Agilent Technologies Bravo Platform User manual

Bravo Platform
User Guide
Original Instructions

Notices
Manual Part Number
G5562-90000 Revision D
January 2019
Copyright
© Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2019
No part of this manual may be reproduced
in any form or by any means (including
electronic storage and retrieval or
translation into a foreign language) without
prior agreement and written consent from
Agilent Technologies, Inc. as governed by
United States and international copyright
laws.
Contact Information
Agilent Technologies Inc.
Automation Solutions
5301 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Santa Clara, CA 95051
USA
Web:
https://www.agilent.com
Contact page:
https://www.agilent.com/en/contact-
us/page
Documentation feedback:
[email protected]
Acknowledgements
Microsoft® and Windows® are either
registered trademarks or trademarks of the
Microsoft Corporation in the United States
and other countries.
Warranty
The material contained in this document is
provided “as is,” and is subject to being
changed, without notice, in future editions.
Further, to the maximum extent permitted
by applicable law, Agilent disclaims all war-
ranties, either express or implied, with
regard to this manual and any information
contained herein, including but not limited
to the implied warranties of merchantability
and fitness for a particular purpose. Agilent
shall not be liable for errors or for incidental
or consequential damages in connection
with the furnishing, use, or performance of
this document or of any information con-
tained herein. Should Agilent and the user
have a separate written agreement with
warranty terms covering the material in this
document that conflict with these terms,
the warranty terms in the separate agree-
ment shall control.
Technology Licenses
The hardware and/or software described in
this document are furnished under a license
and may be used or copied only in
accordance with the terms of such license.
Restricted Rights Legend
If software is for use in the performance of
a U.S. Government prime contract or
subcontract, Software is delivered and
licensed as “Commercial computer
software” as defined in DFAR 252.227-7014
(June 1995), or as a “commercial item” as
defined in FAR 2.101(a) or as “Restricted
computer software” as defined in FAR
52.227-19 (June 1987) or any equivalent
agency regulation or contract clause. Use,
duplication or disclosure of Software is
subject to Agilent Technologies’ standard
commercial license terms, and non-DOD
Departments and Agencies of the U.S.
Government will receive no greater than
Restricted Rights as defined in FAR 52.227-
19(c)(1-2) (June 1987). U.S. Government
users will receive no greater than Limited
Rights as defined in FAR 52.227-14
(June1987) or DFAR 252.227-7015 (b)(2)
(November 1995), as applicable in any
technical data.
Safety Notices
A WARNING notice denotes a haz-
ard. It calls attention to an operating
procedure, practice, or the like that, if
not correctly performed or adhered
to, could result in personal injury or
death. Do not proceed beyond a
WARNING notice until the indicated
conditions are fully understood and
met.
A CAUTION notice denotes a hazard.
It calls attention to an operating proce-
dure, practice, or the like that, if not
correctly performed or adhered to,
could result in damage to the product
or loss of important data. Do not pro-
ceed beyond a CAUTION notice until
the indicated conditions are fully
understood and met.
WARNING
CAUTION

iiiBravo Platform User Guide
Contents
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
About this guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii
Accessing product user information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Safety notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
About the Bravo Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Hardware overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Connection panel description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Liquid-handling heads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Software overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2. Setting up the Bravo Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Workflow for setting up the Bravo Platform. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Starting up and shutting down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Creating or adding a Bravo device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Opening Bravo Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Creating and managing profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Initializing the device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Setting teachpoints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Verifying the gripper setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Configuring external robot access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
3. Preparing for a protocol run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Workflow for preparing a protocol run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Emergency stops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Planning for the protocol run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
About performing mock runs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
4. Maintenance and troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Routine maintenance and cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Cleaning up after a run. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Changing the Bravo head. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Testing the safety equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Replacing the fuse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Retracting tip box stripper pins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Manually moving the head or gripper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Recovering from a head collision. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Troubleshooting hardware problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Troubleshooting hardware-related error messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Reporting problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Contents
iviv Bravo Platform User Guide
5. Using diagnostics software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Homing the liquid-handling head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Jogging the liquid-handling head. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Using the Move and Approach commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Using the gripper controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Performing a task using Bravo Diagnostics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
A. Accessories and platepads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Bravo accessories overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Installing and setting up an Orbital Shaking Station. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Using the teach plate to set the teachpoint for an accessory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Installing and setting up a Vacuum Filtration Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Setting up a Trash or Filter Plate Holder accessory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Configuring a platepad for delidding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Installing and configuring a platepad or Alignment Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Installing and configuring a Magnetic Bead Accessory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Installing and setting up a Nested Rack Insert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Using the Manual Fill Reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Setting up the Thermal Station (cooling pad) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Installing a Heating Shaking Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Setting up thermal and shaking stations (Inheco controller) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Installing and configuring the Peltier Thermal Station. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
(Bravo SRT only) Setting up an LT tip box location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
B. Autofilling accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Autofilling station overview and setup workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Configuring an autofilling station for the Bravo Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Setting up a Weigh Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
C. Setting up the Barcode Reader. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
About setting up the Barcode Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Installing or removing the Barcode Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Creating a profile for the Barcode Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Specifying the Barcode Reader location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Testing and optimizing barcode scanning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
D. AssayMAP Bravo Platform. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
AssayMAP Bravo Platform overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Bravo 96AM Head overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
AssayMAP cartridge overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Installing and using the Bravo 96AM Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Verifying the setup in the Protein Sample Prep Workbench . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Opening the Workbench and accessing the utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Requirements for partial-head liquid handling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

