Veritas^™ Microplate Luminometer

This Technical Note provides recommendations for optimizing the performance and life of the Turner BioSystems Veritas™ Microplate Luminometer.

Before unpacking the Veritas™ and running the first microplate, the following steps should be completed.

Have the correct AC line voltage or frequency. Refer to the Operating Manual for power requirements.

Use only the external power adapter provided with the instrument. The three LEDs on the front of the instrument indicate proper start up. When the power switch on the back of Veritas™ is turned on, the green LED should stay on.

Note: all three LEDs should flash on briefly and then the red one should turn off.

The Veritas™ and the host PC should be plugged into the same AC outlet box with an electrical ground. Differences in ground potential may cause intermittent communication problems.

Note: if there is any doubt, have an electrician verify the AC socket voltage and common ground.

Do not attempt to use the covered USB connector on the back of the instrument to link to a host PC. Use of this connector will not provide a valid link.

Suggested Cables:

• Use a standard DB9-to-DB9 molded “RS-232 extender” cable (also referred to as a “straight through” RS-232 cable) to connect the Veritas™ to a host PC. Do not use a “null modem” or “lap link” cable for this connection.
• Avoid using an intermediate cable joint.
• Inspect the cable for fraying, odd bends, or broken pins and sockets. Replace as needed.
• To prevent accidental connection to an LPT port on the PC, avoid using a cable with DB25 connectors. If a “gender changer” is needed at either end, the wrong type of cable is being used.
• Using an adapter to create an RS-232 connection from a USB port on the PC is acceptable as long as it is well supported by the Microsoft® Windows system used. This may require installation of a vendor-supplied driver. The new COM port created for this purpose must be assigned a number no higher than 16.

The cable used to connect to a COM port on the PC can be tested before connecting to the Veritas™ by using the Windows utility called HyperTerminal. Contact Turner Biosystems’ technical support for detailed instructions.

Avoid routing the cable around transformers or CRTs. Do not use modems in the link between the Veritas™ and host PC.

The PC-based Graphical User Interface (GUI) software supplied by Turner BioSystems uses Microsoft® Excel. Excel version 97 (sometimes called Excel 8) or later must be installed on the host PC. Native foreign language versions (non-English) are not compatible; Excel rights must be current and active. Excel 2002 or later versions must be registered with Microsoft. The security level must be set low enough to allow running macros in the Turner BioSystems-supplied template (.xlt) files. Test for correct installation by opening a new Excel workbook and doing some calculations. If unsuccessful, the current Excel version is not compatible and must be upgraded to work with the Veritas™.

The Veritas™ GUI software is installed onto a host PC using Microsoft® Installer, as commanded by InstallShield.

Note: if the GUI is an update, uninstall any previous version before installing the update.

The installation process will create a folder with instrument-specific log files and another folder with the application program, operating manuals, protocol templates, and firmware. This process requires that the installing user have administrator privileges for the system. The installation may fail if the PC has insufficient resources such as memory or screen size, or if the operating system is either older than Windows 98 or newer than Windows XP. Refer to the Veritas™ operating manual for specifications.

Test the newly installed software by running the software from the host PC. The GUI will attempt communication with the Veritas™. If communication is unsuccessful, the GUI will recommend corrective action such as checking instrument power, cables, or selecting a different COM port.

PC Settings to Improve Reliability