SERVICE INFO

SEL028

To Reference
Service Manager Sel028.doc
From Info number
Service Department Sel028

Date
December 1996
Subject
Modifications on SELECTRA and SELECTRA 2 .

Dear Service Manager,

We would like to inform you about the following subjects, because of changes
and/or new parts.

1. New software for SELECTRA2 without ISE.

2. Modification C: Opto switch current for SELECTRA2 increased.

With kind regards,

Marcel van Heertum

Service Manager

199701 - SEL028.DOC December 1996 Page 1 of 4

SERVICE INFO
SEL028
1. New software for SELECTRA2 without ISE w4004/4125

What: New software V1.21 is released for SELECTRA2 instruments without ISE.

Why: Since the last software release, 9 September 1995, some technical changes have been
made. To give you the possibility to make advantage of those changes we have split the
release of the final ISE software into two steps.
step 1: release of V1.21 for SELECTRA2 without ISE
step 2: release of Vx.xx for SELECTRA2 with and without ISE

This info describes step 1, the release of V1.21 for SELECTRA2 without ISE. Step 2
will follow directly after the approval of E.MERCK for the release of Vx.xx for
SELECTRA2 with and without ISE.

When: All SELECTRA2 instruments without ISE, delivered to all MERCK GMG's from
12/12/96 and later (s/n 6-2367 + 6-2370 and higher). There will be no global up-date of
instruments already installed, but in case the changed items are interesting for you a
software set can be ordered.

A general overview of software versions up to the current one is shown in the table
below. Only software levels marked as Vx.xx are official releases. Due to some field try's,
special Px.xx test software was send to specific customers. We suggest those customers to
replace this Px.xx software by the original V1.xx version or the new V1.21 version.

SELECTRA 2 official software releases

release date floppy EPROM's

system boot Z80 pipettor sample wash discs meas/ reag ISE
master arm arm. filter arm

6001- 6001- 6001- 6001- 6001- 6001- 6001- 6001- 6001- 6002-
e/g-871 987 942 943 944 945 948 946 947 048
e/s-873
e/f-953
e/i-954

31 March
1995 V1.00 V1.00 V1.00 V1.00 V1.00
A840
9 Sept. 1995 V1.10 V1.10 V1.00 V1.01 V1.01 V1.00 V1.00 V1.01 ED6

13 Dec. 1996 A840

V1.21 V1.00 V1.20 V1.10 V1.10 V1.11 V1.10 V1.10 V1.10 ED7

Each software release must match in horizontal sense with the set used in your
instrument.

no change
new software
new software, release pending E. MERCK Darmstadt

Major changes since V1.00, release 31 March 1995:

New in software V1.10, release 09 Sept. 1995 for SELECTRA 2:

199701 - SEL028.DOC December 1996 Page 2 of 4

SERVICE INFO
SEL028
‰ No bellowspump action during overflow detection.
‰ Water drops hanging on the washarm after system reset.
No action of the bellowspump during fill system (used in system reset).
‰ Foam in cuvets under washarm can cause a MD-overflow message.
- V1, V12 and V3 are switched off 0.25 seconds earlier in mono and dual cycle.
- Delay added in blank routine.
- Dispense Cycle time of bellowspump has been made longer.
‰ Statusmask added to save errors occurred during maintenance performances.
‰ At start of blank, the reagent arm first goes up before it goes to the measurement
disk position.
‰ Change valves timing of dual and mono cycle.
New in software V1.21, release 13 December 1996 for SELECTRA2:
‰ service menu :
- sample and reagent arm liquid sense 0/1 changed to yes/no.
- acoustic help for adjusting counter value and offsets.
- for both syringes a key for full stroke
- when the waterpump is switched on it overrules the floating switch.
‰ maintenance:
- before lower syringe, valves to needle position.
‰ load sample:
- selective unload for all normals, stats, paediatrics, blanks, calibrators and controls.
- controls are treated as calibrators, i.e. if C1..C4 are insufficient, they can be
positioned at 1..51
‰ needle rinse, before going into stand-by:
- if during the 6 HCL/sputofluol dummies, a new sample is loaded, the remaining
HCL/sputofluol dummies are cancelled, the new measurements are performed and
6 HCL/sputofluol dummies are processed.
‰ formatting of High-Density floppy's is possible as 720kB.
‰ test parameters:
- total cuvet minimal programable volume changed from 250µl to 220µl.
‰ error messages:
- Watchdog reset split into "Watchdog Reset" and "Restart due to hardware or
software error"
"Watchdog Reset"/ normal restart after timeout of 3min.
"Restart due to hardware or software error"/restart due to wrong program jump,
caused by software or hardware.

New: 6002-000 software set Selectra2 Dfl. 195,-

6001-871 floppy English/German V1.21
6001-873 floppy English/Spanish V1.21
6001-953 floppy English/French V1.21
6001-954 floppy English/Italian V1.21
6001-987 boot Eprom V1.00
6001-942 Z80-master Eprom V1.20
6001-943 pipettor Eprom V1.10
6001-944 sample arm Eprom V1.10
6001-945 wash arm Eprom V1.11
6001-946 meas. disk / filter Eprom V1.10
6001-947 reagent arm Eprom V1.10
6001-948 discs Eprom V1.10

199701 - SEL028.DOC December 1996 Page 3 of 4

SERVICE INFO
SEL028
2. Opto switch current for SELECTRA2 increased (modification C) w4125/4119

What: On the six motion control boards (p/n 6001-758) used in SELECTRA2 a modification
has been made to increase the current through all the opto switches, resulting in a
faster switching time.
R36, R37 and R39 are changed from 560Ω (3302-373) to 270Ω (3302-341) and Rn3,
Rn4 from 4k7 (3315-009) to 1k (3315-001).

As a result of this higher opto current, the opto's will have a higher precision. This has
no influence on the performance of all units, with exception of the washarm. Because
the up-movement of the wash arm (before the system reset) stops exactly in the light
path, the reading can become unstable. Some extra steps of the washarm steppermotor
after the transition can guarantee a stable reading. Those extra steps are implemented
in software V1.11 of the Eprom (6001-945) of the washarm/bellows MC-board.

Therefore we would like to propose you to do the following in case a not modified MC-
board (level - ) on the washarm/bellows pump position becomes defective:
Or, exchange the not modified defective board by a modified one, and upgrade the
software from V1.10 to V1.11.
Or, interchange the defective washarm/bellows pump MC-board with one of the other
five MC-boards, and use on of the other five locations the new modified MC-board.

When a modified MC-board (6001-758 level a, where the software V1.11 is already
present) becomes defective for the washarm/bellows pump function, the board can be
replaced by any other MC-board.

Why: Due to the wide variation in the switching speed of the opto's, the opto's with fast
switching functions (strobe disks) do sometimes not detect a transition.
In some cases this resulted in "E42 measurement disc", "E62 sample arm horizontal",
"E82 reagent arm horizontal", "E102 reagent disc" or "E103 sample disc".

When: Instruments delivered from December 1996 (s/n 6-2367, 6-2370 and higher) are
equipped with modified motion control boards. This modification does not need to be
implemented preventive in installed instruments. MC-boards send from December 1996
as spare part are already upgraded with this modification. Anyone who has received
MC-boards before December 1996 will receive the right amount of resistors free of
charge for modification.

New: 3302-341 resistor 370Ω DFl. 1,-

3315-001 resistor network 1k DFl. 1,-

199701 - SEL028.DOC December 1996 Page 4 of 4