Operate

Model your physical lab setup in code — the foundation every automation script builds on, from labware through liquid handling.

Before any instrument can receive a command, the SDK needs a precise model of your physical setup. An aspirate() call needs to know exactly where well A1 is in 3D space. A gripper move needs the precise dimensions of the plate it will pick up. That model is what this section teaches you to build.

The dependency is strict and the order matters:

Labware definitions  →  Deck layout  →  Device connection  →  Instrument commands
   what exists            where it is      who can act           what happens

New here? Start with Your First Protocol. It walks the entire chain in one runnable simulator script, so every concept and guide below has a concrete example to anchor against.

The Automate section explains the workflow engine layer: how workflows, phases, steps, and human-in-the-loop work from a platform perspective. Operate is the physical layer those abstractions run on top of.

Concepts

Liquid Handling

The domain: aspirate and dispense as primitives, and how vendor differences are flattened behind one API.

Modules

Pipettes, grippers, and autoload as independent units of hardware capability, each with its own lifecycle.

Deck

The coordinate frame and resource tree that place labware in 3D space.

Labware

Plates, tips, tubes, and carriers modelled as Python objects with positions, dimensions, and liquid state.

Liquids

Three ways to represent a liquid — predefined types, traceable samples, and user-defined custom liquids.

Liquid Classes

Parameters that tune one pipetting cycle to the fluid being moved — flow rates, timing, volume correction.

Tips

Lifecycle-managed pipette tips, tracked inventory, and the Hamilton-channel vs. Bravo-96-head difference.

Simulation

Drop-in mock for every handler — what it validates, what it doesn't, and why the boundary matters.

Error Handling

Leave every instrument in a safe, known state when a step fails, before re-raising or continuing.

Guides

Labware

Import standard labware, or define custom plates, tips, tubes, and carriers.

Deck Setup

Arrange labware on a liquid handler deck, save the layout to JSON, and reload it across runs.

Pipetting

Aspirate, dispense, handle tips, transport labware, and work with liquid classes across Hamilton and Bravo.

Simulation

Run and validate full protocols against a mock liquid handler.

Liquid Handler Guides

Device-specific setup and usage for Hamilton STAR, Vantage, Agilent Bravo, and Tecan Freedom EVO.

Other Devices

Setup and usage guides for incubators, shakers, readers, and other non-liquid-handler instruments.

UniteLabs SDK & REST API

Access connectors programmatically — discover services, explore their modules and actions, and subscribe to live data using the UniteLabs SDK or the REST API.

Your First Protocol

Walk the full labware → deck → device → command → error chain in one runnable simulator script, and leave understanding why the order matters.