ControlMate® for PlateMate2xY
The ControlMate® device module for PlateMate2xY provides the interface by which sequence files can be constructed using the command objects specific to the device. The module provides a full context sensitive help system to ensure that the user has as much information as possible to enable efficient and concise program construction.

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

PlateMate2xY Current Release

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Version

1.1.19

Release date

27-Nov-2007











Copyright 2002 © LeeTek Limited

Downloads

Self extracting executable file.
The web download packages utilise the Microsoft Windows Installer engine and database. The engine is not included within the packages, this reduces the package size and download time. The first time that you install a ControlMate package, you may be prompted with a message informing you that the installer is missing or out of date. If this happens then you can download an engine installer from one of the following links.

Windows Installer for Windows 98 or ME

Windows Installer for Windows NT4 (SP6 and upwards) or Windows 2000

CD-ROM build.
A WinZip file which, when extracted, provides the file and directory structure for CD-ROM distribution. To use, download and unzip the file into an empty directory and then copy the complete set of files and any sub-directories onto the distribution CD-ROM.

WinZip file containing device operation manual in Adobe Acrobat PDF format.

Download Adobe Acrobat® Reader®

Changes in this build

Date

Description
27-Nov 2007
Release 1.1.19
1. Move Command
  1.1 If the command is set for incremental column movements and the Test button is clicked during Edit mode, the Start Column specified is used as the target column to which to move. This resolves an anomaly where the initial position was not being correctly set when using incremental movements during the Test process.
  1.2 If the command is set for incremental row movements and the Test button is clicked during Edit mode, the Start Row specified is used as the target row to which to move. This resolves an anomaly where the initial position was not being correctly set when using incremental movements during the Test process.
2. Tip Release Heights
  2.1 All pipettor library entries have changed to set the tip release height from a value of 1050 to 850.
25-Oct 2007
Release 1.1.18
1. CatX Integration
  1.1 Machine Control: The underlying module which controls communication to and from the device and protocol commands has been modified to replace the original CatX message marshallers within bespoke handlers.
  1.2 Machine Control: The underlying module which controls communication to and from the device and protocol commands has been modified to move to a safe point during the 'follow_path_in' routine.
  1.3 Machine Control: The underlying module which controls communication to and from the device and protocol commands has been modified to force the gripper to move at maximum speed when the pincer is empty.
  1.4 Machine Control: The underlying module which controls communication to and from the device and protocol commands has been modified to move at full speed to the safe position and skips the put plate process if no plate was retrieved previously.
  1.5 Machine Control: The underlying module which controls communication to and from the device and protocol commands has been modified to add a new internal command 'SKIP' to skip the tip change procedure if it is not required.
18-Oct 2007
Release 1.1.17
1. Move Command Incremental movements
  1.1 The method to calculate the positioning the stage has been replaced to take consolidate all movement types including, well centre, quadrant, incremental movements and offset positioning. This has been applied and takes account of all plate types and tip combinations.
2 Selectable Pre-Run Tip Check
  2.1 RUN Dialogue
The run dialogue process has been modified to use a new library parameter to specify whether or not to check for a loaded tip magazine during the pre-run check procedure. The default is to always check, however the value can be modified via the Change Pipettor Add-In (see below).
3 Change Pipettor Add-In
  3.1 Pre-Run Tip Check
A new field has been added to allow the user to specify whether the pre-run check procedure should check for a loaded tip magazine. If the field is checked then the pre-run procedure will check for the tip magazine or will skip the check if the field is not set. The default value is to always check.
  3.2 Help File
The associated help file for this Add-In has been updated to include the help text relating to the Pre-Run Tip Check field.
4 PlateMate2x2.ini Library File
  4.1 The [Rules] section has a new parameter, 'PreRunCheckTips', which is used during the Pre-Run Tip Check process. The default value is '1', The value is changed via hte Change Pipettor Add-In.
21-Sep 2007
Release 1.1.16
1. Move Command Incremental movements
  1.1 Rectified an issue with the internal control of the address calculation when determining the next X and Y coordinate when performing column movements. Previously the process would not apply the offset if the quadrant count was zero. This has been modifed to cover those instances where the number of tips loaded matches the number of columns/rows in the direction of travel which results in the logic returning a value of 1 quadrant. This was causing the guard to not calculate the first location correctly.
2 CatX Integration
  2.1 RUN Dialogue
The run dialogue process has been modified to ensure that the stage is in the correct position before the gripper enters the PlateMate2xY AOI.
  2.2 Machine Control
The underlying machine control process has been modified to ensure that the stage is in the correct position before the gripper enters the PlateMate2xY AOI.
  2.3 Device Library
The CatX has been added to the device library to provide a new type 'PlateMate2x3 with CatX Robot'.
03-Aug 2007
Release 1.1.15
1. General Release To Include CatX Robot Module Modifications
  1.1 Help text updated to include the additional information relating to the CatX command and Add-In.
  1.2 The underlying Machine Control module has been modified to allow for the CatX robot arm path files to be loaded into memory and cached to ensure faster execution.
16-Jul 2007
Release 1.1.14
1. General Release To Include CatX Robot Module Integration
06-Jul 2007
Release 1.1.12
1. Move Command
  1.1 Safe Travel Height
The logic which moves the tip head to the safe travel height (calculated as 5mm above the tallest vessel in the plate library), to prevent the tips from colliding with the the sides of plates when moving from one stage position to another, has been modified to consider the final required height for the current command. If the final height is physically above the safe travel height then the head is moved to that height. If the final height is physically below the safe travel height then the head is moved to the safe travel height.
28-Jun 2007
Release 1.1.11
1. Move Command
  1.1 Incremental Row Movements
Added the functionality to check if row movements into like well counts (eg single row, 12 tips into 96 well plate) ensure that the correct row offset value is used.
27-Jun 2007
Release 1.1.10
1. Move Command
  1.1 Incremental Row Movements
Previously, when incremental row movements are required using a plate type that would require using quadrant positioning for the currrently loaded tip magazine (eg a single row of 12 tips accessing a 384 well plate), the tips would be offset by 1 row with the tips placed outside of the wells boundary if the user needed to dispense into row 1.

