ControlMate® for Hydra® II (previous releases)
This page is available to show the history of and to make available previous web download release versions of the ControlMate® device module for Hydra® II.

Please email info@controlmate.net for further information or queries

View version 1.1.23 (released 26-Jul-2007)

View version 1.1.22 (released 28-Nov-2006)

View version 1.1.19 (released 13-Sep-2006)

View version 1.1.16 (released 07-Feb-2006)

View version 1.0.11 (released 23-Feb-2004)

View version 1.0.6 (released 16-Aug-2003)

View version 1.0.0 (released 01-Apr-2003)











Copyright 2002 © LeeTek Limited


Version 1.1.23

CD ROM Build.

Date

Description

25-Jul 2007
Release 1.1.23
1. ControlMate 1.3.38
  1.1 Thermo Fisher Scientific Branding : Splash Screen
The Splash screen has been redesigned to follow the Thermo Fisher Scientific branding.
  1.2 Thermo Fisher Scientific Branding : About Screen
The About screen has been redesigned to follow the Thermo Fisher Scientific branding.
  1.3 Thermo Fisher Scientific Branding : Application Titlebar
The application titlebar has been changed to 'Thermo Scientific Matrix ControlMate'
  1.4 Thermo Fisher Scientific Branding : Application Watermark
The main window now has a white background with the Thermo Scientific logo centrally positioned. Resizing the application ensures that the brand logo is always in the centre of the window as a background image. The image exists as a subserviant child form and is removed from all window lists and controlbars and therefore never receives focus ensuring that it is at all times a background image.

Version 1.1.22

CD ROM Build.

Date Description
28 Nov 2006 Release 1.1.22
Updates relating to Serial Dilution functionality
1. The Move to Position protocol sequence command has been modified as follows :
1.1
Updating either column/row start or end fields will disable the increment/decrement fields if both the associated start and end fields are the same value (eg increment is not required if start and end are set to 1)
2. The Hydra_II.ini library configuration file has been modified as follows :
2.1 Two new rule set parameters have been added to [Settings_Move]. These check for the curretn value of row/column start and end and if found to be the same value then set the rule check validation register to zero so that the increment or decrement check doesn't fail. Parameters inserted : '@txtColumnEnd=@txtColumnStart?COL_INCR_LOOP=0', '@txtColumnEnd=@txtColumnStart?COL_DECR_LOOP=0', '@txtRowEnd=@txtRowStart?ROW_INCR_LOOP=0', '@txtRowEnd=@txtRowStart?ROW_INCR_LOOP=0'
12 Nov 2006 Release 1.1.21
Updates relating to Serial Dilution functionality
1. The Move to Position protocol sequence command has been modified as follows :
1.1
The checkbox and option button captions realigned for vessel holder sensor, preset and specific height and tip/well offset fields
1.2
The Plate Sensor Command parameter in the [Positioner_n] section of the Hydra_II.ini configuration library file is now used to determine whether to enable or disable the Check Vessel Sensor field. The library entry contains zero if no sensor is fitted at the selected stage position or the actual EPROM command (normally '6' or '7') specifying the sensor address that is to be queried. Since stage position 3 currently has no sensor command then this is set to '0' and therefore ensures that the field is disabled. If, in the future, a sensor is to be added to this stage position then all that needs to be done is to add the EPROM sensor command parameter to the library entry.
1.3
The issue where the column increment starts at the incorrect row has been resolved. Previously it was moving to the correct start column but was performing the movement with the nearest tip in the furthest row (ie tip 8 at row A1).
1.4
Local field validation now uses the up/down incremental buttons for column and row start, end and increment to ensure that no values greater than the maximum permitted is allowed (eg preventing end at column 13 on a 96 well plate).
1.5
An issue where the 'row' field values were still being used even if in Column mode only has been resolved.
1.6
The global rules that validate if column or row loops would go beyond the plate boundaries was previously reporting an error on 2nd or subsequent runs.

THIS WAS ONLY HAPPENING IF THE USER EDITED ANY COMMAND WITIHIN THE CURRENT FILE AFTER THE INITIAL RUN AND THE MOVE COMMAND DIDN'T EXIST WITHIN A GROUP COMMAND COLLECTION.
1.7
Two new fields have been added to allow the user to specify the column and row change direction (ie Increment or Decrement).
1.8
The local validation routines now check the values of the start, end and direction change fields for row and column and report if the combination of start/end and increment/decrement causes the physical movement beyond the plate boundaries.
1.9
The local validation routines now fail any column and row change field values less than 1 and greater than the maximum row/column allowed for the selected vessel.
1.10
The Global Rules 'COL_LOOP' and 'ROW_LOOP' have been removed from the Hydra_II.ini configuration library file and replaced with new rules 'COL_INCR_LOOP', 'COL_DECR_LOOP' , 'ROW_INCR_LOOP' and 'ROW_DECR_LOOP'. The new rules now uniquely hold the logic when used to identify whether a column increment or decrement value is breaking a sequence rule.
1.11
It is now possible to create column or row movements from the first to last column/row or from the last to first column/row. Previously it was only possible to move from first to last.
07 Nov 2006 Release 1.1.20
Serial Dilution functionality released
1. The Set Device and Pipettor Add-In has been modified as follows :
1.1 Two new fields, ‘Incremental column movement’ and ‘Incremental row movement’, have been added . These are used to define the capabilities for incremental X/Y stage movements based on the head/tip types loaded.
2. The Hydra_II.ini library configuration file has been modified as follows :
2.1 The [Pipettor] section has beeb extended to hold the row and column incremental movement and the physical tip count settings for the respective head/tip type.
2.2 The [Positioner_n] section has been extended to hold the row and column incremental movement settings for the respective position.
  2.3 Two new Global Sequence Rules, ‘ROW_LOOP’ and ‘COL_LOOP’ have been added to the [Rules] section of the Hydra_II.ini library configuration file. These are set and checked via the [Settings_Move] section within the same file during file validation. The rules use the current row or column value and will fail the sequence if the value of the current value goes beyond the plate boundaries. This rule is more useful when the command is placed within a group command with either iterations that could take it outside the boundaries or the actual Move to Position row or column increment value being greater than 1 (one) in conjunction with a Group command loop value. E.g. increment of 2 columns in a loop of 12 iterations for a 96 well plate would fail at the 7th iteration onwards.
3. The Tools – Options has been modified as follows :
3.1 The Position tab has 2 new fields, ‘Allow incremental column movements’ and ‘Allow incremental row movements’. This means that it is now possible to specify whether a stage position can accept values for incremental movements via the Protocol Sequence Move command.
4. The Move to Position protocol sequence command has been modified as follows :
4.1 Two new field collections have been added which will allow the selection of incremental row or column movement for the specified position. The fields are only available IF the current selected pipettor has the respective Incremental Row or Column fields set AND IF the current selected stage position also has the Allow incremental row or column values set.
4.2 Internal run time registers for recording current row or column position have been added.
4.3 The run time Execute() function has been updated to make use of the incremental move fields in conjunctions with the internal run time registers for current row and column to perform the physical movement to the specified position. The process will also automatically lower the Z axis if needed when moving from one column/row within the same plate.
4.4 The internal current row and column registers have been made available for use with the Global Values Assign command. This means that it is possible to set the current row or column external to the current protocol sequence, for example via an external script file or by other Global Values command interactions.
4.5 The local field validation routines have been updated to validate incremental field values respective to the current selected plate. This means that it is not possible to set a row or column value that exceeds the plate boundary.

Version 1.1.19

CD ROM Build.

Date

Description

12-Sep-2006

1. Tools - Options - Plates tab updated to resolve an issue where some field increment/decrement button were assigned to the incorrect field and so were changing the wrong field entries.

29-Aug-2006

1. Hydra_II.ini file updated with new DT plate entries.
2. eDrop routines changed to parse the firmware version number returned by the EMB device
to determine the firmware protocol commands to use when querying volume information. Firmware prior to verion 1.82 will use the original command set, firmware versions from 1.82 (inclusive) will use the 'changed' command set.

17-Jul-2006

1. Hydra_II.ini file updated with new plate entries.
2. ControlMate Splash Screen logo changed.
3. ControlMate About dialogue logo changed.

