A flow cytometry apparatus comprising: a detector configured to produce a detector signal responsive to detecting light during operation of the flow cytometer; a first pulse processor configured to receive the detector signal from the detector and to output detector data characterizing pulse heights of pulses in the detector signal ; a second pulse processor configured to also receive the detector signal from the detector and to output a pulse height data signal , a pulse width data signal , and a pulse area data signal for desired pulses in the detector signal , wherein the desired pulses are the pulses for which the pulse height data signal , the pulse width data signal , and the pulse area data signal are to be stored in a data storage device and, for each desired pulse: the second pulse processor is configured to output the pulse height data signal , the pulse width data signal , and the pulse area data signal for that desired pulse responsive to a set of one or more trigger conditions being met, and the set of one or more trigger conditions at least includes a trigger condition involving a comparison of the pulse height for that desired pulse with a trigger threshold value; a real-time trigger module configured to receive the detector data from the first pulse processor and to generate periodic histogram data from the detector data during a predetermined time period; and a threshold selector configured to receive the periodic histogram data from the real-time trigger module and to provide the trigger threshold value . a detector configured to produce a detector signal responsive to detecting light during operation of the flow cytometer; a first pulse processor configured to receive the detector signal from the detector and to output detector data characterizing pulse heights of pulses in the detector signal ; a second pulse processor configured to also receive the detector signal from the detector and to output a pulse height data signal , a pulse width data signal , and a pulse area data signal for desired pulses in the detector signal , wherein the desired pulses are the pulses for which the pulse height data signal , the pulse width data signal , and the pulse area data signal are to be stored in a data storage device and, for each desired pulse: the second pulse processor is configured to output the pulse height data signal , the pulse width data signal , and the pulse area data signal for that desired pulse responsive to a set of one or more trigger conditions being met, and the set of one or more trigger conditions at least includes a trigger condition involving a comparison of the pulse height for that desired pulse with a trigger threshold value; a real-time trigger module configured to receive the detector data from the first pulse processor and to generate periodic histogram data from the detector data during a predetermined time period; and a threshold selector configured to receive the periodic histogram data from the real-time trigger module and to provide the trigger threshold value . the second pulse processor is configured to output the pulse height data signal , the pulse width data signal , and the pulse area data signal for that desired pulse responsive to a set of one or more trigger conditions being met, and the set of one or more trigger conditions at least includes a trigger condition involving a comparison of the pulse height for that desired pulse with a trigger threshold value; a real-time trigger module configured to receive the detector data from the first pulse processor and to generate periodic histogram data from the detector data during a predetermined time period; and a threshold selector configured to receive the periodic histogram data from the real-time trigger module and to provide the trigger threshold value . <EOS>