Self extracting executable file.

Date

Description

15-Mar-2005

Version 1.3.46
1. The Move command has been modified to issue a default pump speed at the start of the command execution when axes and piston speed settings are issued. The value used is the maximum value allowed for the pump speed as defined by the PlateMatePlus.ini file. The reason for the change was to work around an issue with loading protocols written for pre EPROM version 2.5 devices which previously used the Move command fill reservoir. Sometimes when loading a protocol file written for an older device on a newer device the pump motor would overrun and lock up. By setting the default speed setting this will provide the EPROM with a speed value and therefore prevent the motor from overrunning.

29-Nov-2004

Version 1.3.45
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.

11-Nov-2004

Version 1.3.44
1. Change Tips command has been modified to rectify an upgrade problem from legacy files that were created with versions prior to version 1.1.6. Previously, when upgrading from a legacy version, any sequence file containing a ChangeTips command would stop loading the file after adding the ChangeTips command to the overall sequence.

21-Sep-2004

Version 1.3.43
1. Updated the Run dialogue to prevent the underlying procedure from resetting the abort mode when cancel has been selected. This was preventing the barcode reader from being switched for runs following a previous run which had been aborted.
2. The Move command will now look for and process any incorrect 'NG' packets sent by the EPROM. Previously these packets, which are identified by the EPROM as valid data packets, were being processed as valid data. Packets of this type will be processed as mis-read barcodes and if the appropriate option is set a dialogue will be presented to the user requesting manual input of the barcode text. Subsequent cancelling of this dialogue will cause $FAIL$ to be written to the barcode file.

31-Aug-2004

Version 1.3.42
1. The Move command has been updated to process any barcode read request response packet received from the EPROM for either 'BDNG' or 'NG' as a read failure. This will result int he manual barcode input dialogue being displayed if applicable.

06-Jul-2004

Version 1.3.41
1. The Move command has been modified to now present, via the Assign Global Values interface, a new field "CurrentColumn" which was previously hidden. This now allows a sequence file to directly access the current column during incremental movements.

25-May-2004

Version 1.3.40
1. Removed the issuing of the EPROM reset command when a user selects to abort a run either via selecting 'stop' or when an error occurs. This removes the anomaly where double resets were occuring (ie the EPROM will issue one and hten the device will). This also prevents the user from trying ot issue a 'stop' type reset whilst a reset is in progress which also removes the 'beeping' after the device resets.

05-May-2004

Version 1.3.39
1. Optimised the reset device routine at the end of a run process to ensure check for stacker positions before issuing an X axis reset.
2. Added a text moniker to the log file output to log the software device module version number eg 'PlateMatePlus version 1.3.39 pre-release' at the start of each file execution.,

05-May-2004

Version 1.3.38
1. Changed the Pipettor library in the ini file to now allow for tip and head removal settings to be pipettor head specific. This new feature has required a change to the Change Pipettor Add-In and Change Tips sequence command components.

28-Apr-2004

Version 1.3.37
1. Resolved an issue where a last position of a protocol at the stacker was causing the device to generate an error E99 and reset itself.
2. Includes the new syringe head configurations within the pipettor library.

25-Feb-2004

Version 1.3.36
1. Move command reading barcodes will now move down aproximately 10mm to trigger the barcode reader.

16-Feb-2004

Version 1.3.35
1. The Move command has been updated to remove the move to the home height after reading a barcode. This will minimize Z axis height movements when reading barcodes.

04-Nov-2003

Version 1.3.34
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 1.3.33
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 wash pump is now correctly switched off for Eproms prior to version 2.5.
5. The wash tips command now correctly moves the piston to the home position regardless of it's current position.
6. The Dispense command now validates the volume field value only if dispensing by specific volume has been selected.

Self extracting executable file.

Date

Description

06-Aug-2003

Version 1.3.32
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.

03-Jul-2003

Version 1.3.31
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.

25-Jun-2003

Version 1.3.30
1. New context menus have been added to Windows Explorer to either open a file for PlateMatePlus or to open and RUN a file for PlateMatePlus.
2. The Windows Start menu now allows for multiple installations for different modules. Clicking a named option (eg ControlMate for PlateMatePlus) will run ControlMate for that named module. This removes the need to keep changing the ControlMate.ini file when multiple installations exist.

31-May-2003
& 24-Jun-2003

Version 1.3.29
1. Tip touch now correctly moves the stage so that the tips are positioned at the centre of the well before moving to the tip touch position for both Aspirate and Dispense commands
2. 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.
3. The [Show] button on the Validate file dialogue now correctly displays the failed command currently highlighted in the failure list in the sequence view.
4. (24-Jun-2003) The Pipettor section of the ini file has been resorted into logical tip size/volume/tip type sequence which is then the sequence used to display the list within the drop down field in the Change Pipettor Add-In option.

