About this manual

Introduction

This section is a general description of the manual, the contents and the pre-requisites for the examples and instructions that are presented in the User Reference Manual.

The purpose of the User Reference Manual

The purpose of the User Reference Manual is to present a comprehensive guide to the UNICORN system for a user either with previous experience of this system or from other, similar chromatography systems. The system is presented in detail, along with practical instructions of how to operate a model system.

Systems covered by this manual

This manual and the corresponding version of Getting Started with UNICORN covers the following systems:

  • ÄKTAexplorer

  • ÄKTApurifier™

  • ÄKTAFPLC™

  • ÄKTAbasic™

  • ÄKTApilot™

  • Ettan™ LC

Note: Adapted versions of this manual are available for ÄKTAxpress™, ÄKTA oligopilot™ and BioProcess systems.

The model system

For practical reasons the user documentation is based on a model system that consists of:

  • ÄKTAexplorer 100

  • Strategy E100F400

  • Frac-950

Note: If you use another system you may find that the descriptions and instructions do not match your system on every point. In that case you also need to refer to the user documentation for your specific chromatography system.

Refer to other manuals

The User Reference Manual does not contain information about the installation procedure or network configuration. You will find this information in the Administration and Technical Manual.

Sometimes you may find it more convenient to refer to the Getting Started with UNICORN guide for a linear, step-by-step instruction how to perform a task.

Note: When you install the UNICORN software you choose which manuals you wish to install. You can also install the manuals after the program installation.

Document structure

The manual is divided into chapters. Each chapter starts with a brief overview that presents the contents and the headings for the sections that the chapter contains. Most sections begin with an introduction that summarizes the content. Some sections are divided into sub-sections.

A section is divided into blocks of information with separating lines. The blocks are identified by a label in the margin. This makes it easier for you to quickly scan a page to find the exact topic you are looking for.

Typographical representations

Menu commands, field names and other text items from the software are quoted exactly as they appear on the screen, in a bold typeface:

Example: Run Setup

Search paths are shown in a bold typeface with a separating colon between each level:

Example: View:Panes:Customize (i.e. the menu command Customize in the sub-menu Panes from the View-menu).

Text entries that UNICORN generates or that the user must type is represented by a monotype typeface:

Example: Connection change

Pre-requisites

The following pre-requisites must be fulfilled before you can use this manual the way it was intended:

  • You need to have a general understanding of how your PC and Windows works. In most cases universal computer functions will not be explained.

  • UNICORN must be installed and configured correctly on your computer.

  • You need to understand the concepts of liquid chromatography. Terminology and functionalities will be explained only when they differ from normal practise.

  • Before you try to operate a chromatography system based on the instructions in this manual you need to study and understand the safety information that is part of the system documentation.

2005-06-15