LabVIEW drivers - CAT - Liquid Handling CaRo XYZ Autosampler

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CAT - Liquid Handling CaRo XYZ Autosampler

The information provided by CAT (8 pages) is a good starting point for creating a vi to control the CaRo XYZ Autosampler. The following text describes the requirements for controlling a single autosampler.

Making the connection

On the rear of the autosampler there are 5 (or 6) connectors for your RS232 cable to choose from. You should use the DB9 female connector. Furthermore you should use a regular serial cable.

All connectors:

[a] DB9m [b] DB9m

[c] DB9m [d] DB9m

[e] DB25f [f] DB9f

[a] auxilliary RS232 port of X-axis controller
[b] auxilliary RS232 port of Y-axis controller
[c] spare
[d] auxilliary RS232 port of Z-axis controller
[e] I/O ports [OPTIONAL]
[f] RS232 <--> PC

Establishing the right protocol

RS232 setting CAT CaRo XYZ

baudrate 9600 (1200-38400)

8 databits

1 stopbit

no pariy

Commands and responses are allways followed by a carriage return (ASCII code #OD, \r in LabVIEW).

A command consists of the address, the actual command code and a comma separated parameter list.

After sending the command the autosampler will give the following responses:

A string containing the original command (echo).

A string for each axis (!) containing the address, the handshake code "HS", a return code and a varying number of parameters.

In case of movements a string for each axis after the movement has finished (!) containing the address, the handshake code "HS", the return code (usually "OK") and "RDY" (for ready).

The right address

The autosampler can be given a base address from 101 upto 255; the default address is 101.
The base address can be used to control all axes at the same time. For individual control each axis has a slave address; for the X-axis use the base address - 100 (default is 1), for controlling the Y-axis use the X-axis address + 1 (default is 2) and for controlling the Z-axis use the X-axis address + 2 (default is 3).

The control commands

From all 36 commands the following 8 seem to be of interest for day-to-day practice:

control command description

MA move absolute (1 axis)

MAL move absolute (3 axes)

MR move relative (1 axis)

MRL move relative (3 axes)

RAC read axis status

RSS read system status

RTY read system information

SRF perform initialisation move

The return code

The return code "OK" indicates the command was received and executed; the respone includes the appropriate list of parameters.

The return code "NA" indicates the command cannot be executed for example because move is still in progress; the respone includes the 'actual operation mode' and the 'servo condition'.

The other return codes (or error codes) are not followed by parameters:

error code description

UC unknown command

PA wrong number of parameters

PR one (or more) parameters out of range

PL one (or more) parameters too long

DF unknown data format

Testing the system

LabVIEW is not the easiest option for preliminary testing. It's much easier to use a simple DOS-based program (MASTER.EXE) to test the basic control commands. After establishing which commands should be used in what order one can start to create the (sub-)vi's. It will be proven that LabVIEW is in effect very easy to use to this end!

The following test-result were established by using MASTER.EXE:

Although the RAC command parameter is a dummy, it should allways be 1.

According to the RTY command the firmware version of the used device is V1.22 and the devicename is XYZ.

The XYZ coordinates depend on the SRF move. This table shows the default settings for both the '1' and the '-1' reference point.

reference point '1' '-1'

X-axis 0 right
move left with
-1..-5600 left
move right with
1..5600

Y-axis 0 near
move away with
-1..-3000 far
move closer with
1..3000

Z-axis 0 bottom
move up with
-1..-1300 top
move down with
1..1300

The table reads as follows: Setting the reference position for the X-axis with -1, will set position 0 on the far left and moving to the right can be established with values in the range form (about) 1 to 5600.
This is with the powerline and RS232 connector at the rear of the autosampler and the 'arms' in front of you.
The presented data are for the V1.22 version and may differ for other versions.

Downloads

support files

caro.ini
Support file (initialisation).

master.zip
This zip file contains MASTER.EXE, MASTER.INI and MASTER.TXT. Use this program to test simple commands like "1,SRF,-1".

rs232_readback.vi
This vi reads the response from the autosampler.

caro_global.vi
This vi holds the global variable with the path to the support file caro.ini. Before using any of the other vi's, first point to the right location!

caro_ini.llb
This LabVIEW library file contains vi's to read from and to write to caro.ini which holds the x, y and z position and a motion flag. Includes: caro_ini_read_motion.vi, caro_ini_read_position.vi, caro_ini_read_xyz_position.vi, caro_ini_write_motion.vi, caro_ini_write_position.vi and caro_ini_write_xyz_position.vi.

The following 4 sub-vi's can be used to bring the 'arms' to a known position.

caro_info_sub.vi
This vi issues a request for information on the CaRo autosampler. This vi can be used to properly start communication.

caro_up_sub.vi
This vi moves the 'Y-arm' to the highest position by using the SRF (set reference) command.

caro_home_sub.vi
This vi moves all 'arms' to their reference position by using the SRF command.

caro_return_sub.vi
This vi returns all 'arms' to their last known position.

caro_delay_sub.vi
This vi calculates, by approximation, the time (in ms) that it takes to move the 'arms'.

main programs
caro_connect.vi
This vi moves the individual 'arms'. This vi uses the above-mentioned sub-vi's and sub-vi's from caro_ini.llb.

caro_connect_3.vi
This vi moves three 'arms' simultaneously. This vi also uses the above-mentioned sub-vi's and sub-vi's from caro_ini.llb.