23-May-2006

1. Hydra_II help file has been updated to now include the new features relating to Hydra DT and Volume Correction.
2. Help text for Option Plates now includes the reference for the XY stage based tip wash vessel type.
3. Help text for Wash Needles command now includes the user interface reformat into logical groups as well as the new Wash Location section.
4. Help text for new Change DARTs Tip Magazine command now included.
5. Help text for New AddIn: Volume Correction dialogue now included.
6. Help text for AddIn: Set Device and Pipettor Options now includes the reformatted user interface into logical sections as well as the new fields for device type, Pipettor, air gap and Volume Correction sections.


Version 1.1.16

CD ROM Build.

Date

Description

31-Jan-2006

Version 1.1.16

Hydra II
1. The process which sends command packets to either the Hydra or eDrop has an improved message indicating whether a disconnected port is due to the Hydra or eDrop not being connected. Previusly the process reported only that a port was disconnected.

Hydra II eDrop
1. The eDrop Move command has been modified to remove an anomoly where changes to another command elsewhere in a protocol sequence cause an eDrop Move command to increment it's current well/sub well reference value. This was causing the phenomenum where a run would work correctly the first time it is loaded or created but any subsequent runs would ignore Z axis heights or well locations but only if any other command in the sequence was edited.
2. The eDrop purge routine at the start and end of a run has been modified to include a Z axis home command before moving to the wash location to purge the residual liquid.
3. Corrected a fault which was causing the current well/sub well selection to be cleared in the case of specific heights being used and Test Mode being selected within the eDrop Move command.
4. Resolved an issue where, within the Set eDrop Options Add-In, attempting to Test the Tip Bottom height directly after selecting to Search for an eDrop device would generate an error explaining that the communications port was unable to be opened. This was actually only true if the eDrop device sat on an RS232 port that was higher in value than the Hydra II device.
5. Changed the captions for the overshoot field in the eDrop dispense command so that they take up less room when viewed on the printed report or from within the Global Values module. Previously all fields were prefixed with 'Overshoot : Use standrad preset parameters : Fixed Overshoot' or 'Overshoot : Use Custom parameters (use this option with caution' which are far too long.
6. The Set Drop Options Add-In has a new field, Purge Speed' which is used toset the dispense speed for the routine that is run at the start or end of a run when liquid is left remiaing in the bellows. The default value is set to '100'.
7. The end of run Purge routine that dispenses any residual liquid in the bellows now uses the new Purge Speed parameter set in the Add-In Set edrop Options dialogue.
8. The edrop Dispense command has been modified to use the Dispense Speeds table as defined in the associated Add-in dialogue. The current set specific speed is used to override the dispense speed base dont he specified volume entered. If the selected speed is too high than the one specified in the dispense speed table then the speed is ignored and instead the value from the dispense speed table is used in it's place.
9. A new sequence rule has been added to the configuration file Hyrda_II.ini which validates the total eDrop volume aspirated against the total volume to dispense and warns the user if the dispense volume is too high.

29-Jan-2006

Version 1.1.15

Hydra II
1. Durind the initialisation process at the start of a run, the eDrop will be queried to determine if any liquid remains in the bellows. If the edrop reports that residual liquid exists then the user is prompted to either place a tube over the needle before contiuning or leaving the needle free to purge the liquid into the waste vessel.
2. At the end of a run the edrop purge routine is called in the same way as at the start of a run.
3. The eDrop purge routines are skipped if the reset piston setting is switched off in the Hydra_II.ini file
4. At the start of run during the initialisation cycle, if the user aborts or a device error occurs, then the process is aborted and the Start button is made available allowing the user to restart if they wish. Previously the button was disabled and the run would continue until it completed.

Hydra eDrop beta
1. Changing the COMM port in the set eDrop options Add-In and then selecting to Query Device will use the Comm port as previously specified. previously the user would need to exit the dialogue and then repoen it in order to use the changed comm port.
2. All buttons that issue an immediate instruction to the device (Hydra or eDrop) in the Add-In Set eDrop options window are disabled when they are clicked until the command has completed.
3. The Needle tip bottom height test in the Add-in set eDrop Options dialogue now correctly switches betwene the eDrop RS232 port and the hydra II port.
4. The well/sub well selection grid and the helper fields location have been swapped within the eDrop move command to provide for a more natural field navigation flow.
5. The eDrop Dispense and aspirate commands now use the Overshoot parameter tables to set up the entries for the Liquid Type drop down selection field. This will consider which tables are available for the respective edrop device type and the command usage (aspirate or dispense) and only show liquid typs that match the criteria. If a command has no matching criteria then a validation fail message is displayed warning that no overshoot table can be found.
6. The tab stop sequences wihtin the ad-In eDrop menus have been resequenced to provide for a more natural navigation flow.
7. The eDrop Overshoot and eDrop Dispense Speeds Add-in dialogues Update button have been renamed to Apply. This automatically add the current entry to the respective tables and save them to file.
8. The eDrop Aspirate command now correctly sends the air gap volume to the eDrop device and not to the hydra II device. Previously if the needle did not need ot be raised then the eDrop command header was omitted formt he packet issued ot the RS232 port.
9. The eDrop move command will now display a validation failure message if no wells or sub wells are selected.
10. The pump speed fields for both the eDrop aspirate and eDrop Dispense fields are now included as part of the vlaidation process. They have been unbound from the associated slider conrols if their values are less than the minimum allowed (normally '1').
11. The Prime command was setting the current stage location field which was causing a following eDrop Move command from correctly moving the Z axis.
12. The Add-in Set eDrop Options window will now only set the fields for the selected EMB device to their default values only of a device canot be found or if a new device is being added. previously pressing Query Device would reset all values back to their defaults.

26-Jan-2006

Version 1.1.14

Hydra II
1. File Execute has been changed so that the correct address value is read when the purge tips routine needs to be run at the start of a run if liquid is in the syringes from a previous run process. Previously if a 3 stage positioner was used the stage would not move to stage 1 but would instead move to stage 3. View the notes for Test 1039 for further information.
2. Plate Library editor in Tools Options has been modified to correctly process records in the event of deleting a plate from the library that have associated sub wells. View the notes for Test 1038 for further information.
3. Stage positions for the Hydra and eDrop are maintained via the Position Library editor in Tools Options. All positions are set to be allowed for the Hydra or for the eDrop. View the notes for Test 1037 for further information.
4. When a run initializes ControlMate interrogates the hydra for it's version number. If the response is not within the expected limits, ie version 4 upwards then the run is aborted and the user is informed of the incompatible version number. Previously some circumstances the hydra will respond with an empty or spurious data packet for runs that immediately execute after a run has completed. This has been further compounded by the fact that ControlMate was only checking the version number once. The process has no been modified so that at the start of a run, the Hydra is interrogated for it's version number and if not found to be within a normal 'version' packet will retry up to 3 more times before it fails. View the notes for Test 1074 for further information.
5. It was reported that the Group command would allow for no more than 10,000 iterations. This is not true, the upper limit is 32,767 iterations. View the notes for Test 1075 for further information.
6. The validation time for iterations of more than 2000 loops takes from 2 minutes upwards. This is due to the current architecture of the validation process and could only be remedied by a major change to the way the process works or to incorporate it into ControlMate2 design.

Hydra eDrop beta
1. All commands that use the eDrop Aspirate overshoot parameters have been modified so that should a device/liquid type/volume combination be selected for which there are no overshoot parameters defined then the minimum values used for each respective overshoot parameters will be used instead. This prevents the Aspirate error form being shown which was being caused by the Overshoot Return Speed being set to zero in the absence of relevant overshoot parameters. View the notes for Test 1044 for further information.
2. Waste pump run time - this was reported as being missing from the eDrop Prime command. This was found to not be the case since release 1.1.12. View the notes for Test 1033 for further information.
3. Aspirate and Dispense speed fields - were reported as being incorrect default values in the eDrop Prime command. This was found not to be the case since release 1.1.12. View the notes for Test 1034 for further information.
4. Set eDrop Options needle operation delay and valve timings were reported to be incorrect default values. This was found not to be the case since release 1.1.12. View the notes for Test 1035 for further information.
5. eDrop Move ability to Test the selected position and well/sub well from within the Sequence Editor was reported to be not functioning. This was found not to be the case since release 1.1.12. View the notes for Test 1036 for further information.
6. eDrop Move has been modified so that the correct well depth value is being used when selecting to use the Preset Well Depth height. Previously it was erroneously using the Y axis value. View the notes for Test 1073 for further information.

18-Jan-2006
11-Jan-2006 (pre-test release)

Version 1.1.13

Hydra II
1. An updated help file has been added to the build.

