CRS Robotics Carousel User Guide

7/28/2019 CRS Robotics Carousel User Guide

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CRS Carousel User Guide

UMI-LH-200


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ii

CRS Carousel User Guide

Rev. Revision History Date

001 Original Issue 00-05

Copyright 2000 CRS Robotics Corporation

POLARA, RAPL-3, RAPL-II, and RAPL are trademarks of CRS Robotics Corporation and may be used todescribe only CRS Robotics products.

All brand names and product names used in this guide are trademarks, registered trademarks, or tradenames of their respective holders.

The information in this document is subject to change without notice.

CRS Robotics Corporation makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this material, including, but notlimited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. CRS RoboticsCorporation assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document. CRS RoboticsCorporation makes no commitment to update nor to keep current the information contained in thisdocument.

CRS Robotics Corporation software products shall remain the property of CRS Robotics Corporation.

POLARA, RAPL-3 and robot training courses are offered at CRS Robotics in Burlington, Ontario, Canada,or can be conducted at your facility. For additional information contact the Customer Support Department.

Additional copies of this guide, or other CRS Robotics literature, may be obtained from the SalesDepartment or from your distributor.


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CRS Carousel User Guide: Preface iii

P R E F A C E

About This Guide

This user guide contains general information and instructions for installingand using a CRS carousel.

Who Uses This Guide

This guide is intended for system integrators and administrators ofautomated laboratory systems. To install the peripheral described in this

guide, you should have basic mechanical and electrical skills.

How to Use This User Guide

Throughout this users guide warnings are marked by a ! symbolin the left margin. Failure to comply with these warnings can result inerroneous operation or danger to the user.

Before attempting to follow instructions or examples in a chapter, read theentire chapter first.

This guide consists of the following chapters:

Introducing the CRS Carousel, which describes the features, benefits,and design considerations of each type of CRS carousel.

Safety, which instructs you in the safe operation of the CRS carousels.

Installing the CRS Carousel, whichdescribes how to unpack, mount,and connect a CRS carousel.

Using the CRS Carousel, which describes a complete cycle of operationof each type of carousel and its control interface.

Maintenance, which describes the maintenance, cleaning, disinfecting,decontamination, and shut down procedures for the carousel.

Troubleshooting, which provides tips to help ensure that the carouselfunctions properly.

General Specifications, which describes the physical and operatingcharacteristics of the carousel, its communications interface, and thecarousels optimal operating conditions.


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Preface: For More Information

iv CRS Carousel User Guide: For More Information

For More Information

If you are integrating this carousel into a POLARA-based system, refer tothe following documents.

The specific POLARA Instrument Interface Guide for your model of

carousel, which describes the software interface POLARA systems use tocontrol this peripheral. It will be one of the following :

POLARA Instrument Interface for the Microplate Carousel, whichdescribes the software interface POLARA systems use to control thisperipheral.

POLARA Instrument Interface for the Platefeeder Carousel, whichdescribes the software interface POLARA systems use to control thisperipheral.

POLARA Instrument Interface for the Stacker Carousel, whichdescribes the software interface POLARA systems use to control thisperipheral.

POLARA User Interface Integrator and Administrator Guide, whichdescribes how to configure and maintain a POLARA system

POLARA User Interface Researcher and Operator Guide, which describeshow to set parameters of an instrument, like a carousel, in a profile ormethod of a POLARA system.

The Single Axis Controller User Guide, which describes the operation ofthe Single Axis Controller.

You can obtain additional copies of this guide or other CRS Roboticsliterature from the Lab Automation Sales Department or from yourdistributor.

TrainingTraining courses for POLARA administrators and system integrators areoffered at our facility in Burlington, Ontario, Canada, or can be conducted at

your facility. For additional information, contact the Training Department.

