ASTM Analyzer Integration for Lab Software
Available todayMost bench analyzers speak ASTM over a serial (RS-232) or Ethernet link, and SamLab's LIS add-on reads those messages directly into result entry. In-process quality control (IQC) is available on the Pro plan and above. To confirm a specific instrument works, bring its make and model to a demo.
The detail
ASTM — specifically E1381 for the low-level link and E1394 for the record structure, together often called LIS2-A2 — is what the great majority of bench analyzers actually speak. This is the protocol the SamLab LIS engine was built around. The generic driver handles the framing and checksums; a per-analyzer parser bundle supplies the code map for your specific model.
How it is set up
- 1
Cable the analyzer to the lab PC over RS-232 (or TCP, if the instrument offers it).
- 2
Set the port, baud rate and framing to match the instrument’s manual.
- 3
Install the parser bundle carrying your model’s code map.
- 4
Send a live sample and confirm the values land against the right order and the right parameter.
Questions labs ask
What is the difference between ASTM and LIS2-A2?+
They describe the same thing in practice. ASTM E1381 defines the low-level transfer and E1394 the record content; CLSI later reissued that work as LIS1-A and LIS2-A2. An analyzer manual saying "LIS2-A2" and one saying "ASTM E1394" are telling you the same thing.
Is the interface bi-directional?+
No — the link is one-way. The instrument sends finished results and SamLab files them against the sample by barcode; SamLab does not send the worklist back to the machine. Bidirectional operation also depends on the instrument supporting host query, which many bench analyzers do not. If two-way is a firm requirement, tell us the exact make and model before you buy.
What if my analyzer sends a code SamLab does not know?+
It is logged rather than dropped. The raw packet store keeps what the instrument actually sent, so an unmapped code becomes a one-line addition to the code map instead of a lost result.
Try the whole lab, free for 7 days.
No card. No catch. Run SamLab on your own data — online or offline — and feel the difference before you pay a rupee.