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View additional product information for 310 Genetic Analyzer Manual for Windows™ - FAQs (4317588)
23 product FAQs found
You can purchase a computer for installation of the secondary analysis software packages (e.g., Sequencing Analysis, GeneMapper software) as long as the computer meets the software compute requirements (for processor speed, the minimum speed of the processor should be at least 3 GHz) and you can install the software yourself.
For the instrument computer, the computer system has a much more stringent requirement and undergoes thorough testing to make sure it can handle the flow of data from the instrument to the computer. The images for the computer system are streamlined to make sure they have the proper drivers for the computer components, and the Operating System is optimized to make sure there is nothing running in the background that might slow the computer down, take up memory, or conflict with our software. Purchasing a computer commercially can introduce too many variables in terms of hardware and software that can negatively affect the data collection process so we cannot support connecting it to the instrument.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.
When placing the capillary on the instrument, if the ferrule is not hand-tightened enough, some polymer gets pushed through the center of the ferrule and/or around the threading. When it dries up, it appears as a white, flaky residue. Use a damp, lint-free cloth to remove it. If more residue appears after the cleanup, it is possible that the ferrule is not tightened down enough or may require replacement.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.
If the capillary is stuck in the gel block, even after loosening the ferrule, squirt around the edge of the ferrule with distilled water and try to remove it again. If the capillary will not move, a service call may be required. Do not use excessive force or tools to try and remove it.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.
A leak is detected if the gel pump moves a greater distance than expected. Normal polymer usage is approximately 4 - 7 µL per injection which is equivalent to 1 - 2 encoder counts for the 1.0 mL syringe (seen in instrument run log). Actual leaks can occur at various locations on the system and should be carefully examined. The message may sometimes be generated by conditions on the system that mimic a leak - these also need to be considered. More information on troubleshooting this issue can be found on Pages 7 - 9 in the Errors Encountered on the Applied Biosystems 310 Genetic Analyzer Guide (http://tools.thermofisher.com/content/sfs/manuals/cms_042475.pdf).
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.
Some of the other causes of a fluctuating electrophoresis current error message are:
1.Leak on the system
2. Polymer that:
-Has expired
-Has been left on the instrument for more than the recommended time
-Is a mixture of expired polymer and non-expired polymer
3. Using Running Buffer that was:
-Diluted to 1X incorrectly
-Swapped with the water position on the Autosampler deck
-On the instrument longer than 48 hours
-Not filled to the fill line or evaporated below the fill line
4. An arcing event that was not cleaned afterwards using the water wash wizard
5.Not performing regular maintenance on the instrument
6. Hardware issues
Inspect the system for leaks. If you do not see any leaks on the system, remove the syringe, gel block, anode and cathode buffer containers, water, and rinse containers and clean them with distilled water. Place fresh, non-expired polymer and freshly made 1X Running Buffer on the system. If the problem persists, a service call may be required.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.
A perpetually blinking amber light usually indicates that there is a door open on the instrument or a bad door sensor. Open the main door, the oven door and the detector cell door (small black door with the laser warning on it) and close them again. After the autosampler stops moving the light should change to green. On the Applied Biosystems 310 Genetic Analyzer, there is a top panel above the door that can also trigger the blinking amber light. Make sure the panel is pushed all the way in. If the light does not go to green, it is possible that a door sensor is not working properly and a service call may be required.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.
A blinking red light on the instrument may indicate that a hardware component has failed or a possible communication disruption has occurred between the instrument and computer. Completely shut down the instrument, wait for 2 minutes, and then start up in the order documented in Applied Biosystems 310 Genetic Analyzer: Starting Up the Instrument Technical Note (https://www.thermofisher.com//content/dam/LifeTech/Documents/PDFs/310%20Start%20Up%20Procedures.pdf) or the Applied Biosystems 310 Genetic Analyzer User Guide (http://tools.thermofisher.com/content/sfs/manuals/cms_041158.pdf).
If the instrument goes from a flashing amber light to red light, one or more of the hardware components has failed the hardware diagnostic and a service call should be opened up.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.
If we do not specify the expiry date or number of uses, the warranty will last for 12 months from the date of shipment.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.
If you map the network drive so it shows up under Computer as a drive letter, then this feature can be configured from the Instrument Data Collection Software through the Preferences by going to the Window menu in the Applied Biosystems 310 Genetic Analyzer Data Collection Software Preferences and then changing the “Folder containing Run Folders” location by clicking on the button next to it and browsing to the network folder you will have the files saved in.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.
The instrument computer can be connected to your local network via the second NIC card by your local IT group. We don't offer Technical Support to assist with networking issues, and our warranty and service contract terms exclude coverage for instrument system problems that are caused by the network connection (i.e., computer virus, hacking, updates, or patches that alter the compute environment). However, our field service team will respond during the warranty period and while the instrument is covered by an AB Assurance service contract to isolate the cause of any problem either with instrument hardware, software, chemistry, or that arises from an external environmental source including the connection to a customer-owned internal network. Beyond that we can escalate issues to a product technical team who can review instrument logs and advise on the nature of the problem in an effort to help you find and correct the source of the problem.
For tips on connecting your computer to the local network, please see the Instrumentation Networking Technical Note (https://www.thermofisher.com/content/dam/LifeTech/Documents/PDFs/Instrumentation-Networking.pdf).
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.
All of our systems have been tested with Norton Anti-Virus Software.