Hydra eDrop beta
1. The eDrop Dispense command has been modified to provide new fields that enable the user to either use the preset factory overshoot settings or to define custom settings. Selecting the preset values will show the current settings held on file for the current volume value selected for the respective command. Changing the dispense volume when the preset overshoot option is selected will load and display the respective overshoot settings form the library file. If the custom overshoot option is selected then changing has no effect on these values. During the file execution process, the execute function will check the status of the preset overshoot field and use the default ones defined for the current dispense volume or will use the custom values if this option has been specified. The additional usage of the new fields are further enhanced by the use of the Global Values module where the latter could be used to increment overshoot parameter values wihtin a sequence file that is designed and used for device calibration.
2. The associated help file and screenshot files have been amended to include the explanation for the new fields within the eDrop Dispense command.
3. The Validate process has been updated to include the custom overshoot field values to ensure that they are within the specific field minimum and maximum limits. (test case 1015, 1016,1017,1018)
4. The Validate process has been updated to include the custom overshoot values (if selected) within the validation of the Specific volume field. This will ensure that the sum of volume and the fixed overshoot fields do not exceed the maximum volume capabilities of the selected EMB device. (test case 1032)

19-Nov-2005

Version 1.1.12

Hydra II
1. An updated help file has been added to the build.

Hydra eDrop beta
1. A new parameter has been added to the Set eDrop Add-In which allows a user to define the delay between polling status type command issued by ControlMate when a command is actively being processed by the eDrop device. The smaller the value the more often a command will be issued, however this will increase the number of Tx packets written to the transaction log file during a process which requires a longer execution time, for example, when aspirating a large volume. A higher delay value will increase the execution time but will reduce the amount of Tx packets written to the log file. The default value for a new installation is 100 milliseconds.

27-Oct-2005

Version 1.1.11

Hydra II
1. An updated help file has been added to the build.
2. The Run process has been modified to only initiate communication with the eDrop device if a command exists within the current protocol that required the use of the eDrop device. Previously this check was made at the start of the run, however since the introduction of the requirement to reset the eDrop device at the start of each run, the reset routine was only checking if a device had been installed and was not considering whether the device was actually required during the current protocol.

Hydra eDrop beta
1. The eDrop Aspirate command has been modified to ensure that the needle is raised prior to aspirating an air gap (if applicable). To optimise command processing, a logic guard is in place to only raise the needle if it was previously in the lowered position and if an air gap is specified.
2. The eDrop Aspirate command has been modified to optimise command processing such that it will only issue the command to lower the needle, prior to the volume being aspirated, only if the needle is in the raised position prior to the aspirate element of the command.
3. All commands have been updated with their relevant help index pointer value.
4. Modified the Set eDrop Overshoot Parameters Add-In to match the minimum and maximum allowed limits for the Volume Ranger helper field.
5. The eDrop Move command has been changed to show the selected position within the command tree. This is saved with the command in the file as it's caption which is therefore used in other objects such as the Run form and Validation form.
6. eDrop Move has been modified to reset the CurrentIndex register at the start of each run. This value is used to determine the next well/sub well offset during file execution. The register has also been moved from a public interface to a private interface to ensure that the current value is not written to file when the file is saved after file execution. Previously the value was not being reset which was causing the effect of loading once only. Therefore for following runs whilst a file is open, well/sub well parameters were not loading. This gave the effect of not moving to position or not moving to Z axis height. In reality the latter was a red herring and the issue was that it was simply not loading the values for the next column.
7. eDrop RS232 routine has been changed to reduce the amount of queries sent to the eDrop device whilst a command is busy. The process will issue a command and then query the completion status. If the eDrop replies with a packet indicating that it is idle (i.e. the previous command has completed) then ControlMate will issue the next command. If the eDrop replies with an active status (i.e. the command hasn't completed) then ControlMate will wait 1 second before querying the eDrop idle status again. In addition to this, if the command has an inbuilt eDrop pause (e.g. valve delay, pipettor delay) then it will take this into account before considering querying the device status. This has dramatically reduced the amount of redundant packets within the log file and has probably reduced the amount of processing overhead within the eDrop device itself.
8. The Add-In Set eDrop Overshoot Parameters has been modified to allow the maintenance of overshoot table parameters for system priming for both aspirate and dispense actions.
9. The eDrop System Prime command has been changed to support the new tables for System Prime (aspirate and dispense) entries. This means that it is now possible to have aspirate and dispense parameters for system priming that are different to the standard aspirate and dispense overshoot parameters.
10. The EMB.ini file has been extended to support the new Overshoot parameter tables for System Prime.

13-Aug-2005

Version 1.1.10

Hydra eDrop beta
1. Modified the Set eDrop Device Add-In to match the minimum and maximum allowed limits for the Fixed Overshoot parameters fields.
2. Updated the method by which the logic used to search the installation library for eDrop device settings determines whether or not a device has been installed. Previously the logic would create incremental address parameters for all device options and query them against the library to check their validity. This was running until the device address field limit was reached. This was causing the loop to run until 32767 devices which is not allowed. The logic has been changed to only validate for addresses upto the maximum allowed, '15'. The previous method was causing delays to ControlMate loading and Tools Options user interface display.

12-Aug-2005

Version 1.1.9

Hydra II
1. Changed the Abort run mechanism to force an abort all when the abort is generated by a user clicking the Stop button. Previously the run would enter a Pause state and the user would be prompted to Abort, Retry or Ignore even if they had selected to Cancel a run at the abort confirmation dialogue. In this release, if the user selects to Abort and then confirms the run is aborted. The standard device abort sequence is initiated.

Hydra eDrop beta
1. The eDrop Aspirate and Dispense commands have been modified to resolve an issue where selection of liquid types other than the first liquid type in the library was not being saved.
2. The end of run tidy up has been modified to force the eDrop to halt the current command at the end of a run. This is useful if the user has aborted the run whilst the EMB was busy. Now the abort sequence will issue the Halt to the EMB and then shut down elegantly by raising the needle and then moving the stage to the home position.

08-Aug-2005

Version 1.1.8

Hydra II
1. The reset device sequence has been modified to prevent a situation where an installation for eDrop that has no eDrop switched on prevents the start of run processing. The reset device sequence is used to ensure that the stage is at the home position and is a generic routine called when starting a run (if required) or upon exiting Test mode or after an abort. Previously, if this process was called and the eDrop was not switched on then the run would not action any commands.

Hydra eDrop beta

02-Aug-2005

Version 1.1.7

Hydra II
1. The Plate library editor in Tools - Options - Plates tab has been modified to improve the selection logic for the creation of sub well locations. Sub wells are expected to be positioned contiguously starting from the top left position to the right and down the grid. Therefore it is not allowed to enter a value in the third cell on the top row if the 2nd cell is empty. Entering values on the 2nd row will also expect contiguous entries from the 1st column with the additional constraint that the cell immediately above cannot be empty. Deleting a cell will also delete all subwells immediately following the cell to the right and below and to the right. Entering a blank value into the 1st cell (top left) will force the entry to a value of '1'. Entering a value on the 2nd row will replicate all values to the right for any empty cell if the cell immediately any following empty cell is not empty.
2. Changing the sub well count field in the plate library editor will reapply the sub well input logic mentioned in (1) above with the additional constraint that any sub well values in the grid that are greater than the number of sub wells specified will remove the sub well entry in the location grid. For example setting the grid to 1,2,3,4 and then specifying that there are only 2 sub wells will delete the entries for 3 and 4. The rules will then cascade as explained in (1).

Hydra eDrop beta

20-Jul-2005

Version 1.1.6

Hydra II
1. The Hydra II ini library file has been replaced with a new one containing updated stage calibration heights.
2. Defining a new vessel type, via Tools - Options - Plates tab, that have sub wells will now set the initial sub well to '1' instead of zero. This is then used as the default value for subsequent use by eDrop Move and Hydra II Move commands.
3. When editing sub wells in the Tools - Options - Plates tab, logic has been added to control how sub well positions are input. Entering a value which is between 1 and 6 inclusive is allowed. Entering a valid sub well value into a position that has no adjacent sub well location value in the cell immediately above or to the left will be ignored. Deleting a sub well value will automatically delete all sub wells to to the right and below the deleted sub well. Deleting a sub well that has a value to the left of and above the current cell sets the current cell value to the one immediately to the left of the current cell. This means that sub well positions have to be entered in adjacent cells from the top left corner. deleting the top left corner sets the sub well to 1.
4. The end of TestMode and Abort Run reset device process will attempt to raise the eDrop needle if an eDrop is connected and it has been previously lowered.

