kkeras wrote something like this on 19/07/2011 14:03 UT:
>
> That is why I prefer plate movers as opposed to industrial robots.  A
> device that is designed specifically for moving plates has many of
> those variables already accounted for.

This is indeed a fact of life we at ST accepted some years ago. Those
who know us know we were pioneers in lab automation, early PCR and so
on. These days we work only in light industry and non-pharma labs. Lab
robotics has moved on to plastic covered light duty devices that do look
the part and integrate better with other lab equipment. The reason why I
draw the comparisons with industrial equipment is I think the designers
and vendors of lab equipment take for granted the laid-back attitude of
scientists. As I have said before, I think scientists have an acceptance
of failure - it is the very nature of an experiment - whereas production
MUST continue without interruption. Someone said over 1000 Twisters have
been sold. I presume similar numbers apply to other makes. Given those
numbers surely some effort could have been made to investigate frequent
failures like Z-axis motors and correct the designs. If these things had
been at Ford they would all be in the skip by now.

Sorry to be harsh, but it really depends on the users to start setting
higher standards and not accept design faults as wear and tear.

David

@Tim - point taken, no worries.

I should have included a "/" between SPC and Six Sigma.  In my former life
(electronic circuit board assembly)we used RSS to evaluate the sub-component
tolerance build up to establish likelihood of SMT component placement success
prior to solder baths.  Similar approach works for moving around MTP's,

KK

can anyone tell me if the FX sw  can be used to setup a balance to qualify the
value put into the plate or has anyone another idea..

The company I work with, Labcyte, integrates a version of the Precise Flex 400
from Precise Automation.  http://preciseautomation.com/SampleHandler.html.  It's
been a very reliable robot and the interface for creating paths and teach points
was fairly straight forward.

--- In lrig-discussion@yahoogroups.com, "evolvingmicrobes" <ndunofficial@...>
wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> First time posting to the group, and will be very appreciated of any help!
>
> Our lab currently uses a Twister II from Caliper Life Sciences to move some
microplates from an incubator to a plate reader.  However, about every year
since acquiring this thing the motor that controls the main Z axis has failed,
and needs to be replaced.  This is costing us a lot not only in time but also
because it seems to be the only reason we need the maintenance contract. 
Recently, the whole motor actually melted itself and the parts around it, and
the latest replacement part failed within a week.  So I was wondering.
>
> 1 - Have other people experienced this issue of a constantly unreliable motor
for the vertical axis that needs replacement?
>
> 2- Are there any recommended alternatives to the Twister?  We really need
something reliable.  All our jobs are managed with custom software and hardware
reliability is most important, but obviously if an alternative also has a great
interface I would love to hear about that.
>
> Thanks for any help!
>

You should be able to do this.  Since the dispensing location would be a single
well.  I've done this on Tecan instruments for quite a while.  Although their
system design is much mor flexible to add in custom items like this, you should
still be able to do it on a be Beckman.  The toughest part would probably be
modifying an Alp unit to hold the weighing unit of the balance.
   Good luck.

Jon Alden
Automation integrator
KONNIS


On Aug 1, 2011, at 12:16 PM, "SamM" <sam_millar2001@...> wrote:

> can anyone tell me if the FX sw can be used to setup a balance to qualify the
value put into the plate or has anyone another idea..
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Sam,

I am with Beckman Coulter. We have integrated a Mettler balance into the Biomek
FX and NX for this purpose. You may want to contact your local Beckman
representative to ask about this solution.

regards,
Christoph

Dr. Christoph Kruell
Marketing Manager Europe
Life Science Automation



              "SamM"
              <sam_millar2001@yah
              oo.com>                                                         To
              Sent by:                    lrig-discussion@yahoogroups.com
              lrig-discussion@yah                                             cc
              oogroups.com
                                                                         Subject
                                          [lrig-discussion] Beckman Fx
              2011-08-01 06:16 PM


               Please respond to
              lrig-discussion@yah
                 oogroups.com









can anyone tell me if the FX sw can be used to setup a balance to qualify the
value put into the plate or has anyone another idea..




