Orca Scheduler

Orca is nearing its MVP debut!

Testing

Orca is built specifically for testing and offers high versatility.

Software developers spend over 50% of their time on testing and debugging. The physical demands of robotics and reagents require automation engineers to dedicate much of their day to testing. Orca is automation software that streamlines testing, helping deliver production-ready systems faster.

Versatility

Requirements constantly change, and your automation environment must keep pace. Orca is designed to adapt to evolving workflows.

Many schedulers help bench scientists develop workflows but lack the complexity needed for advanced workflows. Orca offers advanced scripting, improved drivers, and robust recovery features.

When is Orca available?

Cheshire Labs is a startup seeking partnerships and funding to test and develop the Orca scheduler. Contact us if you’re interested!

Git Friendly

You own your workflow, and it integrates seamlessly into your local git repo like any other code.

Diff Friendly

Easily track changes with clear, diff-able workflows, making it simple to see what has changed since the last run.

Easily Readable

Name and list your methods as they appear in your protocol, and reorder them with a simple copy and paste.

Quickly Change Labware Start and End Locations

Avoid reloading your plate store. Change the start point to a nearby plate pad and relaunch quickly.

Easily Swap Methods

Adapt to changing requirements by quickly swapping one method for another.

Configurable Environments

• Dry Testing – Ignore all liquid detection errors with a simple configuration.
• Water Testing – Set all shake times to 0 for quick tests.
• Production – Avoid missing production settings after testing with automatic resets.
• Custom – Create and deploy any configuration you need.

Method Encapsulation

Encapsulate the logic of a method within that unit and string them together to form a workflow.

Method Unit Testing

Running just a method allows your automation engineers to test and validate at the method level and then combine them to the workflow level.

Clear Naming

The language used in your protocol translates directly into your automation methods

Wrapper Methods

This workflow first delids the sample-plate and then performs a variable step. In this case, the variable step is defined in the plate-1 workflow to perform a sample-to-bead-plate transfer step.

This approach eliminates duplicate code, allowing engineers to make changes in one place and apply them reliably throughout the process. No more searching through methods to update every instance.

Python Scripting

No scheduler software fits every need. Orca offers powerful Python scripting to ensure your workflows perform as required.

Local Scripting

Your scripts are stored in your local git environment, allowing version control and easy diffing to track changes.