EVOware Standard S7 Tutorial - 20190815 - RELEASED

Freedom EVOware® Standard
Extended Device Support (Research Use Only)
Tutorial
EVOware Standard Software Training Pa ge |1

Table of Contents
Abbreviations....................................................................................................................... 5
Introduction to Hardware .................................................................................................... 6
2.1 Safety ............................................................................................................................. 6
Installation and Configuration ............................................................................................ 21
3.1 Installation ................................................................................................................... 21
3.2 Configuration ............................................................................................................... 26
3.3 User Management ....................................................................................................... 37
3.4 Freedom EVOware® Hard-lock...................................................................................... 41
Working with the EVOSim .................................................................................................. 42
Maintenance...................................................................................................................... 48
Defining Labware and Carrier ............................................................................................. 57
6.1 Defining the Worktable ................................................................................................ 57
6.2 Configuring carriers ...................................................................................................... 65
6.3 Moving the Arms and other Devices ............................................................................. 70
6.4 Configuring labware ..................................................................................................... 73
Liquid Handling Arm – Liquid LiHa ...................................................................................... 83
Liquid Handling Arm – Air LiHa ........................................................................................... 92
Creating a Pipetting Script .................................................................................................. 93
9.1 First Pipetting Program ................................................................................................ 93
9.2 Validation .................................................................................................................... 94
9.3 Link Worktables ........................................................................................................... 95
9.4 Direct Commands ......................................................................................................... 96
Programming Commands................................................................................................... 98
10.1 Comment Command................................................................................................... 98
10.2 User Prompts ............................................................................................................. 98
10.3 Group ....................................................................................................................... 100
10.4 Loops........................................................................................................................ 101
10.5 Timers ...................................................................................................................... 106
Variables .......................................................................................................................... 110
11.1 Pre-defined Variables ............................................................................................... 115
11.2 Import variable......................................................................................................... 119

11.3 Export Variable......................................................................................................... 121
11.4 If-Then-Else and Conditions ...................................................................................... 123
11.5 Modulo Division ....................................................................................................... 126
11.6 Error Handling Commands....................................................................................... 127
Worklist commands ......................................................................................................... 131
12.1 GWL Worklisting ...................................................................................................... 131
12.2 CSV Worklisting ........................................................................................................ 137
The Plate Robot (ROMA) .................................................................................................. 142
13.1 Defining ROMA Vectors ............................................................................................ 145
13.2 Carrier Attributes ..................................................................................................... 148
13.3 Safe Move ................................................................................................................ 149
13.4 Labware attributes ................................................................................................... 150
13.5 Transfer labware and lid handling ............................................................................ 151
13.6 Robot Vectors Tab in Control Bar .............................................................................. 153
MCA (MultiChannel Arm) ................................................................................................. 156
14.1 MCA 96 – Pipetting Commands ................................................................................ 156
14.2 MultiChannel Arm 96 – Tip Commands..................................................................... 157
14.3 MCA96 Move Commands ......................................................................................... 158
PosID-3 ............................................................................................................................ 166
15.1 PosID-3 Scan Command............................................................................................ 166
15.2 PosID Scan.csv .......................................................................................................... 168
15.3 Labware Attributes and String Variables .................................................................. 170
Sub-Routines.................................................................................................................... 172
Start Script ....................................................................................................................... 175
Export Data ...................................................................................................................... 176
Liquid system ................................................................................................................... 178
19.1 Liquid Classes ........................................................................................................... 180
19.2 Pipetting Modes ....................................................................................................... 187
19.3 Liquid detection ........................................................................................................ 190
19.4 Better Control over DiTi & Excess Volume Handling .................................................. 197
Execute VB script ............................................................................................................. 199
Execute Application ......................................................................................................... 200
Wizards ............................................................................................................................ 201

Backup and Troubleshooting ............................................................................................ 203
23.1 Configure Standalone ............................................................................................... 203
23.2 Export/Import .......................................................................................................... 205
23.3 Zip&Send Tool .......................................................................................................... 208
23.4 AuditArch ................................................................................................................. 212
23.5 EVOtransfer.............................................................................................................. 213
23.6 Validate Configuration ............................................................................................. 215
23.7 Shutdown EVOware Drivers ...................................................................................... 215
Log Files ........................................................................................................................... 216
24.1 Structure of the log files ........................................................................................... 216
24.2 Log Files ................................................................................................................... 216
Troubleshooting Examples ............................................................................................... 222
25.1 No Connection to the Instrument Error ..................................................................... 222
25.2 Software is in Offline Mode ...................................................................................... 223
25.3 Unable to Save the Script in the Software ................................................................. 224
25.4 Labware Information Overwritten Message When Starting a Run ............................ 225
25.5 EVOware Errors "Several troughs in one pipetting command" and "Different detection
modes used in one pipetting command" .......................................................................... 226
25.6 Unable to Start EVOware Application, FACTS.Systems Error Received ....................... 227
25.7 Plate Cannot be Fetched by RoMa When Using the Transfer Labware Command ..... 228
Exercises .......................................................................................................................... 229

Abbreviations
Abbreviation Description
LiHa Liquid Handling Arm
ROMA Plate Robot (Robotic Manipulator Arm)
PnP Tube Robot (Pick and Place Arm)
PosID Positive Identification System (movable Barcode Scanner)
LICOS Liquid Container Supervisor
MPO Monitored Pump Option (consists of FaWa and LICOS)
DiTi Disposable Tip
FaWa Fast Wash Pump
MIO Monitored Incubator Option
MCA MultiChannel Arm
PMP MultiSense (previously Pressure Monitored Pipetting)
ILID Integrated Liquid Detection
Win Microsoft Windows (operating system)
SBS Formerly Society for Biomedical Sciences (SBS), currently

Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS)

Introduction to Hardware
The Freedom EVO is a flexible, modular automation platform.
Available in 3 different sizes:
o EVO75 27 Grids 1-2 Arms

2.1 Safety
Cellular Phone
Electromagnetic RF waves from a cellular phone may affect the
function of liquid detection.
Faulty detection of the liquid surface may cause the system to
produce incorrect results.
Keep a distance of at least 2m from the instrument when using
a cellular phone.
Electrostatic discharge
Discharge static electricity from your body before handling
delicate electronic circuits.
If you do not have access to an anti-static device, discharge
static by touching the surface of the worktable before touching
any electronic components.
Movable Parts
Warning for mechanical hazards (piercing and crushing).
The devices may move at a high speed and with great force.
Make sure all safety covers are in place before starting the
instrument.
Do not reach into the working area of the instrument under
any circumstances.
Safety first!

Laser
Do not stare into the laser beam or its reflection.
Barcode readers such as the PosID and Symbol user
laser technology for scanning.
Safety Panels
There are 3 different styles of safety panels to allow flexibility for front waste chutes and loading/unloading of
time/temperature sensitive samples.
Standard Front Safety Panel
Closed Front Safety Panel

Front Safety Panel with Adjustable
Access Window
Door Locks
Door locks actively lock the front panel during operation

of the Freedom EVO.
The door locks consist of a locking device with an

electromagnetic actuator on each side of the worktable
and a catch, which is mounted to the safety panel. A
switch in the locking device monitors if the safety panel
is closed or open.
On/Off and Pause/Resume
A) The pause/resume button allows the user to pause

and later resume the run.
B) Power on delay: 0.5 seconds.

Power off delay: 2 seconds.
A status light in the switch indicates if the

instrument is switched on.
C) The front access panel should remain closed during

instrument operation to allow access to on/off and
pause/resume functions.

Status Lamp and Acoustic Alarm
The status lamp displays the instrument status and is combined with an acoustic alarm device (sound).
The volume of the acoustic alarm can be adjusted or disabled. The volume switch is a rotary switch with 16
positions 0 to F.
A – Status Lamp
B – Printed Circuit Board
C – Volume Switch
D – Acoustic Alarm (buzzer)

Freedom EVO series worktable deck pins
Deck pins are used to position carriers on the deck. Each pin is separated by 25mm. There are 3 types of deck pins.
Frog Pin
Guide
Pin
Stop
Pin
Instrument Axes
X-axes: left/right
Y-axis: front/back
Z-axis: up/down
EVOware Standard Software Training P a g e | 10

Liquid LiHa – Liquid Handling Arm on an EVO 100, 150 and 200
o 1 or 2 Liquid LiHa’s per instrument (existing configurations)

o 1 Liquid LiHa per instrument (new configurations)
o 2, 4 or 8 tips per LiHa
o Each channel has independent movement along the Z-axis
o Equidistant movement in Y-spread from 9mm to 38mm between tips
o Combinations of fixed and disposable tips on the same arm are
possible
o Variable syringe size up to 5000µL
o Capacitance based liquid level detection (cLLD) is standard with an
option to upgrade to PMP
A few examples of fixed tips:

Replacing a DiTi Cone on a Liquid LiHa
To remove or install a DiTi cone on a liquid LiHa, first make sure the instrument is switched off.
Removal
1. Use the white plastic DiTi cone wrench to disassemble the DiTi cone, all the while holding the tip ejector
tube and tip adapter in place.
2. Remove the black tip ejector tube (J).

3. Unscrew the adapter cylinder (E).
4. Pull the tubing extension (F) and pipetting tubing (D) approx. 25 mm (1 inch) out of the tip adapter (B).
5. Carefully pull the tubing extension (F) out of the pipetting tubing (D). For better grip, the pipetting tubing
(D) can be held with a piece of emery cloth.
6. Remove the tubing extension (F) together with the adapter cylinder (E).

Installation
1. Pull the pipetting tubing (D) approx. 25 mm (1 inch) out of the tip adapter (B).
2. Put the adapter cylinder (E) on the tubing extension (F) with the knurled part pointing upwards.
3. Push the conical part of the tubing extension (F) 6 to 8 mm (0.24 to 0.32 inch) into the tubing. For better
grip, the pipetting tubing (D) can be held with a piece of emery cloth.
4. Screw the adapter cylinder (E) onto the tip adapter (B) and make sure it is finger tight.
5. Slide the white separator ring (H) and then the black O-ring (G) onto the lower part of the tubing extension
(F).
6. Push the tubing into the adapter cylinder (E).
7. Slide the tip ejector tube (J) with the indentation pointing upwards onto the adapter cylinder (E).
8. Assemble and tighten the DiTi cone using the white plastic DiTi cone wrench.
9. Clean the DiTi cones with isopropanol and lint free tissue.
Replacing a DiTi Cone on an Air LiHa

To remove or install a DiTi cone on an air LiHa, first make sure the instrument is switched off.
Removal / installation
1. Insert the adjustment gauge for tip adapters (A) to fix the Air LiHa tip adapters (B) in position.
2. Use the white plastic DiTi cone wrench to disassemble the DiTi cone, all the while holding the tip ejector
tube and tip adapter in place.

3. Remove the black tip ejector tube (F).
4. To install a DiTi cone, follow the steps above in reverse order. Make sure the indented part of the black tip
ejector tube (F) is pointing upwards. Clean the DiTi cones with isopropanol and lint free tissue.
Replacing a Fixed Tip

To remove or install a fixed tip on a liquid LiHa, first make sure the instrument is switched off.
Removal
1. Manually unscrew the lock nut (C) while holding the tip (D) immediately below the lock nut with the other
hand.
2. Remove the lock nut (C) by moving it downwards along the tip (D), avoiding contact between the lock nut
and the tip coating.
3. Pull the pipetting tubing some distance (x) out of the tip adapter (B) by pulling on the tip (D). Hold the tip
at its upper end while pulling.
4. Pull the tip (D) off of the pipetting tubing (E). For better grip, the pipetting tubing (E) can be held with a
piece of emery cloth.

Installation
1. Pull the pipetting tubing (E) approx. 25 mm (1 inch) out of the tip adapter (B). If a tip has been installed
before, cut off approx. 5 mm (0.2 inch) of the tubing using a sharp knife to obtain a straight cut.
2. Slide the lock nut (C) on the tip (D), avoiding contact between the lock nut and the tip coating.
3. Push the pipetting tubing (E) and tip (D) into the tip adapter (B).
4. Screw the lock nut (C) onto the tip adapter (B) and finger tighten it.
5. Clean the tips using isopropanol and lint-free tissue.
Lower DiTi Eject Option
The Lower DiTi Eject Option enables disposable tips to eject at a lower
position. Tips can be placed back onto the tip rack for reuse later on in the
script. The Lower DiTi Eject Option minimizes contamination during tip
discard, at the new lower position; without the option tips are discarded
by each channel moving all the way up in the Z-axis. This is optional on the
Liquid LiHa but standard on all Air LiHa.

Air LiHa – Liquid Handling Arm – EVO 100, 150 and 200
o Only 1 Air LiHa per instrument

o 4 or 8 tips per LiHa
o Independent movement in Z direction
o Equidistant movement in Y-spread from 9mm to
38mm between tips
o Only uses disposable tips and comes standard
with the Lower DiTi Eject Option
o Pipetting range from 0.5 - 1000µL
ROMA – Robotic Manipulator Arm (Plate Robot) compatible with EVO 75, 100, 150 and 200
o Transports plate-like objects (microplates, deepwell
plates, reagent blocks, etc.)
o Grip range between 58-100mm (wide or narrow grip
orientation of labware)
o Transportable mass of 0.4kg/0.88lbs
o 270° rotation (clockwise or counter clockwise
orientation determined by the hard stop)
o Extended Z-Range option available to extend
beneath the worktable for device access
ROMA Fingers:
A – Centric Gripper Fingers for Top Loading
B – Eccentric Gripper Fingers for Accessing a Hotel

PnP – Pick and Place Arm (Tube Robot) – EVO 100, 150 or 200
o Transports tubes and other cylindrical objects

o Grip range from 11-18mm with standard gripper fingers
o Transportable mass of 100g/0.22lbs
o 360° rotation
MCA96 – MultiChannel Arm 96

MultiChannel pipetting arm designed for high speed, high
precision liquid pipetting between standard 96 and 384 well
microplates
o 96 plungers simultaneously aspirate and dispense

o Liquid level detection is not possible with the
pipetting head of the MCA96
o Volume range 1 to 200L
o Fast and automated interchange between fixed tips
and disposable tips
o Optional Gripper Module
MCA 96 Gripper
A Gripper Module on the left
Gripper fingers inwardly mounted
B Gripper Module on the right
Gripper fingers inwardly mounted
o Indepengent G-axis only

o Shares X-, Y- and Z-axis with MCA 96
o No rotation is possible C Gripper Module on the right
Gripper fingers outwardly
mounted
MCA384 – MultiChannel Arm 384
The MultiChannel pipetting arm is designed for high speed, high precision liquid
pipetting between standard 96, 384 and 1536 microplates.
o 384 plungers simultaneously aspirate and dispense

o Liquid level detection is not possible with the pipetting head of the
MCA384
o Volume between 0.5 and 125µL or up to 500µL possible with the EVA
(Extended Volume Adapter)
o Fast and automated interchange between fixed tips and disposable tips
o Adapters switch between 384 and 96 format or single row or column
o Optional CGM (Common Gripper Module)
CGM – Common Gripper Module
o MCA384 Gripper
o Independent in Y-, Z-, R-, and G-axis
o Shares X-axis with MCA384
MCA 384 Adapters
Fixed 384 125µL Fixed 384 15µL Fixed 96 125µL Fixed 96 15µL
384 MCA384 DiTis 96 MCA384 DiTis 96 MCA96 DiTis

EVA- Extended Volume Adapter
EVA adapter for MCA384 maps 4 channels into 1
allowing pipetting volume of up to 500L
o Uses MCA96 SBS DiTis

o 96, column of 8, row of 12
PosID-3 – Positive Identification
The PosID-3 is a barcode reader for the EVO-2

platform
o Reads both horizontal and vertical barcodes

o Tube sensor
o Gripper for pulling carriers past the scanner
o Stores up to six different barcode languages
o Optical home sensor
o Verification barcode
Manual Movement of Axes

o The Liquid LiHa can be moved manually in each axis when the instrument is powered off or not yet
initialized.
o ROMA can be moved manually in X-, Y-, and R-axis when the instrument is powered off or not yet
initialized. Z-brake provides resistance in Z, but can be moved manually. G-axis requires a screwdriver.
o PosID can be moved manually in X- and Y-axis when the instrument is powered off or not yet initialized.
The scanner head aka B-axis should NOT be moved manually.
o Air LiHa can be moved manually in X- and Y-axis, and Y-spread when the instrument is powered off or not
yet initialized. Move the arm using the Lower DiTi Eject Option if possible to avoid damaging or
misaligning the channels. Z-brake must be released to move down in Z-axis.
o PnP can be moved manually in X-, Y-, R-, and G-axis when the instrument is powered off or not yet
initialized. Z-brake must be released to allow movement in the Z-axis.
o MCA96 can be moved manually in X- and Y-axis when the instrument is powered off or not yet initialized.
The Z-brake must be released to allow movement in the Z-axis. Z-brake release requires the instrument to
be powered ON.
o MCA384 can be moved manually in X- and Y-axis when the instrument is powered off or not yet initialized.
The Z-brake must be released to allow movement in the Z-axis. Z-brake release requires the instrument to
be powered ON.

Contacting Technical Support
o If you require assistance with your hardware or software, please email your request to the helpdesk of
your local organization
o All service requests should be routed through your local Helpdesk to ensure proper issue escalation and
resolution, please have your instrument serial number available
o For your local Tecan contact information, visit: http://tecan.com/customersupport
From front of the instrument: From back of the instrument:

Installation and Configuration
This chapter describes the necessary steps to install Freedom EVOware® software and how to set up the software
with the Freedom EVO instrument.
Freedom EVOware® and all add-ons run under Windows 7 / 64 bit
All versions after and including Freedom EVOware® 2.8 also run under Windows 10 / 64 bit
3.1 Installation
Please refer to the Freedom EVOware® Software Manual Chapter 4
Installation CD
Save the installation disc to the local PC and then double-click the autorun.exe.
 Remember: there are two Freedom EVOware® versions:
 General Purpose
Uses setup.exe for installation
Limited Device Support
Appropriate for Clinical Environments
 Research Use Only

Uses setup_ro.exe for installation
Extended Device Support
Appropriate for research applications
Additional devices are supported: MCA96, MCA384, CGM, Te-PS, Low Volume Option, Te-Fill, PnP,
Vacuum Assisted Waste, TeMO, WRC, Te-Stack, Te-VacS, Carousel, Te-Flow, Centrifuge, Te-Link,
Balance, 96PW, PW384 & REMP devices
 Sample Tracking embedded (add-on)

Install separately after Freedom EVOware® has been installed

Step 1:
Freedom EVOware® default installation paths for Windows 7 and 10:
C:\Program Files(x86)\TECAN\EVOware contains executables and .dll’s.
C:\Program Data\Tecan\EVOware contains the database and audit trails.
Step 2:
Install wizard
 Drivers are grouped (washers, readers, storage devices…)

 Install only the drivers that you need (software mirrors the hardware)
 The pipetting instrument can be configured with a maximum of three robot arms
 Some drivers need additional software components (i.e. Freedom EVOware®, Magellan™ driver needs the
Magellan™ software)
 Freedom EVOware® supports Freedom EVO instruments including many optional devices as well as
external devices

Choose the device drivers relevant for your Freedom EVO and click next.
Step 3:
Then create an Administrator account, unless Tecan User Management already exists on the PC then this step will
be skipped.
 Remember to use at least 5 characters for the username and password.

Step 4:
The installation wizard will ask if you would like to see the readme.txt file which is also on the installation disc.
Restart the PC before using the software.
If you run the Freedom EVOware® installation program when the software is already installed, you are given the
options of modifying, removing or repairing the installation.
o Modify is used to change or check the current driver configurations.

o Repair is used for issues with corrupted or missing files and should be used before uninstalling the software
altogether.
o Remove is used to uninstall the software from your computer and should be used instead of the uninstall
option in the Windows Program directory.

