VWorks ATC Plugin

A VWorks plugin for the Thermo Fisher Scientific ATC (Automated Telescoping Conveyor).

This project is designed to be compiled as a 32-bit (x86) COM-visible library for integration with Agilent VWorks.

Prerequisites

• Microsoft Visual Studio
• Agilent VWorks software

Getting Started

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/calico/vworks-atc-plugin.git
   cd vworks-atc-plugin

2. Open the solution file (.sln) in Visual Studio.

Building the Plugin

The plugin must be built as an x86 assembly to be compatible with VWorks.

Generating the Type Library (.tlb)

For VWorks to recognize the plugin via COM, a type library (.tlb) file must be generated and the assembly registered.

1. Run Visual Studio as an Administrator. This is required for COM registration.
2. Open the project's Properties (Right-click the project in Solution Explorer and select Properties).
3. Go to the Build tab.
4. Check the Register for COM interop checkbox.
5. Clean and then Rebuild the solution. This is necessary to ensure the .tlb file is generated correctly.

This process will create the .dll, .pdb, and .tlb files in the output directory (e.g., bin\x86\Debug).

Installation

1. Copy the compiled plugin DLL (vworks-atc-plugin.dll) to the VWorks plugins directory. The default location is:

   C:\Program Files (x86)\Agilent Technologies\VWorks\Plugins
   

2. For debugging, it is recommended to also copy the .pdb (debug symbols) and .tlb (type library) files to the same directory.

Testing

You can use the IWorksTest.exe utility, found in the VWorks installation folder, to perform basic tests on the plugin. For the plugin to be listed and testable, the .dll, .tlb, and .pdb files must all be present in the Plugins directory.

ATC Connection Notes

• On startup, the ATC device attempts to get an IP address from a DHCP server.
• If no DHCP server is available, it will self-assign an APIPA (Automatic Private IP Addressing) address, typically in the 169.254.x.x range.
• For a reliable connection, ensure the host PC is on the same network subnet as the ATC. This can be achieved by using a DHCP server or by manually configuring the PC's network adapter settings.