Each Trilogy module has information on the label that informs you on what to select on the Trilogy GUI (Graphical User Interface). The GUI Selection type will be listed underneath the label of the module number on the module. The Trilogy then accesses programming to define the LED power requirements and adjusts the LED current drive appropriately. Even the development kit and most custom modules will list the GUI Selection on the label. For the Development Kit you should select the option that is determined by the specific LED you are using. Whether you are setting up the Trilogy for the first time or changing modules and applications, this information is required.

The sample may have oversaturated the detector. Power off the Trilogy, then wait for 5 seconds and reapply the power.

One of the possible causes for this error is dirty or noisy AC power. In some cases, this error can be eliminated by using a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) or other power line conditioner that can help to correct poor power line conditions.

GFS Chemicals has developed and certified new turbidity standards that are specifically engineered for optimal performance of Turner Designs instruments. The Trilogy has specific primary turbidity standards that should be used when calibrating. 10 NTU - GFS Part Number 8502, 100 NTU - GFS Part Number 8503, 1000 NTU - GFS Part Number 8699

Trilogy detection limits for chlorophyll extraction or acidification were determined using Acetone as a standard solution for Chlorophyll extraction.

There is no Warmup time on the Trilogy.

Trilogy module LEDs are rated to last 11 years minimum.

The Trilogy will give you a Point to Point Slope instead of line of best fit. For a line of best fit, extract data from readings or have it run concurrently with a computer and Excel to manually adjust data in graph form.

- Recalibrating will change the value given when reading solid standard.

- RFU given on Cal sheet of chl is not the real one given when reading on trilogy. Use correlation between rfu to ug/L or whatever is there.

You may encounter negative values while reading pheophytin, it is a natural degradation product of chlorophyll that you are attempting to calculate and attribute to your results. Normally, when we think of chlorophyll in vivo, we are measuring and looking for a response from a whole umbrella for all the chlorophyll like Chl a, b, c, d, etc.

- Under acidification, we are performing a “Correction” to remove that background noise from all the accessory pigments associated with some algae and keeping Chl a.

- “Corrected” chlorophyll a allows you to see how pheophytin comes into this equation and gives you an indication of whether there is promoted growth or more degradation of chlorophyll – a quick check into the physiological condition of the algae or phytoplankton.

- An example would be, you measured a sample out on a healthy ocean ecosystem and found a low ratio which has a positive pheophytin value. That would make sense considering there is production and maintenance of their photosynthetic pigments, a Chl a:pheo ratio > 1 would be typical. Then a later measurement in a different season has results where the ratio is negative or undetectable. Which one possible explanation would be production going on from overusing food sources and Chl a was starting to degrade rather than being maintained.

- That ratio between Chl a and pheophytin gives you a quick glance into the physiological condition of the algae or phytoplankton.

Yes, it is normal to have negative values when calculating for pheophytin. Our document was based on the EPA 445 method: Method 445.0 - In Vitro Determination of Chlorophyll a and Pheophytin a in Marine and Freshwater Algae by Fluorescence (settek.com) where the calculation is located on page 9. What you are viewing is the ratio created from the (rRa - Rb). Knowing that Rb - Fluorescence of sample extract before acidification, Ra - fluorescence of sample extract after acidification, and r is the ratio of extraction before versus after acidification. What can happen is that, when the Rb is divided by Ra to give you the r value, it can be a large ratio. Pretending that Ra is 11429 RFU and Rb is 20,000 RFU. A larger ratio, say for example 1.75, when put back into the equation of (rRa - Rb) -> (1.75 x 11429) – 20,000 can result in a negative number or a result close to 0, which is perfectly normal. A smaller ratio would result in a calculation with a larger positive numbered output.
​
The RFU that was found from readings taken after acidification and before acidification allows you to determine your pheophytin value. Pheophytin is looking for that degradation result from the process and allows you to determine that there was change. More chlorophyll – less pheophytin, and less chlorophyll – more pheophytin.

Calibrate once and then recall the calibration when you switch between modules. They can also use the solid standard to validate if the module needs recalibration instead of recalibrating simply because it hasn't been used in a while.

