Installing ICF instruments Chromperfect – Agilent 8890, Intuvo, Shimadzu 2030, Scion 8500/8300
- Chromperfect
- Sep 24
- 3 min read
Introduction to ICF Instruments and Chromperfect
Chromperfect supports a wide range of chromatography instruments, including those controlled through the Agilent Instrument Control Framework (ICF) and RC.net drivers. This article explains how to install and configure ICF-based instruments such as the Agilent 8890, Intuvo, Shimadzu 2030, and Scion 8500/8300 when using Chromperfect Version 8.
Even experienced Chromperfect users should review this procedure, as it differs from installing instruments with Chromperfect’s native drivers.
Installing ICF instruments Chromperfect; ICF and Components
The regular Chromperfect installation does not include the ICF framework. It must be installed separately using the MSI files provided on the USB dongle or via download from our team.
Chromperfect is compiled against ICF version 3.0 and is compatible with version 2.6.
Starting with version 3.0, a security tool must be installed before the Agilent ICF itself.
Install ICF by running Agilent Instrument Control Framework.msi.
Do not install ICF files in the Chromperfect program directory. The installer sets a registry path which Chromperfect uses to locate ICF components.
Installing RC.net Drivers
About RC.net Drivers
RC.net drivers are required for ICF instruments, with separate packages for GCs and HPLCs. You will only be supplied with the drivers corresponding to the licenses you have purchased.
Install the driver MSI files into the appropriate ICF directory.
At the time of writing, Chromperfect supports RC.net drivers for Agilent, Shimadzu, and Scion instruments.
Native Chromperfect drivers can still be installed and used alongside ICF drivers.
Initial Configuration
Once ICF and RC.net drivers are installed, each instrument must be configured first for ICF, and then for Chromperfect.
Configuring Instruments for ICF
Launch the ICF Configurator program.
Add a new instrument, enter the IP address, and generate a configuration XML file.
The XML file must be named according to the instrument’s IP address and saved in the inst_icf directory.
Once complete, the instrument will appear in the ICF list.
Configuring Instruments for Chromperfect
Open the Chromperfect Configuration Utility and select ICF instruments.
Create a new instrument entry, enter the IP address, set the number of channels, and apply edits.
Detector names can be defined but must match ICF configuration to avoid errors.
Validating the Configuration
Because ICF instruments are configured in both Chromperfect and the ICF environment, the settings must match:
The IP address in Chromperfect must match the filename of the XML file in the inst_icf directory.
If all three columns (instrument name, IP address, configuration file) are filled in the ICF Configurator, the setup is valid.
If mismatched, instruments may appear on separate lines or fail to connect.
Editing Instrument Setpoint Files
Setpoint files (.mxc) define acquisition parameters for ICF instruments.
Open the file editor and load the instrument .mxc file.
Ensure that at least one signal Save checkbox is enabled; otherwise, Chromperfect may display blank plots or report missing raw files.
Edited files can be saved and linked to methods, just like native Chromperfect setpoint files.
Editing Sequence Files
For single-channel instruments, sequence files require no special handling. For multi-channel instruments, ensure the sequence file aligns with the channel assignments defined in the .mxc file.
Conclusion
Installing and configuring ICF instruments in Chromperfect involves extra steps compared to native drivers, but once completed, the system is reliable and flexible. By following this process, laboratories can successfully connect and control advanced instruments such as the Agilent 8890, Intuvo, Shimadzu 2030, and Scion 8500/8300.
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