Define Plate Set

VWorks Software User Guide : Setting parameters for scheduling tasks : Define Plate Set

Define Plate Set

Description

The Define Plate Set task (

) allows you to create an array variable to represent a group of process plates that will be processed using the same tasks in a looping routine. You can reference the plate set using the Location, plate parameter in a task.

Task is available for...	Task is available in...
Any device	Main Protocol, not in a subprocess

Requirements

The Define Plate Set task is used with the Loop and Loop End tasks. The Define Plate Set task must be added in the protocol as follows:

• Before the Loop and Loop End tasks that use it.

• In the top-level process, not in the subprocess that contains the Loop and Loop End tasks.

• At the beginning of the process, and the process is not spawned.

The Loop tasks allow you to specify the starting array index value, how frequently the variable will increment or decrement, and the amount by which the index will increment or decrement.

Custom parameters

After adding the Define Plate Set task at the desired point in the protocol, define the plate set in the Custom Parameters area:

Parameter	Description
Plate set variable	The name of the variable assigned to the plate set. The name must conform to JavaScript rules for variable names: start with an alphabetical character or the underscore symbol, followed by combinations of alphabetical characters, numbers, and underscore symbols. To define a new name, click Change, type the new name, and then click OK. Ensure that the Loop task specifies this variable as a Custom Parameter, otherwise the other task parameters will not be able to select from the plate set. For details, see Loop and Loop End.
Add plate	The command that allows you to add a process plate to the plate set. To add a process plate, click Add plate. A new row appears in the Array table and an index value is automatically assigned. In the Plate field, select a process plate from the list.
Delete plate	The command that deletes the selected process plate.
Array table	The list of process plates in the plate set. The table consist of: • Array index. The value that identifies the process plate in the array. • Plate. The process plate name.

Referencing a plate set in a task

To reference a plate set in a task:

1 Select the task in the protocol.

2 In the Task Parameters area, select the plate-set variable from the Location, plate list.

If the variable does not appear in the list, make sure:

• The task is inside of a loop.

• The Loop task specifies the plate set name in its Custom Parameters area.

The following example shows the Aspirate task parameters. Three plate-set variables were defined earlier in the protocol and are available for selection: Tips, Source, and Destination. The example shows the Source variable selected.

Example: Define a plate set for processing on Bravo Platform

Goal

Define a plate set of source microplates (Source A, B, C, and D). Aspirate from each source microplate into a destination microplate.

Implementation

Add a Define Plate Set task at the beginning of the protocol.

The plate set is called PlateSet. This variable is defined in the Custom Parameters for the Define Plate Set task and specified in the Customer Parameters for the Loop task.

Instead of adding four separate Aspirate tasks for each source microplate, add only one Aspirate task in the liquid-handling subprocess. In the Aspirate Task Parameters area, PlateSet is selected.

Related information

For information about...	See...
Adding tasks in a protocol	Adding and deleting tasks
Loop and Loop End tasks	Loop and Loop End
Spawn Process task	Spawn Process
Process Control task	Process Control
Task parameter variables	Using simple variables
Microplate-handling tasks	Setting parameters for microplate-handling tasks
Microplate-storage tasks	Setting parameters for microplate storage tasks
Liquid-handling tasks	Setting parameters for liquid-handling tasks