Exercise 1: Modify device drivers
The software is already installed on the PC. ‘Modify’ the Freedom EVOware® installation. Select the
appropriate features depending on your training instrument configuration. If no changes are necessary
cancel the installation process.
For Example:
- First ROMA Plate Robot

- First Liquid Handling Arm
- MCA 96/384
- PosID-3
- Te-Stack

3.2 Configuration
For the Configuration Tool please refer to Chapter 8 in Freedom EVOware® software manual.
Device Information
“Configure/Devices Tab/General/Device Information” Freedom EVOware®
Plus Only
Check the ‘Start’ checkbox if you want the device driver to be

Installed device
loaded when launching the software. (This also causes the
drivers are listed
command set for the driver to be available in the software)
Highlight a device and press

“Settings” to make a global
configuration setting for the
device (i.e. Home after move)
You can also add or modify

macros for the device within
the settings tab

Instrument Options - LiHa
“Configure/Devices Tab/General/Instrument Options”
Reduces LiHa Movements for

‘Get DiTis’
Fetch DiTis sequentially,

even & odd, or all in parallel
Optimize the Z-travel height

rather than using the global Z-
travel
LiHa smart moves
Verify labware Z-height

settings
o Initialization: deep in waste for DiTi cones (avoid stray drops)

o Tip type: mixed configuration possible (fixed tips 1-4; DiTis 5-8)
o Tip offset is set automatically to the correct value (no need to modify)
o Diluter capacity: maximum volume in µL that the diluter is able to dispense or aspirate with the current
syringe size
o System capacity in µL. For standard tips, this is the volume of the tubing from the tip to the diluter valve
(typically 3500µL)

Instrument Options – ROMA
Eliminates duplicate coordinates before sending
the movement commands to the arm.
Round Moves
Instrument Options – MCA96

Positions MCA above wash

station at end of script
Address of WRC
(wheel + 1)
Instrument Options – MCA384

Address of WRC (wheel + 1)
Optimize Z-Travel Height

I/O State
“Configure/Devices Tab/Communication/I/O State”
Enable or disable data communication to a device by checking or unchecking the “Active” checkbox. Set the I/O
State to activate all devices which are installed and physically connected to the PC or to the instrument and which
are currently in use. Uncheck the I/O State for optional devices when running scripts on the 3D simulator tool
(only robot arms are supported for a simulated device).
Logging Option
“Configure/Devices Tab/Communication/Logging Option”
Log exchange of firmware

commands between device
and driver. (Troubleshooting)

COM ports
“Configure/Devices Tab/Communication/Com Ports”
The EVO instrument is usually connected via USB
For external devices with RS232 interface, choose a unique COM port from the drop down.
The list shows all currently available ports on the PC.
Test
“Configure/Devices Tab/Communication/Test”
Send firmware commands to

devices. (Troubleshooting)

Scheduling
“Configure/Devices Tab/Scheduling”
All used in Freedom EVOware® Plus
Freedom EVOware® Plus Only
General Settings
Timeouts
“Configure/General Tab/General/Timeouts”
Timeouts for Initialization

and Shutdown
Delay (ms) for running

script in Simulation mode

Pause
“Configure/General Tab/General/Pause”
Settings for System Pause
Protocol Options
“Configure/General Tab/General/Protocol Options”
File Paths
POSID and
Export Data
Configure
Backups
Enable log files Requires user to

enter their password
and an explanation to
Check if files have been
save changes
modified outside of the
software
Pressure Monitored
Pipetting data log

Electronic signature feature
The most recent user comment can be viewed in the Data Explorer. Earlier comments are stored in the Audit Trail.
If one of the files has been modified automatically by the software a comment is inserted which starts with
“EVOware”.
The electronic signatures feature also requires the currently logged in user to enter their password if errors occur
when running a script or process. The user name will be recorded in the log files.
Collision Avoidance
“Configure/General Tab/General/Collision Avoidance”
Collision Avoidance example: before moving a robot arm (LiHa, ROMA, MCA etc.) to a new position, the software
checks whether it could collide with another arm during movement and moves the other arm aside to make space.
Parallel movement allows for the

first arm to start its movement
before the other arm has moved
fully aside (faster).
Movement delay specifies how

long the first arm should wait
before moving.

Notification
Settings
“Configure/General Tab/ Notifications/Settings”
Here you can configure the software to send email notifications about system events and error situations.
 When you first configure this feature, we recommend you configure the recipients first, then the
groups, and finally the notifications.
The Reciepients and Groups for the

notification feature are independent of
the Users and Groups in the User
Management section.

Notifications
“Configure/General Tab/ Notifications/Notifications”
1 2 3
Create Notifications: select

Event(s), Receiving Group(s),
and format of the E-mail.
Groups
“Configure/General Tab/ Notifications/Groups”
Create Groups: select User(s) and log(s)
2 3

Recipients
“Configure/General Tab/ Notifications/Recipients”
Define Users and Logfiles
Exercise 2: Configure your training instrument
Open Configure and configure the liquid handling arm according to your instrument.
1. Be sure to verify if the correct devices and I/O states are checked
2. Verify the LiHa instrument options:
 Tip Type
 Syringe size
3. Save
4. Create a backup of configure
5. Find where the configure backup folder is stored on the computer directory.

3.3 User Management
Tecan User Management system: refer to chapter 7 in the Freedom EVOware® Software Manual.
Security features in Freedom EVOware® which assist 21 CFR Part 11 compliance: B.5
Electronic Records: Chapter B.7
Browse to from Windows Start

menu (stand-alone mode)
User Management can be accessed from within Configure and as a stand-alone option, with access to all of the
same settings.
Settings
“Configure/General Tab/User Management/Settings”
Non-validated Lock after 1-1440 minutes

scripts/templates are hidden
Disable user after 1-10
from Operators
failed logins
Turn off User Management

(new to 2.1) Set password length 4-99
characters
Allow empty passwords for
non-admin users
Set password expiration

“smart”
1-365 days
passwor
ds
Configure the software to

send warnings when users
become disabled

Users
“Configure/General Tab/User Management/Users”
Create and edit users
Newly created users are required to

change their passwords within 72 hours/3
days.
 It is recommended to create more than one user with Administrator rights. Note: it is not possible to
permanently delete a user.

User Rights
There are four user levels in Freedom EVOware® with the following access rights:
User Level Rights

Operator  Run a pipetting script (Freedom EVOware® Standard)
 Run maintenance scripts
 View a pipetting script (but not change it)
 Handle errors during pipetting (except collision errors)
Since Operators are not allowed to create or modify scripts and processes, most of the
program interface features are hidden or disabled.
Power user a) Same rights as Operator with addition of:

 Start running pipetting scripts at specified line number
 Run Direct commands
Application Specialist Same rights as Operator with addition of:

 Create, modify and save pipetting scripts (Freedom EVOware® Standard and
Plus) and processes (Freedom EVOware® Plus)
 Edit the configuration of the pipetting instrument
 Edit the configurations of the carriers and labware
 Edit the liquid classes for pipetting
 Change the settings in the Configuration tool
 Skip pre-programmed timers during pipetting
Administrator Same rights as application specialist with addition of:

 Create and disable/re-enable users
 Configure the options in the Tecan User Management system
 Enable or disable the electronic signatures feature
a) Using the Configuration Tool, you can assign additional rights to the Power User for special applications. In addition, you can
create additional user levels (user groups).
All four Freedom EVOware® user levels need read/write access to the <install_path> directory and its
subdirectories. The user level Operator cannot create or modify scripts or processes, but the software still needs
read/write access to write log and export files and audit trail data.
Other Tecan software components such as Magellan™ have a different hierarchy of user levels. Please refer to the
respective user manual for more information. The Tecan User Management system handles user authorization for
all of the Tecan software components.

Groups
“Configure/General Tab/User Management/Groups”
Create and edit Groups
Admin level users do not belong to a

group (they have all rights)
Admin users can disable other
users (never disable all users!)
It is possible to create custom groups and assign specific rights:
Custom Group and

rights
For Freedom EVOware® versions 2.1 SP2 and higher it is possible to:
 Share the Tecan User Management database in a network environment, if you are running multiple
EVOware installations which are connected together within the same LAN, you can configure the system
to use a central User Management database which can be shared by several pipetting instruments. This
avoids having to set up Tecan users and groups separately on each of the PCs.
 Use the Microsoft Windows login name instead of the Tecan user database. This avoids the need to
remember two different user names and passwords - one for Microsoft Windows and a different one for
Freedom EVOware® software.

3.4 Freedom EVOware® Hard-lock
A hard-lock is an intelligent USB plug which is sometimes called a dongle or software key.
 The software will run in offline mode if it cannot detect a hardlock when it starts. Therefore, you will not
be able to run any scripts, methods or initialize.
 The Freedom EVOware® Plus hard-lock also allows you to use Freedom EVOware® Standard (but not vice
versa).
 The hardlock version you are currently using is shown in the software status bar. It is also written in the
sticker on the dongle itself (shown above). If you have purchased other Freedom EVOware® add-ons these
rights will be added to your dongle by the engineer. Otherwise for any software package you will be given
a 30 day free trial.
 You do not need a dongle to connect to EVOSim, described in the following chapter.

Working with the EVOSim
Please refer to: Freedom EVOware® Operating Manual Doc. Nr. 392886, Appendix.15
EVOSim is used to visualize the movements carried out by the robot arms during scripts and processes. To connect
to the software with EVOSim does not require a dongle, thus allowing the optimization of processes outside of the
laboratory. EVOSim does not simulate optional devices such as the Te-Shake, plate readers, etc. (I/O states of
these devices need to be unchecked).
Choose the size of the instrument and define any cut-out. If you do not know the size select an EVO 200:

Define the arm configuration:
The resulting list indicates the arm configuration from left to right:

Add additional devices (usually a PosID-3 if at all):
Assign a name and Save:

Maintain the current mode of communication:
EVOSim will then launch with your selected configuration:

The software must be prepared for this virtual instrument:
The drivers for the robot arms must be activated in Device Information under the “General” section
Communication - I/O state
The simulator supports the specified robot arms. Therefore, the I/O state for these robot arms are set to active.
Switch off the I/O state for all other devices to avoid communication errors.

 To establish communication to the instrument START THE EVOSim OR THE REAL INSTRUMENT BEFORE
LAUNCHING THE SOFTWARE. EVOSim is accessible to all user levels and does NOT require a hard-lock
to establish connection.
1st 2nd
Launch EVOSim, followed by Freedom EVOware® Standard software. The EVOSim worktable will populate to
match the software Worktable Editor once a script is opened.

Maintenance
Liquid LiHa
Please refer to:
Tecan Academy EVO Operator
Freedom EVOware® Operating Manual Doc. Nr 392886
Freedom EVOware® Maintenance and Service Logbook Doc. Nr. 392815
Immediate maintenance
o If the instrument is leaking, power off immediately and eliminate the source of the leak.
Daily Maintenance
Tasks:
o Finger tighten plunger lock screws, syringe and valve fittings

o Check the Teflon coating on the tip end for injury
o Clean outside of tips with IPA/ethanol
o Check the plunger cap of all syringes
o Clean wash station with detergent or antiseptic solution, depending your samples and application
o Empty waste container
o Fill system liquid container
o Flush system
o Tightness Test
Tightness Test
Perform the tightness test to check for any leakages in the system prior to pipetting. Aspirate a large volume of
liquid and observe the orifice of the tips to check for any droplet formation. If droplet formation occurs, the
system is not air tight and needs periodic maintenance by a Tecan engineer.

System liquid requirements:
o Standard system liquid

- Deionized water or aqueous buffer solution(conductivity <500µS/cm is acceptable)
o Special System liquid
- DMSO: requires special resistant tubing to be installed
o Free of any particles
o Free of air bubbles
o Room temperature (ideal  25º C)
o Place system liquid container at worktable height for volumes in the low µL range
o Degas system liquid with helium for volumes in the low µL range
o It is recommended to fill the system liquid container one day before use. This allows the system liquid to
attain ambient temperature and degas for optimal pipetting results.
Weekly Maintenance
o Depending on your application, soak and flush system with one of the following
o Weak detergent (Concentration according to the recommendation of the provider!)
o Low concentration of acid/base
o Disinfectant (Concentration according to the recommendation of the provider!)
o 0.5 % Bleach (standard tip up to max. syringe volume)
o Clean the System Liquid and Waste Bottles
After maintenance flush the system extensively
Periodic Maintenance
Do Periodic Maintenance when you observe:
o Poor precision and accuracy

o Leakage
o Variable or moving air gap
Check and replace in this order:
o Tip
o Plunger cap
o Syringe
o Tubing (Tecan FSE only)
o Valves (Tecan FSE only)
Preventative Maintenance
o Performed every six to twelve months by a Tecan field service engineer.
o Replace consumable parts including: fixed tips, DiTi options, valves, syringes, all tubing and O-rings.
o System is cleaned and inspected.
o Performance of operational qualification testing and liquid handling performance verification testing.

Wash procedure
If the STAG (System Trailing Airgap)

designated in the ‘Wash Tips’ command is
not equal to the STAG designated in the
liquid class, the larger STAG always prevails.
STAG is the airgap after system fluid, which is
aspirated after the wash step.
 A good flush is part of the daily maintenance.
Flush system
When starting the system or after more than 2 hours standby
 50mL with FAWA

 5mL without FAWA
Before starting a method
 10mL with FAWA

 1mL without FAWA
Do not allow the valves to run dry for a long period of time!
 A good wash procedure is needed to:

 Prevent carryover
 Prime the system liquid in the tubing and in the tip
 Pick up a new STAG
 Wash also needed with DiTis to reset STAG

Wash volume depends on the system liquid used
 Distilled water: 3mL waste + 4mL cleaner

 DMSO: 1mL waste + 2mL cleaner
If >7mL needed to clean tips, use:
o DiTis
o Decontamination step
 Do NOT wash with mounted DiTi!

Air LiHa
Daily Maintenance
- Inline Filter Test

- Check and clean DiTi cones
- Clean worktable
- Empty DiTi Waste
- Channel Warm Up
- Tightness Test
Inline Filter Test

In order to protect the Air LiHa pipetting channels against over-aspiration of liquid (if a DiTi with smaller capacity
than intended is used) a control system is installed on each channel. The control system combines a filter inside
the DiTi cone and the pressure monitoring of the PMP board.
The ‘Inline Filter Test’ script command allows the channel to check the inline filter inside the DiTi cone of an Air
LiHa pipetting channel. With this command the user can check the presence and integrity of the filters in the
selected channels at the beginning of a script or periodically.
The parameters of the ‘Inline Filter Test’ command are as follows:
Tip Selection
Select the channels for which you would like to test the
inline filter.
Note: before executing the command make sure that

there are no DiTis mounted on the selected channels.
The test is always executed without DiTis.
Failures Detected by the Test:

- Wet filter (due to over-aspiration of liquid)
- Damaged filter
- Wrong positioned filter
- Absence of filter
- Channel clogged with particles
 Should your inline filter test fail, proceed with replacing the inline filter on the failing channel.

Channel Warm Up
Warm up the Air LiHa channels before pipetting by running the Inline Filter Test 10 times. This ensures good
precision and accuracy during pipetting.
Tightness Test
Perform the tightness test to check for any leakages in the system prior to pipetting. Aspirate a large volume of
liquid and observe the orifice of the tips to check for any droplet formation. If droplet formation occurs, the
system is not air tight and needs periodic maintenance by a Tecan engineer.

Weekly Maintenance
Self-Diagnostic Test (The Self Diagnostic Test is equivalent to the Leakage Test in the Instrument Software, S&S.)
For Air LiHa – New to Freedom EVOware® V 2.5 SP 4 – Requires PMP Leakage Test Block
This diagnostic test can be performed directly in the software without the need to access Set-up and Service
Instrument Software.
Use 200µL or 1000µL DiTis.
 Channels that fail the test will be disabled

in Configure.
In order to gain use of the ‘Self Diagnostics Test’ Command complete the below steps:
1. Import sealing block carrier and sealing block seal labware from SealingBlock.exd in Import Library\2-
Extended folder on Freedom EVOware® V 2.5 SP 4 or higher installation disc.
2. Edit the evoware.opt file to set the altitude and units for your location.
3. Use the Validate EVOware Configuration tool to repair the checksum.

Replacing an inline filter
1. To replace the inline filter in the DiTi cone of the Air LiHa, first switch off the instrument.
2. Disassemble the DiTi option from the channel using the white plastic done wrench.
3. Remove the inline filter from the DiTi cone:

a. Carefully pierce the old filter at an angle, using the filter removal tool
b. Swivel the tool downwards with your fingers to pry out the filter and remove it from the cone
4. Clean the DiTi cone with alcohol and allow to dry. Make sure the DiTi cone is completely dry before
inserting a new inline filter.
5. Place the new inline filter on a clean and level surface. Move the DiTi cone downwards onto the filter and
press untill the filter is all the way in. Make sure the filter does not stick out of the DiTi cone.
6. To ensure operating readiness, perform the Inline Filter Test.

 Examples of Maintenance scripts can be found on the EVOware installation disc in Install\Import
Library\1 – Maintenance\:
Exercise 3: Daily Maintenance
1. Power on the instrument

2. Double click on the Freedom EVOware® Standard desktop icon to launch the software
3. Login
4. Select the ‘run maintenance’ radial button and from the drop down choose
- Wash (Liquid LiHa) or
- Inline Filter Test (Air LiHa)
5. Complete all of the process prompts.

6. Once completed, open the script in Edit mode.
7. Select ‘Save As’ from the File drop down menu, type in a new name for your own daily
maintenance script.
8. Edit the script accordingly to customize your own daily maintenance.
9. Save & Run.

Defining Labware and Carrier
For Basic Concepts of Labware and Carrier Definitions Refer to Chapter 9.2 in the Freedom EVOware® Software Manual
The Freedom EVOware® database already contains a large selection of predefined carrier and labware types. You
only need to create or edit carriers or labware if you cannot find a standard item which is suitable for your needs.
 Use a predefined carrier or labware as a template which best defines your custom carrier or labware
and make small changes rather than starting from scratch.
6.1 Defining the Worktable
The labware coordinates are relative to the site on which the labware is placed.
The site coordinates are relative to the carrier.
The carrier offsets are relative to the grid position on the worktable.
The grid positions on the worktable have a periodic spacing of 25 mm.
This hierarchy allows you to place the labware at any suitable site, carrier and grid position without having to
redefine its coordinates.

Carriers and Labware are organized into groups
To add a carrier to the deck:
Drag and drop

desired carriers
Place carrier on correct grid (left grid below carrier!)
o To duplicate a carrier once on the worktable, select the carrier of choice and press & hold the CTRL
key down, then drag and drop the carrier to the desired location.
o To remove a carrier from the worktable, simply select the carrier and drag it outside of the deck. If
the carrier is in use within the script, you will not be able to delete it.
o Both of these techniques are applicable to labwares as well.
If a default item is modified and the offsets are lost, go to the following path in order to import the default item
again (before the import, delete the affected item from the software).
Master CD\Install\Import Library\2 – Extended (select the *.exd file of the installed Freedom EVOware® version)

Allowed labware:
The carrier defines what labware types can be used on it. If you click on a site of a carrier on the Worktable editor
a list of Allowed Labware will appear in the Labware tab (circled below).
2
1
Carrier Information
Single-click on a carrier on the Worktable editor and view its information in the INFOPAD - Worktable.
Allowed Sites:
If you click on a labware in the Labware tab, the allowed sites are highlighted on the Worktable editor.

Carriers only available to the ROMA will appear on the outside of the worktable as icons. Only carriers accessible
by the LiHa will appear on the main worktable.
ROMA only carriers and devices Right click to set the grid
Grids
Place labware on pipetting Save your worktable as a template by right

carriers and give any label clicking in the grey area of the worktable
Double-click labware on the Worktable editor to edit the labware name (the yellow labels):
 If you are using more than one type of “96 Well Microplate” consider creating a duplicate and giving a
descriptive name to the new plate.

