Extract text from Lab automation templates (LAT)
To convert LAT Templates to another format, you need Tecan i-control or other Data software.
To convert other file formats to the "Lab Automation Protocol" file type, you need software like Tecan i-control or a similar tool.
The .lat extension primarily identifies a Lab Automation Template used by robotic liquid handling systems, most notably Tecan i-control software and Agilent OpenLAB CDS. These files serve as the "recipe" for laboratory instruments, defining critical protocols such as pipetting volumes, well-plate geometries, and timing sequences for automated experiments.
Users commonly have issues because .lat files are proprietary and tightly coupled to the control software of the specific instrument (e.g., a Tecan Infinite reader or Labcyte Echo). This creates a significant barrier for scientists who need to review protocols on a personal laptop, audit experimental steps off-site, or share methods with colleagues who lack the expensive vendor software. Additionally, the format is often binary or a compressed container, making it unreadable by standard text editors. For documentation and compliance, the best practice is converting the protocol to PDF for a fixed, human-readable record. For data analysis and LIMS integration, converting to XML or CSV allows users to extract plate layouts and variable definitions directly into Microsoft Excel.
Convert.Guru analyzes your LAT file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted HVC, CSV, WFE, XBW, UTM, CIR and AHD files.
If you want to convert LAT file to UTM, CIR or AHD, you can use Tecan i-control or similar software from the "Lab Automation Protocol Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to LAT, try Tecan i-control or another comparable tool in the "Lab Automation Protocol Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our LAT converter.