Providing Sensory Feedback Indicating an Operating Mode of a Thermal Process Stream Device

A method of providing sensory feedback to a user of a thermal process stream device of a current device operating mode for receiving data input, the method comprising:

• receiving an indication that a device operating mode of the thermal process stream device is to be initiated;
• providing sensory feedback to the user indicating that the thermal process stream device is operating in the device operating mode and that input data specific to the device operating mode is expected;
• receiving user-entered input data for the device operating mode;
• receiving an indication that the user-entered input data is complete;
• and
• upon receiving the indication that the user-entered input data is complete, removing the sensory feedback to the user.

A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a controller of a process stream device, cause the process stream device to:

• receive an indication that an interpretive language architecture with interpretive BIOS machine mode of the process stream device is to be initiated;
• provide sensory feedback to a user of the process stream device indicating that the interpretive language architecture with interpretive BIOS machine mode is active and that input data comprising a predetermined code associated with a specimen upon which to perform work is expected, wherein the predetermined code is intended to be interpreted by a BIOS machine and/or work manager of the process stream device to produce user-independent functional commands for controlling the process stream device;
• receive user-entered input data comprising the predetermined code;
• receive an indication that the user-entered input data is complete;
• and
• initiate the user-independent functional commands in the process stream device to perform work on the specimen.