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Opentrons OT-2
The Opentrons OT-2 is a compact, open-platform liquid handler. Revolution drives it over the robot’s own HTTP API — the same interface Opentrons’ own tooling uses — so protocols keep running exactly as they do standalone while the schedule decides when.
At a glance
Section titled “At a glance”| Deck | 11 ANSI/SLAS-compliant slots in the working area, plus 1 slot for a removable trash bin |
| Pipette mounts | 2 — one or two single- or 8-channel pipettes, interchangeable |
| Dimensions | 66 × 57 × 63 cm (≈ 26″ × 22.5″ × 25″) |
| Weight | 48 kg (105 lbs) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n, Ethernet 100 Mbps, USB 2.0 |
| Revolution control | Run a protocol, set the robot lights |
Specifications
Section titled “Specifications”Opentrons publishes the following for the OT-2, beyond what’s in the table above.
| Power supply | External, Mean Well GST220A series |
| Power consumption | 90 to 120 W idle; 100 to 180 W active |
| Camera | 2 megapixels |
| Ventilation clearance | At least 20 cm (8″) around the robot |
That 20 cm ventilation clearance is worth designing in early. In an automated cell it is easy to place a robot or an enclosure wall closer than Opentrons allows, and it is much harder to move afterwards.
Deck slots are numbered 1 (front left) through 11 (back centre), with the back-right position occupied by the fixed trash. Protocols refer to slots by those numbers, so a method and its physical layout have to agree.
Pipettes
Section titled “Pipettes”The OT-2 takes one or two pipettes on its two mounts, single- or 8-channel, and Opentrons describes them as easily interchangeable.
Two compatibility points Opentrons states explicitly, both of which cost money to discover late:
- OT-2 pipettes are not compatible with the Opentrons Flex, and Flex pipettes are not compatible with an OT-2. The nose cones are constructed differently, and OT-2 tip boxes and refills are not compatible with the Flex either. A lab running both robots needs both consumable lines.
- GEN1 pipettes are discontinued and obsolete, replaced by the GEN2 models.
Supported methods
Section titled “Supported methods”- Run protocol — run a protocol already on the robot
- Set robot lights — turn the robot’s lights on or off
Protocols are authored in Opentrons’ own tooling — the Python API or Protocol Designer — and uploaded to the robot. Revolution runs them; it does not author or upload them.
Setting the lights sounds cosmetic and is not: in a multi-instrument cell it is a cheap way to make a schedule’s current position visible on the bench, in the same spirit as a signal beacon.
Integration
Section titled “Integration”Revolution talks to the OT-2 over its HTTP API, addressing the robot by URL endpoint. The
driver uses the robot’s /protocols and /runs endpoints and sends the Opentrons-Version
header that the API requires.
Prerequisites
Section titled “Prerequisites”- The robot must be reachable from the Revolution host at the configured URL — over Ethernet or Wi-Fi per the specifications above.
- The protocols the schedule calls must already be uploaded to the robot. Revolution runs an existing protocol; it does not transfer one.
- The physical deck layout must match what the protocol expects, slot for slot.
Device configuration
Section titled “Device configuration”| Property | Purpose |
|---|---|
| UrlEndPoint | Base URL of the robot’s HTTP API |
If you need more of this instrument driven from a schedule, get in touch — the driver is extended on demand.