23-May-2003

Version 1.3.28
1. Tip touch now moves the stage so that the tips are positioned at the centre of the well before moving to the tip touch position. This resolves an issue where the tip touch was not moving correctly if a tip offset had been previously made.
2. The dwell times value now respects the maximum packet size by breaking the pause done into manageable packets for the firmware pause command when long dwell times are required.
3. The motor steps values have been disabled in the Tools - Options - Motors tab.
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.

28-Mar-2003

Version 1.3.27
1. Resolved the issue where a previously selected incremental movement that was later unselected was still be used as default values when validating further incremental movements. If the values were different to other, selected, incremental movement commands then the latter commands were failing validation. This was more prevalent when using different sized plates (eg 96 and 385) within a protocol.
2. The Change Tips command was not resetting the internal indicator as to the current position which was causing following Move commands to the same position prior to a change tip sequence to bring the tips down to 2mm above the vessel height. Unfortunately the stage was at the home position so this caused the effect of crashing the tips into the side of any taller vessels on the deck.

20-Mar-2003

Move command incremental movements
The internal register was allowing for incremental movements for positions that disallowed incremental movements when other move commands were moving incrementally within a sequence. This has been suppressed. Further to this the movement was causing the stage to move in the wrong direction, ie to the right which had the result of moving the tips to the left of the plate. This has been amended so that the stage moves in the correct direction (ie the stage moves to the left - using negative X values).

Incremental movements equal to zero
It is now possible to set a minimum incremental movement of zero, ie always move to the same column within a sequence.

10-Mar-2003

Move command incremental movements sequence bounds checking
The current column within a group of incremental movements is checked to ensure that the current position does not move beyond the plate boundaries. A validation fail message is displayed to the user if this occurs.

Incremental movements greater than 1
Column incremental movements for increments greater than 1 were causing the start column to be set to that beyond the leading plate edge (ie before column 1).

22-Jan-2003

Move command incremental movements
Previous versions were not checking the upper move limit (ie the value set within the End field) when moving incrementally. Subsequently it was possible for the sequence to allow movements beyond the last position specified. The has been resolved in that if the current incremental value is beyond the End field value then the end field value will be used as the current position.

Self extracting executable file.

Date

Description

03-Jan-2003

Reservoir position max Z height
The reservoir positions maximum z axis value has been set to 15mm (value of 1500).

10-Dec-2002

Barcode test height message
The Tools - Options - Barcodes tab now displays a message to inform the user that the barcode height testing will use stage 1.

Move command barcode read height
The barcode read height now no longer subtracts the plate height from the barcode read height. This means that the stage will now lift to the height as specified in the specific height field or to the preset height set via the Tools - Options - Barcodes tab.

Move command height limit
The maximum height value allowed for the Z axis is now respected during file execution. This is particularly relevant in the use of reservoir positioning where the tip bottom height minus the plate height is sometimes greater than the maximum height allowed. The limit value used is as set as the Z axis max in Tools - Options - Positions tab for the respective position.

21-Nov-2002

Move Command Reservoir Heights
Reservoir positioning and movements will now allow for a height value to be selected. This will allow for the setting of height values to ensure a close proximity to the reservoir liquid level sensor. To prevent collision with the sensor housing the Z height maximum value field in Tools - Options - Positions (for a selected reservoir position) will be used. Therefore any user selection of the preset height or entry directly as a specific height will cause a validation failure if the height entered is too high.

Move Command reservoir Overfill Timeout
The option to fill the reservoir and use the overfill timeout guard is now set as the default action fro reservoir filling. The default timeout period is set to 60 seconds (field value of 6000). The default can be changed via Tools - Options - Commands.

Barcode height testing and reading
The option to test the barcode reading height in Tools - Options - Barcodes tab will now switch on the barcode reader and read the barcode. The barcode that is read is displayed within the window dialogue. This is useful for visual confirmation of the barcode read height. When the user selects to reset the device after testing the read height the reader is switched off.

16-Nov-2002

Abort run pump control
The abort run procedure has changed to switch of any active pumps when a user selects to abort/cancel a file execution process. This occurs before the device is reset.

18-Oct-2002

Tip wash tip positioning - pump control
To comply with the requirement for the X and Y axis EPROM control, the wash and waste pumps are switched off at the start of tip wash offset positioning and then back on again once the tips have been positioned.

02-Oct-2002

Tip wash tip positioning - Y offset control
The Y axis movement has been updated so as to prevent it from reaching a negative value, which previously caused a Y axis error.

29-Sep-2002

New Reservoir Types added
The vessel library has been updated with the new 'stackable' reservoir types.

Tip wash tip positioning
Resolved the issue where the movemment was causing a Comm Error via the EPROM. The command now correctly identifies and uses the correct X, Y and Z axis command prefixes.

17-Sep-2002

Tip wash tip positioning - heights and depths
The Tipwash 96 and 384 chimney vessel dispense depth and well widths have been updated to 8mm x 4.5mm and 6mm x 2.25mm respectively.

Tip wash tip positioning - set position
The selective option has been removed, replaced with a selective 'Into waste bath' which will position behind and to the right of the chimneys.

