Mass Spectrometry Data (mzML, Bruker TDF, vendor conversion) MCP Server

LabMCP: Let AI Assistants Run Your Lab Instruments

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LabMCP lets an AI assistant such as Claude operate your laboratory instruments. You describe what you want in plain language, and the assistant weighs, heats, stirs, pumps, measures and logs for you. It stays inside safety limits you set, keeps a record of every command, and has a practice mode that needs no hardware.

It supports balances, hotplate stirrers, syringe pumps, spectrometers, mass spectrometers, potentiostats, lock-in amplifiers, temperature controllers, vacuum gauges, flow controllers, biosensors, clinical analyzers and more. You don't need to know how to program. Setup means installing one free helper program and pasting a few lines into your AI app's settings.

Free and open source, built by K-Dense.

You:        Tare the balance, then heat the stirrer to 60 °C at 400 rpm and log the pH every
            30 s until it's stable. Tell me when to add the reagent.

Assistant:  [tares the balance → sets stirring to 400 rpm → sets heating to 60 °C → logs pH …]
            "pH has been 7.41 ± 0.01 for 3 minutes. Ready for the reagent."

⭐ Help other scientists find this. If LabMCP is useful to you, please star the repo.

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📋 Contents

• How it works
• Try it in 10 minutes (no instrument needed)
• Supported instruments
• Connect your real instrument
• Safety
• What every connector includes
• Example requests
• FAQ
• Contributing
• Roadmap

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💡 How it works

  You  ──type──▶  AI app  ──▶  LabMCP connector  ──USB / serial / network cable──▶  Instrument
                 (Claude,       (runs on the computer
                  Cursor, …)     attached to the instrument)

• The AI app is where you type requests, e.g. Claude Desktop.
• A LabMCP connector is a small program that knows one family of instruments and its command language, so the AI never has to guess it. You add one connector per type of instrument. (Technically these are MCP servers, which is the term you'll see in the tables and docs.)
• MCP (Model Context Protocol) is the open standard that lets AI apps plug into tools like these. Think of it as USB for AI.
• The AI can only use the actions a connector offers, like "tare", "set temperature" or "read pH". In the docs these actions are called tools. The connector checks every request against your limits and refuses anything unsafe before it reaches the instrument.

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🚀 Try it in 10 minutes (no instrument needed)

Each connector has a practice mode (a simulator) that behaves like the real instrument and gives realistic replies. Nothing is connected, so nothing can go wrong.

You need: a Mac, Windows or Linux computer, and an AI app that supports MCP. Claude Desktop is the easiest place to start.

Step 1: Install uv (once)

uv is a free tool that downloads and runs LabMCP for you. Open a terminal:

• Mac: press ⌘ Space, type Terminal, press Enter.
• Windows: open the Start menu, type PowerShell, press Enter.

Paste the line for your system and press Enter:

# Mac or Linux
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

# Windows
powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"

Close the terminal and open it again so it finds the new program.

Step 2: Add a practice balance to your AI app

In Claude Desktop, go to Settings → Developer → Edit Config. This opens a file called claude_desktop_config.json. Paste the following into it and save. If the file already has an "mcpServers" section, add only the "balance" line inside it.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "balance": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["labmcp-mettler-toledo", "--simulate"] }
  }
}

Quit Claude Desktop completely, then reopen it.

Mac tip: if Claude reports that it can't find uvx, run which uvx in Terminal and replace "uvx" in the file with the full path it prints (usually /Users/<your-name>/.local/bin/uvx).

Using a different app? For Claude Code, run claude mcp add balance -- uvx labmcp-mettler-toledo --simulate in a terminal. For Cursor, VS Code, Codex and Windsurf, see docs/clients.md.

Step 3: Ask

"What instrument is connected? Tare it, then log the weight every second for 10 seconds."

The first request can take a minute while the connector downloads. Your AI app will usually ask your permission before it takes an action. Say yes.

Want a whole lab? examples/ sets up six practice instruments at once (balance, stirrer, pH probe, syringe pump, potentiostat and spectrometer).