This was being caused by the logic which calculates the plate position and applying the quadrant offset when used in conjunction with incremental column movements.

This has been rectified.
26-Jun 2007
Release 1.1.9
1. Change Tips Command
  1.1 Leaving Tip Clamps Open
Removed the logic to reset the Remove only value tot he default of unchecked when the command is being used within a group.
22-Jun 2007
Release 1.1.8
1. Change Tips Command
  1.1 Leaving Tip Clamps Open
Revised the process to leave tips open to streamline the whole procedure. The process now checks the current state of the piston address and compares this with it's expected address for changing tips. If it is currently at the clamp open address and the requirement is for Remove Only then the process skips all other messages and moves to the end of the Change Tips procedure. If the command is 2nd in the protocol, ie the tip clamping part of the procedure and the current piston address is at the clamp open value then the process jumps to the process that starts the clamping routine

The logic to determine whether or not to close the clamps or leave them open uses the current piston address value at a +/- 5% difference in address values to allow for any slight variations in the current stored value for the 'known' tip clamp height . This is an overkill but allows for any variance in steps form the absolute position as returned by the address query.
21-Jun 2007
Release 1.1.7
1. Change Tips Command
  1.1 Leaving Tip Clamps Open
It is now possible, via a check box, to leave the tip clamps open after the tips have been removed. This facilitates the unloading and loading of tips automatically using an external arm or gripper (eg CatEx). The command sets an internal regsiter that the clamps are open and any subsequent Move command will fail the validation sequence should the tips be left open. To close the clamps simply position a change tips command immediately prior to physically replacing thetip magazine.
2. Sequence Rule: Move Command
  2.1

A new sequence rule, TIP_CLAMP_OPEN, has been added to the library configuration file, PlateMate2x2.ini. This is defined by the entry:

[Rules]
Sequence_08=TIP_CLAMP_OPEN > 0,The tip clamps are open|Use a Change Tips command before continuing

It is set via the entry for the Change Tips command:

[Settings_ChangeTips]
Sequence_Rule_Set=TIP_CLAMP_OPEN=@HIDDEN:TipClampOpen

It is checked by the Move command entry:

[Settings_Move]
Sequence_Rule_Check=TIP_CLAMP_OPEN
04-Jun 2007
Release 1.1.6
1. Plate library Updated
  The "384 1.0ul - 30ul long tips (5416)" have been added for serial dilutuion (single column and single row.)
2. ControlMate 1.3.38
  2.1 Thermo Fisher Scientific Branding : Splash Screen
The Splash Screen has been changed to display the windows form with the branding image as an irregular shaped transparent form type (ie 3 round plus 1 square corners).
  2.2 Thermo Fisher Scientific Branding : About Screen
The Splash Screen has been changed to display the windows form with the branding image as an irregular shaped transparent form type (ie 3 round plus 1 square corners).
31-May 2007
Release 1.1.5
1. Options: Connection Tab
  1.1 Testing the current settings
Changes made to the RS232 communication parameters are now temporarily saved to the configuration file before the port is tested. The original settings are restored back to the file upon completion of the test (regardless of whether the test was successful.) Previously a user needed to exit and reopen the dialogue to test any changed values.