Contents
vBravo Platform User Guide
E. Diagnostics quick reference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Bravo Diagnostics dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Configuration tab quick reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Accessory Diagnostics dialog box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
External Robots tab quick reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
IO tab quick reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Jog/Teach tab quick reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Gripper tab quick reference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Profiles tab quick reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Processes tab quick reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Aspirate task parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Dispense task parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Dispense to Waste task parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Mix task parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Pump Reagent parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Shake task parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Vacuum Filtration Station task parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Wash Tips task parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Pin Tool task parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
AM Aspirate task parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
AM Dispense task parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
AM Mix task parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281

vii
Preface
This guide describes how to use the Bravo Automated Liquid Handling Platform,
also known as the Bravo Platform.
This preface contains the following topics:
•“About this guide” on page viii
•“Accessing product user information” on page x

About this guide
viii Bravo Platform User Guide
About this guide
Who should read this guide
This user guide is for people with the following job roles:
What this guide covers
This guide covers the description, setup, operation, and maintenance of the Bravo
Platform, including the following models:
•G5562A, G5563A Bravo Platform (RoHS-compliant)
•G5523A/G Bravo Platform
This guide does not provide instructions for unpacking and installation. For more
information about these topics, see the relevant user guides for these products.
What is new in this revision
and
Job role Responsibilities
Installer Unpacks, installs, and tests the device before it is used.
Integrator Configures hardware and writes software.
Lab manager,
administrator, or
technician
•Manages the automation system that contains the device
•Develops the applications that are run on the system
•Develops training materials and standard operating
procedures for operators
Operator Performs the daily production work on the device and solves
routine problems.
Feature and description See…
Revised the procedure for installing a
Thermal Station to include descriptions of
a new bracket.
“Setting up the Thermal Station
(cooling pad)” on page 151
Removed the installation and setup
sections from the AssayMAP Bravo
Platform section. For installation and
setup instructions, see the AssayMAP
Bravo Platform Installation Guide.
“AssayMAP Bravo Platform” on
page 197

ix
About this guide
Bravo Platform User Guide
Software version
This guide documents Bravo Diagnostics version 19.1, which is included in the VWorks
Automation Control software v13.1 installer.
The G5562A, G5563A Bravo Platform requires the following software versions at a
minimum:
•Microsoft Windows 10 64-bit operating system
•VWorks Automation Control software v13.1
The earlier model G5523A/G Bravo Platform is validated on the Microsoft Windows 7
and Windows 10 64-bit operating systems.
Related guides
Use this guide in conjunction with the following:
•G5562A, G5563A Bravo Platform Safety and Installation Guide. Describes potential
safety hazards and how to avoid them, how to install the device, and how to install
the light curtain and shields.
•Automation Solutions Products General Safety Guide. Provides general safety
information and describes potential safety hazards that you might encounter when
using Agilent Automation Solutions products. A copy of this safety guide is
included with your shipment.
•VWorks Automation Control Setup Guide. Explains how to define labware and
labware classes, liquid classes, and pipetting techniques, and how to track and
manage labware in storage.
•VWorks Automation Control User Guide. Explains how to create protocols, and set
task parameters for each device in the system.
If you are using the Bravo 96AM Head, see “AssayMAP Bravo Platform” on page 197.
If the Bravo Platform is a device in a third-party system, see the relevant third-party
system guides.
Related information
For more information about... See...
How to access different formats
of this user guide
“Accessing product user information” on page x
Reporting problems “Reporting problems” on page 87
Bravo Platform safety
information
G5562A, G5563A Bravo Platform Safety and
Installation Guide

