Chronos Downloads
On this page you find the setups for releases from Chronos 3.5 on.
Please note that the preferred way of downloading them is the Chronos Update Checker utility supplied with Chronos. It can check for license validity before downloading.
If you would like to extend Chronos' capabilities, please refer to our plugin development documentation.
2024-11-07
Fixed Bugs
- Pal3: Error handling in case of a blocked park station slot was insufficient.
- Fixed an error that prevented the inclusion of “other logs” when gathering diagnostic data.
- Bruker Compass Hystar acquisition could get into an inconsistent state when login data were missing.
- CSV import failed when started without a template.
- Avoiding possible problems in case the user changes the decimal separator for the windows English (United States) culture.
- Plugin authors can now access disabled tasks in IInspectJob.CompleteSchedule
New Features
- Made smart syringe related counters/information more accessible.
- Made the external calibration file option (formerly only for Analyst since 5.3.1) available for SciexOS.
- Made acquisition related script functions available for BrukerCompassHyStar.
Other Changes
- Adapted to Bruker Compass HyStar 6.3, dropping compatibility for older versions.
- Hardware graphics acceleration is now disabled by default. If you had 5.8.2 or 5.8.3 installed, the setting is unchanged.
2024-03-18
Other Changes
- Introduced new option to turn hardware graphics acceleration off in Chronos due to repeated, but irreproducible crashes on some systems.
2024-03-05
Fixed Bugs
- Trying to list the projects/instruments for OpenLab crashed the program when OpenLab was not available.
- The F2 invoked editor did not work for properties with a custom editor (file browser, extra dialog…).
2024-02-27
Fixed Bugs
- In some configurations the toolbox for the CTCPal autosampler was not visible.
- Trying to avoid touchdown attempts on decapped vials that are deemed too wide for the used Pal3 needle guide type.
- Fixing mixed German/English user interface when using English locale on German Windows.
- Fixed a crash when pressing F2 in some sample list cell types.
- Program could hang after entering a new license code when started without one / with an expired demo license.
- Made communication method with Xcalibur user selectable.
- Fixing version numbering / assembly loading conflicts when using new SDK plugins in old Chronos versions.
- Problems while saving instrument settings could lead to a crash instead of an error message.
New Features
- Support for Agilent OpenLab CDS 2.7 standalone workstations using the local filesystem.
Other Changes
- Allowing to change the installation folder from the installer.
- Stopping the installation if still a Chronos version before 5.7 is installed.
- Re-adding registry entries that some plugin installers rely on.
2023-12-13
Other Changes
- 5.6.x versions were not released for download by the public because of issues with the installer, in case you wonder.
- Using a different system and format for the installer (MSI). Please back up your configuration files, just in case.
- CSV import: Changes in method column definitions do not invalidate the whole template.
- On systems without a Pal3, there’s a new „N/A“ entry in the tool column, making it easier to use the example methods on systems with an older sampler.
- Filename suffixes for Xcalibur were not stripped in all cases.
Fixed Bugs
- Filenames for Shimadzu acquisition were not validated which could lead to a hanging system.
- Updated Pal3 libraries, fixing a crash caused by the valve display control.
- Fixed broken language switching in several places.
- Pal3 ITEX desorption didn’t use the vial number correctly.
- Transporting vials to the barcode reader using a gripper could lead to an undesirable vial strip off motion.
- ChromPerfect acquisition was broken since 5.4.0.
- Valve status control could lead to a crash.
- Certain combinations of Transport and ReadBarcode could lead to an unwarranted error message.
- Should be able to use some older Thermo Foundation versions again.
- Aborting the run could hang when a Pal3 was waiting for a sync signal that was never set.
- Generally improved abort behavior for quicker abort of Pal3 runs. Trying to avoid deadlocks on schedule end when some task is not terminating properly.
- Reading the configuration backup from a Pal3 sampler for diagnostics didn’t work.
New Features
- Can set the TrayName for an Xcalibur sequence (only needed when the autosampler is not controlled by Chronos).
- Optional pre-pressurizing of vials for large volume transfers in the Transfer and GetSample_PAL3 tasks.
- Introduced new parameter to Transfer task for adjustment of penetration during source pressure compensation.
- Can insert priority samples into a running schedule.
- Supports Bruker Compass HyStar.
2023-05-22
Other Changes
- For plugin developers: Enabling more detailed control over Pal3 homing/resetting.
- Preventing multiple parallel schedule abort requests by plugins.
2023-05-11
Fixed Bugs
- ! Possible hardware damage !: Some combinations of quantity units / values could lead to miscalculations when used for the first time. This is especially a problem for LC/GC systems! Problem started in 5.5.0. Please update if you installed 5.5.0!
- References to Quantity properties now preserve the source’s default unit if no other unit is explicitly requested.
New Features
- Supporting tasks for CTC µSPE systems
- Using new CTC integrations libraries version 4
2023-03-14
Fixed Bugs
- For plugin authors: Didn’t handle side by side loading of strong named assemblies correctly.
- Task property F2 editor crashed when there were empty tokens present.
- Chemstation validation complained that methods were not valid files (of course not, they must be folders).
- Displays of smart syringes in the Pal3 toolbox got duplicated on configuration changes.
- Activation dialog led to the wrong URI.
- LC MassHunter: Some sample types were not sent correctly to the data system.
- Chronos didn’t shut down correctly when trying to close the program while a sequence was running and aborted.
Other Changes
- Preventing logoff/shutdown when a schedule is running or when there are unsaved methods/sample lists.
- Increased default size of the property value editor dialog.
2022-12-22
New Features
- Acquisition support for Bruker Compass (experimental).
- Acquisition support for LC MassHunter 11.
- Can load appropriately formatted.xlsx files as sample lists.
- Additional worksheets in sample list files are preserved when loading/saving the list, allowing to put Analyst calibration data in the same file as the sample list.
- Special control for editing/displaying solvent flows in systems with Pal3 LC valves
Other Changes
- The acquisition task lists only properties that are actually supported by the selected acquisition service
2022-11-17
Fixed Bugs
- Some properties in complex methods (Symbiosis) were not updated correctly in the method editor.
- Error handling option “continue after error” was broken.
- Unlikely, but possible marking of unfinished jobs in the scheduler as done.
2022-10-18
Fixed Bugs
- Fixed a memory leak in the method editor that could lead to “out of memory” exceptions in other contexts.
- Fixed a race condition that could lead to a failure of PAL3 activities started at the same time on body and arm.
New Features
- New parameter FillStrokeVolume for Transfer and Injection tasks (PAL3 only currently).
- Transfer, Injection, GetSample_PAL3 now use the FastWashStation correctly when getting a sample from there.
2022-08-25
Other Changes
- PAL3 fraction collection: Stopping flow during transition between two trays.
2022-08-24
Fixed Bugs
- Reading the tray geometry failed for the new PAL3 tray cooler module.
- Clarity acquisition: The acquisition task could abort with an InvalidOperationException if some internally started clarity process terminated too quickly.
Other Changes
- Removed the update checker link from the navigation bar.
2022-07-29
Fixed Bugs
- Shimadzu Lab Solutions will now assume a level of “1” for all sample types that are not some kind of standard. Otherwise this can result in empty chromatograms.
- Cap-/DecapObject_PAL3 didn’t manage the vial positions correctly in a way that could lead to incorrect error messages or not overlapping where this would be possible.
2022-07-21
New Features
- For PAL3 fraction collection, you can use “ForceDirectTransition” to speed up the movement between two trays/plates if you know there are no obstacles between them.
- WriteToExcel accepts “-1” as cell specification to append below the last cell of the worksheet.
2022-07-12
Fixed Bugs
- PAL3 Error “Access denied while setting activity execution mode” should now be handled properly.
- Runtime display in the schedule graph was misleading for some types of methods.
2022-05-31
Fixed Bugs
- Parallel tasks ending at exactly the same time could lead to never-ending schedules.
- Importing column definitions from other methods in the method editor mixed up column and parameter definitions.
2022-05-13
New Features
- Support for .xlsx calibration files in the Analyst acquisition service. You can define concentrations for analytes and calibration levels in the spreadsheet, then in the method just pick the file and the level.
- FractionCollection task supports Pal3 samplers.
Fixed Bugs
- Extended logging and mitigation for tool change problems.
- Sample list Tab and Shift Tab handling was broken since 5.2.16.
2022-03-25
New Features
- Supports SciexOS from version 2.1.6 on.
- Can reference to other task’s properties without resolving contained scripting expressions by using the :Verbatim suffix in the reference expression.
2022-03-24
Fixed Bugs
- When the relay status of the old USB I/O box can’t be read, use the last set status instead of assuming all relays are off.
- WriteToSampleList couldn’t handle sample list with different numbers of columns per method correctly.
- Worked around a memory leak in .NET Framework that caused Out-Of-Memory errors during long wait times.
- The tray configuration was not updated properly after modifying it from the toolbox, making a manual save or program restart necessary.
- PAL3 trays could not be read if there was a custom tray present.
- Using Windows accessibility features could lead to error messages on startup/shutdown.
- The transfer task failed when trying to penetrate a decapped vial.
- The changes regarding the Computer ID could make a re-activation necessary.
- The selection behavior for some tables in the method editor was broken.