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📦 Supported instruments

Find your instrument below and click its name. Each page covers the settings to change on the instrument itself, the safety limits you can set, and everything the AI can do with it.

Reading the tables:

• Interface is the cable or connection the instrument uses.
• Tools is how many different actions the AI can take.
• Install is the name to put in your AI app's settings (the part after uvx).
• Status: 🧪 simulated means built from the manufacturer's published manual and tested thoroughly in practice mode, but not yet confirmed on a real instrument by a user. ✅ hardware-verified means someone has confirmed it on the real instrument. If you own one of these instruments, you can help verify it. No coding needed.

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🧬 Biology & Life Sciences

Server	Instruments	Interface	Tools	Status	Install
Atlas Scientific EZO Sensors<br><sub>Read pH, ORP, dissolved oxygen, conductivity/TDS/salinity, temperature, humidity, CO2 or pressure; calibrate, set temperature compensation, log series.</sub>	Atlas Scientific: EZO-pH, EZO-ORP, EZO-DO, EZO-EC …	UART (USB-serial adapter), Ethernet (serial bridge)	13	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-atlas-ezo
Micro-Manager Microscope<br><sub>Snap images (stats + preview + TIFF), z-stacks and time-lapses, move XY/Z within step and soft limits, channel/objective presets, exposure, shutter, autofocus.</sub>	Micro-Manager (open source; hundreds of camera, stage, filter and light-source vendors): Any microscope with a Micro-Manager hardware configuration (.cfg), Micro-Manager demo configuration	USB, Serial, Camera Link / CoaXPress / GigE (through Micro-Manager device adapters)	19	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-micro-manager
New Era Syringe Pump<br><sub>Set the syringe (presets or diameter), infuse or withdraw an exact volume at a set rate, track dispensed volume, stop.</sub>	New Era Pump Systems: NE-1000, NE-1002X, NE-1010, NE-4000 …	RS-232, USB (RS-232 adapter), Serial-to-Ethernet	11	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-new-era
Opentrons OT-2 / Flex<br><sub>Upload and analyze protocols, review deck layout, start/pause/stop/resume runs, track progress, home, lights, read pipettes and modules, switch modules off.</sub>	Opentrons: Flex, OT-2	Ethernet, Wi-Fi, USB (network over USB)	18	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-opentrons
Tecan Cavro Syringe Pump<br><sub>Initialize, aspirate and dispense microlitre volumes at set flow rates, switch valve ports, read plunger/valve status, terminate moves.</sub>	Tecan: Cavro XLP 6000, Cavro XMP 6000, Cavro XCalibur	RS-232, RS-485 (via adapter), Serial-to-Ethernet	9	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-cavro