14-Sep-2002

Tip wash tip positioning - heights and depths
The Tipwash 96 and 384 chimney vessel dispense depth and well widths have been updated to 8mm x 7mm and 6mm x 3.5mm respectively.

Tip wash tip positioning - new position
A new selective position, 'Diagonally between chimneys' has been added.

13-Sep-2002

Tip wash tip positioning - update
The selective offset will now move the entire well width as specified in the Tools - Options - Plates tab. Previously the movememnt moved only half the well width from the chimney centre.

11-Sep-2002

Tip wash tip positioning
Tip wash command now allows the positioning of the tips outside the chimneys if required. Uses the Plate library well width/diameter field to determine the amount of movement. Updated the help file to reflect the new tip wash positioning.

11-Sep-2002

Move command tip wash offset
The previous modification to use the Move command to allow tip wash offsets within wash vessels has been removed. The new functionality within the tip wash command is to be used instead.

28-Aug-2002

Move command tip wash offset
Tip wash vessel types can now be used to offset in the X and Y axes. This is useful if needing to position the tips into the tip wash vessel rather than in the waste chimneys.

27-Aug-2002

Pump motor cut at end of run
The end of run process will now switch off all pump motors regardless of EPROM version. The input pumps will be switched off before the vacuum pumps.

22-Aug-2002

Pump speed control maximum value
The pump speed maximum value has been reduced to prevent fill/waste pump overfills.

02-Aug-2002

Tip Wash pump speed control
The Tip Wash command now allows the control of the fill pump speed.

Self extracting executable file.

Date

Description

18-Jun-2002

Reset Z axis at end of run
A new checkbox switch has been added, available via the Tools - Options - Motors tab, which will enable the control of whether to reset the Z axis positions at the end of each run. If the checkbox is checked then the stages will return to their zero heights at the end of file execution. Unchecking the box will mean that the stages will be at the last height specified in the previously executed sequence file.

Notepad multiple lines
Sequence files that contain Notepad entries spanning several lines now correctly reload and display. Previously the Line Feed character was not displaying correctly and all characters were concatenated onto one line.

18-Jun-2002

Tips Wash reservoir Z axis command correction
Updated the command structure to ensure that the stage reference is output with the 'Z' command.

12-Jun-2002

Tips Wash reservoir overfill prevention
Tip wash routine now checks the tip wash sensor during the tip wash process

17-May-2002

Test mode barcode reader control inprovement
The barcode reader is now only switched off upon exiting Test Mode only if it was switched on. Previously the switch off command was issued regardless of whether it was actually used.

Barcode reader EPROM command issue
The EPROM commands used to switch on/off the barcode reader are now issued as separate packets rather than concatenated with other commands.

01-May-2002

Stacker Position INI change
The configuration file now uses a different method to join the Position and Stacker parameter tables. This will allow the addition of new stacker positions should a user wish to use the stackers differently to their normal usage (eg by the introduction of new stacker types or new methods of loading or unloading them).

30-Apr-2002

Controlled barcode reader switch on when in test mode
The Move command will only issue the EPROM command to switch on the barcode reader, when in test mode, if the barcode read height and the read barcode checkbox are set. This eliminates the pause that was being issued when a barcode reader was connected, the Move command was in test mode but no barcode read position or read barcode checkbox were set.

Retry after receiving barcode reader connection error ('E10')
The sequence for retrying or ignoring a barcode reader connection error has changed to prevent an EPROM retry ('A' or 'I') command packet from being issued. Since a barcode reader connection error does not set an internal error register within the EPROM issuing a retry command would cause a Command Transmission error ('E99') to be generated. If an 'E10' is received and the user selects Ignore then the next command in the sequence is issued. If the user selects to Retry then the command is reissued.

EPROM manual command issuing
A utility has been added to the distribution package, under the custom settings, which will enable the manual issuing of individual EPROM commands. This has been added for support purposes.

27-Apr-2002

Test Move Command Stage Crash
Reset the EPROM command sequence to prevent the stage crashing into a stacker when initialising test mode during the move to 2mm below the tips.

26-Apr-2002

Non pipettor position offsets
Non pipettor positions (Stage1 far left, etc) now no longer issue the X axis movement with an offset address (ie now issues X1 instead of X1+0o00). This will remove the Comm Error (E99) that was being issued by the EPROM since these types of addresses are considered stacker positions which disallow X offset values.

Barcode reader connection status
The method by which an error code, returned by the EPROM when reporting barcode reader connection problems, i shandled has been refined. Version 1.3.6 attempted to deal with the additional packets issued by the EPROM as part of the error reporting. The logic used however was preventing other EPROM commands from functioning correctly. This has been rectified. The routine will still report barcode reader conenction problems, with the additional benefit of reporting them at the start of a file run (which previously it never did).

