Agilent Drivers for Thermo Scientific Chromeleon 7 - Release Notes – Revision 3.2

Agilent Drivers for Thermo Scientific Chromeleon 7 — Release Notes (Revision 3.2) — Executive Summary

Significance of the topic

Chromeleon is a widely used chromatography data system (CDS) in regulated and high-throughput laboratories. Agilent's driver package for Thermo Scientific Chromeleon enables direct control of Agilent LC, GC and headspace (HS) instruments from the Chromeleon environment. This integration reduces workflow fragmentation, centralizes instrument control, and supports regulatory requirements when validated. The 3.2 release expands hardware support, improves automation workflows, and closes multiple functional defects — all important for labs seeking robust multi-vendor instrument orchestration and automation under a single CDS.

Objectives and overview of the release

• Provide updated and extended driver support for new Agilent LC, GC, HS and PAL3 modules.
• Introduce new LC features (InfinityLab Assist, Steady Inject, drawer automation, level sensing) and GC/HS enhancements (dual manual injections, PAL3 Series II integration).
• Ship updated component versions and fix known defects to improve interoperability and reliability with Chromeleon 7.x.
• Document installation, compatibility, known issues, limitations and corrected defects to support regulated deployment and validation activities.

Methodology and installation workflow

• Package installation is a two-step process: first install the Agilent Software Verification Tool (SVT), then install the Agilent Drivers for Chromeleon msi. The installer enforces presence of a supported Chromeleon version and sets required firewall inbound rules automatically.
• Silent/unattended installs are supported through msiexec and the SVT also supports silent execution for automated verification reporting.
• SVT is used to verify installation and driver file versions; Chromeleon IQ documents driver presence and versions during the IQ process.
• Prerequisites: Windows (10/11 or supported Server versions) 64-bit as dictated by the host CDS, .NET Framework 4.7.2 or higher (and .NET 3.5 for ELSD). Administrative rights required for installation.
• Licensing: the driver requests class 3 licenses for LC and class 2 for GC (some Chromeleon versions may request class 3 for GC historically — check current CDS behavior).

Used instrumentation (high-level)

• New or enhanced LC support: G7123B (1290 Infinity III Fluorescence Detector), G7137B (1290 Infinity III Bio Hybrid Multisampler, classic and Feed Injection modes), G4756A (InfinityLab Sample Reader barcode upgrade), G7178A/G7180A/G7179A (InfinityLab Assist Hub & Interface), G7175A (InfinityLab Level Sensing).
• GC/HS additions: extended support for second-generation 8850 GC; PAL3 Series II sampler support (Agilent firmware-based PAL3 Series II integration); added headspace and GC instrument capabilities and dual-injection workflows.
• Third-party modules supported in limited fashion: Thermo Corona Veo CAD and WPS-3000 sampler (with functional restrictions).
• Component versions shipped: Instrument Control Framework 3.5; LC & CE driver 3.11; GC driver 4.4 SR1; HS driver 4.4; SVT 6.3.4.1. ELSD and PAL components retained previous versions where noted.

Main results and discussion (features, fixes and constraints)

• Key functional enhancements:
  • InfinityLab Assist is now fully integrated, enabling tighter control and reducing risk of interfering with sequences.
  • Steady Inject support for Multisamplers with Multiwash, pressure-controlled ramps outside runs, injector workflow import/export, and drawer automation for Multisamplers (command-integrated and event broadcast).
  • Generic command (GenSendCommand) support for sending arbitrary LC driver commands and receiving results/events via GenCommandResult and GenCommandEvent properties.
  • Dual injection improvements: manual dual injections, remote injector support, and an injection timeout to prevent indefinite waiting in dual-injection configurations.
  • New ePanel for the G7123B fluorescence detector supplied automatically when configured.
• Defect remediation: numerous resolved issues across LC/GC/HS (examples include audit-trail fixes for tray removal, method editor stability with ELSD modules, correct handling of aborted runs, FLD spectral data handling, and improved sequence locking behavior for headspace sequences).
• Compatibility and interoperability:
  • Supports Chromeleon 7.2.10 MUf and later, including 7.3 and 7.4 series releases (keep client and instrument controller driver versions synchronized for full feature availability).
  • Interoperability allowed only when client driver version is >= instrument controller version; certain features only functional when both sides updated.
• Known limitations (important operational caveats):
  • No support for fraction collectors and fraction collection clusters; fraction collection modules are discouraged/untested.
  • Only one injector permitted per LC instrument in Chromeleon.
  • Diagnostic and maintenance functions (EMF/EMF counters, Early Maintenance Feedback, diagnostic tests) are not available through the drivers — use Agilent Lab Advisor or instrument front panel/browser for diagnostics.
  • Capillary electrophoresis (CE) lacks MS coupling, certain detectors and catalog features; Chromeleon still requires an injection volume entry for CE sequences (not used by the CE itself).
  • PAL3 limitations: no script manager/custom scripts, barcode reader not supported, and PAL3 should not be used standalone (must be paired with an Agilent GC).
  • Other UI constraints: Windows scaling must be 100% to avoid UI truncation; the drivers are developed for English (US) regional settings and limited language support exists in LC/GC drivers for specific languages.

Benefits and practical applications

• Centralized control: enables Agilent hardware to be operated directly from Chromeleon, simplifying method creation, sequence management and data acquisition for mixed-vendor laboratories.
• Automation readiness: drawer automation, infinity assist integration and remote injector enhancements support higher throughput and easier integration with external automation systems.
• Regulated environments: packaged SVT, Chromeleon IQ integration, and release documentation support validation and compliance workflows. Users must re-establish validation after software changes.
• Expanded instrument portfolio: labs using newer Agilent modules (Infinity III series, 8850 GC, PAL3 Series II) can now run those instruments in Chromeleon with native driver support.

Future trends and opportunities

• Deeper automation and integration: expect continued expansion of assistive hardware integration (e.g., InfinityLab Assist) and richer command interfaces to enable closed-loop automation between CDS and lab automation systems.
• Feature parity and diagnostics: future releases may add diagnostic interfaces and maintenance support in the CDS, reducing the need to switch to vendor-specific tools for service functions.
• Interoperability stability: iterative improvements to client/server interoperability will simplify rolling upgrades in multi-PC client-server environments, though synchronized upgrades remain best practice.
• Third-party module support: incremental improvements to third-party module compatibility could broaden the mixed-vendor instrument ecosystems further, but functional gaps (e.g., for fraction collection or advanced sampler scripts) are likely to persist unless explicitly prioritized.

Conclusion

The Agilent Drivers for Thermo Scientific Chromeleon 7 Revision 3.2 provide meaningful expansions in hardware support, important LC automation features (InfinityLab Assist, drawer automation, Steady Inject), and GC/HS improvements (PAL3 Series II, dual injections). The release fixes several operational defects and supplies verification tools for installation and qualification. Operators should plan upgrades carefully: verify OS/.NET prerequisites, run the SVT, confirm driver/firmware compatibility and revalidate systems in regulated contexts. Known functional limitations remain (diagnostics, fraction collection, certain PAL3 features), so users should consult the release and component SSBs when implementing advanced use cases.

References

• Release documentation and component SSBs shipped with the driver package (includes SVT report, Declaration of Software Quality, Declaration of Cybersecurity, License Terms, and Troubleshooting Guide).
• Supported modules and minimum firmware/driver versions as documented in the release notes (LC, GC, HS and PAL3 module tables).