Copyright: @(#)MID: iEMS $Revision:   1.1  $


CONTENTS
  iEMS TRANSMIT PROGRAM  (Revision 1.5)

CONTENTS

1.  GENERAL

1.1.  INTRODUCTION

1.2.  INSTALLATION

1.3.  SHORT GUIDE HOW TO USE THE PROGRAM

2.  MENUS

2.1.  READER

2.2.  SETTINGS

2.2.1.  MEASUREMENT SETTINGS

2.2.2.  DISPENSING SETTINGS

2.2.3.  TIME AND TEMPERATURE SETTINGS

2.2.4.  SHAKE SETTINGS

2.3.  COMSETTINGS

2.4.  SINGLECMDS

2.5.  EXIT

2.6.  HELP

3.  CONTROLS

3.1.  MEASURE

3.1.1.  MEASUREMENT MODES

3.1.2.  MEASUREMENT DATA

3.2.  DISPLAY

3.3.  DISPENSE

3.4.  TEMPERATURE ON/OFF

3.5.  TIMER START/STOP

3.6.  SHAKE START/STOP

3.7.  PLATE IN and PLATE OUT


INTRODUCTION
1.1.  INTRODUCTION

The iEMS Transmit program is designed to control the Labsystems' iEMS-Reader MF and Analyzer in the WindowsTM 3.1 environment. All the reader's functions can be performed such as measuring, incubation, dispensing and shaking. The control operations are made in the main window with menus, buttons and check boxes. Parameters to be used are also visible in this window, but changing of them is made in the Settings window.

Through this program it's possible to transfer measurement data easily via clipboard to other Windows programs (e.g. spreadsheet calculation program) for further processing. Data can also be saved to the data file for later use. However this program performs no calculations with the measured data.

It is not allowed to sell, transfer or distribute to the public any copy of Labsystems Transmit software. The program disk may be copied for backup purposes only.


INSTALLATION
1.2.  INSTALLATION

Program setup is made in the Windows environment. The setup starts by running the "setup" program from the diskette.

Insert the diskette into the relevant drive of your computer.

Select in Program manager:  File, Run and type "a:setup". If your drive is e.g. B, simply substitute the relevant letter for A i.e. "b:setup".

Specify the directory where you want to install the Transmit and its parameter files.

Select the appropriate devices (Multiskan, iEMS, Fluoroskan II, Luminoskan) to be installed.

Program will copy some files to the Windows directory and makes a directory, where it will copy the Transmit program files. It will create also a group and icons for the installed Transmit programs in Program manager.

The hard disk space requirements:

At least 600 kBytes free space on the disk containing the Windows directory. The iEMS Transmit requires about 150 kBytes additional space.

NOTE:	To ensure that the spreadsheet programs can convert measured data to values, the Windows must have a point as a decimal separator. You can check it in the Windows Control Panel (International - Number Format).


SHORT_GUIDE
1.3.  SHORT GUIDE HOW TO USE THE PROGRAM

After installing the Transmit program, open the program by double clicking the iEMS Transmit icon. Before using the program for the first time, you may have to change the default settings.

Set the Communication parameters on the ComSettings window (see Section 2.3 ComSettings).

Connect the iEMS to the computer by selecting Reader - Connect Reader from the Transmit main menu. This command turns the computer control on and enables the Transmit controls.

The control operations are made in the main window with menus, buttons and check boxes. For changing the parameters go to the Settings window (see Section 2.2 Settings).

The Display button opens the data window where the measurement data can be seen. The data is also transferred automatically to the clipboard after all measurements and thus it is ready to "paste" to some other program (see Sections 3.1.2. Measurement data and 3.2. Display).


READER
2.1.  READER

Connect Reader:

The Connect Reader command turns the computer control on and enables also the Transmit controls.

Disconnect Reader:

The Disconnect Reader command turns the computer control off and disables also the Transmit controls.

