Troubleshooting guide
Lab Exercise: Overview and Diagnostics for the Agilent-SL Series 
Agilent LC Diagnostic Tool 
65 
Agilent LC Diagnostic Tool 
The Agilent 1200 Series HPLC- SL modules are shipped with a tool to help you: 
1) troubleshoot problems such as high pressure errors, 2) perform diagnostic tests, 
such as the pressure test, 3) perform calibrations, 4) provide you with a means to 
determine when instrument maintenance should be performed, Early Maintenance 
Feedback (EMF), and 5) provide instrument status reports. In this section, you 
will explore the software to become acquainted with its layout and function. In 
later sections, you will perform diagnostic tests and maintenance from this 
software. 
Early Maintenance Feedback (EMF) 
The Early Maintenance Feedback system allows the user to schedule preventive 
maintenance based upon instrument usage.  For instance, seals may be replaced 
based upon seal wear and the rotor seal may be replaced based upon the number 
of valve switches. The analyst inputs usage limits based upon previous 
maintenance experience. For instance, if the rotor seal previously failed after 
20,000 injections, a limit of 18,000 valve switches might be inserted as the EMF 
valve switch limit. When 18,000 injections have been made, the EMF indicator 
found in the Method and Run Control view would change from a green check 
mark to a yellow question mark indicating that one of the EMF limits had been 
reached. In this part of the laboratory, you will practice inserting EMF limits and 
observe the EMF indicator. 
1)  Go to the Diagnosis view. Double click on the Agilent LC Diagnostic tool 
found in the Explorer and then Start the tool. 
2)  Access the Tools button. 
3)  Highlight the EMF Editor, then Start. 
4)  In the Instrument/Module Selection tree, select the pump. 
5)  Hightlight the Seal Wear line. To test the EMF system, set the seal wear 
limit 2 units above the actual seal wear then Set Limit. Note: The seal wear 
counter increases as a function of both flow rate and pressure. If your 
system does not have a column installed, the pressure will be quite low. In 