- Avoiding some situations that could result in a broken instrument configuration.
- Computer ID calculation could depend on Windows display language for some systems.
- After a schedule failed, the queue was not always stopped.
- Errors while trying to get a Pal3 backup were not handled properly.
- Fixed a remaining problem with the dynamic task property update.
- Method editor didn’t update dynamic task properties that were depending on one that was modified by a custom editor.
- Reading legacy CSV sample list files was broken.
- Fixing dependency load problems for GCsLink acquisition.
- WriteToSampleList task was broken. Improved writing to the current sample list while fixing this: List now gets directly visible updates. Just leave the sample list filename empty for addressing the list that was used for creation of the schedule.
- Method editor confused some value cells when one task had more than one set of dynamic properties.
- Buttons for sample list worker plugins were added twice.
- New option for ignoring a tip detection error while disposing pipette tips.
Other Changes
- When editing a cell in the sample list, pressing the “Home” key brings you to the first position, but pressing it again brings you to the analysis method cell. This makes sample list generation using handheld scanners easier.
- Changes related to PAL3 preserved session accessibility from standby methods.
- Some small memory allocation reductions during schedule execution.
- The “update vial” column menu allows switching between increment/no increment, defaulting to what was selected in the column definition.
- Updated Pal3 libraries.
- Some GCsLink related improvements.
2021-10-28
Fixed Bugs
- The „do not start new samples at all“ option didn’t work any more.
- First sample list was always regarded as „modified“, even if empty.
- Excel file access tasks can address multi part regions correctly.
- Some CSV files could not be imported correctly.
- Adding runlog entries from a plugin could make the program crash under rare and unclear circumstances.
2021-08-31
Fixed Bugs
- Some types of acquisition parameters were not available by mistake, leading to problems especially with Shimadzu acquisition.
- Fixed some oddities in the sample list selection behavior.
- Column header menus were broken in 5.2.1
New Features
- Easier access to selected properties of other tasks for plugins.
2021-06-30
Fixed Bugs
- Fixed layout problems when there are lots of plugin provided buttons for sample list operations.
- When saving a method, do no longer require a sample list reload when no column has changed.
- A failed tool change could confuse the tool park position tracking.
- Run error method + continue could lead to an infinite loop for jit enabled tasks.
- Loading a method with null as property value changed the value to the task’s default.
New Features
- Method editor: Made it easier to rename tokens and to convert an existing property value into a column/parameter.
- F2 editor for task properties supports some syntax highlighting.
- Can handle multiple open sample lists in parallel.
- New license check dialog: Uses a QR code for easier license activation.
- Adapted to the latest CTC driver version: Can inspect all tool properties in the PAL3 toolbox.
- Added basic infrastructure for consumables management by plugins.
- Added license check infrastructure for plugins that require a separate license.
- Providing WPF resources for plugins, making it easier to get a common look&feel.
- Added an option to run the error method after aborting a schedule.
- Lua expressions can store data in the „Chronos.PerSchedule“ table with schedule scope.
- Excel tasks can read/write whole cell ranges, using CSV data as value.
- Allowing specification of pre-/postrun programs for Xcalibur acquisition.
- RunAcquisitionCommand now also supported for Chemstation.
Other Changes
- Requires Microsoft .Net Framework 4.8.
- PAL3 backup is selected by default for inclusion in diagnostics data.
- Will home valve drives of PAL3 with firmware 3 and up at sequence start if necessary.
- Method editor tries to enforce token naming schema %TokenName%.
2021-03-25
Fixed Bugs
- Rests of incomplete deinstallations could confuse Clarity detection.
- The append schedule function for plugins had problems with some ScheduledAfter declarations, resulting in misleading error messages about non-existant repeat loops.
- A method’s parameters were not completely included in the method print output.
Other Changes
- Replaced some GUI components because of licensing issues.
2021-01-20
Fixed Bugs
- If a scripting expression completely envelopes a verbatim expression, that scripting expression should still be evaluated.
2021-01-13
Fixed Bugs
- Bug fix by feature: Made it possible to pass metal complex names to the CDS without triggering scripting evaluation using the new {Verbatim:%SOME_TOKEN%} expression.
2020-12-16
Fixed Bugs
- Protocol fixes for newer Valco valves using the “universal electric actuator” drive.
- Fixed locking for plugin tasks that use multiple autosamplers at once.
Fixed Bugs
- Protocol fixes for newer Valco valves using the “universal electric actuator” drive.
- Fixed locking for plugin tasks that use multiple autosamplers at once.
2020-12-09
Fixed Bugs
- If a combobox column explicitly defined an empty entry, leaving it empty in the sample list still lead to an error when creating the schedule, complaining about requiring a value for that column.
2020-11-26
Other Changes
- Support for user variable columns in Clarity via ExtendedProperties.
- Improved fault tolerance when connecting to Shimadzu Labsolutions.
- Removed FlipTube tasks, they are maintained separately and are available on request now.
2020-11-04
Fixed Bugs
- The “Configuration” column in the instruments grid was invisible.
- Improved Clarity installation detection.
- Fixed a DPI dependent layout problem with the zoom control.
2020-09-18
Fixed Bugs
- When using user access level “None”, some context menus were unnecessarily made unavailable.
2020-09-07
Fixed Bugs
- Fixed broken MassLynx export.
- Crash when trying to pick vials from custom racks with questionable geometry.
2020-07-22
Since 5.1.8
Fixed Bugs
- Shimadzu GC/LC solution status check always failed for the Chinese edition.
- German localization resources were installed into the wrong folder.
- Defining standard values for Agitator columns did not work properly any more.
Other Changes
- Workaround for a firmware problem where the PAL3 tried to park tools in places that were not feasible because of attached tubes or similar. Chronos will now try to put tools always back where they came from.
2020-06-23
Fixed Bugs
- Uncapping/Capping vials across different jobs did not work properly, even if this was requested by the advanced toolkit special PreserveSession task.
- Removed inconsistency: Passing in the device instance as context instance for a plugin machine parameters editor, just as already done with the connection editor.
- Repeated usage of the F2 editor for task properties within a session no longer forgets the size/position changes.
- Xcalibur acquisition did not always treat it as an error when submitting the sequence to the queue failed.
Other Changes
- Adaptions to the new corporate design.
- Updated the included VB compiler for scripts/dynamic task.
2020-06-05
Since 5.1.0
Fixed Bugs
- Added some missing validation for plugin defined string type columns that provide an exclusive list of standard items.
- Clearing the sample list by button didn’t empty the list of known faulty methods, potentially suppressing error messages.
- Fixed a race condition on systems without PAL3 that could lead to errors during schedule creation while another one was running.
- Did not refuse to create a schedule from a faulty sample list that contained invalid values for a combobox related column.
- The Transfer task did not use “FillVolume” as an upper limit during partial transfers as stated in the documentation.
- Repaired misleading error messages for some types of empty task property problems.
- The capping/decapping tasks required an “Autosampler” value, even if it could have been taken from preceding tasks.
- Dos not try to redirect unresolved assemblies to Chronos.exe any more if a strong name is requested. This could lead to nothing good, only to misleading error messages in the best case.
- Having tasks jit-enabled that were disabled by default resulted in an unexpected behavior and, under certain circumstances, hanging execution.
- Added some missing localizations, fixed an error message text that didn’t tell you what exactly needs fixing.
- Some additional checks to prevent invalid methods with standard values or combobox lists that are not ok for a plugin defined column type.
- The drop down boxes allowed to select nothing, even if that was not an acceptable value for the column, which could result in getting stuck in the edit field, unless ESC was pressed.
- Showing a warning now when a method is loaded where the standard value or combobox items are not available, instead of ignoring this silently.
- Changing the calculation logic for the FillLevel of CleanSyringe/CleanInjector to avoid problems in situations where the syringe volume can’t be determined correctly.
- Using “Update vial no” did not work correctly with the vial increment option.
- Tasks that were disabled because of a failed {jit:} evaluation were not reactivated when restarting the schedule.
- Checkboxes in the sample list were not initialized properly and didn’t start in unchecked state.
2020-03-31
Fixed Bugs
- Using multiple GC/LC LabSolutions instruments did not always work reliably.
- Avoiding to trigger a bug in Analyst that made the acquisition queue sometimes hang.
- Reduced memory footprint of schedules with huge amounts of disabled tasks.
- Fixed a race condition during schedule merging.
- Do not regard it as an error if an IKA shaker does not accept the new setpoint immediately, but retry.
- The OPTIC toolbox was only visible after saving the instrument configuration.
- Empty method parameters could lead to errors during schedule creation.
- An error method could not access the error message that caused its execution.
- Shimadzu GCMS Solution: Using Line1+Line2 did not work correctly.
- Fixed a race condition resulting in an unwarranted schedule abort (“trying to modify start time…”).
- The context menu was missing for some properties in the method editor.
New Features
- New UniqueResource task which helps to find problematic sample lists that access a resource multiple times that should be used only once (like samples with a very small usable volume).
- New RunAcquisitionCommand task that lets you execute commands for supporting acquisition services (currently only GC MassHunter). Useful for mass calibrations between runs or similar tasks.