Accessing product user information
xBravo Platform User Guide
Accessing product user information
About this topic
This topic describes the different formats of user information and explains how to
access it for the Agilent Automation Solutions products.
Where to find user information
The Automation Solutions user information is available in the following locations:
•Knowledge base. The help system that contains information about all the
Automation Solutions products is available from the Help menu within the VWorks
software.
•PDF files. The PDF files of the user guides are installed with the VWorks software
and are on the software CD that is supplied with the product. A PDF viewer is
required to open a user guide in PDF format. You can download a free PDF viewer
from the internet. For information about using PDF documents, see the user
documentation for the PDF viewer.
•Agilent website. You can search the online knowledge base or download the latest
version of any PDF file from the Agilent website at www.agilent.com/chem/askb.
Accessing safety information
Safety information for the Agilent Automation Solutions devices appears in the
Automation Solutions Products General Safety Guide and in the corresponding device
safety guide or user guide.
You can also search the knowledge base or the PDF files for safety information.
Using the knowledge base
Knowledge base topics are displayed using web browser software such as Microsoft
Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.
Note: If you want to use Internet Explorer to display the topics, you might have to allow
local files to run active content (scripts and ActiveX controls). To do this, in Internet
Explorer, open the Internet Options dialog box. Click the Advanced tab, locate the
Security section, and select Allow active content to run in files on my computer.
To open the knowledge base, do one of the following:
•From within VWorks software, select Help > Knowledge Base or press F1.
•From the Windows desktop, do one of the following:
–Windows 10. Select Start > All Apps > Agilent Technologies > VWorks Knowledge
Base.
–Windows 7. Select Start > All Programs > Agilent Technologies > VVWorks >
User Guides > VWorks Knowledge Base.

xi
Accessing product user information
Bravo Platform User Guide
Opening the help topic for an area in the VWorks window
To access the context-sensitive help feature:
1In the main window of the VWorks software, click the help button . The pointer
changes to . Notice that the different icons or areas are highlighted as you
move the pointer over them.
2Click an icon or area of interest. The relevant topic or document opens.

Accessing product user information
xii Bravo Platform User Guide
Features in the Knowledge Base window
Item Feature
1Navigation area. Consists of four tabs:
•Contents. Lists all the books and the table of contents of the books.
•Index. Displays the index entries of all of the books.
•Search. Allows you to search the Knowledge Base (all products) using
keywords. You can narrow the search by product.
•Favorites. Contains bookmarks you have created.
2Navigation buttons. Enable you to navigate through the next or previous
topics listed in the Contents tab.
3Content area. Displays the selected online help topic.
4Toolbar buttons. Enable you to print the topic or send documentation
feedback by email.

1
1 Introduction
This chapter gives you an overview of the Bravo Platform and contains the following
topics:
•“Safety notes” on page 2
•“About the Bravo Platform” on page 3
•“Hardware overview” on page 5
•“Connection panel description” on page 9
•“Liquid-handling heads” on page 11
•“Software overview” on page 13

1 Introduction
Safety notes
2Bravo Platform User Guide
Safety notes
WARNING
Using controls, making adjustments, or performing procedures other than those
specified in the user documentation can expose you to moving-parts hazards and
hazardous voltage. Before using the Bravo Platform, make sure you are aware of the
potential hazards and understand how to avoid being exposed to them.
Ensure you have read the G5562A, G5563A Bravo Platform Safety and Installation Guide
and are trained in the safe operation of the device.
Figure Bravo Platform (front view)
Related information
For more information about… See…
Safety precautions •Automation Solutions Products General
Safety Guide
•Safety and installation guide for your model
Bravo Platform, for example, G5562A,
G5563A Bravo Platform Safety and
Installation Guide
Stopping in an emergency “Emergency stops” on page 56

3
1 Introduction
About the Bravo Platform
Bravo Platform User Guide
About the Bravo Platform
Product description
The Bravo Platform is a versatile liquid handler with a nine plate-location deck that is
suitable for handling 96-well, 384-well, and 1536-well microplates (plates). The
platform uses interchangeable liquid-handling heads.
Figure Bravo Platform front view with optional gripper holding a microplate
Ways to use the Bravo Platform
The Bravo Platform can be used in the following ways:
•As a single device controlled by a computer
•Integrated with other devices in a lab automation system
For example, when used as a single device, it can be placed in a laminar flow hood for
use with cell-based applications or handling potentially hazardous materials.
As an integrated device in a lab automation system, it can be used to prepare
microplates for high-throughput screening or other automated process. Note that
when used with other devices, you can take advantage of the gripper feature to
automate microplate pickup and placement.

