Frequently asked questions

To reset blocks

1. Turn the SAM block on.

   A red light indicates it’s on.

2. Hold the power button down for about 10 seconds, until a white light flashes.

   Note 

   The red light will turn off when you press the button, but ignore this and continue to hold the power button until the white light flashes.

3. Turn the block on again.

   The block will show up on your device. You will now need to pair the block to the app.

When pairing, blocks can be detected up to 4 meters away. It is recommended to place the blocks close to the device for the easiest pairing.

If instructional groups are detecting blocks from other groups, it is recommended to move the groups farther away in the classroom, or pair the blocks one at a time. Once blocks are paired, students can move closer together.

To pair a block

1. Turn on the SAM block.

2. In the app, select Connect Blocks.

3. Select the SAM Block you want to pair.

4. Click the check box to pair.

   The SAM Block is now ready to use.

Let the battery completely lose its charge. After the blue light has gone off, recharge the block and the light will turn red. This should fix the issue. If the issue persists and the light does not turn red, contact SAM Labs at info@samlabs.com.

Begin by answering the following questions:

• Are the blocks connecting in the app at all?

• Are the blocks on (is the red light lit)?

• Have you tried resetting the blocks?

• Does the computer have an enabled Bluetooth adapter or dongle?

If you are still having issues connecting your blocks, contact SAM Labs by email (info@samlabs.com) or visit their website and use SAM Lab’s live chat service. Access SAM Labs’ chat service by clicking in the bottom-right corner of their website.

On Windows, sometimes there are conflicts with the Bluetooth drivers that SAM Space installs and the Bluetooth drivers that Windows installs, which can lead to SAM blocks not appearing. The Bluetooth drivers that Windows installs are not compatible with SAM Space and need to be removed.

For complete instructions and information about resolving this issue, visit samlabs.com/pages/software.

The SAM Labs app default Windows download is for 64-bit machines. You may need the 32-bit version of the app. The problem also sometimes happens when you double-click the desktop SAM app icon, and the app opens then immediately closes.

To download the 32-bit Windows version

1. Go to samlabs.com/pages/software.

2. Scroll to the section Windows error "This app can't run on your PC" after installing.

3. Click the download link to begin downloading the 32-bit.exe file.

If you think you wireless block is defective, try fully charging and resetting the block to see if that solves the problem before you contact SAM Labs for a replacement.

If these actions don’t resolve the issue, contact SAM Labs by email (info@samlabs.com) to arrange a replacement.

The camera block can take a photo only if the camera block menu is open. To open the camera block menu, double-click the camera block on a display. To enable the use of multiple cameras, open multiple camera menus by pressing SHIFT while you double-click the different camera blocks shown on the display.

If your issue isn’t listed here or on samlabs.com, contact SAM Labs by email (info@samlabs.com) or visit their website and use SAM Lab’s live chat service. Access SAM Labs’ chat service by clicking in the bottom-right corner of their website.