Introduction
Any time you make changes to your Tecan Freedom EVO® deck layout, add or update labware, carriers and liquid classes or add robot vectors, you must generate a new Tecan Freedom EVO® configuration using our configuration tool and upload it to Synthace. This ensures Synthace has up-to-date information about your device when creating and executing Synthace workflows.
NOTE: This article assumes that your FAS has already deployed your device.
Prerequisites
Before you add a configuration to Synthace, you must create a script that specifies the size of the deck and the locations of any peripheral devices and hotels.
Synthace might not support the peripheral devices yet, but it still needs to know where they are.
Tip: You only need to repeat the following steps if you add a new peripheral device or hotel. You do not need to repeat them whenever you add a configuration to Synthace.
In Freedom EVOware®, create a new script from the Empty template.
Add any peripheral devices and hotels to the worktable.
Save the script in the default directory. Call it OnlyDevicesAndHotels.
Tip: The default directory is Local Disk (C:) > ProgramData > Tecan > EVOware > database > scripts.
Click Only save the active file.
Configurations
A configuration is a JSON file that tells Synthace:
how the deck is laid out;
what labware the device uses; and
which liquid classes the device uses.
When you build a liquid handling workflow, you select the configuration that describes how the deck will be laid out when you execute the workflow.
Tip: Every configuration shares the same labware and liquid classes. This means that you do not need to select a specific configuration to use a specific microplate or liquid class.
Update your device setup in Tecan Freedom EVOware®
In Freedom EVOware®, make the required changes to your device setup. This could include creating/updating your worktable, labware or liquid class database. Your worktable should only consist of carriers, hotels, deck segments and integrated peripheral instruments. Be sure that ALL labware (plates, troughs, etc) is removed from the worktable.
To add a configuration to Synthace, complete the following steps.
Repeat them whenever you need to tell Synthace about a new deck layout, labware or custom liquid class.
1. Create a script
Use Freedom EVOware® to create a script. In the following sections, you will use the script to describe how the deck is laid out, which microplates the device uses, and which liquid classes the device uses.
NOTE: When updating labware and liquid classes, you can simply use an existing script with an up-to-date worktable, you don’t need to create a new one.
In Freedom EVOware®, create a new script from the Empty template.
2. Describe the deck layout
In Freedom EVOware®, a digital representation of the deck is called a worktable. To describe the deck layout, add the wash stations and carriers to the worktable.
Go to CARRIERS.
If Freedom EVOware® does not contain a carrier that you use, you must add the carrier to Freedom EVOware®.
Right-click the carrier that you want to use as the template, then click Duplicate.
Enter a name for the new carrier.
Set the parameters of the carrier, then click OK.
Tip: To specify which plate types are allowed in which positions, click Allowed Labware on this carrier....
Drag the wash stations and carriers that are on the deck from the control bar to the worktable.
3. Match your labware
If Freedom EVOware® contains a labware such as for example a microplate that you want to use in your Synthace workflows:
add the vendor name and part (or catalogue) number to the microplate; then
create a plate type with the same vendor name and part (or catalogue) number in Synthace.
This links the microplate in Freedom EVOware® to the plate type in Synthace, which means that you can use it in your Synthace workflows.
Go to LABWARE.
Beneath Microplates, right-click the microplate that you want to use in your Synthace workflows, then click Edit.
Update the information on the Well dimensions tab.
In Vendor Name, type the name of the vendor.
In Additional Information, type the part (or catalogue) number of the microplate.
Tip: The part (or catalogue) number must begin with # and may contain numbers and letters.
Click OK.
Create a corresponding plate type in Synthace.
Go to Inventory > Plate Types, then click +.
Complete the form that opens, then click SAVE.
Note: Make sure that the Manufacturer matches the Vendor Name in Freedom EVOware®, and make sure that the Part Number matches the Additional Information in Freedom EVOware®.
Example: In Freedom EVOware®, we create a script, then describe the deck layout: we add a wash station to position 10, a carrier to position 15, and another carrier to position 25.
Freedom EVOware® contains a microplate that we want to use in our Synthace workflows. To link the microplate to a plate type in Synthace, we add the vendor name and part number to the microplate, then create a plate type with the same vendor name and part number in Synthace.
We save the script, then use our configuration tool to generate a configuration from it which we then need to upload to Synthace (See below).
4. Update your liquid classes
A liquid class controls how a Tecan Freedom EVO® handles a liquid. Freedom EVOware® displays the liquid classes in the current script on the LIQUID CLASSES tab.
However, in Synthace, you select a liquid handling policy to control how a device handles a liquid, not a liquid class. This means that, for a Tecan Freedom EVO® to execute a workflow in your lab, Synthace must first link the liquid handling policies in the workflow to some liquid classes.
The linking process
When you use use our configuration tool to generate a configuration from a script, Synthace assigns the following properties to the liquid classes in the script.