The user now no longer needs to exit and reopen the option in order to test a different port.
  1.2 384 Channel Tall Wash Station
This vessel has been added to the plate library.
30-May 2007
Release 1.1.4
1. ControlMate 1.3.37
  1.1 Thermo Fisher Scientific Branding : Splash Screen
The Splash Screen has been changed to use the pixel rendering ratio algorithm to ensure that the Termo Fisher Scientific background image is displayed on all screen types.
  1.2 Thermo Fisher Scientific Branding : About Screen
The About Screen has been changed to use the pixel rendering ratio algorithm to ensure that the Termo Fisher Scientific background image is displayed on all screen types.
  1.3 Thermo Fisher Scientific Branding : Application Watermark
The Main Application watermark image has been changed to use the pixel rendering ratio algorithm to ensure that the Termo Fisher Scientific background image is displayed on all screen types.
30-Apr 2007
Release 1.1.3
1. Add-In Change Pipettor
  1.1

Deck Layout
It is now possible to set the currently installed deck layout, for example PlateMate2x2, PlateMate2x3 with vacuum manifolds etc. The selection of the deck layout now uses an extension to the pipettor library (held in the PlateMate2x2.ini configuration file) to hold deck specific values (eg tip bottom height). The library section is [Pipettor_Specific_n] where the 'n' suffix is a foreign key to the [Device_Type] entry within the same configuration file. The current entries are :

