Method and apparatus for emulating laboratory instruments at remote stations configured by a network controller

A laboratory instrument emulation network, for measuring physical parameters at a plurality of laboratory stations, each station utilizing one or more sensors that make up a single scientific instrument, and each station displaying data collected at that laboratory station, said laboratory instrument emulation network comprising:

• (a) a network controller having a first processing unit with associated memory, a first communications controller circuit, said first communications controller circuit being in communication with said first processing unit and having a first input/output driver/receiver circuit;
• (b) a plurality of laboratory stations each including a second processing unit, said second processing unit including a computer program that operates upon instructions received from said network controller that configures said respective laboratory stations and commands said laboratory stations to begin acquiring data in real time, said laboratory stations then sending the acquired raw data to said network controller, said laboratory stations later receiving converted data from said network controller and displaying said converted data upon a display, a second communications controller circuit, said second communications controller circuit being in communication with said second processing unit and having a second input/output driver/receiver circuit, said display associated with a display controller that is in communication with said second processing unit, an operator input interface that is in communication with said second processing unit, a physical input interface circuit that is in communication with said second processing unit;
• and
• (c) a communications network that provides communication pathways s between said first input/output driver/receiver circuit and each of said plurality of second input/output driver/receiver circuits;
• wherein each of said laboratory stations is configurable to perform as more than one type of laboratory instrument, said network controller determining the configuration of each said laboratory station and causing said laboratory station to perform as at least one type of laboratory instrument.

A method of measuring physical parameters detected by one or more sensors that make up a single scientific instrument at a laboratory station, acquiring raw data, and displaying the associated converted data at each of a plurality of laboratory stations, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a network controller having a first processing unit with associated memory and said first processing unit in communication with a first communications controller circuit;
• (b) providing a plurality of laboratory stations each having a second processing unit and a display, an operator input interface, a physical input interface circuit, and a second communications controller circuit each in communication with said second processing unit;
• (c) selecting the type of scientific instrument that will be emulated at each of said plurality of laboratory stations in use;
• (d) repeatedly acquiring data in real-time at said plurality of laboratory stations corresponding to a physical parameter, thereby creating a plurality of raw data signals, each signal having a sequential series of values;
• (e) communicating the value of each said raw data signal for a particular time interval and for a particular laboratory station to said network controller;
• (f) storing each said received value of said raw data signal in a memory of said first processing unit;
• (g) converting each said raw data signal into an appropriate converted signal;
• (h) communicating at least one value of each said converted signal from said network controller to at least the laboratory station that provided the raw data signal that was converted into said converted signal;
• and
• (i) displaying at said laboratory station providing said raw data signal in near real-time said at least one value of said converted signal associated with said laboratory station providing said raw data signal.

A laboratory instrument emulation network comprising:

• a network controller, said network controller comprising:
• a first processing unit;
• a memory, said memory in communication with said first processing unit, said memory containing an operating system and at least one personality module;
• and
• a first communications controller circuit, said first communications controller circuit being in communication with said first processing unit and having a first input/output driver/receiver circuit;
• a plurality of laboratory stations, each said laboratory station comprising:
• a second processing unit with associated memory;
• a second communications controller circuit, said second communications controller circuit being in communication with said second processing unit and having a second input/output driver/receiver circuit;
• a display with associated display controller that is in communication with said second processing unit;
• a keypad with associated keypad controller that is in communication with said second processing unit;
• an analog to digital conversion circuit that is in communication with said second processing unit;
• and
• a communications network that provides communication pathways between said first input/output driver/receiver circuit and each of said plurality of second input/output driver/receiver circuits;
• wherein each of said laboratory stations can emulate one of the plurality of scientific instruments for which personality modules are stored in said memory of said network controller, each said laboratory station capable of selecting one of said plurality of scientific instrument, thereby determining the configuration and personality of said laboratory station, each said laboratory station sending acquired data and control messages to said network controller, said network controller storing and processing said acquired data and control messages, said acquired data from said station is processed using said personality module selected for said lab station, said processed data transmitted over said communications network to said laboratory station for display on said display.