Greetings Isotopists!

I'm having a bear of a time getting an A200S liquid autosampler to  
work w/ Isodat 2.0.  Here's the story....

Equipment:
Delta+XL w/ TC/EA
A200S autosampler
	Start Signal Source = REMOTE
	Ready Active State = CLOSED (Though I've tried all four options,  
CLOSED, OPEN, OCI-CLOSED, OCI-OPEN)
	Method = 9
	set to INJ-Ready

Isodat 2.0 - SP 2.38


Set-up:  A200S Remote connected to Isodat PC COM2 w/ DB25-DB9 cable p/ 
n 0492310

I've tried several configurations:

Config 1: ConFlo + EA + A200S (standard choice in the ConFlo sets  
section of configurator - contains the ConFlo-Liquid device in the  
drill down configuration tree, not the A200S device)

Config 2: ConFlo + EA..... then manually added A200S device (from  
devices) to > Capillary > ConFlo > Input > EA > Sampler.  A200S  
device is set to COM4

Config 3: ConFlo + EA..... then manually added ConFo-Liquid device  
(from devices) to > Capillary > ConFlo > Input > EA > Sampler.   
ConFlo-Liquid Device is set to COM2


Method set to "Start immediately" after intitialization

Sequence - set to AS Method #9 (default)

COMPORT settings are:
	Baud=9600
	Data Bits=8
	Stop Bits=1
	Parity=None
	Append CR=CHECKED
	Append LF=UNCHECKED

Scenario #1 - default ConFlo+EA+A200S config.  Sequence hangs at  
"Waiting for AS..." - message repeats, it's obviously waiting for an  
"AS ready" signal.  AS never starts

Scenario #2 - Config #2 (which contains A200S device configured to  
work on COM4 instead of ConFlo-Liquid (COM2)device): Sequence doesn't  
even contain the "AS Start" column. Sequence triggers EA (via GPIB/ 
pneumatic trigger) ONLY when COM2 is connected to working (confirmed)  
PAL80 AS.  If COM4 is not attached to PAL80 it doesn't get past the  
"Waiting for AS..."  If COM4 is attached to A200S I also get the  
"Waiting for AS..." message.  This seems to indicate that Isodat is  
able to receive a ready signal though this is only proven on COM4,  
not necessarily on COM2

Scenario #3 - Config #3 (ConFlo-Liquid device on COM2):  Again,  
sequence simply hangs at "Waiting for AS..."  Isodat doesn't seem to  
be receiving the ready signal from the A200S.

Scenario #4 - Config #2 modified so that ConFlo-Liquid Device is set  
to COM4 (which is actually connected to the functioning PAL80).   
Sequence proceeds fine and starts the PAL80 as expected (b/c I've  
connected it to the PAL80 instead of the A200S)

I think that these results indicate two possibilities:

(1) The cable that I'm using between the A200S and the PC is  
incorrect.  It has different pin-outs compared to the cable between  
the PC and the Pal80, that is for sure.  I do not know whether or not  
the pin assignments should be the same for both A200S-PC and Pal80-PC  
cables.  The Pal80-PC cable has a null modem config (though I haven't  
figured out what type of null-modem set it has).  The 0493210 cable  
from A200S-PC is not a null modem cable as best I can tell, no pins  
are jumpered.  It's very possible tha the cables SHOULD be different  
- I just don't know at this point and it is a possible cause of my  
comm failure.  Does anyone know the exact specs of the DB9-DB25 cable  
that should be used to connect the A200S to the Isodat PC?

(2) The other possibility as I see it is that I somehow mucked up the  
COM-PORT settings or the configurations.  If anyone as any  
recommendations regarding COM-PORT settings or configurations I'd  
love to hear it.


My apologies for the ridiculously long post. So, if you're reading  
this AND following it then you probably have some knowledge that  
would help

Many thanks,
Ethan


––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Ethan A. Goddard - USF College of Marine Science
140 7th Ave. S    St. Petersburg, FL 33701
727-553-1017(lab);  -1016 (office);  -1189(fax)
[log in to unmask]
http://marine.usf.edu/PPBlaboratory
27.760540 N, -82.632820 W (+27° 45' 37.94" N, -82° 37' 58.15" W)
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––