The server  made the following annotations

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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hello,

Our lab has recently acquired a Caliper SciClone ALH 3000 liquid handling
system.  During a recent attempt to open up the scripting software (Sciclone
Software - pre-Maestro), the parent scripting window was able to open, but threw
the following error before opening any of the other forms (i.e., deck layout,
variables, scripting routine):

Error encountered:
   =>Number: -1992
   =>Description:  Creation of programming shell failed
Reported error:  Axis ErrorAxis could not reach target position most likely
because of an obstruction, please home axis before retry.


Unfortunately, none of the software's buttons that allow for any kind of control
over the system appeared to be active, so we had to "retry"...


Upon clicking the error window's "Retry" option, the software threw the
following error:

Error encountered:
   =>Number -1992
   =>Description:  Creation of programming shell failed
Reported error:  Only one MDI Form allowed.

All subsequent pressing of the "Retry" button triggered the MDI Form error.

I recognize the MDI form error as a Visual Basic runtime error, but I'm not sure
about the initial axis error.

Has anyone encountered this error before with an ALH 3000?  Any ideas as to
where we should look for the source of the error?  We are considering an upgrade
to the Maestro system in the future, but would like to get use of the current
software installed with the system.  Any and all suggestions would be
appreciated.


Best,
Adrianne

Hi Adrianne,

What version of Sciclone software do you have?  As I recall, if it is less than
v3.4 you may not be able to upgrade.   I would contact
Caliper's Tech  Support group.   They can guide you best.

Kevin Keras (former  Caliper)

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 17, 2011, at 9:41 PM, "xinoci78" <alee@...> wrote:

> Hello,
>
> Our lab has recently acquired a Caliper SciClone ALH 3000 liquid handling
system. During a recent attempt to open up the scripting software (Sciclone
Software - pre-Maestro), the parent scripting window was able to open, but threw
the following error before opening any of the other forms (i.e., deck layout,
variables, scripting routine):
>
> Error encountered:
> =>Number: -1992
> =>Description: Creation of programming shell failed
> Reported error: Axis ErrorAxis could not reach target position most likely
because of an obstruction, please home axis before retry.
>
> Unfortunately, none of the software's buttons that allow for any kind of
control over the system appeared to be active, so we had to "retry"...
>
> Upon clicking the error window's "Retry" option, the software threw the
following error:
>
> Error encountered:
> =>Number -1992
> =>Description: Creation of programming shell failed
> Reported error: Only one MDI Form allowed.
>
> All subsequent pressing of the "Retry" button triggered the MDI Form error.
>
> I recognize the MDI form error as a Visual Basic runtime error, but I'm not
sure about the initial axis error.
>
> Has anyone encountered this error before with an ALH 3000? Any ideas as to
where we should look for the source of the error? We are considering an upgrade
to the Maestro system in the future, but would like to get use of the current
software installed with the system. Any and all suggestions would be
appreciated.
>
> Best,
> Adrianne
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Problem solved, thanks to the team at Caliper!  :-D



From: lrig-discussion@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:lrig-discussion@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of xinoci78
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2011 5:09 PM
To: lrig-discussion@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [lrig-discussion] Caliper SciClone software error





Hello,

Our lab has recently acquired a Caliper SciClone ALH 3000 liquid
handling system. During a recent attempt to open up the scripting
software (Sciclone Software - pre-Maestro), the parent scripting window
was able to open, but threw the following error before opening any of
the other forms (i.e., deck layout, variables, scripting routine):

Error encountered:
=>Number: -1992
=>Description: Creation of programming shell failed
Reported error: Axis ErrorAxis could not reach target position most
likely because of an obstruction, please home axis before retry.

Unfortunately, none of the software's buttons that allow for any kind of
control over the system appeared to be active, so we had to "retry"...

Upon clicking the error window's "Retry" option, the software threw the
following error:

Error encountered:
=>Number -1992
=>Description: Creation of programming shell failed
Reported error: Only one MDI Form allowed.

All subsequent pressing of the "Retry" button triggered the MDI Form
error.

I recognize the MDI form error as a Visual Basic runtime error, but I'm
not sure about the initial axis error.

Has anyone encountered this error before with an ALH 3000? Any ideas as
to where we should look for the source of the error? We are considering
an upgrade to the Maestro system in the future, but would like to get
use of the current software installed with the system. Any and all
suggestions would be appreciated.

Best,
Adrianne







Forma Therapeutics, Inc. Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail and any attachments
may contain confidential, proprietary and or privileged information.  It is
intended only for the individual(s) to whom it is addressed, and may not be
saved, copied, printed, disclosed or used by anyone other than the intended
recipient(s). If you are not an intended recipient, please delete this
  e-mail immediately and notify the sender by e-mail or leave a message at
617-679-1970.  Thank you.