Contacts

Surface Mail/Shipping

CRS Robotics Corporation5344 John Lucas DriveBurlington, Ontario L7L 6A6

Canada

Telephone

1-905-332-2000 (voice)1-800-365-7587 (voice: toll free in Canada and United States)1-905-332-1114 (facsimile)


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Preface: For More Information

CRS Carousel User Guide: For More Information v

E-Mail

Sales: [email protected] Support: [email protected]

Training: [email protected]: [email protected]

World Wide Webwww.crsrobotics.com


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Preface: Contents

vi CRS Carousel User Guide: Contents


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Preface: Contents

CRS Carousel User Guide: Contents vii

Contents

CHAPTER 1 .............................................................................. 1

Introducing the CRS Carousels ................................................. 1

Purpose .............................................................................. 1Features ............................................................................. 4Benefits .............................................................................. 5Appropriate Use .................................................................. 5Design Considerations ........................................................ 6

CHAPTER 2 .............................................................................. 9

Safety ....................................................................................... 9Motion Hazards .................................................................. 9E-Stop ................................................................................ 9Ground ............................................................................... 9

CHAPTER 3 ............................................................................ 11

Installing the Carousel............................................................ 11Package Contents ............................................................. 11Unpacking Instructions ..................................................... 11Mounting .......................................................................... 12Assembling the Carousel ................................................... 14Connecting to the System.................................................. 14Homing the Carousel ........................................................ 15Restoring Calibration on Powerup ..................................... 18

CHAPTER 4 ............................................................................ 19

Using the Carousel ................................................................. 19Typical Operation .............................................................. 19Control Interface ............................................................... 19

CHAPTER 5 ............................................................................ 21

Maintenance .......................................................................... 21Daily................................................................................. 21Periodic ............................................................................ 22Yearly ............................................................................... 22Routine Cleaning .............................................................. 22Disinfecting/Decontaminating ........................................... 22Replacing Parts ................................................................. 22

Shutdown ......................................................................... 22Storage ............................................................................. 23Shipping ........................................................................... 23

CHAPTER 6 ............................................................................ 25

Troubleshooting ..................................................................... 25Tips .................................................................................. 25Troubleshooting Communication Problems ........................ 25Error Information .............................................................. 25


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viii CRS Carousel User Guide: Contents

Support Contact Information ............................................. 25

CHAPTER 7 ............................................................................ 27

General Specifications ............................................................ 27Physical Characteristics .................................................... 27

Glossary ................................................................................. 29


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CRS Carousel User Guide: Introducing the CRS Carousels 1

C H A P T E R 1

Introducing the CRS Carousels

This chapter describes the purpose, features and benefits, and designconsiderations of the CRS line of carousels.

PurposeCRS carousels were designed for use in an automated laboratory system,such as POLARA, to provide storage of microplates, lids, or tip boxes.

The carousel is a motorized unit controlled through a Single Axis Controller(SAC). When commanded by the SAC, the carousel rotates to present astorage unit to a preprogrammed location.

The CRS carousel is available in the following models:

Microplate Carousel: Standard and Tall versions are available

Platefeeder Carousel

Stacker Carousel

Figure 1-1:The fully assembled Microplate Carousel (Standard version)


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Introducing the CRS Carousels: Purpose

2 CRS Carousel User Guide: Introducing the CRS Carousels

Figure 1-2: The fully assembled Platefeeder Carousel

Figure 1-3: The fully assembled Stacker Carousel


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Introducing the CRS Carousels: Purpose


Hotel

Microplate with lid

ShelfSpine

Attachment pointsfor hotel

Mounting Plate

Carousel baseMountin fasteners

Figure 1-4: Key parts of the Microplate and Platefeeder Carousel models, loaded with onehotel


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Introducing the CRS Carousels: Features


Magazinelocators

Magazine

Carousel base

Figure 1-5: Key parts of the Stacker Carousel, loaded with 2 magazines

FeaturesThe CRS carousel has the following features:

DC servo motor drive mechanism with incremental encoder

Software motor amplifier

Removeable hotels

Hotel configurations include: adjustable shelf, platefeeder, and magneticshelf

Titertek magazines (Stacker Carousel only)

Anodized aluminum base plate and hotel back support

Mounting hardware


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Introducing the CRS Carousels: Benefits


All necessary cables to connect to the Single Axis Controller

1 year parts and labor warranty

Benefits

The features of a CRS carousel provide the following benefits:

A closed loop servo motor with an optical encoder ensures accuratepositioning.

