LIMS interfaces: How [FP]-LIMS connects your measuring instruments

A LIMS is only as good as its interfaces. If you’re still transcribing analysis data from the spectrometer or pushing inspection lots between lab and ERP by email, you’re giving away the biggest efficiency lever a lab digitalization project has. [FP]-LIMS is designed from the ground up as an integrating system – with three clearly distinct interface worlds.

LIMS interfaces to more than 100 instruments

By far the most common question in a sales conversation: “Will you connect our spectrometer / our hardness tester / our ICP-MS?” The answer is yes in 95 % of cases – out of the box.

[FP]-LIMS ships with more than 100 pre-built drivers for instrumental analysis across a wide range of manufacturers:

• Spark spectrometry / OES – e.g., SPECTRO® SpectroMAXX (partnership since 2002), Hitachi®, Bruker®
• X-ray fluorescence (XRF) – benchtop and handheld instruments from the common manufacturers
• ICP-OES / ICP-MS / AAS – mass and atomic spectrometry
• Hardness testing – Brinell, Vickers, Rockwell
• Tensile testing & mechanical materials testing
• Balances, pH meters, titrators – serial and network connectivity. What you can calculate directly from the weights is shown in our guide Lab calculations.
• Bruker QMatrix – dedicated integration

Instrument drivers cost nothing extra. They are always included with [FP]-LIMS. We activate them during installation, or you set them up yourself.

How many instruments per edition?

With [FP]-LIMS Light you connect one measuring instrument, from the Standard edition as many as you need. Which edition fits your lab is shown in the edition comparison.

And if an instrument isn’t on the list?

No instrument is too “exotic” for us. Thanks to a modular driver architecture and more than 30 years of experience with lab instruments, we find a clean solution for legacy machines or niche manufacturers too – usually within two working days. We do not take on very complex connections such as clinical analysers, as we do not work in the medical sector.

Connection options and data formats

How an instrument is connected depends on its port. Communication runs over RS232/RS485, TCP/IP, file watchers (XLS, XML, CSV, TXT), or direct database access.

Interface boxes via MQTT

We also connect interface boxes via MQTT. If an instrument has no network port but only USB, for example, such a box is set up for the instrument and purchased separately. It reads the measurement values and passes them to [FP]-LIMS via an MQTT server.

Production equipment: Siemens S7

[FP]-LIMS can read data from Siemens S7 controllers running in production. Set up bidirectionally, values can also be sent back to the equipment.

Text import and field-based routing

Orders and inspection orders can be imported free of charge via text import. If a field contains a specific designation, [FP]-LIMS routes the record automatically to where it belongs, for example to the matching order.

Integration with ERP systems and SAP® QM

Inspection lots from the ERP, results and usage decisions back: this two-way exchange is handled by the ERP interface module, available from [FP]-LIMS Professional. It is specifically prepared for SAP® QM in SAP S/4HANA® software, and also connects Microsoft Dynamics® / Navision and other ERP systems. All details on the page LIMS SAP integration and ERP interface.

Open API, browser interface & mobile extensions

Not every integration runs through classic ERP interfaces. For modern scenarios, [FP]-LIMS provides further routes:

Open API

Through documented, open interfaces, third-party systems can query data from [FP]-LIMS or write back to it. Typical applications: MES integration, MRP connection, IIoT platforms, Business Intelligence systems. Communication runs over the standard TCP/IP network protocol; data formats are XML, JSON, CSV, XLS – depending on the counterpart.

Browser interface (module)

The browser interface module provides a read-only interface in the user’s browser. Without local installation, authorized users can pull up analysis data, SPC charts, and status information – ideal for production management, executives, or external auditors with limited access needs.

Mobile extensions

On top of the browser interface, tailored applications can be developed for smartphones and tablets – for example, for mobile sampling or status checks from the warehouse floor.

What this means for your lab – concretely

Instead of theoretical interface architecture, two real-world snapshots that show what end-to-end integration changes in everyday work:

• Lab technician manually transcribes measurement values from the spectrometer – typo rate 1–3 %
• Material certificate manually assembled from multiple sources – effort: 15–30 minutes

• Measurement values flow directly from the instrument into the LIMS – in real time, end-to-end, without typos
• Material certificate at the push of a button – from the data structured in the LIMS

How inspection lots and results flow automatically between lab and ERP is shown on the page ERP interface for SAP® QM.

The most tangible effect for most customers isn’t speed – it’s data integrity: there is only one source of truth left, and it is audit-ready.

Frequently asked questions about LIMS interfaces

How many instrument interfaces are included out of the box?

Over 100 pre-configured drivers for spectrometers, XRF, ICP-MS, AAS, hardness testing, tensile testing, balances, pH meters, and more. If a specific instrument is missing, we typically deliver the integration within two working days.

Do instrument drivers cost extra?

No. All instrument drivers are included with [FP]-LIMS. We activate them during installation, or you set them up yourself.

How many instruments can I connect?

With [FP]-LIMS Light one measuring instrument, from the Standard edition as many as you need.

What if an instrument has no network port?

Then an interface box connects the instrument, for example via USB. The box is set up for the instrument, purchased separately and connected to [FP]-LIMS via MQTT.

Which data formats are supported?

XML, JSON, CSV, XLS, TXT for file-based interfaces. TCP/IP, RS232/RS485, and direct database access for real-time connections. REST/SOAP for API calls.

Do we need an ERP system?

No. [FP]-LIMS also works without any ERP. For data exchange with SAP® QM or other ERP systems, there is the ERP interface.

How secure are the interfaces?

[FP]-LIMS is ISO/IEC 27001-certified. Interfaces are encrypted; data access is role-based with a complete audit trail. Details on the security requirements are in the article IT security in the lab.