Development of interface and software for synchronous operation of an autosampler and a tungsten coil electrothermal atomizer coupled to an atomic absorption spectrophotometer

The interface and software for synchronous control of an autosampler and an electrothermal tungsten coil atomizer in atomic absorption spectrophotometry were developed. The control of the power supply, the trigger of the Read function of the spectrophotometer and the automatic operation of the autosampler was performed by software written in "TurboBasic" The system was evaluated by comparison of the repeatability of peak-height absorbances obtained in the atomization of lead by consecutive 10-mu l injections of solutions (prepared in 0.2% vh HNO(3)) using autosampler and manual sample introduction, and also by long term operation.