Removeable hotels allow loading to be performed away from the system.By loading the individual hotels, then placing them on the carouselafterwards, greater efficiencies can be achieved

Shelved hotels have shelves to accomodate standard and deep-wellmicroplates with or without lids, and pipette tip boxes

Shelved hotels allow random access to any plate at any time

Platefeeder hotels allow stacking and greater capacity than shelved hotels

Magnetic shelf hotel allows the use of magnetic separation technology

Titertek magazines are compatible with Titertek stackers, and otherinstruments

Appropriate UseCRS carousels are intended for use in typical laboratory environments. Acarousel is not intended for use under extremes of temperature, in clean-room environments, or with hazardous or corrosive materials.


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Introducing the CRS Carousels: Design Considerations


Design ConsiderationsCRS carousels are available in the following models:

Microplate Carousel: Standard and tall versions

Platefeeder Carousel

Stacker Carousel

Each model of carousel uses the same communication protocol and motorand encoder design. The differences between the carousels lie in theirexternal design, the type of hotels used, and the method of access.

Microplate CarouselThis model is the most versatile of the carousels. It is available in twoversions as follows:

Standard

Tall

Both versions of the Microplate Carousel use eight shelved hotels to storemicroplates (also called microtiter plates or MTPs). The individual shelves ofa hotel can be removed, to allow standard or deep-well plates to be used. Amagnetic plate hotel option is available, which allows the user the option ofusing magnetic bead separation technology.

Note: Hotels are not interchangeable between the standard and tall carouselversions.

The shelved configuration allows the robot to directly access any plate. Table1-1 summarizes the hotel options available for the Carousel Microplate.

Table 1-1: Microplate Carousel Hotel Options

CarouselVersion

Hotel Capacity Total Capacity

Standard 8 deep-well MTPs 64 deep-well MTPs

Standard 15 standard MTPs 120 standard MTPs

Standard 4 MTPs for magneticbead separations

32 standard MTPs

Tall 13 deep-well MTPs 104 deep-well MTPs

Tall 25 standard MTPs 200 standard MTPs

Tall 30 standard MTPs 240 standard MTPs


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Platefeeder CarouselThis model uses eight platefeeder hotels, which hold stacked plates. A robotequipped with microplate fingers adds and removes plates from the top ofthe stack in FILO (First In Last Out) order.

The Platefeeder Carousel has the following capacities:

40 unlidded MTPs per platefeeder hotel, for a total capacity of 320

34 lidded MTPs per platefeeder hotel, for a total capacity of 272

14 deep-well MTPs per platefeeder hotel, for a total capacity of 112

Stacker CarouselThis model holds twelve magaziness, which hold stacked plates. A robottransfers an entire magazine of plates to and from another instrumentstation. This second instrument removes plates from the magazine,

processes the plates, and returns the plates to the magazine. The robot doesnot handle individual plates.

The Stacker Carousel has the following capacity:

20 MTPs per magazine provide a total capacity of 240

Interchanging HotelsThe shelved hotels used for the Microplate Carousel and the platefeederhotels used for the Platefeeder Carousel are interchangeable. Users caninterchange hotels to accomodate a combination of standard microplates,deep-well microplates, and tip boxes.


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CRS Carousel User Guide: Safety 9

C H A P T E R 2

Safety

This chapter provides safety information you must know to safely install andoperate a CRS carousel.

Motion HazardsSince the carousel is remotely controlled by software, it can rotate withoutwarning. Observe the following guidelines when working around theCarousel:

Take care not to catch hair or clothing on the edges of the shelves. Olderversions of the carousel may have sharp edges that can catch hair orclothing as they rotate.

Do not place anything in the path of carousel rotation. This can causedamage to the carousel or personal injury.

E-StopThe CRS carousel is controlled through a CRS Single Axis Controller (SAC).The SAC has an emergency stop (E-Stop) button that when pushed, will stopthe motion of all motors under its control.

GroundThe carousel must be grounded to the SAC through the ring terminalconnector found on the rear panel of the SAC.

Note: If the SAC does not have a ring terminal connector, ground thecarousel to the SAC using one of the rear panel assembly screws.


