Hi,
For some reason we are having sooo many issues picking up the QCG in Venus 6. We never had this many errors in VOV. Can I get an explanation of what the Hamilton is doing when it attempts to pick up the QCG? It would really help me troubleshoot.
NOTE: We created a small metal riser to increase the z-height of the QCG slightly. I won’t go into why but do be aware we also increased the z-height of the labware in the deck layout respectively.
Hello! I hope this feed can showcase some similar issues we saw with the QCG pickup issues.
TLDR; Hamilton knows of this inconsistent pickup and you have to keep the metal tabs on either side touching quick snug to ensure repeatable pickups. I hope someone from their side can corroborate this as well!
Ah I missed that thread!
Have you 100% confirmed it is the metal tabs? We used a firmware command to disable the metal tab pickup check. I think the QCG tool pickup error may be something else entirely.
I really hope it isn’t the tabs… LOL
No worries! It doesn’t have that resolution evident on it so wanted to clarify that for ya since now I’m not so certain that our problem is exactly yours 
We essentially confirmed this through swapping with other QCGs that were new and not nearly as bent as those previous - I will dig into our notes and get back to you if there is additional information on it.
Ah good to know! I just bought a new QCG and the issue did not improve. I’ll hunt down the firmware command so you can see if that helps.
See this thread:
Edit: And now I see you are already aware of this 
Hi @BirdBare,
The process of the channels picking up the QCG is similar to the process of the channels picking up tips. The coordinates need to be accurate so the o-rings can align with the grooves in the QCG. The coordinate most likely to cause issues is Z, and most often the Z would be too high in the deck layout relative to the actual position on the instrument. Incorrect labware definitions or obstructions in the QCG could also lead to pick up issues; compressed air can often with the latter.
Thank you,
Dan
So I’ve noticed through trial and error that the z-height does not appear to be taken into account when picking up the QCG. I’ve made the z-height ridiculously high and ridiculously low but the channels will always move to the same position (basically move down until the stepper notices resistance).
I will try to fine tune the z-height again but I worry the pick-up mechanism is more complex for the QCG.
Hi @BirdBare,
I double-checked the commands for Tip Pickup and QCG Pickup on the firmware level, and can confirm that they are very similar and both take into account the Z-coordinate. One of the parameters is for “end of tip picking up process”, which is the expected height of the ‘tip shoulders’ inside the QCG. I tested and confirmed that this parameter also changes with adjustments to the Z-coordinate on the deck layout.
With this, I suggest making sure that there is only one instance of the QCG labware on your deck layout, that the sequence referencing this labware definition is correct, that the labware definition itself is correct, and that there aren’t any commands in your methods that might adjust this location during runtime.
Thank you,
Dan
Thank you Dan!
Do you have tips for training the QCG? I removed the riser to temporarily test a non-rising QCG pickup. I snapped the QCG to the deck but I still have intermittent pickup errors.
I wouldn’t assume I need to train the z-height if snapped to the deck, but I am willing to try.
Thanks!
User error was the cause of this issue. I appreciate all the support fixing an issue I caused.
Thank you!
