PerkinElmer FlexDrop iQ User manual

FlexDrop™ iQ™
Non-Contact Dispenser
Automation Guide
© Copyright 2021, PerkinElmer, Inc.
P/N CLS155336 Rev. A
Publication Date: April 14, 2021

Preface 2
P/N CLS155336 Rev. A FlexDrop iQ Automation Guide PerkinElmer, Inc.
Preface
Copyright
This manual is published by PerkinElmer, Inc., 68 Elm Street, Hopkinton, MA 01748 USA.
Copyright 2021, PerkinElmer, Inc. All rights reserved, including but not limited to those rights to
reproduce this publication or parts thereof. Reproduction of this publication or parts thereof, or
the products it describes, by any means or in any form is expressly prohibited without the
written permission of PerkinElmer.
Trademarks
PerkinElmer is a registered trademark of PerkinElmer, Inc. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.
Content
Any errors or omission which may have occurred in this publication despite the utmost care
taken in its production will be corrected as soon as possible, but not necessarily immediately
upon detection. PerkinElmer provides this publication “As Is” without warranty of any kind,
either express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability
or fitness for a particular purpose.
Some states or jurisdictions do not allow disclaimer of express or implied warranties in certain
transactions; therefore, this statement may not apply to you. PerkinElmer reserves the right to
revise this publication and to make changes from time to time in the content hereof without
obligation of PerkinElmer to notify any person of such revision or changes. Further,
PerkinElmer may make modifications to the product described in this manual at any time
without any obligation to notify any person of such modifications.
Proper Equipment Operation
WARNINGS
•To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not remove the cover. No user serviceable
parts are inside. Refer to qualified service personnel if help is required.
•Use this product only in the manner described in this manual. If the equipment is
used in a manner not specified by the manufacturer, the protection provided by the
equipment may be impaired.
AVERTISSEMENTS
•Pour réduire le risque de choc électrique, ne pas retirer le couvercle. Ce produit ne
contient aucune pièce pouvant être réparée par l’utilisateur. Au besoin, confier
l’appareil à un réparateur qualifié.
•Ce produit ne doit être utilisé que comme décrit dans ce manuel. Si cet appareil est
utilisé d’une manière autre que celle spécifiée par le fabricant, la protection fournie
par l’appareil peut être entravée.

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Contact Us
If you have a question about a product that is not answered in this manual, or if you need
assistance regarding this product, please contact the PerkinElmer Technical Support Center
from 8:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday:
Phone: (US Toll Free): 800-762-4000
(Worldwide): [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Internet: www.perkinelmer.com
Before you call, have the following information available for the technical representative:
• Product serial number
• Software version (found by choosing About from the main menu)
• If applicable, the error number shown in the software or in the log file.
Product Service and Customer Support Plans
PerkinElmer offers a full range of services to ensure your success. From our original factory
warranty through a comprehensive line of customer support plans, PerkinElmer offers you
Field Service Engineers and in-house Specialists who are dedicated to supporting your
hardware, software, and application development needs.
Phone: (US Toll Free): 800-762-4000
(Worldwide): [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Our programs can include such useful services as:
• Preventive maintenance
• Diagnostic servicing performed on-site by PerkinElmer field service engineers or remotely
via Technical Support
• Validation performed on-site by PerkinElmer field service engineers
• Extended use of the PerkinElmer Technical Support Center
• Software updates
• Parts, labor, and travel expense coverage
• Other customized services upon request
Training for Your Product
Contact PerkinElmer for information about the availability of training courses for your product:
Phone: (US Toll Free): 800-762-4000
(Worldwide): [phone]
Fax: [phone]
FCC
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC (United States Federal Communications
Commission) Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
•This device may not cause harmful interference, and
•This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause
undesired operation.

