LookupLocations method

Description

VWorks software calls the LookupLocations method to get the names from the plugin of all the locations to which or from which the robot can move labware.

Note: The internal location is the location on the storage device, which is considered inside the system. The external location is the location outside the system.

IMPORTANT VWorks software always calls the LookupLocations method before the LoadPlate and UnloadPlate methods. See “LoadPlate method” and “UnloadPlate method” .

Syntax

 

HRESULT LookupLocations( [in] VARIANT_BOOL Load, [in] BSTR Labware, [in] enum PlateFlagsType PlateFlags, [in] BSTR StorageLocationXML, [out] BSTR *ExternalLocationsXML, [out,retval] enum ReturnCode *retVal );

Parameters

 

Load	[in] Indicates whether the labware is about to be loaded or unloaded. Possible values: -1 = The labware is about to be loaded  0 = The labware is about to be unloaded
Labware	[in] The labware name.
PlateFlags	[in] Specifies whether the labware has a lid, is sealed, or neither. Possible values: 0 = The labware does not have a lid and is not sealed 1 = The labware has a lid 2 = The labware is sealed
StorageLocationXML	[in] A StorageLocation XML block that contains information about the location on the storage device.
ExternalLocationsXML	[out] A LocationVector XML block that contains information about the external location.
retVal	[out, retval] Returns an error code. For more information, see “ReturnCode enumerated type” . Possible values: 0 = The request was completed (RETURN_SUCCESS) 1 = Something was wrong with the input, so the request was not completed (RETURN_BAD_ARGS) 2 = The request was not completed (RETURN_FAIL)

LookupLocations method input

VWorks software passes a StorageLocation XML block into the StorageLocationsXML parameter of the LookupLocations method.

StorageLocation XML block

The StorageLocation XML block contains the StorageLocation element and all its children. This XML block provides information about the location on the storage device, including the cassette/slot coordinates, that is used for a Load or Unload task.

XML structure

The value of the file attribute for the Velocity11 element is MetaData. See “Velocity11 element” .

 

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='ASCII'> <Velocity11> <StorageLocation> <Coordinates> <StorageLocationCoordinate Name='Cassette' ... /> <StorageLocationCoordinate Name='Slot' ... /> </Coordinates> <Location /> </StorageLocation> </Velocity11>

StorageLocation element

The StorageLocation element has two children: Coordinates and Location.

Coordinates element

The Coordinates element contains two StorageLocationCoordinate elements.

StorageLocationCoordinate element

Each StorageLocationCoordinate element has one of the following pairs of Name and Value attributes.

 

Name	Value
Name Value	The value Cassette. The name of the cassette. Note: The cassette name was received with a previous call to the GetMetaData method. See IWorksDriver “GetMetaData method” .
Name Value	The value Slot. The name of the slot. Note: The slot name was received with a previous call to the GetMetaData method. See IWorksDriver “GetMetaData method” .

Location element

The Location element contains information about the location on the storage device. The Location element is defined in “Location element” .

Example of LookupLocations method input

The following sample code is a StorageLocation XML block that is received by the plugin from VWorks software as a string in the StorageLocationXML parameter of the LookupLocations method. When the value of the Load parameter is -1, VWorks software asks the plugin for all the locations on the storage device at which the robot can load the specified labware.

 

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='ASCII' ?> <Velocity11 file='MetaData' md5sum='dd1caf38ce495aaae3d6957494bd2ef0' version='1.0' > <StorageLocation > <Coordinates > <StorageLocationCoordinate Name='Cassette' Value='1' /> <StorageLocationCoordinate Name='Slot' Value='1' /> </Coordinates> <Location Group='0' MaxStackHeight='460' Offset='0' Type='1' /> </StorageLocation> </Velocity11>

LookupLocations method output

The plugin returns a LocationVector XML block in the ExternalLocationsXML parameter of the LookupLocations method.

LocationVector XML block

The LocationVector XML block contains the LocationVector element and all its children. This XML block provides information about the external location that is to be used for a Load or Unload task.

XML structure

The value of the file attribute of the Velocity11 element is MetaData. See “Velocity11 element” .

 

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='ASCII' ?> <Velocity11> <LocationVector> <Locations> <Location /> ... </Locations> </LocationVector> </Velocity11>

LocationVector element

The LocationVector element contains one Locations element.

Locations element

The Locations element contains one or more Location elements.

Location element

The Location element contains information about the external location. The Location element is defined in “Location element” .

Example of LookupLocations method output

The following sample code is a LocationVector XML block that is returned to VWorks software by the plugin as a string in the ExternalLocationsXML parameter of the LookupLocations method. The code returns information about Primary (Load/Unload) Pad, which is one of the StoreX device’s external locations.

 

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='ASCII' ?> <Velocity11 file='MetaData' md5sum='d9def80adb4895a149000be927986a3e' version='1.0' > <LocationVector > <Locations > <Location Group='0' MaxStackHeight='460' Name='Primary (Load/Unload) Pad' →Offset='0' Type='4' /> </Locations> </LocationVector> </Velocity11>

Related information

 

For information about...	See...
LoadPlate method	“LoadPlate method”
MakeLocationAvailable method	“MakeLocationAvailable method”
ReturnCode enumerated type	“ReturnCode enumerated type”
UnloadPlate method	“UnloadPlate method”