- The Acquisition task ExtendedPropierties may use key/value parameter containing semicolons, as for example the OpenLab Chemstation TargetMasCol parameter. You can also use quotes to pass comma containing texts to extended properties, like 'QuantPeakColumnValue(1,1,"1,2-Dichlorethane")=1'
- New CriticalTiming task for special applications that allows a precisely defined time offset between the following two tasks, preventing any scheduler influence on their relative timing. Accuracy is typically better than 50 ms.
- New special reference ‹Syringe› as source or destination for the Transfer task, or as source for the Injection task. Allows you to split the get sample and injection parts in case you have to do something special in between.
- Plugin devices can declare that they consist of different parts that can be used simultaneously.
- Plugins can define custom column types for use in the method and sample list.
Other Changes
- If the list of possible items for a method column does not contain the value found in the loaded sample list, a warning is displayed and the value emptied instead of picking the first possible value.
- Removed the “OldAnalyst” acquisition service.
2019-09-23
Please note for the 5.0 release
Since almost a year passed without any released updates, we are extending the "free update" period to 1.5 years for this release.
If you bought your Chronos license after the 2018-03-23, you can install this update.
The version number was bumped to 5.0 because this is the first version supporting the new PAL3 Series II systems.
Fixed Bugs
- Plugins can refer to the main window from any thread.
- Some combinations of overlapping options and error handling could lead to an infinite wait loop during schedule execution.
- Error methods using a PAL3 were removed from the settings under some special circumstances.
- Creating optimization schedules was broken and did not use only the selected line.
- Fixed a thread leak in Omnic acquisition, leading to OutOfMemory errors after lots of acquisitions.
- In some overlapping scenarios, time shifts because of earlier than expected finishing tasks could lead to avoidable timing inaccuracies when using multiple parallel execution strands.
- Calculation of the error method during program startup could lead to error messages if the connection to a PAL3 used in this method was not already established.
- Having the text “jit:” in a property value caused an exception during execution of the task.
- ScrewCap/UnscrewCap did no vial usage bookkeeping.
- Multiple user accounts on Shimadzu LC solution were not handled correctly.
- Interactive error handling while using an F2 editor for a task property could lead to a program crash.
- Accessing the LastErrorMessage of the right arm of a dual head PAL3 did not work.
- Comparison of method and sample list values for invisible “tray with vial” style columns did not work correctly.
- Fixed several problems that occurred in the interaction of LabSolutions and Chronos when one of the programs was restarted while the other one stayed open.
- Fixed a problem in the Analyst error handling that could lead to infinite waiting.
- Fixed a missing reference problem that only occurred when using remote access via VNC.
- Fixed memory leaks in the schedule status overview, replaced it by a simpler control.
- Added a workaround for a PAL3 firmware problem that required a reset if the sampler complained about an attached vial before starting a schedule.
- The math expression interpreter had problems when working with references to small numbers that were processed in scientific notation.
- Fixed a plotting problem related to disabled tasks in a chain of “ScheduledAfter” connected tasks.
- Accessing / removing / inserting sample list lines from plugins did not work as expected.
- SkipRestOfJob could lead to unexpected wait times instead of just finishing the job.
- Autosampler list in the method editor was not updated when adding/removing instruments.
- Using just-in-time expressions for DynamicTask properties before CodeFile did not work.
- Fixed a race condition that could lead to a unhelpful error message when using two PAL3 systems and an error method.
- Jit disabled tasks in infinite schedules were not reactivated before the next iteration.
- Avoiding some problems with shared names for different objects where it is clear which object is actually meant (e.g. an injector named like a needle guide type).
- Some ITSP tasks failed if the accessed position had been transported before.
- An Analyst queue in tune mode is no longer considered ready.
- Fixed a deadlock that could happen following some specific scheduling problems.
New Features
- Clarity 8.0 (English) is now supported.
- Sample list worker plugins can update their button image / caption.
- Sample list worker and device plugins can provide additional data for the diagnostics data collection.
- Plugin and SDK tasks can now bypass the standard PAL3 error handler if necessary.
- Plugin tasks can access some basic information about their method.
- Added optional support for CDS Purge+Trap systems.
- Basic formula evaluation in the ReadFromExcel task.
- A few more value types (like TimeSpan) are now acceptable as task properties.
- The WriteToSampleList task can now write multiple lines from the same job.
- ReadValueFromFile supports CSV files.
- Several ITSP tasks now support penetration depth including bottom sense and fill strokes.
- Plugin devices can be notified of schedule state changes.
- Plugins can “soft stop” schedule execution now.
- Plugins can access basic information about a method’s column definitions.
- Plugins can read the object kind from the tray config helper.
- Plugins can query some information on the task list in the method editor.
- Can now select the analytical line to use for Shimadzu systems.
- Shimadzu: Supporting the option "Use level 1 conc. in the compound table of a method file" for internal standards now.
- GetSample_PAL3 can use a custom bottom sense search distance.
- New ReadSmartSyringe task for reading parameters from the syringe of a PAL3 Series II.
- Method editor: You can enclose an item containing commas in quotes, like “1,2-Butanediol”,Propene,Hexane
Other Changes
- Moved to .Net 4.7.2.
- It is now possible to remove multiple method parameters at once, just like column definitions.
- Some more optimizations for large schedules and schedules with many parallel execution strands.
- “Could not pick up the tip” for the pipette tool is now categorized as “missing vial” instead of “other”.
- Some changes in status displays and logging behavior in connection with error methods.
- GC MassHunter: Avoiding duplicate datafile names by adding suffixes if the file already exists.
- Shimadzu LabSolutions: Optionally trying to prevent the automatic program termination of LabSolutions when Chronos shuts down. Please note that this also can disable regular program termination via the user interface and/or lead to zombie processes.
- Added some hints about what’s currently going on in case of a schedule abort.
- Using different settings for rendering on high resolution displays.
- No longer inserting “” for empty cells in exported CSV files. This confused some importers.
- Speeded up the validation of schedules containing Clarity acquisitions.
- Added some checks where improper use of ScheduledAfter could lead to unexpected scheduling results.
- SPME: You can use “SkipTasksInPattern” of FiberExposure to tell Chronos which normally forbidden tasks are OK to execute even while the fiber is exposed. This can be useful if you want to use ExecutePALAtom to modify agitator parameters during exposure.
2018-09-28
Other Changes
- Improved performance of the schedule displays.
- Reintroduced the “Hide diagram” context menu, allowing to hide the diagram if it is too slow to be useful for very large schedules.
2018-09-24
Fixed Bugs
- Fixed a race condition that could cause an error when merging two schedules.
- Fixed an error in the error handling logic for Linex.
- Fixed a crash that could happen when editing method parameters while an accessability assistant was active.
- Fixed an issue where a high number of parallel tasks could lead to delayed task starts.
- Saving custom parameters for a newly created plugin device did not work.
- Trying to sort the time table by the task name crashed the program.
- The sort order of dynamic properties was broken in some cases.
- The execution report was not generated automatically for failed schedules.
- Some old dongle types could make Chronos hang on startup.
- Problems with certain serial ports could lead to an unhandled error. Implemented a workaround and made it available for serial device using plugins.
- The „do not start remaining samples“ abort option did not work correctly if used multiple times.
- Linex for PAL3 did not search for old USB switch boxes.
- Bruker MS Workstation acquisition sometimes Complained about not found dll that was actually in place.
- Transport optimization did not work for ReadBarcode with the AS barcode reader.
- Reloading a sample list after saving a method used in this list could result in default values where empty values were wanted.
Other Changes
- Using a different schedule diagram component, trying to get rid of some hard to reproduce issues with the old one.
- Adapted to moved configuration files of OpenLAB Chemstation C.01.08.
- Improved diagnostic logging for invalid parameters when using LC MassHunter.
- Most acquisition services can now be switched on or off at runtime.
- Some improvements to the scheduler timing precision.
- Unified error handling for different sampler types, plugins can now use the same mechanism for interactive error handling as builtin samplers drivers.
- Removed obsolete QuanLab export.
- Adapted to PAL3 firmware 2.5.1.
- Using a different communication channel to Omnic now because of stability problems.
- Schedule time table export uses wall clock times now.
- Performance improvements for the calculation and validation of PAL3 using schedules.
- Automatic reference to last transport target skips disabled tasks now.
New Features
- Support for the Shimadzu GCMS Solution.
- Plugin tasks can specify their diagram color.
2018-04-10
Fixed Bugs
- A PAL3 sampler name can now contain characters that are invalid for file names.
- The LinerChange task had some problems with a range of PAL3 firmware versions and switched valves during validation if used with the first revision hardware (Chronect I/O box instead of PAL3 connector).
- Movements for changing the liner did not work any more with an up to date firmware because of a firmware internal timeout that didn’t exist before.
- Fixed a “null reference exception” when using the ExecuteScript task.
- Incorrect timing in late parts of complex schedules, the scheduler was not recalculated correctly under certain circumstances.
- The fixes for SPME in 4.9.2 led to concurrency problems in the driver for the old PAL.
- The vial picker still had problems for some tray size / DPI / screen size combinations.
- Fixed a deadlock when a plugin created a new schedule.
- Fixed a race condition during error handling.
- Writing information about failed tasks to the runlog instead of just the error message to make it easier to find mistakes during method development.
- Crashed if no token was entered for a method parameter.