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

OK.  We have a TekCel system -- 2 PlateStores and a PlateServer.  We're missing
the TekCel PlateServer's software -- called Plate Manager.

Can anyone help us out?  Hamilton Storage's Customer Support told me they don't
support these instruments at all since 2009, which is unfortunate, and all we're
missing is this piece of software to get it working.

Thanks,
Anand

Anand C. Patel, MD
Washington University School of Medicine
acpatel@...

OK.  We have a TekCel system -- 2 PlateStores and a PlateServer.  We're missing
the TekCel PlateServer's software -- called Plate Manager.

Can anyone help us out?  Hamilton Storage's Customer Support told me they don't
support these instruments at all since 2009, which is unfortunate, and all we're
missing is this piece of software to get it working.

Thanks,
Anand

Anand C. Patel, MD
Washington University School of Medicine
acpatel@...

Yes. Using "Run Program" step I have integrated many different devices with FX
software. "Run Program" step should call your custom program to read the balance
and if needed to return the result as FX variable. Most digital scales have
serial port and simple ASCII text commands.  Alex



To: lrig-discussion@yahoogroups.com
From: sam_millar2001@...
Date: Mon, 1 Aug 2011 16:16:52 +0000
Subject: [lrig-discussion] Beckman Fx




























       can anyone tell me if the FX sw  can be used to setup a balance to qualify
the value put into the plate or has anyone another idea..


















[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

We experienced all kind of problems with Twister II, both hardware and software,
and donated all of them long time ago. If the process allows, use Twister I
which is much more reliable, simple to control directly through the serial port,
and inexpensive. You can get used Twister I from ebay for less then $2000.If you
cannot use Twister I, my first choice would be Kinedx from Peak Robotics. There
is a number of extremely reliable industrial robots, but the control concept is
different from what we are used to in lab automation. If you cannot write your
own software check Overlord.
Alex



To: lrig-discussion@yahoogroups.com
From: ndunofficial@...
Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2011 06:13:48 +0000
Subject: [lrig-discussion] Twister Motor Problems and Alternative Robotic Arms




























       Hello,



First time posting to the group, and will be very appreciated of any help!



Our lab currently uses a Twister II from Caliper Life Sciences to move some
microplates from an incubator to a plate reader.  However, about every year
since acquiring this thing the motor that controls the main Z axis has failed,
and needs to be replaced.  This is costing us a lot not only in time but also
because it seems to be the only reason we need the maintenance contract. 
Recently, the whole motor actually melted itself and the parts around it, and
the latest replacement part failed within a week.  So I was wondering.



1 - Have other people experienced this issue of a constantly unreliable motor
for the vertical axis that needs replacement?



2- Are there any recommended alternatives to the Twister?  We really need
something reliable.  All our jobs are managed with custom software and hardware
reliability is most important, but obviously if an alternative also has a great
interface I would love to hear about that.



Thanks for any help!


















[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Dear all,

Would anyone know a simple system to record temperature, humidity and CO2 of one
or several lab incubators?
It would ideally:
- save the 3 values every x minutes somewhere on our local network,
- have the possibility to plot them
- and send emails in case one of these values meet certain criteria (ex: T <
35°C or rH < 80%)

This doesn't look that complicated to me but I am not sure whether this is
currently available on the market.

Thanks in advance for your input!

Cheers,
Xavier.

Do the incubators already have the sensors and output?  Or do you need to
buy electronic sensors to put in them?

getting temp and humidity via
http://www.amazon.com/THUM-USB-Temperature-Humidity-Sensor/dp/B0013CMU48

requires a PC.

you can also go with something like

www.iobridge.com     They have an D/A board that is placed on the network.
  They keep the records for you to download, plot...has an API to read data,
set alerts...with this thing you can use their temp/humidity sensors, but
will need to find a CO2 sensor.

Each IO bridge has 4 ports with (one Analog, One digital, +5, GRND)/port.

bridges can talk to each other as well..  bad part is all data is remotely
stored....but you dont need a PC running all the time either...

http://www.amazon.com/Handheld-Indoor-Air-Quality-Monitor/dp/B004XS10UO/ref=sr_1\
_10?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1314626700&sr=1-10
is a handheld air quality monitor..it says it has RS232 output.
could setup with a PC  or IOBridge has a serial interface board for it so
you could put the device on the net.