⚗️ Chemistry

Server	Instruments	Interface	Tools	Status	Install
IKA Hotplate & Overhead Stirrer<br><sub>Read plate/probe temperature and speed, set and start heating and stirring, hardware watchdog, wait for temperature, stop all.</sub>	IKA: C-MAG HS 7 control, IKA Plate (RCT digital), EUROSTAR 60 control, EUROSTAR 100 control	RS-232, USB (virtual COM)	14	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-ika
JULABO Circulator<br><sub>Read bath/external temperature and heating power, set setpoint, start/stop tempering, decode status and alarms, wait for temperature.</sub>	JULABO: CORIO CD, CORIO CP, MAGIO MS, DYNEO DD	USB (virtual COM), RS-232	10	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-julabo
LC-MS Worklist Builder<br><sub>Build, randomise, validate, convert and export LC-MS sample queues as vendor import files (never starts a run).</sub>	Multi-vendor: Waters MassLynx 4.x, SCIEX OS, Agilent MassHunter Acquisition, Thermo Xcalibur	File	12	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-ms-worklist
Mass Spectrometry Data (mzML, Bruker TDF, vendor conversion)<br><sub>Read and analyse LC-MS data from any vendor via open formats: find runs, run metadata, TIC/BPC, XICs with apex and area, spectra, MS2 search by precursor, quick QC, and conversion of vendor files with the user's own msconvert or ThermoRawFileParser.</sub>	Vendor-neutral: Any LC-MS run in mzML/mzMLb, Bruker timsTOF (TDF .d), Thermo .raw, Waters .raw, Agilent .d, SCIEX .wiff/.wiff2, Shimadzu .lcd, Bruker BAF (via conversion)	File	12	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-ms-data
Mettler Toledo Balance<br><sub>Weigh (stable/immediate), tare, zero, log drift series, internal adjustment, draft shield, display messages.</sub>	Mettler Toledo: Excellence XPR/XSR, XP/XS, XA/XE, MS/ML …	RS-232, USB (virtual COM), Ethernet	17	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-mettler-toledo
Ocean Insight Spectrometer<br><sub>Acquire averaged/smoothed spectra with saturation checks, auto integration time, dark and reference storage, absorbance and transmittance spectra, peak positions with FWHM, detector TEC (QE Pro).</sub>	Ocean Insight (Ocean Optics): USB2000+, USB2000, USB4000, USB650 …	USB	16	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-ocean-spectrometer
PalmSens Potentiostat<br><sub>Cyclic, linear-sweep and differential-pulse voltammetry, chronoamperometry and raw MethodSCRIPT, with peak summaries and CSV export.</sub>	PalmSens: EmStat Pico, EmStat4 LR/HR (incl. EmStat4S/4M/4X), Sensit Wearable / Sensit BT, Nexus	USB (virtual COM port), UART / RS-232	10	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-palmsens
Sartorius Balance<br><sub>Weigh (stable/immediate), tare, zero, log drift series, internal adjustment, ambient filter, keypad lock.</sub>	Sartorius: Cubis MSE, Cubis II MCA, Secura, Quintix …	RS-232, USB (virtual COM), Ethernet (Cubis II)	10	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-sartorius
Thermo Orbitrap (Instrument API)<br><sub>Adapter for the licensed Thermo IAPI (bring your own assemblies): instrument status, live scan buffer with MS-order filters, validated and rate-limited custom and repeating scans, acquisitions to raw files, stop/cancel.</sub>	Thermo Fisher Scientific: Orbitrap Fusion, Orbitrap Fusion Lumos, Orbitrap Eclipse, Orbitrap Ascend …	.NET API (Windows)	15	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-thermo-iapi

🔭 Physics & Optics

Server	Instruments	Interface	Tools	Status	Install
Keithley SourceMeter SMU<br><sub>Configure a voltage or current source with compliance, switch the output on/off, measure V and I, run bounded linear/log/dual IV sweeps with resistance fit and CSV export, 2/4-wire sense.</sub>	Keithley (Tektronix): 2400, 2401, 2410, 2420 …	GPIB, USB (USBTMC), Ethernet (LXI / raw socket), RS-232	12	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-keithley-smu
Lake Shore Temperature Controller<br><sub>Read all sensor inputs with status, heater status, set setpoints/ramps/heater ranges/PID, wait for stable temperature, all heaters off.</sub>	Lake Shore Cryotronics: Model 335, Model 336, Model 350	USB (virtual COM), Ethernet (TCP 7777, 336/350), IEEE-488 (GPIB)	11	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-lakeshore
Pfeiffer Vacuum Gauge Controller<br><sub>Read and log pressures with status per channel, identify gauges, change units, switch ionisation gauges on/off with a pressure interlock, read errors.</sub>	Pfeiffer Vacuum: TPG 361, TPG 362, TPG 366 MaxiGauge, TPG 261 …	USB (virtual COM), Ethernet (TCP 8000), RS-232 (TPG 26x)	11	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-pfeiffer-tpg
SRS Lock-in Amplifier<br><sub>Read X/Y/R/θ snapshots, set reference frequency/harmonic/phase, sine amplitude, sensitivity, time constant, auto phase/gain/range, bounded frequency sweeps.</sub>	Stanford Research Systems: SR830, SR810, SR860, SR865A	GPIB, RS-232, USB (USBTMC), Ethernet (VXI-11)	15	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-srs-lockin
SRS Residual Gas Analyzer<br><sub>Analog and histogram spectra, partial pressures at chosen m/z, total pressure, helium leak checks, gas identification; filament, CDEM and degas with pressure interlocks.</sub>	Stanford Research Systems: RGA100, RGA200, RGA300	RS-232, TCP	18	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-srs-rga
Thorlabs Optical Power Meter<br><sub>Read optical power (W and dBm), log power stability series, set wavelength correction, averaging and range, dark-zero the sensor, read sensor head temperature.</sub>	Thorlabs: PM100D, PM100A, PM100USB, PM400 …	USB (USBTMC / VISA)	11	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-thorlabs-pm

