Upgrade Base eVOLVER Hardware

[Strongly Recommended] Better 3D Printed Vial Holder

Warning: you will need to recalibrate both OD and temperature after swapping in the new part

Info

If your eVOLVER is stock from Fynch, then you do not have the upgraded part (as of April 2024).

Download the latest version here. Compare to the version online here to determine which version you have.

Benefits

• [Versions >= 5.1.1] More consistent OD calibration

  • You can tell if you have this part by pulling out the OD LED or photodiode from your vial holder and seeing if there is a smaller circle of plastic inside the hole

    • If there is simply a flat area on the bottom of the hole, you have an older version

  • Because of variation in depth of photodiode and OD LED. See here

  • Otherwise you will have vials with poor calibrations

• [Versions >= 5.2] More resistant to overflow

  • You can tell if you have this part because there are triangle-shapes around the screws holding the Smart Sleeve together.

  • On the old 3D printed part (v5.1.1 and below), overflows could easily short the heating resistors

  • The latest version has cutaways to prevent this

Guide

1. Print out your vial holder by downloading the latest version here

   1. Send the .stl file to a manufacturer (such as hubs.com) and choose FDM printing

   2. Choose black plastic (optics change otherwise)

2. Remove any extra plastic in the photodiode and LED holes

3. Use this guide to help you rebuild your Smart Sleeve with the new vial holder

4. Make sure to firmly push the OD LED and photodiodes all the way in (see figure below)

5. Recalibrate temperature and OD

OD LED (A) and photodiode (B) depth into the 3D printed smart sleeve holder. (C) View inside the aluminum tube -- neither LED nor photodiode poke all the way into the aluminum tube.

Stronger Stirring

More stirring leads to better aeration and thus better growth in many cases. Try this stir bar for more vigorous stirring: Length 20 mm, Diameter 3 mm (# SBM-2003-MIC).

Try different stir speeds to see if you can get stable and intense stirring.