There is a service called ThingSpeak  that lets you do remote data logging
using their servers and APIs.
This and IOBridge server can do things like email/Tweets/SMS

hope this helps!

jim


James D. Batchelor,Ph.D.
Waters Corp.
34 Maple Street
Milford,MA 01757


On Mon, Aug 29, 2011 at 4:14 AM, xavier.perrodon
<xavier.perrodon@...>wrote:

> **
>
>
> Dear all,
>
> Would anyone know a simple system to record temperature, humidity and CO2
> of one or several lab incubators?
> It would ideally:
> - save the 3 values every x minutes somewhere on our local network,
> - have the possibility to plot them
> - and send emails in case one of these values meet certain criteria (ex: T
> < 35°C or rH < 80%)
>
> This doesn't look that complicated to me but I am not sure whether this is
> currently available on the market.
>
> Thanks in advance for your input!
>
> Cheers,
> Xavier.
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

HOBO
they make a nice line of recorders, not sure tho if they have a CO2 device

----- Original Message -----
From: "xavier.perrodon" <xavier.perrodon@...>
To: lrig-discussion@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, August 29, 2011 4:14:57 AM
Subject: [lrig-discussion] Monitoring of incubator temperature, humidity and CO2






Dear all,

Would anyone know a simple system to record temperature, humidity and CO2 of one
or several lab incubators?
It would ideally:
- save the 3 values every x minutes somewhere on our local network,
- have the possibility to plot them
- and send emails in case one of these values meet certain criteria (ex: T <
35°C or rH < 80%)

This doesn't look that complicated to me but I am not sure whether this is
currently available on the market.

Thanks in advance for your input!

Cheers,
Xavier.




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Xavier,



Try Onset Computers.  Their HOBO data loggers are awesome.



http://www.onsetcomp.com/products/sensors/tel-7001



They also sell a wireless extension for this which could work well for a sealed
environment like an incubator.



Cheers,



Kevin Keras

Biodirect Inc

www.biodirectusa.com



From: lrig-discussion@yahoogroups.com [mailto:lrig-discussion@yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of xavier.perrodon
Sent: Monday, August 29, 2011 4:15 AM
To: lrig-discussion@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [lrig-discussion] Monitoring of incubator temperature, humidity and CO2





Dear all,

Would anyone know a simple system to record temperature, humidity and CO2 of one
or several lab incubators?
It would ideally:
- save the 3 values every x minutes somewhere on our local network,
- have the possibility to plot them
- and send emails in case one of these values meet certain criteria (ex: T <
35°C or rH < 80%)

This doesn't look that complicated to me but I am not sure whether this is
currently available on the market.

Thanks in advance for your input!

Cheers,
Xavier.





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

You could check out: http://www.isensix.com/Default.aspx

--- In lrig-discussion@yahoogroups.com, "xavier.perrodon" <xavier.perrodon@...>
wrote:
>
> Dear all,
>
> Would anyone know a simple system to record temperature, humidity and CO2 of
one or several lab incubators?
> It would ideally:
> - save the 3 values every x minutes somewhere on our local network,
> - have the possibility to plot them
> - and send emails in case one of these values meet certain criteria (ex: T <
35°C or rH < 80%)
>
> This doesn't look that complicated to me but I am not sure whether this is
currently available on the market.
>
> Thanks in advance for your input!
>
> Cheers,
> Xavier.
>

Hi Everyone,

In our lab, we use V&P pin tool fixture to transfer small molecule
compounds (nl) into 384-well assay plates. We are using "hydrophobic
coated pins" to minimize non-specific binding of the compounds and
carry-over. We have been observing relatively high %CV values in the
transferred volume when we perform periodic QC, so we have to replace
the bad pins every so often to bring the %CV below 10. We usually
sonicate the pins everyday and wash the pins with DMSO and alcohol
between each transfer. I happen to know that stainless steel pins are
relatively cheaper and they don't go bad easily. I have the
following questions for anybody who are using similar fixed pin tool
fixtures.

1 – Do you prefer stainless steel pins over coated pins in your
applications or vice-versa? What is your rationale?

