The Challenge of Connecting Instruments
Most equipment manufacturers provide some form of serial connection capability for their instrumentation. Whether it is plate readers, automated microscopes, or sensor units, these devices typically come with an RS-232 or a USB port. However, each manufacturer features their own proprietary communication interface, protocol, and unique command sets. Therefore, the user first needs to navigate the challenges of reliably connecting to a single instrument with the proper exchange of bytes in the right serial format and in the correct order to accomplish a simple handshake. Then comes the challenge of abstracting the low-level communication to form a command pipeline. Finally, a custom-written software module could use the command pipeline to establish a form of automation with that instrument.
This ecosystem of different protocols and command sets, together with the steep learning curve and time needed to automate anything, can make it challenging for users to create a coherent automation approach quickly.
The process outlined above could take days to weeks to finalize for each instrument that needs to be added to the automation setup. Considering that even different instruments made by the same manufacturer tend to support different protocols and command sets, the challenge of efficiently scaling up and maintaining laboratory automation setups becomes clearer. Even replacing an instrument in a given setup with a new or different model is a daunting and time-consuming task that most laboratory supervisors would rightfully tend to discourage. The cumulative investment of time, money and resources is the reason why so many research and development labs still continue to use and maintain outdated equipment with obsolete codebases.
Daisy’s Plug-and-Play Functionality
The Daisy instrument platform solves the above-mentioned challenge by providing a very simple, effortless and uniform connection interface. Daisy modules support a direct plug-and-play functionality where the instrument is instantly controllable from a graphical interface as soon as they are physically connected to the computer or an existing network of other Daisy instruments. They are also instantly ready for automation through high-level Python commands.
This effortless plug-and-play functionality solves many of the challenges associated with connecting different instruments. With Daisy’s plug-and-play, users no longer need to worry about the intricacies of different communication protocols and command sets. Instead, they can simply connect their devices and expect them to work seamlessly together. In this manner, they can focus on their core science and development tasks from day one.
Our plug-and-play feature enables the users to connect Daisy instruments with functional components from many different manufacturers without compatibility issues. This opens up a world of possibilities for users, allowing them to choose the best Daisy instruments for their needs without being limited by compatibility concerns.
Want to learn more about how the plug-and-play functionality of the Daisy platform can help transform your path to discovery?
