Using VP 504A and VP 540AC With The CyBio Robot

When using the CyBio robot to perform a wash and blot with the VP 540 and VP 540AC your CyBio robot you may experience a problem moving the pins far enough to hit the VP 540AC blotting paper. Below are some of the steps we have taken to solve this problem. 

First open the CyBio Control Configuration  program by double clicking on the desktop icon or Start->Programs->CyBio Control -> CyBio Control Configuration

If the program is not in either of those locations the default installation directory is C:\Program Files\Opalctrl\ and the program name is OpalConf.exe

The following screen displays when you start the program

Hit the pipettor tab at the top

1. Find the horizontal control area. 

2. In the horizontal control area select New.

A new box will pop up, titled horizontal position, pictured below.

Name Box:  Type in a descriptive name (In this case Position 6)

Drive: Choose Pipettor

Position : Either modify an existing position or measure a new position in mm and enter it here

To modify an existing position: first choose an existing carriage position (consult the picture below for help) and enter it in the box leaving the mm box unchecked.  Next, enter in the x-position adjustment in mm so your pins strike the paper (this will require some trial and error)

Click this picture to for help finding a existing position

This picture shows an example of a new position, called position 6, that moves to carriage position 2 adjusted 2mm to the right

To enter in a measured position: first measure from the default carriage position (this is either position 1 or the position the carriage resets to when a program begins) to the right the number of mm needed to have the pins strike the paper.  Enter this number in the position box and check the mm box. 

Click this picture to see an example where a distance in mm is used to define a new position named position 6

When finished entering data hit ok to return to the control configuration screen then hit apply and ok to exit the program and save changes.  To exit without saving hit cancel.

  Using the new position in a CyBio program

To use this new position in a program simply add a horizontal movement and select the name of the new position, picture below
 

  Words Of Warning

It is possible to adjust the tray too much in the x-direction causing it to lift unevenly on the stage, if this happens you should adjust the maximum amount that yields an even lift then use the XY Positioning command to move the rest of the way.