Claims
- 1. An interchangeable module identification system, for use with an automated analytical chemistry processing system and laboratory work station, said interchangeable module identification system comprising:
- an automated remotely controllable pod means positionable by a remote controller means about the laboratory work station;
- at least one module means;
- said module means being interchangeably connectable with said pod means;
- said module means having a non-digital network electronically associated with said module means to uniquely identify the module means for the control means.
- 2. The interchangeable module identification system as in claim 1, including a pulse width modulated means, and said module means uses said non-digital network to control and vary a frequency output signal from said pulse width modulated means.
- 3. The interchangeable module identification system as in claim 2, wherein the non-digital network which controls and varies the output signal from said pulse width modulated means is a resistor-capacitor network including a capacitor and a resistor in said module means.
- 4. An automated laboratory work station comprising:
- a user programmable controller;
- a pod;
- at least one module interchangeably and releasably attached to said pod for movement therewith, the module having a passive electronic identification means to uniquely identify the module to the programmable controller upon attachment to the pod; and
- a robotic means controlled by the programmable controller for positioning the pod with the module relative to a receptacle which contains a sample to carry out an operation with respect to the sample in accordance with user programmed instructions.
- 5. An automated laboratory work station as in claim 4 wherein the identification means comprises a passive electronic network associated with the module to uniquely identify the module to the programmable controller.
- 6. An automated laboratory work station as in claim 5 wherein the pod comprises a pulse width modulated means, whereby when the module is attached to the pod the passive network in the module varies a frequency output signal from said pulse width modulated means which uniquely corresponds to said module.
- 7. An automated laboratory as in claim 6 wherein the passive network comprises a resistor-capacitor circuit which corresponds to a particular time constant for control of the pulse width modulated means.
Parent Case Info
This is a divisional of Ser. No. 07/383,299, filed Jul. 20, 1989 which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 06/844,374, filed Mar. 26, 1986, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2123593 |
Sep 1972 |
FRX |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
383299 |
Jul 1989 |
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
844374 |
Mar 1986 |
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