Wavelength chacracteristic measuring device and method using light having wavelength thereof continuously changed

A wavelength characteristic measuring method comprising:

• emitting a light whose wavelengths continuously change from a preset start wavelength up to stop wavelength from a wavelength variable light source to a measuring object by a wavelength variable light source;
• generating a plurality of timing information showing emission timings of lights emitted from the wavelength variable light source and having start and stop wavelengths and a plurality of wavelengths obtained by delimiting the wavelengths between the start and stop wavelengths in predetermined steps by timing information outputting means;
• receiving a light output from the measuring object and outputting a signal showing a measured value of a received light by a light receiving section;
• receiving the signal output from the light receiving section and amplifying the signal at each predetermined amplification factor by a plurality of amplifiers;
• and
• selecting one signal kept in a predetermined measuring range of signals amplified at the each predetermined amplification factor by said plurality of amplifiers and outputting the one signal as a measured value of the light having a wavelength decided in accordance with corresponding timing information in said plurality of timing information output from the timing information outputting means, by a signal selecting section.

A wavelength characteristic measuring apparatus comprising:

• a wavelength variable light source which emits a light whose wavelengths continuously change from a start wavelength up to a stop wavelength to a measuring object;
• timing information outputting means for generating timing information showing emission timings of lights emitted from the wavelength variable light source and having start and stop wavelengths and a plurality of wavelengths obtained by delimiting the wavelengths between the start and stop wavelengths in predetermined steps;
• a light receiving section which receives a light emitted from the measuring object and outputs a signal showing a measured value of the received light;
• a plurality of amplifiers which receive signals from the light receiving section and amplify the signals at each predetermined amplification factor;
• a plurality of comparators which compares the signals amplified at each predetermined amplification factor by said plurality of amplifiers in accordance with an upper limit value and a lower limit value of a measuring range corresponding to each preset amplifier, and thereby outputting a switching signal showing connection when the signal output from said each amplifier is kept between the upper limit value and the lower limit value and outputting a switching signal showing non-connection when the signal output from said each amplifier is not kept between the upper limit value and the lower limit value;
• a data storing/switching circuit section which stores signals output from a corresponding amplifier among a plurality of amplifiers decided based on switching signals output from said plurality of comparators in accordance with timing information output from the timing information outputting means while the light having wavelengths delimited by the predetermined steps is emitted;
• and
• a control section which selects a signal output from a corresponding amplifier out of a plurality of amplifiers decided in accordance with the switching signals among the signals stored in the data storing/switching circuit section as one signal in a desired measuring range based on the switching signal from said plurality of comparators.

A wavelength characteristic measuring method comprising:

• emitting a light whose wavelengths continuously change from a preset start wavelength up to a stop wavelength from a wavelength variable light source to a measuring object;
• generating timing information showing emission timings of lights emitted from the wavelength variable light source and having start and stop wavelengths and a plurality of wavelengths obtained by delimitating the wavelengths between the start and stop wavelengths in predetermined steps by timing information outputting means;
• receiving a light emitted from the measuring object and outputting a signal showing a measured value of the received light by a light receiving section;
• receiving signals output from the light receiving section and amplifying the signals at each predetermined amplification factor by a plurality of amplifiers;
• comparing the signals amplified by the amplifiers at each predetermined amplification factor in accordance with an upper limit value and a lower limit value in a desired measuring range corresponding to each preset amplifier by the comparators and thereby, outputting a switching signal showing connection when a signal output from said each amplifier is kept between the upper limit value and the lower limit value and outputting a switching signal showing no-connection when the signal output from said each amplifier is not kept between the upper limit value and the lower limit value by a plurality of comparators;
• storing signals output from a corresponding amplifier among a plurality of amplifiers decided in accordance with switching signals output from said plurality of comparators in accordance with timing information output from the timing information outputting means while the light having wavelengths delimited by the predetermined steps by a data storing/switching circuit;
• and
• selecting a signal output from a corresponding amplifier among a plurality of amplifiers decided in accordance with the switching signals among the signals stored in the data storing/switching circuit section as one signal in a desired measuring range based on the switching signal from said plurality of comparators.