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Safety: Ground

10 CRS Carousel User Guide: Safety


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CRS Carousel User Guide: Installing the Carousel 11

C H A P T E R 3

Installing the Carousel

This chapter describes how to unpack, mount, assemble, and connect theCRS carousel.

Package ContentsThe package contains the following items:

One CRS carousel

Hotels or magazines

Carousel Mounting Kit

Plate alignment fixture (shipped only with the Microplate Carousel)

Motor extension cable

Unpacking InstructionsWarning ! The encoder cap is exposed on the underside of the carousel baseand can be easily damaged . Always ensure that the carousel is placed on a levelsurface that is free of debris.

To unpack the carousel and the hotels or magazines, take the followingsteps:

1 Place the container right side up.

2 Open the container and remove any shrink wrap or bubble wrap packingmaterial.

3 The carousel is bolted to plywood to secure it while shipping. Carefullyremove the carousel and plywood from the container.

4 Carefully remove the hotels or magazines from the container.

5 Carefully remove the plywood from the carousel base. Take care not todamage the encoder cap when removing the plywood. Figure 3-2 shows

the location of the encoder cap.

6 Store all packing material and shipping containers, in case you need toship the carousel and the hotels or magazines in the future.


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Installing the Carousel: Mounting

12 CRS Carousel User Guide: Installing the Carousel

MountingTo mount the CRS carousel perform the following:

1 Position the carousel and mounting plate on the table. This includestesting the reach of the robot to ensure it can access each nest of thecarousel.

2 Attach the carousel base assembly and mounting plate to the table.

See the following sections for details on how to perform these steps.

Posit ioning the Carousel and Mounting PlatePosition the carousel and the mounting plate to the laboratory table usingthese steps:

1 Using Figure 3-1 as a guide, press the dowel pins provided into the two1/4 in. dowel pin holes in the mounting plate.

FrontHole for 3/8-16flathead screw

3/4 in.hole formotor cable

Holes for 1/4 in.

dowel pins

Holes for 3/8 -16cap screws

Holes for 3/8-16cap screws

Hole for 3/8-16flathead screw



Figure 3-1: The carousel mounting plate

2 Tuck the motor cable into the base of the carousel to protect it frombeing pinched, and to protect the encoder cap of the carousel from beingdamaged. Figure 3-2 shows the location of the encoder cap.

3 Using Figure 3-2 as a guide, position the carousel on the mounting plateby placing the two 1/4 in. holes over the dowel pins.


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Installing the Carousel: Mounting


Encoder cap

Holes for 1/4 in. dowel pins

Figure 3-2: The underside of the carousel base assembly

4 Attach one hotel rack to the carousel.

5 Test the reach of the robot. Position the carousel to allow the robot to

access each nest without reaching an arm pinch point.6 Mark the table surface at the four corners of the mounting plate.

7 Remove the carousel from the mounting plate.

Attaching the Carousel and Mounting Plate to the TableAttach the carousel and the mounting plate to the laboratory table usingthese steps:

1 Align the mounting plate to the marks on the table.

2 Using a transfer punch, mark the hole positions for the 3/8-16 capscrews and the 3/4 in. motor cable hole on the table surface.

3 Remove the plate from the table, and drill the holes for the 3/8-16 capscrews using a 31/64 in. drill.

4 Insert the four 3/8 in. T-nuts from beneath the table.

5 Drill the 3/4 in. hole for the motor cable, as marked.

6 Place the mounting plate into position on the table.

7 Secure the mounting plate to the table using four 3/8-16 flatheadscrews.

8 Remove the motor cable from inside the carousel casing. Feed the cablethrough the hole in the mounting plate.

9 Carefully place the carousel into position on the mounting plate usingthe dowel pins.

10 Secure the carousel base to the plate using the provided fasteners.


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Installing the Carousel:Assembling the Carousel


Assembling the CarouselOnce the carousel base assembly is properly mounted, complete theassembly by performing the following step:

Attach the hotels onto the spine or load the magazines onto the nests.

Attaching a Hotel1 Place the two shoulder bolts protruding from the back of the hotel into

the holes in the spine of the carousel.