If the reader sends an error message, it will always be displayed and if some sequence is unfinished the rest of it will be cancelled.

If there is no response from the reader within a certain time period, program gives an error message and disables it's controls.


SETTINGS
2.2.  SETTINGS

In the Settings window all the parameters related to the commands can be changed. If value other than in allowed range is entered program beeps and that keypress is not accepted. In most cases it is not possible to check the validity of the entered value in the middle of the entering, but the program makes the final check when the cursor is moved to the next parameter or by pressing the OK button. The program gives an error message "Invalid value" and it returns the control back to the appropriate parameter to be corrected. In all the parameters the number of accepted characters is restricted. To enter (a) new character(s) the old one(s) have to be deleted first because pressing a key always inserts a character.

Pressing the OK button saves current parameters and they are now available in the control window. Pressing the Cancel button doesn't save the parameters. In this case all the parameters remain unchanged both in the control window and in the parameter file.

The iEMS Transmit manual gives information related particularly to this program. Further information of the acceptable range for the parameters and their functions can be found in the iEMS Operation Manual.


MEAS_SETTINGS
2.2.1.  MEASUREMENT SETTINGS

The Measurement Mode and Filters can be selected from the drop-down lists.

Measurement modes:

The following measurement modes are available:

- Single Wavelength

- Multifilter

- Agglutination

- Dual Wavelength

- Kinetic

- Strip Kinetic

Single Wavelength:

In the Single Wavelength mode the filter to be used is the only measurement setting.

Multifilter:

In the Multifilter mode the set of 12 filters (one for each column) is to be defined instead of one filter.

Agglutination:

In the Agglutination mode the filter to be used is the only measurement setting.

Dual Wavelength:

In the Dual Wavelength mode two filters can be selected, one for each measurement.

Kinetic:

In the Kinetic mode the Number of Measurement Points can be from 2 to 40. Minimum value for the Kinetic Meas Interval Time is 10 seconds, if the baud rate is 9600, otherwise it is 15 seconds.

Strip Kinetic:

In the Strip Kinetic mode the parameters are similar with normal kinetic mode (see above), except the value for the Kinetic Meas Interval Time. It's minimum value is 1 second, if the baud rate is 9600, otherwise it is 2 seconds and it's maximum value is 30 seconds. The Strip Kinetic and normal Kinetic modes have their own, separate values for the Number of Measurement Points and the Kinetic Meas Interval Time, although they are entered in the same editing fields.

Column to be measured in the Strip Kinetic mode is defined in the dispensing section (see Section 2.2.2 Dispensing Settings).

In the kinetic modes when the Number of Measurement Points, Kinetic Meas Interval time or Incubation Time is entered and control is moved to another field, the program calculates the Measurement Time and the Total Time. The Measurement Time is time from the beginning of the first measurement to the beginning of the last measurement. The Total Time is the sum of the Measurement Time and the Incubation Time.

Filter Settings:

Filter can be selected from the drop down list, where it is also possible to edit wavelengths. The minimum wavelength value is 280 and only three digits are accepted. The value is changed after editing by pressing enter or by moving control to another field.

The second filter for Dual Wavelength measurement can be selected from the list, which is identical to the "normal" filter list. However in this list it is not possible to edit the wavelengths.

NOTE:	Change the filter wavelength setting(s) only if some filter(s) in your reader's filter wheel is changed.


DISP_SETTINGS
2.2.2.  DISPENSING SETTINGS

It is recommended to use the up and down arrows when entering the Dispensing Volume in order to avoid incorrect values (the valid range is from 20 to 395 in the increments of 5). It is also possible to use the number keys and the program will check the entered values.

The format in Columns-field must be xx-yy (xx refers the start column and yy the end column) which means that the leading zeroes are required. While entering numbers the separator character (hyphen) is automatically skipped over.

If the measurement mode is Strip Kinetic, only one column value (in the format xx) is accepted in the editing field. This column is used also in the measurement even if the dispensing is not proceeded. The column value can be different from the start and end values mentioned above.


