API

The final goal of RobotEvo is to help you to translate your normal laboratory protocol into an script executable by a robot. Thus, the class Protocol offers the base to all the custom protocol classes you will write. You will probably derived from Protocol one more intermediary protocol class that will define a few characteristic specific to the concrete robot you are using, probably setting some “sensible defaults” in the constructor of that “robot-specific protocol class”.

Now, in a concrete protocol derived from that intermediary class, you will define concrete arguments in the constructor, and re-implement the run() function. Particularly, you may pass to the constructor the path to the description of the worktable you want to use (this may be an evoware worktable template file or just a working script file).

Normally, by running run() the worktable file is parsed and numerous Labware objects are created in association with that ´Worktable´. In this function you will then create the Reagent`s you want to manipulate, and also may `get_labware(label) - where label is the unique name given to some object (tip rack, microplate, etc.) in the worktable defined in evoware. Reagent`s and `Labware objects give you access to individual Wells, which are the basic containers of liquid (or Reagent`s) and which, in some circumstances, can be manipulated too. (todo: edit laware’s names directly from RobotEvo). After some of those objects are created you can begin to perform the actions that the API `protocol steps offers.

How exactly the robot arms pipette (speed, liquid level detection, wet-free, etc.) is defined by liquid classes. The liquid classes are managed internally in an evoware data bank associate with each concrete/physical robot and exposed to the script only by name. One name in one robot may mean something different in another robot or may not be defined at all. Consequently, in RobotEvo the Liquid classes are set by name. The name have to be exactly copied from evoware. Use or create a named liquid class in evoware with all the characteristic you need. Them transfer the name to RobotEvo. Create and transfer to RobotEvo as many Liquid classes as you need.