METHOD OF OPERATING A LABORATORY SAMPLE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, LABORATORY SAMPLE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND LABORATORY AUTOMATION SYSTEM

摘要

Method of operating a laboratory sample distribution system (100), the laboratory sample distribution system (100) comprising: a number of sample container carriers (140), a gateway (150) having a network interface (151), and a number of transport modules (120_1 to 120_n), wherein each transport module (120_1 to 120_n) comprises: a transport surface (121), wherein the transport modules (120_1 to 120_n) are arrangeable adjacent to one another in a row-direction (x) and in a column-direction (y) such that the transport surfaces (121) of the transport modules (120_1 to 120_n) together form a common transport surface (110), controllable drive means (122) being arranged below the transport surface (121) and being adapted to move sample container carriers (140) on the transport surface (121), a left network interface (126), a right network interface (127), an upper network interface (128), and a lower network interface (129), wherein the left network interfaces (126) and the right network interfaces (127) are adapted to connect transport modules (120_1 to 120_n) arranged adjacent to one another in the row-direction (x) and the upper network interfaces (128) and the lower network interfaces (129) are adapted to connect transport modules (120_1 to 120_n) arranged adjacent to one another in the column-direction (y), wherein the network interface (151) of the gateway (150) is connected to a network interface (126) of a first transport module (120_1), the method comprising the steps: sending an explore command from the gateway (150) to the first transport module (120_1), propagating an initialization command from the first transport module (120_1) to the remaining transport modules (120_2 to 120_n) from transport module (120_1 to 120_n) to transport module (120_1 to 120_n), storing addresses within the transport modules (120_1 to 120_n), wherein a stored address of a respective transport module (120_1 to 120_n) corresponds to a column (C0 to C6) and to a row (R0 to R8) in which the corresponding transport module (120_1 to 120_n) is positioned, and using the addresses by the gateway (150) to address the transport modules (120_1 to 120_n).