Abstract:
A spectrophotometer wherein the diffraction grating is driven directly by a pulse motor and the wavelength of the monochromatic light used for measurement is calculated by a data processor from the amount of rotation of the pulse motor. The data processor is provided with an Input unit for setting a parameter corresponding to the difference between the nominal and actual grating constants of the diffraction grating and so arranged as to calculate the wavelength in accordance with the nominal grating constant having been modified with the parameter set through the Input unit.
Abstract:
To provide sufficient sensitivity, spectral resolution and speed of measurement for field environmental measurements in a portable spectroradiometer, a silicon photodiode receives light: (1) having a bandwidth in the range of between 2 and 15 nm (nanometers) from a pivotable concave holographic diffraction grating within the wavelength range of between 250 and 1150 nm at a scanning rate in the range of 20 to 100 nm per second; (2) having stray light of high intensity and undesired frequencies and the shorter wavelength harmonics of the selected frequency range blocked by filters; and (3) having flux of a least 10 microwatts per square meter of diffuser plate for each nanometer of bandwidth. Automatic electrical zeroing is obtained by blocking all light once at the beginning of each scan, obtaining an electrical drift-related signal and using the drift signal to ad- just the measured signal during the scan. Several different sensing interfaces can be used, including a quartz, light fiber probe having at least a 50% packing density and a cone angle of at least 24 degrees. The data and the programming storage is at least 30K bytes but the instrument uses no more than two watts of power when the instrument is not scanning.
Abstract:
An optical spectrometer (10) for measuring low concentrations of gas constituent, such as SO2, provides automatic tracking of an absorption band of the constituent. A stepper motor (26) rotates an optical frequency modulator (24) in the spectrometer through a preset range to vary the frequency of the light passing through a gas sample (12) about an adjustable center frequency. The ouput of the spectrometer, which varies in amplitude with the change in frequency of the light due to the absorption characteristic of the gas, is filtered by a digital filter (64) and stored as a set of digital values in memory (44) of a digital processor (40). The maximum peak value of a set of peak values corresponding to different selected center frequencies is used to control the stepper motor to control the angle and hence the center frequency of the optical modulator to track the absorption peak of the constituent gas.
Abstract:
A line in a Raman spectrum scattered from a sample (18) is selected by a diffraction grating (20) and passed to a detector (26). The grating (20) may be based on an electrostrictive device and has a variable pitch. It is tuned about the selected Raman line under the control of an oscillator (28). The output from the detector (26) is analysed synchronously with the oscillation by a phase sensitive detector (34). This rejects background light and enables, for example, confirmation of the existence of the Raman line in the spectrum, and measurement of its height above the background. The variable pitch grating (20) may be replaced by a fixed pitch grating or a tunable filter, mounted on an oscillatory drive which may comprise electrostrictive or piezolelectric elements.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method of and a device for measuring optical radiation. In the method, the intensity (2) of a radiation coming from an object (1) to be measured and to be lighted by collimated radiation is measured at several wavelength by focusing the radiation by an optical means (4) and a mirror means (6) on a detector group (3) comprising several detector elements (3a to 3d). The radiation coming from the object (1) to be measured is directed by the optical means (4) and the planar mirror means (6) in such a way that, by rotating the mirror means (6) tilted with respect to its axis (5) round this axis (5) and by keeping the radiation on the surface of the same planar mirror means (6), the focus (F) of radiation is moved in a detector plane (D) along a regular uninterrupted path (R) alternatingly over each detector element (3a to 3d) positioned substantially in the same plane and excited at a different wavelength.
Abstract:
A sine bar mechanism comprises an arm (9) of radius R which is pivoted about an axis (13) which is also the axis of a diffraction grating. An elongate member (6) is pivotally mounted at one end (7) and is pivotally connected to the arm (9) at its other end (8). The co-ordinates (x,y) of the point (7) and the length of the elongate member (6) are chosen to optimise the characteristics of the mechanism. Embodiments in which the elongate member (6) comprises a lead screw and the pivotal connection (8) comprises a nut which is pivotally mounted on the arm (9) and which engages with the lead screw are described and their use in various types of monochromator portrayed.