Automatic Tuning Method for Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer Based on Improved Differential Evolution Algorithm.

Quadrupole mass spectrometers are highly sensitive and specific analytical instruments, widely used in pharmaceuticals, clinical diagnostics, and other fields. Their performance depends on a tuning process to optimize key parameters, which has traditionally relied on engineers' expertise or simple univariate search methods. This paper proposes an automatic tuning method using an improved differential evolution algorithm. This algorithm introduces a ranking and subpopulation classification for individuals, enabling distinct mutation strategies. Validation on the CEC-2017 benchmark functions confirms the superiority of the improved algorithm. In automatic tuning experiments, it achieved a 25.3% performance gain over the univariate search method and also surpassed both the classical differential evolution algorithm and standard particle swarm optimization algorithm. This method proves to be an effective approach for enhancing the performance of quadrupole mass spectrometers.