In recent years, analytical instruments have flourished to meet the increased market needs. Since the end of 1980s, spectrometers have gained rapid development powered by IT and software technology.

You can encounter some small problems in your daily operation of spectrometers. We summed up some common ones and effective troubleshooting methods for you as follows:

To start with, Let me give a brief on the types of spectrometers. Spectrometers can be divided into two types: classic and new-type. The former has a entrance slit where incident light comes in and is dispersed in a light chamber; the latter has a round opening to let in light which will be modulated.

1) High Temperature

   Check the fan on the back of the machine

2) Poor stability of P & S

   Check the vacuum pump and clean lens

3) Blocked Gas Emission

   Check the gas way and clear the blockade, or replace the old gas tube.

4) Computer Crash, Black Screen and Program Error

   Reconnect telecommunication lines.

5) Vacuum pump doesn’t start itself.

   Check the temperature of pump oil to see if it’s too low. Then cut off the power and restart the pump manually. Sometimes, a pause is needed before restart.

6) A Slump in Vacuum Value

   Check vacuum wave first to to see if there is a leakage. Then ensure a tight seal of the vacuum chamber by replacing a new seal ring or tightening hex-key screws.

7) A drop in Light Intensity

   Clean lens and entrance slit, and replace optical fiber.

A small problem can cause the deviation of analytical result in high precision instrument, including spectrometers. Current and gas leakage may occur if spectrometer has been used for a long time and there are too many excitation spots on spark stand. This is a factor to the decreased light intensity. Thus it’s crucial to maintain a clean spark stand and spark chamber. Spectrometer operators shouldn’t underestimate the role of maintenance in their daily operation of spectrometers.