TIME_AND_TEMP_SETTINGS
2.2.3.  TIME AND TEMPERATURE SETTINGS

The Incubation Time format is hh:mm:ss (hours, minutes, seconds). Maximum accepted time is 23:59:59. This concerns also the Kinetic Meas Interval Time. In the Strip Kinetic mode however the maximum accepted interval time is 30 seconds and therefore only the field for the seconds can be edited.

NOTE:	The actual time separator may be other than colon depending on the Windows (In Control Panel: International - Time Format) settings.

The Incubation Temperature value can be from 14 to 40 with increments of  0.1.


SHAKE_SETTINGS
2.2.4.  SHAKE SETTINGS

Shake-On Time must be between 2 and 60 seconds and shake-Off Time between 2 and 180 seconds. However the off-time can be also 0, which means that shake on-time is made only once.


COMSETTINGS
2.3.  COMSETTINGS

The communication parameters are selected in the ComSettings window:

- Communication port

- Handshaking

- Baud Rate

- ASCII code

To be able to utilise the data in e.g. spreadsheet programs a separator character will be inserted between readings by Transmit. This character is given as an ASCII-code. The accepted values are all valid ASCII codes ( 0 to 255), most commonly used are TAB (9), COMMA (44) and SEMICOLON (59). Zero means that no character insertion will be made.

This window is available only if the reader is "disconnected".

NOTE: 	Be sure, that the communication parameters are the same in the program settings and in the reader, otherwise the data transmission will fail.

NOTE: 	Be careful not to enter a control code as the separator character, which can make data unusable.


SINGLECMDS
2.4.  SINGLECMDS

In the single commands window individual commands can be manually sent to the reader. Commands are selected from the list available and sent using the Send button. The command returning the data (e.g. measurement, temperature or version ask command) transfers it to the Data Window.

Transmit uses the default values given in the Settings window for the command parameters (dispensing, temperature, filter change etc.). The commands and parameters can also be edited in this window, but these values are valid only as long as you are in this window.

Your can always send a command in this window, whether the controls in the main window are enabled or not. If you send e.g. the command "quit computer control", it is not possible to send commands in control window before "connecting" the reader again.

NOTE:	In this window you can send ONE command at the time. It is important to check that the command sequence and parameters are correct. There is no time control for reader's response and data is not moved automatically to the clipboard in this window.


EXIT
2.5.  EXIT

The Exit command exits the program. If you have not disconnected the reader it will be done automatically before exit. If there is unsaved data in the data window, the program prompts if you want to exit anyway or cancel it for saving the data. Here "saving" does not include the automatic data transfer to the clipboard after every measurement.

NOTE:	You can exit the program without saving the data if it has been already "pasted" to some other program after every measurement.


HELP
2.6.  HELP

This opens the help window containing the help file.


MEASURE
3.1.  MEASURE

Measure button performs measurement with the selected mode. This sequence drives the plate in and changes the filter automatically before the measurement. If Use Barcode Reader box is selected, the barcode data is read from the plate before the measurement. Barcode is placed to it's own line before the measurement data in the data window and in the clipboard.

NOTE:	Some earlier versions of reader's internal program don't accept the barcode command. If barcode has been selected, an error message is received which prevents getting the absorbance data.

If the Incubation Time is greater than zero in the Incubation Section, the time is started from the Measure button and the measurement is started automatically after the time is ended.The Timer display is used to show the times Incubation Time and Kinetic Measurement Time, if they are used in the measurement (See 3.5. Timer Start/Stop).

If the box Shake with timer (or in Lag Time) is selected, the shaking is also performed in the lag (incubation) time. However the time must be long enough. The Incubation time must be at least 5 seconds longer than Shake On time. In the Strip Kinetic mode this time margin is 10 seconds. Either single or sequential shaking can be selected (see 3.6. Shake Start/Stop). If only one shaking period has been defined, it is performed at the start of the incubation time. Shake can be set "on" or "off" even during this time.

