Foehn: An open-hardware asynchronous scheduling hub for high-throughput liquid-handling workflow

Growing demand for complex and efficient high-throughput experimentation is accelerating laboratory automation, yet liquid-handling robots, which are central to these workflows, remain constrained by sequential operations that limit scalability. To address this bottleneck, an asynchronous scheduling hub system, named Foehn, was developed to enable concurrent and coordinated control of multiple experimental modules within a robotic workstation. The Foehn integrates open-source hardware based on the Arduino microcontroller with a Python-based graphical user interface, forming a flexible and cost-effective control architecture. Besides, it enables asynchronous, multi-threaded operation through standardized serial protocols, managing communication between the liquid-handling robot and peripheral modules such as pumps and magnetic stirrers. Validation tests confirmed stable voltage output from H-bridge drivers, achieving a high pulse-width modulation control efficiency of 87.6%. The integrated Foehn system successfully executed concurrent pumping and stirring tasks while the liquid-handling robot performed pipetting and labware-moving, demonstrating excellent synchronization and operational stability across hardware layers. Combining modular design, open-source accessibility, and precise digital control, the Foehn system provides a scalable foundation for high-throughput automation and holds strong potential to accelerate research in chemistry, biology, and materials science by bridging benchtop setups with next-generation robotic laboratories.