Apogee MC-100 User manual

APOGEE INSTRUMENTS, INC. | 721 WEST 1800 NORTH, LOGAN, UTAH 84321, USA
TEL: [phone] | FAX: [phone] | WEB: APOGEEINSTRUMENTS.COM
Copyright © 2020 Apogee Instruments, Inc.
OWNER’S MANUAL
CHLOROPHYLL CONCENTRATION
METER
Model MC-100, U.S. Patent No. 9,733,179

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Owner’s Manual ............................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Certificate of Compliance ................................................................................................................................................................. 3
Introduction...................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Meter Models ................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Specifications.................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Theory of Operation ......................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Operation and Measurement ......................................................................................................................................................... 10
Installing new Crop-Specific Settings .............................................................................................................................................. 19
Maintenance and Recalibration...................................................................................................................................................... 20
Troubleshooting and Customer Support ........................................................................................................................................ 21
Return and Warranty Policy............................................................................................................................................................ 22

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE
EU Declaration of Conformity
This declaration of conformity is issued under the sole responsibility of the manufacturer:
Apogee Instruments, Inc.
721 W 1800 N
Logan, Utah 84321
USA
for the following product(s):
Models: MC-100
Type: Chlorophyll Concentration Meter
The object of the declaration described above is in conformity with the relevant Union harmonization legislation:
2014/30/EU Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive
2011/65/EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS 2) Directive
2015/863/EU Amending Annex II to Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS 3)
Standards referenced during compliance assessment:
EN 61326-1:2013 Electrical equipment for measurement, control and laboratory use –EMC requirements
EN 50581:2012 Technical documentation for the assessment of electrical and electronic products with respect to
the restriction of hazardous substances
Please be advised that based on the information available to us from our raw material suppliers, the products
manufactured by us do not contain, as intentional additives, any of the restricted materials including lead (see
note below), mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), polybrominated
diphenyls (PBDE), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and
diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP). However, please note that articles containing greater than 0.1% lead concentration are
RoHS 3 compliant using exemption 6c.
Further note that Apogee Instruments does not specifically run any analysis on our raw materials or end products
for the presence of these substances, but rely on the information provided to us by our material suppliers.
Signed for and on behalf of:
Apogee Instruments, June 2020
Bruce Bugbee
President
Apogee Instruments, Inc.

INTRODUCTION
Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in plant cells, algae cells, and cyanobacteria. The primary function of
chlorophyll molecules is radiation absorption, which provides energy essential for photosynthesis. Chlorophyll
concentration in plant leaves is typically expressed in units of quantity per area of leaf surface, micromoles per
square meter (µmol m-2); mass per area of leaf surface, milligrams per square meter (mg m-2), has also been used.
Hand-held chlorophyll meters typically provide a relative indication of chlorophyll in plant leaves. The patented
Apogee model MC-100 chlorophyll concentration meter measures relative chlorophyll content and outputs an
estimate of actual chlorophyll concentration in units of µmol per m2of leaf surface, which is closely correlated to
the relative measurement. The MC-100 provides an alternative to destructive sampling techniques for determining
chlorophyll concentration. It is less time consuming and labor intensive, and allows for leaves to be measured and
monitored over an entire growth cycle. It also allows for rapid replicate measurements of the same leaf, or rapid
measurement of multiple leaves.
Typical applications of chlorophyll meters include chlorophyll concentration determination for plant nutrient status
assessment, environmental stress impact, and fertilizer requirement.
Apogee Instruments MC-100 chlorophyll concentration meters consist of two light emitting diodes (one emitting
red radiation and one emitting near infrared radiation) with paired detectors, liquid crystal display (LCD), operation
buttons, 9 V alkaline battery, and signal processing circuitry mounted in a plastic housing. The meter also includes
a USB port for data download to a computer and RS-232 port for use with GPS. The meter is hand-held and
designed for instantaneous, non-destructive, direct determination of leaf chlorophyll concentration. The meter
measures the ratio of radiation transmittance from two different wavelengths (red and near infrared) and outputs
chlorophyll concentration, which is calculated internally from the transmittance ratio measurement and then
displayed on the LCD.

