they work perfectly fine. Maybe I've just been lucky, who knows. But then, the column I use most often arrived without any end caps and who knows how long it'd been stored like that. Still, with a little effort it works fine.

volk.ne - 20-6-2019 at 04:31

Quote: Originally posted by ScienceHideout  
So the other day I spoke on the phone with a Hitachi engineer. He said that the 7000 series is built to last, and he's confident that I can get another 20 years out of the system if I care for it properly. Unfortunately, to run the system, a GPIB connection is necessary as well as genuine Hitachi software- only for remote control. He told me to hold the setup key while powering it on, which let me toggle D-line 'off.' Now I am able to manually control the HPLC unit.



Thanks, ScienceHideout! I have exactly the same situation with old Hitachi 7000 HPLC, trying to get it to work. And now I know how to disable D-line, incredible! ;)

I am wondering, did you manage to pull out signal from the detector to the external printer/Analog-to-digital converter? If so, from which port can I get the signal and what is the output voltage?

ScienceHideout - 20-6-2019 at 13:47

Hi Volk! Happy I could help!

Unfortunately I am not sure about the detector... Mine didn't come with a detector and I plan on interfacing it to an MS... so I'm not sure there. I'd say just go for it! There isn't a way you can mess it up. :)

DavidJR - 20-6-2019 at 15:39

I have no idea about the specifics of this instrument, but I would expect the analogue output signal to be in the range +-4V