You can directly control the separate firefly modules using the Manual Controls. You may need to do this to reset firefly after stopping a protocol: specific instructions for resetting are shown for the firefly modules you would need to use to do this.
Do not operate firefly using the manual controls unless you have been trained to do so.
A brief overview of these controls is included here for reference.The appearance will be specific to your instrument type e.g. only 3 dispense heads are shown for 3 head instruments, with the other 3 greyed-out. If you access the manual controls during protocol execution e.g. to resolve a problem, they will show the current arrangement of labware.
11.2.1 General
| Control | Function |
| Home all | Moves lower deck to left position and upper deck to right position and opens the plate clamps. This also homes the pipette head and dispense head. |
| Shut down | Shut down the firefly instrument |
| Power up | Start the firefly instrument |
| Reboot |
Turns off the power from the boards. This does not power off the embedded PC.
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11.2.2 Pipette Head
Empty loaded tips:
- Select a deck location from the dropdown list. Make sure there is a plate in that location, which you can dispense the liquid into.
- Select the plate type from the dropdown list.
- Select the tip type present on the pipette head from the list.
- Click 'Purge tips' to empty them.
Unload tips:
- Select the deck location from the drop-down menu that contains the tip stand you will unload tips into.
- Click the unload tips button.
Pick up tips:
- Select the deck location of the tip set to pick up, from the drop-down menu.
- Select the correct tip type from the drop-down menu.
- Click the pickup tips button.
| Control | Function |
| Reset | Resets all parameters to default and initializes to ready the pipette head to perform a new function. |
| Stop | Cancels the current action of the pipette head. |
| Pickup Tips | Picks up tips from a specified deck location. |
| Unload Tips | Unloads tips to a specified deck location. |
| Purge Tips | Expels remaining liquid from all tips. |
11.2.3 Dispense Head
Only S1 to S3 are enabled on a 3 head firefly.
- Select the syringes to purge by selecting the syringe locations on the dispense head graphic. The location will turn green when selected.
- Ensure reservoirs have been loaded into the reservoir tray. Click the purge button. This will purge all liquid from the syringes into the reservoirs.
| Control | Function |
| Get Access | Moves dispense head to the front of the firefly and opens syringe clamps to allow user to get access to the dispense head. |
| Home | This performs the remove function on selected syringes and then returns the headto the default location. |
| Engage | To be used with a new syringe. Moves dispense head to just above the reservoirs, then will drive the piston rod down to engage the plunger of the selected syringe. |
| Purge | Expels liquid from the syringes back into the reservoir. |
| Remove | Expels liquid from the syringes back into the reservoir then withdraws the plunger from the syringe. The syringe clamp opens to enable the selected syringe(s) to be removed. |
| Stop | Cancels the current action of the dispense head. |
11.2.3.i Syringe clamp
| Control | Function |
| Reset | Resets syringe clamps to default open position. |
| Open/Close | Controls if the syringe clamps are open or closed. |
11.2.4 Process Modules (Genomics instruments only)
11.2.4.i Shaker Module
| Control | Function |
| Reset | Resets all parameters to default to ready the module to perform a new function. |
| Home | Ensures shaker module is in correct position to receive a plate from the deck. |
| Open/Close | Controls if the plate clamps on the shaker module are open or closed |
| Set | Sets the rotations per minute performed by the shaker module once at full speed. |
| Start |
Starts the shaker module for the specified speed and time set.
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11.2.4.ii Reservoir thermal module
| Control | Function |
| Reset | Resets all parameters to default to ready the module to perform a new function. |
| Start/Stop | Turns on or off the thermal module so that it can reach target temperature. |
| Set | Sets a temperature that the thermal module will adjust to over time. |
11.2.4.ii Plate thermal modules
| Control | Function |
| Reset | Resets all parameters to default to ready the module to perform a new function. |
| Turn On/Turn Off | Turns on or off the thermal module so that it can reach target temperature. |
| Set |
Sets a temperature that the thermal module will adjust to over time.
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11.2.5 Deck
The deck functions relate to repositioning labware e.g. to work around a problem during protocol
execution. You can use the grippers to reposition labware, then 'Apply Changes' to update firefly.
CAUTION: Collision validation is not currently supported on the manual control page, so you must be careful when moving items around. firefly will not warn you that labware will collide nor will it stop the head moving.
11.2.5.i Gripper
| Control | Function |
| Reset | Moves grippers back to default position within the pipette head casing. |
| Pick up | Picks up specified labware from specified deck location |
| Set down | Puts down labware on specified deck location |
11.2.5.ii Plate clamps
| Control | Function |
| Reset | Resets the plate clamps in case of an error and closes clamps on both decks. |
| Open | Opens the plate clamps on both decks |
| Close |
Closes the plate clamps on both decks
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