My company is considering the purchase of either HP ChemStation/ChemStore or PE Turbochrom. The latter is rumored to be the "company standard", so we may be politically pressured to go in that direction. We currently have three instruments from HP: one HP1100, and two HP6890's. The 1100 is our most recent purchase - we are using ChemStation with it and are happy with the functionality and ease of use. Our other HPLC's and GC's are on (gasp!) integrators, which we are planning to replace. We would like to put ChemStation on all of our equipment, however, we have doubts about CFR part 11 compliance and compatability with other brands of instruments (such as our Waters component system). We are seeking input on either of these data systems. Any particular issues with bugs, etc.? Ease of use? Can either/both of these systems control (not just collect from) instrumentation from various brands? Any input greatly appreciated.

Regarding Chemstation and 21 CFR part 11 compliance. To make Chemstation compliant, you have to add Chemstore and security pack. I belive that this 3 pack is compliant, but it is brutal to use, very very slow and cumbersome. For example, lets say you need to do a reintegration of a sample. First you have to find it in Chemstore (begin by writing a query), then you slowly transfer it back to Chemstation, do your integration, then send it (slowly) back to Chemstore, brutal. My description does not even really demonstrate the pain level you may have using this patchwork product, ask for a demo on this process and package, you will enjoy it. If I am not mistaken, the current version of Chemstation only controls Aglient products.

You might take a look at the curent version of EZChrom Elite from Scientific Software. It controls the 1100 and 6890 and is 21CFR compliant and is much easier to work with than TC.

For what it's worth, I've been using Labsystems' Atlas for about a year now, and we control our 1100's and 6890s through it. Our users find it very easy to use, and it covers all our 21CFR 11 comlpliance issues.

I have used TurboChrom, Chemstation, and currently use Millennium 32 (a Waters product). Chemstation is the worst of the three, in terms of analyzing data, as mentioned by Anonymous on 04/11/2001, 11:58 am. TurboChrom does not allow control of any instruments from your desk - you must load a sequence into TC, then make sure the sequence in your instrument matches. When you start the instrument, TC will start collecting the data. Millenium works the same way, but it allows one to start and stop Waters instruments (only) from the desktop (kind of like ExpertEase).

I guess it depends on your needs. Turbochrome allows the user to manually integrate data quite easily and validation is fairly easy - they should do it for you when you purchase the licenses, is fairly user-friendly, and follows a logical pattern of arrangement.

I don't know of any bugs with the TC software - we didn't really have any problems relating to that. Just our server crashing - often :)

Good luck!!

Thanks very much for all the input so far. I am not familiar with EZChrom Elite, but I like what Anonymous(4/11) said about it.

Question to Anonymous from 4/12 @ 4:31 --- Are you controlling instruments (ie. setting up flow, wavelength, etc.) from Atlas? Didn't know it could do that. My former employer used Atlas but we only collected and analysed the data on it. We didn't use it to actually set up the instrument parameters. The reason that issue is important to my current group is that we want to have electronic signatures that document the system conditions.

More input welcomed!

Agilent ChemStation/ChemStore/Security Pack is powerfull and compliant but, I agree, not easy to use due to its patchwork construction; however each part is a good product; it does not allows full control of other brands instruments.
This is why Agilent is about to launch a new product "Cerity for Pharma" that will also control Waters Alliance HPLC.
Your choice may also depend on the amount and age of "miscellaneous systems" you want to connect; if you have just a few that you can replace rather quickly, and are happy with Agilent instruments, consider Agilent Cerity.
If you have a lot and intend to keep a large brand variety, consider "generic" softwares like Atlas or EZChrom; you may also have a look to Dionex Chromeleon (although they make instruments, their soft is able to control a lot of different instruments)

It is my understanding that "Cerity for Pharma" would only be available for client/server installations and not for stand-alone workstations. The stand-alone solution for the future is ChemStation/ChemStore/Security Pack. Just another thing to consider.

Cerity for Pharma will be scalable from standalone workstation to client/server installation with up to 30 workstations and 90 instruments, using Oracle in any case.
Anyway, as soon as you have several workstations and want to be CFR compliant, you have better to go to a C/S installation, otherwise you will have to repeat every administration task (user rights definition, data storage structure definition, backup, database maintenance ...)as many times as your number of workstations!

Bill,
regarding instrument control in Atlas - we now fully control our 6890's / 1100's through the software, all we had to do was set the instrument through instrument manager, and the instrument control tabs appear when you create a new workbook. It works pretty well. I don't know what other instruments they do, you'd have to ask Labsystems