Right click a labware in the Control
Bar to Edit, Delete, Duplicate, or
create a New labware.
Considerations for designing the worktable:
1. Add all necessary carriers and labwares to the worktable

2. Check that each arm can physically access its required carrier/labware
- Liquid LiHa must access wash station and its pipetting carriers
- LiHa with DiTi option must access its DiTi labware and DiTi waste
- MCA must access its pipetting carriers, DiTi labware or tip block + wash block
- ROMA must access storage carriers, pipetting carriers, and devices
- PnP must access tube carriers
3. Consider your application to determine if positions can be optimized to limit arm movements:
- Proximity of wash station, DiTi carrier, and pipetting carriers
Poor Worktable Design:

Better Worktable Design:
To save the worktable template:
Right click on any grey area of the worktable and select “Save Worktable as Template” or click the worktable and
select “Save Worktable as Template” from the INFOPAD - Worktable or from the upper right corner of the
software.
When saving as a template, spaces and special characters (# & $) are not permitted.

Principle: the software
mirrors the hardware
 Before running your script, it is always best to double check your worktable in the software. Does the
worktable in the software match the physical worktable? Differences in worktable setup can lead to
crashes.

Exercise 4: Create a worktable
Make sure your worktable in the software corresponds to the actual worktable on your
instrument!
1. Duplicate the required carriers and labware (except the DiTi carriers and labwares) in
the software and assign them new names.
2. Create a worktable in the software Worktable editor with the following carriers:
o Liquid LiHa: Wash Station
o Air LiHa and Liquid LiHa with DiTis: DiTi 2Pos + Waste
o Trough 3Pos 25+100mL (Duplicate before using!)
o MP 3Pos (Duplicate before using!)
o Hotel 9Pos Microplate (Duplicate before using!)
3. Place at least the following labware onto your carriers:

o LiHa with DiTis:
i. DiTi 1000µL LiHa
ii. DiTi 200µL LiHa
iii. DiTi Waste
o Three Trough 100mL (Duplicate before using!)
o One 96 Well Microplate (Duplicate before using!)

6.2 Configuring carriers
Configuring Carriers: Chapter 9.5
A carrier is a removable support on the instrument's worktable (i.e. deck) which holds one or more pieces of
labware in place. Carriers can be fitted to the instrument’s worktable at pre-defined grid positions.
In Freedom EVOware® software, carriers are also used to represent positions on devices which can be accessed by
the plate or tube robot.
The carrier name indicates the labware type for which it is designed (for device carriers, it indicates the device
type).
Hierarchical coordinate system

This hierarchy allows you to place the labware at any suitable site, carrier and worktable position without having
to redefine its coordinates.
Grid positions on the worktable have a periodic spacing of 25 mm.
Reference offsets are relative to the grid position on the worktable.
Site offsets are relative to the carrier.
Labware coordinates are relative to the site of the carrier on which it is placed.

Device Option
A carrier has one or more sites for labware.
A device requires a driver.
Some carriers are also devices. (Sunrise, Shaker)
Not all devices are carriers. (LiHa)
For Devices:
Choose “Carrier is device”.
Select Device from the drop down list.
LiHa Accessible
If unchecked then the carrier cannot be dragged

onto the grey area of the worktable and is not
accessible by LiHa. Instead the carrier would
appear on the green area surrounding the
worktable. To change the location, right click
and choose Set Grid.
Colors
Choose a unique color to make it easier for you to identify this

carrier type in the Worktable editor. The default color for carriers
is grey.

Reference Offset in Z
The Z reference offset is the vertical distance in millimeters between the top surface of the worktable and the
bottom edge of a rack on the carrier.
The reference offset Z does not refer to the top edge of objects such as reagent troughs or racks which are placed
on the carrier.

Position Layout
Specify the number of sites in X, Y and Z
Telling the software how many unique sites the ROMA will access
Vector
Create vectors for ROMA or MCA Gripper
Organizational Information
Site Offsets X, Y and Z
Carrier site offset in Z is usually 0, except for Hotels or other Storage Devices.

X and Y size of the carrier site
For most carriers, the X and Y size is the same for each site.
Allowed labware
Remember to select all allowed sites. This information

will be used to populate Allowed Labware on selected
carrier in the Control Bar.

6.3 Moving the Arms and other Devices
Moving the Arms and other Devices: Chapter 9.3
Positions in Freedom EVOware® are measured and checked by moving the LiHa, the ROMA, the MCA or the PnP to
the required position by pressing keys on the numeric keypad. You can then store the current coordinates in the
appropriate dialog box for the object. Positions are defined in instrument steps, i.e. the smallest unit of movement
of the servo motors (0.1 mm). The pipetting instrument’s coordinate system uses three axes for the LiHa (X, Y, and
Z), five axes for the ROMA (X, Y, Z, R, and G), five axes for the PnP (X, Y, Z, R, and G), and three axes for the PosID
(X, Y and B).
 Each time you press one of these keys, the arm is moved by one single step. Keep the key pressed to
move the arm by two steps per second. If you also press the CONTROL key, the arm is accelerated until
it reaches a certain maximum speed.
 To move the arm, you cannot use the cursor keys since they have default functions in Windows
applications.
Moving the Liquid Handling Arm

The liquid handling arm is mounted on the X-slide and holds the pipetting tips. On the pipetting instrument, the
origin of the LiHa coordinate system (X=0, Y=0, Z=0) is the rear left of the worktable with the pipetting tips raised.
The three axes of the LiHa are defined as follows:
Table 1: Movement axes for the LiHa
X From left to right

Y From rear to front
Z Tips from top to bottom
You can move the LiHa using the numeric keypad. Please make sure that NUM Lock is active.
NUM Lock Active
7 8: rear 9: up
(-Y) (-Z)
4: left 5 6: right
(-x) (+X)
1 2: front 3: down
(+Y) (+Z)
Use the number pad on your keyboard to

position the arm. Hold down the Ctrl key to
accelerate.

Moving the Plate Robot (ROMA)
The plate robot (ROMA; Robot Manipulator Arm) is a robot arm with gripper fingers that can grip and move
objects such as microplates. On the pipetting instrument, the origin of the ROMA coordinate system (X=0, Y=0,
Z=0) is the rear left of the worktable with the gripper raised and pointing towards the front of the instrument. The
five axes of the ROMA are defined as follows:
Table 2: Movement axes for the ROMA
X From left to right

Y From rear to front
Z Tips from top to bottom
R Clockwise rotation of the gripper when viewed from above
G From narrow to wide
Table 3: Moving the ROMA using the numeric keypad
7: clockwise 8: rear 9: up
(+R) (-Y) (-Z)
4: left 5 6: right
(-X) (+X)
1: counter- 2: front 3: down

(+Y)
clockwise (+Z)
(-R)
0: Gripper narrow . Gripper

wide
(-G)
(+G)

Moving the PosID Barcode Scanner
The PosID (Positive Identification System) is a movable barcode scanner which can be used to read the barcode
labels on carriers, labware and tubes. The PosID is installed at the rear of the pipetting instrument and is provided
with a gripper which pulls the carrier towards the rear for barcode identification and then slides the carrier back
into the pipetting position. The scanning head hinges to read barcodes which are attached to horizontal or vertical
surfaces. Moving the PosID is similar to moving the LiHa or ROMA. On the pipetting instrument, the origin of the
PosID coordinate system (X=0, Y=0, B=0) is the rear left of the worktable with the carrier gripper towards the
front. The three axes of the PosID are defined as follows:
Movement axes for the PosID
X PosID, From left to right
Y PosID carrier gripper, From front to rear
B PosID scanner head, tilt head from vertical to horizontal
Moving the PosID using the numeric keypad
7 8: rear 9: up
(-Y) (-B)
4: left 5 6: right
(-X) (+X)
1 2: front 3: down
(+Y) (+B)

6.4 Configuring labware
Configuring labware: Chapter 9.4
Labware refers to consumable items such as microplates, tubes, disposable tips, troughs, etc. Freedom EVOware®
already contains a large selection of predefined labwares, and custom labware can also be defined. Labware is
never placed directly on the worktable, it is always placed on a carrier. All pipetting steps are associated with
labwares.
Right click a labware on the

Worktable editor to Edit the
Labware Type, set a labware label or
to remove the labware from the
worktable.

Edit Labware Panel:
Wells:
Specify total number of wells in X direction and total number of wells in Y direction.
Maximum value is 128.
Compartments:
Some special labware types (e.g. for protein crystallography) have wells with several compartments (cavities).
Each well typically has one main compartment and one or more satellite compartments which are directly
adjacent and are often smaller in size. Specify the number of compartments per well in this field. Specify 1 for
normal labware.
If the labware has more than one compartment, choose the compartment you want to edit from the drop-down
list. Then specify the position coordinates and the area for the selected compartment. Repeat this process for all
of the compartments in the well.

Device to be used for Teaching:
Choose the device for teaching: LiHa, MCA96, MCA 384
For pipetting devices with

DiTis, choose the DiTi size
AND mount the DiTis
before teaching pipetting
labware. Select the
appropriate device tab in
the Move dialog box and
choose ‘Get Tips’.
Position during definition:
Very Important!
Click on the labware on the

worktable to verify the Carrier,
Grid, and Site.
Teach first and last wells:
o Move the LiHa to teach the X and Y positions of the first and last wells of your labware
o <<transfer = store current arm coordinate
o move to = move arm to stored coordinate

Chain for Labware Coordinates
o If the chain is closed, the distance between
the values is kept.
Closed Chain o If you change one of the values, the other
value changes as well except for DiTi
labware.
o You can open the chain to change the values
Open Chain independently.
Z coordinates:

 Z values in different types of labware:
Y distance of wells:
The minimum spacing between adjacent tips is 9 mm and the maximum spacing is 38 mm. If the well coordinates
are taught such that the tips would need to move to a space outside this range, the vertical bar will be red rather
than green. This would cause the tips to pipette one or a few at a time instead of all tips at once.
o A Y-distance of 9mm is ideal for a 96-well microplate and allows adjacent wells to be accessed
simultaneously.
o ‘Magic values’ for the first and last wells of a 96 well microplate: X difference 990 units, Y difference 630
units.
o A Y-distance of 4.5mm is ideal for a 384-well microplate and allows simultaneous access to odd or even
wells.

Close chain to move all
96 wells at once
If less than 9mm LiHa

cannot access all 8
wells together
 If the chain is closed, the distance between the values is kept. If you change one of the values, the other
value changes as well. You can open the chain to change the values independently.
Adjust Site
The Adjust Site button is used to adjust the carrier definition for a specified, single site to compensate for small
manufacturing inaccuracies in a multi-site carrier without needing to switch to the edit carrier dialog box.
To use this feature, choose the site you want to adjust. Position the tip at the desired X and Y coordinates for Well
#1 at Z-Max. Click Adjust Site to modify the carrier definition to match the current X, Y and Z coordinates. After
saving your changes, they will also be visible in the edit carrier dialog box.
NOTE: If you change the carrier definition, this may affect other pieces of labware used on the carrier.
Teach DiTi Labware

If the pipetting device is unable to mount DiTis successfully, the DiTi labware coordinates may be incorrect. DiTi
labware can be taught in the DiTi Labware definition. For the LiHa, choose device to be used for teaching LiHa (DiTi
cones only). Teach X and Y coordinates for the first and last wells. Check Z-heights.
NOTE: Z-Max is the height at which the DiTi cone mounts the DiTi. If you move to Z-Max in the edit labware dialog,
this should generate a collision error. To avoid the error, save the labware definition and then use the Direct
command ‘Get DiTis’ to test if the current Z-Max position is deep enough to mount the DiTi successfully without
generating a collision error.

Well dimensions Tab
Choose a unique
color to make it
easier for you to
identify this
Labware Type in the
Worktable editor
Type: How labware will be used.

o Regular – most labwares
o DiTi – LiHa DiTi Type or DiTi Waste
o Multi-pipetting head –MCA96 DiTi, MCA96 Tip blocks,
MCA96 Wash Block, MCA96 Troughs
o Washer (wash station) – Cleaner Short, Cleaner Long,
Waste, Cleaner NPS, Cleaner Low Volume
o System – Internal Use ONLY
o Te-PS – Positioning System Sensor Plate
o MCA384 – MCA384 DiTi, MCA384 Fixed Tips, MCA384 Wash
Station or MCA384 Head Adapter
DiTi Type
If DiTi Type is selected, additional parameters are activated.
Indices of Default LiHa labware:

A unique numeric
index is assigned for
each LiHa DiTi Type.

Organizational Information
Labware Shape and Well alignment
For V-Shaped
Wells 1 for most labware,
8 for LiHa troughs,
96 or 384 for MCA troughs
Vectors
For Tube carriers Only – Create and Edit PnP Vectors
Edit Labware Panel – Advanced Tab
Septum piercing
Grip distance for ROMA
Lid offset = vertical

distance between bottom
If using lids
of plate and bottom of lid
Sort into Group

Labware Hints
o For 96 Well Microplates ensure the “Y distance of wells” gives a green bar.
o ‘Magic values’ for the first and last wells of a 96 Well Microplates:
X difference 990 units, Y difference 630 units
o For troughs where all 8 tips access the well, teach tip 1 in the center of the vessel and make sure X and Y
coordinates are the same for the first and the last wells.
o For single width tube racks, ensure the X coordinate value is the same for the first and last well.
o If the coordinates work for one site, but do not work for another site on the carrier, check that you are
using the appropriate carrier definition.
o The Adjust button permanently modifies the carrier definition.
Exercise 5: Definition of new labware
Teach all duplicated labwares on your worktable. Right-click on the labware and select “Edit
Labware Type”.
1. Teach only X and Y of DiTi labware. Modifying Z may lead to a crash.
2. Teach the first and last wells of a 96 Well Microplate. Mount DiTis on LiHa before checking if
Z-heights are correct.
3. Teach a Trough 100ml. Mount DiTis before checking if Z-heights are correct.
The ‘<<transfer’ button is used to store the current arm position.
The ‘move to’ button is used to move the arm to the corresponding coordinates.

For EVOs with LiHa & MCA
Always teach with the LiHa and check with the MCA. If you see a positioning discrepancy while checking the MCA,
do not change the labware X, Y definition. Instead the evoware.inf or for MCA384 the EVOware.xml file should be
edited.
If coordinates taught with the

LiHa do not line up for the
MCA96, you can set an offset
for the MCA96 (in1/10mm) in
the EVOware.inf file located in
your Freedom EVOware®
database folder. Open as a .txt
file to modify.
If coordinates taught with the

LiHa do not line up for the
MCA384, you can set an offset
for the MCA384 (in 1/10mm) in
the EVOware.xml file located in
your Freedom EVOware®
database folder.
For the LiHa, the X and Y coordinates can be defined

independently for the first and last wells in the labware.
For the MCA96, coordinates are taught for the entire

labware.
The theoretical offsets are 495 in X and 315 in Y in

1/10mm.
The actual offsets may vary to correct any differences in

set-up between the LiHa and MCA.

Liquid Handling Arm – Liquid LiHa
The number of LiHa script commands vary depending on the

configuration of the tip type.
The basic LiHa pipetting commands are:

Aspirate Command
Tip Selection
Select Wells Use the buttons to select All tips or First tip.
Select the labware by clicking

the labware icon on the
Worktable editor.
The labware label and well

arrangement will appear in
the command. Or use the check boxes to individually select tips
Once wells have been in any combination.
selected they will turn green.
Volumes
Type Volume in for all tips or Edit Individual

Volumes to assign independent volumes for each
selected tip:
Liquid class
Choose a Liquid Class from the drop The maximum allowed volume is the lesser of
down menu. syringe capacity, system capacity or DiTi capacity.
Tip Spacing

Tip Spacing controls the distance between adjacent pipetting tips. A tip spacing of 1 means the tips will be spread
to match the distance between adjacent wells of the labware; A tip spacing of 2 will select every other well of the
labware. A tip spacing of 2 is often used for 384 well plates as this allows all 8 tips to go down at once.
Compartment in Well
Some special labware types (e.g. for protein crystallography) have wells with several compartments. Choose the
compartment which you want to use for pipetting. Well compartments are specified in the labware definition. This
field is inactive if the well only has one compartment.
The dispense command is identical to the aspirate command options. However this is where you choose where
your volume will be dispensed to instead of aspirate.
Mix Command
Select the number of mixes.
The mixing rule of thumb is at least 3

cycles and 50% of volume in the vessel.
Script Example – LiHa with Fixed Tips

Aspirate System Liquid
For Liquid LiHa to aspirate system liquid, choose the green bar in the Worktable editor system icon as the labware
in the ‘Aspirate’ command.

LiHa – Disposable Tip Commands
Periodic Wash
For Liquid LiHa with DiTis
This command is used to flush the DiTi adapters at

specified, regular intervals (Period) when DiTis are
replaced.
The flushing takes place after the DiTis are dropped. Prior
to the first ‘Get DiTi’ command of the script, a ‘Wash
Tips’ command should be used to flush the DiTi adapters.
The ‘Periodic Wash’ command affects subsequent ‘Drop

DiTis’ and ‘Get DiTis’ commands. It also affects DiTi
replacement actions in worklists.
You can deactivate a previous ‘Periodic Wash’ command

by specifying another ‘Periodic Wash’ command with the
period set to 0.

Activate Automated DiTi Handling
To ensure that sufficient DiTis are present on the
worktable for your script and to fetch new DiTi racks
as and when needed, automatic DiTi replacement is
done using a DiTi replacement script (Sub-Routine).
The ‘Activate DiTi Handling’ command activates the

automatic DiTi handling feature in your pipetting
script and specifies the DiTi replacement script to use. Requires robotic arm such as ROMA
and robot friendly DiTi boxes and
carriers!
Your script must include an Activate DiTi Handling
command
Get DiTis for each DiTi type you want to replace
automatically.
Tip Selection
DiTi Labware
Type
Choose this option to

suppress the error if the
DiTi is not mounted
successfully.
Drop DiTis
Tip
Sel
ect
ion
Waste Labware
Label

Set DiTi Position
Freedom EVOware® has a DiTi counter to keep track
of next available DiTi. If you replace a box of DiTis
without being prompted or if you remove DiTis, use
‘Set DiTi Position’ to update the DiTi counter.
‘Set DiTi Position’ is also available as a direct

command.
Set DiTi Position – Set Last Position

If Optimize positions when fetching DiTis is
enabled in Configure, you can also indicate the
last available DiTi.
This feature allows full columns to be taken from

the beginning (left rear) of the box and individual
tips to be taken from the end (right front) of the
box for more efficient LiHa movements.
Set DiTi Position – Nested DiTis

If LiHa nested DiTis are used, the ‘Set DiTi
Position’ command includes the parameters
Stack and Tray.
Stacks are counted from back to front.
Trays are counted from the top down.
Specify the Stack and Tray values and the

software calculates the site number.

Pick-up DiTis
‘Pick Up DiTis’ can be used to mount DiTis which
have already been used.
The labware and position are selected in the

command rather than determined by the DiTi
counter.
This command is not compatible with nested DiTis.

Discarding a used DiTi back into the tray could
contaminate the remaining trays of nested DiTis.
Set DiTis Back

This command requires the lower DiTi eject hardware.
‘Set DiTis Back’ allows DiTis to be re-used rather than

discarded to waste.
The labware and position are selected in the command.
This command is not compatible with nested DiTis.

Discarding a used DiTi back into the tray could contaminate
the remaining trays of nested DiTis.
Script Example – Liquid LiHa with DiTis

Move LiHa Command
The ‘Move Liquid Handling Arm’ command is used to move the
LiHa from one position to another without performing a
pipetting step.
Detect Liquid Command

The ‘Detect Liquid’ command is used to carry out liquid level
detection without pipetting and reports the liquid volume in µL
for each of the selected wells in the labware.