METER MODELS
The MC-100 chlorophyll concentration meter is the only chlorophyll meter model offered by Apogee Instruments.
It includes custom coefficients to determine chlorophyll concentration for over 25 different plant species (with
more coming soon). It also includes a generic equation for use with all plant species, where the equation was
derived from the data from all twenty-two species measured. Custom coefficients for additional species can be
added, once established from measurement of chlorophyll content index (CCI) and in vitro determination of leaf
chlorophyll concentration, which requires chemical digestion of leaf samples and subsequent chlorophyll
extraction, then optical analysis for chlorophyll determination. The method is detailed and equations for twenty-
two different plant species are provided in Parry et al. (2014).
Parry, C., J. M. Blonquist Jr., and B. Bugbee, 2014. In situ measurement of lead chlorophyll concentration: analysis
of the optical/absolute relationship. Plant, Cell and Environment 37:2508-2520.
Meter model number, serial number, and
production date are located on a label on back
of each meter.

SPECIFICATIONS
MC-100
Displayed Output Unit
µmol of chlorophyll per m2of leaf surface
Measurement Area
63.6 mm2(9 mm standard diameter), 19.6 mm2(5 mm diameter with reducer)
Resolution
± 10 µmol m-2 chlorophyll concentration for generic equation (less for specific species), 0.1
Chlorophyll Content Index (CCI) Unit
Linearity
± 1 %
Repeatability
± 1 %
Sample Acquisition
Time
Less than 3 s
Storage Capacity
8 MB for up to 160,000 data measurements; 94,000 data measurements with GPS data entries
User Interface
50 mm by 15 mm graphic display screen; 8 push buttons for control and data manipulation
Data Output
Mini-B USB port provided for main data transfer; RS-232 port can be used with GPS for
integrated measurement
Measured Variables
Ratio of optical transmission at 931 nm to optical transmission at 653 nm
External GPS Option
Serial # 1-1520
RS-232 port (GPS location data is saved with each measurement)
Internal GPS
Serial # 1521 and
above
RS-232 functions removed in GPS enabled units (no external GPS option)
Operating
Temperature
0 to 50 C
Temperature Drift
Temperature compensated source and detector circuitry over full range
Power Requirement
Standard 9 V DC alkaline battery
Auto-Off Interval
4 minutes (with no key press or download)
Dimensions
152 mm length, 82 mm width, 25 mm height
Mass
210 g

THEORY OF OPERATION
Radiation that drives photosynthesis in plants is called photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). PAR is typically
defined as radiation in the 400-700 nm range, the visible wavelengths. Chlorophyll has distinct radiation
absorption characteristics and is a strong absorber of all photosynthetically active wavelengths. However, it does
not absorb quite as much green radiation as it does blue and red radiation, thus more green radiation is reflected
from or transmitted through leaves. This is what gives leaves their green color, and this feature shows up as a
characteristic hump near 550 nm in a leaf transmittance spectrum (or reflectance spectrum; leaf reflectance and
transmittance spectra are very similar). Chlorophyll absorbs very little radiation at wavelengths greater than 700
nm, thus there is a sharp transition from low to high transmittance near 700 nm (see leaf transmittance spectrum
in figure below). This characteristic feature of a leaf transmittance spectrum is called the red edge, where radiation
of wavelength greater than approximately 700 nm, termed near infrared (NIR), is not used for photosynthesis.
The Apogee Instruments MC-100 chlorophyll concentration meter exploits the different absorption characteristics
of chlorophyll at different wavelengths to determine relative chlorophyll content. Radiation from two light
emitting diodes (one centered at 653 nm and one centered at 931 nm) is passed through a leaf sample and
intensity is measured by paired detectors to determine transmittance (see inset in lower right-hand corner in
graph above). The ratio of transmittance at 931 nm to transmittance at 653 nm provides a measure of relative
chlorophyll content because 653 nm is a photosynthetically active wavelength within the chlorophyll absorption
range and 931 nm is a near infrared wavelength outside the chlorophyll absorption range, which serves as a
reference measurement to compensate for mechanical differences between leaves (e.g., tissue thickness). The