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CE
This device complies with all applicable CE rules and requirements.
NOTE
Changes or modifications to this equipment not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
REMARQUE
Tout changement ou modification apporté à cet instrument non expressément approuvé
par l’entité responsable de la conformité peut annuler l’autorisation d’opérer l’appareil
accordée à l’utilisateur.
Table of Symbols
Table 1 contains symbols that identify particularly important information and alert you to the
presence of hazards. These symbols may appear in this manual and/or on the product it
describes.
Table 1. Important Symbols
Symbol
Symbole
Description
Description
WARNING: Caution. Refer to the User’s documentation. (ISO
7000-0434B)
AVERTISSEMENT : Attention. Se reporter à la documentation
de l’utilisateur.
NOTE: A cautionary statement; an operating tip or maintenance
suggestion; may result in instrument damage if not followed.
REMARQUE : Énoncé indiquant une précaution à prendre, un
conseil de fonctionnement ou une suggestion d’entretien; son
non-respect peut provoquer des dommages à l’instrument.
Hazardous voltage; risk of electric shock. (IEC 60417-6042)
Tension dangereuse ; risque de blessure par électrocution.
Biological risks. (ISO 7000-0659)
Risques biologiques.
Crush hazard. Risk of body parts, hair, jewelry, or clothing
getting caught in a moving part. (ISO 3864)
Danger d’écrasement. Faire attention que les parties
corporelles, les cheveux, les bijoux ou les vêtements ne soient
pas pris dans une pièce mobile.
Lifting hazard. May result in injury. (ISO 3864)
Levage dangereux. Peut entraîner des blessures.
Keep Dry. (ISO 7000-0626)
Garder au sec.

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Symbol
Symbole
Description
Description
Fuse. (IEC 60417-5016)
Fusible.
Alternating current. (IEC 60417-5032)
Courant alternatif.
On (power). |(IEC 60417-5007)
Marche (alimentation).
Off (power). (IEC 60417-5008)
Arrêt (alimentation).
CE compliance mark.
Marque de conformité CE.
WEEE symbol (EN50419:2005). Do not dispose of as unsorted
municipal waste. See the PerkinElmer website
(www.perkinelmer.com) for more information.
Consult Instructions for Use. (ISO 7000-1641)
Consulter les Instructions d’emploi.

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Table of Contents
Preface ................................................................................................................................. 2
Copyright ......................................................................................................................... 2
Trademarks...................................................................................................................... 2
Content............................................................................................................................ 2
Proper Equipment Operation............................................................................................. 2
Contact Us....................................................................................................................... 3
Product Service and Customer Support Plans ................................................................... 3
Training for Your Product.................................................................................................. 3
FCC................................................................................................................................. 3
CE ................................................................................................................................... 4
Table of Symbols.............................................................................................................. 4
Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 7
Overview.......................................................................................................................... 7
Establishing Remote Access............................................................................................... 8
Getting Started................................................................................................................. 8
Running the Applications .................................................................................................. 9
LacsDriverCore........................................................................................................... 9
Control via local CLI - LacsDriverCore Execution Mode.................................................... 10
Troubleshooting ............................................................................................................. 13
Device Initialization............................................................................................................ 15
SiLA Specification .......................................................................................................... 15
Initialization Example...................................................................................................... 16
Troubleshooting ............................................................................................................. 17
Running an Automation..................................................................................................... 18
Scheduling Example....................................................................................................... 18
Troubleshooting ............................................................................................................. 19
Implemented SiLA Command ............................................................................................ 20
EjectCarrier.................................................................................................................... 20
GetStatus....................................................................................................................... 20
Standby ......................................................................................................................... 21
DispenseProtocol ........................................................................................................... 22
Error Behavior .......................................................................................................... 22
TransferLiquidSiLA......................................................................................................... 23
AbortProcess ................................................................................................................. 24
Shutdown....................................................................................................................... 25
ReadCode...................................................................................................................... 25
Delay ............................................................................................................................. 25
Configure....................................................................................................................... 25
GetDeviceIdentification................................................................................................... 26
SetParameters ............................................................................................................... 26
GetDeviceInputPressure................................................................................................. 27
GetDispenseHeadInputPressure..................................................................................... 27
Lock/Unlock Device........................................................................................................ 28
The SiLA Communication Principle................................................................................... 29

Introduction 7
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Introduction
Overview
This document illustrates how to control the FlexDrop iQ instrument via SiLA
V1.3, a widely used communication standard in lab automation.
To facilitate remote control of the FlexDrop iQ, we provide a dedicated
Laboratory Automation Control Suite (LACS). The main component is the
application LacsDriverCore.exe, which serves as an interface to the FlexDrop
iQ main hardware driver named PerkinElmer_FlexDrop_iQ.dll.
Further information about integrating the FlexDrop iQ into an automation can
be found in C:\Program Files\PerkinElmer\FlexDrop iQ
Studio\Documentation\Technical Documentation SiLA.zip. If you have not yet
installed FlexDrop iQ with the remote access capabilities, see page 8.
For any questions, please contact your PerkinElmer Service Representative.