Liquid Handling Arm – Air LiHa
Many commands are shared between the Liquid LiHa and Air LiHa. Below are the Air LiHa specific commands.
Inline Filter Test
For Air LiHa:
Start and end each script with the ‘Inline Filter Test’ command.
Add the ‘Inline Filter Test’ command between cycles of pipetting.
Channels that fail the test will be disabled in Configure.
Script Example
Self-Diagnostic Test (only for Weekly Maintenance. See section 8 of the Tutorial)

Creating a Pipetting Script
Freedom EVOware® Scripts Commands: Chapters 13.1
Setting-Up a Pipetting Script: Chapter 11.4
This chapter describes the necessary steps to create pipetting scripts for the Freedom EVOware®.
Recommended guidelines to follow:
 Ensure the system liquid is filled

 Experimental requirements: What is the needed end result?
 In general: start with the easiest steps first (aspirate/dispense); then add more complex items after
 Add comments, to leave notes to yourself and the next users
 Run the script with water first to ensure instrument behaves as expected
 Include wash steps and Inline Filter tests! (always at the start and end of the script)
 When running the script for the first time, do not leave the instrument unattended. Check every single
step… watch carefully!
9.1 First Pipetting Program

A Freedom EVOware® Standard script is a sequence of commands for one or several devices which are part of
your platform. Each script is associated with its own worktable layout which must be specified before you write
the script. The pipetting program is created by choosing script commands in the Control Bar and dragging them to
the Script Editor window. The commands are executed in a linear sequence, therefore they need to be added in
the order you want them to be executed. When you drop the command onto the Script Editor, a dialog box is
opened where you can specify the command parameters.
1. Select command,
drag and drop on to
2. Specify the
the Script Editor
command parameters
in the dialog box

9.2 Validation
Each time you add a new command in your script or edit an existing command, the software validates the
resulting script to check for errors and shows all commands which contain errors in red. If you select a faulty
command, the INFOPAD - Process will show information on the error. Deselect Auto-Validation in the Edit menu if
you want to switch off automatic validation and validate the script manually by choosing Validate Script in the Edit
menu.
Validation Error:
Issue: Aspiration volume is less than the dispense volume
Validation Error:
Issue: LiHa with DiTi option, not possible to aspirate without first having a ‘Get DiTi’ command.

Save Script
Click the save icon or go to File, Save As and
choose to save your script as a Maintenance
script, a script Template or a Script in the
Default or a User defined directory.
Spaces and special characters such as $ and # are not permitted.
9.3 Link Worktables

The Freedom EVOware® software detects automatically if scripts, processes, maintenance scripts and templates
use an identical worktable layout. If you save one of these file types after changing the worktable layout, you will
be asked whether you also want to update the worktable information in the other files which share the same
worktable.
If you are saving a pipetting script, you will only be prompted about other pipetting scripts, maintenance scripts or
script templates which share the same worktable layout.
Cancel the saving operation Update the file you are saving Update the worktable information
but do not update the other for the active file and for the files
files which share this worktable you have selected

9.4 Direct Commands
Direct commands are listed first in the commands tab. A Direct command is a command that can be executed
immediately. Double click on one of the commands listed and choose run.
Many of the Direct commands have an equivalent script command.
Some script commands do not appear in the Direct commands

section, but can be executed like Direct commands. Right-click the
command from the Commands tab and choose Run Command.
For example the ‘Safe Flush’ Direct command will discard the
contents of the LiHa, MCA96 or MCA384 tips to a specified location.
Helpful in instances where a run was aborted and you do not want to
lose the contents of the tips.
Set DiTi Position

Freedom EVOware® has a DiTi counter to keep track of the next available
DiTi. If you replace a box of tips without being prompted or remove DiTis,
use the ‘Set DiTi Position’ to update the DiTi counter. This is also available as
a script command line.
LiHa Safe Flush
The ‘LiHa Safe Flush’ Direct command discards the contents of

the LiHa tips to a specified location (typically into a microplate,
tube rack, trough or the wash station waste).
There are also MCA96 & MCA384 ‘Safe Flush’ Direct Commands
which perform the same action typically into a microplate.
Select where to discard

contents by clicking labware
on the script worktable.

Exercise 6: Create your first pipetting script
Perform your daily maintenance.
Write and run a pipetting script that performs the following actions:
 Wash tips
 Aspirate 100μL red color with 4 tips
 Aspirate 100μL blue color with 4 tips
 Dispense the liquid into a microplate to get the following pattern:
Exercise 7: COMBO, Create a pattern
Create a script that produces the following or a similar pattern. Pipette from a trough to a
microplate and dispense 150µL liquid into the wells.
Keep the plate for Exercise 18 “COMBO worklist”.

Programming Commands
10.1 Comment Command

Comments are lines of text which appear in the script. The comments do
not affect the execution of the script. They can be used for
organizational purposes.
Comment texts which start with underscore (“_”) or “-end” are not
shown in the CNS web server or in the EVOSim 3D simulator tool.
Comment at Run time
The Runtime Controller displays comment lines

as they occur in the script.
10.2 User Prompts

The ‘User Prompt’ command is an informational command that displays a prompt on the screen as a reminder to
the Operator to execute a function or to perform a special action. The script is paused until the Operator
acknowledges the prompt. If Close window automatically is selected, the software closes the user prompt window
after the specified time and continues with the script even if the user does not acknowledge the prompt.

The sound options for the user prompt are none, once, or every 3 seconds, the sound is audible from the windows
and not the instrument. If no sound is audible or you would like to change this sound, open ‘Check Sound Card
Settings’ and use the Test button to check the current sound definition.
1. Right click on the sound in the task bar and select Sounds
2. Select Exclamation and test the current sound.To change the sound, select your preference from the
dropdown below.

10.3 Group
The ‘Group’ command is used to group together script lines to make long
scripts easier to read.
When you insert a ‘Group’ command, a ‘Group End’ command is also

inserted.
The ‘Group’ can be minimized to help organize the script.
Condense to 1 line
Script Navigator
The script Navigator in the INFOPAD – Process shows links to comment commands and groups.
To avoid Navigator errors in older versions of the software, do not

use special characters like < or > in your comment commands and
group names.

10.4 Loops
Begin Loop command: Chapter 15.42
End Loop command: Chapter 15.43
Loop options: Chapter 14.4
Begin Loop
Loops instruct Freedom EVOware® to repeat a command

or a set of commands for a specified number of times. A
loop has a name and a specified number of cycles. Both
parameters need to be entered in the dialog box of the
‘Begin Loop’ command.
End Loop
The ‘End Loop’ command is inserted automatically when you add the ‘Begin Loop’ command to the script.
You must put the ‘End Loop’ command after the last command which you want in the loop (you may need to
move the ‘End Loop’ command).
All of the commands within the loop will be indented.
The ‘End Loop’ command has no parameters to configure.
If you are using the command in a script loop, click the loop options button if you want to modify the current well
selection in each loop cycle. This allows you to use a different column, row, well and/or labware item for each
cycle of the loop. One command can have several loop options.

 The software interprets the values in the loop options like this:
 Column: left to right
 Row: back to front
 Well: back to front then left to right
 Labware: back to front on the same carrier, then left to right for the next carrier
Multiple loop options can be assigned to a

single command.
Choose whether to vary the column, row, well
Select the name of the loop from the drop or labware and the increment.
down menu.
A positive value in the by field increases the
chosen parameter (e.g. use the next column)
and a negative value decreases it.
Script Example – Plate to Plate loop
Loop Tips:
If you need to repeat one or more commands, consider using a loop.
Write the pipetting commands first.
Decide which commands need to be repeated and how many total times the commands should be
executed, then create the loop.
Next, determine for each command inside the loop if the location needs to change on each cycle of the
loop. If yes, add loop option.
Each loop typically has only one loop option per command.
Multiple loops may require multiple loop options per command.
Incorrect loop options MAY lead to validation errors.
If you omit loop options, validation does not catch this.

Nested Loops
Script Example –Trough to Plate, Multi-pipetting Loops
Validation Error with Loops: Example 1
Set loop option to vary the column by 1 when aspirating from a

trough. Omitted the loop option for the dispense to the
microplate.
A validation error occurred for the aspirate command because there

are no additional columns in the trough. A validation error occurred
for the dispense command because the dispense is not possible
without an aspirate step.

Loop Exercise 1
Purpose: Multi-pipette 50µL of buffer from Trough A into all 96 wells of the microplate. Which loop options should
be set? Fill in the boxes below:
Dispense Loop Option

Loop Exercise 2
Purpose: Transfer 96 samples from six 16-position strip racks of tubes into 96-well microplate. Which loop options
should be set? Fill in the boxes.
Aspirate Loop Option: Dispense Loop Option:

10.5 Timers
Up to 100 timers can be started in one script. The ‘Wait for Timer’ command will pause the script until the
specified time is reached (max. 86,400 seconds/24 hours).
Using a Timer in Your Script
After pipetting from Source1 to Dest1, ‘Start

Timer’ 1 begins counting down a 600 second
timer.’ Wait for Timer’ 1 pauses for the remaining
unused time on the timer. Once the time has
elapsed, reagent is added to Dest1. Then the
procedure is repeated with Source2 and Dest2.
Since the timers are not running concurrently, we

can re-use Timer 1 again for the second set of
plates.
As there are no commands between ‘Start Timer’

1 and ‘Wait for Timer’ 1, the instrument is sitting
idle during the incubations.

Using Multiple Timers in Your Script
After pipetting from Source1 to Dest1, ‘Start
Timer’ 1 begins counting down a 600 second timer.
While Dest1 is incubating, Source2 is pipetted to
Dest2, then ‘Start Timer’ 2 begins counting down a
new 600 second timer. ‘Wait for Timer’ 1 pauses
for the remaining unused time on timer 1. Once
the time has elapsed, reagent is added to Dest1.
‘Wait for Timer’ 2 pauses for the remaining unused
time on timer 2, then reagent is added to Dest2.
If the timer had already elapsed, there would be

no pause at the ‘Wait for Timer’ line of script and
no error would document that the desired
incubation period had been exceeded. Separating
the ‘Start Timer’ and ‘Wait for Timer’ commands
allows the instrument to continue pipetting during
incubation.
Wait for Timer at Run Time

The Operator can choose ‘Continue’ to continue the script
immediately without waiting for the specified time span to
expire. This option is only available to users with Freedom
EVOware® Administrator or Application Specialist rights.
The Operator can choose ‘Cancel’ to abort the script.
Timer maximum is 24 hours or 1,440 minutes.

Exercise 8: Script with loops
Create a script that fills a plate with 50µL and uses loops with loop options.
Exercise 9: Nested loops: buffer A and B
Fill a plate with 2 buffers:
Columns 1-6 with buffer A and columns 7-12 with buffer B
Each well shall be filled with 50µL of buffer
Use multi-pipetting with 6 dispenses per aspirate
Exercise 10: Nested loops: chess board pattern
Fill all wells of a plate with 250µL of either buffer A or buffer B.
The pattern is like a chess board, with buffer A in well A1.
Keep the plate for Exercise 17 “GWL worklist”.

Dual LiHa System
If your Freedom EVOware® has two liquid handling arms, there will be two liquid handling arm command groups
in the Control Bar, LiHa and LiHa2.
First LiHa
In this example, LiHa

has DiTis and LiHa2 has
fixed tips.
Second LiHa
 For optimal performance, each liquid LiHa should have an independent wash station.
If you have two DiTi LiHa’s, you may want the
arms to use different DiTi carriers to allow
simultaneous access.
Although ‘Set DiTi Position’ exists in each

command set, the same DiTi position counter
(and the same pool of unused DiTis) is used by
both arms.
As a workaround, duplicate and rename DiTi

labware so a different labware type (and a
unique DiTi index) is used for each LiHa.

Variables
Variables and Expressions: Chapter 14.1
Set Variables Command: Chapter 15.44
Declare Variables: Chapter 6.4.6
Import/Export Variables: Chapter 15.45
Freedom EVOware® supports the use of variables in scripts. This enables the user to modify the execution of the
script during runtime. Variables can be used for pipetting volumes, timers and time spans, string commands,
names of external applications and loop counters etc. Freedom EVOware® also supports expressions, which are a
combination of variables and basic mathematical operators such as add or multiply. String variables are not case
sensitive.
Mathematical expressions which can be used with variables:
+ Addition
- Subtraction
* Multiplication
/ Division
% Division remainder (Modulo)
() Parenthesis, specifies evaluation order
Set Variable Command

The ‘Set Variable’ command is used to define a variable (giving a name) and to assign an initial value. There is also
the option for prompting the user for the value.
Determines in what
The “User Query” at script
format the user is asked
start asks Operator the
for the variable
variable value
The allowed range for the

entered values can be limited
(e.g. Max. 96 for a 96 Well
Microplate)

Variable prompts may vary in
their appearance although
they ask for the same values
to be entered
Example 1
Example 2
The ‘Set Variable’ command does not have any loop option. If a variable is used in a loop and the value shall be
updated in every cycle of the loop, this can be done by using the ‘Set Variable’ command in the loop and
increasing its value.
Script Example – Variable for Volume The variable “X” is declared

with the initial value of 10
The variable “X” is used

in pipetting commands
In every loop cycle, the

variable value of “ X” is
updated, the new value is
equal to the old value plus 10

Script Example – Variable for Timer Duration
At runtime
Script Example – Variable for Worklist File Name
~’s indicate variable value rather than variable name
At Runtime

Script Commands that Accept Numeric Variables:
Script Commands that Accept String Variables:

Exercise 11: Mix Colors
Create a script to pipette a pattern similar to the figure below. Use colored water. The ratio from
color 1 to color 2 is 10:0 to 0:10.

11.1 Pre-defined Variables
Pre-Defined Variables: Chapter 14.1.4
Pre-defined Variables - Offsets
WELL_OFFSET
Freedom EVOware® shifts the well selection in the labware by the number of wells defined in this variable. The
variable is reset by setting its value to 0.
Well selection for the ‘Aspirate’ Shifted well selection for the
command ‘Aspirate’ command
RACK_OFFSET
Modify labware selection for pipetting commands. A value of positive 1 causes a shift to the next labware of the
same type, counting back to front, then left to right. Negative values can be used to shift in the opposite direction.
Deactivate by setting equal to 0.

Pre-defined Variables – Tips
SAMPLE_CNT
This feature allows you to write a script for the maximum number of samples which you expect and to limit the
script during runtime according to the actual number of samples. SAMPLE_CNT is intended for use in loops in
combination with basic pipetting commands such as ‘Aspirate’, ‘Dispense’, ‘Mix’, ‘Get DiTis’ and ‘Drop DiTis’. The
variable is reset by setting its value to -1.
The Variable “clones” involves a user query for the
desired number of samples to be transferred
The variable ”SAMPLE_CNT” is set before the loop

begins, it limits the amount of samples that shall be
pipetted in the subsequent loop to the entered
value of the variable “clones”
The loop is programmed for the maximum number

of samples (here 12 columns: 96 samples)
The SAMPLE_CNT feature is inactivated after the

loop with another ‘Set Variable’ command. The
value is -1.
TIP_OFFSET
Modify the tip selection for LiHa commands. A positive value increments the
tip numbers specified in the command. Deactivate by setting equal to 0.
TIP_MASK
Modify the tip selection for LiHa commands. Deactivate by setting equal to -1.
Pre-defined Variables – Volume
DETECTED_VOLUME_X
If liquid level detection is used, the detected volume in µL is automatically written to a set of variables where X is
the tip number. The value is updated by each subsequent LiHa pipetting command which uses liquid level
detection. The value -1 is reported if the tip was used with liquid level detection disabled or was not part of the
pipetting command.
RACK_VOLUME_X
Specify the volume in each well of the labware where X is the labware label. Useful for MCA96 or MCA384 where
liquid level detection is not possible.

TIP_VOLUME_X
Specify the volume in a single well where X is the tip number. Useful for LiHa pipetting with variable submerge
depths.
Pre-defined Variables – Read Only
LOOP_X (loop counter variable)

The ‘Begin Loop’ command automatically writes to the variable LOOP_X, where X is the name of the loop. The
software sets this variable to the current cycle number for the loop. Note that it is not needed to declare this
variable with the set variable command, the variable is used internally.
In the following example, a loop with 12 cycles and the name “diluent” is part of the script. During execution, the
software will write to a variable LOOP_diluent and assign values 1,2,3…12 to this variable. The naming is not case
sensitive for LOOP, either LOOP or loop is accepted.
At Runtime, you see the

“loop_diluent” pre-defined
variable indexes up with the
completion of each loop
CURRENT_USER
Contains the name of the currently logged in user. If User Management is disabled, the variable is set to No log in.
LAST_BARCODE
Contains the barcode which was last read by the Symbol barcode scanner.

Validation Errors with Variables – Example 1
Typographical error: The variable samples is defined in line 3, but the variable sample is referenced in line 4.
Incorrect order: Line 3 references the variable samples, however, the variable sample does not exist until it is
declared in line 4.
Validation Errors with Variables – Example 2
The pre-defined variable WELL_OFFSET is turned on in Line 4 and remains on until line 9. This means
WELL_OFFSET affects the well selection for the Dispense in line 5, the Aspirate in line 7 and the Dispense in line 8.
A WELL_OFFSET is not possible in a Trough, which leads to the validation error Column larger than 1 for line 7. A
validation error also occurred for line 8 because the dispense is not possible without an aspirate step. To resolve
both errors, turn off the WELL_OFFSET after the first Dispense. If necessary, turn WELL_OFFSET on again before
the second Dispense.

Exercise 12: Script with variables: variable volume and samples
Create a script containing a variable for the pipetting volume. Query the user for the chosen
volume. The sample number is also variable (ask the user). Use “SAMPLE_CNT”.
Exercise 13: Distribution (advanced)
There are three troughs that contain three kinds of samples. The number of each kind of sample
is variable. The samples of all 3 kinds shall be collected into the collection plate. Pipette 250µL of
each sample into the wells of the collection plate.
Keep the plate for Exercise 26 “Distribution II (advanced)”.

11.2 Import variable
The ‘Import Variable’ command is used to import values for script variables from a file during script runtime. The
import file can be either a comma-separated text file (.txt or .csv) or an Excel file (.xls. or .xlsx).
Enter a variable name

If you would like to and select “Add to list”
start at a specific
line/row or cell
select these boxes The input file contains the
and type in the line values for the variables
number “Volume” and “Samples”
After selecting
OK, it will
prompt you to
enter default
values for
Validation
User Prompts and Variables

The User Prompt command can display the value of variables. This may be useful during script development or to
confirm variables were successfully imported. Place tilde “~” characters around the name of the variable to
display its value.
Script Runtime
Line

11.3 Export Variable
Export script variables to an external comma separated text file (.txt or .csv) or an excel file (.xls or .xlsx). Deselect
Overwrite existing file to append the file. File must exist in a specific directory to be able to browse for it.
Script Example – Import and Export Variables

Array variables and tilde characters
Array variables: Chapter 14.1.9
If you need to declare several similar variables, an array can be declared:
Use a Set Variable command inside a loop.
Append a counter variable such as LOOP_X (where X is the name of the loop) to the variable name.
Enclose the counter variable with tilde characters “~”.
At runtime, the expression inside the tilde characters is replaced with the value of the variable rather than the
name of the variable.
An array of four variables

“batch 1…4” shall be used
The loop with name “counter” is executed four times:

the value of the variable “samples” shall be equal to
“batch1” in cycle 1, “batch2” in cycle 2 and so on…

11.4 If-Then-Else and Conditions
If-then-Else. 15.48 and 15.49
Condition: Chapter 15.47
The ‘Condition’ and ‘If-Then’ commands allow commands to be executed or skipped based on the value of a
variable.
A ‘Condition’ statement requires a variable and a comment line. The ‘Condition’ command is used to jump to a
specified comment line in the script if a specified condition is met. You can specify a value, variable or expression
on both sides of the comparison operator. If the comparison is true, the script continues at the comment line
specified with then goto line. If the comparison is false, the script continues linearly.
Comparison
Comments
operators
defined in script
Script Example – Condition

If-Then-Else
The ‘If-Then’ command is used to execute a set of script commands if a specified condition is met and execute a
different set of commands if the condition is not met (Else condition). If the condition is true, the commands
between the ‘If-Then’ command and the ‘Else’ command will be executed. If the condition is false, the commands
between the ‘Else’ and the ‘End If’ command will be executed. The script is auto-validated using the default values
set for the variables used in the ‘If-then-else’ command.
Script Example – One If-Then-Else Statement
Depending on the volume the user enters, the

appropriate size DiTi will be used at runtime with
the use of an If-then-else statement.
Script Example- Nested If-Then-Else Statement
It is possible to nest several If-then-else

statements.
Again based on the user input, at runtime the

If-then-else statements will evaluate based on
the volume entered and pick-up the
appropriate size DiTi.

