Hamilton Microlab VANTAGE

This page covers connector installation, configuration, and a first test for the Hamilton Microlab VANTAGE line of liquid handlers. The Hamilton manuals cover instrument installation, maintenance, and safety. To operate the instrument, see the Hamilton VANTAGE guides.

What you need

Models

The Microlab VANTAGE comes in 1.3 m and 2.0 m widths. A VANTAGE instrument can consist of up to three modules:

• Pipettor: the liquid handler itself, with deck and pipetting tools mounted on one or multiple arms.
• Logistic Cabinet: the storage space below the deck. It holds active components such as Entry/Exit modules, and space for storage or integration.
• Track Gripper: a separate robotic arm at the back of the instrument.

The Microlab STAR V is a VANTAGE system consisting only of a benchtop Pipettor, without the Logistic Cabinet and the Track Gripper.

The unitelabs-microlab-vantage connector supports the Pipettor module. The Logistic Cabinet and the Track Gripper aren't supported.

Each module has its own IP address. An internal router connects the modules, so only one Ethernet cable leaves the instrument. Use the Pipettor's address in the connector configuration.

VANTAGE Pipettors can differ in their hardware configuration, including the presence and number of pipetting channels, pipetting heads, and transport tools. The unitelabs-microlab-vantage connector supports all models and reads their configuration from the instrument firmware. It exposes only the modules present on the physical device through the SiLA 2 interface. See Supported modules for details.

For detailed model and configuration specifications, consult the manufacturer's documentation.

Install and configure the connector

1. In GroundControl, add a device, search for Vantage, and select the model: Microlab VANTAGE 1.3 or Microlab VANTAGE 2.0 (how to add a connector). Microlab STAR V instruments use the VANTAGE entries.
2. Fill in the device-specific configuration:

   Field	Value
   host	The IP address or hostname of the Pipettor. Typically 192.168.1.20. The connector default is 192.168.1.1
   port	The TCP port of the instrument. The default is 24652, which is typical for VANTAGE instruments
   command_timeout	Seconds to wait for the XL module initialization to finish. The default is 60. All other commands use a fixed timeout of 5 minutes, which this setting doesn't change
   has_core96	Optional override. The CO-RE 96 head is detected automatically at startup. Set to true to register the Core 96 Service when detection fails. The default is false

3. Start the connector. It opens a connection to the instrument and reads which modules are installed. GroundControl then lists the services for those modules.

To run the connector on a machine without GroundControl, see Headless install.

Supported modules

The UniteLabs VANTAGE connector supports the following modules. It detects which modules are present on the device and registers a service for each one.

Before connector version 0.5.0, the connector registered all services regardless of the installed modules.

First successful test

The connector is a SiLA server and accepts direct calls. Connect the SDK to the Platform, then run this code in a notebook or an async script. It reads the firmware version and doesn't move the instrument.

Replace Hamilton Microlab Vantage with the service name shown in GroundControl. Hamilton Microlab Vantage is the default service name of this connector. After a rename, the lookup returns None and the next line fails.

from unitelabs.sdk import AsyncApiClient

client = AsyncApiClient()
vantage = await client.get_service_by_name(name="Hamilton Microlab Vantage")

print(await vantage.gateway_service.get_firmware_version())

Expected output: the firmware version string of the instrument.

Run the same test with the Liquid Handling SDK

Direct connector calls are enough to check a connection. For everything else, use the Liquid Handling SDK. It models the deck, the channels, and the labware, and validates parameters before anything moves. This code reads the firmware version and the instrument configuration through it. As in the previous example, use the service name shown in GroundControl.

from unitelabs.liquid_handling.hamilton import Vantage

vantage = Vantage(name="Hamilton Microlab Vantage")

print(await vantage.get_firmware_version())

configuration = await vantage.get_configuration()
print(configuration)

Expected output: the firmware version string of the instrument, followed by the instrument configuration the SDK reads from the firmware.

Known issues

• Connector stops at startup. If the connection can't be opened at all, check host, port, and the network connection to the instrument. If the connection opens but the firmware version query fails, for example with a timeout, the connector stops with Device did not respond to firmware version query followed by the reason.
• A service is missing. At startup, the connector queries the instrument for its arm components and system modules. If a query fails, the connector doesn't stop and doesn't report an error. It writes a debug message to the log, and the services that depend on that query don't appear. A failed arm query removes the PIP, Core Gripper, IPG, XL, and Core 96 Services. A failed system modules query removes the IDL Service. To fix this error, restart the connector and check the network connection to the instrument. If the Core 96 Service is still missing, set has_core96 to true.
• Firmware timeout of 5 minutes. The Hamilton VANTAGE has a strict limit of 5 minutes (300 seconds) per command, and a command that runs longer is ended by the instrument. The connector can't change this limit, and a longer connector timeout doesn't extend it. Split long running actions, such as complex mixing, into several commands.

Vendor documentation

The Hamilton manuals shipped with the instrument cover operating limits, deck layout, maintenance, and safety.