Microplate Barcode Labeler User Guide - Agilent Technologies

Chapter 4: Setting up the VCode
VCode User Guide
75
About the vertical plate stage positions
Introduction
This topic gives general information about the vertical plate stage
positions.
When to change the
vertical plate stage
position
Different types of plates can have different skirt heights. Without a height
accommodation, a label positioned optimally in the vertical dimension
on one plate will be either too high or too low on a plate that has a
significantly different skirt height.
To accommodate different skirt heights, the plate stage has two vertical
positions, top and bottom. You set the heights of these positions
mechanically. You can also specify whether the top or bottom position is
used to label a specific plate. This is done in PlateTag through the value
of the drop stage field.
Before labelling a plate, the plate stage moves to the vertical position
specified by the drop stage field.
For shallow plates it is best to keep the stage in the top position. For
deepwell plates, you may have to drop the stage to the bottom position.
If you are using both types of plate, use a different position for each.
Plate spacer
If you are using a plate with a very short skirt, so that even at the highest
stage position the labels are applied too high up, you can use a plate
spacer. For more information, contact Velocity11.
Using plates of the
same height
If all of the plates that you intend to use have the same skirt height, you
might want to set the top and bottom positions to the same height. By
doing this:
❑ You can avoid problems caused by accidentally changing the drop
stage value in VCode Diagnostics.
❑ You can establish if one of the stage height positions has drifted.
If there is any vertical movement in the stage when you use the drop
stage command, drifting has occurred.
Related information
For more information about...
Viewing the drop stage position in
VCode Diagnostics
Setting the vertical position of the
plate stage
The drop stage field
Setting the drop stage value when
creating a schema
See...
“Checking the basic applicator
functions” on page 63
“Setting the heights of the plate stage
positions” on page 76
“About label formats and the label
editor” on page 84
“Setting the drop stage value” on
page 132