Hydra eDrop beta
1. The RS232 serial port command processor for the eDrop commands has an increased timeout value for incoming commands. The process which controls the opening and closing of the RS232 port for the eDrop now utilizes the in built process for determining if repeat packets are being received. This is to add resilience for PC's where modem adapter cards echo local command packets when the eDrop routine searches fro attached devices.
2. The eDrop RS232 serial port searching function has been modified to optimize the 'Stop' searching process. Previously the stop would only stop for the current port/device list, therefore if the stop button was clicked at device 1 then the process would run until device 15 before stopping.
3. The process which checks the usage of an eDrop device has been extended to work in conditions when a device is selected that does not have an eDrop module fitted. For example the 2 and 3 stage X/Y standard Hydra II library settings. Previously the check process which is used to determine whether or not an eDrop is connected was recognizing that the library entry had no eDrop connected but was only setting the internal register to false if the library setting showed that no eDrop devices had been found. This meant that when the user selected an installation that was meant to have an eDrop attached then it was correctly identifying that no eDrop was required for the current protocol. However, if the user chose a device setting that did not specify any eDrop hardware as attached then the process was not setting the internal flag which meant that subsequent calls to the start of run process was trying to communicate with the eDrop device (which by definition of the device library selection was missing) and therefore causing communication error messages. This has been resolved. The process no sets the internal register for device status regardless of whether the eDrop is attached because of the library setting or not. This means that protocols can be written for instances which have no eDrop physical devices or for instances where an eDrop is installed but not used or is installed and is used without needing different software modules.
4. The default delay for eDrop needle up and needle down, held in the emb.ini configuration library file, has been set to 2000 ms.
5. The TestMode within the eDrop Move command has been enhanced to now lower the needle once it has moved to the required position. At the end of the movement the needle remains lowered. When the user decides to exit Test mode the needle is raised before the stage is moved to the Z, X and Y axis home positions.

15-Jul-2005

Version 1.1.5

Hydra II
1. The RS232 processing routine has been modified to check for duplicate packet received. This means that if the packet received from the device is the same as the packet sent then the session will generate an error. This phenomenon occurs for PC's where a null modem or virtual modem/comm port echoes the characters sent thus causing session timeout loops.

Hydra eDrop beta
1. The Tools - Options - Plates tab has been modified so that when a user enters a any sub well position value, into the sub well grid, that is not an integer between 1 and 6 (inclusive), it will be ignored.
2. The eDrop Move command has been modified to deal with Sigmoidal sub well selection of non adjacent sub wells for 'S' patterns by row. For example selecting all sub well 1's. Previously, doing would correctly select the subwells in the first row, then would attempt to select all in the next row. If the plate format was one which didn't have the same sub well numbers in the next row then it would move to the next row. However, the logic process which determined the well selection sequence would have moved back to the next row counter rather than skip down a row to select those which do contain the next sub well numbers. This was causing a standard column selection in the same movement as a type writer, for example first to last column row 1, then instead of last to first (as defined by the sigmoidal pattern) it would move back tot he first column and move to the last again instead of in reverse sequence. This has been remedied by an additional internal register which for each row will record whether or not a well/sub well was actually selected. If the case is true then it will increment the row counter, reverse the column increment register and select in the reverse sequence as previously used (ie therefore providing the sigmoidal movement). If a sub well is not selected in the current row it simply does not reverse the column increment registers meaning that it will repeat the same column movement as should have been selected if a well was found only on the next row. This logic has also been applied to selection by column as well
3. The eDrop Move command has been modified to ensure that the needle is raised and the stage moved tot he Z axis home position before moving to a new stage position. This is applied regardless of whether a previous eDrop Dispense command had set the fast dispense mode and is designed to ensure that if the protocol moves the stage to a new 'position' that the needle is moved out of the way before moving the stage to prevent tip damage.
4. The protocol sequence file, eDrop Daily Prime.cms, has been added to the sample files library.

11-Jul-2005

Version 1.1.4

Hydra II
1. The Hydra_II.ini configuration file has been updated to allow for the Devices library to use an additional parameter, index 5, that specifies whether the associated device library entry support an eDrop device. For example, a Base Model Hydra II has this value set to zero (ie no eDrop) whereas the 2 position X/Y stage with eDrop has the value set to 1 (eDrop attached).
2. The Hydra_II.ini configuration file has been updated to include the extended positioner settings for the Base Hydra II and the Auto Wash device types. These were previously omitted from the list when the eDrop library extensions were added which prevented the devices type from allowing command selection for different positions if these devices were selected.
3. The Run process has been modified to check if an eDrop command is used anywhere in the protocol. If an eDrop command is not used then the eDrop RS232 port is not opened and an internal register is set that all other commands check when determining whether or not to issue EMB commands.
4. The Hydra Home, Move, Mix, wash Tips commands have all been changed to use the new method of ignoring eDrop specific statements if eDrop commands are not used in the protocol.
5. The Run user interface has been modified to specify which device is causing the connection problem in the case where either the Hydra or the eDrop has not been switched on. In the latter example, this is only checked if the eDrop is require dint he current protocol.
6. The Hydra_II.ini configuration file has been updated to include a non eDrop 3 stage positioner device in the available devices list.

Hydra eDrop beta
1. The eDrop Move command now saves the 'helper' fields for Height selection (Radio buttons for preset and specific, preset drop down list value and specific height field value). The option has not been applied to the multiple select fields as these are dynamic and change according tot he vessel type loaded. To set the value of the default fields, the Tools - Options - Command tab should be used.
2 The eDrop Move command has been changed to always set the 'ANeede' internal validation flag. If the position is to move to the wash location then the 'AtWash' flag is also set. This will allow a protocol to dispense into the wash position via the dispense command. Previously the validation rule was preventing this since the 'AtNeedle' parameter was not being set.
3. The Hydra II.ini and EMB.ini configuration files have been updated with new height and needle movement delay parameters.
4. The generic function, IsEMBInstalled(), now checks the new library parameter value explained in Hydra II item 3 above to determine if an eDrop device is attached.

07-Jul-2005

Version 1.1.3

Hydra II
1. Changed the search process when determining which RS232 communication port the Hydra II device is attached. Previously the process would loop through the ports but would not find the device if a port was previously in use. The process now forces the closure of any communication port before querying it.
2. The Hydra II RS232 communications port search process now adds entries to the transaction log file, portlog.txt, to provide more feedback for offline analysis of comm port searching failures.
3. The Tools - Options - Positions option will now apply a delay for lowering and raising the eDrop needle if a previous position move has lowered the needle. The values used fro the delay are as those set via the Set eDrop parameters Add-In option for both the lower needle and raise needle delay fields.
4. The Move command now shows the correct preset depth if a sub well is selected and the preset height option is active. Previously, this field was not using the selected sub well depth.
5. The Hydra II.ini file has been updated with new offset and position parameters.
6. New sample protocol files have been added to the sample files library.

Hydra eDrop beta
1. Changed the search process when determining which RS232 communication port the eDrop device is attached. Previously the process would loop through the ports but would not find the device if a port was previously in use. The process now forces the closure of any communication port before querying it.
2. The eDrop RS232 communications port search process now adds entries to the transaction log file, portlog.txt, to provide more feedback for offline analysis of comm port searching failures
3. The eDrop Move command now sets internal flags to identify if the stage has moved to the needle for pipetting or for washing. This is then used in conjunction with new rules added to the Hydra II.ini file to check and validate for moving to the needle prior to aspirate, dispense or wash. The standard rules engine is then used to display a message to the user, and to invalidate the file, if any of these rules are broken.
4. New rules added to the Hydra II.ini file : EDROPASPIRATEMOVE, EDROPDISPENSEMOVE Aand EDROPWASHMOVE.
5. The eDrop Wash command now shows the relevant values for the Position and Vessel Type fields. Previously, since the device was renamed to eDrop, the fields were empty which, since they are drop down selection boxes, prevented a user form correctly washing the needle. The cause was that the ini file had not been updated for the changed device name for the wash positions (ie they were still Needle wash instead of the expected eDropWash).
6. The eDrop Prime command has a new field, Waste run time, which when it has a value greater than zero milliseconds will run the drain pump at the end of the final cycle.
7. The EMB.ini file has been updated with new liquid handling parameters.
8. New sample protocol files have been added to the sample files library.

