If you are having problems with your RGA you can call us at
If you wish to try and fix the problem yourself, the user manual may be useful, and the following troubleshooting guide may be helpful too.
Troubleshooting Guide
1) Analog scan only displays noise around
Most likely the repeller cage is shorting to your vacuum chamber. The solution is to remove the repeller cage and operate without it. You can easily remove it by unscrewing it from the ionizer.
Another possibility is that the filament is damaged. Measure the resistance between the filament supply and return pins of the feedthru flange (click here for picture ). A healthy filament will have a little less than an ohm of resistance. If you measure a very high resistance, the filament most likely needs replacing. You can order a replacement filament by clicking here.
If the ionizer appears dirty or coated, you may wish to replace the whole ionizer (which includes the filament). You can order a replacement ionizer kit by clicking here.
2) Analog scan looks noisy after replacing the filament and removing the repeller cage
Most likely your ionizer is contaminated and needs replacing. There are instructions in the manual on how to replace an ionizer. You can order a replacement ionizer kit by clicking here.
3) No communication with PC
The most common problem is that a USB port is being used for communication along with an RS-232 to USB adapter that doesn't support 28.8 kBaud. Many RS-232 to USB adapters support 28.8 kBaud. One that many customers use is the UC232R-10 from FTDI (https://ftdichip.com/products/uc232r-10/).
4) When powering on an RGA300, a red warning indicator on the ECU lights, and a software message says mass range is limited
Click here to download a detailed explanation and solution.
5) Operating the RGA with the filament turned off
Using the RGA Windows software, go to the HEAD menu and turn the filament off. Then proceed with taking data. The filament will be off until you turn it back on again.
There is a hardware modification that can also be made to the RGA ECU that allows you to run without the filament. Click here to download instructions on the hardware modification.
6) Option 2 Built-in Power Module needs installing
Click here to download instructions on installing option 2.
7) Problem communicating over ethernet with a direct connection from my RGA (with ethernet option) to the TCP/IP port on my computer
Click here to download instructions on TCP/IP communication using a direct connection from your RGA to your computer.
If you are still having trouble your RGA, it will need to come back to SRS for service. Click here to get an RMA number.