ratio of transmittance at 931 nm to 653 nm is termed chlorophyll content index (CCI). A CCI measurement near
one indicates similar transmittance of red and NIR radiation, thus little to no chlorophyll in the leaf sample. A CCI
measurement greater than one indicates less transmittance of red radiation relative to near infrared radiation (for
example, see CCI value calculated from leaf transmittance spectrum in graph above), with larger ratios indicating
more chlorophyll.
The MC-100 chlorophyll concentration meter is unique in that it converts CCI, a relative measure of chlorophyll
content, to an estimate of actual chlorophyll concentration. There is a non-linear relationship between CCI and
chlorophyll concentration, and the relationship is different for different plant species (see relationship for three
different crop species in figure below). The MC-100 includes equations with species-specific coefficients for twe-
nty-two different species (see table below), an equation with generic coefficients derived from data for all twenty-
two species, and an equation to convert CCI to SPAD units (SPAD is the output from a similar chlorophyll meter
manufactured by Minolta). As custom coefficients for additional species are generated, they can be added to the
database in the meter by Apogee.

Species for which chlorophyll concentration can be directly determined with MC-100
All Species
Generic Equation (used for species not listed below)
Annual Crop Species
Rice
Wheat
Soybean
Barley
Pepper
Tomato
Pea
Kohlrabi
Lettuce, cultivar Waldman’s Green
Lettuce, cultivar Buttercrunch
Corn
Sorghum
Cannabis
Coffee
Spinach
Strawberry
Cherry
Blackberry
Deciduous Species
Quaking Aspen
European Birch
Paper Birch
Crimson King Maple
Norway Maple
Japanese Maple
Boxelder
Crab Apple
Purple Leaf Sand Cherry
Lilac
Forsythia
Hops
Grapevine*
* Coefficients for grapevine were derived from data collected and supplied by Everard Edwards and Tarita Shiraishi
Furlan, CSIRO Agriculture & Food.
A major advantage of the Apogee Instruments model MC-100 over other hand-held chlorophyll meters is
conversion of relative chlorophyll content to actual chlorophyll concentration (i.e., linearization of the output).
Chlorophyll meters typically output an index that is non-linearly related to chlorophyll concentration (e.g., CCI or
SPAD). The MC-100 outputs an estimate of actual chlorophyll concentration in units of µmol per m2of leaf surface,
thus changes in the displayed output are true changes in chlorophyll concentration. For example, a doubling of
measured chlorophyll concentration represents an actual doubling in a plant leaf, whereas a doubling of a relative
index does not necessarily represent a doubling of actual chlorophyll concentration in the leaf. This concept is
illustrated for CCI and SPAD index measurements on rice leaves in the graphs below.

OPERATION AND MEASUREMENT
Apogee Instruments model MC-100 chlorophyll concentration meters consist of two light emitting diodes with
paired detectors located in the sampling head, liquid crystal display (LCD), operation buttons, 9 V alkaline battery,
and signal processing circuitry mounted in a plastic housing. The meter also includes a USB port for data download
to a computer and RS-232 port for use with GPS.
PLEASE NOTE: MC-100 units serial numbers 1521 and above come with an internal GPS. The RS-232 port is still
present in GPS enabled units, but does not function as a GPS expansion port anymore.
The operational buttons consist of three menu selection keys and four arrow keys to make adjustments to menu
functions.
Press the power button to turn on the MC-100. After a few seconds the main menu screen appears. Program flow
is organized into three menu groups. The selectable options are Run –used to set up and take measurements,
Data –allows access and downloading of data files, and System –used to set up functional features of the meter
and view system diagnostics.