- The GUI blocker during Clarity acquisition created blocker overlay windows for all Clarity windows which cluttered the screen in combination with certain instrument drivers which create lots of invisible windows.
- Having no sideport syringe parameters specified caused an error in the FractionCollection task even if you did not use a sideport syringe.
- Errors in the tray configuration could lead to an incomplete program shutdown, leaving the process active in the background.
- Plugin devices without connection settings still required some value to be entered.
Other Changes
- Leaving the Tool property empty will now look back for another task with the same Autosampler set, making it easier to write methods for dual head systems.
- Does not complain any longer about missing columns when loading multiple sample lists at once.
- Analyst acquisition: StartDeviceIndex > 1 will try to start the queue and the sample without hardware handshake.
- Disabled LECO ChromaTOF export because it has insufficient validation during sequence import leading to possible data loss of the ChromaTOF database.
- The list provided by a plugin for the combobox standard items of task properties is now evaluated every time the menu is opened, allowing for updates.
New Features
- Leaving the Autosampler property empty now makes the task use the last task’s autosampler.
- Support for IKA RCT heater/stirrer plates.
- Plugins can define custom parameters for the instrument configuration.
- Plugins can override the task runtime specified by the user if they can calculate their own runtime.
- Lua scripts can call Chronos.GetProperty(“TaskRef:PropRef“) to address other task‘s properties from within loops and write debug output to the trace log using Chronos.Tracelog(“Some Text“).
- The system is now asked to not go into power save mode while a schedule is running.
2017-12-18
Fixed Bugs
- Many SPME methods did not work any more because SetOutputSignal and WaitForStartSignal were not accepted any more between fiber exposition and aspiration.
- A race condition could lead to an unwanted abort of a standby method.
- When using the /config command line switch, gathering diagnostic data did not always get all relevant files.
- Fixed an infinite loop during schedule calculation for parallel blocking of the same position in a method.
- The PAL3 reset after errors was not always executed.
- Aborting the calculation of a new schedule could lead to skipped acquisitions in an already running schedule.
- Fixed a crash in the computer ID calculation. Made it resistant to the influence of removable media adapters. If you activated your license with 4.9.1, you will need another reactivation – sorry!
- Fixed an error in the ReadBarcodeTask that resulted in a Null Reference Exception.
- Various bugfixes in the CSV import.
- Changed the behavior at the sequence end to avoid some race conditions on dual head systems.
- Chronos would under certain circumstances complain about not being able to mount a tool to the PAL3 that was actually already mounted.
- Using Beta PAL3 firmware versions always activated a firmware bug workaround that was only meant for 2.4 versions before 2.4.3. Unfortunately this workaround always resulted in an error for 2.2 firmwares.
- Supporting a newer version of the license dongle that should fix some recent crashes with certain Windows 10 systems.
- The WriteToPDF and CSV import plugin were not included in the setup any more.
- Right clicking on a task property in the “import from method” dialog led to a crash.
- Deep nesting of classes within a plugin task could break saving/loading methods.
- The vial picker in the sample list did not work correctly in some cases: If there was already a vial number higher than the highest available for the selected tray, if the rack spanned multiple slots and if your screen resolution was too small to show a very large rack.
- Invoking the editor for the ExecuteScript task would cause an error message if tried repeatedly.
New Features
- You can now choose which file types should be included in the diagnostic data and optionally add a configuration backup of your PAL3 without having to copy it to a USB drive.
- Plugins can override builtin property sorting by using the SortPriority attribute. This can help in some situations (especially with dynamic properties and nested classes) where the order can’t be established automatically.
- Added a “LeaveObject” property to the MoveToObject task in case you use it for just making sure a vial is where you expect it.
- Can now be used with OEM PAL3 samplers which have an up to date and compatible firmware if you purchase an OEM Chronos license.
Other Changes
- Revisited all example methods to make sure that their checksums are not reported as invalid due to changed default visibilities/values of parameters.
2017-10-23
Fixed Bugs
- The computer ID for activation type licenses was calculated in a way that could make the ID change for no good reason, requiring reactivation.
2017-10-18
Fixed Bugs
- The ReadBarcode task caused a full program crash when using an old PAL.
- In some cases ExecuteActivity could fail to use the desired parameter values. This happened if the entered value equaled the activity’s default, but actually a different value was used by the firmware if the parameter was not actively set.
- The Heatex stirrer’s temperature could not be set.
- No understandable error message when the correct position for the AS barcode reader was not found.
- Some PAL3 related tasks did not accept an empty source after a transport task (no automatic link between transport destination and source).
- There was an incomprehensible “Invalid Ressource” error message after a failed tool change.
- Parts of the user interface became dysfunctional when using Bruker MS Workstation or Clarity acquisition on Windows 10 with Creators Update / :Net 4.7
- Very long sample lists using many columns with extra editors (folder dialogs, tray/vial columns) could exhaust a process limit, leading to unresponsiveness and a crash without proper error message.
- Adapted the Clarity acquisition service to status text changes introduced in Clarity 7.4.
- Validation of the Injection_PAL3 task failed if no tool was mounted.
- Tasks did not wait for their predecessors to finish when they were using different autosamplers and WaitOverlapped was between them.
- Fixed a few more occurrances of dialogs that could be hidden by the main window.
- Putting a ForbidOverlap task in the first position lead to a delayed start of the schedule.
- Plugins could not list dynamic task properties.
New Features
- Support for Shimadzu LabSolutions data acquisition.
- Support for Agilent MassHunter B.07.06
- Schedule execution can be paused. Be careful with this if your methods contain time critical sections!
- There’s additional information about the used sampler in the schedule diagram hints if you have more than one sampler configured.
- The ResourceBlock/ResourceRelease tasks let you prevent partial overlapping of jobs in some cases where the sampler’s collision prevention would lead to deadlocks or where (in case of XT PALs) there is no collision prevention at all.
- The new SkipRestOfJob task allows you to skip processing a sample if some preconditions are not met, like a wrong barcode or an out of range balance result - much clearer than setting all following tasks to jit-disabled.
- Methods can have parameters – combinations of token and value with a description. This makes it easier to modify a method without breaking it and makes the bad habit of abusing invisible columns for this purpose unnecessary.
- You can load multiple sample list files into one sample list.
- Plugin tasks can work with more than one device at once.
- Plugins can limit the device types that are offered in the method editor for a task’s autosampler property.
- Plugins can read the connection state of a device.
- Plugins can get the paths of the standard folders for methods and sample lists.
- Plugin devices can support pausing and abort of operations.
- Plugins can access some information about the instrument configuration and default paths.
Other Changes
- Added a delay during depenetration in the PurgeVial task for old PALs because vials with thick septa would sometimes still hang at the MHE tool when the head was already moving away.
- Added a workaround for a bug in the PAL3 firmware that could make “MoveToHome” fail under certain circumstances.
- The date and time of a PAL error are now shown in the error dialog.
- Improved diagnostics for dongle detection problems.
- PAL3 sessions are closed as soon as possible after completion of the respective job. This should improve performance for very long sequences and eliminate the annoying excessive resetting at the end of them.
- Plugins and PAL3 logs are added to diagnostic data.
- Analyst service restarts during Chronos idle times are now dealt with.
2017-06-14
Latest version known to work with Windows XP. Use at your own risk, not intended for general use.
2017-05-10
Fixed Bugs
- The second instrument of Evolution Workstation was not started if it was not already running.
- It was impossible to read from an Excel sheet using the ReadFromExcel task if it was still open in Excel.
- If a .pol file was present for a CTCPal sampler, running the validation for the fraction collection task resulted in an error.
- GC MassHunter B.07.05 does not propagate the “Acq Operator” entry used until now, we are now also filling in the “SequenceOperator” field.
- Under some rare conditions the ForbidOverlapped task and the Overlapped schedule option did not stop the next job from starting though the previous was still running.
- Fixed another scheduler deadlock.
- Worked around some issues in GUI automation for Clarity which could lead to a deadlock on some installations.
- Fixed an error that could occur when a schedule terminated while another one was calculated.
- Fixed a problem in the scheduler that could lead to a “same key already exists” message at runtime, more likely happening under high cpu loads or heavy I/O activity.
- A garbage collection run in combination with dynamic properties could lead to wrong error messages about non existing properties during schedule creation.
- The LinerChange task was broken.
- Aborting a sequence with a MassLynx acquisition would lead to a program crash if the MassLynx abort file was not accessible.
- When running an Analyst sequence using some project A and building a schedule for some other project B it could happen that a sample for A was actually run using project B.
- Changing the method in an existing sample list did not enforce limits to the available trays set in this method for a “Tray with Vial” column.
- It was not possible to access some extended properties of Analyst, for example you could not create custom columns.
- The combination of disabled tasks and tasks using patterns, like SPME, could lead to unwanted time gaps during schedule execution.
- Chronos didn’t work on FIPS conforming systems that forbid the use of some hashing function providers.
New Features
- You can use the /config:SomeName command line parameter to use a subfolder for configuration data. See the manual for details.
- Added a “Standby” task to force an acquisition service which supports this into standby mode. Xcalibur and LC MassHunter should currently work.
- Support for the 2.4 firmware for PAL3 systems, including pipette and capper/decapper tasks.
- Further improvements to the sequential vial handling task logic introduced in 4.7.1.
