NAME

Robotics::Tecan::Gemini - (Internal module) Software-to-Software interface for Tecan Gemini Win32 Application for controlling robotics hardware

VERSION

Version 0.23

SYNOPSIS

Gemini software interface support for Robotics::Tecan. The Gemini software controls the Tecan robotics in legacy environments. In Perl Robotics environment, the Robotics modules use this module to send (pipe) hardware commands through Gemini software to the physical hardware.

Tecan has a separate software interface, EVOware, which is to be implemented as a separate perl module in the future (contact author).

This module is only useful in the framework of other Robotics modules. It probably should not be used on it's own.

This module may include (in the future) mechanisms for parsing Gemini data files (*.gem or *.gwl files).

EXPORT

FUNCTIONS

new

FUNCTIONS

probe

Probe the local machine for a loaded/running(maybe) Gemini application to communicate with as a software-software interface.

Finds the application only, does not find hardware (look at hardware modules for that part).

Returns:

Hash, with key:value as follows: key="Tecan-Genesis", value="not-started:name:token" or "ok:name:token" where name is the application-usable alias to use for new()'s "unit" parameter, and token is an internal reference for low level software.

openPipe

(Internal function) Do not call

Open communication to Gemini software<->software interface

startService

(Special method - Not normally used - Experimental)

Attempt to start the Windows GUI application associated with Tecan (such as running "Gemini.exe"). Since this will occur under Win32, and there is no mechanism for forking, this call will likely never return. Best not to call this method if the Tecan application is already running: unexpected Win32 results may occur.

This method should only be used when "Desktop" access to start the Tecan application is unavailable (such as starting the service from a remote machine over the network).

Usage, for Tecan: Do query() first, to see if the robotics is "not started"; if it is not, use this function to start Gemini, then query() again (the second time should find the named pipe).