🩺 Health & Biosignals

Server	Instruments	Interface	Tools	Status	Install
ASTM LIS Analyzer Receiver<br><sub>Receive-only LIS: ACK/NAK frames with checksum validation, reassemble messages, and query results by sample, patient, test or time. Patient name/DOB redacted by default. Research use only.</sub>	Any (ASTM E1381/E1394, CLSI LIS1-A/LIS2-A2): Hematology analyzers, Clinical chemistry analyzers, Immunoassay analyzers, Urinalysis and coagulation analyzers …	RS-232, TCP/IP (client), TCP/IP (listener)	8	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-astm-lis
Bluetooth LE Health Sensors<br><sub>Scan, read device info/battery, record heart rate with RR intervals and HRV, read SpO2, blood pressure, temperature and weight. Research use only, not a medical device.</sub>	Any (Bluetooth SIG standard profiles): Heart-rate chest straps and armbands (Heart Rate Service), Pulse oximeters (Pulse Oximeter Service), Blood pressure monitors (Blood Pressure Service), Thermometers (Health Thermometer Service) …	Bluetooth Low Energy	11	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-ble-health
BrainFlow Biosensing Boards<br><sub>List boards, stream, record N seconds (stats + downsampled traces + CSV), EEG band powers, event markers, per-channel signal quality (flat, railed, mains noise). Research use only.</sub>	OpenBCI, Interaxon (Muse), Neurosity, g.tec, BrainBit, Mentalab, EmotiBit and others (via BrainFlow): OpenBCI Cyton / Cyton+Daisy / Ganglion / Galea (USB, BLE, WiFi Shield), Muse 2 / Muse S / Muse S Athena / Muse 2016, Neurosity Crown / Notion 1 / Notion 2, g.tec Unicorn Hybrid Black …	USB (serial dongle), Bluetooth LE, WiFi, Vendor SDK (via BrainFlow)	12	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-brainflow

⚙️ Engineering & Data Acquisition

Server	Instruments	Interface	Tools	Status	Install
Alicat Mass Flow & Pressure Controller<br><sub>Read mass/volumetric flow, pressure and temperature, set setpoints, select gases, tare, hold or close valves, log flow series.</sub>	Alicat Scientific: MC/MCR/MCS/MCE/MCV/MCW mass flow controllers, M/MS/MW mass flow meters, PC/PCD pressure controllers, P pressure gauges …	RS-232, RS-485, USB (virtual COM), Ethernet (serial bridge)	14	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-alicat
Bench DC Power Supply<br><sub>Read setpoints and measured V/I/CV-CC per channel, set voltage and current limits, switch outputs on/off, set OVP/OCP, read errors.</sub>	Rigol, Siglent, Aim-TTi: Rigol DP832/DP831/DP822/DP821/DP811/DP813, Rigol DP711/DP712, Rigol DP932A/U/E, Siglent SPD3303X/X-E …	USB (USB-TMC / virtual COM), LAN (VISA / raw socket), RS-232, GPIB (via VISA)	12	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-bench-psu
LabJack T-series DAQ<br><sub>Read analog inputs, stream waveforms, read thermocouples and the device temperature, read/set digital I/O and set DACs, with voltage and stream limits.</sub>	LabJack: T4, T7, T7-Pro, T8	USB, Ethernet, WiFi (T7-Pro)	12	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-labjack
NI-DAQmx DAQ Devices<br><sub>List devices, acquire finite analog voltage and thermocouple data, read/write digital lines and set analog outputs, with voltage, rate and sample limits.</sub>	National Instruments (NI): USB-6001/6002/6003, USB-6008/6009, USB-621x, USB/PCIe-63xx (M/X series) …	USB, PCI/PCIe, PXI, Ethernet (cDAQ)	11	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-ni-daqmx
Rigol Oscilloscope<br><sub>Read settings, autoscale, run/stop/single, set channels, timebase and edge trigger, take measurements, capture scaled waveforms (screen or deep memory) and screenshots.</sub>	Rigol: DS1000Z / MSO1000Z (DS1054Z, DS1104Z...), DS1000Z-E (DS1202Z-E), MSO5000, DHO800 / DHO900 …	USB (USB-TMC), LAN (VXI-11 / raw socket)	16	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-rigol-scope