2 – Do you think hydrophobic coating notably helps with the compound
carry-over issue? If so, would it worth the amount of money and time
spent for replacing the pins so frequently?

Any comments will be appreciated.

Regards,

Asli

High Throughput Screening Center

St Jude Children's Research Hospital



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I have a model from the year 2006 I am having problems with the Firmware and i
am unable to receive any from MD, all they say is send the instrument in, i have
been through this before , as the Instrument is obsolete the will try to sell me
a new one. Does any one have this firmware or know how i can get it.

Thanks

Sam Millar

Sam,

Have you contacted the Analytical Technologies Group, LLC?

They do plate reader repairs.

jjennings@...
Phone: 860-449-0886
Fax: 860-449-1038

Good Luck,

Kevom

On 9/7/11 9:26 AM, SamM wrote:
>
> I have a model from the year 2006 I am having problems with the
> Firmware and i am unable to receive any from MD, all they say is send
> the instrument in, i have been through this before , as the Instrument
> is obsolete the will try to sell me a new one. Does any one have this
> firmware or know how i can get it.
>
> Thanks
>
> Sam Millar
>
> .
>
>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Dear all,

thank you very much for your feedback, you provided me with precious
information!

It is not 100% sure yet whether we'll be able to use the existing
incubators' probes as some of these incubators are integrated in systems
that require exclusive access to their serial ports.
So as I wait for our integrator's advice I am currently exploring both
options (use of existing sensors or buying new ones) based on all your
suggestions.

Thanks again to all and feel free to contact me in the future if you're
interested in knowing what our final choice was.

Cheers,
Xavier.


On Tue, Aug 30, 2011 at 15:58, KentK <kruckeberg.kent@...> wrote:

> **
>
>
> You could check out: http://www.isensix.com/Default.aspx
>
>
> --- In lrig-discussion@yahoogroups.com, "xavier.perrodon"
> <xavier.perrodon@...> wrote:
> >
> > Dear all,
> >
> > Would anyone know a simple system to record temperature, humidity and CO2
> of one or several lab incubators?
> > It would ideally:
> > - save the 3 values every x minutes somewhere on our local network,
> > - have the possibility to plot them
> > - and send emails in case one of these values meet certain criteria (ex:
> T < 35°C or rH < 80%)
> >
> > This doesn't look that complicated to me but I am not sure whether this
> is currently available on the market.
> >
> > Thanks in advance for your input!
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Xavier.
> >
>
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Xavier,





Have you looked at http://reesscientific.com



We used their system for a number of years. We stopped using it last year, when
we merged with a larger company.



The Rees system does everything you need: Logging, alarms, monitoring, battery
backup. You can connect a wide variety of sensors. We had sensors for
temperature (also in the liquid nitrogen tanks), humidity, oxygen level, and a
few more. I think we had around 400 measurement points. They even claim to be
21CFR11 compliant.

The right way to do it, is to have independent sensors for the monitoring
system, and not rely on sensors already built into the incubator.



The system is meant to be large scale, and the price is that way also. And of
course it has some bugs…



Ærbødigst,

John



From: lrig-discussion@yahoogroups.com [mailto:lrig-discussion@yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of Xavier Perrodon
Sent: Monday, September 12, 2011 15:02
To: lrig-discussion@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [lrig-discussion] Re: Monitoring of incubator temperature, humidity
and CO2





Dear all,

thank you very much for your feedback, you provided me with precious
information!

It is not 100% sure yet whether we'll be able to use the existing
incubators' probes as some of these incubators are integrated in systems
that require exclusive access to their serial ports.
So as I wait for our integrator's advice I am currently exploring both
options (use of existing sensors or buying new ones) based on all your
suggestions.

Thanks again to all and feel free to contact me in the future if you're
interested in knowing what our final choice was.

Cheers,
Xavier.