27-Jun-2005

Version 1.1.2

Hydra II
1. The Move command has been modified to use the new format database for sub well offsets.
2. All commands that move the stage positioner have been modified to raise the needle if it is in the lowered positioned.
3. The abort process now switches off the pump module if any motor is running.
4. The Plate library editor now presents the sub well position grid as a fixed grid size. The rows and columns fields have been removed. This is to simplify the input of sub well positions. Now all the user has to do is to simply click on the grid where sub wells are located and the software will determine matrix size etc.

Hydra eDrop beta
1. The Needle Move command has been modified to allow the selection of all rows or columns when using the multi-select option rather than alternate rows or columns. This works for both linear row and column selection as well as sigmoidal.
2. The Needle Aspirate command has been modified to support the non percentage values of pump speed requirement.
3. The Needle Prime command now no longer runs the waste pump.
4. The Needle Wash routine now only switches on the waste pump at the start of the last cycle in the main loop. If the protocol specifies a volume, then the pump will run during this process as well.
5. The Needle Move Command has been modified to allow for Test Mode usage. During this mode state, the stage will move to the first well/sub well selected only.
6. All command modules have been renamed to use the eDrop device prefix.

13-Jun-2005

Version 1.1.1

Hydra II

Hydra eDrop beta
1. The drop down lists for the Liquid type field on both the Aspirate and Dispense commands were not registering that the field had changed and therefore not saving the user selection if anything other than the first entry in the table was selected. This has been modified to select the _click method when a user makes a change.
2. The Liquid Type within the Set EMB Overshoot Parameters Add-In option was incorrectly setting the initial character to the table entry to an ASCII character 24 instead of a quote mark (ASCII character 34). This was causing a 'square box' character to be prefixed to the liquid type name. This now correctly prefixes a quote character.
3. The EMB.ini file has been amended to replicate the 'EMB_Overshoot_n' tables. Originally the 'EMB_Overshoot' table only had entries for the first two tables (1 and 2) These have now been replicated to match the corresponding EMB_Overshoot table list value.

10-Jun-2005

Version 1.1.0

Hydra II

Hydra eDrop beta
1. Hydra Plus One renamed to Hydra eDrop.
2. InstallShield build modules option changed to show Hydra eDrop as a product instead of Hydra Plus One
3. The DeviceType EMB.ini look up table used when searching and determining which EMB unit is attached has been modified to use a nominal maximum value that is half way between a known product size type and the next one in the table. This way the search routine will search up to and including the half way point to determine which device type it is. Anything up to and below the half way value is the lower model, anything above and to the next half way value is the next model up.
4. The [EMB_DeviceType] EMB.ini device captions have been renamed from 'EMB nnn' to 'eDrop nnnn ul', eg 'EMB 500' is now 'eDrop 500 ul'.
5. The overshoot tables entries have been duplicated, using the entries from EMB 150 as a base, to ensure that zero values are not returned for device types that have not as yet been calibrated.
6. The Add-Ins menu item captions of 'Set EMB...' have been renamed to 'Set eDrop...'
7. A new pause value, Pipettor delay, has been added to the 'Set eDrop device options', which when containing a non zero value is used as a delay in milliseconds after an aspirate or dispense action before a valve is switched. If a valve is not to be switched then the pause is ignored to save time.
8. The Aspirate, Wash, Prime commands have been updated to utilise the new Pipettor Delay value. This is only used if valve switching is required and is appended to the end of the aspirate/dispense action.
9. The run process now adds the module name and version to the port log file as part of the 'Start run' record.
10. The Plate library editor has been modified to replace the captions of sub well height and width to be a more meaningful 'X size' and 'Y size' respectively.
11. The Plate library editor has been modified to change the way an underlying process for retrieving the sub well elements items from the ini file sub well table. Previously the sub well position information was incorrectly calculating it's index value when loading a sub well record following a sequence of selecting a plate type that had no sub well records. The effect was that the sub well index value (ie sub well 1 top left, 2 top right, 3 bottom left, etc) was incorrectly setting the positions in memory. This has the effect of pushing any subsequent field values out by the product of rows and columns. Basically the wrong value were being loaded which caused the NanoNeedleMove routine to incorrectly load the X/Y offset values. This would only happen if the sub well record was loaded directly after loading a record with no sub wells. If the previous plate had sub wells then the record was loaded correctly.

22-May-2005

Version 1.0.26, Hydra Plus One 1.0.22 beta
1. Now includes Hydra Plus One module.
2. The Set EMB Device Options Add-In menu item has been modified to improve the search mechanism for identifying connected EMB devices. Previously the routine would incorrectly report a device as attached if another similar device was found on the port. The routine now shows the current port being searched and starts from the initial value loaded when the window is opened before reverting back tot he search from 1 to 16 if no EMB specific device is found on the initial port.
3. The search and query mechanism within the Set EMB Device options dialogue will now correctly identify the device type. previously the RS232 comms routine would report the previous comm packet value if no device was found or if the communication was slow which was causing the EMB type identification routine to incorrectly use the wrong values to determine the device type. The process has been changed to ensure that the communication packets stay in synchronization.
4. The NanoNeedlePrime command has been modified to include two new fields which allow for the user to specify whether to lower (the default) or raise the needle during operation. This would now allow for priming at the upper position rather than always lowering the needle.

09-May-2005

Version 1.0.25
1. The Tools - Options - Plates dialogue has been modified to provide an interface by which the sub well parameters for the crystalography type plates can be entered.

26-Apr-2005

Version 1.0.24
1. The main RS232 serial port process for controlling the opening and closing of a port has been streamlined to allow for device specific actions. This means that the port process will be called per device type (Hydra or EMB). Previously the routine was a combined process where calling a port action would invlove both ports for a Hydra and an EMB (if applicable). This previously resulted in a device packet conflict where a call for opening a Hydra port would hang if an EMB was not present and vice versa. Allowing for specific control is handled by passing an O/S message to the RS232 process object which then determines which device would have control. This has resulted in faster processing and a more resilient error capturing technique should a device not be available.
2. All commands that require direct control for port activation (eg Configuration dialogue) have been modified to use the new process as described in (1) above.

31-Mar-2005

Version 1.0.23
1. Single well labware now catered for (tubes and needle wash). This is now represented by additions to the plate library (new labware types of NEEDLE and NEEDLEWASH which are not available for selection in the standard Move command but are within the Nano Needle Command set).
2. All new X/Y address values added to the Hydra II ini file position library using the new mm XY stage step value (0.00847 mm/step).
3. All Hydra and Hydra Plus One commands have been updated to use the new larger format XY address values (changing the step factor took the address values over the maximum allowed for variables within the source code for the 3 position stage).
4. The new Hydra device types for Hydra 2 stage, HPO 2 stage, HPO 3 stage have been written to the device library and are now available for selection from the standard Hydra add-in.
5. RS232 port conflict of USB drivers unloading themselves when a port is closed has been resolved as much as can be tested. The rs232 serial port ControlMate routine has been amended to unload any residual characters from the port before the port is closed.
6. Tools Options Position editor has been optimised for speed when teaching positions. The buttons simply ignore requests if they are clicked whilst a previous move is still in progress. Previously the buttons were disabled and then reenabled when a teach command was selected. This slowed down the interface.
7. The Tools - Options - Plate Library editor has been updated to support the Needle and Needle wash type labware. This has also meant that the well count drop down has been modified to allow for single well vessels.

30-Mar-2005

Version 1.0.22
1. The hydra positioner X and Y axis step factor has been changed to 0.00849 mm per step. This resolves the well to well positioning as the previous factor was incorrect. This is simply held in the hydra_ii.ini file and so requires no program change.
2. The Hydra start of run process which checks the piston address and then starts a purge routine if it is found to be non zero now has a guard, set via the Device.PreRunResetPiston Hydra_II.ini file flag, which when switched on (value = 1) will perform the reset as before, or when switched off (value = 0) will skip the piston reset process. The default value for those installations which want to use this version but not change their ini file is to switch the process on, this way it performs exactly as it has always down (i.e. reset the piston). Since the parameter is held externally, OLE applications can be used to set the value on or off prior to calling the ControlMateOLE.ExecuteRun() function.
3. The generic function that is used to determine stage address value from a given mm value will now set any passed negative values as zero.
4. The Tools - Options process which requires RS232 port operation has been modified to open the port only on the first time requested, for example when moving to the first teach position. All subsequent movements will ensure that the port is left open and will therefore be faster and should also prevent the EMB USB drivers (if installed) from unloading themselves. If the dialogue is closed then the port, if it was previously opened, will be closed.
5. The EMB scanning functionality has been removed from the Tools - Options - Connection tab.
6. The Tools - Option - Positions tab now has the facility to raise and lower the Nano Needle if an EMB is attached.

