Fluidic device control
A controller for controlling a microfluidic device. A first computing device receives commands from a user interface in a relatively high level protocol using a standardized command language, converts the commands from the standardized command language into a relatively mid-level protocol, sends the commands in the relatively mid-level protocol, receiving data, converts the data into the standardized command language, and sends the data to the user interface according to the standardized command language. A second computing device receives the commands from the first computing device in the relatively mid-level protocol, converts the commands from the relatively mid-level protocol to at least one relatively lower level protocol that is understood by a microfluidic device that is connected to the controller, receives data from the microfluidic device, and sends the data to the first computing device.
1. A method for controlling a fluidic device, the method comprising the steps of:
with a first hardware computing device,
receiving commands from a user interface in a relatively high level protocol comprising a standardized command language,
converting the commands from the standardized command language into a relatively mid-level protocol,
sending the commands in the relatively mid-level protocol,
receiving data,
converting the data into the standardized command language, and
sending the data to the user interface according to the standardized command language, and
with a second hardware computing device that is independent of and separate from the first hardware computing device,
receiving the commands from the first computing device in the relatively mid-level protocol,
converting the commands from the relatively mid-level protocol to at least one relatively lower level protocol that is understood by a fluidic device that is connected to the controller,
receiving data from the fluidic device, and
sending the data to the first computing device,
wherein a plurality of fluidic devices connect to the second hardware computing device, and the second hardware computing device converts the commands from the relatively mid-level protocol to a selected lower level protocol associated with a selected one of the fluidic devices to which the commands are directed.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first computing device comprises an embedded Linux processing unit.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first computing device comprises a system on a chip processing unit.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first computing device comprises a micro processing unit.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second computing device comprises a field programmable gate array.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second computing device comprises an application specific integrated circuit.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first computing device communicates with the user interface via a Bluetooth protocol.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first computing device communicates with the user interface via a Wi-Fi protocol.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first computing device communicates with the user interface via a wired protocol.
10. A method for controlling a microfluidic device, the method comprising the steps of:
with an input-output module, receiving wireless commands from a user interface in a relatively high level protocol comprising a standardized command language, and
sending data to the user interface according to the standardized command language,
with a first hardware computing device,
receiving the commands from the input-output module,
converting the commands from the standardized command language into a relatively mid-level protocol,
sending the commands in the relatively mid-level protocol,
receiving data, and
converting the data into the standardized command language, and
with a second hardware computing device that is independent of and separate from the first hardware computing device,
receiving the commands from the first computing device in the relatively mid-level protocol,
converting the commands from the relatively mid-level protocol to at least one relatively lower level protocol that is understood by a microfluidic device that is connected to the controller,
receiving data from the microfluidic device, and
sending the data to the first computing device,
wherein a plurality of microfluidic devices connect to the second hardware computing device, and the second hardware computing device converts the commands from the relatively mid-level protocol to a selected low-level protocol associated with a selected one of the microfluidic devices to which the commands are directed.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first computing device comprises an embedded Linux processing unit.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first computing device comprises a system on a chip processing unit.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first computing device comprises a micro processing unit.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second computing device comprises a field programmable gate array.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second computing device comprises an application specific integrated circuit.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the input-output module communicates with the user interface via a Bluetooth protocol.
17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the input-output module communicates with the user interface via a Wi-Fi protocol.
18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the input-output module communicates with the user interface via a wired protocol.