Any language can work through the named pipe. The Gem_Pipe.pdf documentation that I have is electronic only (which leaves a lot to be desired) and describes all the commands, which are text strings. So the best language to use is one which can handle strings easily. I wouldn’t touch VBScript with a 10 mile pole, since it’s a Microsoft product and limited to running on only their buggy machines. If it’s the only language you know, I suggest learning python which is basic-like. I would bet even Matlab might work to talk to Tecan, since Matlab can handle strings too, though it would be a bit awkward. I wouldn’t want to use C either, because handling the strings wouldn’t be as easy.

In summary I would check out python. There are a few python-for-biologists books (bioinformatics using python) out there.

Do this; google for: tecanprogramming site:groups.yahoo.com. There is a yahoo group which has VBScript source code examples, which I found after writing my post.

I was initially very skeptical of the GUI performance, but I’ve changed my mind a bit. The GUI makes some very intelligent decisions which make life easier, in most cases, so it is still completely usable on it’s own. Things like: changing the number of pipettes which graphically selects wells, or automatically incrementing pipette wells (row or column) within loops, etc. Believe me, I have used supposedly “GUI scripting” equipment with far worse GUI interfaces; in comparison Tecan is doing well with theirs.

Of course it can’t offer the power of, say, running arbitrary Java programs and sending commands over the network… or, running a server which analyzes protocols from protocol-online.org to translate it automatically into Tecan-instructions.. Big things like that need external applications.

My question is, where do I start? I can’t find anything in my manuals about starting off with VBScript, nevermind using another language.

It’s nice to see someone who has merged a love of computers/electronics and science…I can’t seem to find much on it.