Practical Laboratory Automation

INTRODUCTION
A Brief Story of Laboratory Automation
Approaches for Instrument Integration
Scripting versus Standardization in Laboratory Automation
Topics Covered in this Book
Learning by Doing: FACACO and FAKAS
Summary and Suggested Reading

THE VERY BASIC OF AUTOIT
What Is AutoIt?
Alternatives to AutoIt
Writing Your First Script (Mouse Click Automation)
Knowing More about SciTE
AutoIt on Linux
Summary and Suggested Reading

TIMED SCRIPTS
Controlling the Timing of Actions
Moving and Activating Windows
Sending Keyboard Inputs
"For" Loops and Variables
Organizing Your Code: Functions and Libraries
Replacing Mouse Clicks with Keyboard Shortcuts
Summary

INTERACTIVE SCRIPTS
Window Monitoring
Pixel Monitoring
"While...WEnd" Loops for Pixel Monitoring
Synchronizing FACACO and FAKAS using Pixel Monitoring
Enhanced Pixel Monitoring Using PixelCheckSum
Blocking Access to Keyboard and Mouse
Summary

SCRIPTING WITH CONTROLS
Using AWI to Get Control Information
Functions That Provide Control Information
Sending Commands to Controls
Synchronizing FACACO and FAKAS Using Controls
Dealing with Errors: If...Then
Summary

E-MAIL AND PHONE ALARMS
E-mail Alarms
SMS and Phone Call Alarms
Summary

USING LOW-COST EQUIPMENT FOR LABORATORY AUTOMATION
G-Code Devices
Robotic Arms
Do-It-Yourself Devices
Summary and Suggested Reading

CONTROLLING SERIAL PORTS
Serial Communication Protocols
Controlling COM Ports
Implications for other Devices

ARRAYS AND STRINGS
Organized Data: Arrays
Raw Data: Strings
Summary

DATA PROCESSING WITH SPREADSHEETS
Exporting Results to Spreadsheet Software
Dealing with Saved Results (Files)
Processing Spreadsheet Files
Summary

WORKING WITH DATABASES
Starting SQlite in AutoIt
Creating SQlite in AutoIt
Modifying an Existing SQlite Database
Databases with More Than One Table
Retrieving Data from Databases
Summary

SIMPLE REMOTE SYNCHRONIZATION
Time Macros
Synchronizing FACACO and FAKAS Using Time Macros
Summary

REMOTE SYNCHRONIZATION USING REMOTE CONTROL SOFTWARE
TeamViewer
Synchronizing FACACO and FAKAS Using TeamViewer

TEXT-BASED REMOTE SYNCHRONIZATION
Choosing Instant Messaging Software
Writing and Reading from Trillian Using AutoIt
Synchronizing FACACO and FAKAS Using Trillien
Summary

REMOTE SYNCHRONIZATION USING IRC
AutoIt and IRC
Monitoring the Connection
Synchronizing FACACO and FAKAS
Final Considerations
Summary

REMOTE SYNCHRONIZATION USING WINDOWS LAN TOOLS
Connecting to a LAN
Creating a Shared Folder
Synchronizing FACACO and FAKAS
Summary

REMOTE SYNCHRONIZATION USING THIRD-PARTY LAN SOFTWARE
Connecting to a LAN Using Bingo's Chat
Automated Communication Using Bingo's Chat
Synchronizing FACACO and FAKAS
Summary

INTERACTING WITH DEVICES VIA COM PORTS
Serial Communication Protocols
AutoIt and COM Ports
Monitoring in Real Time
Implications for Other Devices
Other Technologies for Instrument Control
Summary and Suggested Reading

INTRODUCTION TO GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE (GUI)
Making a Very Simple GUI
Adding Simple Elements to a GUI
Setting Keyboard Shortcuts
Summary

USING GUI TO CONTROL INSTRUMENTS
GUIs to Controal the EHMA Valve Actuator
Controlling Two or More COM Ports in the Same Script
A GUI to Control a Digital Balance
Summary

MULTITASKING GUIS
The "GUIOnEventMode" Option
Multitaskting Using GUIOnEventMode
Summary

ADDING GRAPHICAL ELEMENTS TO A GUI
Getting Started with GDIplus
Creating Animations Using GDIplus
Summary

CREATING GUIS USING KODA
Getting Started with KODA
Creating a Script
Summary

SOME SUGGESTIONGS
Suggestions for Manufacturers
Suggestions for Users

APPENDIX
Other SciTE Features
Optical Character Recognition
Scripting with Nonstandard Controls (UIA)