Gilles has written a very important message here!!

We have noticed these things with two brand new Dell computers (pieces of
$#@%).

Intermittent problems are the worst. For our 2 new computers: 1) on the
252 we change from the old system to the new (and do a small dance), 2) on
the Delta, I have a Mantra, and a way of opening files--a system--and it
does not always work.

Thanks, Giles.

Marilyn

> Hi Mike
>
> I want to comment on two things.  The computer which applies to everybody
> (GVI, Europa, Sercon, Meckantek etc) and Isodat which applies to Finnigan
> users.
>
>
>
> 1) Computer: Recently we had two motherboards from Dell replaced due to
> leaking and blown capacitors.  This also occurred with IBMs on campus.  As
> it turns out almost all companies (HP, IBM etc) have the same capacitor
> supplier for their motherboards since they are almost all made by the same
> OEM manufacturer.  Dell was the first to admit it publically and in many
> cases they even replaced boards off warranty.  On campus the IBMs wee
> quietly repaired or replaced without a wide spread warning.  On one
> instrument we had the board replaced and all worked right away.  On the
> second machine we went through 3 motherboards.  The first board just died
> but the 2nd and 3rd were showing the following symptoms:
>
> - The screen would blank out for a few seconds and come back on.  At first
> I though that the drivers for the motherboard may have changed and so I
> re-installed Windows with the drivers it MAY have needed.
>
> - Isodat would freeze and hang regularly.
>
> - The computer would freeze and have to be hard rebooted by pushing the ON
> button for 10 seconds.
>
> - I though the problem may have been with the DSP Fibre optic line card
> that the first computer motherboard may have damaged when it blew.
> Swapped the board from another IRMS and had the same problem.
>
> When Dell replaced the motherboards I had not paid attention to what they
> were swapping from the original one (memory and processor).  On the third
> motherboard one of the Isomass engineers (thanks Norm) said that the
> symptoms were typical of a damaged processor. That's when it occurred to
> me that I saw the Dell tech change the boards but moved the processor and
> RAM to the new board.  There was my common link.  They replaced the
> processor with a new one and it looks like problem solved (6 weeks later).
>  Intermittent problems are a pain in the ass to solve eh?.  By the way for
> the Finnigan (Thermo) users; you all have the Dell Gold Warranty (3 years,
> on site next day).  You just have to make sure the warranty was
> transferred from Thermo to you.  This can be done by calling Dell or on
> the Dell web site with your compute info (Ser#, Dell#).
>
>
>
> 2) Isodat 2:  All that is in the archive still applies.  If, and I say
> "IF", you can still get a motherboard with an ISA slot then the
> instructions from the archive still applies.  For long term, you may want
> to get a modern computer with at least 512 Mgs of RAM and replace your ISA
> card with a new one.  I would recommend using a National Instrument
> USB-GPIB cable, which would allow you to troubleshoot your IRMS-Computer
> pair using any other computer including a laptop.  You could get a used
> one from E-Bay and it may be fine or you could inherit someone else's
> problems.  If you need to discuss further, give me a call.
>
>
>
> Regards
>
> Gilles
>
>
>
>
>
> Gilles St-Jean
> Chercheur / Research Scientist
> Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
> Sciences de la Terre / Earth Sciences
> 140 Louis Pasteur, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
> Tel: 1-613-562-5800 xt 6830 (Bureau / Office)
>                     xt 6839 (Bureau / Office Lab)
>                     xt 6836 (IRMS lab)
> Téléc. / Fax: 1-613-562-5192
> Courriel / E-mail: [log in to unmask]
> Toile / Web: www.isotope.uottawa.ca
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> De : Stable Isotope Geochemistry [mailto:[log in to unmask]] De la
> part de Michael Kubo
> Envoyé : 12 janvier 2007 21:02
> À : [log in to unmask]
> Objet : [ISOGEOCHEM] Upgrading to Isodat 2.0
>
>
>
> Hello everyone,
>
>
>
> Seeing as how I just threw away my 8-track, got rid of my polyester
> leisure suit and finally retired my Ford Pinto, I figured it's time to
> upgrade from Isodat NT to Isodat 2.0.  Are there any current pitfalls in
> terms of system requirements, GPIB communications board (ISA vs. PCI),
> anti-virus software, windows XP service packs, etc?  Are there any brands
> or builds of motherboards that have drivers that don't seem to play well
> with isodat or the National Instruments drivers for the communications
> card?  The last comprehensive discussion I found on this in the archives
> is an email by Gilles St-Jean back in February of 2005.  We're running a
> Delta Plus (1998), with an HP 6890 and a Carlo Erba 1108 EA and we have
> the ISA card from NI.
>
>
>
> This is low priority, so please, there's no rush in responding.  I'm just
> trying to collect as much information as possible before I jump headfirst
> into the waters.
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mike
>
>
>
> Mike Kubo
>
> NASA Ames Research Center
>
> M/S 239-4
>
> Moffett Field, CA 94035
>
> (650) 604-6110
>
>
>
>