 EVOware Auto-Validation evaluates the script using the default values of input variables for Conditions
and If-Then-Else statements. Incorrect use of variables may thus lead to validation errors during script
runtime. Manually validate scripts by using different values for your variables.
Exercise 14: Conditions and string variables
A sample plate shall be pre-diluted depending on a user query. Set up a script involving a string
variable that asks the user whether the pre-dilution part of the script shall be executed or skipped.
Exercise 15: If-Then-Else
For DiTis: A plate shall be filled with multi-pipetting. A variable volume is used. Depending on the
volume, a different tip type shall be used.
For Fixed tips: A plate shall be filled with multi-pipetting. A different color should be used
depending on user input for color variable.

11.5 Modulo Division
Modulo division is also known as modular division, remainder division or leftovers division.
Modulo division returns the remainder (not the quotient) of a division as an integer.
The symbol for modulo division is %.
For example:
32 % 5 = 2
32 divided by 5 equals quotient 6 leftovers 2
Modulo Division Use Case:
The pre-defined variable SAMPLE_CNT pipettes the desired number of samples by limiting the number of loop
cycles and the tip selection as needed. This is successful for single-pipetting (e.g. Aspirate 100µL, Dispense 100µL).
If we use SAMPLE_CNT for

multi-pipetting (e.g. Aspirate
600µL, Dispense 50µL twelve
times) the correct number of
dispenses and correct number
of loops will be performed.
However, SAMPLE_CNT does
not affect volume, thus the
full 600µL will be aspirated
regardless of how much
volume is actually needed.

To avoid wasted reagent, calculate the required
volume per tip for the selected number of samples.
This example is for an 8-channel LiHa.
Calculate the number of sets of 8, and have each

tip aspirate the aliquot volume times the number
of sets.
The leftovers (not divisible by 8) are calculated

using modulo division.
Declare the leftover volume variables (vol1, vol2,

etc.) using an If-Then-Else statement inside a
variable array.
Alternatively, incorporate an If-Then-Else tree such

that IF the remainder is 1, tip 1 aspirates an extra
aliquot ELSE, IF the remainder is 2, tips 1 and 2
aspirate an extra aliquot, etc.
After using modulo division based on the variable

SAMPLE_CNT, each tip may have a variable volume;
use the individual volume entry to insert an
equation based on the defined variables to calculate
at runtime how much volume each tip needs.

11.6 Error Handling Commands
Pre-Defined Variables for Error Handling
LAST_ERROR_LINE
contains the line number in the pipetting script of the last command which reported an error during script
runtime.
LAST_ERROR_MESSAGE
contains the error message of the last command which reported an error during script runtime.
LAST_ERROR_MESSAGE_ID
contains the error message ID of the last command which reported an error during script runtime. The error
message ID which is returned by this variable is a numeric value which is calculated from the error message ID
string.

The ‘On Error Go To’ command is used to jump to a specified line in the script if an error occurs during script
runtime. Error recovery commands then allow the pipetting script to react automatically to the error. ‘On Error Go
To’ must precede the script line which could generate an error. The ‘On Error Go To’ command will only respond
to the error if the error would otherwise result in an error dialog.
The ‘Resume’ command is used together with the ‘On Error Go To’ command and specifies where to resume
running the script after executing the error recovery commands.
Do not forget to “Deactivate Error Handling” when it is no longer needed.

For example, to recover from a liquid error due to insufficient liquid, use the predefined variable RACK_OFFSET in
the ‘Aspirate’ command to specify the labware location and use the ‘On Error Go To’ command to jump to error
recovery commands. The error recovery commands then modify the value of RACK_OFFSET to aspirate from
another container which has enough liquid and the ‘Resume’ command returns program control to the ‘Aspirate’
command again.
Exercise 16: On Error Go To (advanced)
In your script, add a step that automatically takes the next trough if the one previously used is
empty.

Script Example – Error Handling
Declare Placeholder
Variable
Turn On Error Handling

Activate Pre-defined Variable
Deactivate Pre-defined Variable

Turn Off Error Handling
End Script if no error occurs
Error Handling GoTo Line
Confirm Suspected Error

Increment Placeholder Variable
Confirm Unused Troughs Remaining on worktable
Returns to Line 8
Prompt User to Refill Troughs

Reset Placeholder variable
Returns to Line 8
Notify User of unexpected error

Worklist commands
Worklist command: Chapter 15.27
Worklist Import command: Chapter 15.28
The ‘Worklist’ command is used to load and execute a worklist file. A worklist file is a text file containing
instructions for the pipetting instrument. It contains information on source and destination positions and the
volumes to pipette. You can load one or more worklists to execute later in the script. Worklists are useful when
cherry picking or normalizing.
Worklists can be created using a plain text editor(.gwl) or created automatically by the ‘Worklist Import’
command(.csv), which is used to convert the pipetting information stored in an Excel *.csv file into the *.gwl file
format.
12.1 GWL Worklisting

The external file has the extension .gwl (Gemini Work List), is a semicolon (;) delimited file and does not contain
extraneous characters, carriage returns, or parameters out of order that will cause problems.
The basic worklist commands are as follows:
Aspirate
Dispense
Wash Tips / Replace DITIs
Flush
Break
Set DITI Type
Comment
Each Aspirate record specifies the aspiration parameters for a single tip (the next unused tip from the tip
selection you have specified)
A;RackLabel;RackID;RackType;Position;TubeID;Volume;LiquidClass;TipType;TipMask;ForcedRackType

Each Dispense record specifies the dispensing parameters for a single tip. It uses the same tip which was used by
the preceding Aspirate record.
D;RackLabel;RackID;RackType;Position;TubeID;Volume;LiquidClass;TipType;TipMask;ForcedRackType
Wash Tip/Replace DiTi Record

W; (to use the first wash scheme in the worklist command), or
W1; (to use the first wash scheme in the worklist command), or
W2; (to use the second wash scheme in the worklist command), or
W3; (to use the third wash scheme in the worklist command), or
W4; (to use the fourth wash scheme in the worklist command).
The Wash Tip / Replace DITI record washes the tip (or replaces the DITI) which was used by the preceding Aspirate
record. There are no parameters (the wash position, wash parameters and/or drop DITIs position are specified in
the ‘Worklist’ command).
Decontamination Wash Record

The Decontamination Wash record has the following structure:
WD;
Decontamination wash for fixed tips consists of a decontamination wash operation followed by the normal wash
procedure. There are no parameters (the parameters are specified in the ‘Worklist’ command).
Flush Record
The Flush record has the following structure:
F;
It discards the contents of the tips without washing them or dropping DiTis.

Break Record
The Break record forces the execution of previously specified aspirate, dispense or wash actions which have not
yet been executed. It has the following structure:
B;
If you don’t specify a Break record, the software normally executes pipetting commands in groups to optimize the
efficiency. For example, if you have specified four tips in the Worklist command, the software will queue Aspirate
records until four of them are ready for execution. This allows pipetting to take place using all four tips at the
same time. Specify the Break record if you want to execute all of the currently queued commands without waiting.
You can use the Break record e.g. to create a worklist which pipettes using only one tip at a time (even if you
chose more than one tip in the tip selection).
Set DiTi Type Record

The Set DiTi Type record has the following structure:
S;DITI_Index
When using DiTis, it is used to switch DiTi types from within a worklist. Choose the required DITI type by specifying
the DiTi index + 1. The software automatically assigns a unique index to each DiTi type. The DiTi index is shown in
the Edit Labware dialog box for the DiTi labware (Well dimensions tab). The worklist normally uses the DiTi type
which you select with the Get DiTi button in the Worklist command. The Set DiTi Type record can only be used at
the very beginning of the worklist or directly after a Break record. A Break record always resets the DiTi type to the
type selected in the Worklist command. Accordingly, if your worklist contains a Break record, you may need to
specify the Set DiTi Type record again.
Comment Record
The Comment record (ignored by Freedom EVOware®) has the following structure:
C;Comment
When writing your worklist keep in mind Freedom EVOware® will assign the sequence of A;D;W; to tip 1 where
(W;) signifies the use of the next available tip to the next set of A;D;W; to follow and so on. If you want to force a
specific tip be used then use a tip mask or the B; break command within the .gwl.
Compose a worklist in Notepad:
Tip 1
Tip 2
Save as a .gwl

Specify the file extension as .gwl
Save as type All Files
Worklist Command, Load Load Worklist, then execute loaded

Worklist(s) as a separate command.
Browse for the .gwl

file
Select Tips
Select Liquid Class – This will be used if a Liquid

Class is NOT specified in the Aspirate or Dispense
Record.
Get DiTis and Drop DiTi
If you want to use DiTis in the worklist, click the

Get DiTi and Drop DiTi buttons to configure the
settings to use for replacing the DiTis. The DiTis
should be replaced between aspirations from
different source wells. DiTi replacement is
specified in the worklist file with the W; record
Insert a ‘Periodic Wash’ command in your script

before the ‘Worklist’ command if you want to
flush the Liquid LiHa DiTi adapters when the DiTis
are replaced.

If you have a fixed tip system and would like to use a decontamintaion wash in-between the pipetting, simply
select the Decontamination button and then fill in the volume amounts and location of the liquid.
Worklist Command – Execute

Once you have loaded the worklist in to your script, you can immediately exceute the worklist or wait until later
on in the script to execute. Whenever you are ready, insert the same ‘Worklist’ command and select the Execute
loaded worklist radial button. All other selections will be greyed out.

Script Example – Worklist
Advantages of composing a .gwl worklist include the ability to multi-pipette and single pipette within the same
worklist. See example below:
Tip 1
Tip 2
Tip 3
Exercise 17: GWL Worklist
Take the plate from Exercise 10 “Nested loops: chess board pattern” as a source plate.
Create a worklist in notepad to cherry pick the following samples from a source plate to a
destination plate.
(You may use the worklist_template.gwl file in the Worklist Template folder as a guide)
o Transfer 30µL from source A7 to destination A1

o Transfer 45µL from source C6 to destination B1
o Transfer 50µL from source F9 to destination C1
o Transfer 25µL from source E3 to destination D1

Well Map for a 96 well microplate:
12.2 CSV Worklisting

Proceed as follows to create a *.gwl worklist out of a *.csv file:
1. Compose a worklist in Excel and save it as a *.csv file.

2. Open the csv file with a text editor program (i.e. Notepad) to check how columns are separated (comma,
semicolon or tab) If you have labeled source and destination racks, you can use these labels also in the worklist.
Worklist Import
In Freedom EVOware®, you must first convert the csv file into a gwl file (“Generate worklist from path and name”).
If you already have an existing gwl file, you can simply browse for it. In cases where you do not have a gwl file
available, indicate a path and give a name (e.g. temp.gwl). In the next command, you will have to browse for the
gwl file. In order to create the *.gwl run the script with the ‘Worklist Import’ command line. Once created, the
same *.gwl file can be used for every *.csv worklist, it is treated as a temporary file which will be overwritten each
time the ‘Worklist Import’ command is executed.

Browse to .csv file
Specify start with line (Header)
Specify Stop Line (partial run)
For .csv choose comma
Source and Destination Labware Types
Use Drop Down List to ID columns
Browse to .gwl file
The *.gwl worklist will look like this:
Choose the command ‘Worklist’, check Load Worklist and browse for the .gwl file. Choose a Wash Scheme, choose
DiTis if needed etc. Place your labware on the carrier and assign exactly the same labels as in the worklist (source1
and dest1 in this example).
Choose the ‘Worklist’ command again and check Execute loaded worklist(s). You can load several worklists and
then execute all loaded worklists together.
 Freedom EVOware® does not allow a mixed tip configuration (both standard tips and disposable tips)
when using a worklist.

Script Example – CSV Worklist
Using specific worklists for each loop

You want to use worklist 1 in loop 1 and worklist 2 in loop 2 etc. In the ‘Worklist Import’ command use the pre-
defined variable loop_X (the loop counter) and the Tilde (~) to use a worklist whose index matches the current
loop.
Your worklist name contains a barcode

You want to load a worklist according to a barcode. The worklist names contain the barcode of the plates (the
barcodes are bc001, bc002 etc. in this example).

Upon a PosID Scan you can set the variable current_barcode. The variable is a String variable and is set to
$LABWARELABEL.ID$. Go to section 15.3 of the tutorial for more detail on $LABWARELABEL.ID$.

Exercise 18: COMBO Worklist
Take the plate from Exercise 7 “COMBO, create a pattern” as a source plate.
1. Write a worklist in Excel to pick your samples from the source plate and pipette them into a
destination plate. Use different volumes per sample in the 5 – 50µL range. Save it as a *.csv file.
Open the csv file with notepad to check how columns are separated.
2. Import worklist:
Use the Worklist Import command to convert your .csv worklist into a .gwl file:
o Browse for the correct .csv file

o Define “Column separator”, “Start with Line”, “Source Rack” and “Destination Rack”
o Select the appropriate column contents
o Set the correct path for the (not yet) generated worklist
3. Load and execute worklist:
Use the Worklist command to load and execute the created worklist.
Variation: Add a user prompt to check that the plate is correctly placed on the worktable.
Exercise 19: Worklists (advanced)
Three sets of source-destination plate pairs are stored on two MP 3Pos carriers on your worktable.
You want to hit pick various wells within the source plates and transfer the samples to the
destination plates. For each source-destination plate pair there is a corresponding worklist. Write a
script with a loop. In each loop cycle, a new source-destination plate pair and the corresponding
worklist shall be used for pipetting. Your worklist names contain an index.
Variation: Your worklist names contain the plate barcode of the source plate.

The Plate Robot (ROMA)
The plate robot (ROMA; robotic manipulator) is a robot

arm with gripper fingers that can grip and move objects
within the working area of the pipetting instrument.
ROMA actions such as getting a microplate from a
ROMA hotel or putting it onto a microplate carrier are
stored in the configuration. Each ROMA action is called
a ROMA vector, which is a predefined sequence of
ROMA positions (called waypoints).
Deselect Accessible for LiHa
Dimensions are not necessary
Reference Offsets are not

necessary
Site Offsets are required

Z - Site offsets:
Site 1 top = 0
offsets = negative moving down
Site 1 bottom = 0
offsets = positive moving up

1
SAFE POSITION
4
END POSITION
ROMA vectors can have up to 7 waypoints, but must have at least two. The first waypoint is called the Safe
position and the last waypoint is called the End position.
The Safe position is where the ROMA starts its movement towards the site to pick up or to release the object (e.g.
the microplate). It should be chosen such that the ROMA can move to the safe position of another ROMA vector
or to the ROMA home position without colliding with other objects on the worktable.
The End position is where the ROMA grips or releases the object.
ROMA vectors use the same carrier concept as labware. In other words, a ROMA vector is relative to a carrier, and
if the carrier is moved on the worktable, the ROMA vector moves along with the carrier and does not need to be
redefined. Accordingly, you only have to define a ROMA vector once for each carrier type, and can then use it for
any worktable position of this carrier type.
In addition, the software automatically recalculates the ROMA vector for each site of the carrier (it gets
information on the spacing between the sites from the carrier definition). So you only need to define a ROMA
vector for one of the sites (typically the first or the last site).
When Freedom EVOware® moves an object from one position to another, it typically needs to carry out two
ROMA vectors. The first one moves the ROMA from its current position to the Safe position of site 1 and then to
the End position of site 1, grips the plate and moves back to the Safe position again using the same vector in
reverse. It then moves directly to the Safe position of site 2. Using the second ROMA vector it moves to the End
position of site 2, releases the plate and moves back to the safe position again. Depending on the script command
configuration, in Freedom EVOware® Standard the ROMA then either waits at this position or moves back to its
home (parking) position out of the way of other objects on the worktable. In Freedom EVOware® Standard, you

should use the ‘Move ROMA’ command to move the ROMA back to its home position after carrying out a
sequence of ROMA movements or select a check box to Move Back: to Home Position in the ‘Transfer Labware’
command.
Summary:
 ROMA vectors describe a movement consisting of waypoints

 ROMA vectors have 1 -7 waypoints
 The first waypoint is the SAFE position
 The last waypoint is the END position
 ROMA vectors are associated with a carrier.
 In addition, the ROMA has a global HOME position / parking position

13.1 Defining ROMA Vectors
Creating and editing plate robot vectors: Chapter 9.6
Gripping a Standard Microplate –
side view top view
ROMA actions such as getting a plate from a ROMA hotel and placing it on a microplate carrier are stored in the
Edit Carrier window. Each ROMA action is called “ROMA vector”, which is a predefined sequence of ROMA
positions (called waypoints). ROMA vectors can consist of one to seven waypoints. A good vector has at least
three waypoints, Safe position / intermediate position / End position.
Robot Vectors – Carrier Definition
1. Specify which arm will be used to define the vector.

2. Specify which robot vector you are teaching
o Narrow = plate is gripped in the narrow orientation
o Wide = plate is gripped in the wide orientation
o Move = moves plate to final position where object is gripped
o Approach* = End position is a few cm away from the final position
*Often used for intelligent devices such as the carousel to optimize throughput.
Choose the correct grid position and This shows the ROMA positions (waypoints) which
site before specifying any coordinates will be used for the ROMA vector. Each waypoint is
or using any of the movement specified by its X, Y and Z coordinates in instrument
buttons. steps (0.1 mm) and a value for the rotation of the
gripper arms (R, measured in 0.1°steps).

Pressing Transfer stores current position values in the activated waypoint
The Safe position is

“absolute”, which means
that the coordinates are
not adjusted to the site,
but are the same for all
sites
Offset in z for site 9 is

224 mm. Therefore, the
waypoints 2-5 (but not
the first one) are
adjusted
Robot Vectors are always specified from End position to Safe position.
Check the Absolute checkbox to use absolute positions for the selected waypoint. This can be used when certain
positions are used on the way to all sites and may be necessary if the ROMA could otherwise collide with other
objects on the worktable.
It is possible to remove absolute positions. You have to make sure that the site for which the common position
originally belonged to is selected. Otherwise you will get unreasonable results.
If you move a carrier on the worktable the x-coordinates of the ROMA vector including absolute positions will be
calculated according to the grid position. Be sure that you do not place a carrier in a way such that components of
the ROMA vector lie outside of the instrument range.

Roma will move to the highlighted
position
When a vector is defined check that it

is ok by moving stepwise through the
co-ordinates
When in the End position, use the move to Safe Pos.

button and ROMA will move through all waypoints in the
vector from End position to Safe position.
When in the Safe position, use the move to End Pos.

button and ROMA will move through all waypoints in the
vector from Safe position to End position.
When in an intermediate position, do NOT use move to

Safe Pos. OR move to End Pos. Instead, use move to for Warning – when using move to safe and move to
end make sure that the coordinates highlighted are
the waypoints until Safe or End position is reached. the true coordinate position of the ROMA.
As a rule of thumb, always teach 1 site and check the remaining sites. To ensure changes do not need to be made
for specific sites.
The Adjust button is only available if the carrier is not accessible to the liquid handling arm (example: microplate
hotel). It is used to adjust the carrier definition for a specified, single site to compensate for small manufacturing
inaccuracies in a multi-site carrier without needing to switch to the Edit Carrier dialog box. To use this feature,
choose the site you want to adjust and click move to End Position to move the ROMA to the final position of the
ROMA vector. Then fine tune the ROMA position using the numeric keypad and click the Adjust button to modify
the carrier definition to match the current X, Y and Z coordinates. After saving your changes, they will also be
visible in the Edit Carrier dialog box (the units in the Move dialog box are in 0.1 mm; the units in the Edit Carrier
dialog box are in mm).

