| METHOD |
DESCRIPTION |
ADVANTAGES |
DISADVANTAGES |
| RS-232 |
Simple "string"
commands sent to the instrument control all instrument movements
and pipetting directly |
Allows control by other
instruments - such as HPLC, Spectrophotometers etc. |
Need to write programs
at a relatively low level |
| On-board EPROM |
One or more programs are
factory loaded into the Beeline's on-board computer memory. |
Security (programs
cannot be changed by operator)
No computer required
Programs can be selected by a switch on front of instrument. |
Application needs
to be programmed and modified by HTZ
Size of program limited
Rack layouts are fixed within EPROM |
| BeeWin |
PC based software package
that drives Beeline by a sequence of commands that are saved as
a "program". |
Easy to build up a
reasonably complex sequence of pipetting steps.
Easy to change rack layouts |
No control of screen display |
| VisProg |
PC based software package
that drives Beeline by a sequence of commands that are saved as
a "program". |
Allows highly complex
sequences.
Programmable messages
Visual display
Can import and export data to and from spreadsheets, databases
Records errors
Interfaces with other software |
Provides a level of
sophistication not required by all applications
More complex to learn than BeeWin
|
Control of all probe movements in the XYZ axes plus
operation of the diluter is from an external PC using HTZ's menu-driven
software, or any computer via a comms link. This includes 2 programmable
inputs and outputs to interface with ancillary equipment. Absolutely
no previous computer experience is required, making Beeline extremely
easy to use.