Test Move command crashing stage into stacker
The current motor position information is held in a cache in order to reduce the motor move times between commands. For example, the cache contains the current Z and X axis positions therefore when the next move command is issued there would be no need to reissue the same X command if at the same position. This cache was not being cleared when exiting from a run or from test mode. Therefore whenever a test mode was being selected after a file had been executed or a previous test mode then the command would use the cache information. This could contain information relating to a previous position which had the potential of causing a stage to move up into an obstruction (eg a stacker). The cache is now cleared when exiting from a run or from a test mode.

Test mode cycle
The Test/Edit mode button is disabled when entering test mode until the initialisation cycle has completed and also at the end of test mode (when the user presses the Edit Mode button) until the test mode close cycle has completed. This will prevent users from repeatedly trying test commands whilst an EPROM command is active. The command fields are also disabled during this period.

24-Apr-2002

Barcode reader failure
The EPROM will return a barcode reader error packet, when it fails to detect a reader, as multiple packets ('E10' and then 'OK'). ControlMate^® has been changed to expect the additional 'OK' packet.

Barcode Init Pause
The pause required to enable the barcode reader to initialise is 5 seconds. This is issued at the start of runs and also at the start of Test mode (assuming barcode reading required). The EPROM command was being issued as a single command to wait for 5 seconds. This has been changed as two separate commands (each of wait for 2 and a hlaf seconds).

Self extracting executable file.

Date

Description

17-Oct-2002

Reservoir Pump Control sensor checking
removed the need to switch on the reservoir pump as part of the sensor query EPROM command.

16-Apr-2002

View Toolbox text selection
Selecting to view toolbox text now no longer deselects all commands in the current sequence file.

View Toolbox icon size selection
Selecting to change the toolbox icon size now no longer selects all commands in the current sequence file.

Ad-Hoc command addition at the foot of the command tree
Query type commands (Move to stacker, mix, home, aspirate and dispense) could sometimes be added to the end of the command tree structure at root level after the Procedures section if the command was the last command in the sequence and was highlighted when the run option was selected. This has been resolved.

Pump motor switch on when querying fill sensor
The Move and Reservoir Pump Control commands will now issue an EPROM command to switch on the reservoir pump when querying the fill sensor when filling until full. This has been added as a means of resillience to ensure that the pump command is never ignored when the level of the liquid in the reservoir is just below the sensor.

X axis reset usage for non zero home values
The method for calculating the number of steps when moving to X axis offsets has changed to take into account a different home starting position when a non zero home value is entered via Tools - Options - Motors. The method will ensure that the correct sign value (+ or -) is used when issuing the offset value to the EPROM.

File edit lock control
The method by which edit locked files are saved has been changed to provide a means by which template files can be used. Now, when a password is not entered for a locked file, the user can save the file with a new name which will remove the edit lock for the new file but will remain active on the original file. This means that a control user can create template files and distrobute these to other users without having to disclose the edit password.

Test mode Z axis height reset
The Z axis heights are reset to the zero position before issuing the EPROM instructions when Test Mode is selected. Thereafter the movmenets will position at 2mm above the vessel top prior to the issue of ad-hoc movements whilst in test mode.

05-Apr-2002

Further timeout change for midnight rollover - base components
All base component files have been checked and changed as appropriate to ensure that file execution does not suspend for 23 hours and 59 minutes over the midnight rollover period. LTutil.dll and LTprint.dll were changed. LTutil.dll contains a base function, Pause(), which was contributing to the problem. This function is used for general process pauses, in particular when applying the send delay value for issuing commands via the RS232 port. It was found that if the midnight change occured within this timeout pause period then the logic prevented the function from completing until the timer (which is always reset to zero at midnight) was greater than the pause period required.

04-Apr-2002

Further timeout change for midnight rollover
Additional resilience added during an ACK retry to ensure that if the system timer is reset then the internal 'timeout' timer is also reset to ensure that 24 hour timeout loops aren't generated.

29-Mar-2002

Overfill timeout
The Move and Reservoir Pump Control commands have additional fields which, when set, will switch off a reservoir fill pump when filling by liquid detection if the sensor does not detect liquid within the specified time period. If this happens then the pump will be switched off and a message displayed to the user that the overfill timeout has been exceeded and allow them the choice of Abort, Retry or Ignore.

21-Mar-2002

Further timeout change for midnight rollover
Added further resilience to prevent a serial communication lock during the ACK received timeout period during the midnight rollover and date change.

20-Mar-2002

Run duration calculation spanning midnight
Removed the anomoly where sometimes a command that is in progress during the date change over midnight would trigger a command completion timeout and suspend file execution.

X axis moving after offset positioning
X axis movements now include an address value along with the stage identifier regardless of whether the movement is to the default home position for a stage position (eg stage 1 at the tips) or for a movement that requires an additional offset from a default stage position. This has been implemented to resolve an issue where the device would cause the stage platen to hit the end stops after two consecutive X axis movements where the first movement required a small X offset and the second required a move to the default home position for the X axis.

12-Mar-2002

Home axis stage position reset
Selecting home all axes will not move to the stage to the last known stage position after resetting. Selecting to reset any of the stages will now reset all Z (height), Y (front to back) and X (left to right) axes and then move the stage to the last stage position selected (eg if Reset Stage 1 and 3 checked then the end of process will move Stage 3 positioned under the tips after resetting the stage positions).

