New products

HCR/Basic, an implementation of Basic which conforms completely to ANSI Standard X3.60-1978, allows PDP-11 users who run the Bell Labs Unix timesharing system to run or develop programs written in standard Basic.

independent operation of two EDLs and interchangeable lamp 'sleeves'. The RF power design integrates the RF power circuitry with the lamp driver assemblies, significantly reducing the cost of System 2 lamps and decreasing transmission power losses.
The system offers improved lamp life, signal-to-noise ratios, detection limits and precision, particularly for such difficult elements as arsenic and selenium.
For further information contact Perkin-Elmer Limited, Post Office Lane, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire HP9 1QA, UK. Each model can be supplied either as a stand-alone instrument or as part of a more comprehensive control system. Everything from multistream samples to weather-proof enclosures are available.
Automating measurement of the wastewater's organic load can bring many benefits not merely in reduced pollution but in controlling product losses, in turn leading to greater process efficiency.
The most suitable analyser for a particular application can depend X-ray microanalysis The Microanalysis Group of Oxford Instruments, formerly known as Link Analytical, has introduced a new communications package called PC-Link that allows X-ray microanalysis or Link-exl users to access and apply third-party PC software, without tying-up electron microscope time.
PC-Link is a rapid file-transfer system. However, it allows the PC to act as a second eXL terminal so data can be processed on the eXL before transfer, but without the user leaving the PC. This provides maximum convenience in preparing data for a report without the inconvenience of tying up the microscope.
Under PC-Link, images are converted to monochrome TIFF (Tag Image File Format) and text is converted to MS-Dos format. The system allows access to Ethernet via The 5027 Sampler is designed for simple and safe automatic operation. The operatorjust loads the sample racks and positions the sample probe in the cup to start. The instrument software then assumes full control over the unit. Safety features include automatic release of probe and its arm if anything obstructs its movements. The 5027 sampler was designed to be used in a wide range of analytical systemsit is equipped with both TTL and BS 232C communication ports so it is easy to interface to a PC and integrate with other analytical systems. Three different turntables are available: a 32-position turntable which holds 100 ml cups; 120-position version for 4 ml cups; and a 120-position version designed for 12 ml tubes. More informationfrom Tecator AB, Box 70, S-263 21 Hiiganiis, Sweden.
The Ionics Water Policeman range for wastewaters-include TOC, TC, TOD, COD and POC. upon many factors-the manufacturer's processes, the chemicals involved and whether the monitoring application is a 'dirty-water' one where the chemicals are actually being discharged under consent directly into a river, or a cleanwater application where contamination is unlikely and monitoring is carried out purely to prove and maintain the plant's environmental integrity, There can be so many reasons for choosing TOD over COD, TOC over TC, or vice versa and therefore Ionics work closely with companies to develop a monitoring system for their particular needs. System. Reaction times needed to attain a given substrate conversion can be determined at up to four stages of a reaction, in addition, calculations of reagent consumption at four reaction times can be obtained.
Radiometer's TitraLab system uses the pH-stat technique to monitor reactions; this is ideal for studying reactions where hydrogen ions are consumed or released and involves determining the rate at which base or acid has to be added to maintain a constant pH value.
One of the most common applications of the TitraLab system is determining the neutralizing capacity and reaction times of antacids, addresses the last area of the analytical process to benefit from automation: sample preparation.
The system, comprising a robotic arm, accessories and Microsoft Windows-based software, is used to move samples between various laboratory instruments and peripherals to perform complex sample preparation operations and analyses. It incorporates digital servo technology, harmonic drives and optical encoders to ensure precision and reliability.