- Plugins can check if a tray is considered empty at the moment by the scheduler, allowing for custom agitator like behavior.
- Added a CorrectVolume task for easy spreadsheet table based volume correction when using the pipette tool.
- If you use the Axel Semrau barcode reader for multiple vial types on the PAL3, the ReadBarcode task will now automatically pick the destination ItemPosition “BC*” matching the required vial type.
Other Changes
- ReadFromExcel now silently accepts empty cells instead of regarding this as an error condition.
- Adding more logs to the diagnostic data and preserving them longer before trying to delete them.
- When evaluating scripting expressions, leading and trailing whitespace characters are trimmed from now on.
2017-01-19
Fixed Bugs
- After starting a schedule from the time table using “Start from here”, following clicks on “Start” did not make the schedule start from the first task.
- Starting from a later task of some methods led to an infinite loop.
- GC MassHunter acquisition complained if the processing method was left empty.
- Leaving the sample type field empty in Analyst acquisition resulted in a not very helpful error message instead of defaulting to “Unknown”.
- Errors during property evaluation like mathematical or Lua expressions were always reported, even if Enabled was set to false.
- Combining ScheduledAfter with Repeat/RepeatEnd could result in wrong task references.
- The second instrument of the Evolution Workstation was not addressed correctly.
- “Do not start new samples” waited for the end time of the samples that were not started.
- Errors during validation in combination with Repeat loops could result in the wrong task number in the error message.
- Errors in task validation should only be shown if the failed task is actually enabled.
- Fixes and improved error messages for the seconds instrument of the Evolution Workstation.
New Features
- Sequential ReadBarcode, VortexVial, Transport tasks will not put the vial back to the source tray after each step.
2016-12-13
Fixed Bugs
- Forgetting to set a tool for the GetSample_PAL3 task could result in an incomprehensible error message.
- Some acquisition services did not work without a quantitation method any more.
- Changing Clarity projects within a sequence did not work.
- Changed the handling of default values within ExecuteActivity, the old behavior led to problems with e.g. ExpectedBarcode of the ReadBarcode activity. Leaving properties empty in the method editor is no longer an error if they have a default value that can be used.
- Runtime logs could be missing the last entry.
- MassLynx export would skip fields that were never made visible by the user in the export dialog but initialized by loading a template.
- Empower Acquisition was broken since 4.6.0.
- The ChromPerfect acquisition service was not listed with the correct name in the method editor.
- Some plugins could break the localization of UI elements in the schedules view and acquisition services list.
- In some cases it was not possible to save a crash report locally.
- Corrected diagram plotting of some methods, the bars were not aligned correctly.
- Acquisition with OpenLAB EZChrom edition did not work.
- Schedule progress was hard to recognize with infinite schedules.
- Resolved a deadlock that could randomly happen.
- Resolved a race condition leading to a sequence abort when using multiple autosamplers.
- Clarity acquisition sanitizes all user entries to make sure that no unwanted line breaks or tabs corrupt the sequence file.
- The CTCPal fraction collection task complained about some parameters during validation that were actually OK.
- The new command line switches for the Chemstation control server introduced in 4.5.1 had been removed by accident.
- The heatex stirrer was operated at the wrong speed.
- Some user input could break clarity acquisition (like tabstops in sample names) – these characters will be removed automatically now.
- Bruker MS Workstation 8.2: If the MS did not get ready and SoftHandshake was not set the autosampler would inject anyway. Cleaned up the parameter list and improved status checks. Added a Timeout parameter.
- Several error messages did not always use the correct task index from the method editor to indicate the task with the problem, especially when switching off tasks or using repeat loops.
- Infinite planers did not re-evaluate jit: enabled properties.
- WaitOverlapped tasks with parallel shorter running tasks were not respected, the schedule finished too soon.
- Unchecking the “Overlapped” option only worked correctly if the last task was also the latest task.
- Added a workaround for some rare condition where tool change events did not reach Chronos.
- Single vials were not imported to the “Trays” configuration section.
- Some plugins broke GUI localization in the Chronos main program.
New Features
- Plugins can override the default reset behavior (before and after sequences) for higher throughput when running many short schedules.
- Plugins can create schedules in the background without forcing the schedule diagram to become visible.
- Support for Clarity 7.2.
- Clarity acquisition makes clear when the automation is running, this should result in less situations where the user blocks automation, interrupting the Chronos sequence.
- Dual head PAL3 systems can now access vials in agitators with one arm that were transported there by the other arm.
- Support for the current LINEX version from GL Sciences.
- Plugins can access some functionality of legacy and XT PAL systems.
- Included an improved CSV import by courtesy of LEAP technologies.
- Included the WriteToPDF plugin.
- Added a ReadFromExcel task to complement the existing WriteToExcel.
- Automatic conversion where a unit is specified for a numerical property, like Runtime [s]: 2 min is now a valid value.
- The fraction collection task can handle collection spanning multiple trays. It also exposes the next free position as a read only property, so that the next sample can (relatively) easily start where the previous ended.
- Unknown modules from future firmware versions should be handled better now.
Other Changes
- Requires .NET framework 4.6.2 – sorry, XP and Vista users.
- PAL3: When multiple transfer cycles are needed for the transfer task the drawer is left open until the last cycle, only then the Leave*DrawerOpen parameter will be used.
- Using an updated dongle system because of compatibility issues with some Windows 10 versions.
- Some scripting tasks became a bit easier: When a task is jit: disabled, all other jit: properties of this task will not be evaluated any more.
- Catching some errors during schedule display that led to a complete program crash before.
- Trying to bring Clarity out of the sometimes occurring “Not ready to run acquisition” state by sending the method to the instrument.
- Using ml and µl for volumes is now automatically converted to mL and µL.
- Extended automatic log cleanup to Chronos*.log and AcquisitionServiceHost logs.
2016-09-15
Fixed Bugs
- Opening and saving a method containing repeat loops in the method editor replaced the count by 1.
- Closing a syringe exchange dialog that was still busy crashed Chronos.
- The Optic toolbox gave no hints what exactly went wrong regarding communication errors with the Evolution Workstation.
2016-09-08
Fixed Bugs
- Aborting a schedule that was started using “Start from here” did not work correctly.
- Item Position objects were no longer imported from the PAL3 configuration.
- Saving a sample list with an extension different from “.csl” resulted in a CSV export, no matter which type was selected.
- Certain problems when opening the virtual terminal or status monitor for the PAL3 could result in a program crash.
- Handling for ScheduledAfter = -1 for the first task was broken, resulting in very strange schedule diagrams.
- Wait times during PAL3 liner change could not be interrupted.
- An error while saving the sample list still resulted in a greyed out “Save” button.
- GLS Linex injectors were imported in the “Trays” section.
- Plugin task properties with names that are also defined by the base task are now handled correctly.
- The strict injection order option only seemed to work, but the order could be shifted at runtime.
- Trying to use the Transfer task with a PAL3 dilutor tool resulted in an incomprehensible error message.
- Resolved possible conflicting file access when using multiple Clarity instruments.
- Restarting failed schedules sometimes led to a deadlock.
- The “Fake injection” option could lead to an aborted schedule if the handled error was detected during the injection task and the corresponding WaitOverlapped was disabled by skipping the rest of the job.
- Restart of the GL Sciences Evolution Workstation did not work any more.
- The RunExternalProgram task ignored errors during process start, this is now optional.
- Runtime errors on the PAL3 could lead to double execution of the error method.
New Features
- Enumeration parameters of activities in ExecuteActivity can now be entered (and shown) as clear text instead of numerical values only.
- It is now possible to implement your own acquisition services as plugins.
- You can now access the return value of a process started using RunExternalProgram.
- The short and long description of Chronos methods can now be seen in the file properties / preview pane from the windows explorer or file open dialogs.
Other Changes
- If schedule drawing takes too long, the schedule axis labels (and if this does not help also the schedule graph) will be disabled automatically.
2016-07-06
Fixed Bugs
- The default file name for exported reports contained always the value from the last export and could be confusing because of contained date/time.
- A dual head PAL3 system would hang infinitely during abort if a schedule was stopped while waiting for an external signal (until interrupted from the terminal).
- You could not create a schedule using a PAL3 tool that was just in that moment in the process of being parked.
- Plugin devices will now be properly disposed of if no longer needed.
- Schedule calculation for some SPME sequences failed.
- Sometimes the sampler changed a tool for the task after the next one just to change it back immediately for the next one.
- CleanInjector_PAL3 ignored the WashPenetration parameter.
- After unmounting a tool in the PAL3 toolbox the sampler stayed locked.
New Features
- Only the selected rows are used for sample list printouts.
- Acquisition task / ExtendedProperties: You can now access some functions of Analyst via AAO that were not accessible before because they must be accessed by method calls instead of properties. The syntax the same as for properties, the assigned value is the last method parameter.
- Injection_PAL3 can wait for sync signals (important for LC-GC coupling).
- For very special scenarios plugins can now access the configured devices directly, even outside of running schedules or toolboxes.
Other Changes
- PAL3 / CleanInjector: You can have only one value for EjectSpeed/InjectionSpeed. Instead of ignoring InjectionSpeed, it will now be used if EjectSpeed is empty. If you try to set different values you get a validation error.