06-Mar-2002

Pause after pump motor control
A 25 millisecond pause has been added when issuing reservoir/waste pump motor commands.

05-Mar-2002

XML dependency removed
The method for parsing saved sequence files now uses a different process which has removed the need for Microsoft Internet Explorer on the destination PC.

04-Mar-2002

Toolbox icons disabled
The Toolbox command icons are now disabled during File Execution to prevent users from inserting commands whilst a run is in progress. The Toolbox is re-enabled at the end of the run sequence.

01-Mar-2002

Test mode column start
Corrected problem where the inital column used for incremental movements in test mode was starting at column zero

28-Feb-2002

Test move X axis reset
Upon exit from test mode, all axes are now reset to thier home positions. This includes the X axis.

End of run X axis reset
Upon completion of a file execution, all axes are now reset to thier home positions. This includes the X axis.

Incremental column movement within large loops
Sequence validation now checks to ensure that Group command iteration values do not excede the maximum possible columns when moving incrementally by column within a vessel.

25-Feb-2002

Testing barcode read height start
The EPROM command to switch on the barcode reader motor which is issued at the start of a 'Test mode' process now waits for 5 seconds before issuing further commands. This will allow for sufficient time for the reader motor to reach it's operating speed.

Testing barcode read height
Checking/unchecking the 'Barcode reader connected' checkbox in Tools - Options - Barcodes now automatically updates the pre-set height dropdown list to allow selection of the barcode reader height.

22-Feb-2002

End of run device control
The Eprom commands used at the end of a run for Eprom versions pre 2.5+ have been changed to individually control each pump rather than use the combined command.

21-Feb-2002

Log File additions
The log file now contains additional text used to highlight the start and end of runs, command text, messages dialogues raised and user responses during runs.

19-Feb-2002

Fine speed range values
The values for the fine speed range have been change to 250 (slowest) to 20 (fastest) inclusive.

Plate library dialogue captions
The Tools - Options - Plates tab now displays the correct captions for the well spacing fields. The resource file contained the incorrect tags for these captions.

Test mode command errors
The command errors message is now no longer generated after pressing the Test Mode button

Tools Options focus
When the Tools Options window is closed, focus is returned to the current editor window. Previously if more than one editor window was opened it would return to the first window that was opened.

Speed Control caption change
The speed control caption for the 'Fine' motor control now reads as 'Slow' indicating that it is to be used to control the slow movement ofthe piston.

18-Feb-2002

Release control to system
Long query processes will now release control to the system whilst running. This will eliminate 'server not responding' messages when running via ControlMateOLE clients.

Call Procedure 'None selected'
Sometimes, a pre 1.3.0 version file would set the procedure being called to 'None selected' when opened with version 1.3.0. This has been amended.

16-Feb-2002

Delete command refresh
Deleting a command from the command tree now refreshes the fields pane

Dispense All
The dispense all and dispense all with blow out options have been optimised to ensure that the piston moves to the zero position when dispensing.

13-Feb-2002

Tip bottom height change
All tip bottom heights have been raised by 1.4mm

12-Feb-2002

Comms processor
The serial comms processor ensures that all packets are placed at the end of the recevied packets stack

New pipettor entries added
The pipettor/head library has been updated with new entries. Some existing entries have been modified.

Add-In run time error
The run time error 91 has been removed when closing an Add-In dialogue window

11-Feb-2002

Add-In dialogue and editor focus
The current editor window is returned to focus when an Add-In window is closed

Saved 'valid' file execution
Files that have been saved with the valid flag set will now immediatley when when selected in File Execution

08-Jan-2002

Pipettor drop down box focus
The pipettor selection drop down box no longer loses focus after viewing help and allows the selection of another item.

Volumetric Editor Cancel Edit
The run time error 91 is no longer produced if a user decides to cancel adding a new entry.

File validation focus
When file validation has completed or the validation window is closed, focus is returned to the current editor window. Previously if more than one editor window was opened it would return to the first window that was opened.

Valve control serial port validation
The serial port field now no longer allows negative entries

Cancel changed in Tools - Options
Selecting 'Cancel' after making changes in the Tools - Options dialogue now no longer hides the fields whilst the dialogue box is open.

Closing Change Pipettor When controlling device
The user is prevented from closing the Change Pipettor Add-In dialogue whilst the device is in use (eg when testing heights or when changing head/tips)

Closing Tools Options When controlling device
The user is prevented from closing the Tools Options dialogue whilst the device is in use (eg when testing heights)

Run date and duration
The previous run date and duration for a sequence is now displayed when a file is opened and upon run completion

06-Jan-2002

Move command reduced Z axis positioning
If consecutive movements do not change the X and Y positions then the move to the top of the plate in between each movement has been removed.

Notepad new line characters
The new line characters added when the user presses enter when adding text are correctly converted to XML format when saving and re-converted to new line characters when opening a saved file.