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Establishing Remote Access
Getting Started
To learn about the SiLA 1.x communication principles, see page 29.
During install of FlexDrop iQ v1.6 or later, select the Install with remote
control capabilities (for automation purposes only) check box as shown
below. The required files are installed in the \Automation folder of the
application folder.
The Automation folder contains two applications:
•LacsDriverCore.exe which provides the functionality of the FlexDrop
iQ drivers to a SiLA service provider. Thereby, any SiLA-Compliant
PMS (Process Management Software) can communicate with the
FlexDrop iQ.
•DriverGui.exe can run the SiLA methods of the driver without the
need to start an actual remote SiLA connection. This can be used for
preliminary testing.

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Running the Applications
Only one of the three applications LacsDriverCore.exe, DriverGui.exe and
FlexDrop iQ may run at a time.
LacsDriverCore
There are several ways to facilitate the FlexDrop iQ SiLA interface. Each of
these methods runs LacsDriverCore and sets the main FlexDrop iQ driver
called PerkinElmer_FlexDrop_iQ.dll as the targeting assembly.
Method 1
If you installed the app in the default application directory, LacsDriverCore will
automatically take the correct binary file as an input right after it is started
with a double click.
To set this manually, open the file LacsSiLAConfiguration.lconf with Notepad
and change the value for the parameter Device DeviceURI in the tag Device
to the path of the file PerkinElmer_FlexDrop_iQ.dll in the application folder.
Now the right dll should be consumed on startup of LacsDriverCore.
Method 2
Drag the file PerkinElmer_FlexDrop_iQ.dll in the Automation folder onto
LacsDriverCore.exe.
Method 3
Start LacsDriverCore and use the command:
Using the default path, the command is:
Each of these three options will do the same; start the SiLA network interface
on the FlexDrop iQ. The following text in LACS indicates that starting the
FlexDrop iQ binaries was successful:
PerkinElmer_FlexDrop_iQ: DDK Version: FhG_Driver_DDK, Version=3.0.7.7068,
Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=768964f1aea6fe54
(…)
LacsDriverCore: The Service Provider is now listening at http://+:8080/Provider/
SoapServiceProvider: Service Provider is now waiting for requests.
You can now connect to the FlexDrop iQ from the scheduling PC by using the
URL http://<IP>:8080/Provider where <IP> is the IP address of the FlexDrop
iQ. Make sure the FlexDrop iQ and the PC are connected via Ethernet or
Wifi.
'driver FULL_PATH_TO_DRIVER_DLL'
driver C:\Program Files\PerkinElmer\FlexDrop iQ Studio\Automation\PerkinElmer_FlexDrop_iQ.dll

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NOTE: We recommend specifying a static IP for the FlexDrop iQ if the instrument is used
with an automation.
DriverGui
The DriverGui lets you see and test the SiLA functions of the FlexDrop iQ
locally without the need to start a SiLA connection.
Start the application by dragging the file PerkinElmer_FlexDrop_iQ.dll onto
DriverGui.exe. or select it manually within the application via File -> Load a
Driver-DLL.
The two images below show the output that signifies that the application
connected successfully to PerkinElmer_FlexDrop_iQ.dll. Both conditions
must be met.
Output of the log panel
Output of the Command Panel
Control via local CLI - LacsDriverCore Execution Mode
LacsDriverCore.exe offers a direct way to control the FlexDrop iQ on the
FlexDrop iQ itself via its own command line. To do this, start LacsDriverCore
on the FlexDrop iQ by connecting to the PerkinElmer_FlexDrop_iQ.dll. Once
you have reached the end state described on page 9, you can enter
Execution Mode by typing execute.
The tool now accepts the SiLA methods as commands that are offered by the
FlexDrop iQ. You can query available commands by pressing the Enter key.
Please note that the CLI tool will ask for all parameters that are part of the
SiLA specification one by one before any command is executed. Optional
inputs can be skipped by pressing the Enter key.