- Some users experience that drawing the schedule graph sometimes takes an extremely long time. There is still no real solution available, but right clicking into the graph now shows a menu that allows to disable the graph completely.
2016-05-27
Fixed Bugs
- Report generation failed.
- Analyst via AAO did not work if logging on to analyst security without explicit credentials failed.
- Lua: Format strings for numbers with leading zeroes like “%03d” did not work correctly.
2016-05-20
Fixed Bugs
- Fixes for the PAL3 reset behavior.
- Jit:-disabling a block of tasks including transports caused errors during the recalculation.
- It was not possible to restrict an “Injector” column using the Combobox entries field.
- Sometimes writing to the runlog failed with an error message that the file was opened by a different application.
New Features
- New command line switches /autoloadLCGC and /autoloadMSD for the Chemstation control server.
- You can provide {jit:} expressions with default values for the schedule validation phase. Just write {jit:Foo//Bar} and you get “Foo” at runtime while using “Bar” during validation.
- It is now possible to refer to properties within the same task that are further up the list. You can now for example use “{Tool.Volume}” in the volume property of a transfer task.
- ExtendedProperties of the Acquisition task now support indexed access with multiple dimensions. You can also use ( instead of \[ now, this should improve readability.
- ExecuteActivity now supports all Activities defined on the sampler, not only those that are known to the used integration libraries.
- Plugins can also examine other jobs, not just their own job.
- Breaking change: Using different components for the communication with Analyst. The old service is still available as “OldAnalyst”. See the manual for details.
- Optional installation of a component named AnalystServiceRestarter that allows for enhanced reliability with Analyst: Chronos can restart the AnalystService if it shows a “handle leak” that can lead to out-of-memory errors. This relates only to the old implementation (see above).
- Finally, improved keyboard navigation for the sample list: Use the cursor keys, enter, shift+enter and toggle checkboxes by pressing the space bar.
Other Changes
- The “Wait” task can not overlap with other tasks any more, except WaitOverlapped.
2016-03-18
Fixed Bugs
- Save as CSV did not work because of a missing library.
- Saving balance plugin related methods did not work properly.
2016-03-14
Fixed Bugs
- Dilutor operations were not all included in the drop down list.
- Fixed problems with Gilson USB dilutor when setting a different syringe size during the initialization phase failed or the schedule was aborted while the syringe was full, fixed another problem that occurred on device shutdown only.
- RS232 connected Gilson dilutors: Connecting to the device for a second run failed because the connection was not reset correctly.
- Error methods were not started for certain types of runtime errors.
- Changing cell values in the sample list from a plugin did not always work as expected.
- Removed the sampler name prefix from objects that 4.4.2 had added when more than one sampler was configured. Added hints in the sample list drop down lists instead.
- Aborting a schedule could lead to a deadlock.
- The Xcalibur export searched for the sample list template in the wrong folder.
- GC MassHunter acquisition did not validate instrument name and method.
- Removed an infinite loop for a special case in schedule calculation.
- Overlapping could not be disabled if the first task had “ScheduledAfter = 0”.
- Giving a meaningful error message if the tool volume could not be determined for CleanSyringe.
- Resetting a PAL3 with 2.2 firmware did not work properly under some circumstances, implemented a workaround.
- SEM device error status check did not cover all device parts, reset at sequence end was repeated unnecessarily.
- SEM devices will be reset earlier than PALs at sequence end.
- Fixed some layout issues in the sample status overview.
- Hopefully fixed a rare but possible deadlock.
- PAL3 reset wasn't executed properly after a manual schedule abort.
- Fixed a schedule calculation error where calculation failed for a rare, but perfectly valid transport task use.
- The Thermo Foundation libraries could not always be loaded.
- Renaming a PAL3 sampler and the following configuration import could lead to duplicate trays/agitators/injectors.
- Fixed some issues around {jit:} disabled tasks.
- Sometimes you would see “Key: xxx” entries in the user interface instead of localized texts.
- Fixed incorrect row heights in the method editor when using a different zoom factor and changing between tasks.
- Having a Reset() activity at the end of your method made schedule validation fail.
- Fixed a problem with multiple fake injections.
New Features
- Supports the PAL3 firmware 2.3.
- Plugin tasks can now be informed about schedule state changes and are able to launch embedded task planers from method files.
- It is now possible to disable acquisition service detection from the settings editor.
- Experimental support for OpenLAB EZChrom Edition.
- MHE tool support for the DilutorAddSolvent_PAL3 task.
- Plugins can trigger optimization runs.
- You can write a sample list as CSV using the normal save dialog.
Other Changes
- DilutorAddSolvent_PAL3 task: DispenseDelay [s] was replaced by AspirateDelay [ms].
- By popular request you can now optionally use the old tabular format for printing sample lists.
- When picking a different tray in the sample list, the corresponding vial number is not reset to 1 if possible.
- Deletes logfiles from GL Sciences Evolution Workstation on startup (otherwise, it will hang as soon as the logs grow too big).
- Made some advanced task properties invisible by default.
- Diverted trace logging to a separate file for each schedule.
- Support for the Mettler Toledo balances was moved to a plugin.
2015-11-27
Fixed Bugs
- Due to some issues with runtime forwarding introduced in 4.4.0, this is now off by default and can be switched on in the settings.
- Fixed some problems with errors in the schedule recalculation during run.
- The agitator of PAL3 systems did not stop after a schedule abort.
- It was possible to try to start a schedule from a specific task while the last run was not completely finished.
- Fixed several problems when more than one PAL3 system was in the configuration.
- The Injection_PAL3 task did not support fake injections.
- Program crashed instead of showing an error message when you had no trays and tried to load a sample list that required at least one.
- LC MassHunter was not detected.
- Validation could fail on old PAL systems if the system syringe and the method's syringe were different and you had a .pol file for the sampler.
- Failed jit: expressions did not mark the containing task as failed, only the whole job.
- Failed tasks are marked accordingly in the time table.
- When restarting a schedule with failed jobs, their status stayed failed, even if they ran successfully in the new run.
- Added a delay in the Clarity acquisition to make sure a preceding run could write to its data file before starting a new one.
- Validation errors in Analyst could abort a running sequence, starting the queue from the acquisition task did not always work.
- The WaitForStartSignal task on the PAL3 required a start signal to be set.
- Tasks tried to set the current tool unconditionally which caused error messages when executing with the PAL's body as autosampler.
- The WriteToSampleList-task could omit some values if earlier tasks were disabled.
- Fixed a problem when postponing samples from a schedule did not work correctly.
- Fixed a bug where the selected error method was not run after autosampler errors.
New Features
- Plugins can define their own task categories.
- Support for Gilson 4x20 pumps connected by USB.
- You can now use {jit:Autosampler.Tool} to reference the currently used tool in error methods.
2015-10-15
Fixed Bugs
- Could not calculate a schedule when no penetration was given in the transfer task (only old PAL systems).
- Toolbox for old PAL systems: Instead of the syringe name the syringe's internal class name was shown.
- The middle of the zoom control was not at 100%
- Some racks were not imported correctly from PAL3 configurations
- The “DynamicTask” was broken.
- Removed a superfluous error message when aborting a schedule during an idle time.
- When a schedule ended with certain PAL3 errors, the sampler would not recover correctly during the schedule termination phase.
- Execution was a bit too parallel: It could happen that a tool change was started even though an earlier task from another job was not completely finished.
- The currently showed schedule diagram was scaled according to the current progress – even if it was not the running schedule.
- Fixed scheduling errors when tasks before a transport to a final destination took longer than expected.
Other Changes
- When repeating a sample list export for Xcalibur, the automatic CDF conversion will not be repeated for already processed files.
2015-09-11
New Features
- REQUIRES PAL3 control software 2.2.
- Supports dual head PAL3 systems.
- Supports ITEX on PAL3.
- Big changes in the scheduler for maximum efficiency with two heads: Independent tasks can be scheduled in parallel, and there can be parallel passages within a method using the new “ScheduledAfter” property. If parallelization between methods gets in your way, you can use the new ForbidOverlap task.
- Measured execution times for tasks are used as an improved estimate for following tasks of the same kind with similar parameters.
- The schedule will be re-calculated whenever a task doesn't match the anticipated runtime (or is disabled by a {jit:} expression).
- Inline scripting allows you to use Lua instead of VB.NET expressions for much better performance.
- Schedule calculation has become much faster, especially for very long sample lists.
- Rewritten time table for better readability considering multiple tasks can be executed at the same time.
- Improved example methods using parallel execution.
2015-07-24
Fixed Bugs
- Configuration dialogs for plugins caused an unwanted error message upon closing.
- Unintended error message if the first method overriding some device settings was not in the first row.
- Strict injection order didn't respect injector blocking by the WaitForStartSignal task.
- Analyst acquisition could get into a state where a Chronos restart was required.
- Using a different way of communicating with Xcalibur from 2.1 on due to stability issues.
- The schedule abort would fail when the lock on the sampler was lost during activity execution.
- Some Chromquest installation had trouble running anything but single line sequences, fixing this by caching some EZChrom call results.
- GC Chemstation sample list columns unknown to Chronos can now be accessed using the ExtendedProperties field of the acquisition task.
- EZChrom export did not write the dilution factors correctly.
- Toolboxes of plugins were not ordered correctly.