On Tue, Aug 30, 2011 at 15:58, KentK <kruckeberg.kent@...
<mailto:kruckeberg.kent%40mayo.edu> > wrote:

> **
>
>
> You could check out: http://www.isensix.com/Default.aspx
>
>
> --- In lrig-discussion@yahoogroups.com
<mailto:lrig-discussion%40yahoogroups.com> , "xavier.perrodon"
> <xavier.perrodon@...> wrote:
> >
> > Dear all,
> >
> > Would anyone know a simple system to record temperature, humidity and CO2
> of one or several lab incubators?
> > It would ideally:
> > - save the 3 values every x minutes somewhere on our local network,
> > - have the possibility to plot them
> > - and send emails in case one of these values meet certain criteria (ex:
> T < 35°C or rH < 80%)
> >
> > This doesn't look that complicated to me but I am not sure whether this
> is currently available on the market.
> >
> > Thanks in advance for your input!
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Xavier.
> >
>
>
>

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Asli and Everyone,

V&P Scientific here.  The hydrophobic coating, as stated by Asli, is intended to
reduce non-specific binding by lowering the surface energy of the pins.  The
pins themselves are still stainless-steel but are treated with this coating,
hence the higher cost.  More technical details regarding the hydrophobic coating
can be found here:
http://www.vp-scientific.com/hydrophobic_coating.htm

Because of the methods used to apply this coating, to actually remove the
coating will require that the substrate stainless-steel must be damaged as well.
The data from our research does indicate that the CV of the hydrophobic pins are
slightly higher (~1-2%) than the uncoated versions due to slight variations of
the applied coating.  However, we have not seen a degradation of the coating in
terms of higher CV's after many uses, and we also use ultrasonication as part of
our regular cleaning.

Another part of our regular cleaning is use of the VP 110 pin cleaning solution:
http://www.vp-scientific.com/V&P_pincleaner.php
and in most cases will solve the problem of high variation.  It is designed to
remove most built up compounds, proteins, and oils that will affect the volume
delivery.

Also, when working with relatively uncharacterized compound libraries, there is
always a chance of running into sticky compounds that the hydrophobic coating
cannot prevent from sticking to the pins.  And when different assay components
are added, there are bound to be issues every so often.  It is great that the
pins are being QC'ed frequently and is the best thing to do as a preventive
measure.

I hope this helps you and anyone else who might be wondering.

Best Regards,

V&P Scientific


> Hi Everyone,
>
> In our lab, we use V&P pin tool fixture to transfer small molecule
> compounds (nl) into 384-well assay plates. We are using "hydrophobic
> coated pins" to minimize non-specific binding of the compounds and
> carry-over. We have been observing relatively high %CV values in the
> transferred volume when we perform periodic QC, so we have to replace
> the bad pins every so often to bring the %CV below 10. We usually
> sonicate the pins everyday and wash the pins with DMSO and alcohol
> between each transfer. I happen to know that stainless steel pins are
> relatively cheaper and they don't go bad easily. I have the
> following questions for anybody who are using similar fixed pin tool
> fixtures.
>
> 1 – Do you prefer stainless steel pins over coated pins in your
> applications or vice-versa? What is your rationale?
>
> 2 – Do you think hydrophobic coating notably helps with the compound
> carry-over issue? If so, would it worth the amount of money and time
> spent for replacing the pins so frequently?
>
> Any comments will be appreciated.
>
> Regards,
>
> Asli
>
> High Throughput Screening Center
>
> St Jude Children's Research Hospital

We've encountered a frequent MS Windows print spooler problem printing bar codes
on Zebra TLP2844 printers and are looking at an alternate approach for printing
the necessary bar code labels.  Currently, our application generates an EPL
command file that is then copied over to the print queue.  For example, the
command 'copy barcode.txt \\ps1\BarCode-Test' might be executed, using the
Universal Naming Convention (UNC) name for the print server and the printer
share.  What I would like to do is to change this command so that instead of
copying the printer command file to our general print server (which has the
Zebra print drivers loaded on it, even though we are just using them for pass
through targets) which then directs the data to the ZebraNet PrintServer II
modules actually on the printers, we copy them directly to the printers. 


If I attempt to do this, either just by using just the IP address (such as
\\10.174.122.224\) or the IP address and port name (such as
\\10.174.122.224\PORTLF1, since PORTLF1 is supposed to be the default Zebra
printer port name), I just get an error returned saying that the network path
was not found.  There are two items aggravating the difficulty we are
experiencing in troubleshooting this system.  These are 1) we don't have direct
control of the network configuration, so it is difficult to determine which
ports might be blocked by firewalls or switch configurations and 2) Zebra
refuses to provide any support regarding the PrintServer II modules, as they
have been discontinued.