Obscure 'Auto' drag drop
The problem has been remedied where a group command will paste itself at the top of the Main Sequence if it contains commands that list longer than the visible tree list which is then 'collapsed' has been resolved. The cause was the automatic action that was generated when the list scrolls up when the command is collapsed.

Edit Paste
The toolbar buttons and pop up menu options for view clipboard and paste are now reenabled once a paste action has completed.

Call Procedure selection anomoly
Pressing tab when the Group selection drop down list now no longer causes the Run time error 381.

Dispense all with blow out sequence change
The sequence in the Dispense command that is set to dispense all with blow out is now :-
1. dispense
2. blow out
3. dwell time
4. tip touch
5. move to well top
6. reset piston.

Barcode reader preset height
The Move command no longer includes the 'Barcode read' preset height in the drop down list if the 'Barcode reader connected' checkbox is unchecked in Tools - Options - Barcode tab.

Switch off waste and reservoir pumps when run aborted
The command to switch off the waste and reservoir pumps is now issued if a run is aborted.

Command user interface preserved
Command user interfaces are now not 'lost' when exiting an editor dialogue after previously opening an Add-In, Run, Validation or Options dialogue.

Change Pipettor Add-In
When saving changes the trailing comma has been removed and a blank entry is not written if no changes have been made.

05-Feb-2002

File Execution window focus
The File Execution dialogue window will ensure that the current editor window is the one that is displayed before a run starts and also when a run completes or the execution window is closed.

Comms buffer change
The technique for processing the serial communications buffer has been modified to prevent software and device from losing synchronisation when an out of process action occurs (eg when moving the File Execution window during a run). The process will now ensure that all packets recevied are acknowledged and are added to the processing buffer object stack.

Home all axes change
The Home axis command has been changed so that the Home all axes option now issues the reset packet as a seperate command to the axis speed commands.

Wash tips delay
The 2 second at the start and 2.5 seconds delay after switching off the waste pump at the end of the tip wash process has been changed to 15 milliseconds, therefore removing just under 4.5 seconds from each tip wash process (eg for a 50 plate copy this could remove over 4 minutes per run).

Call Procedure selection method
A new drop down selection field has been added that will allow a user to select whether to view 'Local' or 'External' procedures. The Procedure selection dialogue will then show only those procedures that belong to the group selected. This has the effect of fine tuning the list of procedures for selection which is extremely useful when a sequence file contains calls to many procedures.

Double reset when aborting file execution
The double reset is now no longer issued when a file execution is aborted.

Piston Speed Control Precision Selection
The Speed Control command now offers the facility to specify the precision by which the piston motor is controlled. The default setting is for Normal which offers the more common use for the full range of volumes. However setting it to 'Fine' offers more precision when handling low volumes.

Unload Sequence Editor refresh method
Selecting to unload a sequence editor dialogue now no longer refreshes the fields and command tree if the user selects to lose changes. This is more noticeable in the External Procedure File command where previously the file would be loaded even though the user selected to lose changes.

External Procedure reload method
If a file that is referenced via an External Procedure File command is changed then a new button, 'Reload', is displayed which will allow the user to reload the file. Used in conjunction with the 'Check for file changes' checkbox it is now possible to reference a changed file but use the original settings rather than having to reload the new file everytime.

Switch off pump motors when aborting
The waste and fill pump motors are now switched off when a run aborts.

Minimised File Execution Window
The file execution dialogue window now no longer 'disappears' from screen allowing the user to restore the window.

File Execution Window Title Bar
The title bar now actively displays the current focus status (ie if the current window will display the active title bar colour).

File Execution Window File information
The current sequence editor filename and last run details are displayed in their respective fields.

12-Jan-2002

Cut/Copy/Paste/File Loading Improvements
The process for cutting/copying and pasting comamnds to and from the clipboard and also when building the tree display during file loading has been optimised for performance. The process has also been modified to remove the anomoly where the first group command assumes the value of the last nested group command during the copy process.

Parameter change for tip heights
The tip height value for 100ul heads has been modified to 10060 (1/100mm)

Test Move Command Safe Height
During test mode the stage will now only move to the tip safe height (ie 2mm gap between top of plate and bottom of tips) only if a 'Pipettor' stage position is selected.

11-Jan-2002

Distribution project rebuild
The InstallShield project has been refreshed and compacted for optimisation purposes

04-Jan-2002

Test Move command and barcode reading
Tools - Options - Barcodes tab has a new checkbox, 'Barcode reader connected' which when checked will issue barcode laser switch commands during Move command test mode.

20-Dec-2001

Test Move command and barcode reading
The barcode reader is always switched on at the start of testing a Move command regardless of whether the position is set for testing barcode reading. The reader is switched off at the end of a test session.

19-Dec-2001

Command tree locked during file execution
The command tree list is locked against update during file execution. This prevents changes to commands whilst the file is being executed. The list is unlocked at the end of a run or when a run is aborted.