If the Dispensing with measurement box is selected in the Dispensing Section, also the dispensing to the selected columns is made automatically before the measurement (See section 3.3 Dispense). If the dispensing is defined together with the Incubation Time, the dispensing is made after the start of the incubation time.


MEAS_MODES
3.1.1.  MEASUREMENT MODES

Single Wavelength:

In the Single Wavelength mode the measurement is performed once with the defined filter.

Multifilter:

In the Multifilter mode the measurement is performed once with the defined filter set, so that every microplate column is measured with corresponding filter. The filter changes during the measurement are made internally in the reader.

Agglutination:

In the Agglutination mode the measurement is performed with the defined filter. There are 26 measurement points across each well.

Dual Wavelength:

In the Dual Wavelength mode the measurement is made two times, once with both defined filters. From the check box Pause before 2nd measurement it is possible to select, whether the program stops between the measurements or not. "No pause" is the default setting. If "pause" is selected the program stops to wait the user's action after the first measurement. If the second measurement is cancelled, only the data of the first measurement is displayed.

Kinetic:

In the Kinetic mode the measurements are performed with the defined filter and using the parameters Number of Measurement Points and Kinetic Meas Interval Time.

In the kinetic mode it is also possible to shake the plate during the measurement using the check box Shake between measurements. The Kinetic Meas Interval Time must be at least 20 seconds longer than Shake-On time to allow the shaking. Either single or sequential shaking can be selected (see 3.6 Shake Start/Stop). If only one shaking period has been defined, it is performed at the end of the interval time. Shake can be set "on" or "off" even during the measurement. At measurement start a warning is given, if the Shake between measurements is selected, but the Shake-On time exeeds the allowed time above. However it's possible to continue the measurement, but in that case it is performed without shaking.

Strip Kinetic:

In the Strip Kinetic mode the measurements are performed with the defined filter and using the parameters Number of Measurement Points and Kinetic Meas Interval Time. These values can be different than in the "normal" Kinetic. In this mode only one defined Column of the microplate is measured. The shaking is not possible between the measurements.

If the Incubation Time is used in the Strip Kinetic mode before the measurement, the move to the defined column and the air blank are performed before the end of the time so that the measurement time can be started at the first measurement.

Breaking the measurement:

The measurement can be stopped in the incubation time or between the kinetic measurements by pressing the Break button. If the measurement is stopped with the Break button or due to any reader error, the already measured data (in kinetic modes) is automatically transferred to the Data Window and to the clipboard. After the break no further commands are proceeded and the plate remains at the current position.


MEAS_DATA
3.1.2.  MEASUREMENT DATA

After a measurement the data is always ready to "paste" to some other program. The data is also inserted automatically to the Data Window (See 3.2 Display). The data is normally in the microplate format and is displayed after the measurement has been performed. The plate results are separated with a line containing the filter number and wavelength. In the Dual Wavelength  mode the separation lines contains respectively the first and second filters. In the Strip Kinetic mode also the column number is in the beginning of the data.

KineticMode:

In the Kinetic mode the data format is different because it is sorted by the time. See the example print in the Appendix A at the end of the manual. At the beginning there are all measurement times in form "hh:mm:ss" so that the first time is always zero. If the Measurement Time is longer than 24 hours, the individual times are in "absolute" form containing both Date and Time.

After the times there are eight groups, one for each microplate row. Every group contains data from twelve wells and each column contains results of one well in time order. So in the first group there are all results of row A and in the second group row B and so on.

Strip Kinetic:

In the Strip Kinetic mode the data format is also sorted by the time as in the normal kinetic. However the time format is seconds with two decimal numbers. Because the data consists only results of one microplate column, one line in the data contains the results of wells A to H of current column. The subsequent measurements are placed to the next lines. So one column in the data consists the results of one well in time order. See the example print in the Appendix B at the end of the manual.