LLD-A | When the device aspirates a liquid, whether or not (Y or N) liquid level detection (LLD) is enabled. |
Tracking-A | When the device aspirates a liquid, whether or not (Y or N) liquid tracking is enabled.
|
RefPos-A | The location (bottom or liquid) in the well from which the device aspirates a liquid. |
LLD-D | When the device dispenses a liquid, whether or not (Y or N) liquid level detection (LLD) is enabled. |
Tracking-D | When the device dispenses a liquid, whether or not (Y or N) liquid tracking is enabled. |
Contact | The location (contact, free or wet) in the well to which the device dispenses a liquid. |
HasFilter | Whether or not (Y or N) the devices uses tips that contain filters. |
MaxVol | The maximum volume of liquid (μl) that the device transfers. |
MinVol | The minimum volume of liquid (μl) that the device transfers. |
TipType | The type of tips (DiTi or standard) that the device uses. |
TipVolume | The maximum volume (μl) of the tips that the device uses. |
Category | The category (DoEMS, Synthace, custom or default) of the liquid class. |
ProxyLiquid | The type of liquid for which you will use the liquid class. |
When you simulate a workflow, Synthace uses these properties to link the liquid handling policies in the workflow to the liquid classes in the configuration that you select.
If the ProxyLiquid of the liquid handling policy matches the ProxyLiquid of a liquid class, Synthace matches the liquid handling policy to the liquid class.
If the DISPREFERENCE of the liquid handling policy maps to the Contact of the liquid class, Synthace matches the liquid handling policy to the liquid class.
Note : This also considers whether or not the destination well is empty.
A | B | C | D |
|
| Not empty | Wet |
|
| Empty | Free |
|
| Not empty | Free |
|
| Empty or not | Contact |
A = DISPREFERENCE, B = MULTI_DISPENSE_LIMIT, C = Destination Well, D = Contact.
Example: Reagent 1 has a liquid handling policy with a DISPREFERENCE of 0 and a MULTI_DISPENSE_LIMIT of 1. If Synthace instructs the liquid handler to transfer Reagent 1 to a well that is not empty, it will link the liquid handling policy to a liquid class with a Contact of Wet. If Synthace instructs the liquid handler to transfer Reagent 1 to a well that is empty, it will link the liquid handling policy to a liquid class with a Contact of Free.
If the other properties of the liquid handling policy match the corresponding properties of a liquid class, Synthace matches the liquid handling policy to the liquid class.
Tip: This includes tip types and transfer volumes.
If Synthace could match a liquid handling policy to multiple liquid classes, it uses the Category of each liquid class to determine which one to choose. Synthace is most likely to choose the liquid class with the Category at the top of the following list, and least likely to choose the liquid class with the Category at the bottom.
DoEMS
Synthace
Custom
Default
When you execute the workflow in your lab, the Tecan Freedom EVO® uses those liquid classes to handle the liquids in your workflow.
Add a custom liquid class
If you want the Tecan Freedom EVO® to use a custom liquid class to handle a liquid, you must add it to Freedom EVOware®.
Go to LIQUID CLASSES.
Double-click any liquid class, then click New Class.
Select the liquid class that you want to use as the template for the custom liquid class.
On the Global tab, set the parameters of the custom liquid class.
On the left of the Edit liquid classes form, beneath the custom liquid class, Freedom EVOware® displays the subclasses that are linked to the tip types.
Click a tip type to set the values for the subclass that is linked to that tip type.
When you have set the parameters of the custom liquid class, click OK.
5. Save the script
When you save the script, it will contain:
the deck layout that Freedom EVOware® displays on the CARRIERS tab;
the microplates that Freedom EVOware® displays on the LABWARE tab; and
the liquid classes that Freedom EVOware® displays on the LIQUID CLASSES tab.
Before you save the script, make sure that:
the deck layout is correct;
the microplates that you want to use in your Synthace workflows have a vendor name and part (or catalogue) number; and
Freedom EVOware® contains the custom liquid classes that you want the Tecan Freedom EVO® to use.
Click Save, then choose a directory in which to save the script.
Tip: Save the script wherever you want and call it whatever you want.
Click Only save the active file.
Generate a configuration
Open SynthaceHub on the PC connected to your Tecan Freedom Evo. Navigate to the Devices page and select CONFIGURATION TOOL underneath your device.
The Tecan Freedom Evo Config Tool should open or at least appear in the bottom application tray - click on its icon to bring the window forward.
In the Configuration Tool, for “Worktable template/script'' click on Browse to find the script you want to be using to generate your new configuration. Under “Deck Config Name”, type a name for the configuration which will be then displayed in Synthace and click on Generate to generate a new config .json file.
Once complete, the Save button will become enabled. Click Save to save the .json configuration file to an easily accessible location.
Upload the configuration
Open Synthace in your browser and log in. Under the Inventory menu, select Devices.
Find the correct device and click the Configuration button. Click on Add New Configuration and upload the generated .json file. Follow the article here to finish uploading your new configuration file.
After you upload one or more configurations, you can select the Tecan Freedom EVO® as a device when you create a workflow and select the appropriate configuration which reflects the current deck layout of your device. To learn more about allocating labware on your selected deck layout, click here.