"POCT1a" Interface

Sofia instruments with firmware version 1.12 or higher support the POCT1a protocol. The implementation includes:

  • Sending results to the LIS
  • Receiving clock updates
  • Receiving user list updates

Setup the POCT1a LIS interface

Before setting up the Interface, complete the steps to connect the Sofia 2 Instrument to your local area network via Wired Ethernet or Wi-Fi Login to the instrument with a Supervisor credentials.

  1. Navigate to Supervisor Menu, Network Settings, LIS Settings.

  2. Enter the LIS IP Address provided by your LIS support resource.

  3. Enter the LIS Port number provided by your LIS support resource.

  4. Select the Right Arrow Icon at the bottom right corner of the screen to continue to the next screen.

  5. To have Sofia 2 automatically send results as they are produced, select On.

  6. Select the Right Arrow Icon at the bottom right corner of the screen to continue to the next screen.

  7. For the Connection Protocol, select POCT1-A.

  8. At the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, there are two icons. Pressing the icon “square with an up-arrow” will test the connection. If the test is successful, Sofia 2 will provide the message “Test connection success.”

  9. After testing, select the checkmark icon to return to the previous screen and then select the checkmark icon again to save your settings.

If the LIS connection test is unsuccessful, Sofia 2 will provide the message “Test connection error. Interface: ethernet”. If this happens, go back through the setup screens to verify the IP address and Port number entered are correct. If so, check with your support to assure that the destination host has a POCT1a interface up and running and listening for the Sofia2 connection. If it is necessary to repeat connection testing, you can access the test the connection from the first level main menu by selecting Send Data and then Test Connection from the subsequent screen

Troubleshooting advice for networking

Perform a PING test

A PING test is done to confirm that the instrument has a proper and working connection on your network. The following procedure can also be used to make sure that there is no duplication of the assigned IP address of the Sofia 2 Analyzer on your network. A PING test is run from a PC on your local network. Please engage your technical support if you are unfamiliar with how to PING the Sofia 2 instrument.
If you get a positive PING response from the address assigned to the Sofia 2, this is an indication that you have a good working IP address and can proceed to Interface configuration and testing. However, if you are here at troubleshooting steps because your LIS interface connection is not working, the following procedure will reveal if there is there is another device on your network that has been assigned the same network address. Each device on a network must have a unique IP address. Disconnect the ethernet cable from the Sofia 2. This action takes the Sofia 2 off the network. Attempt to Ping the Sofia 2’s IP Address from a PC on the local network. For this test, the Ping request should return ‘Request timed Out’. To perform this test with a Sofia 2 analyzer set to Wi-Fi connection, simply turn the instrument off and perform the PING. The Ping request should return ‘Request timed Out’. For either test, If the Ping does not return “Request timed out”, another device on the network has the same IP address as the Sofia 2. In this case, a new IP Address for the Sofia 2 instrument will need to be assigned by the I.T. department.

If you get no PING response when the instrument is disconnected and a positive PING when it is, you have proven that you have a working network connection. If a test of the LIS connection fails at this point, it’s time to seek help from your Network Support and/or Support for the endpoint host system, be that an LIS, EHR or Middleware System.