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Thermo Fisher Scientific can only provide warranty on performance on non-expired reagents. Using reagents past their expiration date is a risk and may compromise your data integrity.
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Putting the polymer back at 2 - 8 degrees C may extend the life of the polymer, however, we do not have any data indicating how long it might extend it. Removing the polymer and putting it back on the system can also result in a trade-off in usage. When placing it back on the system, you will need to degas the polymer for 30 - 60 min, refill the pump/block, array, and remove bubbles, which will cause you to use more polymer for maintenance than you would for running samples and may decrease the number of runs you can get out of a single polymer bottle/pouch.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.
If the instrument is not in use, it is not necessary to replace the buffer every 2 - 3 days. However, the buffer level needs to remain at the fill line to prevent the capillary or array from drying out. Top off the buffer volume with water if necessary. Replace the anode and cathode buffer with freshly made 1X Running Buffer prior to starting a new run.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.
For the Applied Biosystems 310 Genetic Analyzer, the buffer can keep for 48 hours or 48 runs.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.
For the Applied Biosystems 310 Genetic Analyzer, the polymer can remain on the instrument for 3 days.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.
Maintenance tasks on the Applied Biosystems 310 Genetic Analyzer take place over the course of 2 - 5 days. For detailed information on the maintenance steps and when to perform them, please refer to the Applied Biosystems 310 Genetic Analyzer Maintenance Checklist Technical Note (https://www.thermofisher.com/content/dam/LifeTech/Documents/PDFs/310%20Maintenance%20Checklist.pdf) or the Applied Biosystems 310 Genetic Analyzer User Guide (http://tools.thermofisher.com/content/sfs/manuals/cms_041158.pdf).
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.
The Data Collection and secondary analysis software requires certain permissions in order to function (Read, Write, Delete). To avoid issues with restrictions placed on user accounts, we recommend that you log in either as Administrator or INSTR-ADMIN.
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There is no harm in restarting the system daily, but it should not be necessary unless there is an occasional loss in communication between the instrument and computer or in cases where the system is running significantly slower than normal. If the problems in run speed or communication loss are persistent, then it may be indicative of a larger problem. Technical Support should be contacted for further assistance at techsupport@thermofisher.com.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.
We recommend that you perform a restart of the system once a week. The system may require a restart more frequently if you experience issues related to a communication interruption between the instrument and computer. Some systematic issues include:
-The software freezing or becoming unresponsive
-The run timer not counting down or flashing back and forth between two different times
-No data present at the end of the run
In the event of a communication issue between the instrument and computer, close the Data Collection Software (perform a forced shutdown of the application through the Task Manager if Data Collection is unresponsive), completely power down the instrument and turn off the computer. To properly clear the memory, power down the system for at least 2 minutes prior to a restart.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.
Perform the following shutdown procedure after doing a short-term or long-term shutdown:
1. Close the Applied Biosystems 310 Data Collection Software and shut down the computer.
2. Turn off the instrument by turning off the switch on the back left-hand side of the instrument. The LED status lights will turn off, and the autosampler will drop.
Short-term shutdown: Store the capillary by keeping one end in the block and the other in the buffer vial (on instrument). NOTE: remove the thermal tape holding the capillary to the heat plate and reposition the capillary into the buffer, then re-attach the thermal tape to secure it.
Long-term shutdown: Uninstall the capillary and properly store it or discard it. If storing the capillary, ensure that both ends of the capillary are submerged in 1x Running Buffer (Genetic Analysis Buffer with EDTA). Maintain the buffer levels in the storage vials so the ends of the capillary are completely submerged.
Step-by-step instructions for the shutdown procedures can be found in the Applied Biosystems 310 Genetic Analyzer: Shutting Down the Instrument Technical Note (https://www.thermofisher.com//content/dam/LifeTech/Documents/PDFs/310%20Shut%20Down%20Procedures.pdf) and the Applied Biosystems 310 Genetic Analyzer User Guide (http://tools.thermofisher.com/content/sfs/manuals/cms_041158.pdf).
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.
For the Applied Biosystems 310 Genetic Analyzer, if the instrument will be idle for less than a week, perform the short-term shutdown of the system. If it will be idle for longer than a week, follow the instructions in the user guide for a long-term shutdown.
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.
The Applied Biosystems 310 Genetic Analyzer system includes both the instrument and the computer - you cannot start or restart one without starting the other. Improper boot sequence can lead to communication issues, aborted runs, and possible loss of data. The proper boot sequence is:
1. Remove the thermal tape securing the capillary closest to the electrode and pull the capillary up until the end of the capillary is about 1 mm below the end of the electrode. Failure to do so can cause the capillary to break when the instrument is turned on.
2. Start the computer and the instrument:
- Turn on the computer and log in, but do not launch the Data Collection software.
- Turn on the instrument and wait until you get a solid green light.
- Launch the Data Collection Software.
3. Re-calibrate the autosampler.
4. Home the syringe and refill with polymer if needed.
Step-by-step instructions for the start-up procedures can be found in the Applied Biosystems 310 Genetic Analyzer: Starting Up the Instrument Technical Note (https://www.thermofisher.com//content/dam/LifeTech/Documents/PDFs/310%20Start%20Up%20Procedures.pdf) and the Applied Biosystems 310 Genetic Analyzer User Guide (http://tools.thermofisher.com/content/sfs/manuals/cms_041158.pdf).
Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments Support Center.