- Runlogs are now opened in shared mode and can be read by other processes while the schedule is still running.
- Automatic settings adaption for GC/LC Chemstation can be turned off for the Chemstation Control Server using a command line switch “/keepUniqueFolderSettings”.
New Features
- Transport task supports custom vial stripping for PAL3 samplers.
2015-04-29
Fixed Bugs
- Reserved positions of PAL3 samplers were handled incorrectly
- ExecuteScript task of the CTC task SDK failed to execute
- The ExecuteActivity task handled some activities incorrectly
- Agitator was still shaking after last vial had been removed
- The window title was not updated when saving the sample list to a different file
- Autosampler errors while executing the error planer lead to a freeze of the user interface
- ITEX2 Injection failed for extraction volumes larger than the syringe volume
- MassLynx acquisition complained about invalid paths if more than just the file name was given
- Analyst acquisition led to a crash after many injections, depending on system configuration
- Chemstation acquisition hung with some MSD chemstation versions
New Features
- Plugins can define variable property lists
- Plugins can react on property changes in the method editor
- Support for full localization of plugins
- Plugins can write to the Chronos trace log
- Plugins can do some license check and choose to be not loaded if it failed
- Installer checks if Chronos or one of the auxiliary programs is still open before trying to overwrite their files
Other Changes
- Used culture always set to InvariantCulture for task execution, should fix problems for some plugin tasks that don't handle this properly
2015-02-06
Fixed Bugs
- ExtendedProperties did not work for ChromPerfect
- LC MassHunter support required manual copying of a DLL
- Fixed some problems in the ReadOptocoupler task
- Launching CDS method editors from within Chronos' method editor did not always work
- Overwriting device settings from methods still had some problems not fixed in 4.3.0
- Dilution-Task only worked with Gilson dilutors
- Functions in the toolbox for the old PAL did not work directly after a sequence had been aborted, import of some objects failed
- Fixed some problems with the AS I/O box.
- Sample list export dialogs for Clarity and ChromPerfect did not open
- ChromPerfect acquisition now accepts a few more states for acquisition start
- The DLW injection emptied the syringe completely instead of just dispensing the sample volume
- Fake injection for the old PAL tried to set the wrong signal
- Using ExecuteActivity to set an Agitator's temperature failed
- When leaving the F2 Editor for a property the new value could be lost in some cases
- Referring to a previous task by type name without a multiplicator always resulted in a reference to the first task of any type
- Plugins were able to break the reading of decimal values when using german localization
Other Changes
- Made Bruker MS Workstation automation more robust
- The WriteToLogfile task writes to the runlog now in case no filename is given
- Updated the ITSP tasks
- Tasks compiled with the Task SDK from PAL Sample Control now work in Chronos
- Supports PAL3 firmware version 2.1.3
New Features
- Sample list export dialogs automatically load the last used template file
- Added soft handshake for MS Workstation
- Supports Waters MassLynx for data acquisition
- Information tab in settings allows to you collect sample lists, methods, log files, and settings files into a zip archive for diagnostic purposes
- Added a task to write into Excel files
2014-09-25
Fixed Bugs
- Validation errors for schedules created by plugins are now propagated correctly.
- Temperature settings were sometimes handled incorrectly if consecutive planers used different values for the same heaters.
- If you were using an error planer and continued execution after the planer was run, the failed jobs could never be restarted and stayed disabled.
- Chronos stopped working if a complete job was disabled because of a runtime error.
- The DilutorTransfer task complained about invalid parameters for the Gilson dilutor which were perfectly valid.
- Fixed some problems with the configuration import from legacy PAL systems (wrong standby temperatures, inconvenient order).
- Made error messages for invalid property values less redunant.
- Error messages for invalid task property values always showed task number 1.
- Empty temperature values (like in FlushSyringe) let the sampler try to reach a heater temperature of 0°C.
New Features
- Supports Clarity 5.
- Supports a second instrument for GL Sciences Evolution Workstation.
- Support for Omnic (IR spectrometers).
- Support for the Bruker MS Workstation.
- Plugin provided tasks can now get access to the “Autosampler” property of other plugin tasks more easily.
- Plugin provided tasks can override the default demo mode execution behavior.
- Many errors in Acquisition.ExtendedProperties can now be discovered already at validation time.
2014-07-02
Fixed Bugs
- Clipboard support in the sample list editor was broken on older versions of Windows/.NET.
2014-06-30
Fixed Bugs
- Getting a sample from a reserved agitator position did not work.
- Trace logs had a maximum size of 5 MB.
- Extended properties for acquisition tasks did not work correctly with some data systems using COM for automation.
- ChromPerfect sometimes complained about being accessed from multiple threads.
- MSD Chemstation D.02 did not switch correctly between different methods in a sequence.
New Features
- Background of the name of a currently executed schedule in the schedules list is a progress bar now.
- CSV import now allows \t for tab seperated files.
Other Changes
- Supports and requires 2.1 Control Software for the PAL3.
- Allows sequence abort from the PAL3 terminal.
- LC MassHunter export now allows all folders in the folder browser.
- LC MassHunter acquisition supports setting the calibration level and user name.
- The {JobCount} expression can now be used without Just-In-Time prefix.
- Some changes to the sorting and insertion functions for the sample list.
- Plugin provided controls can be informed of changes in the UI culture.
2014-02-07
Fixed Bugs
- It was impossible to inject a sample that was larger than the “FillVolume” parameter. Now this parameter only affects fill strokes and multiple injections.
- The CleanSyringe task unnecessarily repeated some actions for each clean cycle when using a fast wash station on the PAL3.
- Reports failed to Load/Save their settings on older .NET versions (noticed on Windows XP).
- Loading sample lists with different numbers of columns per row could result in unnecessary and misleading error messages.
- In a mixed configuration of PAL3 and legacy PALs, the old PAL's injectors and agitators were removed from the object lists as soon as Chronos re-imported the PAL3's configuration data.
- Chemstation Control Server will now assume that an older version of the GC/LC chemstation is present if there's an error while trying to detect the “Sequence Package” settings.
- For DLW injections, the import of old methods did not convert all values properly.
- It was not possible to set quantity type properties by just-in-time expressions.
- Creating another schedule using a PALxt while one was already running could lead to an abort.
- Exceptions while adding samples should no longer lead to program termination.
- Runtime was validated for the VortexVial task even when it was disabled.
- Changing the connection string for the PAL3 from an invalid one to a valid one still resulted in error messages from the toolbox.
- Manually added agitators had a default temperature of 0 °C
- A job was not marked as “done” if the last task was disabled by a just-in-time-expression.
- When having communication problems with Clarity, Chronos sometimes asked Clarity to quit by accident.
Other Changes
- Supports and requires 2.0 Control Software for the PAL3.
- If the driver for Mettler-Toledo balances gets unexpected answers, the command will be retried several times.
- Trying to transfer or inject a volume less than the syringe's minimum value will now result in an error message.
- The Gilson402 will now retry applicable commands several times in case of a timeout.
- Made Analyst acquisition more robust in case the Analyst frontend crashes.
- Updated the manual, especially: Documented how you can disable acquisition service detection for specific services.
New Features
- Support for LC MassHunter B.06.00 SP2 acquisition and sequence export.
- You can refer to other tasks not only by number, but also by name.
- The new settings option “Strict injection order” lets you disable schedule optimizations that can change the order of injections.
- You can restart the ATAS Evolution Workstation from the Optic toolbox in case you closed it by accident.
- Support for next generation LINEX boxes using LAN instead of USB.
2013-09-24
Fixed Bugs
- On a dual head PAL system it was possible to create schedules where two actions were planned to run at the same time (which is not yet possible).
- When changing the configuration from a PAL3 sampler to a different type, editing the syringe configuration could make the program crash.
- The Gilson dilutor saved the right syringe configuration only if volumes greater than 0 were entered before saving.
- Calculating a schedule with dilution tasks using the Gilson 402 and the mode “transfer” interrupted other running schedules using the same dilutor.
- Itex injection was broken.
- Object imports from old PALs reported heater setpoints to be less than -200 °C.
- The AS barcode reader worked only when it got assigned to COM1. The implementation for the ReadBarcode-task was incomplete for PAL3 samplers with this type of reader.
- Clicking on the row header of a task in the method editor selected it, but did not update the right hand side (properties).
- On Windows 8 systems, some task properties got sorted in the wrong order.
- Setting temperatures for PAL3 could cause a “General ActivityExecution” error during a following transport action.
- Xcalibur and GCsLink acquisition would result in an InvalidActiveXState exception if the “Settings” page has not been visited before.
- Xcalibur reset did not terminate all necessary processes on Xcalibur 2.0 systems.
- %PRESET% definitions for ITEX2 injection were missing.
- The method's device settings for old PALs included units with the values, while the method editor only allowed numbers in that place.
- Closing a MassHunter instance while it was waiting for an injection which should be done by Chronos made Chronos crash.
- Empty text for columns with a standard value was replaced by the default value when loading sample lists.
- The “Start schedule from here...” context menu was not available before the schedule was started and stopped.
- Trying to add a sample with a column of type “Tool” resulted in a crash when no PAL3 configuration was available.
- Selecting an error method did not enable the related settings options until Chronos was restarted.
- Headers and footers in reports were broken.
