No communications, and unable to reset in Empower for UPLC Driver-controlled components - WKB249621

SYMPTOMS

• Communication failure with UPLC components after full reboot of instrument and workstation
• UPLC components show a communication failure error in Run Samples and cannot be reset
• UPLC is cannot be reset using ACQUITY Console
• Able to ping the IP of UPLC component successfully using Windows command prompt
• Node properties for the UPLC components may still show Ok? Yes
• UPLC components do not have a red error light on the local module

ENVIRONMENT

• Empower 3 (any version)

CAUSE

Powering-off/on of ACQUITY components while troubleshooting other issues and/or rebooting of workstation can cause instrument control to become unresponsive in Empower

FIX or WORKAROUND

1. Exit any open Empower windows except the main login in the Empower login window.
2. Exit ACQUITY Console.
3. Leave the instrument components powered-on.
4. Go to Empower > Configure the System to open Empower Configuration Manager.
5. Highlight systems on the left-hand side of Configuration Manager to bring the system having communication issues into the Systems table.
6. Highlight the System row completely, and then right-click to bring the system offline.
7. Confirm that the system is successfully taken offline.
8. Reboot only the Windows acquisition Node that the Instrument is connected to.
9. Allow Windows node to complete the reboot and log in to Windows.
10. Verify that ping command for the UPLC components having communication issue returns reply.
11. Log in to Empower > Configure the System and bring the system back online.
12. Confirm that the system is brought online successfully.
13. Go to Empower and launch the Run Samples window for the UPLC system.
14. Confirm that the UPLC components are responding with active readback information (reset any modules that show communication failure).
15. Confirm that the UPLC system is responding and try performing local functions for each module (priming solvents, priming sample manager, applying temperature, turning lamps on and off).
16. Confirm that the UPLC system is set up with solvents and column (or union), and set up an instrument method to verify that communication is restored.
17. If no further communication issues are present, the UPLC system is ready for use.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For Waters Driver Pack-controlled components, this process tends to work in place of powering everything off, clearing the DHCP (sometimes no access), rebooting the Node, and then powering-on all the instruments.

This process also seems to work for HPLC Waters Driver Pack-controlled components.

It does not seem to work for Alliance instruments (possibly due to embedded instrument control for the module within Empower).

It has not been attempted with IEEE-controlled components.