25-Mar-2005

Version 1.0.21
1. The routine that is called when a RS232 comm port is opened has been modified to prevent the process from overwriting the device selected settings (eg 3 stage X/Y positioner).

24-Mar-2005

Version 1.0.20
1. The plate library has been extended to include a new NEEDLEWASH type. The current parameters are set to a minimum of 5mm default for testing purposes. This vessel type can only be used by the NeedleWash and NeedlePrime commands.
2. A fully functional NeedlePrime command has been added. New fields have been included in this field to allow a user to specify a position, vessel type and height. Only values that are relevant to needle washing are shown in these fields.
3. The Set Pipettor Add-In has been modified to remove the Stage Positioner field added yesterday. Instead a new parameter has been added to the Device library section of the Hydra_II.ini file to point to the relevant [Positioner_n] library for the selected device item which is referenced via the 'Device' field in this user dialogue. The underlying generic procedure which retrieves the currently installed positioner id has been modified to use the [Device].default entry. All commands that use this procedure have been recompiled to use the new methodology.

23-Mar-2005

Version 1.0.19
1. The Stage Position library has been extended to allow for different stage positioner types (eg 2 stage positioner and 3 stage positioner). The [Position] entry in the file Hydra_II.ini has been replaced with [Positioner]. This uses a sub item, 'Installed', which indicates which positioner library entry settings to use. Two new library sections have been added, '[Positioner_2]' and '[Positioner_3]' which now contain the actual stage address values previously contained within the [Position] library.
2. The 'Change Pipettor or Tips' Add-In option has been amended to allow the setting of the Stage Positioner type.
3. All commands have been modified to use the new [Positioner] library database.
4. The Move command has been modified to issue a needle raise command if an EMB device is attached and the needle is in it's lowered state.
5. The Move command has been modified to remove any stage positions used by the Hydra Plus One module. Moves to a Single Nano Needle stage position must now use the new NeedleMove command.

22-Mar-2005

Version 1.0.18
1. The ResetDevice routine which is called at the end of each run, abort or test mode process will now reset the EMB device if it is installed.
2. The Run process has been modified to switch off the EMB I/O ports at the end of a run if an EMB module is connected.

03-Mar-2005

Version 1.0.17
1. The RS232 comms module has been further enhanced to recognise the existanece of an EMB module and to switch on comms appropriately if one is attached.
2. The RS232 comms module has been further enhanced to optimise the comm process usage when communicating with dual devices such as a Hydra and an EMB device.
3. The EMB communication module has now been added to the core library. Use the Tools Options Connection tab to set up the comms port for botht he Nydra II and the EMB device. Note that up to 15 EMB devices can be added to the comm port. Selecting the Test button within the EMB frame will retrieve the firmware, board and actuator version number and serial numbers.

05-Feb-2005

Version 1.0.16
1. The Move command has been changed as follows :-

    a. supports the new plates that have sub wells. This allows for aspirating and dispensing from within the sub wells within each plate well using the standard Hydra needles.
    b. allows the positioning of the Hydra needles into any of the sub well positions specified within the command.
    c. supports the X/Y tip offset parameters for the specified sub well. The specific offset minimum and maximum values change dynamically according to the sub well selected. The Execute() function within this command has been modified to generate the minimum and maximum offset values when positioning to fixed offsets (eg Side Left etc) to use the values specified within the library.
    d. new field which, for plates that have sub wells, allows a user to specify the sub well to use.

2. The base Hydra II dll checks if an EMB Nano Dispenser is attached and if so then identifies itself as Hydra II Plus One.

29-Nov-2004

Version 1.0.15
1. The ControlMate base release has been raised to 1.3.33. In this release :-
a. The Sequence Editor command tree drag and drop feature now disabled the tree control from user interaction until the drop process has completed. Previously if a user dragged a command group and quickly clicked another command node within the tree before the drop process had completed then the previous command location would be shown with an empty group command name and default iteration value.
b. The Execute External Application command has been modified to place quote characters around the file path and name before appending the parameters list to the text that is used to load the external application. This has been done to workaround a Windows problem which allows the creation of filenames and paths that contains the space character but fails to use this correctly when used via the API create process function. The quotes are added internally, the user interface does not show these characters.
c. Selecting to unload ControlMate before saving changes made to an open Sequence Editor window will prompt the user to save those changes. If the user selects cancel the unload process is halted. Previously the Toolbox window was being cleared even if the user selected 'Cancel'. This prevented further editing or running of the file. Now when the user selects to cancel the unload process, the unload function halts the entire method thus preventing the toolbox from being unloaded. Selecting to Save or Discard the changes will still allow the application to unload.

24-Nov-2004

Version 1.0.14
1. The Move command 'Allow for air gap' field now sets the internal command changed flag when this field is edited.
2. The ControlMate sequence rules validation routine now correctly handles checkbox and radio option button fields.
3. A new sequence rule has been added tot he Hydra_II.ini file which allows for the checking of the 'Allow for air gap height' field within a Move command. Setting this field value in a Move command that precedes a Dispense command will cause the sequence to become invalid with the message 'Allow for Air Gap is not allowed in a Move command preceding a Dispense command'.

21-Sep-2004

Version 1.0.13
1. Tools Options Connections tab now has a new field, 'Polling retry count', which is used during RS232 serial communication. When a command issued to the device is not completed within 3 seconds the unit is polled every 3 seconds to determine the current status. If the device fails to respond to this second command, then a retry counter will be set up, the value for which is taken from this field, in order to try to prevent premature device disconnection errors being generated.
2. The underlying RS232 communications process has been changed to support the Polling retry method described in (1) above.
3. Tools - Options - Positions tab has been changed to disable the teaching buttons (left, right, up, down, Move, home) whilst a previous teaching command is active. This will prevent the spurious error messages warning that the device is not connected from appearing.
4. Tools - Options - Positions tab has been further modified to prevent multiple error messages from being displayed if the device fails to respond. Previously up to 5 separate messages could have been displayed.
5. During position teaching in Tools - Options - Positions tab, the 'empty' error messages box has been removed and replaced with the correct method that an error occurred during position teaching.

01-Jun-2004

Version 1.0.12
1. Changed the RS232 communication open port process so that the information returned by the eprom is used in conjunction with the current tip settings to prevent the tip type from being overwritten when tips other than Sainless Steel are used. Previously the routine was using the pipettor type code to find the head and tip entry in the library but was not taking intoaccount the currently set tip type. Since this was simply using the first match against the pipettor type code, any tip type other than stainless steel was being ignored (Stainless Steel is the first in the library).

22-May-2005

Version 1.0.22 beta
Now included within the Hydra II build, from version 1.0.26 onwards.

06-May-2005

Version 1.0.21 beta
1. The NanoNeedleMove command now displays the selected height in the sequence list for each select well/sub well irrespective of whether a 'preset' height or a 'specific' height is selected.
2. The NeedleMove command has been modified to rectify a problem when moving within sequentially plates that contain quadrants (384 and 1536). All positions for quadrants are based on an algorithm which determine the centre point of a 'well' as being a collection of quadrants base don a 96 well footprint. Therefore to move to the 2nd quadrant of a 384 well plate an offset is applied to the centre 'well' offset. Previously the algorithm that determined the current position was moving to the next well offset centre value before applying the quadrant offset. The next well centre offset value was as determined by the column position and was not taking into account that when applying the quadrant offset value that it had moved beyond the normal offset position which meant that for quadrants to the right and front of the 'well' centre the application of the quadrant offset value was using the wrong sign, ie it was using negative when it should have been using positive for the respective axis.

05-May-2005

Version 1.0.20 beta
1. A new AddIn menu option, Set EMB Dispense Speeds, has been added. From within this dialogue a user can specify the maximum and default speed values for the dispense stroke for each EMB device type. The values within this table are used to override the speed settings within protocol files to prevent damage to the bellow chamber for higher volumes at higher dispense speeds.
2. The NanoNeedleMove command now supports the selection of multiple wells and sub wells in sigmoidal patterns by row or by column from each of the four corners in addition to the previous row and column selection for each of the four corners. This now gives 16 different fill patterns for each sub well range selected. It is possible to have a different pattern from within the same Move command for different sub wells within a plate.
3. The NanoNeedleMove command multiple pattern sequence dropdown has been changed to a graphical drop down list with icons to represent the starting position and the direction of the fill pattern alongside the text for each available pattern.
4. The NanoNeedleMove pattern fill process has been optimised to remove reducndant cycles when building the fill pattern (ie when the 'Select' button is selected).

