Sample processing system and control method

1. A sample processing system comprising at least one device including multiple instruments for processing a sample,

wherein at least one instrument group is defined for the multiple instruments,

wherein the device includes:

a center unit configured to generate an instruction string based on sequence data; and

a local unit connected to the instrument group and configured to control the instrument group by executing an instruction string whose destination is the local unit,

wherein the center unit includes:

a conversion table to be used to identify, for each logical name identifying an instrument to be controlled, a local unit and a physical name corresponding to the logical name; and

generating means configured to generate the instruction string by determining, based on the conversion table, a local unit configured to transmit an instruction based on a logical name within the instruction included in the sequence data and converting the logical name included in the instruction to a physical name.

2. The sample processing system according to claim 1 ,

wherein multiple instrument groups are defined for the multiple instruments,

wherein the device includes multiple local units corresponding to the multiple instrument groups, and

wherein the center unit generates multiple instruction strings to be given to the multiple local units based on the sequence data.

3. The sample processing system according to claim 2 ,

wherein the device includes an internal network installed between the center unit and the multiple local units, and

wherein the multiple instruction strings are transmitted from the center unit to the multiple local units via the internal network.

4. The sample processing system according to claim 3 ,

wherein packet communication is executed between the center unit and the multiple local units via the internal network, and

wherein the generating means determines a packet destination based on a logical name included in an instruction included in the sequence data.

5. The sample processing system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the local unit includes:

a local control board having mounted thereon a local processor configured to execute an instruction string whose destination is the local unit and that has been transmitted from the center unit; and

an I/O board connected to the local controller board and configured to generate a signal string to be output to the instrument group in accordance with control by the local processor and process a signal string received from the instrument group.

6. The sample processing system according to claim 5 , further comprising multiple devices,

wherein each of the devices includes the center unit and includes the local controller board and the I/O board as the local unit,

wherein the multiple center units included in the multiple devices have the same hardware configuration, and

wherein the multiple local controller boards included in the multiple devices have the same hardware configuration.

7. The sample processing system according to claim 6 ,

wherein the multiple I/O boards included in the multiple devices have the same hardware configuration.

8. The sample processing system according to claim 5 ,

wherein the local controller board includes a first connector, and

wherein the I/O board includes a second connector connected directly to the first connector or connected indirectly to the first connector via a cable.

9. The sample processing system according to claim 2 ,

wherein the multiple local units are installed at positions corresponding to the instrument groups in a distributed manner in the device, and

wherein network cables connecting the center unit to the multiple local units are installed in the device.

10. A control method to be executed for each of multiple devices in a sample processing system including the multiple devices for processing a sample,

wherein each of the devices includes a center unit configured to generate an instruction string based on sequence data, a local unit connected to an instrument group of multiple instruments, and an internal network for communication executed between the center unit and the local unit,

wherein an instrument to be controlled is identified by a logical name of an instruction included in the sequence data,

wherein the control method comprises the steps of:

causing each of the center units included in the devices to generate the instruction string by determining a local unit configured to transmit an instruction based on a logical name within the instruction included in the sequence data and converting the logical name included in the instruction to a physical name; and

causing each of the local units included in the devices to execute an instruction string whose destination is the local unit and control the multiple instruments.