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Quick start guide

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joshdahmer edited this page May 31, 2023 · 13 revisions

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Getting up and running

To start using MicroDrop:

  1. Download and install the latest version of MicroDrop.
  2. Launch MicroDrop shortcut from Windows Start menu.
  3. (optional) Install plugin(s)

1. Download and install the latest version of MicroDrop.

The latest MicroDrop release is available here (see what's new in this version). If you are using Windows 8 or 10, you may see a SmartScreen message because the installer file is not signed. Just click on the "More info" link and the "Run anyway" button to bypass this warning. wikilink

This version of MicroDrop installer doesn't automatically add a shortcut to the Windows Start Menu. You will need to manually create a shortcut by going into the folder where you installed MicroDrop, right-clicking on the MicroDrop application and clicking "Create Shortcut". The resulting shortcut can be moved to wherever you want to have MicroDrop easily accessible.

Note: if you have previously installed MicroDrop, you should uninstall it before installing the latest version.

See also

2. Launch MicroDrop shortcut from Windows Start menu

After installation, you can launch MicroDrop from:

  • the Windows Start Menu; or
  • the Desktop shortcut.

The following shortcuts are available in the Windows Start Menu:

3. (optional) Install plugin(s)

The MicroDrop installer includes several plugins.

Additional plugins may be installed through the MicroDrop user interface.

Included plugins

The following plugins are included with the MicroDrop installer:

  • microdrop.dmf-device-ui-plugin
    • Displays interactive DMF chip geometry.
    • Optional augmented reality interface, where device drawing is overlaid on live webcam video feed.
  • microdrop.dropbot-plugin
    • Control actuation parameters for the DropBot open-source Digital Microfluidic (DMF) automation system.
  • microdrop.droplet-planning-plugin
    • Click and drag mouse over series of electrodes to create a route.
    • Hold Alt, click on source electrode, and drag to target electrode to automatically route between electrodes.
    • Finish route at starting point to form a cycle that may be repeated (i.e., mixing) either:
      • A set number of repetitions
      • A time duration
  • microdrop.step-label-plugin
    • Optionally add text label to any step in protocol.
    • Most recent and next upcoming labelled steps are indicated while running protocol.
  • microdrop.user-prompt-plugin
    • Add (optional) user prompt for each step in protocol (e.g., "Confirm sample is loaded.")
    • Protocol execution is paused until user confirms OK to proceed.
    • If user selects Cancel, protocol is stopped.

Enable/disable plugin(s) through MicroDrop GUI

  1. Select "File/Manage Plugins..." from the menu.

  2. Click the "Enable" button next to a plugin to enable it.

    Enable MicroDrop plugins

All plugins that are enabled when MicroDrop closes will be re-enabled the next time MicroDrop is launched.

Install plugins through MicroDrop GUI

  1. Select "File/Manage Plugins..." from the menu.

  2. Click the "Download plugin..." button.

  3. Select one or more plugins from the and click "OK".

  4. A few seconds later you should see a series of message boxes telling you that the plugins were installed successfully.

  5. The program will then shut itself down and you will need to restart it to finish the plugin installation.

    Install MicroDrop plugins

Next steps

If you've made it this far, you should have a working MicroDrop installation.

For further details on how to use the software, please check out the User guide.

If you are using a DropBot model DB3-120, be sure to check out the DropBot MicroDrop plugin documentation.

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