Advice on operation: UNICORN access

In this section

This section describes the following UNICORN access scenarios:

  • Unable to access certain UNICORN functions

  • Connection scenarios

    Connections are not available

    System is not available

    Error message in a network installation

    You cannot control the system

  • Run data Connection in System Control displays a “NO [1]”, “NO [2]” or “NO [3]”.

Unable to access certain UNICORN functions

Scenario

Solution

UNICORN functions to which you do not have access appear grey in the menu and cannot be used.

Choose Administration:User Setup in the UNICORN Manager to change the user profile.

The Manual menu commands in the System Control are grey, that is you can establish a connection but cannot control the system.

  • Check that no other user has a control mode connection.

  • Check that you have access rights to control the system manually.

Connection scenarios

Scenario

Solution

The connections are not available.

  • Check the connection between the PC and the chromatography system.

  • Check that the power to the chromatography system is turned on.

The connections are not available even though

  • the connection between the PC and chromatography system appears to be correct

  • the power is turned on.

  • Switch off the chromatography system.

  • Quit UNICORN.

  • Shut down and restart the computer.

A system is not available when you attempt to establish a connection.

Check that you have access rights to the system. Access rights are not automatically assigned for a newly defined system.

You receive the error message “Cannot connect to system...” in a network installation.

  • Check that the local computer to which the system is connected is turned on and logged on to the network.

  • Check that the computer from which you try to establish a connection is logged on to the network.

  • Check that the limit of 8 connections to the system has not been exceeded.

No contact between the System Control and the system.

Possible reason: Sometimes this can be due to the fact that named pipes cannot be used. Then you have to enable sockets instead of named pipes.

  • In the UNICORN Manager, choose Administration:System Setup... to open the System Setup dialog.

  • Click the Socket button and check the check box in the Socket dialog.

  • Click OK then the Close button.

  • Restart all the UNICORN computers in the system table.

Socket communication fails and the OCI crashes at start-up.

Possible reason: The port number assigned in the Socket dialog box is used by another application.

  • Change the port number in the Socket dialog box.

  • Restart all the UNICORN PCs in the network.

Note: To check which port numbers are busy you can type the command netstat in the Windows Command Prompt window.
Note: If you cannot establish a connection to the network server you can still continue to work from the local station and use the Method Wizard to create methods. See the User Reference Manual for more information.
The Connection field in System Control displays a “NO [1]”, “NO [2]” or “NO [3]”.

Scenario

Solution

The Connection field in the Run data pane in System Control says “NO [1]” or “NO [2]”.

If you use CU-900 PCI

Check that the CU-900 PCI is configured according to settings made during the UNICORN installation.The same Control unit number must be set on the card as in the UNICORN software. See How to install CU-900 PCI.

If you use CU-950/CU-960

  • Choose Administration:System Setup in the UNICORN Manager.

  • Select the system with problems in the dialog box and click the Edit button.

  • Check that the strategy, computer name and the control unit number are correct according to the installation at the local station which is physically connected to the system. See System definitions.

The Connection field in the Run data pane in System Control says “NO [3]”.

  • Choose Administration:System Setup in the UNICORN Manager.

    Select the system with problems in the dialog box and click the Edit button.

    Check that the strategy, computer name and the control unit number are correct according to the installation at the local station which is physically connected to the system. See System definitions.

  • If you connect remotely to a system

    check that the local station which is physically connected to the system is turned on

    check that the network is functioning at both the remote and the local station.

  • Check that the limit of eight connections to the system has not been exceeded.

2005-06-15