Spectrometry
spectrometry

The Public Lab spectrometry project is an open source community effort to develop low-cost spectrometers for a range of purposes. All open spectrometry hardware and software efforts are welcome here! **Join in by:** * Learning [what spectrometry is](#Whats+spectrometry) * Reading about goals and [asking great questions](#Frequently+Asked+Questions) * Building a basic spectrometer using [one of our starter kits](#Starter+Kits) * Trying (and critiquing) our [community-made how-to guides](#Activities) and posting your own * Building on others’ work; hack and remix the kits to refine and expand them * [Share your upgrades](#Upgrades) for others to try -- and perhaps for inclusion in an upcoming starter kit release or add-on kit **** ## Starter Kits Public Lab’s Kits initiative offers several starter kits, including many of the basic components, and instructions for constructing a basic visible light spectrometer. The point of the kits is to provide a shared reference design for building experimental setups onto. Lego Spectrometer Kit Our most recent kit, incorporating community improvements while balancing low cost and ease of construction. Choose between webcam and Raspberry Pi camera versions and build attachments width standard Lego connectors. Build one Buy one Papercraft Spectrometry Intro Kit A $9 paper spectrometer which you can attach to a smartphone or webcam. It’s made of paper to reduce cost and complexity, and is mainly intended as an “introductory” or educational kit. The flat design can be printed on a laser printer or photocopied to make more. Build one Buy one **** ## Activities This is a list of community-generated guides for specific applications using your spectrometry setup (either a [starter kit](#Starter+Kits) or a [modded design](#Upgrades)). These [activities can be categorized](https://publiclab.org/wiki/activity-categories), and some may be more reproduced -- or reproducible -- than others. Try them out to build your skills, and help improve them by leaving comments. Together, we can repeat and refine the activities into experiments. > **Note:** If you are working on an **urgent issue** such as a threat to your or someone else’s health, please know that these techniques may not be ready for your use; it's possible that they never will be. [Read more here](/notes/gretchengehrke/09-29-2016/common-low-cost-technique-limitations) ### Activity grid [activities:spectrometry] **** ## Upgrades Have you added to your starter kit, improved it, or redesigned it? Show others how to take it to the next level by posting a build guide here: [upgrades:spectrometry] Add your upgrade guide here Request or propose an upgrade _Mods should include a parts list and a step-by-step construction guide with photo documentation. See an example._ **** ## Challenges We're working to refine and improve DIY spectrometry on a number of fronts; here, take a look at the leading challenges we're hoping to solve, and post your own. For now, we're using the Q&A feature, so just click "Ask a question" to post your own challenge. Be sure to add: * constraints: expense, complexity * goals: performance, use cases [questions:spectrometry-challenge] **** ## Builds There’s a lot going on in open source spectrometry -- if you’ve developed another open source design you’d like to show others how to construct, post it here! * [RamanPi](https://hackaday.io/project/1279-ramanpi-raman-spectrometer) * [Hackteria “drop”-style spectrometers](https://publiclab.org/notes/gaudi/04-03-2014/diy-micro-volume-spectrophotometer) / [DIY NanoDrop on Hackteria.org](http://hackteria.org/wiki/index.php/DIY_NanoDrop) * _Add yours here_ ##What's spectrometry? Colored light is often a blend of different colors. A spectrometer is a device which splits those colors apart, like a prism, and measures the strength of each color. A typical output of a spectrometer looks like this spectrum of the daytime sky, with the actual light spectrum at the top and the graph of wavelength (horizontal axis, in nanometers of wavelength) and intensity (vertical axis) below: [![sky.png](https://i.publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/005/455/original/sky.png)](https://spectralworkbench.org/analyze/spectrum/19882) > Needed: overview of spectra, calibration, units, comparison, and fluorescence/absorption. Please edit this page or link to a resource, potentially [the Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectroscopy), although that's quite full of technical jargon. ## Software Spectral data can be analyzed with https://spectralworkbench.org to create spectra plots, find centers of emissions plots, and find similar spectra. Data also can be exported in various formats (JSON, CSV, XML) for further analysis and visualization. ## How does this compare to a lab instrument? The [Desktop Spectrometry Starter Kit](/wiki/desktop-spectrometry-kit-3-0) is only one part in an experimental setup, and the following shows where it fits in an overall diagram of a lab spectrometric setup: [![tmp_31873-IMG_20161027_101601_2-79757779.jpg](https://publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/018/635/large/tmp_31873-IMG_20161027_101601_2-79757779.jpg)](https://publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/018/635/original/tmp_31873-IMG_20161027_101601_2-79757779.jpg) [![tmp_31873-IMG_20161027_095939_2-108076392.jpg](https://publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/018/636/large/tmp_31873-IMG_20161027_095939_2-108076392.jpg)](https://publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/018/636/original/tmp_31873-IMG_20161027_095939_2-108076392.jpg) There are many, many different types of spectrometry and spectrometers -- many don’t even measure light. Even among those that do, some detect light in the ultraviolet range, and others in the infrared range of light. The range of Public Lab spectrometers depends on the range of the commercially available cameras we attach them to (~400-700 nanometer wavelengths). A commercially available product with a slightly wider range (from 335 to 1000 nanometers) is [available from Cole Parmer](http://www.coleparmer.com/Product/Cole_Parmer_Visible_spectrophotometer_335_to_1000_nm_wavelength_range_analog_output/UX-83055-10). **** ## Frequently Asked Questions [questions:spectrometry] Note our previous Frequently Asked Questions page, which [can be found here »](/wiki/spectrometer-faq) -- please help port these into the new system, here!...


Author Comment Last activity Moderation
Tomas0413 "I should also add that the spectrometer connected to the MacBook, so checking how to control the USB webcam settings (hopefully for free, as some p..." | Read more » almost 6 years ago
Tomas0413 "Warren and Pushpaw, thanks a lot for the suggestions, I'm still looking at multiple things you suggested. This is what I can confirm right now: 1...." | Read more » almost 6 years ago
Pushpaw "Darn - just went to edit a long answer and the PL web site deleted my save. Check the camera in the spectrometer works just as a web cam. If you ha..." | Read more » almost 6 years ago
Pushpaw "I would thing the first thing to check is whether or not the camera is working. Try removing the grating support or even pull the base out of the b..." | Read more » almost 6 years ago
warren "Hi, can you check if the (former) outer edge of your DVD, the rounded edge, is towards the top of the box? Try giving it a 90 degree turn? Otherwi..." | Read more » almost 6 years ago
warren "Hi! Sorry you're having trouble. My first thought is what direction are the grating lines going? They should be horizontal, or for the DVD, the edg..." | Read more » almost 6 years ago
tmanmerlin "Anyone had luck with this web camera? I tried this method with no luck. I opened up the slit hole by removing the collimator so there is a huge l..." | Read more » almost 6 years ago
warren "Would the birds be live? " | Read more » about 6 years ago
warren "Sure it can! In the visible range of light, and with some careful consistent lighting. Cool idea! " | Read more » about 6 years ago
raj "raspberry pi camera: spectral response curves for more details go through my website you can get all details http://zipansion.com/1TSg4 " | Read more » about 6 years ago
cedarlodge "@lach_myers You are correct, the interface needs to be displayed through the HDMI lead. Currently the code is still in development so it does need ..." | Read more » about 6 years ago
Ag8n "Thank you for the help programmer 1200! " | Read more » about 6 years ago
JSummers "Hi @ONECore and @hmx, I just posted a research note on this topic. it is here: https://publiclab.org/notes/JSummers/06-03-2018/updating-the-wheet..." | Read more » about 6 years ago
warren "Hi, @lach_myers -- we are trying to link up RPi Cam Control to SpectralWorkbench.org -- take a look here: https://publiclab.org/questions/warren/0..." | Read more » about 6 years ago
lach_myers "Hi, thanks for this - I'd like to ask for a couple of clarifications, if I may? 1) I presume this interface needs a monitor on the HDMI of the PiZe..." | Read more » about 6 years ago
warren "Hi, @rjboyd00, please don't use disrespectful language in any Public Lab space -- we work hard to preserve a respectful and welcoming environment, ..." | Read more » about 6 years ago
rjboyd00 "Your paper liner really sucks and doesn't fold well at all. I will be designing and 3D printing an opaque enclosure to replace most of the legos an..." | Read more » about 6 years ago
ONECore "Yes, @JSummers, I am interested. Please post results. Would love to beta test/advance the project!! " | Read more » about 6 years ago
hmx "Hello @JSummers, I'd be interested in your work on the project using the TCD1304 ccd. I hope you can keep us updated. " | Read more » about 6 years ago
TakeshiMatsumoto "Hi @warren, thanks for your comment. As you can see these photos, it is our original. We have only information about liner CCD by Toshiba. It is po..." | Read more » about 6 years ago
warren "This is amazing!!! Very cool. Do you have more information on the linear CCD setup? How did you read data from it? " | Read more » about 6 years ago
JSummers "Anyone interested in this project? I am working on code to use the Toshiba TCD1304 ccd in this project. I hope to have this to a point where I c..." | Read more » about 6 years ago
cedarlodge "Not yet, It's my half term break in about two week so I can get back onto it around then. " | Read more » about 6 years ago
warren "For what it's worth, the Lego Spectrometer page lays out some reasons why the lego version is going to replace the 3.0 version: https://publiclab...." | Read more » about 6 years ago