Frequently Asked Questions PowerChrom
Contents
Calibration Document; A customer asked how calibration is performed in PowerChrom.
The obvious answer is the PowerChrom Manual which describes the calibration procedure.
A video teaching about calibrations is available at https://www.edaq.com/wiki/Method_and_Calibration_Tables
A sample calibration file: File:Calibration is performed in PowerChrom.zip
Why can I see steps in my data instead of getting smooth curves?
It is likely that you have chosen a recording range which is too big and you are seeing digitization. If your peaks are only a few millivolts high, and you have left the default 10 volt range, you will see stepped peaks; the signal and areas will be inaccurate. You should select a recording range slightly higher than the largest signal you will record. Have a look at the Basics of Data Acquisition application note.
Why am I getting a noisy signal? / Why is there noise in my data?
There can be many reasons why you are getting noise. Have a look at this application note.
PowerChrom Error codes
When a PowerChrom system stops or crashes unexpectedly, a cryptic error message is often generated. This can be caused by:
- Hardware error
- Software error
- Operating system action - for example an update
- Other software application
List of error messages:
These error messages are not always useful in identifying a fault and the eRRS Software (eDAQ Remote Reporting Software) is much more useful in identifying problems.
See below. There are two sets of error codes, so depending on where/when it occurred, it might be one thing or another.
Maybe
dsMustUseFCBAccessors = 119, /* FCBSPtr and FSFCBLen are invalid - must use FSM FCB accessor functions */
dsVMBadBackingStore = 113, /*Error occurred while reading or writing the VM backing-store file*/
or
eParamErr = 113; { Bad parameter error }
eRestarted = 119; { Application wasn't recognised }
The full error lists are:
dsNoFPU = 90, /*an FPU instruction was executed and the machine doesnÕt have one*/ dsNoPatch = 98, /*Can't patch for particular Model Mac*/ dsBadPatch = 99, /*Can't load patch resource*/ dsParityErr = 101, /*memory parity error*/ dsOldSystem = 102, /*System is too old for this ROM*/ ds32BitMode = 103, /*booting in 32-bit on a 24-bit sys*/ dsNeedToWriteBootBlocks = 104, /*need to write new boot blocks*/ dsNotEnoughRAMToBoot = 105, /*must have at least 1.5MB of RAM to boot 7.0*/ dsBufPtrTooLow = 106, /*bufPtr moved too far during boot*/ dsVMDeferredFuncTableFull = 112, /*VM's DeferUserFn table is full*/ dsVMBadBackingStore = 113, /*Error occurred while reading or writing the VM backing-store file*/ dsCantHoldSystemHeap = 114, /*Unable to hold the system heap during boot*/ dsSystemRequiresPowerPC = 116, /*Startup disk requires PowerPC*/ dsGibblyMovedToDisabledFolder = 117, /* For debug builds only, signals that active gibbly was disabled during boot. */ dsUnBootableSystem = 118, /* Active system file will not boot on this system because it was designed only to boot from a CD. */ dsMustUseFCBAccessors = 119, /* FCBSPtr and FSFCBLen are invalid - must use FSM FCB accessor functions */ dsMacOSROMVersionTooOld = 120, /* The version of the "Mac OS ROM" file is too old to be used with the installed version of system software */ dsLostConnectionToNetworkDisk = 121, /* Lost communication with Netboot server */ dsRAMDiskTooBig = 122, /* The RAM disk is too big to boot safely; will be turned off */ dsWriteToSupervisorStackGuardPage = 128, /*the supervisor stack overflowed into its guard page */ dsReinsert = 30, /*request user to reinsert off-line volume*/ shutDownAlert = 42, /*handled like a shutdown error*/ dsShutDownOrRestart = 20000, /*user choice between ShutDown and Restart*/ dsSwitchOffOrRestart = 20001, /*user choice between switching off and Restart*/ dsForcedQuit = 20002, /*allow the user to ExitToShell, return if Cancel*/ dsRemoveDisk = 20003, /*request user to remove disk from manual eject drive*/ dsDirtyDisk = 20004, /*request user to return a manually-ejected dirty disk*/ dsShutDownOrResume = 20109, /*allow user to return to Finder or ShutDown*/ dsSCSIWarn = 20010, /*Portable SCSI adapter warning.*/ dsMBSysError = 29200, /*Media Bay replace warning.*/ dsMBFlpySysError = 29201, /*Media Bay, floppy replace warning.*/ dsMBATASysError = 29202, /*Media Bay, ATA replace warning.*/ dsMBATAPISysError = 29203, /*Media Bay, ATAPI replace warning...*/ dsMBExternFlpySysError = 29204, /*Media Bay, external floppy drive reconnect warning*/ dsPCCardATASysError = 29205 /*PCCard has been ejected while still in use. */
kMajorVersion = 1; { Required major patch level for this interface code } kNWarnings = 4; { # of warning records: enough to bore the user } kMaxConnected = 10; { Maximum simultaneous connections, not widely used so could remove restriction if we cared! } kInitialTimeOut = 30; { Red Bear application timeout in seconds; we have to communicate with it at least this often }
eQFull = 112; { Queue-full error code } eParamErr = 113; { Bad parameter error } eIntfBad = 114; { Interface bad } eTimeOut = 115; { Something timed out } eUpdateProblem = 116; { Updating process got unexpected response } eMissingClass = 117; { Class needed for updating wasn't there } eClassLimit = 118; eRestarted = 119; { Application wasn't recognised } eNotImplemented= 120; eBadContext = 121; eNoSuchUnit = 122; eNoEcho = 123; { Didn't echo: check patchlevel } eTruncHeader = 130; { AppleTalk protocol problems } eWriteTrunc = 131; eSyncLost = 132; eRetarded_s = 133; { Enabler/MacLab too old for this code } eAdvanced = 134; { Enabler or MacLab version too new for ths code } e6502Based = 135; { Maclab isn't an s-series } //eNoEnabler_s = 136; { No enabler found and MacLab not up to date } eWrongUSBDriver= 137; { Wrong USB driver version } eUSBGoneAway = 138; { USB MacLab has gone away } //eNoEnabler_20 = 139; { No enabler found and MacLab not up to date }
eNoEnabler = 900; eNoEnabler_s = eNoEnabler + kEnablerKind_68k; // No enabler found and MacLab not up to date eNoEnabler_Last = eNoEnabler + kEnablerKind_Last; // No enabler found and MacLab not up to date