🔌 Universal Protocols (many instruments)

Server	Instruments	Interface	Tools	Status	Install
EPICS Channel Access<br><sub>Read PVs with units, precision, alarms, timestamps and limits; monitor PVs for a bounded time; guarded writes (allow-list regex, access rights, DRVH/DRVL control limits, put-callback completion); configurable safe-state action.</sub>	EPICS collaboration (any EPICS IOC): Any EPICS IOC serving Channel Access (EPICS Base 3.14-7.x, areaDetector, motor, asyn, PyDevice, caproto IOCs), CA gateways	Ethernet (CA over UDP/TCP 5064/5065)	10	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-epics
Generic SCPI Instrument<br><sub>Identify, query, write and batch raw SCPI with a query-only read path, configurable command allow/deny lists, error-queue checks, binary block transfer and a user-defined safe state.</sub>	Any (SCPI / IEEE 488.2): Digital multimeters, Oscilloscopes, Source-measure units, DC power supplies and electronic loads …	GPIB (VISA), USBTMC (VISA), LAN VXI-11 / HiSLIP (VISA), LAN raw socket (e.g. port 5025), RS-232 / USB-serial	15	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-scpi
Modbus TCP/RTU Device<br><sub>Read and write named, typed, scaled points from a YAML/JSON register map with per-point min/max, raw register/coil access, and a map-defined safe state.</sub>	Any (Modbus): PID temperature controllers (e.g. Watlow, Eurotherm, Omega, Autonics), Recirculating chillers and thermostats, PLCs and remote I/O, Process sensors and transmitters …	Ethernet (Modbus TCP), RS-485 / RS-232 (Modbus RTU, ASCII), Serial-to-Ethernet gateways	13	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-modbus
SiLA 2 Bridge<br><sub>Discover SiLA servers, read features/commands/properties with typed schemas from the FDL, read and subscribe to properties, run commands with client-side FDL validation and an allow-list, track observable commands, cancel via CancelController.</sub>	SiLA consortium standard (any SiLA 2 server): Any SiLA 2 server: devices and middleware with SiLA 2 interfaces (liquid handlers, incubators, readers, robots, schedulers), sila_python, sila_java, sila_csharp, sila_cpp and vendor SiLA 2 servers	Ethernet (gRPC over HTTP/2, TLS), mDNS discovery	13	🧪 simulated	uvx labmcp-sila2

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The Universal Protocols connectors work with many instruments from many brands, as long as the instrument speaks that standard (its manual will say, e.g., "SCPI commands" or "Modbus").

Don't see your instrument? Request it. Some manufacturers (for example Keysight and Rohde & Schwarz) publish their own AI connectors. We list those rather than duplicate them.

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🔌 Connect your real instrument

Once practice mode works, switching to the real instrument is one change in the same settings file.

1. Plug the instrument into the computer that runs your AI app (by USB, serial cable or network) and switch it on. Click your instrument's name in the table above to check whether anything needs changing on the instrument, such as enabling remote control or setting its communication speed (baud rate).

2. Find its address, meaning where the computer sees it. In a terminal, run:

   uvx labmcp ports
   

   It lists what's connected. Tip: run it once with the instrument unplugged and once plugged in. The new entry is your instrument.

