Troubleshooting problems with USB connections

If your OT-2 isn't showing up in the OT-2 App even though it's connected to your computer by a USB cable, you're experiencing connection problems.

Don't worry – in most cases, these problems are straightforward to resolve! Follow this guide to work through the most common issues.

Make sure your OT-2 is turning on

Power-cycle your OT-2. (Use the power switch to turn it off, wait several seconds, and then turn it back on.)

As it restarts, look for the following:

  1. The blue light on the front of the OT-2 should blink, then turn solid.

  2. The pipettes should rise to their maximum height, if they are not already there, and make a whirring noise.

If those events don't happen within 5 minutes of powering on the robot, contact Opentrons Support.

Try waiting after plugging your OT-2 into your computer

If you click the Try again or Refresh list button too quickly after plugging in the USB cable, your OT-2 might not show up in the Opentrons App. (This is a known issue that we plan to fix in a future software update.)

To work around this problem:

  1. Power on the OT-2 and wait for the ring light to light up solid blue.

  2. Plug your OT-2's USB cable into your computer.

  3. Wait 60 seconds.

  4. Then, click Try again or Refresh list.

Your OT-2 should then be available to connect. If it doesn't, continue with the following troubleshooting steps.

Still having trouble?

Further troubleshooting steps depend on your operating system.

Troubleshooting problems with Wi-Fi connections

If you can’t connect to a Wi-Fi network, we recommend the following steps:

  1. Make sure your app and robot are fully up-to-date

  2. If you are connecting to an open network, please make sure the network does not use a captive portal. The OT-2 does not support captive portal networks

  3. Double check your network credentials. The “Show Password” toggle can be useful to ensure you are typing any passwords in correctly.

  4. If you are having trouble connecting to a WPA2 Enterprise network, please consult your IT department. Your IT department will know more than us about your particular network setup and credentials. They may need to whitelist your robot’s MAC address or something similar.

  5. If you’re still unable to connect, connect our Support Team with the error message(s) you are receiving along with any details from your IT department (if applicable)

If you are able to connect your OT-2  to Wi-Fi but your app is unable to find your robot on your Wi-Fi network, please ensure that your network and firewall(s) are set up to allow traffic as described in the “Networking Requirements for OT-2” support document. If you are on an enterprise network, you may want to check in with your IT department.

If you still are unable to establish a connection to the robot, please reach out to Opentrons technical support directly over Intercom (the blue chat button). 

Did this answer your question?