I can copy our Eltron Programming Language command file either through the
network printer server or push it to the PrintServer II directly through the
described FTP port and get it to print successfully.  I am currently trying to
determine why we can't copy the file directly to the PrintServer II and get it
to print.  Possibilities that come to mind are the following:
	 1. Access to the necessary port is being blocked, whether by a firewall or
something else in the network configuration.
	 2. Additional drivers, such as the ZebraNet Connect IP Monitor are still
required or the source machine before a direct copy to the target PrintServer II
can be performed.
	 3. The PrintServer II units are not configured properly.  Unfortunately, since
Zebra won't talk to me regarding the configuration options, I don't know whether
the whole problem is that I am missing a very simple configuration issue or
not.  While the documentation indicates that PORTLF1 is the default printer port
name, I'm not certain that this is accurate.  I can state that all of the fields
in the Logical Printer Port Configuration page of the PrintServer II's Web
interface are blank (except for the TCP Logical Port Number (Raw) and Delete
Bytes fields, which display a zero).  However, the print job log shows print
jobs successfully coming in on TCP Port 9100.  The Configuration page shows the
information below for the Port Configuration.
Port Configuration
  Name:                                      
  Printer Status:                             Online
  Language Switching:                         Off
  Bidirectional Communication:                Enabled
  Connected To:                               printer  -
  Printer Panel Display:                     
  Error: None


If anyone has gone through this process before, I'd love to hear about your
experiences.  While I'm hoping that someone can tell me what we can do to allow
us to continue to print bar codes from this system with minimal modifications to
our system, knowing that we couldn't do it would be of significant value as
well, so we stop throwing resources at it.  I would not be at all surprised that
I needed to make changes in the Port Configuration, but there could be other
issues as well.

Zebra does have some examples of direct printing using a socket application,
which may be the way we need to go.  Unfortunately, that will require convincing
yet another group to get involved. 

Thank you very much for your help and suggestions,

John


 

________________________________
Dr. John R. Joyce
Contributing Editor,
Scientific Computing,
a publication of Advantage Business Media

Phone: 804-648-4480, X-384
Twitter: SciCompJRJ
URL: http://ScientificComputing.com/
URL: http://LIMSguide.com/
E-mail: jrj_sci@... or John.Joyce@...

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Andy,

Thanks for the feedback.  I apologize for the delay, I'd been pulled off for
some other high priority projects and am afraid I'd forgotten about my post
here.  What you describe is one of the things Zebra support had me tried.  We
also tried downloading the firmware update through both the serial and parallel
port without success.  While some of the difficulty may have been procedural
errors, as each engineer I spoke with seemed to have their own favorite way of
doing it, I'm very suspicious that the actual problem was in the initial
firmware on these printers, as they all appeared to be from the same production
run.

One of the higher tier engineers had me ship one of the bricked units back for
examination.  Unfortunately, it apparently was misrouted to the straight repair
section, so he never saw it to try and determine the cause of the problem.  On
the other hand, the repair service did get the printer working again at no
charge, which included replacement of the printer logic board and its firmware. 
That leaves me with two bricked units, so as time permits I'll try to arrange
for those to be sent back for examination and repair.  The engineers have all
been very willing to help, particularly when the issue gets escalated when
someone else can't handle it.  It's just a very frustrating experience given
that the firmware upgrade should normally be a very simple process.  I'll let
you know how things eventually turn out, particularly if they are successful in
identifying the underlying problem.

Note: When I was speaking with their upper tier support most recently, he
indicated that there had been another board revision to the TLP2844 printers and
that the most recent version of the firmware, I believe it was 2844_V4_70_1C_
STD.prg, should NOT be used with the older board revision.  I'm afraid that I
don't have the board numbers available off hand.

Thanks again,

John

 

________________________________
Dr. John R. Joyce
Contributing Editor,
Scientific Computing,
a publication of Advantage Business Media

Phone: 804-648-4480, X-384
Twitter: SciCompJRJ
URL: http://ScientificComputing.com/
URL: http://LIMSguide.com/
E-mail: jrj_sci@... or John.Joyce@...