  1. PlateMate2x2
  2. PlateMate2x3
  3. PlateMate2x2 with vacuum manifolds
  4. PlateMate2x3 with vacuum manifolds
  1.2 Tip Bottom Height
Using the new Deck Layout setting, tip bottom heights are now saved specific to the installed pipettor and deck layout. This means that it is now possible to set different tip bottom heights for different deck layouts.
  1.3 Change Pipettor and Tips Steps
The steps required to change pipettor and tips or tips only within this Add-In are now user configurable and stored within the [Pipettor_Specific_n] library section as described in 1.1 above. This means that steps can be deactivated/activated according to the physical requirements of the selected pipettor. For example, Positive Displacement Heads do not use a remove tip magazine step and so this can be deselected. Closing the Add-In dialogue saves the current checkbox values.
  1.4 Syringe Pipettor Types
All library entries for the Syringe Pipettor types have been set to disable the steps for removing and replacing the tip magazine as part of the new feature described in 1.3 above. Both the user and factory settings have been modified.
  1.5 Reset to Factory Settings
The reset to factory settings wihtin this dialogue now uses the new [Pipettor_Specific_n] structure as described in 1.1 above for all respective settings (change tips, tip bottom heights etc).
  1.6 Negative Stage/Head Address Value Guard
The encapsulated function, GetmmValue(), now has a guard in place to prevent a negative address value form being processed. This prevents such instances when a negative safe travel height was being calculated when a tall wash station was also available within the library. In this instance the negative address is left at zero.
  1.7 Help File Updated
The help text has been chanegd to include the information relating to the Deck Layout field and the relationship between that and hte Tip Bottom Hieght field values.
2. Aspirate Command
  2.1 Tip Bottom Height
The command now uses the new [Pipettor_specific_n] entries as described in 1.2 above to determine the tip bottom height values for the specified pipettor.
  2.2 Negative Stage/Head Address Value Guard
The encapsulated function, GetmmValue(), now has a guard in place to prevent a negative address value form being processed. This prevents such instances when a negative safe travel height was being calculated when a tall wash station was also available within the library. In this instance the negative address is left at zero.
3. Dispense Command
  3.1 Tip Bottom Height
The command now uses the new [Pipettor_specific_n] entries as described in 1.2 above to determine the tip bottom height values for the specified pipettor.
  3.2 Negative Stage/Head Address Value Guard
The encapsulated function, GetmmValue(), now has a guard in place to prevent a negative address value form being processed. This prevents such instances when a negative safe travel height was being calculated when a tall wash station was also available within the library. In this instance the negative address is left at zero.
4. Tools - Options
  4.1 Tip Bottom Height
The command now uses the new [Pipettor_specific_n] entries as described in 1.2 above to determine the tip bottom height values for the specified pipettor.
  4.2 Negative Stage/Head Address Value Guard
The encapsulated function, GetmmValue(), now has a guard in place to prevent a negative address value form being processed. This prevents such instances when a negative safe travel height was being calculated when a tall wash station was also available within the library. In this instance the negative address is left at zero.
5. Mix Command
  5.1 Tip Bottom Height
The command now uses the new [Pipettor_specific_n] entries as described in 1.2 above to determine the tip bottom height values for the specified pipettor.
  5.2 Negative Stage/Head Address Value Guard
The encapsulated function, GetmmValue(), now has a guard in place to prevent a negative address value form being processed. This prevents such instances when a negative safe travel height was being calculated when a tall wash station was also available within the library. In this instance the negative address is left at zero.
6. Move Pipettor Command
  6.1 Tip Bottom Height
The command now uses the new [Pipettor_specific_n] entries as described in 1.2 above to determine the tip bottom height values for the specified pipettor.
  6.2 Negative Stage/Head Address Value Guard
The encapsulated function, GetmmValue(), now has a guard in place to prevent a negative address value form being processed. This prevents such instances when a negative safe travel height was being calculated when a tall wash station was also available within the library. In this instance the negative address is left at zero.
7. Wash Tips Command
  7.1 Tip Bottom Height
The command now uses the new [Pipettor_specific_n] entries as described in 1.2 above to determine the tip bottom height values for the specified pipettor.
  7.2 Negative Stage/Head Address Value Guard
The encapsulated function, GetmmValue(), now has a guard in place to prevent a negative address value form being processed. This prevents such instances when a negative safe travel height was being calculated when a tall wash station was also available within the library. In this instance the negative address is left at zero.
8. Home Command
  8.1 Negative Stage/Head Address Value Guard
The encapsulated function, GetmmValue(), now has a guard in place to prevent a negative address value form being processed. This prevents such instances when a negative safe travel height was being calculated when a tall wash station was also available within the library. In this instance the negative address is left at zero.
9. File Execute (Run)
  9.1 Negative Stage/Head Address Value Guard
The encapsulated function, GetmmValue(), now has a guard in place to prevent a negative address value form being processed. This prevents such instances when a negative safe travel height was being calculated when a tall wash station was also available within the library. In this instance the negative address is left at zero.
10. PlateMate2xY Control Class: ResetDevice()
  10.1 Negative Stage/Head Address Value Guard
The encapsulated function, GetmmValue(), now has a guard in place to prevent a negative address value form being processed. This prevents such instances when a negative safe travel height was being calculated when a tall wash station was also available within the library. In this instance the negative address is left at zero.
11. Change Tips Command
  11.1 Negative Stage/Head Address Value Guard
The encapsulated function, GetmmValue(), now has a guard in place to prevent a negative address value form being processed. This prevents such instances when a negative safe travel height was being calculated when a tall wash station was also available within the library. In this instance the negative address is left at zero.
12. 2x3 Deck Tip Bottom Heights
  12.1 All tip bottom heights were taken as 5.4mm higher than the same Pipettor tip bottom heights as defined for a 2x2 deck. This is due to the deck being 5.4mm higher than a 2x2. Both the user and the factory default heights were modified. The heights for the vacuum manifolds (2x2 and 2x3) were not changed and therefore need to be calibrated.
13. ControlMate 1.3.36
  13.1 Thermo Fisher Scientific Branding : Splash Screen
The Splash screen has been redesigned to follow the Thermo Fisher Scientific branding.
  13.2 Thermo Fisher Scientific Branding : About Screen
The About screen has been redesigned to follow the Thermo Fisher Scientific branding.
  13.3 Thermo Fisher Scientific Branding : Application Titlebar
The application titlebar has been changed to 'Thermo Scientific Matrix ControlMate'
  13.4 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.
14. Pipettor Library Additions
  14.1 96 1.0ul - 30ul standard tips (5586/5587/5588)
The library entries were copied from the PlateMatePlus library and edited for 2x2 and 2x3 parameters (the 2x3 tip bottom height is set 5.4mm higher)
  14.2 384 1.0ul - 30ul standard tips (5416)
The library entries were copied from the PlateMatePlus library and edited for 2x2 and 2x3 parameters (the 2x3 tip bottom height is set 5.4mm higher)
27-Feb 2007
Release 1.1.2
1. Help File
  1.1 The help file has been updated to include information on the recent changes (release 1.1.0 to 1.1.1 inclusive)
26 Jan 2007
Release 1.1.1
1. Position 5 and 6 Place vessel Entries
  1.1 The library configuration file, PlateMate2x2.ini, has been updated with the 2 entries for vessel placement at stage 5 and 6 positions.
  1.2

