VWorks Driver for Perkin Elmer Phenix

A driver for controlling the Perkin Elmer Phenix High Content Imager through Agilent VWorks automation software.

Overview

This project is a .NET-based driver that implements the IWorksDriver COM interface, allowing Agilent VWorks to communicate with and control a Perkin Elmer Phenix instrument. It works by sending commands to the Phenix RCI (Remote Control Interface) service, which is part of the standard Phenix software installation. This enables the integration of high-content imaging steps into larger automated VWorks protocols.

Features

The driver exposes the following commands to VWorks:

• Acquire Images: Executes a specified acquisition protocol on the Phenix for a given plate barcode.
• Load Plate: Moves the instrument's stage to the transfer position to allow a robot to load a plate.
• Diagnostic Window: A user interface for manual control (Connect, Stage In/Out, Start/Stop Acquisition), status checking, and debugging communications with the instrument.

Prerequisites

• Agilent VWorks Automation Control software.
• Perkin Elmer Phenix instrument and its control software.
• The Perkin Elmer RCI Redistributable (RCIRedist30.exe) must be installed on the VWorks PC. This file is typically found on the Phenix instrument's software installation media.
• Network connectivity between the VWorks PC and the Phenix host PC.
• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5.2 or later.
• Visual Studio (e.g., 2017 or later) is required for building from source.

Building the Driver

The driver must be compiled as a 32-bit (x86) assembly to be compatible with VWorks.

1. Run Visual Studio as an Administrator. This is required for COM registration.
2. Open the solution file in Visual Studio.
3. In the Solution Explorer, right-click the VWorks Driver for Perkin Elmer Phenix project and select Properties.
4. Go to the Build tab.
5. Set the Platform to x86.
6. Check the Register for COM interop checkbox. This is crucial for VWorks to recognize the driver and it will generate the necessary Type Library (.tlb) file.
7. Build the solution. If you've just changed the COM interop setting, you may need to Clean and then Rebuild the solution.
8. The compiled files will be located in the project's bin\x86\Debug\ or bin\x86\Release\ directory.

Installation

1. Navigate to your VWorks plugins directory, typically C:\Program Files (x86)\Agilent Technologies\VWorks\Plugins\.
2. Copy the following files from the build output directory into the plugins folder:
   • VWorks Driver for Perkin Elmer Phenix.dll
   • VWorks Driver for Perkin Elmer Phenix.tlb
   • Interop.IWorksDriver.dll
   • Interop.RCI_DEVICELib.dll
3. (Optional) For debugging purposes, also copy VWorks Driver for Perkin Elmer Phenix.pdb.
4. Start or restart VWorks. The "Phenix" device should now be available to add to your device files.

Configuration

After adding the Phenix device to your VWorks device file, you must configure its parameters:

• PhenixHost: The hostname or IP address of the computer running the Phenix control software.
• UserName: The user name associated with the acquisition protocols on the Phenix. This is used to filter the list of available protocols.

Testing

There are two primary ways to test the driver outside of a full VWorks protocol.

Diagnostic Window

1. In VWorks, right-click on the Phenix device.
2. Select "Show Diagnostics" from the context menu.
3. The diagnostic window allows you to manually connect to the instrument, view its status, and execute commands like staging the plate in/out and starting an acquisition.

IWorksTest Utility

VWorks includes a utility for testing drivers.

1. Ensure the driver DLL and TLB files are in the VWorks Plugins directory as described under Installation.
2. Run IWorksTest.exe from the VWorks installation folder (C:\Program Files (x86)\Agilent Technologies\VWorks\).
3. The "VWorks Driver for Perkin Elmer Phenix" should appear in the list of available plugins. You can use this tool to call methods like Initialize, GetMetaData, and Command directly.