2 Slide the hotel down, until it is firmly in place.

Note: The shoulder bolts are mounting points. Do not screw them to thespine.

Loading a Magazine

Slide the white guide pin on the bottom of the magazine into the grooveon the inside of the front locator. The magazine should rest snuglybetween the four locators.

Connecting to the SystemA CRS carousel has the following port for interfacing to the system:

A Hirose RP17 connector which supplies power, control, and feedback tothe carousel motor. This connector must be connected to a CRS SingleAxis Controller (SAC).

Hirose RP17 ConnectionConnect a motor extension cable to the cable in the carousel. Connect theother end to a SAC by plugging in the Hirose RP17 connector at the rear ofthe SAC.

Figure 3-3 shows the pin numbering for the carousel Hirose connector, asseen when looking into the cable.

White dot on casing

Figure 3-3: Pin numbering of the Hirose RP17 connector


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Installing the Carousel: Homing the Carousel


The following table lists the functions of the pins on the Hirose RP17connector.

Table 3-1: Pin functions of the Hirose RP17 connector

Pin Function

1 PROX. ENC. GND.

2 ENC. +5V

3 CHA

4 CHA*

5 CHB

6 CHB*

7 PROX +12V

8 CHZ

9 CHZ*

10 PROX SIGNAL

11 MOTOR POWER RET.

12 MOTOR POWER

Homing the CarouselOnce you have connected the carousel to a SAC, you must calibrate itrelative to a home position. This calibrated position is recorded as the zeroposition in the carousel configuration file.

The tool that you use to home the SAC will depend on the type of system youare using:

For non-POLARA systems, use a terminal communication softwarepackage such as Hyperterminal, found in Windows NT.

For POLARA systems, use the sacshell utility, part of CROS for WindowsNT.

Note: You should first ensure that the appropriate Carousel InstrumentInterface has been installed and configured. See the CRS POLARAInstrument Interface Guide for more information.

These methods are detailed in the next sections.


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Non-POLARA systemsTo calibrate the motor using a terminal communications package, performthe following steps:

1 Establish communication with the SAC using the following settings for

your terminal communications package:

Baud rate: 9600, Data bits: 7, Parity: Even, Stop bits: 1

Emulation: TTY

ASCII Setup:

Send line ends with line feeds (LF)

Echo typed characters locally

Wrap lines that exceed terminal width

2 Enter the following to place the SAC in Manual mode:

:01RM-2D

3 Enter the following to engage limp mode:

MO-??

4 Manually position your system in the place you want to call the ZEROor calibrated location.

5 Enter the following to zero the position counter:

ZR??

6 Enter the following to disengage limp mode:

MO+??

7 Enter the following to calibrate the carousel:

CL??

Note: The carousel should start moving in the direction of the homesensor. Once it finds it, it will back off, and look for the encoders zero-cross signal.

8 Enter the following to save all of the current settings:

SC??

9 Enter the following to repower the motor:

MO+??

10 Enter the following to home the motor:

HM++

11 Enter the following to move the carousel to the zero/calibrated position:

MA0++

The motor is now calibrated.


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POLARA SystemsTo calibrate the motor using CROSnt and the sacshell, perform the followingsteps:

1 At the CROSnt command prompt, enter the sacshell command with the

name of the instance of your carousel, with an s added as the lastcharacter. For example:

sacshell my_carousels

2 Make sure that the E-Stops are not activated and that motor power is on.Check that the green button on the SAC is lit.

3 Enter the following to power the motor:

MO+


HM

5 Enter the following to limp the motor:

MO-

6 Manually position your system in the place you want to call the ZEROor calibrated location.

7 Enter the following to power the motor, and unlimp the motor:

MO+

8 Enter the following to zero the encoder register:

ZR

9 Enter the following to calibrate the motor:

CL

Note:The carousel should start moving in the direction of the homesensor. Once it finds it, it will back off, and look for the encoders zero-

cross signal.

10 Enter the following to save the configuration:SC

11 Enter the following to repower the motor:

MO+


HM

13 Enter the following to move the motor to the zero/calibrated position(this is the same as the manual position set in step 6):

MA0

The motor is now calibrated.


