Agilent VSpin centrifuge quickstart#

The Agilent VSpin is a two-bucket microplate centrifuge. This quickstart connects directly to the centrifuge, calibrates its bucket positions, runs one balanced spin, and disconnects. The optional Access2 plate loader is not covered here.

Property	Value
Communication	USB through an FTDI interface
Capacity	Two opposing microplates
Relative centrifugal force	1–1000 × g (driver range)
Time at speed	At least 1 second
Acceleration and deceleration	Fractions of maximum, greater than 0 and at most 1

Warning

Follow the centrifuge manufacturer’s installation, plate-compatibility, balancing, and safety instructions. Before every run, use two opposing loads of equal mass and make sure both are fully seated. The driver does not provide a public software abort command, so keep the instrument’s physical controls accessible.

Agilent

VSpin

Mostlyv1

centrifuge

centrifuging

APIpylabrobot.agilent.vspin.VSpin

Manager@rickwierenga

code OEM

How it communicates#

PyLabRobot talks to the VSpin controller over its USB FTDI interface. The asynchronous methods below initialize the controller, send its binary commands, and poll the instrument until each movement or spin has completed.

Install the FTDI dependencies#

Install PyLabRobot with its FTDI dependencies in the notebook’s Python environment.

%pip install "pylabrobot[ftdi]"

Physical setup#

Install and power the VSpin according to the manufacturer’s instructions, then connect its USB cable to the computer. Keep the rotor, door, and surrounding workspace clear while connecting.

Find the FTDI serial number:

python -m pylibftdi.examples.list_devices

Use the reported serial number as device_id below. An explicit ID selects the correct device when several FTDI devices are attached and lets PyLabRobot reload this centrifuge’s saved bucket calibration.

Connect#

Create the centrifuge and call setup(). Setup opens the USB connection and initializes and homes the controller, so keep the machine clear while this cell runs.

from pylabrobot.agilent.vspin import VSpin

vspin = VSpin(name="vspin", device_id="YOUR_FTDI_SERIAL")
await vspin.setup()

Check the interlocks#

Read the door and bucket-lock sensors before loading anything.

print("Door open:", await vspin.request_door_open())
print("Door locked:", await vspin.request_door_locked())
print("Bucket locked:", await vspin.request_bucket_locked())

Calibrate bucket 1 on first use#

PyLabRobot needs one reference position to return either bucket to the loading opening after a spin. Skip this section if this VSpin has already been calibrated on this computer.

First, open the door after setup has completed its homing motion.

await vspin.open_door()

Confirm that a bucket is centered at the loading opening and designate it as bucket 1. If no bucket is centered, do not force the rotor by hand; use the manufacturer’s approved alignment procedure.

Run the next cell only while bucket 1 is centered. The calibration is saved for this FTDI serial number in ~/.pylabrobot/vspin_bucket_calibrations.json, so it does not need to be repeated unless the rotor alignment changes.

await vspin.set_bucket_1_position_to_current()

Move bucket 1 to the loading opening#

go_to_bucket1() closes and locks the door, rotates to the calibrated position, and opens the door when the bucket is ready to access.

await vspin.go_to_bucket1()

Load the sample plate#

Place the sealed sample plate fully into bucket 1.

Move bucket 2 to the loading opening#

Move the opposing bucket into position before loading the balance plate.

await vspin.go_to_bucket2()

Load the balance plate#

Prepare an opposing load with the same total mass as the sample plate and place it fully into bucket 2. Matching the plate type alone does not guarantee that the physical loads are balanced; verify their total masses.

Run a spin cycle#

spin() closes and locks the door, accelerates to the requested relative centrifugal force, holds it for duration seconds, then decelerates. acceleration and deceleration are fractions of the device’s maximum rates. The call returns after the run has completed.

Start with settings appropriate for your plates and protocol. This example runs at 500 × g for 60 seconds.

await vspin.spin(
  g=500,
  duration=60,
  acceleration=0.8,
  deceleration=0.8,
)

Return to bucket 1#

After a spin, the rotor is no longer parked at a known bucket. Return bucket 1 to the loading opening before unloading it.

await vspin.go_to_bucket1()

Unload the sample plate#

Remove the sample plate from bucket 1.

Return to bucket 2#

Move the balance plate back to the loading opening.

await vspin.go_to_bucket2()

Unload the balance plate#

Remove the balance plate from bucket 2.

Disconnect#

stop() returns the controller to its initialized state and closes the USB connection. It is a teardown method, not an emergency stop for a spin in progress.

await vspin.stop()