Error Recovery Settings

The Error Recovery Settings is a tool to define the auto-recovery actions when any instrument issues occur during FLO i8 operation.

FLO i8 provides you with default settings that you can edit based on your needs. The settings cover actions for the pipetting channel movements and liquid mixing process during dispensing and aspirating.

The Error Recovery Settings page is accessible from the Tools option under the Application Menu .

Accessing the Error Recovery Settings Page

The Error Recovery Settings page is divided into two panels, List of Process (1) and Error Recovery Option (2).

Error Recovery Settings Page in FLO i8 Software

Section 1: List of Process

This section provides you with a list of available processes/functions for error recovery execution.

Process	Description
Align to Pick Tip	Determines the pipette channels movement from the parking area/destination location to align above the tip box.
While Pick Tip	Determines the pipette channels movement to pick up the tip from the tip box.
Before Aspirate	Determines the pipette channels movement from the tip box after tip pick-up to aligning above the source location.
Mixing Before Aspirate	Determines the liquid mixing process in the source location before aspirating.
While Aspirate	Determines the pipette channels movement while aspirating the liquid from the source well based on the defined volume.
Before Dispense	Determines the pipette channels movement after aspiration to align above the destination location.
While Dispense	Determines pipette channels movement from the above destination location to dispense the liquid.
Dispense with Multi Dispense	Determines the liquid transfer process to enable dispensing into multiple destination locations with a single aspirate.
Mixing After Dispense	Determines the liquid mixing process in the destination location after dispensing.
After Dispense	Enables the pipette tip to touch the side of the well to ensure that there is no hanging drop in the tip after dispense. Note: FLO i8 will execute this procedure when the Tip Touch-Off option in the assigned Pipetting Profile is enabled.
Align to Eject	Determines the movement of the pipette channels from the destination location to align above the waste bin/tip box.
Eject	Determines pipette channels action to dispose the current tip to the waste bin/tip box.
General Transfer	Determines the error recovery actions for any potential errors that may occur at each process in the protocol execution.

Section 2: Error Recovery Option

The Error Recovery Option displays specific recovery choices for each process. This section allows you to customize the recovery actions based on you preferences to encounter any possible errors.

Any modifications made in the Error Recovery Settings page will be saved automatically, and the status bar will display relevant information during the saving process.

Saving Multiple Changes in Error Recovery Settings Page

Additionally, this section provides you with a RESET button RESET button that allows you to restore the error recovery settings to their default configuration. Once the RESET button is clicked, it will change color to gray to indicate a successfull reset.

See the following tables for more detailed information on each error recovery option.

Align to Pick Up Tip
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Error Type	Description	Default Setting	Recovery Option
Collisions	An error has occurred because a channel detected unexpected contact.	Always Asking	Always Asking: System will always prompt user to select the recovery option. Recover Channel: System will pick a new tip and continue executing the protocol. Abort: System will abort the protocol execution.

While Pick Tip
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Error Type	Description	Default Setting	Recovery Option
Pick Tip Validation Failed	The system has detected an issue with the tip.	Retry	Always Asking: System will always prompt user to select the recovery option. Retry: System will auto-retry tip pickup 3 times. Abort: System will abort the protocol execution.
Collisions	An error has occurred because a channel detected unexpected contact.	Always Asking	Always Asking: System will always prompt user to select the recovery option. Retry: System will pick a new tip and continue executing the protocol. Recover: System will recover using the existing tip. Abort: System will abort the protocol execution.

Before Aspirate
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Error Type	Description	Default Setting	Recovery Option
Collisions	An error has occurred because a channel detected unexpected contact.	Always Asking	Always Asking: System will always prompt user to select the recovery option. Retry: System will pick a new tip and continue executing the protocol. Recover: System will recover using the existing tip. Abort: System will abort the protocol execution.

