Troubleshooting

Diagnose and fix common LENS issues in the field — grouped by topic.

Power

Unit appears completely dead

No lights, no screen, no signs of life — work through these checks in order.

~2 min

Screen turns on but the software won't load

The unit powers on but the LENS app hangs or stays blank.

~1 min

Scanning

Spectrometer indicators aren't both green

WR and VS must both be green before you can scan. Here's how to bring them back.

~2 min

Scan button does nothing

You press scan and nothing happens. Walk through these checks.

~2 min

"Wrong crop" error — scan rejected

The app rejects the scan because the tissue doesn't match the selected crop.

~1 min

Scan completes but no result appears

The scan finished but no values came up. Usually a timing or sync issue.

~1 min

Calibration

Errors during the calibration step

Calibration fails or throws errors. Almost always traces back to the probe and the white reference cap.

~2 min

"Outlier detected" error during scanning

The app rejects a scan as an outlier. This is a quality filter — work through these to get a clean scan.

~3 min

Light seeping from the sides of the probe during a scan

Visible light around the probe edges during a scan means ambient light is leaking in.

~1 min

Results

Results look very different from the lab

Some difference between LENS and lab is expected. Here's how to know when it's a real problem.

~3 min

All nutrients reading zero or identical values

Every nutrient is zero, or all values are the same — usually a disconnected fiber cable.

~2 min

Connection

Unstable internet is stalling sample uploads

A flaky connection is worse than no connection. Force offline mode and upload later.

~1 min

The unit won't connect to Wi-Fi

Can't get on Wi-Fi? Keep scanning offline and sort it out from a stable connection later.

~2 min

Fieldbook

I can't log in to Fieldbook

~2 min

I can't find my scan results in Fieldbook

Scans missing from Fieldbook usually means sync hasn't completed — or you're looking under the wrong field.

~1 min

Change units (% vs ppm) or nutrient display order

Adjust your personal display preferences or org-wide defaults.

~1 min

Fieldbook isn't loading or displaying correctly

Page won't load, looks broken, or won't refresh — usually a cache issue.

~1 min

Hardware

Unit was dropped or took a hard impact

After a drop, do a quick inspection before scanning anything important.

Check first

Fiber optic cable appears kinked or bent

A kinked fiber cable can damage the optics. Handle it carefully and test before relying on it.

~1 min