Control and Data Plane Integration for High-throughput Modular Automation (3 Case Studies)

Authors: Greg Lammers, Jose Cortez, Chris Bremner

Introduction

Ginkgo’s Automation Control Software (ACS) provides a flexible interface for the integration of our RAC systems with a wide range of customer software integration needs. Our platform uses open-source messaging standards and schema definition tools to ensure that new integrations can be developed rapidly. This paper details three case studies where ACS was integrated into various high-throughput environments. Each case study describes a scenario presented and summarizes the solution that was developed both for launching protocol runs and integrating the data generated by them into automated LIMS data pipelines.

The three case studies are presented here in order of increasing complexity. We see the simpler integration presented in Case Study A as the integration mode that covers most high-throughput customers. Case Study A should be thought of as the default mode. Case Studies B and C are heavy-weight modes of integration that illustrate what software integrations can look like when sizable software and hardware ecosystems are already in place, such as a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) and data flow management from multiple workcell platforms.

We do not cover the low-throughput scenario (i.e. no automated data pipelines) in this document, which can easily be accomplished without the need for any customized software. This scenario deserves mention here since it will suit the needs of many customers, but it is too simple to merit its own integration case study. Files generated by devices are made available in ACS applications, and they can be downloaded manually as needed. In Case Study A, we will point out the two relevant steps for this integration mode.