Exercise 20: Teach Plate Robot Vectors
Define ROMA vectors for a ROMA Hotel (ROMA only carrier) and the MP 3Pos.
13.2 Carrier Attributes

Carrier Attributes: Chapter 9.5.5
What are carrier-attributes?
Certain characteristics of carriers are stored in so-called attributes.
Where to find carrier- and labware attributes?
Go to Edit Carrier – Attributes button
Carrier Attributes
Many of the carrier attributes are only applicable in
EVOware Plus.
i.e. modify the ROMA movements when a certain labware

type shall be transported or when the carrier requires that
the plate shall be placed in landscape mode.

13.3 Safe Move
Activate Safe Moves as a Carrier Attribute
o To prevent potential cross contamination
o For forensic or other applications with precious samples
o Having aspirated samples, the LiHa can avoid travelling
over other samples
o The carrier attributes are SafeMoveOffset and
SafeMoveSpeed (internal names)
o Note that the values can also be negative (LiHa uses safe
pathway left of protected wells)
o The Safe move is only active in the event of an error. To activate it every time and for all carriers:
1. Shutdown Freedom EVOware® software

2. Navigate to the evoware.opt file found in C:\ProgramData\Tecan\EVOware\database:
3. Change the entry SAFEMOVE_ON_ERROR_ONLY to “0” in the section [OPTIONS].

4. Save the evoware.opt file.
5. Validate the evoware.opt with the Validate Configuration Tool.
6. Re-open the software with the now active safe moves option.
o The safe pathways feature can be disenabled for a pipetting step in between two carriers by setting a zero
value to the SafeMoveOffset attribute of the source carrier.
o In older Freedom EVOware® versions both attributes have to be added, SafeMoveOffset (required) and
SafeMoveSpeed (optional).

13.4 Labware attributes
Configuring Labware: Chapter 9.4
Labware Attributes: Chapter 9.4.8
What are labware attributes?
Certain characteristics of labware are stored in so-called attributes such as plate grip offsets. This specific
information is used i.e. to modify the ROMA movements when a certain labware type shall be transported.
Where to find the labware attributes?
Go to Edit Labware Type - Advanced tab – Attributes button
Modify the Reference Vector with Labware Attributes
Teach the ROMA on a carrier with a suitable labware (i.e. a 96 well microplate) → all other kinds of labware that
are allowed on this carrier must be moved by using the same reference vector. Freedom EVOware® does not allow
having labware specific vectors. The labware attributes provide information on how to update this reference
vector.
Principle: instead of defining specific ROMA vectors for all kinds of plate types and carriers, the labware type
“tells” the ROMA how to transport this particular plate by modifying the reference vector.
Example: you want to grip a deep well plate (DWP) not at the bottom, but in the middle of the plate. The
reference vector of that carrier normally grips plates at the bottom. In this case, the DWP attribute “Plate grip
offset narrow” modifies the vector by 1.5 cm in z direction. The attribute value consists of three comma separated
entries which refer to x, y and z coordinates. The unit is centimeter.
 Note for labware attributes, the y coordinate always refers to the direction of the gripper fingers
Change to 0,0,1.5
Grip offsets are useful for gripping a labware type differently without creating a custom vector.

13.5 Transfer labware and lid handling
Transfer Labware Command: Chapter 15.61
This command executes a ROMA vector, which is a predefined

sequence of ROMA movements. You can also specify gripper actions
at the Safe and End positions.
Two ‘ROMA Vector’ commands are necessary to transfer a plate

from a source location to a destination location.
This command is used to transfer labware from one position

to another using the plate robot (ROMA).
The same action can be carried out by specifying two ‘ROMA

Vector’ commands and one ‘Move ROMA’ command.
The ‘Transfer Labware’ command makes it easier to program

this often-needed operation.
In order to have the option for lid handling, you must change the settings in the labware itself to allow a lid. Right
click on the labware to open the Edit Labware Type, Advanced tab; choose “Labware can have lid”

If you move labware with a lid, you will have an additional section in the ‘Transfer Labware’ command that allows
you to “Cover at Source” or “Uncover at Destination”. You will also have to indicate where the lid comes from
(“Cover at Source”) or where it goes to (“Uncover at Destination”), since Freedom EVOware® standard does not
know which lid belongs to which plate.
Click on the worktable to define

the position for the lid.
User-defined Variable in Transfer Labware At runtime, user is asked what site to

begin taking plates from the hotel.
The Site variable is

inserted as the value
for Site in the ‘Transfer
Labware’ command,
allowing the script to
begin at the user
specified site at
runtime

Pre-defined Variables in Transfer Labware
Objective:
Fill all 9 plates stored in a hotel with buffer.
Solution:
Instead of writing 9 groups of transfer plates to the pipetting carrier, pipetting and then back to the hotel. Utilize
the “ loop_x” pre-defined variable to use the loop counter as the “Site” value in the ‘Transfer Labware’ command.
Each time the loop enters a new iteration, the next plate in the hotel will be taken until the loop is run a total of 9
times to fill all 9 plates stored within the hotel.
13.6 Robot Vectors Tab in Control Bar
This tab only displays Custom Vectors and Home Vectors.
Custom vectors are not assigned to a carrier in the Edit Carrier dialog box. They are
created by right-clicking Robot Vectors and choosing Create.
A Home Vector is the position for a Robotic Arm to move to after initialization,
software shutdown and whenever ‘Move to Home’ is chosen in a command.
Home 1 is for First Plate Robot.
Home 2 is for Second Plate Robot.
Plate Robot – Execute Single Vector

Custom vectors are also useful if you need to move something other than a piece of labware. For example, you
may need to remove a lid from a static reagent trough and place the lid on a storage site before pipetting, then
return the lid to the reagent trough after pipetting.
Custom vectors are created in the Robot Vectors tab of the Control Bar

After the vector has been created, it can be executed using ‘ROMA vector’ command.
 Custom ROMA vectors are executed with the grip parameters set in the Teach Plate Robot Vector
window. The parameters in the Edit Labware Type, Advanced tab are ignored.
Defining Home Position for a ROMA

Defining the Home Position for a ROMA: Chapter 9.6.4
It is recommended to move the ROMA back to its home position after completing a sequence of movements.
Otherwise it might obstruct the movement of other arms such as the LiHa, which will cause script execution to halt
without displaying an error message.
The home position for a ROMA is normally at the extreme left or right of the worktable and should be chosen to
be out of the way of other objects on the worktable. The home position is specified by creating a special ROMA
vector with the name HOME1. If your instrument is fitted with two ROMA, the home position for ROMA 1 is
normally at the extreme left of the worktable and the home position for ROMA 2 is normally at the extreme right
of the worktable. The home position for ROMA 2 is specified by creating a special ROMA vector with the name
HOME2.
 The ROMA vectors (HOME1 and HOME2) for home positions are not be based on carriers.

Exercise 21: Transfer labware
Move a microplate from the hotel (site 3) to the pipetting carrier site 2, then to another pipetting
carrier site 1 and from there to the final location in the hotel site 2. Send the ROMA to the HOME
position at the end of the script.
Exercise 22: Lid handling
A. Bring a plate from the hotel, remove lid at the destination. Fill the plate, put back the lid
onto the plate and bring it back to the hotel.
B. Variation: Throw away the lid to the waste station after bringing the plate to the
microplate carrier (requires big enough waste station)
C. Variation: while pipetting keep the lid on the ROMA near the pipetting carrier (create a
vector for the lid)
Exercise 23: Variable number of samples (advanced)
A variable number of samples are transferred from a source plate to a destination plate. There
are 2 source-destination plate pairs in a Hotel 9Pos Microplate carrier. There can only be 2 plates
(1 source and 1 destination) on the pipetting carrier at the same time.

MCA (MultiChannel Arm)
14.1 MCA 96 – Pipetting Commands
MCA96 - Aspirate MCA96 – Dispense MCA96 - Mix
Specify # of cycles
MCA96 – Wash

14.2 MultiChannel Arm 96 – Tip Commands
MCA96 – Get DiTis MCA96 - Drop DiTis

Specify the rows and columns
Option to drop tips back to their original box or back to a specific
position, like an MCA DiTi Waste.
MCA96 – Get Tipblock MCA96 – Drop Tipblock
Option to drop tipblock back to source position or to another

empty nest.

14.3 MCA96 Move Commands
MCA96 – Relative Movements
Switch on offset
The ‘Relative movements’ offset affects subsequent MCA

commands. If you use an offset, ensure the pipetting head will
not collide with other objects, e.g. other DiTis in the DiTi rack.
Switch off offset
You must switch off the offset before fetching a tipblock with the
MCA ‘Get Tipblock’ command. In addition, it is recommended to
switch off the offset when you no longer want to use the MCA
offsets in your script.

MCA96 ‘Relative movements’ command enables more flexible pipetting such as single row/column with the
MCA96 head.
MCA96 – Move
Command is used to move the MCA96 from one position to another without performing an aspirate or Dispense
operation.
Choose X-Move, Y-move or Z-move to move

only one axis of the MCA96. You can then
specify the speed of the movement. The
options Positioning with global Z-travel and
Positioning with local Z-travel move the
MCA96 to the labware at maximum speed.
Z-travel is the tip height which is used during
the arm movement.
You can specify the Z-Position to which the

tips should be lowered at the end of the
MCA96 movement. Choose the required Z-
position and then specify a Z offset in mm if
required. A positive value for the offset
lowers the tips.

MCA96 – Vector
For use with MCA96 equipped with gripper. The MCA96 vectors must
be defined prior to use.
The depicted selection will move the MCA96 from the safe position of
the vector with no gripper action, to the end position, where it will grip
and then move back to the safe position at the maximum speed.
MCA96 – Transfer Labware

For use to transfer labware (e.g. a microplate/empty DiTi Wafer) from
one position to another with the MCA96 Gripper. This command
requires the MCA96 gripper option.
MCA96 vectors are very similar to ROMA vectors. The main difference
is that the MCA96 grippers cannot be rotated (they are always parallel
to the X axis of the pipetting instrument).
MCA96 Pipetting Script Example
The first 5 lines of the script use a fixed tip

block to aspirate 1 quadrant (96 wells) from a
384 well plate then dispense the 96 samples
into a 96 deep well plate. Always remember
to drop the fixed tip block and/or DiTis after
done aspirating, otherwise due to the
capillary effect, the head is at risk of becoming
contaminated.
Lines 6-10 use DiTis on the MCA96 to aspirate

from a 96 well MP and dispense into a 96 well
MP, also known as plate stamping.

MCA96 Loops - Script Example
Here variables are used to transfer samples from four, 96 well microplates and combine them into one, 384 well
plate. The inner nested loop ‘Rows’ allows during the second iteration of the loop for the next plate to be fetched
for the aspirate and the next row to be selected in the 384 well plate. The outer loop ‘Columns’ allows the 2nd
time through, where the first 2 - 96 well microplates already occupy quadrant 1 and 2 of the 384 well microplate,
for the 3rd and 4th 96 well microplates to be selected and the last two quadrants of the 384 well plate to be filled;
all within a mere 9 lines of script.
Script Example – MCA96 Nested DiTis

When using the MCA96 nested DiTis, it is necessary to use a variable to countdown through the layers of DiTis as
they are depleted. In the below example ‘site’ or wafer to begin is asked to the user to specify the layer to begin
picking up at. Then once the layer is used ‘site’ is redefined by setting itself equal to the current site plus 1,
allowing for the next retrieval layer to be counting down through the stacks.
The DiTi site variable can also be
imported from an external file rather
than having the user declare the value at
runtime.
Remember the two stacks must be
depleted evenly to avoid crashes from
the back Z-motor. Always ensure all
movements are physically possible.

MCA96 Offset pipetting – Script Example
Below ‘Relative movements’ command are used to allow the MCA96 head to pick up 6 columns of tips, then
aspirate columns 1-6 from the source plate and multi-dispense once into columns 1-6 then a second time into
columns 7-12 to the destination plate.
Offset causes columns 1-6 of

head to pick-up columns 7-12 of
DiTi box
Disable offset for columns 1-6 of head to

aspirate columns 1-6 of source and
dispense into columns 1-6 to destination.
Offset causes columns 1-6 of

head to dispense to columns 7-12
of destination.
Disable offset to align head with DiTi

Waste
Exercise 24: MCA96 Prepare Serial Dilution
1. Add buffer from trough to 96 wells of an empty 96 well MP.

2. Transfer samples from Plate A to Plate B.
Question 1 – How do you shift the position of the MCA

to allow pick-up of only one column of tips?
Question 2 – To pick-up one column of tips it is necessary

to adjust the force of the pick-up, where can this be set?
3. Prepare a serial dilution.

Question 3 – How can you shift the offset of the MCA
in every loop? (Hint: row/column offset accept variables)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
A 1
Materials needed: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
B 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
- Microplate carrier C 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
- Trough with color 1 D 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
E
- 96 well MP with color 2 (Plate A) 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
F 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
- Empty 96 well microplate (Plate B) G 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
- 3 boxes MCA96 DiTis H 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Exercise 24: MCA96 Serial Dilution Answer
Step 1: Add buffer from trough to 96 wells of empty 96 well MP
1. Set-up the worktable for the exercise, both within the software and physically on the instrument.
2. Write your script using the simple MCA96 command as follows:
a. ‘Get DiTis’
b. ‘Aspirate’ from trough
c. ‘Dispense’ to destination Plate B
d. ‘Drop DiTis’ to Waste
Step 2: Transfer samples from Plate A to Plate B
Question 1 – How do you shift the position of the MCA to allow

pick-up of only one column of tips?
Answer 1 – Use the ‘Relative movements’ Command

“Switch on Offset”
Question 2 – To pick-up one column of tips it is necessary to

adjust the force of the pick-up, where can this be set?
Answer 2 – You will need to adjust force in the ‘Get DiTi’ Command
In the “Pick up” field, indicate how many tips you will pick up. This will adjust the force of the
MCA96.

Step 3: Make a serial dilution
Question 1 – How can you shift the offset of the MCA in every loop? Hint: row/column offset accept
variables
Row-wise dilution: Column-wise dilution:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
Answer 1- Use the ‘Relative movements’ command within a loop. Use a variable in the row/column offset
entry instead of a fixed value.

Serial Dilution Using Loop_X
The pre-defined variable loop_x can be used as part of an equation within the row/column offset field.
Below this technique is used to ‘Get DiTis’ from the right-hand side of the box and move across to the left in the
following cycles, aspirate from rows 1 -11 and dispense into columns 2 -12, respectively, to create a serial dilution
column wise.
Causes right hand

side tip pick-up.
Shifts aspiration
from left to right
across the plate
Causes shift by one

column for
dispense of first
dilution
Turn off to Drop

DiTis to Waste
Result:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
A

PosID-3
16.20 Commands for the PosID-3
16.20.2 PosID-3 Scan Command
A.2.2 Barcode file written by the PosID and PosID-3 commands
15.1 PosID-3 Scan Command

The PosID-3 Scan command is used to read the barcode labels on one or more pieces of labware using the PosID-3
option.
The software stores each scanned barcode in the internal database in the ID field of the labware record.
The barcode information can also be included in report files.
The Scan tab lets you choose the labware you want to scan and the Barcode types tab is used to configure the
barcode types which the PosID-3 scanner will accept for the chosen labware.
Freedom EVOware® does not display an error If you scan a labware twice and the barcodes
message if a barcode could not be read. A differ, an error is generated. Select overwrite to
default barcode is assigned. avoid the error message.
Freedom EVOware® does not display an error scan.csv file is written to output
message if the carrier specified in the PosID-3 folder
command was not found on the worktable at
the specified grid position.

Choose the barcode types which will be
accepted by the PosID-3 scanner from
the popup lists. You should only choose
the barcode types which are being
used on the barcode labels. This makes
it easier for the scanner to identify
incorrect barcodes. The PosID-3 will
report an error if it finds a barcode
type which you have not chosen.
Configure Device Properties – PosID-3
You will be prompted to enter the barcode

twice manually during script or process
runtime if the scanner was unable to read
the barcode despite retries
For the purpose of testing or training, the

PosID-3 driver can be configured to read
simulated barcodes from a text file and return
them to Freedom EVOware® through the
PosID-3 - Scan command as if the PosID-3 has
actually scanned some labware.

15.2 PosID Scan.csv
PosID Scan file is found in C:\ProgramData\Tecan\EVOware\output\. This file location is set in the output path in
Configure Tool > General > Protocol Options.
File Format:
Line 1 is a checksum.
Information begins at Line 2 with (The file does not include column headers):
Grid;Site;Position;LabwareType;LabwareLabel;CarrierFlag;Barcode
 The barcode field contains three

asterisks (***) if the barcode
cannot be read.
The barcode field contains three dollar

signs ($$$) if the tube is missing.

TUBE_CNT
After executing a PosID command, the software writes the number of tubes scanned in the script so far to the pre-
defined variable TUBE_CNT.
 Missing tubes ($$$) and illegible barcodes (***) are not included in the count.
For extra security, use an

If-then-else statement to
compare the TUBE_CNT
with the number of
samples indicated by the
user.

15.3 Labware Attributes and String Variables
The ‘Set Variable’ command allows you to read from and write to the labware attribute “ID” from within pipetting
scripts during script runtime. Freedom EVOware® uses the attribute “ID” to store the labware barcode. The value
of the attribute “ID” is normally written by performing a POSID or PosID-3 Scan command, but could also be
written using the ‘Set Variable’ command. In this way, you could assign barcodes to labware without using a
scanner.
Syntax for a Labware: Alternate Syntax for a Labware:
$labwarelabel.ID$ $carriertype[globalsite].ID$
Syntax for a Well or Alternate Syntax for a Well or

Tube: Tube:
$labwarelabel[well].ID$ $carriertype[globalsite][well].ID$
Global Site is the site number counted for all sites for this labware type on the worktable, counted from back to
front and then from left to right. It is not the same as the site number on the carrier.

Exercise 25: POSID-3 Scan Using Tube_CNT
1. Scan a tube rack with barcoded tubes and scan a microplate on a MP 3Pos carrier. Check
the configuration settings of the barcodes. What happens if you leave “0” in the barcode
length field?
2. Ask the user how many tubes are present. Check the number the user inputs against the
value written by the POSID-3. If the numbers do not match, end the script. If they do,
continue.
3. Use the Tube_CNT value as the input for Sample_CNT. Transfer the samples from the
tubes into the plate. Add the Data Export command at the end of the script. Run and view
your results in the output file.
Exercise 26: POSID-3 Scan with Set Variable
1. Use the Set Variable command to always set the plate barcode to “Destination”. At
runtime, have the user manually enter in the individual tube barcodes.
2. Transfer the samples from tubes into the microplate. Add the Data Export command at
the end of the script. Run and view your results in the output file.

Sub-Routines
Sub-Routines: Chapters 14.3/15.51
Sub-Routines are Freedom EVOware® scripts which can be used as parts of another script. They allow you to
structure and shorten complex scripts and to build libraries of pipetting procedures (e.g. serial dilutions) which
you want to use repeatedly. From the main script, Sub-Routines can be executed with one command that calls the
Sub-Routine script. During long waiting times (Incubation, Shaker, Centrifuge, etc.), the main script can go on.
Asynchronous Sub-Routines allow multi-tasking.
Loop names and line markers (Comments) for conditions are not shared between Sub-Routines and the main
script.
 Sub-Routines use the same worktable as the main script.

 Sub-Routines can share variables and timers with the main script.
 Sub-Routines can execute a worklist which is loaded by the main script.
Starts the specified Sub-Routine; the main

script waits for the Sub-Routine to finish before
continuing.
Starts the specified Sub-Routine but continues

the main script without waiting for the Sub-
Routine to finish.
Main script waits for the specified, previously

started Sub-Routine to finish before continuing.