MEASUREMENTS
From the main menu select Run.
Select Measure to perform measurements with the MC-100 and Setup to make adjustments to data files, test
types, and measurement parameters. Select Back to return to the main menu.
Run Setup: Data Files
The user can choose to save a data file to memory in addition to naming the file. Select Edit to highlight the Save
Data option. Pressing the up and down arrows will toggle between Yes and No.
While still highlighted, press the right arrow to enter the File Name Manager. This feature allows the user to select,
rename, or create a new data file. Press the up and down arrows to rotate through the following menu options:
Use an existing file, Use date as name, Edit default name, Enter a new name. Select Accept while the appropriate
option is highlighted. A default file will already exist (i.e. MCDATA01), but additional files may be designated using
uppercase letters A-Z and/or numbers 0-9. Note that a newly created data file will not appear in the list of existing
data files until a measurement is saved to it. The total number of data files is indefinite, as the limit is dependent
on available memory.
Run Setup: Test Types
There are three test types to select for measurements: 1 point no averaging, multi-point average, and multi-point
std dev. A 1 point no averaging will save every data point to the data file (the parameters Average ## points and
Record point data are not applicable with the single point option). Multi-point average will record an average of 2
to 30 samples, depending on the Average ## points selected. Selecting No under Record point data will only save
the averaged value, while selecting Yes will save all data points in addition to the average value. Multi-point std
dev will only allow averaging from 10 to 30 samples and will record the standard deviation from these samples.
Selecting No under Record point data will only save the standard deviation value, while selecting Yes will save all
data points in addition to the standard deviation value. Note that if the difference between measurements is

greater than two standard deviations, the instrument automatically eliminates the outlier and requires an
additional measurement.
Select Edit and use the up and down arrows to toggle to the appropriate test type and test type options. Pressing
the right arrow will advance the highlighted option to the next.
Run Setup: RS-232 Option Serial Numbers 1521 and above
The MC-100 includes an USB connection that can be used for mirroring collected data files on a computer.
Run Setup: RS-232 Option Serial Numbers 1-1520
The MC-100 includes an RS-232 (serial) output that is primarily used for GPS connection. Compatible GPS devices
must be capable of RS-232 communications and have a 9-pin connector output. Additionally, although the
transferring of data files over USB connection is recommended, it is possible to transfer using the MC-100’s serial
output with a custom serial cable. Contact Apogee technical support for more information on connecting to a GPS
device or transferring files over RS-232.
Run Setup: Custom Measurements
As detailed above, the MC-100 is capable of measuring in both units of CCI (relative chlorophyll content) and in
µmol m-2 (actual chlorophyll concentration). The default is to measure in units of CCI whereby the Use custom
measurement units is set to No. For measurements reported in units of µmol m-2, select Edit to highlight the Use
custom measurement units. Use the up or down arrow to change the setting to Yes and then press the right arrow
to select the appropriate species-specific file.
The following tables provide names of specific species and the corresponding file name that appears in menu. The
subsequent data file will also include a four letter notation to help track the species selected during measurement.
The generic option will calculate chlorophyll concentration from an equation that was fit to CCI and chlorophyll
measurements from all species combined. There is also an option that converts CCI to SPAD, where SPAD units are
the output from chlorophyll meters manufactured by Minolta.

