AutoIt CytExpert Scripts

Scripts to control the CytExpert software for the CytoFLEX FACS via Windows GUI automation.

Installation

1. Download and install the latest AutoIt Version from the Download Page.
2. Download and unpack the following UDF package UIA_V0_70.zip. Additional information therefore can be found in the corresponding IUIAutomation MS Framework Thread.
3. Place the files CUIAutomation2.au3 and UIAWrappers.au3 from the package in the same directory as the CytExpert-Script files.
4. Ensure that the paths in CytExpertDefs.au3 match the installation directory of CytExpert installed on the system.
5. If the CytExpertStartUp.au3 script should be able to start up the CytExpert Software by itself, log-in credentials must be also provided in the head section of the CytExpertDefs.au3 file.

File Overview

• CytExpertDefs.au3 - Include file containing function definitions, installation paths and log-in credentials.
• CytExpertStartUp.au3 - Script for starting and initializing the CytoFLEX Software "CytExpert".
• CytExpertLoad.au3 - Script for loading an experiment file and open the device hatch.
• CytExpertRun.au3 - Script for closing the device hatch and running the actual experiment.
• CytExpertOpenHatch.au3 - Script for opening the device hatch.
• CytExpertCloseHatch.au3 - Script for closing the device hatch.

Usage

Simply run the scripts with the installed AutoIt interpreter or compile them to *.exe files and start them. Since the running scripts require foreground focus of the application, it is highly advised to not operate other foreground tasks on the executing host computer while the scripts are active.

CytExpertStartUp.au3:
Starts the CytExpert program and does a back-flush. Returns: 0 on success, otherwise an error value.

CytExpertLoad.au3:
Loads the given template file and opens the device hatch.
Parameter1: Path of the template file (*.xitm) (File has to exist).
Parameter2: (Optional) Path and name of the output file of the experiment (*.xit) (File shall not yet exist).
Returns: 0 on success, otherwise an error value.

CytExpertRun.au3:
Closes the device hatch and runs the loaded experiment. Ensure that CytExpertStartUp.au3 and CytExpertLoad.au3 was successfully finished before executing this script.
Returns: 0 on success, otherwise an error value.

CytExpertOpenHatch.au3:
Opens the device hatch.
Returns: 0 on success, otherwise an error value.

CytExpertCloseHatch.au3:
Closes the device hatch.
Returns: 0 on success, otherwise an error value.