04-May-2005

Version 1.0.19 beta
1. A new Set EMB Overshoot Parameters Add-In accessed via the Add-In menu will allow a user to enter overshoot volume parameters. This is fully functional and caters for new tables, changes and deletions for EMB device types, liquid types, usage (aspirate or dispense) and volume ranges.
2. The below speed slider fields have been changed for all commands that use this input method. The slider now has a corresponding character input field and holds the values as a bellow step value rather than the previous percentage value. This now allows a user to enter any value from 1 all the way up to the maximum of 65500. Changing the slider changes the character field, changing the character field changes the slider.

03-May-2005

Version 1.0.18 beta
1. The SetEMB Add-In has been updated to provide functionality for cancelling an RS232 port search process, for allowing stage movements for tip bottom height and for allowing the testing of vacuum activation and deactivation times for the raising and lowering of the Nano needle.
2. The RS232 routine has been modified to work around a problem where the USB port drivers will temporarily unload themselves. This has had nothing to do with the way that ControlMate works since the drivers are not directly accessed by the software, however, the actual procedure has been changed so as to ensure that it is not contributing to the phenomenon.

26-Apr-2005

Version 1.0.17 beta
1. A new dialogue has been added, 'Set EMB Device Options', which will allow a user to set up and identify the EMB device that has been attached. The dialogue allows for com port searching and also for multiple devices within a com port. Further to this the user can view the firmware identification information as returned by the EMB unit as well as automitically setting the device type and maximum volume parameters.
2. All commands that require access to the RS232 ports, for example when teaching Tip Bottom heights, now use the new process as introduced under Hydra II version 1.0.24 for RS232 com port control.

31-Mar-2005

Version 1.0.16 beta
1. All commands that use the aspirate and dispense EMB commands (prime, aspirate, dispense and wash) now split the packet after issuing the bellow movement action to allow the EMB to process the command. This has resulted in physical liquid movement.
2. The overshoot parameter table database structure has been built and implemented for aspirate, dispense, wash and prime. This takes into account the device type, liquid type, aspirate/dispense action and volume required.
3. The aspirate and dispense overstroke fields have been removed from the user interface. Instead the commands now use the overshoot table mentioned in 2 above.
4. The aspirate, dispense, prime and wash commands now validate the total volume taking into account the air gap and overshoot volumes as well as the device 'actual' total volume capability.
5. The EMB scanning functionality has been removed from the Tools - Options - Connection tab. The new Set EMB Add-In provides better functionality.
6. The Tools - Option - Positions tab now has the facility to raise and lower the Nano Needle if an EMB is attached.
7. Single well labware now catered for (tubes and needle wash). This is now represented by additions to the plate library (new labware types of NEEDLE and NEEDLEWASH which are not available for selection in the standard Move command but are within the Nano Needle Command set). NeedleMove command updated to correctly show single well vessels.
8. All Hydra and Hydra Plus One commands have been updated to use the new larger format XY address values (changing the step factor took the address values over the maximum allowed for variables within the source code for the 3 position stage).
9. The NeedleMove command screen refresh has been significantly improved to remove the blank grids that were sometimes displayed.
10. The NeedleMove sequence grid (the lower grid) has been updated to show preset and specific heights in separate columns.
11. The NeedleMove command now shows the preset height text value rather than the list numeric index value when a well/wells are selected. previously the command didn't;t show this information until the 'set' button was clicked.
12. Added the dispense speed safety override table to the emb.ini file. This table is used by the dispense, prime and wash commands ad is used to prevent the top of the EMB bellow chamber from being ruptured at higher speeds. The table is volume range based and each entry is used to override the maximum dispense speed for the respective cmmand.
13. The NeedleWash routine now performs the final volume dispense after first raising the needle. This has been added to add a process to blow out/off any drops that may be adhering to the end of the needle.
14. The NeedleDispense command has a new field, 'Raise needle', which when checked will keep the needle raised before performing the dispense operation. This is useful for those dispenses that are required above a high sided vessel.

26-Mar-2005

Version 1.0.15 beta
1. NeedleMove command has been modified to provide a faster and more efficient move method which takes into account needle raising, plate heights, relative gaps between needle lowest height and plate metrics.
2. NeedleMove command now correctly calculates and displays the preset height value when a user changes the height selection or vessel type fields.
3. NeedlePrime command now correctly calculates and displays the preset height value when a user changes the height selection or vessel type fields.
4. NeedlePrime command now uses the new method for calculating safe heights when determining how to move to the selected wash vessel. This will allow for future wash vessel variations without any software code change.
5. All commands have been renamed to use the 'Nano' prefix.
6. New command added, NanoNeedleWash.

25-Mar-2005

Version 1.0.14 beta
1. A new parameter, EMBValveDelay, has been added to the EMB device list which will allow the setting of a pause, in milliseconds, after switching the internal EMB valvle between input and output states.
2. The NeedlePrime command has two new fields added for aspirate and dispense speed control.
3. All commands that issue bellows values (aspirate, dispense etc) now utilise a generic routine which will use the device volume unit factor before issuing the specific volume value.
4. NeedleWash command added to the InstallShield build.

24-Mar-2005

Version 1.0.13 beta
1. All commands have been changed to use the new Hydra II Positioner library format.
2. The NeedleMove command has been modified to calculate a well top height that is the same as the safe height (2 mm above the plate). This will help to prevent the stage from moving down if the routine can identify that this height is safe to move without any stage or needle Z movements.
3. NeedleAspirate and Needle Dispense have been optimised to only issue the EMB internal valve to the required output direction (input or output) if it is not currently at that direction. This has been added to work around an issue where switching valve direction causes the effect of liquid moving up and down the tube without actually dispensing.
4. NeedleDispense command now has the option to dispense all volume currently in the EMB or dispense a user defined discrete volume.

22-Mar-2005

Version 1.0.12 beta
1. Two new parameters have been added to the EMB.ini file which will compensate for a delay time, in milliseconds), needed for lowering and raising the nano needle. Using two values allows for the user to set different times that may be needed, for example it may take longer to lower the needle than it does to raise it.
2. The NeedleAspirate command has been modified to use the new nano needle lowering and raising delay times.
3. The NeedleDispense command has been modified to use the new nano needle lowering and raising delay times.
4. Added HPO version number into the compiled code so that it appears on the Splash and About windows.
5. Resolved issue where NeedleMove position field was not saving any value other than the first in the list. The problem was casued by the field not recognizing that it had changed when the user selected a different value and therefor enot setting an internal changed flag which initiates the save routine when the command loses focus.
6. The NeedleMove command has a new field, 'Fast dispense', which when checked will keep the needle lowered after dispensing. This value is then used as a semaphore between all other commands, especially the NeedleMove command which is used for determining stage and needle gap relationships.
7. The overall RS232 comms routine has been updated to include a new parameter, held in the EMB.ini 'InterPacketDelay', which builds in a user defined milliseconds pause in between packets transmitted. This has been done to get around a problem with close succession packets via the USB hub.

15-Mar-2005

Version 1.0.11 beta
1. The EMB.ini file has been updated with a NanoNeedle TipTouch parameter value of 15.15 mm (1.5 inches away from the bottom of the Hydra II needles).
2. The NeedleMove command has been updated to provide a means by which specific heights can be entered for selected wells in addition tot he current preset heights.
3. Selecting a preset height in the NeedleMove command will update the specific height field value to show the current value in 1/100 mm
4. The NeedleMove command now allows for the ControlMate Test mode processing from within the Sequence Editor.

14-Mar-2005

Version 1.0.10 beta
1. The EMB.ini file DeviceList section has been extended to allow for a tip bottom height to be available for each Needle type. Although currently there is only one needle type, this methodology will allow for different heights to be set for different tips at a later date if this were to be needed.
2. The NeedleMove command has been updated to use the new Needle tip bottom height as described in (1) above.
3. The Tools - Options - Connection tab Test EMB connection process has been changed to prevent the I/O port parameters used for each solenoid usage for each EMB unit from being overwritten when saving. Previously when a user selected 'Test' the EMB IO values where being erased, therefore setting the values back to their default settings.