Function
Menu Name
Data File Notation
Conversion to SPAD
Converts CCI to SPAD
SPAD
Spad
Combined Species
Generic (equation fit to all
data)
GENERIC
Gnrc
* Coefficients for grapevine were derived from data collected and supplied by Everard Edwards and Tarita Shiraishi
Furlan, CSIRO Agriculture & Food.
Run Measure: Calibration
The MC-100 requires a calibration when taking the first measurement after powering on the unit. Calibration is
not required between measurements. Verify the sample chamber’s optical path is clear and hold down the
measuring arm until the Release Arm message is displayed.
Run Measure: Perform Measurement Serial Numbers 1521 and above
Species Name
Menu Name
Data File Notation
Annual Crop
Species
Rice
RICE
Rice
Wheat
WHEAT
Whet
Soybean
SOYBEAN
SyBn
Barley
BARLEY
Baly
Pepper
PEPPER
Pepr
Tomato
TOMATO
Tomt
Pea
PEA
Pea
Kohlrabi
KOHLRABI
Klrb
Lettuce –Waldman’s Green
WGLETTUC
WGLt
Lettuce –Buttercrunch
BCLETTUC
BcLt
Corn
MAIZE
Maze
Sorghum
SORGHUM
Srgm
Cannabis
CANNABIS
Cnbs
Deciduous Species
Quaking Aspen
QKASPEN
QkAp
European Birch
EUBIRCH
EuBr
Paper Birch
PABIRCH
PpBr
Crimson King Maple
CKMAPLE
CKMp
Norway Maple
MWMAPLE
NwMp
Japanese Maple
JPMAPLE
JpMp
Boxelder
BOXELDER
BxEl
Crab Apple
CRBAPPLE
CbAp
Purple Leaf Sand Cherry
PLSCHERR
PLSC
Lilac
LILAC
Lilc
Forsythia
FRSYTHIA
Frsy
Grapevine*
GRAPE
Grap
Clear sample area
and hold down arm
to calibrate.
Back
Calibrating. Wait!
Status: Busy
Calibrating. Wait!
Status: Release Arm
GPS: -
Sample number:
####
1 pt
###.#
Info
Exit
Delete
GPS: +
Sample number: ####
####
Ave
###.#
Info
Exit Delete
Delete
GPS: X
Sample number: ####
####
StDev
###.#
Info
Exit Delete
Delete

MC-100 with serial numbers 1521 and above have a “GPS:” icon in the upper left corner of the screen to indicate
the status of the GPS signal and location logging ability. A “-“ = GPS enable, no signal. A “+” = GPS enabled, signal
acquired. An “X” = GPS disabled.
When saving the first measurement to a data table, one of the above three screens will appear, depending on the
test type selected. If the data file already holds existing data, the following message will appear. Select Overwr to
overwrite the existing data in the data file or Append to add the next set of measurements to the existing data file.
Select Cancel to close the menu and start over.
Place the sample under the measuring head making sure the entire measuring area is covered by the sample. Hold
down the arm until the screen displays DONE. Release the arm and the screen updates with the measured value.
When taking measurements in multi-point average or multi-point std dev, a vertical bar will appear on a graph for
each data point. The total number of measurements made and the latest measurement value will also display.
An alphanumeric comment, up to 20 characters in length, may be entered for each measurement. After taking the
measurement, select Info and then Comment. Use the arrow keys to customize the field. Info can be used to check
your current GPS location.
Run Measure: Perform Measurement Serial Numbers 1-1520
When saving the first measurement to a data table, one of the above three screens will appear, depending on the
test type selected. If the data file already holds existing data, the following message will appear. Select Overwr to
overwrite the existing data in the data file or Append to add the next set of measurements to the existing data file.
Select Cancel to close the menu and start over.
Place the sample under the measuring head making sure the entire measuring area is covered by the sample. Hold
down the arm until the screen displays DONE. Release the arm and the screen updates with the measured value.
When taking measurements in multi-point average or multi-point std dev, a vertical bar will appear on a graph for
each data point. The total number of measurements made and the latest measurement value will also display.
An alphanumeric comment, up to 20 characters in length, may be entered for each measurement. After taking the
measurement, select Info and then Comment. Use the arrow keys to customize the field.
DATA
Sample number:
####
1 pt
###.#
Info
Exit
Delete
Sample number:
####
Ave
###.#
Info
Exit
Delete
Sample number:
####
StDev
###.#
Info
Exit
Delete
Warning!
File already exists.
Select next action.
Overwr
Cancel
Append
Jan 1
00:00:00
Run
Data
System
Warning!
File already exists.
Select next action.
Overwr
Cancel
Append