DISPLAY
3.2.  DISPLAY

The Display button opens the Data Window, where the measurement data is collected. You can insert your own comments in the data window. It is also possible to save the whole contents of the data window to a file or copy it to the clipboard. If you save the data to a file, which already exists, the data will be inserted at the end of the previous data. If the file name is new, the file will be created.

The data is always stored in the data window even if it's not visible. The separator characters are not in the data window, but they are inserted to the data automatically when it is moved to the clipboard or to the file (See Section 2.3. Comsettings).

NOTE:	Do not edit data lines in the data window. If the length of the data lines is changed, the program do not insert the separator characters into the measured data when it is copied to the clipboard or to the file from this window.

The Print operation prints the contents of the data window to the Windows default printer. The printing is always made with 64 lines per page.

The Clear operation empties the whole contents of the data window. Before clearing the data window the program gives a warning in case the data is not saved.

In those modes, which measure the plate only one time, data up to 40 plates can be inserted in the data window. The number of plates will be reduced if any extra information has been added to the data window  (e.g. your own comment lines)

In the Kinetic mode the number of plates is dependent on the number of measurement points. If the number of points is eg. 10, it is possible to measure 4 plates without clearing the data.

In the Strip Kinetic mode if the number of measurements is 40, it is possible to measure 8 measurements without clearing the data.

In the Agglutination mode it is possible to measure only one time without clearing the data.

NOTE:	Remember to save or clear the old data to ensure that there is enough space for the new measurement data. Otherwise the measurement can not be started.

NOTE:	Saving the data to the clipboard destroys it's old contents. After each measurement only the last measured data is on the clipboard.


DISPENSE
3.3.  DISPENSE

The Dispense button performs dispensing procedure to required columns with selected volume. The plate is moved in automatically before dispensing.When the Strip Kinetic mode is selected, only one column can be dispensed. In the Dispense Section there is a check box Dispensing with measurement. If it is selected, the dispensing is performed automatically when the measurement is started with the Measure button.


TEMPERATURE
3.4.  TEMPERATURE ON/OFF

The Temperature On/Off check box turns the reader's incubation temperature on and off. It also starts and stops the monitoring of the plate temperature. The temperature is checked with 3 seconds interval. Before temperature-on command the plate is moved in automatically. To change the temperature, you must first switch temperature off and then switch it on again with a new temperature setting. Starting the incubation time does not set the temperature on. An error message "No response from reader" will stop the monitoring automatically.


TIMER
3.5.  TIMER START/STOP

The Timer Start/Stop button starts and stops the timer. After the time has elapsed, program starts beeping with one second interval until the timer is stopped. In this way the timer can be used as a simple alarm timer. If the box Shake with timer (or in Lag Time) is selected, this button also starts and stops shaking.

If the Incubation Time is other than zero, the Measure button starts also the time. Then the timer display shows remaining time during the Incubation Time (lag time). In kinetic modes it shows also the remaining time during the Measurement Time.

If the box Shake with timer (or in Lag Time) is selected with the incubation time, the shaking is also performed in the incubation time (See Section 3.1. Measure).


SHAKE
3.6.  SHAKE START/STOP

The Shake Start/Stop button starts the shaking sequence with current parameters. Before it starts, the plate is moved in automatically. If Shake Off time is zero, the shake is done only once. If it is not zero, the shake sequence continues until it is stopped with this button or with the timer. Even if shaking has been started with timer, it can be stopped with this button before time has elapsed. However the last shake command will always be executed to the end.

Shake and Timer Start buttons are "normally" usable only before the measurement. After the measurement has been started, it will control the shaking with the check boxes Shake between measurements and Shake with timer (or in Lag Time) in those measurement modes, where they are available.


PLATE
3.7.  PLATE IN and PLATE OUT

The Plate In and Plate Out buttons move the plate in and out. Plate in command is also performed before all those sequences which require it. However the plate out command is never made automatically after any procedure.