Mixing Before Aspirate
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Error Type	Description	Default Setting	Recovery Option
Clog Detection	The system has detected an issue where a clog blocks the liquid flow in the tip and fails to aspirate the defined volume.	Always Asking	Always Asking: System will always prompt user to select the recovery option. Continue Anyway: System will consider the mixing process has finished and proceed to aspirate the source. Recover & Retry: System will dispense back to the source and then repeat the mixing process with the current tip by continuing the last cycle. Eject & Retry: System will dispense to the waste and then repeat the mixing process with a new tip by continuing the last cycle. Recover & Skip This Transfer: System will dispense back to the source and then skip only the current transfer. Skip this Transfer: System will eject tip and skip only the current transfer. Recover & Skip Affected Transfer: System will dispense back to the source. Then, skip any downstream transfers affected by the current transfer. Skip Affected Transfer: System will eject the tip. Then, skip any downstream transfers affected by the current transfer. Abort: System will abort the protocol execution.
Air Aspiration	The system has detected bubbles in the source labware and/or the pick tip is not submerged in the liquid.
Pipetting Time Out	An error has occurred when executing a pipetting step takes longer than the max estimated time.
Insufficient Source Volume	The system has detected an issue when the source wells contain insufficient volume to aspirate.		Always Asking: System will always prompt user to select the recovery option. Continue Anyway: System will consider the mixing process has finished but if there is liquid in the tip, system will dispense back to the source first then proceed to aspirate the source with the current tip. Recover & Retry (User Action Required): Recommended to refill the source. The system will recover the remaining liquid in the tip to the source and retry using the current tip. Eject & Retry (User Action Required): Recommended to refill the source. The system will dispose the tip and remaining liquid to the waste bin and retry using a new tip. Recover & Skip Source: System will dispense back to the source if there is liquid in the tip and then skip this source for this transfer and the following transfers. Skip Source: System will eject the tip and skip the source for this transfer and the following transfers. Recover Source & Skip Affected Source: System will dispense back to the source if there is liquid in the tip and then skip subsequent transfers using this source and any downstream sources affected by this transfer. Skip Source & Skip Affected Source: System will eject tip and then skip subsequent transfers using this source and any downstream sources affected by this transfer. Abort: System will abort the protocol execution.

While Aspirate
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Error Type	Description	Default Setting	Recovery Option
Clog Detection	The system has detected an issue where a clog blocks the liquid flow in the tip and fails to aspirate the defined volume.	Always Asking	Always Asking: System will always prompt user to select the recovery option. Continue Anyway: System will proceed to dispense with the current volume in tip. Recover & Retry: System will dispense back to the source and then retry the aspiration with the current tip. Eject & Retry: System will dispense back to the source and then retry the aspiration with the current tip. Recover & Skip This Transfer: System will dispense back to the source and then skip only the current transfer. Skip this Transfer: System will eject tip and skip only the current transfer. Recover & Skip Affected Transfer: System will dispense back to the source. Then, skip any downstream transfers affected by the current transfer. Skip Affected Transfer: System will eject the tip. Then, skip any downstream transfers affected by the current transfer. Abort: System will abort the protocol execution.
Air Aspiration	The system has detected bubbles in the source labware and/or the pick tip is not submerged in the liquid.
Pipetting Time Out	An error has occurred when executing a pipetting step takes longer than the max estimated time.
Insufficient Source Volume	The system has detected an issue when the source wells contain insufficient volume to aspirate.		Always Asking: System will always prompt user to select the recovery option. Continue Anyway: System will proceed to dispense with the current aspirated volume. If the aspirated volume is 0, the dispense will be skipped. Recover & Retry (User Action Required): Recommended to refill the source. The system will recover the remaining liquid in the tip to the source and retry using the current tip. Eject & Retry (User Action Required): Recommended to refill the source. The system will dispose the tip and remaining liquid to the waste bin and retry using a new tip. Recover & Skip Source: System will dispense back to the source if there is liquid in the tip and then skip this source for this transfer and the following transfers. Skip Source: System will auto-eject the tip and skip the source for this transfer and the following transfers. Recover Source & Skip Affected Source: System will auto-dispense back to the source if there is liquid in the tip, and then skip subsequent transfers using this source and any downstream sources affected by this transfer. Skip Source & Skip Affected Source: System will eject the tip and then skip subsequent transfers using this source and any downstream sources affected by this transfer. Abort: System will abort the protocol execution.
Collision	An error has occurred because a channel detected unexpected contact.		Always Asking: System will always prompt user to select the recovery option. Recover: System will recover the liquid to the source, eject the tip, and retry to aspirate using a new tip. Eject Tip: System will eject the tip and retry the aspiration using a new tip. Skip: System will eject the tip, then skip dispensing all affected sources. Abort: System will abort the protocol execution.
Any Pipetting Error (Invalid Volume)	An unrecoverable error has occurred, invalid commanded volume encountered during the run.		Always Asking: System will always prompt user to select the recovery option. Abort: System will abort the protocol execution.

Before Dispense
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Error Type	Description	Default Setting	Recovery Option
Collisions	An error has occurred because a channel detected unexpected contact.	Always Asking	Always Asking: System will always prompt user to select the recovery option. Skip: System will eject the tip, then skip dispensing all affected sources. Abort: System will abort the protocol execution.

