Stratagene Robocycler Gradient 96 Timings are wrong

Jamie,

Are you referring to the dwell time that the tubes sit in the block?

Ken

On page 5 of the Instruction Manual there is a section that refers to Automatic Features of the Temperature Cycler. The paragraph reads as follows:

AUTOMATIC FEATURES OF THE ROBOCYCLER TEMPERATURE CYCLER

1) Automatic Position Sensing

The robotic arm automatically stops if it encounters resistance. The position sensing

robotic arm will reorient itself and move to the appropriate block if

the arm is accidentally bumped mid-cycle.

2) Temperature Change Compensation

The RoboCycler temperature cycler automatically compensates for

temperature changes which can occur when most or all of the wells are used.

For example, when the arm moves tubes from the cold block (Block 4) to

the first hot block (Block 1) on the first cycle of the program, the

temperature of Block 1 may drop by as much as 4°C. The system

compensates by pausing the countdown and waiting momentarily at Block 1

until this block reheats to within a degree of the set point.

When the tubes move from Block 1 at, for example, 95°C, to Block 2 at

54°C, the temperature of Block 2 may rise as much as 3°C. On the first

cycle, the system will measure the temperature increase and adjust the set

point accordingly for future cycles for that block, in this case decreasing the

set point.

Could this be the cause of what you are referring to?

Ken

No Ken,

I'm referring to the overall time for each of the stages and hence the overall time until the machine beeps it's done.

Jamie

That's an interesting thought Ken, But unfortunately the other  Stratagene Robocycler Gradient 96 does not exhibit this effect  and matches the programmed rime very closely on the same task, same temps.

This one is signoficantly out.

But thanksfor the suggestion.

Jamie 

It sounds like a calibration issue.  I just got off the phone with Agilent tech support and the lady said there is person at their facility that can help me with discontinued products.  He will return shortly and contact me via phone.  I can then get multiple questions answered about the issue that you are experiencing and find out if there is any technical documentation/service manuals available.

I am interested in the operation of this particular model because we run them here at our facility and one day we will probably run into similar problems such as yours.  I would like to have any and all information about this device available to operators alike.

Ken

Hi Ken,

Yes I wondered about this, there must be a master clock somwhere that controls the timing and it seems to be a bit off.

Thanks for your efforts. A lot of the problems we have are due to rough handling by impatient students. A postgraduate student with some technical expertise is currently working through a series of mechanical failures due to rough handling by cannibalising the pile of dead ones left in the corner. He's having some success. But this problem with a working machine  has us both stumped.

Thank you,

Best regards,

Jamie

Certain components on the PC board have limited life values also.  If you can get access to the inside, have your tech guy check the capacitors and visually look at them to make sure they are not swollen.  He can measure the value of them as well if he has a good multimeter with that function.

Most caps that reside on PC boards usually require replacement after 15 to 20 years depending on how clean the power was that was supplied to the device.  If the device was connected to a Uninterruptable Power Supply then it always received clean, constant voltage without noise, spikes or brownouts.  These environmental factors all affect the life of PC board components.  I will notify you as soon as I received information from Agilent.

Ken

Jamie,

I just got off the phone with a tech support person from Agilent.  He said that he was one of the last technicians that supported that device as it has been discontinued.  He mentioned that there was not a calibration mode/program or anything in the software related to it. It did not need it.

He told me to check the motherboard for a BIOS/ROM battery and when I told him about your issue, he stated that it could be related to damage from rough handling.

He is going to send me all the printed material that they have on the Robocycler.

Ken

Hi Ken,

Thanks for this, I will have a look and see what I can find.

If you get the printed material will it be possible for you to Copy/scan it and send it to me please?

Thank you.

Best regards,

Jamie