Nicholas H. Snow | Authors

For GC, how do data systems both assist and hinder us in obtaining maximum information from chromatograms? We explain how a chromatogram can provide a wealth of information about an individual analyte in a sample, about the sample itself, and about how well a GC instrument is performing.

This instalment explores how the data system controls the functions of the GC instrument. Drawing on classical electronics and instrument designs, the article describes the evolution of instrument controls from knobs and gauges on the front panel of the instrument to computer control and current web-based systems.

Computers control all aspects of modern GC instrument operation, from temperature to valve actuation. We look under the hood to see how this works.

Using the flame ionization detector (FID) as an example, we explain how the detector in a GC system generates a signal and how it is processed into chromatograms, and explore modern aspects of storing and processing digital data.