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The following sequence starts the SiLA interface, initializes the machine,
opens and closes the target tray, and runs a dispense protocol. Logging
outputs during execution of the command are ignored in the example. User
inputs are yellow. Each user input is followed by pressing the Enter key (not
depicted in the example).
Starting SiLA interface…
driver C:\Program Files\PerkinElmer\FlexDrop iQ
Studio\Automation\PerkinElmer_FlexDrop_iQ.dll
Resetting…
SoapServiceProvider: Service Provider is now waiting for requests.
LacsDriverCore: The Service Provider is now listening at
http://+:8080/Provider/
LACS started
Type <help> to get a list of possible inputs.
Type <quit> to end LACS.
execute
You are now in command execution mode.
Console logging is disabled until you leave this mode again.
Enter name of command to run, press 'Return' to get a list of
available commands or enter 'exit' to leave execution mode.
reset
Reset selected
Please enter value for lockId: (Is optional)
<enter>
Please enter value for deviceId:
1
Please enter value for PMSId: (Is optional)
<enter>
Please enter value for errorHandlingTimeout: (Is optional)
<enter>

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Please enter value for simulationMode:
0
Reset starting. Console is blocked until command finishes. While
command runs, logging entries are displayed.
Initializing…
initialize
Initialize selected
Please enter value for lockId: (Is optional)
<enter>
Initialize starting. Console is blocked until command finishes. While
command runs, logging entries are displayed.
FlexDrop iQ ejects target tray…
ejectcarrier
EjectCarrier selected
Please enter value for lockId: (Is optional)
<enter>
Please enter value for carrier:
target
EjectCarrier starting. Console is blocked until command finishes.
While command runs, logging entries are displayed.

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Troubleshooting
•The application LacsDriverCore.exe requires administration rights and
needs to be executed with those. They can be set up permanently within
the file properties.
•In order to be able to connect to the FlexDrop iQ via SiLA, the Windows
10 OS of the FlexDrop iQ must allow the connection. This can be done by
defining a local network or by disabling the Windows Firewall of the
FlexDrop iQ PC (not recommended).
To check whether a connection is allowed you can ping the FlexDrop iQ
from the scheduler PC’s command prompt via the command ping
<FlexDrop iQ IP>.
•The SiLA interface is not as stable when it comes to handling exceptions
as the Desktop App FlexDrop iQ Studio. For a protocol to run via
DispenseProtocol, the protocol cannot have any errors or raise any
warning prompts when it would be opened and dispensed via FlexDrop iQ
FlexDrop iQ retracts target tray…
standby
Standby selected
Please enter value for lockId: (Is optional)
<enter>
Standby starting. Console is blocked until command finishes. While command
runs, logging entries are displayed.
Dispense is executed…
dispenseprotocol
DispenseProtocol selected
Please enter value for lockId: (Is optional)
<enter>
Please enter value for fileName:
C:\Users\<username>\FlexDrop iQ Studio\Protocols\CSV_Test.csv
DispenseProtocol starting. Console is blocked until command finishes. While
command runs, logging entries are displayed.

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Studio. For example, the liquid names and plate formats used in the CSV
protocol must already be present in the respective local libraries to assure
the dispense executes via SiLA. If an error occurs, the CLI of
LacsDriverCore might continuously print out the input pressure logging
because this loop runs in a separate thread from the rest of the program
and still executes, even if the main thread is in an error state.
•When using the FlexDrop iQ via SiLA, the checksum of
PerkinElmer_FlexDrop_iQ.cfg MUST be correct. If it is not correct, start
FlexDrop iQ Studio once with this config, click OK in the dialog
regarding the checksum that pops up, then exit the application via the
menu. This will recalculate the checksum and set it in the config file. (The
configuration files are located in
%userprofile%\AppData\Local\PerkinElmer\FlexDrop iQ Studio.)
•Only if used in simulation mode: Depending on the error handling level of
the PMS it might be necessary that for each driver DLL, a respective
*.sim file is present in the same directory. This goes for both the main
driver PerkinElmer_FlexDrop_iQ.dll as well as the sub-drivers
PerkinElmer_DispenseHead.dll, PerkinElmer_DistributionBoard.dll,
Nanotec_PD2N41_Linearaxis.dlland Opticon_NLV1001.dll. These
files are automatically created once the user starts FlexDrop iQ
Studio.exe for the first time.