18-Dec-2001

XML Sequence File Released
Sequence files now exist as XML files. The file structure description (DTD) is saved as part of the file which means that it is very extensible. This means that new features could be added to any existing or future command module without any detrimental effect to existing saved files thus always ensuring backwards compatibility. When the software is released, any sequence files saved with version 1.1.0 upwards will be able to be opened, they will be converted to XML when the user selects to save the file. This file structure change dramatically reduces the amount of time taken to open and validate files.

Since the files are in XML format it is easier to highlight any set up issues. The files can be transmitted and read with any XML enabled Internet or file browser.

This is a new release of software, all previous modifications made in the previous version (1.1.7) are included in this release.

15-Dec-2001

Memory usage during save and reading files
The cache has been optimised when reading and saving sequence files. The cache is flushed when a file is saved and then another immediately reopened.

06-Dec-2001

External Procedure File validation
The feature now fully validates a file for procedures called removing the lock which failed a procedure from being successfully executed by not validating the external procedure.

Group command optimisation during validation
The method used by a Group command during the file validation process has been optimised to reduce the number of calls used.

Delay in adding new commands
Certain circumstances have resulted in a delay between selecting to add a command and the command frame being displayed. This delay is more noticeable when adding new Move commands. The cause was tracked down to a combination of Anti Virus software and operating systems used. When the 'Scan when run/loaded' option is checked within the Anti Virus software the command object to be added is loaded into memory which triggers the Anti Virus software to scan it. This results in a delay before the command can be viewed. Obviously the larger the command file and usage of additional ActiveX controls within it, e.g. Graphical drop down lists etc the longer the scan takes (for example a Move command). The software has been modified in it's object loading method to reduce the need for the file to be scanned each time a command is added. This is a workaround. Not all anti virus software versions perform this scan each time a file is loaded, some create a cache of files already scanned and monitor changes rather than rescan each time.

Move command reservoir heights
Selecting a reservoir position when EPROM 2.5+ is used will disable the height fields. The preset height will be set to zero preventing the stage from moving up and hitting the sensor.

Reservoir Z axis values
The ini file has been updated to show the correct Z axis values for reservoir positioning at stage 3 and 4.

EPROM 2.5+ Tip Wash speed
The pump speed used during tip washing is set to the maximum at the start of the routine when EPROM version 2.5+ is used.

Reservoir Pump Control Help File
The help text has been updated to explain that the 'Empty' feature is used to remove residual liquid in the tube connected to the pump.

26-Nov-2001

New Command : External Procedure File
Allows procedures in external files to be imported into the current file within the Procedures Section. This therefore make the procedures available from the standard Call Procedure command. This drastically reduces the validation time by not having to load each external procedure each time it is called.

Procedure Section Validation
Validation errors within procedures contained within the Procedures Section can cause a file from being executed. This has been amended so that errors are ignored for commands contained within a Procedures Section. This has had a dramatic effect in reducing the amount of time taken to validate and execute files.

24-Nov-2001

Open communication port
The process for opening a communication port has to changed to process the new packet returned by EPROM version 2.5+. The packet contains information relating to version number and motor sensor positions. This information is used to determine the tip and syringe parameters and has removed the need to individually query these sensors when the start run button is pressed therefore giving an instantaneous run start. The process can deal with pre 2.5 and 2.5+ version EPROMs.

New Command : Reservoir Pump Control
A new command has been added, with full help text, that facilitates the control of the new peristaltic pumps for reservoir filling. The command will check to ensure that the attached device is using EPROM version 2.5+. The command allows for filling of vessels by either fill until full (i.e. the liquid level sensor activates) or filling or emptying for fixed durations (in 1/100 seconds). Sequence rules exist to ensure that a Move command with a 'reservoir' position has been selected prior to the pump control command.

Move command new position values
The position drop down list now contains new entries for reservoir vessel positioning at the new dispensement positions. These new entries are only shown in the list for devices configured with EPROM version 2.5+. This command can deal with both pre 2.5 and 2.5+ version EPROMs.

Move command vessel type rules
Only reservoir vessel types are displayed in the vessel type drop down list if the position selected is one of the new reservoir positions.

Move command reservoir fill fields
The fields to enable reservoir filling are not available within the Move command when EPROM 2.5+ is used. Instead the new Pump Control command provides the extended functionality of filling and draining reservoirs.

Wash tips new EPROM support
The wash tips command now uses the EPROM version number value to determine which pump motor commands to use. This command can deal with both pre 2.5 and 2.5+ version EPROMs.

EPROM version number display
A new field has been added to the Tools - Options - Communication dialogue which will display the EPROM version number of the attached device once the test connection button is pressed.

Abort/Retry/Ignore processing
The EPROM version number information is now used to determine the best method for processing Abort/Retry/Ignore situations therefore resulting in a much more responsive process. This command can deal with both pre 2.5 and 2.5+ version EPROMs.

