Install OpenPnP
OpenPnP is open-source software designed to control pick and place machines. It supports a wide range of machines, with many features found in high-end commercial software. You can find out more about it here.
Recommended Hardware and Operating System
OpenPnP is designed to run on many different kinds of host computers. However, USB drivers and internal USB hub bandwidth can vary between computers. For reliable connectivity and exposure control with the LumenPnP cameras, we recommend using a Lenovo Thinkpad (any model should be fine) running Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.
MacOS No Longer Compatible
OpenPnP no longer supports MacOS, and we have found the vurrent release for Mac to be unusable. If you are a Mac user, you'll need to switch to a supported OS or use the older version of OpenPnP 2023-04-05 version.
Download and Install OpenPnP
OpenPnP has recently started creating stable releases. We are now supporting OpenPnP's latest main release.
Use Linux if possible
We highly recommend using Ubuntu Linux as the OS for running OpenPnP due to how well it handles communication with the cameras.
Linux (Ubuntu Install Guide)
-
Download and install OpenPnP for Linux.
- (Download .deb) or (Download .tar.gz)
- Use this version of OpenPnP. It is the version we use and based all of these docs on.
Linux Users
Linux requires two quick configuration steps to allow OpenPnP to run:
- For OpenPnP to communicate to the machine, the user must be added to the
dialoutgroup. This can be done by enteringsudo adduser [USERNAME] dialout(where[USERNAME]is the user you're logged in as) into terminal and restarting the computer. - OpenPnP requires that Java is installed. This can easily be done by entering
sudo apt-get install openjdk-17-jdkinto terminal.
Please note that if Java is not installed, OpenPnP will fail silently when you attempt to start it by clicking on the icon.
-
Launch OpenPnP and make sure it loads fully. Doing this will ensure that OpenPnP creates a configuration folder on your computer, which we'll need in the next step.
-
OpenPnP might prompt you to download a new version. Click
Canceland thenExitto this prompt. -
Completely shut down the OpenPnP software.
Windows (Not Recommended)
-
Download and install OpenPnP for Windows.
- (Download 32 Bit .exe)
- (Download 64 Bit .exe)
- Use this version of OpenPnP. It is the version we use and based all of these docs on.
-
Launch OpenPnP and make sure it loads fully. Doing this will ensure that OpenPnP creates a configuration folder on your computer, which we'll need in the next step.
-
OpenPnP might prompt you to download a new version. Click
Canceland thenExitto this prompt. -
Completely shut down the OpenPnP software.
Mac Users
MacOS is no longer supported, nor functional with OpenPnP.
Until further development is done, MacOS is forced to use the old version of OpenPnP.
Next Step
LumenPnP V4 Users
- If you are setting up a LumenPnP V4, ensure you downloaded the
V4 Config Filesby following these steps for importing the LumenPnP V4 configuration files.
LumenPnP V3 Users
- If you are setting up a LumenPnP V3, ensure you download the
V3 Config Filesby following these steps for importing the LumenPnP V3 configuration files.