   If the instrument connects by…	Its address looks like
   USB or serial cable	COM3 (Windows), /dev/tty.usbserial-XXXX (Mac), /dev/ttyUSB0 (Linux)
   Network (Ethernet or Wi-Fi)	tcp://192.168.1.50:5025: the instrument's IP address and port, found in its network settings menu
   Serial, with non-standard settings	serial:///dev/ttyUSB0?baudrate=19200&parity=E, needed only if the instrument's communication settings were changed from the factory defaults
   GPIB, USBTMC, LXI (via VISA)	GPIB0::22::INSTR or visa://TCPIP0::192.168.1.50::INSTR

3. Test the connection (replace COM3 with your address):

   uvx labmcp-mettler-toledo --address COM3 --check
   

   A working connection reports the instrument's model. If it doesn't, see troubleshooting.

4. Update your settings file: replace "--simulate" with "--address", "COM3", save, and restart your AI app.

   "balance": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["labmcp-mettler-toledo", "--address", "COM3"] }
   

   Or let LabMCP write the entry for you: uvx labmcp config mettler-toledo --address COM3.

Several instruments? Add one entry per instrument, each with its own name ("balance", "stirrer", "pump", …). The assistant can then use them together.

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🛡️ Safety

AI assistants operating physical equipment need guardrails. LabMCP has several layers of them, and you stay in charge:

1. Practise first with --simulate.
2. Start in read-only mode with --read-only. The AI can read measurements but can't change anything. Stop and switch-off actions still work.
3. Set limits for your experiment, e.g. --limit max_temperature_c=60 to stay below your solvent's boiling point. Requests above a limit are refused before anything is sent to the instrument. Each instrument's page lists its limits and their defaults.
4. Approve risky actions yourself. Actions that heat, move, dispense or switch on power are marked as hazardous (⚠️), so your AI app asks before running them. Don't turn on "always allow" for these.
5. Keep the instrument's own safety features on (interlocks, over-temperature cut-offs). LabMCP's limits are an extra layer, not a replacement.

Options go in the same list as the address in your settings file, for example:

"stirrer": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["labmcp-ika", "--address", "COM4", "--read-only", "--limit", "max_temperature_c=60"] }

Read SAFETY.md before connecting anything hazardous. LabMCP is a research tool, not a certified safety system or medical device.

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🧰 What every connector includes

Feature	What it means for you
Practice mode	--simulate answers exactly like the real instrument, so you can rehearse an experiment before running it.
Read-only mode	--read-only lets the AI observe but never change settings.
Safety limits	--limit … refuses dangerous setpoints before they reach the instrument.
Asks before risky actions	Heating, moving, dispensing and powering actions are flagged, so your AI app asks first.
Record of every command	Every command and reply is logged, like a lab notebook. Ask "show me the command log", or save it to a file with --audit-log run.jsonl.
Knows what it's connected to	Ask "what instrument is connected?" to get the model, whether it's in practice mode, and the active limits.
Clear error messages	"Overload: too much weight on the pan", not a cryptic code.
Connection check	--check tests the connection from a terminal before you start.
Works with any cable	USB, serial (RS-232), network, GPIB and more. Just change --address.
Works with many AI apps	Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex, Windsurf and other MCP apps.

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🧪 Example requests

Add several instruments and the assistant can coordinate them:

• Chemistry: "Weigh 250 mg ± 2 mg of salt into the vial: tell me how much to add, reading the balance every few seconds. Then set the stirrer to 500 rpm and 40 °C, and tell me when it's dissolved and at temperature."
• Electrochemistry: "Run cyclic voltammograms from −0.2 to 0.6 V at 25, 50, 100 and 200 mV/s, extract the anodic peak currents, and check whether they scale with the square root of scan rate."
• Physics: "Sweep the lock-in reference from 1 to 100 kHz in 40 log-spaced steps and fit the resonance. Then ramp the cryostat to 10 K at 2 K/min and repeat at 50 K and 100 K."
• Biology: "Infuse 2 mL of media at 0.5 mL/min, then log the bioreactor pH and dissolved oxygen every minute for an hour and flag any drift."
• Engineering: "Step the flow controller through 10, 20 and 50 sccm of N₂ and log the upstream pressure at each setpoint. Stop and close the valve if pressure goes above 30 psia."
• Clinical lab operations: "Summarise today's CBC results received from the analyzer and list any samples with flagged results."