03-Mar-2005

Version 1.0.9 beta
1. The NeedleAspirate and NeedleDispense commands have been modified to now provide needle aspirate and dipense actions accordingly. The overshot table parameters have not yet been implemented however the two commands are fully functional.
2. The EMB.ini file has been updated to provide the vacuum functionality as required by the two new command functionality in (1) above.

02-Mar-2005

Version 1.0.8 beta
1. The EMB.ini file has been updated with the parameters needed for comm port control.

09-Feb-2005

Version 1.0.7 beta
1. The NeedleMove command is now functional and will allow the stage to move, in the specified well and sub well sequence across (left or right or random) and up or down a plate when the command is included as part of a Group command. Currently position 2 and 3 entries have been added but need to be calibrated on a stage that can accommodate the additional positions for the needle.

05-Feb-2005

Version 1.0.6 beta
1. All needle commands now fail validation if an EMB device has not been installed.

30-Jan-2005

Version 1.0.5 beta
1. The Corning dual sub well sample MPD physical dimensions have been measured and updated within the Vessel_SubWell ini library. This now means that there are two sub well plates within the extended library ("96 well Greiner sample plate" and "96 well Corning C MPD Micro").

26-Jan-2005

Version 1.0.4 beta
1. Hydra move command changed to support moving to sub wells within plate wells. Currently the plate library has only been changed for the Greiner 96 sample plate. Also if used in conjunction with a new taught position for the stage position 3 (nano needle dispense) then only well A1 is supported in this release.

25-Jan-2005

Version 1.0.3 beta
1. NeedleMove command updated to show all row headings correctly for 1536 plates
2. NeedleMove command no wuses the standard plate library dimensions for plates that don't contain sub-wells.

24-Jan-2005

Version 1.0.2 beta
1. NeedleMove command updated to allow selection and saving of well and sub-wells. Also allows viewing of non sub_well vessels.
2. NeedleMove command allows full selection by well, sub-well, row, column, sub-well type etc.

20-Jan-2005

Version 1.0.1 beta
1. Initial beta release for user interface presentation purposes.


Version 1.0.11

CD ROM Build.

Date

Description

23-Feb-2004

Version 1.0.11
1. Improved the com port searching method to ensure that virtual ports such as those used via USB ports are correctly opened and closed within the search process.
2. The Move command has a new field, 'Allow for air gap height', which when checked will position the stage during the run process at the well top in order for a following Aspirate with air gap command to add an air gap without spoiling the needles. Help file updated accordingly.

17-Jan-2004

Version 1.0.10
1. The Magic Eye trigger detection feature is now fully supported.
2. Aspiration air gap is now performed at the well top and not at the tip touch offset height.
3. Devices that have now XY stage but have an Auto Wash module fitted can now select the Tip Wash vessel type in the Move command.
4. The maximum wash volume has been increased to 1100 ul for 1mL units within the pipettor library.

08-Dec-2003

Version 1.0.9
1. The process clean up routine at the end of a run and also when zeroing the piston at run start now checks to determine if a stage positioner is fitted before issuing the reset axes commands. This resolves an issue where previously a Hydra II without stage positioner would hang at the end of a run which was due to it always issuing the 'home' XY axis motors even if the motors were not fitted.
2. The start of run piston check process has been modified to cope with the negative piston address value that is returned by the device if it was previously powered off whilst the piston was not at the home position. if a non zero address is returned during the start up process then the user is prompted to purge the liquid in the needles.
3. The message text that is displayed when communication to the device is either lost or cannot be established now also prompts the user to check that the E-Stop button hasn't been pressed.
4. The Tools - Options Communication tab will now auto search for the device on all RS232 serial communication ports if one cannot be found on the specified port.
5. During file execution, if the 'mighty eye' is triggered during Z-Axis stage movement, then the device will issue a 'CE' command, this will in turn trigger an Abort/Retry/Ignore message within ControlMate.
6. During file execution if a command does not complete within 5 seconds then the device is polled for it's current status. If the device responds then the timeout value will be reset to 5 sconds and the process will repeat until the device either fails to respond or the command completes.
7. The 1mL piston motor step factor has been changed to a value of '1'. Previously it was 0.5 which was incorrect.

04-Nov-2003

Version 1.0.8
1. The routine which clears all command templates from memory when the application is closed has been optimised to ensure that all commands are removed from memory for a clean shutdown of ControlMate.

18-Sep-2003

Version 1.0.7
1. Extended characters, for example É, Ä, Ü etc, that are used within a user definable text field such as the Notepad command or a sequence file title are now written to the sequence file using the XML extended character escape sequence.
2. The command toolbox window will now correctly locate and 'remember' the icon size and text display when theses settings are changed via the View menu. Previously they were sometimes lost.
3. Tip touch is now correctly processed from the centre position for the current well location regardless of whether positioning by whole plate, column, row or quadrant.
4. The Dispense command now validates the volume field value only if dispensing by specific volume has been selected.
5. The command completion timeout has been split into two groups, set at 5 minutes for action type commands (eg Aspirate, Move, etc) and to 3 seconds for query type commands (eg version number check, current idle status). This will result in a quicker response time if testing a newly installed device via Tools- Options.


Version 1.0.0

Self extracting executable file.

Date

Description

06-Aug-2003

Version 1.0.6
1. ControlMate logo/caption now appears with the registered trademark symbol.
2. The Group Command now correctly resets command register values (eg Current column for incremental movements) upon each loop start. Previously it was resetting the values for each iteration.

01-Aug-2003

Version 1.0.5
1. At the start of a file execution, if the piston position is not at the home position the user is prompted to place a vessel on stage 1 in order to purge the liquid. After the purge, the stage is reset to it's home position before the user is prompted to remove the vessel.
2. The pipettor library has changed for the new tip bottom height of 5325.

03-Jul-2003

Version 1.0.4
1. External procedures now no longer incorrectly set the 'Command errors' flag when they are loaded.
2. Reloading an External Procedure now resets all Procedure Call commands to the new Procedure index value. previously the call procedure command lost the index trail and so failed to run a referenced command.

26-Jun-2003

Version 1.0.3
1. The Move command will reset the stage Z axis if, during file execution for positioning for a Wash Vessel, the X or Y position has changed but the virtual named position hasn't. This will prevent the needles for dragging to the outside edge of the wash vessel.
2. The sequence for aborting file execution has changed internally. Previously if abort was selected the process would continue with the following command before aborting. Also, if an abort was generated then the stage reset and pump switch off commands would also be issued. In this release, if a user selects to abort a run then the process will stop immediately. The only exception if if the abort is selected whilst the device was checking a sensor, for example the plate mounting sensors on each stage position, in this instance the axis reset and pump switch off commands would still operate.

25-Jun-2003

Version 1.0.2
1. New context menus have been added to Windows Explorer to either open a file for Hydra II or to open and RUN a file for Hydra II.
2. The Windows Start menu now allows for multiple installations for different modules. Clicking a named option (eg ControlMate for Hydra II) will run ControlMate for that named module. This removes the need to keep changing the ControlMate.ini file when multiple installations exist.

13-Jun-2003

Version 1.0.1
1. Changed the method for aspiration with airgap so that the plate will be positioned with the tips at the top of the well before the air gap is performed.
2. Amended the method for tip touching so that the tips are positioned at the well centre before performing the tip touch position required.
3. Opening a sequence file which was previously valid will remain valid provided the head/tip type hasn't changed.
4. The opening Banner and About dialogues now display the new Matrix Technologies logo.
5. Clicking on a command in the command tree list in the Sequence Editor now displays the highlighted commands internal key reference on the editors status bar. This has been added to assist customers using the ControlMateOLE module in order for them to identify which command to reference within a run sequence.
6. Trying to add an incorrect command onto a command node in the tree list in Sequence Editor, for example a Procedure command added to a Main sequence was causing the right hand pane to be cleared. This has been resolved, the pane now displays the last command highlighted.
7. The command toolbox now has a separator bar between the intrinsic commands and the device specific commands.
8. Dragging and dropping a procedure over an external procedure command, which isn't allowed, now no longer loses the original command. Previously the command to be dragged would disappear from the command list.
9. The [Show] button on the Validate file dialogue now correctly displays the failed command currently highlighted in the failure list in the sequence view.


Version 1.0.0

Self extracting executable file.

Date

Description

01-Apr-2003

General release
First issued.


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