Open Colorimeter Product Line Overview
There are currently four variants of the Open Colorimeter available. All of the Open Colorimeter variants use an Adafruit PyBadge and the same 3D printed enclosure. The main difference between the variants is the type and position of the light sensor, the CircuitPython firmware and the application.
We have designed the Open Colorimeter variants to be easily customizable for different applications. We have developed a wide-selection of LED light sources in the UV, visible and IR spectrum which will work with any of the variants.
As most of the components are easily exchanged, there are also options to use the same hardware in different configurations or applications. For example, the Open Colorimeter can be easily converted to a multichannel or UV colorimeter simply by swapping the light source and sensor board. The Open Colorimeter Plus has a dual light-sensor holder tube holder design, but can also be easily added to any of the other variants.
When changing hardware between variants, you also will need to program with the correct firmware. This page explains how to reprogram your device with different Open Colorimeter firmware: https://blog.iorodeo.com/installing-upgrading-the-firmware/
An overview of each devices highlighting differences and applications is below. More details can also be found on the following pages: LED boards, Light Sensors, Cuvettes.
Open Colorimeter
Single-wavelength absorbance measurements for colorimetric assays
- Product Page: https://iorodeo.com/products/open-colorimeter
- Light Sensor: TSL2591 High Dynamic Range Digital Light Sensor
- Sensor Overview: Highly sensitive, broad-range visible-IR light sensor
- LED: Ships with LED wavelength of choice
- LED Options: Works with any of our visible-IR LEDs
- Cuvettes: Ships with 6 x BrandTech macro and semi-micro cuvettes (3 of each)
- Firmware: https://github.com/iorodeo/open_colorimeter_firmware
- Example Applications: Colorimetric assays
Multichannel Open Colorimeter
Multi-wavelength absorbance measurements for colorimetric assays
- Product Page: https://iorodeo.com/products/multichannel-colorimeter
- Light Sensor: AS7341 10-Channel Light Sensor
- Sensor Overview: 10 fixed channels including 8 visible light channels, 1 IR channel and a clear channel. Less sensitive than the TSL2591
- LED: Ships with a white LED board
- Cuvettes: Ships with 6 x BrandTech macro and semi-micro cuvettes (3 of each)
- Firmware: https://github.com/iorodeo/multichan_colorimeter_firmware
- Example Application: Applications include any colorimetric assays where you prefer to examine absorbance across multiple wavelengths at the same time
UV Open Colorimeter
Single UV wavelength absorbance measurements for easy quantification of nucleic acids, proteins or other UV-absorbing molecules
- Product Page: https://iorodeo.com/products/uv-open-colorimeter
- Light Sensor: AS7331 UV Sensor
- Sensor Overview: 3 channels for measuring UV-A, UV-B and UV-C. We also developed a Python library for this sensor. More information about the sensor in this post.
- LED: Ships with UV LED wavelength of choice
- LED Options: Works with any of our UV LEDs
- Cuvettes: Ships with 4 x BrandTech Ultramicro UV cuvettes
- Firmware: https://github.com/iorodeo/uv_photometer_firmware
- Example Application: Protein quantification by absorbance at 280nm
Open Colorimeter Plus
Use for fluorescence, bioluminescence or light-scattering measurements
- Product Page: https://iorodeo.com/products/open-colorimeter-plus
- Light Sensors: 2 x TSL2591 High Dynamic Range Digital Light Sensor
- Sensor Overview: Irradiance measurements with a 90° light sensor. Additional light sensor at 180° for measurement normalization (optional for absorbance)
- LED Options: Ships with LED wavelength of choice. The higher irradiance radial LED boards are recommended for fluorescence and turbidity measurements
- Cuvettes/Tubes: PCR tube version ships with 6 x 0.2mL pcr tubes; Cuvette version ships with 4 x BrandTech 4-sided, UV transparent cuvettes
- Firmware: https://github.com/iorodeo/open_colorimeter_plus_firmware
- Example Application: DNA quantitation assay
Open Colorimeter Product Guide
Documentation site for the Open Colorimeter, Multi-Channel Colorimeter, UV Open Colorimeter & Open Colorimeter Plus
Product Guide Home Page