1 Introduction
About the Bravo Platform
4Bravo Platform User Guide
Related information
For information about... See...
Pipette head “Liquid-handling heads” on page 11
Components “Hardware overview” on page 5
Accessories “Bravo accessories overview” on page 104
Laboratory requirements Installation guide for your Bravo model:
•G5562A, G5563A Bravo Platform
Safety and Installation Guide
•Bravo Automated Liquid Handling
Platform Safety and Installation Guide
Safety •Automation Solutions Products
General Safety Guide
•Safety and installation guide for your
model Bravo Platform, for example,
G5562A, G5563A Bravo Platform
Safety and Installation Guide

5
1 Introduction
Hardware overview
Bravo Platform User Guide
Hardware overview
About this topic
This topic describes the Bravo Platform primary hardware components and the axes of
motion.
Primary hardware components
The following figure and table describe the primary Bravo hardware components.
Figure Bravo Platform components (front view)
3
1
2
4
5
6
8
7
1
Item Feature Description
1Indicator
lights
The two light panels that display color-coded status of the Bravo Platform:
•(solid blue). The Bravo Platform is turned on and in standby mode.
•(flashing green). The software is running a protocol on the Bravo Platform.
•(flashing orange). The software has initialized the Bravo Platform and Bravo
Diagnostics is open.
•(flashing red). The software has encountered an error while running a
protocol or the interlock circuit is tripped.

1 Introduction
Hardware overview
6Bravo Platform User Guide
2Power
switch
The switch on the right side of the rear wall that turns on (I) and off (O) the Bravo
Platform.
3Head mount The fixture that provides the mechanical connections and communication inferface
for the liquid-handing head. The head mount attaches to an arm that extends from
the Bravo rear wall of the tie bar. The head mount travels along the arm between the
front and back of the deck (y-axis). The arm moves the head mount from side to side
across the deck (x-axis). For details, see Axes of motion.
You can move the head mount manually while the Bravo Platform is turned off.
4Tie bar The vertical bar at the front of the device that adds structural support to the Bravo
head mount. The tie bar moves at high speed from side to side (x-axis) across the
front of the Bravo deck whenever the head moves to a deck location.
5Liquid-
handling
head
The platform uses interchangeable Bravo-compatible heads, including disposable-tip
heads, the Bravo 96AM Head for AssayMAP cartridges, and pin tools.
The following figures shows an example of a disposable-tip head.
Figure Series III disposable-tip head
6Emergency-
stop
pendant
The pendant that contains the red emergency-stop button. To stop in an emergency,
press the red button. All Bravo motion stops.
7Gripper An optional gripper that extends from the head mount to below the pipette head tips.
The gripper picks and places labware on the deck.
Item Feature Description

7
1 Introduction
Hardware overview
Bravo Platform User Guide
Axes of motion
The Bravo Platform has components that move in the x-, y-, and z-axes, as the following
figure shows.
Figure Bravo Platform primary axes of motion
If the Bravo Platform is fitted with a gripper, the gripper moves with the Bravo head. In
addition, the gripper has the following axes of motion:
8Deck The area that is accessible by the liquid-handling head. The deck supports nine deck
locations that are numbered 1–3 (back row), 4–6 (middle row), and 7–9 (front row).
Each deck location holds a platepad or an accessory. The Bravo Platform ships with
nine platepads, one on each location. You may remove a deck-mounted platepad to
install certain accessories.
Figure Nine deck locations (top view)
Item Feature Description
00240
Bravo
Plate Orientation
123
456
789
00240
00232
Bravo
Pinch Hazard
00232
X
Y
X

1 Introduction
Hardware overview
8Bravo Platform User Guide
•G-axis. The opening and closing distance of the gripper fingers, which enable the
gripper to grip and release labware.
•Zg-axis. The vertical distance the gripper arm moves, which enables the gripper to
extend beyond the pipette head.
Figure Bravo gripper assembly axes of motion
The motion of the displacement of the pipettor inside a liquid-handling head is referred
to as the w-axis (not shown).
Related information
Zg
G
For information about... See...
Pipette head “Liquid-handling heads” on page 11
Connection panel “Connection panel description” on page 9
Accessories “Bravo accessories overview” on page 104
Laboratory requirements Installation guide for your Bravo model:
•G5562A, G5563A Bravo Platform Safety
and Installation Guide
•Bravo Automated Liquid Handling
Platform Safety and Installation Guide
AssayMAP Bravo Platform “AssayMAP Bravo Platform” on page 197

9
1 Introduction
Connection panel description
Bravo Platform User Guide
Connection panel description
Bravo rear connection panel
The following figure and table describe the connection panel at the rear of the Bravo
Platform.
Figure Connection panel on back of Bravo Platform
412 3
00220
Bravo
Back
220c
Item Feature Description
1Ethernet port Connects the Ethernet card in the controlling computer
to the Bravo Platform.