What Is A Method; What Can You Do With It - Agilent Technologies 6890 Series Operating Manual

Analytical Methods

What is a method?

An analytical method is a collection of setpoints required to run a single sample
on the 6890 Series GC. Methods make it possible to restore the instrument to a
desired setup without reentering all the setpoints.
You can think of a method as a collection of completed control tables, containing
information such as oven temperature programs, pressure programs, inlet
temperatures, etc. Actually, there is always an active method in the GC—it is
the set of conditions that are controlling the machine now. A method is created
by saving these conditions as a numbered method using the [Store] key.
There are three kinds of methods:
• The active method—the setup that you are presently using.
• Stored methods—one of the five methods that can be stored in the GC.
• The default method—a set of default parameters for the GC. It can be
reloaded at any time.

What can you do with it?

Methods can be:
• Created by setting the GC up the way you want it. This is the active method.
• Stored by pressing [Store] and giving the method an identifying number
from 1 to 5.
• Loaded by pressing [Load] and specifying the method number to be loaded.
Loading a method overwrites the setpoints of the active method.
• Modified by loading, making the changes you want, and then storing using
the original number. The new version replaces the old one.
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