Regarding chlorophyll, the in vivo concentration would be much lower than the extracted on the Trilogy. With extracted, you are concentrating the algae on a filter pad and then extracting the chlorophyll into solvent thereby reading a highly concentrated solution. If you apply filtered and extracted volumes to that measurement, then they'll end up with the same concentrations as in vivo, however, in vivo is reading raw water and those values would come back as non-concentrated response from the algae therefore quite low. Typical in vivo concentrations off our coast are 5 ug/L of chlorophyll (Monterey Bay California), offshore concentrations dip below 1 ug/L, open ocean concentrations are less than 0.1 ug/L and inland reaches such as estuaries can be higher than 10 ug/L typical.

The Trilogy modules can be used with a round test tube adapter which takes 12x75mm test tubes.

Trilogy with the Serial 7200-000 is older and works with serial ports. 7200-002 is newer and works best with USB instead of serial. We find that there may be some difficulty if you are using a laptop that performs more like a tablet such as those in the Microsoft Surface series.

N700 error on Trilogy indicates a humidity error typical with the older trilogy units. There is no “repair” for this, but rather a changing of the environment to make the error go away. A temperature-controlled room with lower humidity like a lab is best and then you can wipe the insides of the module seat and diodes with a dry Q-tip. We can repair this for you, but it would cost a lot to do so.

One major factor that can cause variability can easily be a function of the cuvette, solution, or noise level. To be perfect about this, you would need quartz cuvette, facing same side every time you read, and make sure you're measuring in a temp stable room. That can be a lot of money and trouble for 2% difference especially since our tolerance is accepting +/-2.5% from actual value.

It is recommended to clean your Trilogy and module with a dry Q-tip if possible to address possible variability problems. Sometimes dust and debris can get caught in the filters. If after cleaning the variability issues persist, it can be that a solution or something previously has spilled and damaged the filters in the module.

It is recommended to clean your Trilogy and module with a dry Q-tip as soon as possible following a spill. If after cleaning the reading issues persist, it can be that a solution, solvent, or something previously has spilled and damaged the filters in the module. It is recommended to purchase a replacement module in the event of a damaged filter on a module.

The method we have for phosphate on our website is adapted from Strickland and Parsons 1968 method. There are several methods you can reference, here are a few:

- EPA method: https://archive.epa.gov/water/archive/web/html/vms56.html

- Bermuda Biological Station: https://bats.bios.asu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/chapter11.pdf

There are several questions you may need to evaluate on why you are experiencing a need for more acid on the Trilogy acidification module.

· Acid strength isn’t what you expect it to be. You expect 0.1 M HCL when in fact you’re much lower than that; this would be due to using old stock of acid or getting the dilution from the parent standard wrong. Not saying this is what is happening, just pointing out what would be a factor.

· Your chlorophyll is actually degraded. If it is brand new chlorophyll standard, just opened, it’s unlikely but not impossible. The only way to be sure your chlorophyll is not degraded is using this method or HPLC.

· You’re not waiting the allotted time for the reaction to complete. It must be 90 seconds continually inverting the sample over that time. If you don’t wait long enough, you will not see full degradation of chlorophyll and it will prompt you to add more.

· Ask yourself these questions as well:

o How much more acid are you adding (in ml)?

o What is the CAS # of your parent acid standard?

o What are you using to add the acid to the sample (transfer pipet, calibrated pipet, eye dropper, pouring it in, etc)?

o What is your sample volume?

o What is the solvent you’re using for the extraction process?

o Are all your solvents, samples, reagents, standard at the same temp when running the acidification protocol?

Higher chlorophyll concentrations (mg/L) will require more acidification due to the high chlorophyll content. I’d stick to or be as close to 100 ug/L as possible. In which case this is way too high of concentration. The Trilogy will read concentrations between 0.03 ug/L and 500 ug/L.

No, the Trilogy is not NRTL Listed.

Thanks for reaching out to us. You are not the only one who has noticed that difference between the 10-AU and Trilogy. A large part in the difference of the acid factor being 1.7 on the Trilogy and 2 on the 10-AU comes down to the internal components used. The difference in reading would be based on the light sources and filters. The Trilogy is a far better unit with LEDs and a filter that can last decades with consistent results from what I have seen from other customers. The 10-AU degrades in a shorter time and can have unstable readings compared to the tech we use today.

While it is not our intention to leave our users without support, we are unable to fulfill the LCD repair requests without the necessary parts needed to repair Trilogy Model 7200-000. The internal components we use to make those models and repairs have become obsolete and our manufacturer for those parts do not make them any longer. If I may suggest, what would you like us to do to best support you?