From the main menu select Data.
Connect MC-100 to a PC via USB cable or select Access to view data points on screen. Erase to delete data files.
Data Connect to PC
Connect the included USB cable from the MC-100 to a PC (note that any USB cable may be used that has a
standard A plug to Mini-B plug). The built-in uSD memory of the MC-100 acts as a flash drive so a storage device
window will likely pop up once the connection is made. Select Open folder to view files using Windows Explorer. If
the window does not appear, go to My Computer and select the MC-100 drive. Locate the appropriate data files
(saved as a .txt file) and copy to the computer’s hard drive. Select Eject before unplugging the USB cable. Do not
turn off the PC until the USB cable has been disconnected.
Data Access: View Data On Screen
Each data point of each data file may be viewed on screen. Select View and use the up and down arrows to select
the appropriate data file from the list. Once highlighted, select View to enter the file. Use the up and down arrows
to sequentially traverse through each data point.
Selecting Output provides the option of sending data over RS-232 communications with the use of a custom serial
cable. *NOTE: Transferring data files over a USB connection is highly recommended. If USB connection is not
available please contact Apogee Instruments technical support for more information on transferring files over RS-
232. Select Back to return to the main menu.
Data Erase: Delete Data Files
To delete a data file from the MC-100 memory, use the up and down arrows to highlight the appropriate file.
Select Erase to delete (note there will be no additional check to verify that highlighted file should be deleted).
SYSTEM
Data Management
Connect a USB cable to
link to a PC.
Access
Back
Erase
USB Link Active!
Eject!
Data Management
View
Back
Output
1 Files
[MCDATA01]
Found
[ ]
[ ]
Cancel
Erase
Jan 1
00:00:00
Run
Data
System

From the main menu select System.
Select Setup to make adjustments to basic meter functions and Diag to view system diagnostics.
System Setup: Time Stamp
Since a time stamp is recorded with each data point it is important to maintain the correct date and time. Select
Edit to highlight the hour and use the up and down arrows to adjust setting. Use the right arrow button to advance
to minutes, seconds, months, and so forth. Select Enter when set.
System Setup: Operational Functions Serial Numbers 1521 and above
By default, the MC-100 will beep every time a key is pressed, in addition to a four minute auto-off feature to help
conserve battery power. To turn these features off, select Editto highlight the Key press beep. Pressing the up and
down arrows will toggle between Yes and No. Use the right arrow to advance to the next setting.
System Setup: Operational Functions Serial Numbers 1-1520
By default, the MC-100 will beep every time a key is pressed, in addition to a four minute auto-off feature to help
conserve battery power. To turn these features off, select Edit to highlight the Key press beep. Pressing the up and
down arrows will toggle between Yes and No. Use the right arrow to advance to the next setting.
A specific GPS baud rate is required when communicating with a compatible GPS device. Contact Apogee
Instruments technical support for more information on connecting to a GPS device.
System Setup: Baud Rate Output Serial Numbers 1521 and above
This setup option is no longer available.
System Setup: Baud Rate Output Serial Numbers 1-1520
System settings
and diagnostics
Setup
Back
Diag
24Hr Time
[00:00:00]
Date
[01/01/2015]
Format
[MM/DD/YYYY]
Exit
Edit
Key press beep
[Off]
Auto power Off
[Off]
GPS Baud rate
[ 4800]
Exit
Edit
Serial port output
Baud rate [ USB ]
Exit
Edit
Key press beep
[Off]
Auto power Off
[Off]
Exit
Edit

For communication over RS-232 the appropriate baud rate will need to be set, otherwise USB should be selected.
Select Edit to highlight the baud rate and use the up and down arrows to adjust.
System Diag: Meter Diagnostics
The diagnostics section consists of five screens that detail system operation and overall performance. The
information provided in the diagnostics section is intended for troubleshooting and/or repair.
System Checking GPS Information in the Diag Menu Serial Numbers 1521 and above
1. Make sure GPS logging is enabled: (Run Setup)
2. Go back to home screen, press System Diag, then navigation to screen 5
a. Location is given in latitude and longitude
b. DOP: degrees of precision
c. N Sat: number of satellite signals detected

