Real-Time Chromatogram Display Using Time-Stamped Asynchronous Messaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current chromatographic methods struggle to display real-time chromatograms with cycle event timing marks without disrupting critical real-time activities in gas chromatography, often requiring synchronous communication that affects instrument control or using asynchronous protocols that add complexity and overhead.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a time-stamped asynchronous messaging system that allows real-time acquisition and display of chromatogram data points with cycle event annotations, using a real-time software module for data acquisition and a non-real-time software module for display, minimizing impact on critical real-time activities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If synchronous communication is used to display real-time chromatogram data, then the display accuracy and timing precision are improved, but the critical real-time instrument control performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the communication task into two independent parts: a real-time data acquisition module that collects chromatogram data without interruption, and a display module that processes and shows the data asynchronously. This segmentation allows the critical real-time control functions to remain unaffected while still achieving accurate display timing through stamping data with timing information at the point of collection.
2Reliability
If asynchronous protocol is used to display real-time chromatogram data, then the impact on critical real-time activity is reduced, but the system complexity and overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a timing stamp as an intermediary element that carries critical timing information from the real-time data acquisition system to the asynchronous display system. This intermediary allows the display module to reconstruct accurate timing information without requiring complex synchronous communication protocols, thus reducing system complexity while maintaining real-time performance.
3Loss of information
If static complete chromatogram is displayed, then the data completeness is improved, but the method development time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by stamping each data point with its acquisition time immediately when it is collected during the chromatogram run. This preliminary timing information is stored with the data, allowing the complete chromatogram to be displayed in real-time as data arrives, rather than waiting until the end of the analysis cycle to assemble and display the complete dataset.
Data Source
AI summary
A chromatograph and a method of acquiring and displaying a real-time chromatogram using time-stamped asynchronous messaging are provided. The method includes generating a chromatogram of a sample, acquiring segments of data points of the chromatogram in real-time, annotating in real-time the segments of data points of the chromatogram with timing stamps of cycle events of an analysis cycle using time-stamped event messages, receiving the time-stamped event messages asynchronously and displaying each cycle event of the cycle events of the analysis cycle and each segment of the segments of data points of the chromatogram in a display module as being received.