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Installing the Carousel: Restoring Calibration on Powerup


Restor ing Calibration on PowerupAfter you have successfully calibrated the carousel, it will powerup with themost recently saved configuration. However, after turning off the SAC, youmust tell the motor to move to the zero position.

Non-POLARA systemsUse a terminal communications package, such as Hyperterminal, found inWindows NT, to perform the following steps:

1 Establish communication with the SAC using the following settings foryour terminal communications package:

Baud rate: 9600, Data bits: 7, Parity: Even, Stop bits: 1

Emulation: TTY

ASCII Setup:

Send line ends with line feeds (LF)

Echo typed characters locally

Wrap lines that exceed terminal width

2 Enter the following to place the SAC in manual mode:

:01RM-2D

3 Enter the following to turn motor power on:

MO+??


HM??

5 Enter the following to move the motor to the zero/calibrated position:

MA0??

POLARA systemsUse the sacshell to perform the following steps:

1 At the CROSnt command prompt, enter the sacshell command with thename of the instance of your carousel, with an s added as the lastcharacter. For example:

sacshell my_carousels

2 Make sure that the E-Stops are not activated and that motor power is on.Ensure the green button on the SAC is lit.

3 Enter the following to turn motor power on:

MO+


HM

5 Enter the following to move the motor to the zero/calibrated position:

MA0


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CRS Carousel User Guide: Using the Carousel 19

C H A P T E R 4

Using the Carousel

This chapter describes the operation of a CRS carousel and its controlinterface.

Typical OperationTypically, a CRS carousel receives commands through a SAC, which in turnis controlled by a program on a host computer. This program could be aninstrument server of POLARA.

A typical operation of the carousel in this situation, is as follows:

1 The controlling computersends an action command to the SAC to turnthe carousel a specified number of pulses.

2 The SAC provides power to turn the carousel.

3 The carousel revolves the instructed number of pulses. As the carouselrevolves, the SAC keeps track of the encoder pulses and withdraws powerto stop the carousel at the desired location.

4 The controlling computersends an query command to the SAC todetermine if the carousel has completed its motion. If the carousel hascompleted its motion, the SAC returns a TRUE signal to the controlling

computer. If the carousel has not completed its motion, the SAC returnsa FALSE signal to the controlling PC.

5 When the controlling PC recieves the signal that the motion is complete,it will instruct the robot to interact with the carousel. The type ofinteraction will vary, depending upon the configuration of the carousel,but could include removal or replacement of one or more microplates,lids, or tip boxes.

Control InterfaceThe carousel is controlled by a SAC, which in turn is controlled by a hostcomputer. Typically, the host computer runs POLARA software, a CRS

automated laboratory system.

POLARA users employ the sacshell utility while testing and troubleshootingthe carousel. During normal operation of a POLARA system the carousel iscontrolled though a carousel server interface.

Non-POLARA users typically employ a terminal communications program totest and troubleshoot the carousel, and write their own software to operatethe carousel as part of an automated system.

Table 4-1 lists the command set used by the SAC to control a CRS carousel.


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Using the Carousel: Control Interface

20 CRS Carousel User Guide: Using the Carousel

Table 4-1: Carousel Command Set

Command Function

MO +/- Powers the motor on/off

HM Homes the axis

ZR Zeroes the motorCL Calibrates the motor

MA Moves the motor an absolute value

MI Moves the motor an incremental value

SP Sets the motor speed to a percentage of full speed

SC Saves the current configuration

MA0 Moves the motor to the zero position

For a detailed explanation of these commands and the complete SAC

command set, please see the Single Axis Controller User Guide.


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CRS Carousel User Guide: Maintenance 21

C H A P T E R 5

Maintenance

This chapter covers the following topics:

Maintenance of the carousel, including replacement parts

Cleaning, disinfecting, and decontaminating procedures

Shut down and storage procedures.

DailyEach day, perform the following maintenance procedures:

Make sure the carousel rotates freely in either direction and remove anyapparent obstacles.

