Chapter 6 – Software

Computer advances have played a major role in flow techniques development. On the one hand, one of the greatest hindrances to the development of flow techniques other than segmented flow analysis and flow injection analysis (FIA) was the lack of interfaces to control the analytical equipment via a computer. Most flow techniques require computer control, but FIA which has the invaluable advantage of using very simple assemblies that are easy to control manually. This provided popularity and widespread success to this technique, immediately after its inception. By contrast, the need for computer control in sequential injection analysis (SIA) and other multicommutated flow techniques, and the lack of experience in connecting computers to instruments at the time it was developed delayed its success. On the other hand, advances in information technology have provided most salient flow techniques' benefits, such as fully automation, autonomy, precision and accuracy. Therefore, advances in more recent techniques such as SIA, multicommutated flow analysis, multisyringe flow injection analysis and lab on valve, and their combinations, have relied on the availability of appropriate dedicated software for their control.