Execute Sub-Routine and
a) Wait for it to finish
b) Continue
c) Wait for previously started Sub-Routine

Script Example- Asynchronous Sub-Routine
The main script washes and declares the variables.
The main script is on hold while the Sample_Distribution Sub-Routine runs.
When Sample_Distrubution is completed, the Move_Plates_to_Incubator Sub-Routine begins AND the main script
continues on with tip decontamination.
Exercise 27: Create a Sub-Routine
a) Create a script that moves a plate from one position to another and save it.
b) Create a pipetting script that contains and runs this script as a Sub-Routine.
Sub-Routines and Log Files

Freedom EVOware® reports the currently executed script line in the log window and in the log file. A typical line in
the log file is as follows:
E 11:55:42 Line 1 : Aspirate
When Freedom EVOware® executes a sub-routine, it displays the line number of the main script and the line
number of the sub-routine, separated by a slash /. A typical line then looks like this (line 2 of the main script, line 1
of the sub-routine, Aspirate command):
E 11:55:42 Line 2/1 : Aspirate
If you are using sub-routines nested within other sub-routines, the log file shows the line numbers of all levels,
separated by slashes.

Start Script
The ‘Start Script’ command starts another script from the currently running script.
The new script can use a different worktable layout to the original script.
The ‘Start Script’ command terminates the currently executing script, closes it, loads and validates another script
and starts it if there were no errors (not like with Sub-Routines). If errors are found, the faulty script lines are
marked in red and the new script is not executed.
The new script is not validated during validation of the first script.
It is not possible in the started script:

 to execute worklists that have been loaded in the old script
 to use defined variables from the old script
 to wait for timers started in the old script
The ‘Start Script’ command is not allowed in Sub-Routines!
For instance, if you began a script with sixteen 96 well microplates and four 384 well microplates on the worktable
then used the ROMA to clear all of the labware and replace the sites with other labware formats, it would not be
possible to then pipette to these new labwares as the deck does not update. In this case, you would need to use
the ‘Start Script’ command:

Export Data
Export Data command: Chapter 15.29
The ‘Export Data’ command is used to create report files for selected labware or for all labware on the worktable.
The report files contain information about the pipetting which has been carried out. The report files are written to
the output directory which is specified in the E Configuration Tool.
Freedom EVOware® does not report a well in an output file if Pipette Nothing was chosen after a liquid detection
or a clot error.
Choose one or more labware
Choose one or more File Formats
Avoid redundant data when using more

than one ‘Export Data’ Command in the
same script
Condense all pipetting for a single

well into one entry
Valid only for Liquid Arrival
Check/Pooling Balance
Indicate sample transfer pipetting step if

‘Export Data’ will serve as Sample ID List
in Magellan™.

Export Data File:
The Filename is the labware barcode (if defined) or the labware label.
Script Example – PosID and Export Data
The PosID-3 is used to scan the 6 tube racks on grids 13-18 and to scan the plate at grid 20. The tubes are then
pipetted into the 96 well microplate. Export Data is used to get all of the barcodes from the tubes and the barcode
of the plate into an excel sheet once the transfer is complete.

Liquid system
The liquid system consists of system liquid containers, liquid tubing, pump driven syringes including a 3-way valve,
pipetting tips and a wash station. The figure shows a systematic description of the liquid system.
Principal components of the liquid system:
Diluters are precision pumps and control the pipetting volume. They are driven by a stepper motor that moves the
syringes. The 3-way valves are controlled by the Freedom EVOware® software.

Fast Wash Module for Liquid LiHa is located in a drawer beneath the left side of the worktable. The membrane
pump is able to push a greater amount of system liquid with higher speed than it would be possible with the
diluters alone. This is used to improve wash cycles and filling of the system liquid. The pressure relief valve
prevents too much pressure from building up in the system.
Syringes for the Liquid LiHa are available in 5 different sizes:
Syringe Size Resolution Max Dispense Max Breakoff

Speed Speed
250µL 0.083µL/step 208µL/s 113µL/s
2500µL 0.833µL/step 2083µL/s 1125µL/s
5000µL 1.667µL/step 4167µL/s 2250µL/s

19.1 Liquid Classes
Configuring Liquid Classes: Chapter 10
A liquid class is a set of liquid handling parameters. It specifies speeds, air-gaps, detection modes, etc. Freedom
EVOware® contains a number of predefined liquid, validated classes. Freedom EVOware® stores the liquid classes
for all scripts in two files (DefaultLCs.XML and CustomLCs.XML in the Freedom EVOware® database) and has an
editor for displaying, creating and deleting liquid classes. Default liquid classes cannot be edited.
 Note: when optimizing liquid classes, it is always a good idea to only change one parameter at a time
and to use a default liquid class as a template.

Optimizing should be based on…
Dispense Modes
Medium/High precision High precision A mix cycle is recommended
Max. throughput Low throughput High precision
Low throughput

Default classes
Custom classes
Sub classes
 Default liquid classes can only be selected and viewed

Editing default classes is not possible
Always use a default liquid class as a template to create custom liquid classes

Global Tab
The Global tab consists of the liquid class name and description, density, liquid detection modes, conductivity,
detection speed, double distance (to detect twice) and the clot detection parameters.
Conductivity and Sensitivity of liquid detection can be adjusted in the global parameters tab of the liquid class by
selecting either:
o Good: tap water

o very good: serum, DNA solution, buffer
o bad: DMSO, ethanol, distilled water
Type Tab
The Type tab consists of the tip type and minimum and maximum
volume ranges in microliters for a particular subclass.

Aspirate Tab
Dispense Tab

Aspiration and Dispense Speeds
The choice of aspiration and dispense speeds affects both accuracy and precision. Speeds may be affected by
liquid viscosity, tip configuration and syringe and tubing size.
Rapid aspiration speeds can cause the air-gaps to break up which can result in a significant dilution effect or can
introduce bubbles into the system.
Faster dispense speeds generally result in better droplet separation at the tip.
Aspiration and Dispense Settings for Water
Action Definition Settings
Aspirate Speed: the flow rate at the tip when typical range is 10-150L/s
aspirating the liquid volume
Delay: a pause in the syringe movement

100ms is sufficient for most
after aspirating the liquid volume; gives the
applications, default = 0ms
system time to return to equilibrium
Dispense Speed: the flow rate at the tip when typical range is 250-600L/s
dispensing the liquid volume
 General Rule (Free dispense): aspirate slow, dispense fast

Aspiration Speed:
Aspirate volume = Aspiration speed, but never higher than 200µL/s
For viscous liquids, slow aspirate speed down
Aspiration Delay:
Increase aspiration delay for viscous liquids
Increase aspiration delay when using DiTis
Dispense Speed:
Should never be less than 250µL/s (Free dispense)
Increase dispense speed when droplet formation is seen
Take the shape of the vessel into consideration
Take the liquid properties into consideration (aerosol effect, prone to foaming)
Breakoff Speed:
Should be about 70% of dispense speed for DiTis
Submerge Depth:
Used with liquid level detection
Inaccurate container definitions can lead to air aspiration
Default = 2mm, but should not be less than 0.5mm due to the mechanical tolerance of 0.4mm in the Z-axis of the
motor

Air-gaps
Air-gaps are required to separate different liquid segments inside the tubing and the tips.
Fixed Tips DiTis
System
STAG
LAG
Sample
TAG
Air-gaps and recommended settings for water (standard tubing)
Air-gap Software Definition Settings
System Trailing Air-gap Air-gap after system Default range: 10 – 30l

(STAG) fluid, aspirated after
wash step
Leading Air-gap Air-gap before Default range: 5 – 20l

(LAG) aspirated liquid
volume, dispensed
together with the net
volume (blowout)
Trailing Air-gap Air-gap after sample, Default range: 5 – 20l

(TAG) prevents liquid
dripping from the tips
when the arm moves
For Air LiHa, there is no System Trailing Air-gap (no STAG) due to the lack of system liquid

19.2 Pipetting Modes
Single pipetting mode

A sample of a liquid volume is aspirated from a source position and the entire volume is dispensed to one
destination position:
Liquid LiHa: 1 aspiration, 1 dispense, 1 wash cycle

System
Air LiHa : 1 aspiration, 1 dispense
STAG
LAG
Vol.
TAG
Multi-pipetting mode
A sample is aspirated from a source position and fractions of it are sequentially dispensed to different destination
positions (multiple aliquots).
Liquid LiHa: 1 aspiration, several dispenses followed by 1 wash cycle
Air LiHa: 1 aspiration, several dispenses
In multi-pipetting in addition to aspiration and dispense speed two extra parameters are important for a precise
and accurate pipetting:
System
STAG
Excess
Vol.
Cond.
TAG

Excess and Conditioning volume:
The first dispense in multi-pipetting is often too large, while the last dispense is too small.
The Conditioning volume ‘simulates’ the first dispense. A higher breakoff speed is needed for clean droplet
separation, as in single dispense.
Excess volume
 For fixed tips acts as a barrier between the sample and system liquid
 Prevents dilution of the sample and mixing with system liquid
 Helps to complete the last dispense of a multi-pipetting without dilution. Recommended to be at least 15 -
20% of total volume aspirated (fixed tips) but never less than 30μl
 For DiTis between 30-100μL
Conditioning volume
 Helps to dispense the first portion of a multi-pipetting step
 Eliminates mechanical backlash of diluter drive
 Same volume as aliquot, but never less than 30µL (Liquid LiHa)
 Important considerations for Multi-pipetting

 Number of replicates
 Wash cycle  wash procedure after each pipetting step or periodic wash
 Precision and accuracy of first and last dispense
 A good CV requires:
At least 4 aliquots, Max. 12 aliquots

Calibration Tab
The Calibration tab consists of the offset and factor

parameters for both single and multi-pipetting as well
as for single channel calibration. It also consists
diagrammatic representation of the diluter and desired
volumes for single and multi-pipetting.
Plunger Tab (Air LiHa and MCA only)

The Plunger tab consists of the acceleration and
deceleration parameters for the single and multi-
pipetting aspirations and dispenses, backlash
compensation and diagrammatic representation of
dispense speed curve for single and multi-pipetting.

19.3 Liquid detection
Liquid detection allows us to detect the position of the liquid surface.

Each channel is equipped with individual liquid detection function.
The tip detects the surface of the conductive solution upon contact.
Advantage:
Minimum submerge depth
Minimal tip contamination
Message if no liquid or not enough liquid is available
Constant submerge depth during aspiration and dispensing
 Note: correct teaching of the labware dimensions and z-max is crucial; otherwise there is a danger of air
aspiration
Capacitance based liquid level detection – cLLD

Requires conductive disposable tips

Minimum volumes for detection:
o ≥ 50µL in round bottom microplates

o ≥ 100µL in 10 or 13 mm diameter sample tubes
o ≥ 150µL in 16 mm diameter sample tubes
o ≥ 5mL in reagent 100mL trough
Liquid detection steps:
o the tips move quickly to Z-start

o at Z-start, the tips slowly move down, checking for change in capacitance
o when the tip enters a conductive liquid, the signal strength will change = dip-in signal
o if double detection is enabled, the tip will retract a specified distance and retry detection
– an excellent safety feature
o tip will then submerge a specified distance
o software will calculate whether there is sufficient liquid below the tip - using inner
diameter, well geometry, and z-max
o tips will aspirate the sample
o if tracking is enabled, the tips will track down as the liquid level diminishes to maintain a
constant submerge depth

Dead volume
Problem: you want to pipette 50µL out of 100µL in a 96well microplate and you get the error message “not
enough liquid”. Why?
o In a well of a 96 well microplate 1 mm submerge depth = 33.2µL dead volume.

o With a submerge depth of 2 mm and a z-max taught 0.5 mm above the bottom of the well, you lose 83µL
of your total volume:
Dead volume = well area (mm2) * submerge depth (mm)
 Consider: submerge Depth of 2 mm in Default Water Free Dispense Liquid Class

Clot Detection
Aspirate Retract without clot Retract with clot
The tip begins to slowly retract while the software polls the instrument for a change in signal. If an exit signal is not
detected within a specified distance of leaving the liquid a clot error message will appear.

Pressure Monitored Pipetting (PMP)
This option is standard on all Air LiHa arms and optional on Liquid LiHa arms. The PMP measures the pressure of
the air inside the adapter during aspiration, sample transport and dispense. It can only be used in conjunction with
DiTis. It can improve process stability, process quality, tip clot detection, air aspiration and air dispense.
Dispense Sample
Liquid Detection
Aspirate Sample
Aspirate TAG
Aspirate LAG
Drop DiTis
Get DiTis
To use PMP, perform the following steps:

1. ‘Activate PMP’ before ‘Get DiTis’ Command
2. Use PMP liquid class in aspirate and dispense steps.
3. ‘Drop DiTis’ command
4. ‘Deactivate PMP’
5. Include the ‘Retry Worklist’ command.
Curve files are generated in the default directory

o Windows 7 and 10 – C:\ProgramData\Tecan\EVOware\PMP\Curves
o View Curves in the Pressure curve viewer tool.

Pressure Based Liquid Level Detection – pLLD
PMP hardware enables pLLD in addition to or instead of cLLD. The pLLD can be used to detect all liquids and
conductive DiTis are not required.
Exercise 28: Create a liquid class
1. Create a new custom liquid class for troughs with the Detection Mode “detect with first
tip, move others to same position”. Use this liquid class in a short script in which you
aspirate from a trough.
2. Fill a plate with 10µL per well. Observe what happens when you use:
A) The default liquid class “Water free dispense”
B) A custom liquid class with modified dispense parameters

Liquid LiHa: Dispense Speed 20µL/s and Breakoff Speed 10µL/s
Air LiHa: Dispense Speed 20µL/s and Deceleration Speed 200µL/s2
C) Fill a plate with 50µL per well and repeat A and B.
3. Pipette 100µL into the wells of a 96 Well Microplate and then aspirate 50µL using the
default liquid class “Water free dispense”. Customize the “Water free dispense” liquid
class to make this possible without errors.
Make sure you modify and use the correct subclass of your liquid class.

Exercise 29: Distribution II (advanced)
Take the plate from Exercise 13 “Distribution (advanced)” as a source plate.
Distribute 100µL of the collected samples from the collection plate to three microplates using LOOP_X.
Hint: use array variables and/or If-Then-Else.

19.4 Better Control over DiTi & Excess Volume Handling
Freedom EVOware® now offers more control over how excess volume is handled when discarding DiTis. The
default behaviors are Tecan’s liquid handling recommendations, it is possible to now control where excess volume
is discarded (liquid waste or DiTi waste) and also to eject tips without dispensing excess volume first.
Be sure to validate any cross contamination issues when ejecting DiTis with liquid still in tip, especially when using
small capacity DiTis. Ejecting excess volume in the disposable tip waste can cause the DiTis in the waste to become
contaminated and sticky.
These features are available in the evoware.opt file in ‘C:\ProgramData\Tecan\EVOware\database’ for Win7 & 10
[Options]:
DISPENSE_EXCESS_INTO_LIQUIDWASTE
When 1 excess volume is dispensed to liquid waste by default (if no liquid waste available an error appears)
when 0 excess volume is discarded to DiTi waste according to the DISCARD_DITIS_WITH_LIQUID option
DISCARD_DITIS_WITH_LIQUID
when 0 excess volume is dispensed to DiTi waste before dropping DiTis
when 1 excess volume is discarded by dropping DiTis to DiTi waste
REPLACE_EXCESS_BEFORE_ASPIRATE
When set to 0, the Excess is discarded and a new Excess is aspirated before the next multi-dispense.
When set to 1 checks whether the Excess Volume should be replaced before aspirating again. This takes place in
conjunction with the advanced replace after settings in the Liquid Class. Prior to aspirating, the excess volume will
be dispensed to waste. In 2.6 SP1, dispense to vessel is now also corrected.
If the option ‘TrailingAirgapAfterEachDispense’ is activated in the LC then the TAG will not be aspirated for this
dispense. If the counter has not been reached then the TAG will be dispensed before the sample for the next cycle
is aspirated. This needs to be done because there should not be any air between the excess and the sample. If
there is any remaining sample from the previous cycle then it should be dispensed too. If your Liquid Class does
not have a sub-class for suitable for the excess volume.

NO_SUBCLASS_SEARCH_FOR_CONDITIONING_AND_EXCESS =1
Freedom EVOware® does not look for the appropriate sub-class and instead uses an empty tip procedure from the
source code. NOTE: If you are using this feature you must carefully validate your pipetting script according to the
guidelines in the Freedom EVOware® Software Manual
NO_SUBCLASS_SEARCH_FOR_CONDITIONING_AND_EXCESS=0
When excess volume is dispensed to waste or to source, Freedom EVOware® now looks for the appropriate sub-
class for the volume being dispense. This can cause an appropriate sub-class not to be found for the volume to be
dispensed. The Tecan QC Kit wizard liquid classes are like this, and you can either set up the sub-class in the liquid
class or set this entry to 1 for compatibility.
LOG_TIP_CONTENT
When set to 0, normal content logging is taken. When set to 1, activates extended liquid handling logging.
DROP_TAG_SPEED
Speed used to drop the TAG (default=60uL/s, accepted
speeds are 40 to 80µL/s) if the replace counter on the
tip has not been reached and TAG is activated after
each dispense. Freedom EVOware® dispenses the TAG
before re-aspirating the liquid of the next cycle. Freedom EVOware® 2.6 version and above do not pick-up a TAG
after the dispense of Excess volume.
 Be sure to use the Validate Configuration tool to repair the checksum before launching Freedom EVOware®

Execute VB script
Execute VB script Command: Chapter 15.53
The ‘Execute VB Script’ command is used to execute a Visual Basic (VB) script from within a pipetting script. Refer
to the standard Microsoft documentation for more information on VB scripts.
Click this button to edit the

specified VB script in the
Notepad editor.
The pipetting script waits

for the loaded VB script to
finish before continuing
The pipetting script

continues without waiting
for the VB script to finish
The pipetting script waits for

the specified, previously
started VB script to finish
before continuing
You can transfer numerical and string variables from the VB script to the Freedom EVOware® script and vice versa.
Each time you insert a new command in your script or edit an existing command, the software validates the entire
script to check for errors. When validating, it is not possible to execute or validate VB scripts which are called by
the main script. In addition, if the main script uses variables from the VB script, you must declare them (assign
values) before the VB script is called to avoid the ‘Variable not defined’ error during validation.