Check that the hotels and shelves are not bent or damaged. A slightmisalignment may interfere with the robot removing or replacing a plate(or lid or tip rack). Some versions of the Microplate Carousel areequipped with hotels that have metal shelves. Align metal shelves usingthe following steps:

a Remove the rubber stopper from the bottom of the hotel.

b Attach the Lexan plate alignnment fixture to the bottom of the hotel

and screw it into place.

c Visually, line up the edge of each shelf with each line in the platealignment fixture.

Note: There may be less shelves in your hotel than lines on the platealignment fixture, depending on your hotel configuration. Line up theshelf with the nearest line on the alignment fixture.

d Using your hand, gently bend the shelves until they are level andaligned correctly.

e Remove the plate alignment fixture from the hotel.

f Turn the plate alignment fixture around, and line up the grooves of

the plate alignment fixture with the edges of the shelves. They shouldslide smoothly into the grooves.

g Repeat steps b to f as necessary.


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Maintenance: Periodic

22 CRS Carousel User Guide: Maintenance

PeriodicEach month, perform the following maintenance procedure:

Check the servo cable to ensure that it is properly attached to thecarousel.

YearlyLubrication of the carousel motor should should be performed by CRSservice personnel, or a CRS factory trained service technician, after 12,000hours of operation (roughly 18 months of 100% duty cycle).

Note: At 100% duty cycle the carousel operates 24 hrs per day and 7 daysper week. If the duty cycle is less, then the time until cleaning and greasingis done can be proportionally increased.

Routine CleaningWipe the exterior of the carousel with a lint free cloth or paper towel toremove dust and foreign particles.

Disinfecting/DecontaminatingTo disinfect the carousel, spray it with 10% bleach solution, and wipe cleanusing a lint free cloth.

If a spill contains radioactive substances, take the following steps:

1 Clean with an appropriate agent such as Decon.

2 Use a wipe test to monitor for residual activity.

Replacing PartsYou can order the following replacement parts from CRS Robotics salesdepartment.

Table 5-1: Carousel Replacement Parts

Part Name Description Part Number

Hotel shelf-plastic Plastic shelf for a hotel R-MM1366-001-00

Hotel shelf-metal Metal shelf for a hotel R-M/C-MB13101

Self adhesive pad Pad for the bottom of ametal hotel shelf

R-HWM-ADPD08

ShutdownTo shut down the carousel during a system shutdown, turn off the carouselby pressing the power button on the front panel of the SAC.


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Maintenance: Storage

CRS Carousel User Guide: Maintenance 23

StorageStore the carousel indoors in a cool, dry, climate-controlled environment.

ShippingTo ship the carousel and hotels or magazines, take the following steps:

1 Remove the hotels or magazines from the carousel.

2 Secure the motor cable inside the housing of the carousel base.

3 Bolt the carousel to a piece of wood to secure it during shipping.

4 Secure the hotels or magazines to a piece of wood using plastic ties orcord and wrap them with bubble wrap to prevent damage.

5 Ship using the original box or other suitable container.


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Maintenance: Shipping

24 CRS Carousel User Guide: Maintenance


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CRS Carousel User Guide: Troubleshooting 25

C H A P T E R 6

Troubleshooting

This chapter provides information that will help keep your CRS carouselfunctioning properly, and troubleshoot communication problems.

TipsFollow these practices to ensure reliable operation:

Do not obstruct the motion of the carousel. Check to ensure that the

path is free and the carousel rotates freely in either direction.

When lifting the carousel be careful not to catch the Hirose connector onthe bottom on the lab table. This can damage the pins necessary tocontrol the motor.

Troubleshooting Communication ProblemsProblem: The host cannot communicate with the SAC.

Solution: Perform the following step:

Check that the serial cable is not pinched or damaged. Makesure all pins are present and not bent. Replace the cable ifnecessary.

Problem: You can communicate with the SAC, but you cannot operate thecarousel as expected.

Solution: Perform the following step:

Check that the motor cable is not pinched or damaged. Makesure all pins are present and not bent. Replace if necessary.

Error InformationThe carousel is controlled by a SAC, which in turn is controlled by a host

computer. The SAC responds when addressed by the host computer. Pleasesee the Single Axis Controller User Guidefor more information on the errorcodes that the SAC uses.