The library configuration file, 'PlateMate2x2.ini', has been updated with 2 new tall wash station vessels :

  • Tip wash 96 well (Tall)
  • Tip wash 96 well (Tall) into waste bath
25 Jan 2007
Release 1.1.0
1. Device Type Library Entry
  1.1 The library configuration file, PlateMate2x2.ini, has a new section, [DeviceType], which is used to define the different device names as part of the PlateMate2xY range. Currently the types are PlateMate2x2 and PlateMate2x3. The 'Installed' entry within this section defines which type is actually installed.
  1.2 The [Position] library has been renamed to include a suffix as a foreign key to the 'Installed' entry within the [DeviceType] section. If the Installed entry has a value of '1' then this would force any calls from within the device module to use section [Position_1].
  1.3 After installation has completed, a dialogue is displayed which will enable the user to set the PlateMate2xY device type. The default value is PlateMate2x2. The application SetPM2xYType.exe is installed into the ControlMate applciation file directory which would allow the device type to be changed at any time post instalaltion.
2. Sequence File Validation
  2.1
The library configuration file, 'PlateMate2x2.ini', has a new section, '[Validation]'. This section holds the parameters that are used to write the XML code into the validation section within the sequence file. The XML code is subsequentally used during validation when a sequence file is opened. A typically use will probably be pipettor head type which can be used to display a message when a file is loaded if a pipettor head type is different to the one that was installed when the sequence file was last saved. A total of 32,767 validation entries can be added.

The values within this section are :

Parameter Description
1 ini file name to be opened during validation - eg PlateMate2x2.ini
2 section within this ini file, eg 'Pipettor'
3 key within this section, eg 'Default' - this represents the currently loaded pipettor head type
4 parameter within this key value to be used for validation, eg 0 - in this example this represents the pipettor head type description
5 message - this a message that is to be displayed should the validation sequence fail
  2.2
The PlateMate2x2.dll module ValidationXML() procedure has been modified to now use the values held within the ini library file as described in item 2.1 to generate the Validation XML code which is then written to the sequence file when it is saved.
3. Previous Configuration File Back Up Message
  3.1 The message displayed when updating a PlateMate2x2 ControlMate intsallation to preserve a copy of the PlateMate2x2.ini configuration library file was previously showing Apogent Discoveries. This has been modified to show Thermo Fisher Scientific (Matrix Products).
4. I/O Switch Command
  4.1 The 2 I/O ports have been renamed from 'Left' and 'Right' to 'Port 1' and 'Port 2' respectively.
5. Home Axes Command
  5.1 The checkboxes for the individual stages have been removed and replaced with a single checkbox, 'X, Y and Z Axes'. The previous version of this command allowed for the user to select to reset Stage 1, 2, 3 or 4. This was redundant since there are no individual motors to reset for each stage poition as there are on the PlateMatePlus device. Instead, it makes more sense to allow an option to reset either the piston or the stage (which includes the axes for X, Y and Z) or all motors.
6. ControlMate
  6.1 The ControlMate core application has been increased to version 1.3.35 to provide the functionality as described above.
  6.2
The main window has been modified to display the current pipettor type on the toolbar as set by the Add-In menu option.
  6.3
The core module ControlMateCmds.dll has been extended to now provide the information required for the generic ControlMate callee function ShowPipettor() when determining the pipettor name. GUID backward compatibility has been preserved.
  6.4 The Add-In option will now cause the Main form window to refresh the pipettor name field when the Add-In form is unloaded.
  6.5 The Splash screen, displayed when the application is started, now contains the Thermo logo.
  6.6 The About screen, displayed via the Help - About menu option, now contains the Thermo logo.

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