While Dispense
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Error Type	Description	Default Setting	Recovery Option
Clog Detection	The system has detected an issue where a clog blocks the liquid flow in the tip and fails to aspirate the defined volume.	Always Asking	Always Asking: System will always prompt user to select the recovery option. Continue Anyway: System will consider the dispense has finished and proceed to the next transfer. Retry: System will continue to dispense the source that was interrupted. Skip Affected Transfer: System will eject the tip. Then, skip any downstream transfers affected by the current transfer. Abort: System will abort the protocol execution.
Pipetting Time Out	An error has occured when executing a pipetting task takes longer than the max estimated time.
Touch Off Not Triggered	An error has occurred because the tip failed to detect the side of the well during side dispense.		Always Asking: System will always prompt user to select the recovery option. Disable Touch-Off: System will disable the Tip Touch-Off setting and retry. Abort: System will abort the protocol.
Collision	An error has occurred because a channel detected unexpected contact.		Always Asking: System will always prompt user to select the recovery option. Skip: System will eject the tip, then skip dispensing all affected sources. Abort: System will abort the protocol execution.

Dispensing with Multi Dispense
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Error Type	Description	Default Setting	Recovery Option
Clog Detection	The system has detected an issue where a clog blocks the liquid flow in the tip and fails to aspirate the defined volume.	Always Asking	Always Asking: System will always prompt user to select the recovery option. Continue Anyway: System will consider the dispense has finished and proceed to the next transfer. Skip Affected Transfer: System will eject the tip. Then, skip any downstream transfers affected by the current transfer. Abort: System will abort the protocol execution.
Pipetting Time Out	An error has occured when executing a pipetting task takes longer than the max estimated time.
Collision	An error has occurred because a channel detected unexpected contact.		Always Asking: System will always prompt user to select the recovery option. Skip: System will eject the tip, then continue to the next transfer. Abort: System will abort the protocol execution.

Mixing After Dispense
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Error Type	Description	Default Setting	Recovery Option
Clog Detection	The system has detected an issue where a clog blocks the liquid flow in the tip and fails to aspirate the defined volume.	Always Asking	Always Asking: System will always prompt user to select the recovery option. Continue Anyway: System will consider the mixing has finished and finish the transfer. Retry: System will empty the tip and repeat the mixing process with the current tip by continuing the last cycle. Skip This Transfer: System will eject tip and skip only the current transfer. Skip Affected Transfer: System will eject the tip. Then, skip any downstream transfers affected by the current transfer. Abort: System will abort the protocol execution.
Air Aspiration	The system has detected bubbles in the source labware and/or the pick tip is not submerged in the liquid.
Pipetting Time Out	An error has occured when executing a pipetting task takes longer than the max estimated time.

After Dispense
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Error Type	Description	Default Setting	Recovery Option
Touch Off Not Triggered	An error has occurred because the tip failed to detect the side of the well during side dispense.	Always Asking	Always Asking: System will always prompt user to select the recovery option. Disable Touch-Off: System will disable the Tip Touch-Off setting and retry. Abort: System will abort the protocol execution.

Align to Eject
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Error Type	Description	Default Setting	Recovery Option
Collision	An error has occurred because a channel detected unexpected contact.	Always Asking	Always Asking: System will always prompt user to select the recovery option. Recover Channel: System will home to recover the channel position, eject the tip, then continue executing the protocol. Abort: System will abort the protocol execution.

Eject
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Error Type	Description	Default Setting	Recovery Option
Collision	An error has occurred because a channel detected unexpected contact.	Always Asking	Always Asking: System will always prompt user to select the recovery option. Recover Channel: System will eject the tip, then continue to the next transfer. Abort: System will abort the protocol execution.

General Transfer
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Error Type	Description	Default Setting	Recovery Option
Actuator Following Error	The system has detected motor and sensor errors.	Retry	Always Asking: System will always prompt user to select the recovery option. Retry: System will attempt homing recovery up to 3 times. Abort: System will abort the protocol execution. Available for Actuator Following Error and Actuator Pipette l2t only.
Actuator Pipette l2t	The system has detected motor and sensor errors.	Retry
Actuator Illegal Pos	An error has occurred because the actuator position values exceed the distance limitation settings.	Always Asking
Actuator Not Ready	An error has occurred because the software sends a command to firmware to execute the next task while it is still finishing the current task.
Pipetting Busy	An error has occurred because the system attempts to run the next pipetting step while executing the current step.
Actuator Wait Motion Time Out	An error has occurred because the encoder cannot detect any error when the ongoing firmware movement continues to an unspecified limit.
Multiple Collision	An error has occurred because multiple channels detected unexpected contact.
Multiple Error	System has detected several errors.

To perform your error recovery preferences, FLO i8 provides you with the Auto Recovery button Auto Recovery button on the Preparing Required Labware page. Enable this option to allow the FLO i8 system automatically execute error recovery using the predefined recovery configurations.

Auto-Recovery Button in the Preparing Required Labware Page

Section 1: List of Process

Section 2: Error Recovery Option

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