The MacLab Division of ADInstrurnents, Inc. has introduced a 3"2 version of its CHART virtual chart recorder softwarefor the Apple. CHARTsoftware provides all the functions of a high-end multi-channel chart recorder plus integration, statistical analysis, overlay and severalpost-experimental operations. Incoming data can beprocessed in real-time to provide on-the-fly computation of rate (in beats per minute or dV/dt),frequency (in Hz), event counting, means, cyclic maximum or minimum and minimum or maximum envelope tracking. Data can be recorded directly to disk or to system memory and can be collected in the background while the user analyses data from previous experiments, or runs other software in the foreground. Details from MacLab Division, ADInstruments, Inc., PO Box 845, Milford, Massachusetts 01757, USA. but enzyme activity assays also benefit for the enhanced calculation capabilities of the Special Kinetics Module. In this application, the slope of the reaction curve is calculated and expressed as a conversion rate in user-defined units. HP ORCAthe HP Optimized Robot for Chemical Analysis is a flexible system designed to automate the complete sample analysis process. It meets the needs of laboratory automation development groups aiming to enhance the productivity of analytical applications. The system The system fits easily on any standard laboratory bench, and its anthropomorphic design allows easy access to a wide range of laboratory equipment at virtually any orientation. The robotic arm has six degrees of freedom and travels horizontally along a or 2 m precision rail. Interchangeable 'fingers' used by the robot are economical and provide broad-ranging functionality.
The user can 'teach' the robotic arm specific movement patterns from the PC keyboard and a user-friendly joystick attachment.
Operation of the robot and the analytical instruments used in the appli- Designed to give high accuracy results (to within 0"001 angular rotation), the PolAAr 2001 fulfils the needs of both research and process control analyst.
The instrument has six measurement ranges including a user-programmable scale. Each is selected through the touch button keypad. Meaurements are made at the internationally standard 589"44 nm (sodium yellow) wavelength. Dual wavelength versions are also available. The principal alternative wavelength is normally 546 nm (mercury green), but any wavelength between 400 nm and 900 nm can be selected. The calibration standards used in manufacuture are traceable back to the National Physical Laboratory and the German Standards Insititute Physikalisch Technische Bundesaustalt.
The PolAAr 2001 accepts all internationally standard sample cells including flow-through and microcells. The ventilated sample compartment has been designed to ensure that the sample temperature never rises by more than 3 C above ambient, even over long measurement times.
A multiplier factor from 0"02 to 9"99 can be applied to all measurements to simulate changes in sample pathlength.
Results complete with either automatically or manually generated sample number are output by dual RS232 sockets to a printer or computer. They are simultaneously displayed on the built-in LCD readout on the instrument's front cover. A particularly useful application of Kingfisher is that it allows a laboratory to link up equipment from a variety of techniques, for example, mass spectroscopy, gas chromatography, infra-red chromatography scintillation techniques, etc. This is not only more effective for storing and analysing data, including crosstechnique analyses, it also takes the processing burden away from the analysis equipment, leading to much higher utilizations of these costly pieces of apparatus.
Traditionally, users of relational databases have either been obliged to learn and use a conventional Relational Query Language, which is cumbersome and tedious, or build database applications, which can be a slow and inflexible process. Instead, Kingfisher conceals the Query Language by adopting a highly intuitive graphical user interfaceusers interact with a visual representation of their databases and associated tables arranged on a screen workspace.
Retrieval of data, setting relational conditions and applying mathematical functions to the data are accomplished using Iconstyle 'tools' which are 'dropped' on to the workspace. This, together with extensive use of OSF-Motif GUI technology, yields a user interface which is extremely natural, far more productive than a conventional Query Language interface, and obviates the needs for extensive training.
Analysis and visualization of data is traditionally handled by distinct software packages that are separate from the database. In Kingfisher these facilities are tightly integrated with the database functions. Retrieved data is presented directly in graph form in a separate display window.
Users can view their data using a wide range of graph styles, from 2D line graphs through scatter and polar

Water analysis
Perkin-Elmer now offers two cassette kits designed for water and environmental analyses with the Lffmbda 2 UV/VIS spectrometer. The first is a cassette preprogrammed for the analysis of 20 different water constituent, both manually and with automatic sipper operation. The second package consists of two cassettes with a total of 113 preprogrammed methods of use with Merck Spectroquant reagent kits. These kits are widely used in the control of process waters and effluents. The Lambda 2 UV/VIS spectrometer is designed for routine and automated analyses and has a wavelength range between 190 and 110 nm. Prepared basic methods for spectra recording, wavelength programming, kinetics and quantitative analysis can be user-modified and stored as ready-touse methodsa principle which is particularly suited to routine water analysis.