Light from a light source that has interacted with a sample of downhole fluid provided in a downhole optical tool is sequentially passed through a plurality of groups of light filters, each of the groups of light filters including of one or more light filters, to generate a data set for each of the groups of light filters, also referred to as a simultaneous channel group. The data generated for each of the simultaneous channel groups is then analyzed to determine if the data from that simultaneous channel groups is effective in providing information useful for the analysis of the sample of downhole fluid.