Using the Field of View Reducer for Small Leaf Applications:
The field of view reducer (FOVR) accessory reduces the sample chamber area from 63.6
mm2to 19.6 mm2, roughly 30 % of the original size. Field of view reduction errors were less
than 5 % for all leaves tested using the steps below.
1. To use the reducer you must calibrate the meter without the reducer installed. Installing the reducer prior to
calibration results in the error message:
2. Install the FOVR carefully by gently pressing it into place on the meter body side of the sample chamber.
3. You are now ready to make measurements on smaller leaves. Important note: If the meter turns off (preset
Auto-off in 4 minutes), you will need to remove the FOVR to repeat steps 1 and 2.
4. To remove the FOVR, carefully use a needle to depress the foam washer and pick out the FOVR from the
sample chamber (see image below).
Converting from µmol per m2to mg per m2:
The leaves of higher plants include a mix of both chlorophyll a and b in about a 3 to 1 ratio (Parry et al., 2014).
Chlorophyll a has a molar mass of 893.5 grams (g) per mole; chlorophyll b is slightly heavier at 907.5 grams per
mole. The typical weighted average mass of both types of chlorophyll in plant leaves is very close to 900 grams per
mole (this is equivalent to 900 micrograms per micromole; or 0.9 milligrams per micromole).
The reading(s) in µmoles per m2can be converted to units of mg per m2by multiplying by 0.9. For example, a
reading of 400 micromoles per m2is approximately 360 mg per m2.
The reverse conversion from mg per m2to micromoles per m2can be done by multiplying by 1.11 (1/0.9). For
example, a reading of 350 mg per m2is approximately 388.5 µmol per m2.
!! Warning !!
Clean Sample Chamber!

INSTALLING NEW CROP-SPECIFIC SETTINGS
When Apogee released the MC-100, it came with 22 different crop specific coefficients plus a generic setting for all
other crops. Since then, we have added some species and will continue to do so upon popular request. For the
current list of available species, please check our website. If your meter does not have all of the settings loaded,
you can download them from our website and add them to your meter by following these instructions or by
watching the video on our website. Please note that MC-100 meters with a serial number less than 1402
were only programmed to be able to hold up to 27 crop specific coefficients at a time .This can be a limiting
factor as we build the library of available species. If you have a unit with this limitation, you can easily upgrade the
software by following the instructions linked HERE >.
How to Install New Coefficients on Your MC-100
1. Go to https://www.apogeeinstruments.com/chlorophyll-meter-support/#coefficients.
2. Click on one of the the “New Coefficient Zip Files” links to download.
3. Connect the micro USB end of a micro USB to USB cable (included with your meter) to your MC-100’s USB
port. Connect the other end of the USB cable to your computer.
4. Turn the meter on, and press the “Data” button. The meter should now read “USB Link Active!”
5. On the connected computer, go to the location of the downloaded zip file and extract its contents.
6. Select the files extracted and copy them. (Right click > Copy, or Ctl + C)
7. Navigate to and open the MC-100’s file directory.
8. Paste the two new files into the MC-100’s memory. (Right click > Past, or Ctl + P)
Confirming and Selecting New Custom Units
1. Press the “Eject” button and disconnect the USB cable.
2. From the home menu, press the “Run” button to access the Test Menu.
3. Press the “Setup” button to access the MC-100 Test Setup menu.
4. Press the “Up” arrow button to reach the Custom Measurement menu.
5. Press the “Edit” button. Make sure the units’ heading is highlighted.
6. Press the “Right” arrow button to go to the unit’s selection menu.
7. Scroll through the selection of units to confirm your new species coefficients.
8. Highlight a coefficient and press the “Accept” button to begin using it.
For more detailed instructions including images, click the link below.
https://www.apogeeinstruments.com/content/MC-100-installing-new-coefficients.pdf

MAINTENANCE AND RECALIBRATION
Moisture or debris on the MC-100 diffusers is a common cause of inconsistent readings. If cleaning is required,
organic deposits are best removed using water or isopropyl alcohol and a soft cloth or cotton swab. Never use an
abrasive material or cleaner on the diffusers.
Over time, the foam insert may become worn or damaged, in which case the unit will need to be returned for
repair. Contact Apogee Instruments technical support for more information.