Other Changes
- Setting SoftHandshake for the GcsLink-Acquisition triggers the prep run now.
- Some modfications necessary for interoperation with Clarity 5.
- Missing %PRESET% definitions are now treated as an error.
- Made diagnostics easier when the microswitches of a Gilson 402 dilutor are set to a wrong position.
New Features
- Added a new property “BottomSenseSearchDistance” to the Transfer and Inject tasks.
- You can now append “:symbol_of_a_unit” to a property reference if you need the numeric value for calculations.
- Printing of sample lists was improved.
2013-06-25
General Remarks – Please read this
This is a major release that contains breaking changes. So please, don’t expect everything to just work as soon as you upgrade from an earlier version. Rather, be prepared to review every single property of every old method to be sure it has been converted properly. This is because of the introduction of “Quantities”. Most tasks now allow you to specify the used unit along with numerical values, so you don’t have to know which unit is expected by the autosampler. This comes at a price: Former Chronos versions forced you to specify the values in the unit which was expected by the sampler. So your old methods may contain values which are not correct assuming the new, more reasonable default units. This is the price that must be paid for having more comfort from now on. There is some logic for converting these values, but we can't guarantee that it works for every case. Especially the tasks for fiber exchange, fraction collection and dilutor transfer have a few properties which can not be easily converted automatically.
Breaking Changes
- See above - each and every value that is passed to an autosampler should be checked when trying to use an old method with Chronos 4.
New Features
This release comes with a lot of big and smaller changes, so we will just mention the highlights here.
- Support for the new RTC PAL from CTC.
- Major overhaul of the user interface.
- You can resize or collapse many interface elements that were fixed-size before.
- Buttons got rearranged and many have icons now to make navigation easier.
- Schedules and run control were united. The status of schedules and samples is now much easier to see because highlighting of errors and color-coded status displays.
- The sample list finally got clipboard support.
- The method editor’s task list got categories.
- Hints in the method editor tell you which unit is expected by a property.
- For some task properties, you can make your value choice from a drop-down list.
- You can make a “fake injection” if a sample could not be found on the tray.
- There’s a new import option for sequences generated by ICD’s “Validat” software for method validation.
- Sequence export for GC/LC Chemstations automatically triggers conversion to the sequence container format now.
- You can auto-generate reports for sample status and schedule execution.
- Schedule calculation got vastly quicker. If you still see a reason to interrupt, you now have the option to cancel it.
- There are three different privilege levels for the user (with password protection) to prevent inexperienced users from changing important settings and properties by accident.
2013-04-25
Fixed Bugs
- Using long paths in MasterLab worked only if MasterLab was started from Chronos.
- The Watson 323Du pump did not work.
- Some MassHunter versions made the Acquisition Task hang.
- Did not work with ChromPerfect 6.0.8.
Other Changes
- Made the DDE connection to Clarity more fault tolerant.
- Connection attempts to the ASIO box will be repeated several times before giving up.
- The “pump” task allows to specify the direction of the pump.
2013-01-25
Fixed Bugs
- Special note: Chronos 3.5.12.3 failed to load Acquisition services.
- The initialization of the Eksigent Nano LC acquisition service failed on some systems.
- The sample injection failed for some syringe types and volumes because an internal error of the PAL was triggered unnecessarily.
- The online help was opened at the table of contents when it should have been opened in the appropriate chapter.
- There were communication problems with the PAL on computers with windows installations using multi-byte character sets (typically Asian).
Fixed Bugs in 3.5.12
- Restarting a previously aborted schedule containing SetOutputSignal-tasks could result in incorrect validation error messages.
- Switching on an agitator controlled by the other sampler of a dual head system caused both heads to move to their home position.
Other Changes
- When using the syringe multiple times to fill a large LC sample loop, the triggering of the “injected” signal will be closer to the valve switching.
- The inject task did not always complain when a multiple injection was planned without settings the “MultipleInjections” parameter.
- The acquisition task will create necessary folders for MasterLab acquisition.
Other Changes in 3.5.12
- Modified the FiberGet/FiberSet tasks to work better with the manufacturer supplied PAL object files.
- With MasterLab 3 you can now use the “Path” parameter of the acquisition task to specify other folders for your acquired dat
2012-10-11
Fixed Bugs
- It was not possible to use just-in-time scripting for the Source/Destination parameters of the transport task.
Other Changes
- You can now use the syntax "{jit:Value:|some_VB_expression_here|}" to set task properties to arbitrary values at runtime.
2012-09-27
Fixed Bugs
- Calculating a new schedule while another one was running could cause an abort under certain circumstances.
- Removed some scheduler restrictions for the SGE syringe changer.
- Works with Clarity 4.
Other Changes
- The acquisition task reacted way too slowly on abort requests for Clarity.
- Some types of error on program start will cause more informative error messages now.
2012-08-21
Fixed Bugs
- Communication with OdorOnline was broken for the SwitchRelay and ReadOptocoupler Tasks.
New Features
- Added a new command line parameter “/sleep time_in_seconds” if an additional wait time is needed for commands started from the autostart folder.
2012-07-23
Fixed Bugs
- CDC gripper actions were still executed for interrupted liner change tasks.
- Workaround for a problem with current PAL firmware that prevented CDC operation.
Other Changes
- Fraction collection time now starts before moving to the target position. This makes it easier to have your fractions correspond to certain runtimes, eliminating variations in motion times between positions.
2012-07-10
Fixed Bugs
- In certain situations, the live schedule view stopped working.
- When resuming an aborted schedule it was possible to trigger validation failures of tasks that were not intended to run.
- An AirGapVolume of zero in the DLWInjection task caused a runtime error.
- The “vial” part of an invisible “TrayWithVial”-column was always visible.
- Added some safeguards against faulty communication with the IKA shakers.
New Features
- You can start an internal timer of the PAL when injecting.
Other Changes
- Additional workaround for old unstable Analyst versions.
- Some adaptions for compatibility with old customer specific dynamic tasks.
- Updated Chemstation example methods, new DLW injection example.
2012-05-11
Fixed Bugs
- WriteToSampleList failed if the current sample list was never saved.
- The “F2” invoked editor did not work after switching between different tasks in the method editor.
- Dynamic Tasks (only in Chronos Advanced) did not work any more.
- The Odor Control Acquisition Service was not detected.
- Flush Syringe / Itex2 failed to create a schedule when there was no “.pol” file for the used sampler.
New Features
- Programs in an “Autostart” subdirectory of the Chronos installation will be run automatically when Chronos is started.
Other Changes
- The error message about an invalid standard value for a column gives more context.
- Workarounds for some problems with old and crashing Analyst versions.
- Made communication with Mettler Toledo balances more robust.
- Some internal changes in the Xcalibur support.
- Commands to IKA shakers will be repeated several times before giving up if there is a timeout.
2012-03-13
Fixed Bugs
- Trying to import a CSV file that was still opened by another application resulted in an unhandled exception.
Other Changes
- Adapted to MasterLab 2.2.2.
2012-02-28
Fixed Bugs
- If the first task of a job was a “Wait” task it did not make use of the TrayPosition parameter.
- Using “Fill Volume” = 0 with “Air Volume” > 0 resulted in an out of memory exception.
2012-02-06
Fixed Bugs
- Some systems got "Error: 67" from time to time when communicating with the CTC PAL autosampler.
2012-01-26
Fixed Bugs
- Clarity acquisition did not work with certain configurations.
- When trying to export a sequence to Chemstation, the GC MassHunter export dialog was shown instead.
Improvements
- When entering invalid values for numeric columns you get a hint telling what is wrong.
2012-01-18
Fixed Bugs
- Acquisition with Analyst crashed when the “Position” parameter was not set.
- On certain systems the program could hang during initialization.
Improvements
- You can now use column header descriptions as column mapping for the WriteToSampleList-task to get unambiguous references in sample lists mixing methods with different column definitions.
2011-12-21
Most Important Fixed Bugs
- Properties of a LoadDynamicTask-task were not saved any more.
- Some position properties did not automatically reference the destination of the last transport task.
- Connecting to Xcalibur failed after loading new instrument settings.
- Communication with some data systems using DDE did not work when running on a 64bit operating system.
- Following schedules were started even if the last schedule terminated with an error.
- Nested loops could not use the counter of the outer loop.
- The transfer task had some problems when using the Vent Tool.
New Features
- The TriggerValve task can now switch serial valves connected to the PAL.
- Methods can be printed and exported in various formats.
- You can press “F2” in edits to get a more comfortable edit window for longer texts.
- Support for IKA shakers.
- Support for DLW injections.
- Support for Agilent GC MassHunter.
- Support for MasterLab.
- Can check for updates by internet.
- The weighing task got a new property for changing the timeout in case that it takes longer until a stable weight is reached.
- English and German help files are installed in parallel.
- Added several new skins.
Other Changes
- Displaying a schedule has become significantly faster. In case it becomes too slow for very large schedules, you can now disable the diagram.
- You can now choose if you want to execute following schedules when aborting after the currently running samples.
- When using multiple PAL heaters they are now heated in parallel.
- Disabled tasks always have a runtime of 0. This makes it easier to calculate the remaining acquisition time if you have optional post-injection tasks.
- When using the WriteToSampleList-task to write to a different file, the lines will be appended instead of overwritten.