Configuring a protocol to track experiment data

VWorks Software User Guide : Creating forms for protocol operators : Configuring a protocol to track experiment data

This topic describes how to configure a protocol associated with a form that is configured to track experiment data for the Experiments database.

If your protocol is not configured to work with a form, see Experiments database objects for examples of how you can use JavaScript to configure a protocol to track experiment data.

About the Step Started/Completed task

The Step Started/Completed task (

) is used to mark a given Step (task sequence) in a protocol as having been started or having completed. Steps are used to track which tags are relevant to a given application run, and which have not had the underlying part of the protocol executed yet.

Task is available for...	Task is available in...
Protocols with a connection to the Experiments database	Startup protocol Main Protocol Bravo Subprocess Cleanup protocol

Requirements

The Step Started/Completed task requires a connection to the Experiments database. For instructions, see Connecting to the Experiments database.

Task parameters

In the protocol, add the Step Started/Complete task at the beginning and end of each step to be tracked in the protocol. After adding the Step Started/Completed task at the desired points in the protocol, set the following parameters in the Task Parameters area.

Parameter	Description
Step name	The name of the protocol (application) step for which this data is relevant. Enter the same value that appears in the Experiment tags Step Name property of all controls on the form that are associated with this step. The following figure shows an example of this property for a form control. If the Step name property is blank in a Step Started/Completed task, an error will occur when you compile the protocol.
Completed	Clear the check box if this instance of the Step Started/Completed task is placed at the beginning of a step to be tracked in the protocol. Select the check box if this instance of the Step Started/Completed task is at the end of a step to be tracked in the protocol.

Parameter

Description

Step name

The name of the protocol (application) step for which this data is relevant.

Enter the same value that appears in the Experiment tags Step Name property of all controls on the form that are associated with this step. The following figure shows an example of this property for a form control.

If the Step name property is blank in a Step Started/Completed task, an error will occur when you compile the protocol.

Completed

Clear the check box if this instance of the Step Started/Completed task is placed at the beginning of a step to be tracked in the protocol.

Select the check box if this instance of the Step Started/Completed task is at the end of a step to be tracked in the protocol.

Example

Goal

Use the Experiments database to track the parameter settings involved in preparing a microplate for downstream analysis.

Implementation

A form is configured to run the protocol for which data is to be recorded in the Experiments database. The form is configured to include:

1 Experiments ID control

2 Application name

In this example, Affinity Purification is the name of the application.

3 Each form control to be tracked has the following properties defined:

– Experiment tag Step Name. The following figure shows an example for the Load Samples step.

– Experiment tag Field Name. The following figure shows an example for the Volume control (Edit control).

In the protocol, the steps to be tracked are bracketed by:

• Step Started/Completed task at beginning of step. This instance has a cleared Completed check box.

• Step Started/Completed task at the end of the step. The Completed check box is selected for this instance of the task.

Note: A given Step can be Started only once and Completed only once, and it cannot be Completed before it is Started. The software will not execute a Step Started/Completed task that breaks this rule.

Figure Example of Volume control properties for a Load Samples step on a form

Figure Example of the Application Name dialog box

The following figures show examples of the Start/Stop Completed tasks at the beginning and end of a Load Sample step.

Figure Example of Step Started/Completed task marking the beginning of a protocol step

Figure Example of Step Started/Completed task marking the end of a protocol step

To create a report (.pdf file) for the experiment ID that includes this protocol after the protocol is run, do one of the following:

• In the form, click the Generate Experiment ID Report button, if included.

• In the VWorks window, click Tools > Experiments Editor, select the experiment ID, and then click Report for selected.

Related information

For information about...	See...
Experiment IDs, Experiments database, and generating reports	Using the Experiments Editor
Setting up a form to track experiment data	Configuring a form for experiment IDs and Experiments database
Workflow for creating or editing a form	Workflow for creating or editing a form
Creating a basic protocol	Workflow for creating a basic protocol
Using the experimentTagsDB object in a protocol	Experiments database objects
Using JavaScript	Creating a protocol: advanced topics