Support Contact InformationSee the section Contact Information at the beginning of this guide.


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Troubleshooting: Support Contact Information

26 CRS Carousel User Guide: Troubleshooting


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CRS Carousel User Guide: General Specifications 27

C H A P T E R 7

General Specifications

This chapter describes the physical characteristics of the carousel and itsoperational requirements.

Physical CharacteristicsTable 7-1 lists the physical characteristics of the various CRS carousels.

Table 7-1: Physical Characteristics of the CRS Carousels

Dimension Microplate Carousel

Standard Tall

PlatefeederCarousel

StackerCarousel

Length 22.3 in.(56.5 cm)

22.3 in.(56.5 cm)

23.0 in.(58.4 cm)

22.1 in.56.2 cm)

Width 22.3 in.(56.5 cm)

22.3 in.(56.5 cm)

23.0 in.(58.4 cm)

22.1 in.(56.2 cm)

Height 22.4 in.(56.9 cm)

34.8 in.(88. 4 cm)

22.4 in.(56.9 cm)

28.5 in.(72.4 cm)

Weight 98.0 lb(44.5 kg)

110.5 lb(50.2 kg)

92.0 lb(41.7 kg)

82 lb(37.2 kg)

Note: All measurements apply to the carousel when empty, with no hotels ormagazines attached.

MaterialsBase: Anodized Aluminum

Hotel Shelves:

Older models of the Microplate Carousel hotels use metal shelves

Newer models of the Microplate Carousel hotels use plastic shelves

Operating Requirements

Power: +24V DC @ 1A

Ambient temperature: 50F to 104F (10C to 40C)

Maximum relative humidity:

80% at 50F (10C)

60% at 104F (40 C)


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General Specifications

28 CRS Carousel User Guide: General Specifications


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CRS Carousel User Guide: Glossary 29

Glossary

carouselA peripheral that is used in an automated laboratory system, such as aPOLARA based system. The carousel is a motorized device controlled througha Single Axis Controller (SAC). When commanded by the SAC, the carouselrotates to present a nest or array of nests to a robot.

CRS supplies three versions of a carousel. They are: Microplate, Platefeeder,and Stacker.

container

A physical object that is transported by the robot and acted on by aninstrument. Examples: microplate, tip box, magazine.

A container can have sub-containers. For example, a magazine can have 20microplates.

E-Stop

A safety feature that when pressed, stops the motion of a robot or motorizeddevice, such as a carousel.

hotelA place to hold microplates, lids, or tip boxes. Hotels fit onto CRS carouselsand come in two basic designs:

Shelved: A shelved hotel can hold microplates, tip boxes, or lids, andallows random robot access.

Platefeeder: A platefeeder hotel holds a stack of plates, and allows robotaccess only to the plate at the top of the stack.

lid

A cover of a microplate.

magazineA container used on the Stacker Carousel to hold stacks of microplates.Magazines are compatible with Titertek instruments and allow a largenumber of microplates to be transfered between instruments at one time.

microplate

A container with a number of wells that hold material for analysis orprocessing.

mounting plateA metal plate that attaches to a laboratory table. A carousel is mounted tothe mounting plate.

MTP

See microplate.

nestIn POLARA, a position where a container is placed. The robot moves amicroplate, lid, tip box, magazine from the nest.


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Glossary

POLARA (programming architecture for laboratory automation)A CRS Robotics control architecture for automated laboratory systems. Thecarousel can be integrated into a POLARA system using a software interfaceavailable from CRS.

POLARA lab system, POLARA-based lab system

Any lab system built according to the POLARA architecture.

servo cableThe cable that allows communication to occur between the Single AxisController to the carousel. The cable also supplies power to the motor.

shelf

The horizontal part attached to a hotel that provides a nest for a microplate.

Single Axis Controller (SAC)

A CRS peripheral device that controls a motorized device such as a carousel.

spineThe vertical aluminum post of the carousel that supports a hotel. AMicroplate or Platefeeder carousel has 8 spines.

tip box

A box that contains pipette tips. Pipette tips are used by dispensers tohandle liquid.

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CRS Robotics Carousel User Guide

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