About the Protocol Steps
Add Step: Click a button (in the center of the LHC's main view) to perform that action in the Protocol. When the parameters dialog opens, use the controls and text fields to define the step. When the protocol is run, it will perform each of the steps in order.
- Loop: to repeat one or more steps a specific number of times before proceeding to the next step.
- Use BioStack: to perform certain steps (for the specified number of plates) using the BioStack.
The LHC provided steps are limited, see Protocol Steps. All additional action buttons are enabled by the instrument's software. The action buttons represent the instrument's functional abilities. If you are seeing unexpected buttons, learn how to change the instrument. (To learn about the instrument's action buttons, open their parameters dialog and click the Help button.)
Stand-alone Operation: Certain protocols can be downloaded to the instrument for stand-alone operation, i.e., run from the keypad. Depending on the instrument, multi-step protocols must be run with the instrument attached to the computer.
Shortcut: You can reuse a protocol as an element of another protocol. Define the steps and save them with a unique name. To reuse them when defining another protocol, click the From File... button.
Features of the work area:
- Highlight a step or the <end of steps> placeholder and click an action button to put a command above it
- Click and drag a step to change its order in the protocol
- Double-click a step to modify its parameters
- Select a step and click the Delete button on your keyboard to remove it
- Right-click for a context-sensitive menu of editing options like Copy and Paste
- Loop and Use BioStack are step containers: First add these steps to the Protocol and then insert the action steps between their start and end tags. All the steps in the loop will be performed on each plate the specified number of times. Likewise, all steps in the BioStack loop will be performed on each plate before it is put in the output stack.
- The step currently being performed is highlighted when you run the protocol.
- You can review each step's parameters in more detail by highlighting it in the Protocol Steps box and scrolling through the Step Details box below. Double-click the Step Details to make changes to the step.