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❓ FAQ

Do I need to know how to program? No. You install uv once and paste a few lines into your AI app's settings. LabMCP downloads and runs everything else.

Which AI app should I use? Any app that supports MCP. Claude Desktop is the simplest to set up. Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and Windsurf also work (setup for each).

Does it cost anything? LabMCP is free and open source. Your AI app may need its own subscription.

Which computer does it run on? The one physically connected to the instrument. To control an instrument from another computer, see remote instruments.

Does my data leave the lab? LabMCP runs on your computer and talks to the instruments directly. Your AI app sends the results to its AI provider, just like anything else you type into it, so follow your institution's data policies.

Why not just ask the AI to write its own code for the instrument? It can try, but it would start from scratch every time, with no safety limits, no command record, no practice mode, and no protection against a mistyped command. LabMCP encodes each instrument's manual once, carefully, for everyone.

Something isn't working. See the troubleshooting table. If that doesn't help, open an issue.

My instrument's manufacturer has its own AI connector. Great, use it. We only build connectors for instruments without one, and list the official ones.

Is this validated for GxP or clinical use? No. See SAFETY.md.

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🤝 Contributing

No coding needed for the most valuable contribution: testing a connector on your real instrument. All connectors are currently 🧪 simulated: they stay that way until someone who owns the instrument confirms they work. Run the connection check, try a few requests, and file a short report. You can also request an instrument, or add 👍 to existing requests.

For developers

Each connector is a separate Python package (labmcp-<name>), so people install only what they need. All of them share the labmcp core, so they behave the same way: same options, same safety model, same built-in tools. See docs/architecture.md.

lab-instrument-mcps/
├── packages/labmcp/            # shared core: transports, simulator base, safety, audit, CLI
├── servers/
│   ├── biology/                # one folder = one installable server (labmcp-<name>)
│   ├── chemistry/
│   ├── physics/
│   ├── health/
│   ├── engineering/
│   └── protocols/              # generic: SCPI, Modbus, … (many instruments each)
├── docs/                       # architecture, client setup, contributor guide, official servers
├── examples/                   # ready-made client configs, e.g. a simulated "virtual lab"
├── scripts/                    # new_server.py (scaffold), build_catalog.py (catalog & docs)
└── catalog.json                # machine-readable index of every server and tool (generated)

To add an instrument:

git clone https://github.com/K-Dense-AI/lab-instrument-mcps && cd lab-instrument-mcps
uv sync --all-packages && uv run pytest
uv run python scripts/new_server.py --domain chemistry --slug my-instrument \
    --package labmcp-my-instrument --name "My Instrument" --vendor "Vendor"

Then follow docs/writing-a-server.md and CONTRIBUTING.md.

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🗺 Roadmap

Wanted next. Each needs a published protocol or SDK from the manufacturer, and someone to test it on real hardware:

• Liquid handling & lab robotics: PyLabRobot backends (Hamilton STAR, Tecan EVO, plate readers, centrifuges), Hamilton Microlab 600 pumps
• Spectroscopy & analytics: Zurich Instruments lock-ins, Avantes spectrometers, Knauer HPLC pumps, Anton Paar densitometers
• Motion & optics: Thorlabs Kinesis / APT motion controllers, Newport ESP/SMC controllers, Zaber stages
• Environment & process: Watlow/Eurotherm controllers (via the Modbus connector), Vaisala sensors, Binder/Memmert chambers, OPC UA LADS devices
• Health: Polar H10 raw ECG, BITalino / PLUX biosignals, Nonin pulse oximeters
• Protocol features: ASTM order download, EPICS PV Access, exposing LabMCP instruments as SiLA 2 servers

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📄 License & citation

Apache-2.0. If LabMCP helps your research, please cite it (CITATION.cff).

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