Empower Tip: Empower User Question Answered

In this tip, I will answer a question from an Empower User.

QUESTION:

Which algorithm should I use, Apex Track or Traditional?

Good question. The answer is it really depends on your chromatography.

Let’s see how it’s done!

We begin by developing a Processing Method using the Apex Track algorithm and the first standard is fine.

STEP 2The second standard has a negative dip after the last peak at 3.324 minutes, which causes the baseline to be drawn in an undesirable way.

STEP 3We then develop a Processing Method using the Traditional algorithm and the integration doesn’t look any better.

STEP 4There are some integration events which are unique to the Traditional algorithm that can help in cases like this, namely Forward Horizontal by Time which forces the baseline horizontally across, thus improving the baseline. Using the Show Events tool, I can display my integration events in the chromatogram.

STEP 5If you enter a time for the event to start (as in figure 4) then the baseline extends horizontally from the start point. If you enter a time for the event to start and a time for it to stop, the baseline extends horizontally from the start point to the stop point as seen in Chromatogram 1. The value is used if the baseline is noisy. Empower uses the start time and then the value creates a window of time around that start time from which it calculates noise. The baseline is then drawn horizontally from the start point using the average baseline value as seen in Chromatogram 2.

It’s that easy!