Patent ID: 8707243

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for designing an electrical interconnect device, said method comprising the steps of: entering an instrument ID into a computer through an input device; entering a slot number corresponding to said instrument ID into said computer through said input device; entering an interface component identifier into said computer through said input device; determining whether data associated with said interface component identifier is available from a website of a manufacturer of an interface component identified by said interface component identifier; if data associated with said interface component identifier is available from said website, determining whether an interface component identified by said interface component identifier is compatible with an instrument identified by said instrument ID using said data from said website; if data associated with said interface component identifier is not available from said website, determining whether an interface component identified by said interface component identifier is compatible with an instrument identified by said instrument ID using said data retrieved from local storage; if said interface component identified by said interface component identifier is not compatible with said instrument identified by said instrument ID, displaying an error message on a display; if said interface component identified by said interface component identifier is compatible with said instrument identified by said instrument ID, associating said interface component identifier with said instrument ID and said slot number in a database, wherein said association comprises a result of said determination of whether an interface component identified by said interface component identifier is compatible with an instrument identified by said instrument ID; and generating and displaying on said display a preview of a configuration of an electrical interconnect device, wherein said preview comprises a table showing said instrument ID, said slot number, said interface component identifier and an association between said interface component ID and said instrument ID, and wherein said interface component ID shown in said preview comprises a link to data associated with said interface component.