Execute Application
Execute Application Command: Chapter 15.39
The ‘Execute Application’ command instructs the software to launch an external program (DOS and Windows
applications) within a pipetting script.
Causes the pipetting script

to wait for the external
application to finish before
continuing; otherwise the
pipetting script will be
continued immediately.
Some external applications

return an integer value
when terminating (error
level). Check this box if you
want to store the return
value in a variable. Then
specify to what variable in
the box below
The following example passes a variable to an external application as a command line parameter and waits for the
termination of the application before continuing with the script:

Wizards
Replicates Wizard: Chapter 15.32
Copy Plate Wizard: Chapter 15.31
Serial Dilution Wizard: Chapter 15.31
Merge Plate Wizard: Chapter 15.34
Replicates
The Replicates wizard creates script commands which make one or more duplicates of selected wells on the
source plate on one or more destination plates. All of the destination plates will be identical. You can only create
horizontal replicates.
Copy Plate
The Copy Plate wizard creates script commands which make identical copies of the source plate on one or more
destination plate. You can copy the whole plate or a rectangular selection of wells. When copying racks, Freedom
EVOware® always proceeds from rear to front and from left to right.
Serial Dilution
The Serial Dilution wizard creates script commands which perform a serial dilution in two or more steps. Each
dilution step has the same dilution factor.
The volume of the destination rack determines the amount of liquid left in the destination well after the dilution
steps.
The dilution ratio is the ratio between the Source volume and the sum of Source and Destination volume:
1 Vol Source

DilutionRatio Vol Source  Vol Destination
Merge Plates
The Merge Plates wizard creates script commands which make a destination plate (e.g. a 384 well plate) by
merging together wells from one or more source plates (e.g. four 96 well plates).
Transfer
Transfer Plate Command: Chapter 15.34
The Transfer wizard creates script commands which aspirate liquid from specified wells on the source plate and
transfer it to destination positions

Exercise 30: Timer and Replicates wizard
1. Transfer sample from 48 tubes into a micro plate (6 columns, you can use the Replicates
wizard).
2. Add a stop solution to:
Columns 1 and 2 after 10 seconds of incubation

Exercise 31: Timer and On Error Go To
1. Add 50µL of Reagent A (from trough, site 1) to a microplate, wait for 30 sec, then add 50µL
of Reagent B (from trough, site 2).
2. Modify the script, such that Reagent B is taken from the trough at site 3 if there is no liquid
detected in the trough on site 2. Run the script with a full trough at site 2 and then again
with an empty trough at site 2.
Exercise 32: All-in-one (advanced)
Create a script that transfers 1/10 of the volume detected in sample tubes to a microplate. Add a
buffer (50µL). Internal Controls are on first and last well (don’t add samples to these wells). Use a
variable sample number.
Exercise 33: Competition

Create the pattern below in a 96 Well Microplate. Write a script with the least number of script
lines and as fast as possible!!

Backup and Tools
23.1 Configure Standalone
Create a backup folder by opening Freedom EVOware® Configure in standalone mode (not out of Freedom
EVOware® Standard software).
In order to back up in Configure, you must first “Save”, then the “Backup” icon will be available.

You can also restore from within Configure:
Simply select ‘restore’ and select which Freedom EVOware® Configuration file you would like to restore to:
The folder contains a database with all scripts and processes. You can also backup the .ini files in the following
pathway:
C:\ProgramData\Tecan\EVOware\backup

23.2 Export/Import
The Export/Import tool is used to exchange individual items like carriers, liquid classes, scripts and vectors with
other Freedom EVOware® installations. It transfers data between systems in a compact, secure, and traceable
format. Scripts are exported with all carriers, labwares and liquid classes involved.
 Please send scripts to the helpdesk as .exd files and not as .esc
Export Mode
Launch Export Import Tool from Start/Programs/Tecan/EVOware and login with

username/password. The Tool will automatically launch in Export mode.
Choose the script, process, etc. you would like to Export. Then click Add>. The
script or process and its accompanying labware, carriers, liquid classes, and vectors
will appear under Components to export.
Click Export at the bottom of the screen and save the .exd file.

Add files to export list allows you to export scripts and
processes which are not saved in the default directory as
well as external files such as worklists.
Import Mode
If you are receiving an .exd file, make sure Freedom EVOware® Standard
software is closed, then simply double-click the .exd file and log in. This will
open the Export Import Tool in Import mode.
If any items are redundant to the existing installation, you can choose to Skip
(not import) or Include (overwrite existing definition).
You can highlight specific items and select “Import” to

add the items individually or choose “Import All”

Freedom EVOware® will create a back-up of the affected files before data is imported.
Undo previous import allows the software to restore the files from an earlier date. Helpful in case the wrong file
was imported or ‘overwrite existing carrier’ selection was chosen unintentionally.

23.3 Zip&Send Tool
A.9.5 Zip & Send Tool
Certain log file types are not always created and need explicitly to be activated, such as log files from device
drivers. Zip & Send helps to log data and send it to Tecan. It remains running until the event or error you would
like to record has occurred. Click on the icon in the system tray to send the recorded information or to store it. A
Zip file is created in
C:\Program Data\Tecan\EVOware\DetailedLog
Choose the log files which

are needed and the
required level of detail for
the MCS log.
Click here to configure

Freedom EVOware® to
start recording the chosen
log files. In addition, Zip &
Send is minimized to an
icon the system tray area
at the bottom right edge
of the screen.
Freedom
EVOware® Log
Files
E-mail

How to use Zip & Send
Zip & Send is useful in two situations:
A) There was a problem with the Freedom EVOware® application (SW or Hardware) and you want to collect all
information without recreating the problem
B) There is a problem which is easy to reproduce. You want to activate more detailed logging while a new run is
executed. During the run you expect the problem to happen again. After the run finished (and the error was seen)
you collect the information.
Described here is how to use Zip & Send for situation B:
Step 1: activate logging
1. Choose the devices for

which you want to
activate detailed logging.
Leave all checked if you do
not know what to select
2. The MCS logging level

is set to 3
3. Start recording the chosen log files. This

minimizes Zip & Send to an icon in the system tray
area at the bottom right edge of the screen.
Step 2: the Zip & Send tool now runs in the background. The next step would be to recreate the problem in
Freedom EVOware® software

Step 3: Go back to Zip & Send to collect and zip the files you want to send to Tecan. Choose “Send all” in order to
go back to the Zip and send tool.
Right click on icon and

choose “Send all”
Press here to get to the

“choose data to send” screen
Choose the data to send dialog:
Only send files which are newer

than a specified date
You can leave all checkboxes

checked
You can also include the Freedom

EVOware® database folder
Additional files like worklists,

export files, output files and
screenshots can be included, Press here to leave this dialog and get
just browse and add back to the “Send Log Files” screen

Send data/create Zip folder:
Press here to create a ZIP

folder with the specified files
A ZIP folder is created here:
Windows 7 and 10: C:/ProgramData/TECAN/EVOware/DetailedLog

23.4 AuditArch
The Audit Trail Archiving tool (AuditArch) allows Administrators to archive Freedom EVOware® log files and audit
trail data manually or automatically.
Choose automatic
archiving in Configure
Click here for

manual archiving
Select Filefilter, Condition, Interval, Action and Destination.

23.5 EVOtransfer
This tool allows you to package up and compress an entire Freedom EVOware® installation into a single,
compressed, special transfer file (image file). The transfer files are generally too large to email but can be
exchanged via ftp site or stored on an external hard drive or networked drive. The tool can also be used to receive
an EVOtransfer file generated by another Freedom EVOware® installation or to make an image of several different
Freedom EVOware® installations. If you copy several image files to the same PC, you can then use EVOtransfer to
toggle between different configuration scenarios or even different Freedom EVOware® versions for the purpose of
demonstration, testing or technical support.
 Note: you cannot use EVOtransfer to transfer a Freedom EVOware® installation from a PC running
Windows XP to a PC running Windows 7 or vice versa.
 Note: to use the Freedom EVOware® installation for pipetting, the recipient also needs to have a
suitable software dongle.
The options in this dialog box are as follows:
Send EVOware System

This option collects the files to send from your Freedom EVOware® installation and packs them into a single
compressed transfer file (.etz) in the Freedom EVOware® installation directory:
Recommended: only collect and compress the files which are normally required to recreate your Freedom
EVOware® installation on the remote system.
Complete: collect and compress all of the files from your Freedom EVOware® installation.

END
EVOtransfer files have the file format EVOtransfer_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS and are saved in the EVOware folder,
where:
.ete = EVOtransfer Encrypted
.etz = EVOtransfer Zipped
Windows 7 and 10: C:\ProgramData\Tecan\EVOware
EVOtransfer zipped folders are not

encrypted and can be opened with
any .zip unpacking software.
Manual selection: choose the files manually which you want to send.
Receive EVOware System

Prepare to install a Freedom EVOware® installation from a transfer file which is on your hard disk. You also have
the option of getting a transfer file from an ftp server.
Switch EVOware
Replace the currently installed Freedom EVOware® installation on your PC with another Freedom EVOware®
installation which is contained in a transfer file.

23.6 Validate Configuration
Checks whether configuration files have valid checksums and repairs checksums if necessary and can only be
accessed by Administrators. For example, if you have edited one of the .ini files outside of Freedom EVOware®,
this tool is needed to repair the checksum within the edited file before it can be used to launch Freedom
EVOware® correctly.
23.7 Shutdown EVOware Drivers
This tool is used to unload the Tecan (TE-*.exe) drivers when the software is no longer running. The drivers should
be unloaded e.g. if the software reports an internal error. The drivers will be loaded again when you re-start the
software.
BEFORE AFTER

Log Files
24.1 Structure of the log files

Freedom EVOware® creates log files to document the pipetting, to record user actions, to help you to check scripts
in simulation mode and to find errors. The log files are written to a specified
directory (default <install_path>\AuditTrail\Log) and are protected with checksums which are stored in each file.
A new log file of type LOG*.log is created each time Freedom EVOware® is started. It contains initialization
information from the Freedom EVOware® software, the pipetting instrument and the connected hardware
options. It also contains the instrument serial number and version and the firmware version of each of the
hardware options.
A new log file of type LOG*.log is also created each time a pipetting script or process is started. The log file
includes information about the script, the position of the instrument arms and the instrument settings.
24.2 Log Files

Protocol files tab: Chapter 8.3.1.4
Structure of the log files: Appendix A1
Log files can be activated and deactivated in Configuration -> Instrument Settings -> General section -> Protocol
files tab
 Tecan strongly recommends to log serial data!

Freedom EVOware® can write up to 100,000 separate log files, which can use up a lot of storage on your hard disk.
Accordingly, it is recommended to archive and then delete old log files on a regular basis (use AuditArch Tool).
*.xml log files

As long as the Tecan logging server is connected to an instrument (or to the EVOSim), all actions are written into the
Current.xml file
A new log file is automatically created when the log file size exceeds 10 MB

Application software Tecan
- Freedom EVOware® Communication
- Freedom EVOlution™ Server
- Instrument Software
(S&S)
Tecan Logging Server is

“listening” and writes
*.xml log files
Tecan LogViewer
tool for analysis
Tecan logging server is a central module configured to start automatically when the PC is started.
- handles the logging of system and error messages for all Tecan software components
- stores log files in xml format
Path for *.xml log files:
Windows 7 and 10: C:\ProgramData\Tecan\LoggingServer\LogFiles\2.3
Below Processes are running as long as the PC is running. Therefore Freedom EVOware® will continue recording
communication with the existing current file. If you restart the computer the existing Current file will be changed
in a Log file and a new Current file will be created

Analyze *.xml log files with the LogViewer Tool
Windows 7 - To start LogViewer choose Start > All Programs > Tecan > Logging > V2.3 > LogViewer.
Windows 10 – To start LogViewer Choose Start>Tecan>LogViewer.
Load an *.xml log file (will cause loss of connection to the instrument)
Filter messages of a
particular driver in
the channels window
Define any filter
Filter all MsgID for the LiHa (C5 and C6)
- Device ID contains C (LiHa and RoMa)

- Exclude C1 (RoMa) and C2 (backdoor address of RoMa)
Search for specific error return codes…

…and set a bookmark
Analyze surroundings of bookmarked MsgID
Find the FW versions (filter for RFV)….

….and the serial numbers of the devices
Search for return codes that are not 0

Log files of type EVO_<timestamp>.LOG
Where to find them:

Windows 7 and Windows 10: C:\ProgramData\TECAN\EVOware\AuditTrail\log
Freedom EVOware® always creates log files of type EVO (impossible to switch off)
New EVO log files are created
...when Freedom EVOware® is started/during initialization/editing
...when scripts or processes are executed
They contain information about
…the installed SW version
…the installed FW versions
…the serial number of the instrument
Log files are protected from any manipulation
Example for a log file that includes an initialization

Firmware version is asked by Freedom EVOware® with RFV command
Check with Freedom EVOware® compatibility list whether correct FW is installed. The compatibility list is stored on
the installation CD.
Compatibility list (on Installation CD)

Troubleshooting Examples
The Freedom EVOware® software manual can be found on the installation CD – MasterCD\Install\Documentation
Chapter 18 Error Handling describes runtime error messages and the associated dialog boxes that can be issued by
the software. Providing information on the cause of the error and instructions on how to correct the error, where
applicable.
25.1 No Connection to the Instrument Error
Root Cause:
1. Instrument is powered off.

2. The dongle/intelligent USB is unplugged.
3. USB cable connection from the instrument is not connected to the computer.

25.2 Software is in Offline Mode
Root cause:
1. Error at Runtime.
2. Dongle/intelligent USB does not work correctly.
3. The dongle/intelligent USB is missing.
4. The USB port of the PC does not work (check other USB ports).
5. The USB cable that connects the computer with the instrument is broken.
Solution:
Once the root cause is determined, either restart the software or select ‘Switch to real mode’ from the
Execute tab to make a connection with the instrument.

25.3 Unable to Save the Script in the Software
Root cause:
Spaces, dot, dash, mathematical and other symbols are not allowed in filenames. When present, the SAVE
button becomes disabled without any notification or feedback.
Solution:
Replace spaces with underscores ("Pipetting_with_Incubation"), or eliminate them completely

("PipettingwithIncubation"). Make sure there are not any hidden spaces at the end of the text
("PipettingwithIncubation ").
Carrier and Labware names do accept spaces but do not accept the below special characters:
Custom liquid classes do accept spaces and all characters.

25.4 Labware Information Overwritten Message When Starting a Run
Root cause:
Two or more items (carriers and devices) share the same grid position on the worktable editor.
Solution:
Change the grid position of the named items to be different.

25.5 EVOware Errors "Several troughs in one pipetting command" and "Different
detection modes used in one pipetting command"
A pipetting script is set-up and no validation errors (red lines) are displayed in the script. However, upon starting
the script, the below errors are encountered and the script terminates, after ‘ok’ is selected.
Root cause:
The script contains a pipetting command with a custom liquid class for which the liquid level detection
mode "detect with first tip, move others to same position" has been selected. This detection mode is
typically used only for a Trough, allowing all tips to simultaneously detect the liquid in the one well vessel.
Solution:
When detecting liquid in a labware in which the tips access different wells, select the option "detect twice
with separate tips with retract".

25.6 Unable to Start EVOware Application, FACTS.Systems Error Received
Root cause:
The problem occurs when EVOware software application starts and the cancel button is pressed. The
problem is related to the process "Te-DB.exe" which takes some seconds to shut down after pressing
cancel. Therefore, if you restart EVOware too quickly after selecting the cancel button, the Te-DB.exe does
not successfully shut down and causes the observed errors.
Solution:
1. Use the "Shutdown EVOware drivers" tool to unload the Tecan (Te-*.exe) drivers or restart the computer,
to reload the drivers automatically when the application is launched again.
2. Run a 'repair' with the EVOware Software Installer.

25.7 Plate Cannot be Fetched by RoMa When Using the Transfer Labware Command
When using the Transfer Labware command the RoMa cannot grip the plate but with RoMa Vector command, it
does grip the plate correctly.
Root cause:
The RoMa vector command uses the grip distance defined in the "Teach Plate Robot Vector" dialog
window.
Transfer Labware command uses the grip distance defined in Edit Labware > Advanced Tab.
Solution:
Change the gripping parameters in the Transfer Labware command.

Exercises
Exercise 1: Modify device drivers ......................................................................................................................... 25
Exercise 2: Configure your training instrument.................................................................................................... 36
Exercise 3: Daily Maintenance.............................................................................................................................. 56
Exercise 4: Create a worktable ............................................................................................................................. 64
Exercise 5: Definition of new labware .................................................................................................................. 81
Exercise 6: Create your first pipetting script ........................................................................................................ 97
Exercise 7: COMBO, Create a pattern .................................................................................................................. 97
Exercise 8: Script with loops ............................................................................................................................... 108
Exercise 9: Nested loops: buffer A and B ........................................................................................................... 108
Exercise 10: Nested loops: chess board pattern ................................................................................................ 108
Exercise 11: Mix Colors....................................................................................................................................... 114
Exercise 12: Script with variables: variable volume and samples ...................................................................... 119
Exercise 13: Distribution (advanced) .................................................................................................................. 119
Exercise 14: Conditions and string variables ...................................................................................................... 125
Exercise 15: If-Then-Else ..................................................................................................................................... 125
Exercise 16: On Error Go To (advanced)............................................................................................................. 129
Exercise 17: GWL Worklist.................................................................................................................................. 136
Exercise 18: COMBO Worklist ............................................................................................................................ 141
Exercise 19: Worklists (advanced) ...................................................................................................................... 141
Exercise 20: Teach Plate Robot Vectors ............................................................................................................. 148
Exercise 21: Transfer labware ............................................................................................................................ 155
Exercise 22: Lid handling .................................................................................................................................... 155
Exercise 23: Variable number of samples (advanced)........................................................................................ 155
Exercise 24: MCA-96 Prepare Serial Dilution...................................................................................................... 162
Exercise 25: POSID-3 Scan Using Tube_CNT....................................................................................................... 171
Exercise 26: POSID-3 Scan & Set Variable .......................................................................................................... 171
Exercise 27: Create a Sub-Routine ..................................................................................................................... 174
Exercise 28: Create a liquid class ........................................................................................................................ 195
Exercise 29: Distribution II (advanced) ............................................................................................................... 196
Exercise 30: Timer and Replicates wizard .......................................................................................................... 202
Exercise 31: Timer and On Error Go To .............................................................................................................. 202
Exercise 32: All-in-one (advanced) ..................................................................................................................... 202
Exercise 33: Competition.................................................................................................................................... 202

EVOware Standard S7 Tutorial - 20190815 - RELEASED

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Freedom EVOware® Standard

Extended Device Support (Research Use Only)

EVOware Standard Software Training Pa ge |1

EVOware Standard Software Training Pa ge |2

EVOware Standard Software Training Pa ge |3

EVOware Standard Software Training Pa ge |4

LiHa Liquid Handling Arm

ROMA Plate Robot (Robotic Manipulator Arm)

PnP Tube Robot (Pick and Place Arm)

PosID Positive Identification System (movable Barcode Scanner)

LICOS Liquid Container Supervisor

MPO Monitored Pump Option (consists of FaWa and LICOS)

DiTi Disposable Tip

FaWa Fast Wash Pump

MIO Monitored Incubator Option

MCA MultiChannel Arm

PMP MultiSense (previously Pressure Monitored Pipetting)

ILID Integrated Liquid Detection

Win Microsoft Windows (operating system)

SBS Formerly Society for Biomedical Sciences (SBS), currently

EVOware Standard Software Training Pa ge |5

The Freedom EVO is a flexible, modular automation platform.

Available in 3 different sizes:

o EVO75 27 Grids 1-2 Arms

EVOware Standard Software Training Pa ge |6

Standard Front Safety Panel

Closed Front Safety Panel

EVOware Standard Software Training Pa ge |7

Door locks actively lock the front panel during operation

The door locks consist of a locking device with an

On/Off and Pause/Resume

A) The pause/resume button allows the user to pause

B) Power on delay: 0.5 seconds.

A status light in the switch indicates if the

C) The front access panel should remain closed during

EVOware Standard Software Training Pa ge |8

EVOware Standard Software Training Pa ge |9

EVOware Standard Software Training P a g e | 10

o 1 or 2 Liquid LiHa’s per instrument (existing configurations)

A few examples of fixed tips:

EVOware Standard Software Training P a g e | 11

2. Remove the black tip ejector tube (J).

EVOware Standard Software Training P a g e | 12

Replacing a DiTi Cone on an Air LiHa

EVOware Standard Software Training P a g e | 13

Replacing a Fixed Tip

EVOware Standard Software Training P a g e | 14

Lower DiTi Eject Option

EVOware Standard Software Training P a g e | 15

o Only 1 Air LiHa per instrument

A – Centric Gripper Fingers for Top Loading

B – Eccentric Gripper Fingers for Accessing a Hotel

EVOware Standard Software Training P a g e | 16

o Transports tubes and other cylindrical objects

MCA96 – MultiChannel Arm 96

o 96 plungers simultaneously aspirate and dispense

A Gripper Module on the left

Gripper fingers inwardly mounted

B Gripper Module on the right

Gripper fingers inwardly mounted

o Indepengent G-axis only

Gripper fingers outwardly

o 384 plungers simultaneously aspirate and dispense