Shimadzu GC Driver for Chromeleon™ 7.2

Importance of the Topic

Gas chromatography with automated headspace sampling is widely used across environmental analysis, food and beverage testing, pharmaceutical quality control and industrial process monitoring. Integrating control of chromatography instruments through a unified software platform streamlines workflows, reduces manual configuration errors and improves throughput and reproducibility in routine and high-throughput laboratories.

Study Objectives and Overview

The application note C180-E089 describes the development and validation of a Shimadzu GC driver for Thermo Scientific Chromeleon 7.2 software. It demonstrates seamless control of the Nexis GC-2030 and HS-20/HS-10 headspace samplers, enabling method creation, instrument monitoring, sequence automation and safe shutdown within a single chromatography data system.

Methodology and Instrumentation

The driver embeds instrument method parameters into Chromeleon’s method editor. Key features include:

• Real-time control of oven, injector, detector and auxiliary units via the ePanel interface
• Monitoring functions for consumable usage and system checks before analysis
• Automated post-run shutdown of the GC-2030
• Support for dual injection, backflush, detector switching and heart-cut systems
• Control of AOC-20i autoinjector, HS-20/HS-10 headspace units and dual injection configurations

The hardware platform covers Nexis GC-2030 with various injector and detector modules and auxiliary flow and temperature controllers. Legacy GC-2010/2014 series with HS-20 samplers are also supported.

Main Results and Discussion

The integration achieved uninterrupted parameter setting and sequence management within Chromeleon 7.2 SR1 or later. Users can switch automatically between liquid and headspace analysis, operate dual lines simultaneously and monitor system status at a glance. The shutdown feature reduces wear on columns and detectors by ensuring safe cooldown and purge.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Enhanced productivity through smart injection switching and dual-line operation
• Standardized method handling with Chromeleon method files for easy transfer and archiving
• Improved uptime via consumable usage tracking and proactive maintenance alerts
• Reduced operator workload with system-wide check and shutdown automation

Future Trends and Potential Applications

Further developments may include deeper integration with laboratory information management systems for data traceability, predictive maintenance based on usage analytics and cloud-based remote monitoring. Expanding support to additional detector technologies and advanced flow modules will broaden applicability across highly regulated industries.

Conclusion

The Shimadzu GC driver for Chromeleon 7.2 simplifies control of GC and headspace samplers in a unified software environment, delivering automated workflows, flexible injection options and enhanced instrument monitoring. This integration boosts laboratory efficiency and method reliability in diverse analytical settings.

Reference

Shimadzu Corporation. Control Nexis GC-2030 and HS-20/HS-10 Using Chromeleon 7.2. Application Note C180-E089, First Edition November 2017.