Remote Thermocycler Control

Biometra

The Remote Thermocycler Control (RTC) program provides all the tools you need to develop, download, and execute Thermocycler programs on Biometra®'s thermocycler instruments (TGradient, TPersonal, T1, and T1Plus), as well as document your protocols, their temperature data and profiles, for reasons of quality control and good laboratory practice standards (GLP).

In addition, you can store your individualized programs as files, thereby extending the storage capacity of a thermocycler.

RTC uses plain wire RS-232 or wireless RS- 232 modules to establish connections with your thermocyclers. You can control up to 7 wireless thermocyclers at the same time, provided they all have a wireless RS-232 module in their RS-232 ports and that your computer has a point to multipoint Bluetooth® module.

Features

• Controls TGradient, T1, T1Plus, and TPersonal thermocyclers.
• Provides a rich user interface for editing and displaying thermocycler programs.
• Organizes your TC programs into libraries.
• Prints your TC programs in color, grayscale, or black and white.
• Exports your TC programs directly to MS Excel® files.
• Stores, views, and organizes images related to your TC programs.
• Changes your thermocycler's folder names directly from the software (TGradient, T1, TPersonal).
• Deletes programs from your thermocyclers.
• Uploads TC programs to your thermocyclers.
• Starts and stops TC programs.
• Monitors thermocycler program execution.
• Real time charting of thermocycler temperature changes.
• Store measured temperatures in a CSV (Comma Separated Values) or XML files so you can import them to MS Excel® or your custom built applications.
• Simultaneously control more than one thermocycler.
• Wirelessly control up to 7 thermocyclers at the same time up to 100 meters away.

Configurations

Point to Point Wireless

In this case your PC has a Bluetooth® wireless RS-232 module in its serial port, and so do all Thermocyclers. The RTC can connect only to one TC at a time. When you are communicating with one TC (uploading a TC program, monitoring TC temperatures, etc.) all other Thermocyclers are disconnected from your PC. In this mode, you can only connect to Thermocyclers for which you have a valid license key (assigned to you at a time of purchase or sent to you by email).

Point to Multipoint Wireless

In a point to multipoint configuration your PC should be equipped with a built-in or USB Bluetooth® module capable of multipoint wireless communication (most of today's BT modules are). In this configuration RTC can control more than one TC at once. You can send TC programs to more than one TC or monitor more than one TC at the same time. You can control up to 7 Thermocyclers at once with one point to multipoint BT module (limitation of the BT standard).

For example, you can monitor one Thermocycler and upload a TC program to another at the same time.

To establish a connection with a TC in this configuration, you need to have a licensing module plugged into a USB port of your PC. This module stores a number of active (concurrent) Thermocycler connections that you can make. If you purchase more connections, a new licensing key will be sent to you by email.

Point to Multipoint Wired

This configuration is the same as the previous one, except that connections to your Thermocyclers are made through a wired RS-232 port. If you want to connect to more than one TC at the same time, your PC has to be equipped with more than one serial port.

System Requirements

• Computer with a 600MHz or faster processor
• Microsoft Windows 98® or higher (Windows XP® recommended) operating system
• 128MB of RAM or more
• 40MB of available hard disk space
• 800 × 600 or higher resolution display with 256 colors
• Keyboard and Microsoft® Mouse or compatible pointing device
• Microsoft .NET® Framework 1.1 (included)
• One free USB port for the software protection and licensing module
• One free USB port for a Bluetooth® module (optional)
• One free serial (RS-232) port, or in case of wireless connection, a built-in USB-based Bluetooth® module