If you have Hewlett-Packard analytical instrumentation in your laboratory, you also own a powerful and reliable partnership in your efforts to weather the Year-2000 problem. All HP analytical products now in use have been assessed to establish whether they are Year-2000-compliant and what needs to be done to make them compliant.

The all-important term here is “compliant”. A product is “compliant” if it is capable of smoothly transitioning its operation through that critical date (see What Does It Mean to be Compliant? in this issue).

All HP products shipped presently and in the future are compliant. Some laboratory equipment doesn’t process date-related data and is therefore automatically compliant. Other pieces of equipment are no longer in production but are still supported by HP; many of these can be made compliant with a simple “workaround” procedure. For some HP software that is obsolete and determined by HP to be noncompliant, an update or fix will be offered at no charge. Additional hardware, software, or service required in order to install the free update will not be free of charge.

Here’s What You Need to Do

Your Key: HP’s Year-2000 Web Site
The focal point and your source of most up-to-date information is the HP Year-2000 Web site. (If you don’t have access to the Web, you can call the HP Year-2000 contact for your region; see listing on this page.) The process of developing updates and evaluating their efficacies has been a very complex undertaking. Even now, new information is available continually.

The First Step to Take
List all systems in your laboratory, instrument by instrument, accessories, software, PCs, operating systems, and application software; note model and product numbers, versions, and revision levels for each.

Know Your Product Numbers!
Finding model and product name is the simplest step. HP instruments always show model number and name on the front plate of the housing. But serial and product numbers are even more important. They determine what action must be taken toward Y2K compliance and are found on a plate elsewhere on the product, usually on the back.

Identifying the Operating System
To identify the type and version of the operating system in your PC (Windows 95 and Windows NT^®):

• Click on the MY COMPUTER icon on your screen (right mouse button)
• Click on PROPERTIES
• Software version is identified under “System”, e.g. “Microsoft Windows NT — 4.00.1381”

Check with Microsoft Corporation to find out whether your operating system is Year-2000 compliant and/or what must be done to make it compliant.

To identify type and version of a UNIX system:

• At the command prompt, type “uname -a”
• Software information is identified in this sequence: HP-UX—system release identifier—system version—machine and model number—machine identification number—operating system license level.

HP ChemStation: What Revision?
To identify the Revision of the software in your ChemStation":

• Start running the software
• Click on the HELP menu item
• Select ABOUT
• Read and make a note of the Revision ID. The format is "a-nn-nn", a = alpha (typically A or B), nn = numeric

Checking Mass Spectrometer Interface
The electronic I/O circuit board in your HP 5970 or HP 5971 mass spectrometer is called a "SmartCard" and comes in two different versions, I and II. The version of the I/O interface board is critical to selecting the correct Y2K solution. To verify:

• Start running MS TOP
• Select MANUAL TUNE
• Turn on the Command Line (under control menu box: "Cmdline on")
• In INSTRUMENT CONTROL, select VIEW/DIAGNOSTICS
• Enter the following command: SCQERY "*IDN?" (including spaces shown)
• Press ENTER
• Note reply on the message line
  1. If the message reads HEWLETT-PACKARD 597XX, 0,1.XX, SmartCard I is used
  2. If the message reads HEWLETT-PACKARD 597XX, 0,2.XX.XX, SmartCard II is used

On to the Next Step!
On the Web site, you can learn the Year-2000 compliance status of your HP laboratory equipment and/or what is required to make it compliant. This information is an important element in getting ready; it answers the most nagging questions of all: Which of my equipment does need updating for Year 2000? Take notes on, or print out, the recommended upgrade information and review it carefully before actually placing the orders.

Finally, Order Your Upgrades
Now that you have all the necessary information about your analytical equipment, you are ready to take the most important step on your way to Year-2000 compliance: Go the the Web site once again, this time to order your upgrade for your HP products. Click on UPGRADE REQUEST FORM and fill in the blank fields with your contact name(s) and addresses. Be sure to include either your software registration number or your software contract number and the system handle/identification for each unit ordered. Then go on to indicate the HP products/revisions in your lab and give the number of units you have. Submit the form electronically for a fast response or fax it to the number given at the head of the form.

Microsoft, Windows 95, and Windows NT are U.S.-registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation