Validation and correction of spectrometer performance using a validation cell

A method comprising:

• receiving light intensity data quantifying intensity of light generated by a light source and received at a detector during a validation mode of an absorption spectrometer, the validation mode comprising causing the light to pass at least once through each of a zero gas and a reference gas, the reference gas being contained within a validation cell and comprising a known amount of a target analyte, the zero gas having at least one of known and negligible first light absorbance characteristics within a range of wavelengths produced by the light source;
• comparing the light intensity data with a stored data set representing at least one previous measurement in the validation mode;
• and
• determining that a validation failure has occurred if the first light intensity data and the stored data set are out of agreement by more than a predefined threshold amount.

An article comprising a computer readable medium encoding instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

• receiving light intensity data quantifying intensity of light generated by a light source and received at a detector during a validation mode of an absorption spectrometer, the validation mode comprising causing the light to pass at least once through each of a zero gas and a reference gas, the reference gas being contained within a validation cell and comprising a known amount of a target analyte, the zero gas having at least one of known and negligible first light absorbance characteristics within a range of wavelengths produced by the light source;
• comparing the light intensity data with a stored data set representing at least one previous measurement in the validation mode;
• and
• determining that a validation failure has occurred if the first light intensity data and the stored data set are out of agreement by more than a predefined threshold amount.