If the application is still in line with benchtop fluorometry, the newer Trilogy would be best and I can get you quoted on a newer instrument. If perhaps your requirements have changed, we have plenty of other products that are at a lower cost and perform as well for their respective applications similar to the Trilogy. Let me know what we can do for you.

In short, the Trilogy Chlorophyll in vivo module is not the same as the Chlorophyll Acidification/extraction module. The optical specification for the Trilogy Chlorophyll in vivo module is set so that you can read maximal fluorescence from all chlorophylls in a sample, not just extracted chlorophyll a. This makes detection for that module sensitive to all algae and therefore it would be harder to correct for chlorophyll a using the acidification step. Here are the specifications for both modules: https://docs.turnerdesigns.com/t2/doc/spec-guides/998-7281.pdf

Notice the optical difference in the excitation/emission filters and light source. For these reasons, it wouldn’t be the best idea to use the in vivo module for chlorophyll a as you would the acidification or non-acidification module. However, you can certainly try knowing that it would not be as accurate as you expected.

The Trilogy Laboratory Fluorometer is intended to be an instrument in use with liquid samples. As an example, attempting to find the fluorescence intensity of a printed OB patch when excited at a certain wavelength will not produce desired results.
​
​

Hello there! All of our documentation on our Trilogy Benchtop Fluorometer webpage can help provide you information on all of the modules we offer. Here is our product datasheet for the Trilogy modules: S-0068.pdf Additionally, here is our optical specification document for the wavelengths on each Trilogy module: 998-7281_MASTER.xlsx

Thanks for reaching out to us about this! We do have detection limits for the Trilogy when used with the LaMotte test kit. Information comes from our webpage on this: Fluorometer Parameters | Absorbance | Turner Designs. Minimum Detection Limit for the Trilogy Absorbance Nitrate module can be found here: Introduction. Our optical specification guide also has the Minimum detection limit from the LaMotte testing: 998-7281_MASTER.xlsx Though if you use the Cadmium Column Reduction Method, the minimum detection will be lower due to the higher accuracy.

The Trilogy Benchtop Fluorometer does not fit 25mm test tubes. Instead they can hold 10 x 10 mm cuvettes or 12 x 75 mm round bottom test tubes. If you require use of 25 mm test tubes, our C-FLUOR Submersible Probe may be a better option for you. Learn more in this Technical Note.

Please refer to the Trilogy Optical Specification Guide for a listing of suggestions by application for different cuvettes or sample vials on the Trilogy.

The sample may have oversaturated the detector on the Trilogy causing it to have a blank screen. Power off the Trilogy, then wait for 5 seconds and reapply the power.

One of the possible causes for this N700 error is dirty or noisy AC power. In some cases, this error can be eliminated by using a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) or other power line conditioner that can help to correct poor power line conditions. In adverse external conditions, such as high humidity, it would be best to bring the Trilogy back to a lab-controlled environment and left to acclimate to room temperature.

For more information about Trilogy Connection problems with a computer, refer to this article: Troubleshooting the Trilogy Spreadsheet Software and Setup | Turner Designs Help Center
There are several things you can check to troubleshoot communication problems.

- Make sure no other programs are using the serial port that the Trilogy is connected to

- Using a terminal program such as HyperTerminal open a new file and configure the settings for 9600, 8, none and 1. The flow control should be set to none. Save this file.

- After you have completed this make a measurement and the data should be displayed in the terminal program window.

- Also check that you are using the appropriate cable and that both ends are connected. If you are using a newer computer that only has a USB port make sure that your USB to serial adapter has the proper drivers installed and operating. You can refer to the Trilogy Cable Guide for recommendations of a serial adaptor.
​

The Trilogy chlorophyll acidification spreadsheet can be downloaded at http://docs.turnerdesigns.com/calc/chlor-acidification-calculation-spreadsheet.xlsx

Instructions for using the spreadsheet are located on row 36.

When the Trilogy is in direct concentration mode the following calculations will be used to calculate corrected chlorophyll and pheophytin a values for the acidification method and the corrected chlorophyll values for the non-acidification method. You may find this calculation on our Trilogy User Manual Appendix D-E: Trilogy User Manual

Please refer to the following document for an overview of absorbance with the Trilogy absorbance modules. http://docs.turnerdesigns.com/t2/doc/appnotes/S-0141.pdf

The Turner Designs Development Kit P/N 7200-080 allows user the flexibility to design their own modules. Please refer to the manual for further information. As of March 2023, we no longer offer this application, and it has since been discontinued.