Device Initialization 15
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Device Initialization
SiLA Specification
The Reset and Initialize functions will start the driver via SiLA as shown in the
SiLA Service Provider State machine diagram below.
SiLA Service Provider State Machine Diagram

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Initialization Example
The software DriverGui.exe is used as an example to explain the behaviour
of the FlexDrop iQ when accessed via its SiLA interface.
DriverGui exposes the functions that are intrinsic to any SiLA v1.x device via
the top panel. After the application is connected successfully to the driver
binary, the panel on the left shows the FlexDrop iQ-specific functions that are
available to be called remotely.
To initialize the FlexDrop iQ, first reset it by clicking the Reset button in the
top panel. There might be a warning about the log handler, which can be
ignored. Afterwards, run the Initialize command in the same way. The
FlexDrop iQ should now initialize, which is signified by its axes moving back
and forth and the log panel showing the continued outputs about the
instrument’s inner workings.
After the FlexDrop iQ has successfully initialized, DriverGui should look like
this:
NOTE: The FlexDrop iQ continually executes the methods “GetDevicePressure” and
“GetButtonState”. This is normal and does not signify a problem.
The FlexDrop iQ is now ready to receive the commands to control it. In
DriverGui, click the method you would like to run which exposes the required
parameters in the panel below the logs. Only some of them are mandatory.
The software will alert the user if mandatory parameters were left blank.

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Troubleshooting
The error Device not found or not connected means that SiLA can’t reach
the FlexDrop iQ’s hardware module. To resolve this issue, restart the
initialization process. A power cycle of the machine should also help. If the
error continues to occur, this points to a hardware problem.
If you’d like to run the SiLA connection in SimulationMode, set this parameter
to <true> when sending the Reset command. In DriverGui, this can be done
by ticking Properties -> SimulationMode before pressing Reset. This will
cause the driver to run without the need to connect to any hardware, meaning
you can test it as a “dry run” on any desktop PC.

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Running an Automation
Scheduling Example
How the FlexDrop iQ is automated is up to the user. See page 29 in this
guide to learn about the available commands. A possible chain of commands
might be:
Initialization
Reset
Initialize
Standby
Load Labware
EjectCarrier(source)
<robot places source plate>
Standby
EjectCarrier(target)
<robot places target plate>
Standby
Execute
TransferLiquid OR DispenseProtocol
Unload Labware
EjectCarrier(source)
<robot removes source plate>
Standby
EjectCarrier(target)
<robot removes target plate>
Standby
Shutdown
Shutdown

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Troubleshooting
If the scheduling software is checking for return values as a condition to
execute certain commands like using GetStatus and waiting for Idle, make
sure that you are using the WSDL config to build the logic. The WSDL is in
the \Documentation folder that is copied into the FlexDrop iQ Studio
application folder.
Another way to query it is by typing http://<IP>:8080/Provider/?WSDL into
any browser while LacsDriverCore is in the “listening”-state.
According to the SiLA specification, requestIDs of commands must be
unique. Using the same requestID several times is only allowed if these
commands to not overlap in the runtime. Therefore this should be used only
for very distinct cases that would not cause overlap, like executing the
asynchronous command GetStatus(requestID 1) every x seconds.
If GetStatus returns inError,the device does not accept any further
commands.
There is currently no way to query the error for an inError state
programmatically.
LacsDriverCore provides two ways to determine the problem:
•Copy the output of the command prompt that LacsDriverCore.exe
provides and check for errors.
•LacsDriverCore also produces a log file with each run that is created
in C:\Program Files\PerkinElmer\ FlexDrop iQ Studio\LogFiles for
each run. For these to be created, LacsDriverCore must be started as
an administrator. If not set by default, it can be specified via right click
-> Properties -> Compatibility -> Always Start as Administrator.
If the logs do not clear up the problem and this guide doesn’t contain the
solution, contact your PerkinElmer Service Representative and send the log
files of an unsuccessful run.

Implemented SiLA Command 20
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Implemented SiLA Command
This section explains the available commands. Some examples on certain
cases are given by showing how they are called via the application DriverGui.
EjectCarrier
With this command the source or target plate can be ejected.
EjectCarrier takes the carrier name as a parameter. Possible values are
Source for the source plate and Target for the target plate.
NOTE: SiLA has the functions PrepareForInput and PrepareForOutput which are similar but
does not quite match our case, which is why we use unique commands.
GetStatus
Retrieves the current status of the FlexDrop iQ.
In the example below, the device is processing DispenseProtocol, so the
device status is Busy.
After the device has initialized successfully, the device status is Idle.
The device status is Standby in between Reset and Initialize as shown
below.