07-Nov-2001

Move command barcode reading test mode
The barcode reader is now switched on at the start of test mode if the move command has a barcode reading height set. This will assist users in testing the most appropriate height for reading barcodes. The barcode laser is switched on at the start of 'Test Mode' and is left on until the user presses 'Edit Mode'.

Wash Height changed
The wash height has been changed from 1500 to 1200 for 384 and 16 channel 0.1 to 12.5ul tips.

01-Nov-2001

Move command barcode reading
The checkbox will now ensure that barcode reading is available after opening a sequence file. The command now no longer requires another move command to switch on the barcode reader laser. All other commands within this mdoule have had their values correctly 'cast' during file saving.

31-Oct-2001

Move command quadrant list optimisation
Reduced the number of times the quadrant list was being generated.

29-Oct-2001

Change to 1536/384 tip quadrant offset values
384 tip quadrant X and Y offset values for Matrix and Nunc 1536 plates have been changed.

Move command quadrant drop down list
The quadrant drop down list is now fully populated when a new Move command is added. The list is available for testing purposes during Test Mode.

25-Oct-2001

File Read cache change
Change to the method by which the file open cache is used. Sometimes it was possible for the cache to prevent a sequence file from being fully loaded.

22-Oct-2001

Memory marshalling change and install package update
The memory marshaller has been changed to reduce the overall memory usage. MRU's and Add-In component entries are added dynamically. The same processing has been applied to the Tools - Options, Run Validation and File execution components. Unused ActiveX components have been removed from the component header. The InstallShield distribution package has been recreated using the newly built components. This has reduced the overall memory usage by about 500K for this device component.

Test mode improvements
The command test mode has been improved to ensure that the command default values don't override the current command values, that device control is instantaneous and control packets aren't issued twice.

12-Oct-2001

Sequence File Editor user interface control
Resolved an issue where the currently highlighted command user interface was disappearing when an editor window lost focus.

11-Oct-2001

File Validation and Execution GUI control
Selecting file validation or execution will 'Set' any changes to the current command and then display the Main Sequence command before starting the required process. This speeds up and tidies up the GUI during validation and execution.

06-Oct-2001

Call Procedure Command
Changed to resolve an issue that was causing the fields to be reset to those of the last Call procedure (if it exists) contained within the file being called. Also tidied up the screen usage for external file calling and subroutine drop down list population.

03-Oct-2001

Further Changes to Speed Improvements
Changed the method by which templates are displayed when an Editor form loses focus (eg another editor, run, validate, print etc window being opened).

22-Sep-2001

Memory usage change
The method used to redraw commands when they are clicked on the tree view has been modified to improve performance. Clicking a command is now instantly shown in the fields frame. This has also reduced the amount of memory used by about 80%. This has knock on effects by improving validation, run and printing performances.

Dispense with blow out dwell time
The dwell time now leaves the tips in the sample during this pause before moving to the reset piston position.

16-Sep-2001

New application Splash and About screens
The start up Splash and About screens have been changed to display the Apogent Discoveries logo.

14-Sep-2001

Main application changed to process internal message objects
Internal message objects are used to pass message information between sequence command objects. The marshaller has been changed to optimise their usage.

Barcode reading initialisation change
Previously the barcode reader motor was only switched on if a barcode read Move command was the last Move command in a sequence. This has been rectified.

13-Sep-2001

Rebuilt using new InstallShield release
New release is now smaller to download, forces removal of previous releases and also includes the help files.

Start file execution logic and timing change
The start of sequence file execution has changed to provide better feedback in the event of comms failure, tip magazine missing etc. This has also resulted in a quicker run start.

10-Sep-2001

New command added : Execute External Application
New command added to the intrinsic command list to facilitate the calling of external applications. See help screen for full usage details.

07-Sep-2001

Run Initialise Sequence change
The start of the sequence file execution has changed to provide more feedback to the user in the event of communication errors, missing tip magazines etc.

01-Sep-2001

Cut, Copy, Paste, Drag improvements
The process used to cut, copy, paste and drag commands within the command tree list has been modified to reduce copy time and also to address an anomaly where pasting commands from the clipboard which contains a number of nested group commands for files which had been heavily modified caused the lowest group command to lose child commands.

Plate Definition Editor
The quadrant X/Y offset edit field was incorrectly positioning above the grid. This has been rectified.

Call to External Procedures
The drop down list of external procedure names was not allowing selection after the file had been loaded. This has been rectified.

Barcode reading optimisation
Any run which requires use of the barcode reader will now cause the barcode reader to be initialised at the start of the run and not at barcode read step. The reader is deactivated at the end of a run. This will remove the 5 second delay that i s needed if initialise and read are part of the same command. There is no change needed to any current sequence file as there is no user interface to initiate this sequence, it is automatic.

11-Aug-2001

Valve Control command moved to Custom Install
To install the Valve Control command a user must now select 'Custom' during the installation procedure

07-Aug-2001

Volumetric Calculation Editor
Resolved the Type mismatch error message when the 'Add' button is clicked.

Tools - Options Graphic Buttons
Removed the captions from the graphic butt