Spectroradio-meter and spectrophotometer

A method of measuring radiation comprising the steps of:

• carrying a self-contained battery-powered spectroradiometer to a location where light is to be measured;
• applying light to a silicon photodetector at wavelengths within the range of between 250 to 1150 nanometers at a plurality of discrete bandwidths within the range of 2 to 15 nanometers at a scanning rate in the range of 20 to 100 nanometers per second;
• screening other wavelengths of light out with a diffraction grating and high-intensity harmonics of the light passed through the diffraction grating with a series of synchronized filters;
• and
• digitizing and storing the electrical signal from the silicon photodetector into a memory capable of storing at least 30 kilobytes and using less than 2 watts of power.

Apparatus comprising:

• inlet means for receiving light to be sensed;
• means for sequentially passing each of a series of light wavelength bands falling within 250 to 1150 nanometers in wavelength and with each of the bands within the scan having a bandwidth in the range of 2 to 15 nanometers in wavelength constituting a scan while blocking other wavelengths;
• means for detecting the light passing through said inlet means and through said means for sequentially passing;
• and
• said detection means including a silicon photodetector, whereby an electrical signal of sufficient precision is received without special cooling within the narrow bandwidths.

Apparatus comprising:

• inlet means for receiving light to be sensed;
• means for sequentially passing each of a series of light wavelength bands falling within the range of 250 to 1150 nanometers in wavelength to form a sequential scan of wavelength bands with each of the bands within the scan having a bandwidth in the range of 2 to 15 nanometers in wavelength while blocking other wavelengths;
• means for detecting the light passing through said inlet means and through said means for sequentially passing;
• said detection means including a photodetector, whereby an electrical signal is received;
• means for digitizing said signal;
• means for recording said digitized signal;
• means for applying light from a source having a known spectrum to said inlet means;
• said means for recording including means for recording said digitized signals for said known source of the known spectrum value from said source;
• and
• means for comparing signals from an unknown source with said digitized signals from said known source and providing corresponding values of the spectrum from said unknown source.

A method comprising the steps of:

• applying light to a photodetector at least at wavelengths within the range of between 250 and 1150 nanometers at a plurality of discrete bandwidths within the range of 2 to 15 nanometers from a source with a known spectrum;
• screening other wavelengths of light out from said known source;
• digitizing and storing the electrical signal from the known source in a calibration section of memory together with the value of the spectrum for the measurements;
• applying light from sources with an unknown spectrum to the same photodetector at wavelengths within the range of between 250 and 1150 nanometers at a plurality of discrete bandwidths within the range of 2 to 15 nanometers;
• screening other wavelengths of light out from said sources of unknown spectrums;
• and
• digitizing and correlating the electrical signal from the photoconductor from said source of unknown spectrum with said digitized signals from said known spectrum to obtain the corresponding values of the spectrum of the source having an unknown spectrum.

A portable spectroradiometer comprising:

• inlet means for receiving light to be sensed;
• means for sequentially passing each of a series of light wavelength bands falling within 250 to 1150 nanometers in wavelength and with each of the bands within the scan having a bandwidth in the range of 2 to 15 nanometers in wavelength constituting a scan while blocking other wavelengths;
• means for detecting the light passing through said inlet means and through said means for sequentially passing;
• said detection means including a photodetector, whereby an electrical signal is received;
• means for digitizing said signal;
• means for recording said digitized signal;
• and
• means for storing including at least 30 kilobytes with a power requirement of no more than 2 watts of power for storage without scanning power, whereby said instrument may be portable while providing sufficiently precise measurements.

A method comprising the steps of:

• carrying a self-contained battery-powered spectroradiometer to a location where light is to be measured;
• applying light to a photodetector at certain wavelengths within the range of between 250 and 1150 nanometers at least one of a plurality of certain discrete bandwidths within the range of 2 to 15 nanometers.
• screening other wavelengths of light out;
• and
• digitizing and storing the electrical signal from the photodetector into a memory capable of storing at least 30 kilobytes with less than 2 watts of power.