>________________________________
>From: "lrig-discussion@yahoogroups.com" <lrig-discussion@yahoogroups.com>
>To: lrig-discussion@yahoogroups.com
>Sent: Thursday, January 6, 2011 7:47 AM
>Subject: [lrig-discussion] Digest Number 1958
>
>
> LRIG Discussion Group is for comments or questions about Laboratory Robotics,
or any Laboratory Automation topic.
>LRIG Discussion Group is for comments or questions about Laboratory Robotics,
or any Laboratory Automation topic.
>Messages In This Digest      (1  Message)
>
>1a.
>Re: Problems Upgrading Zebra TLP2844 Bar Code Printer Firmware From:  Andy View
All Topics | Create New Topic  Message
>1a.
>Re: Problems Upgrading Zebra TLP2844 Bar Code Printer Firmware
>Posted by:      "Andy" Andrew.Mitchell@...    andym0000
>Wed Jan 5, 2011 6:11 am        (PST)
>
>
>Hi
>
>I have flashed quite a few printers - it took a while to get going but this is
an excerpt from my wiki page that describes the process I used.
>
>"install the FirmDownV103. exe (needs admin rights) first. If it is installed
open firmware downloader from start\programs\ zebra . Turn printer off and on so
it has a green light showing. Use autodetect to find your printer and file\
select printer firmware the only file available in this dialogue should be
2844_V4_70_1A_ STD.prg download this file to your printer and it should start
working again. I've found this works best by scanning for the printer when its
connected to the USB port. If the software finds the printer select the firmware
and download to the printer, this takes a few seconds (well minutes!). The
printer will spew out labels for a while then print a config."
>
>Is that the procedure you've been following?
>
>Regards
>
>AndyM
>
>--- In lrig-discussion@ yahoogroups. com, "jrj_sci" <jrj_sci@... > wrote:
>>
>> Greetings,
>>
>> Does anyone have any experience upgrading the firmware in Zebra TLP2844 bar
code printers?  I'm curious whether anyone has encountered any issues upgrading
these printers to the current firmware version (Standard V4.70.1A).  Our lab has
a number of these printers, some with the current version of the firmware, but
most with either v4.42 or v4.59.  We've encountered a number of issues,
particularly with the v4.59 firmware, where information printed on the labels
has either been corrupted or the field is just missing.
>>
>> Zebra tech support concurs that we need to upgrade the firmware on these
other units, though each tech I've spoken with recommends a different procedure.
Unfortunately, all I have accomplished so far is to brick four of the units
having the v4.59 firmware.
>>
>> Zebra indicates that they have not had any reports of widespread problems
upgrading the firmware on these printers, but bricking four printers out of four
attempts sounds statistically improbable.  So far I have not attempted to flash
any of the printers with the v4.42 firmware.
>>
>> I'd appreciate hearing about any experiences that anyone may have had
flashing the firmware on a Zebra TLP2844 printer.  If you have gone through this
process and have any recommendations regarding how to recover the bricked
printers, I'd love to hear about it.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> John Joyce
>>
>
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Greetings,
We are in Thousand Oaks, CA area; recently purchased used Tecan MiniPrep, are
looking for current/past users in the area to help get us started. If you can
help - please reply on this board, or through email marekcyn@...

thanks,

Marek

Dear Group,

My co-chair (John Bradshaw) and I are currently looking for speakers for the
forthcoming Automation Quality Control Special Interest Group at SLAS 2012.

The event will be on Wednesday 8th February from 11.30am to 1pm. Further info
can be found here: http://www.slas2012.org/program/sigs.cfm

We will welcome all topics for consideration, from vendors or users. Please
either reply to this post or send an offline message for further information.

Thank you for your attention.

Jack Dawson

Hello!

Does anybody know, if Platemate Plus has "hard rest" button?

It seems like the one, I've been working with, has his brains twisted or
something. When performing any actions (like moving stage to the pipetor), it
doesn't actually move the stage in XY axes -- only in Z, like "thinking" that XY
position has already been raeched. And even Z-axis position is not reached
"clearly" -- first it lifts the stage to max. hight, only after that lowering it
to the one, I'd like him to.

All photocouplers, related to the positioning, seem to work properly (at least,
they react with their flas-lights, as they intended to). All wiring, as well as
connectors I've tried to "touch".
So it seems to me, the only thing left is hard resetting its brains.

Thanks in advance for any related info!

B.W.,
Peter

We are looking at buying a new -86c chest type freezer from Sanyo.  In
the past we have bought exclusively from Revco and our last Revco chest
type freezer lasted 22 years.

This makes us nervous about buying any other brand.

Anyone care to comment on Sanyo low temperature freezers, good or bad?

Thank you

Kevin Olsen
Montclair State University