SpectraRad™ Specifications

Optical
Spectral Range	380nm - 750nm, 350nm - 1050nm
Spectral Resolution	~1.5nm, ~2.0nm
Irradiance Range	25 nW/cm²/nm - 4 mW/cm²/nm
Electrical
Detector Type	Response Enhanced 2048 element linear silicon CCD array
TE Cooling	14°C
External Trigger	Aux Port
Computer Interface	USB 2.0 / 1.1
Data Transfer Speed	Up to 180 spectra per second via USB 2.0
DC Power Input	5V DC < 1.5 Amps
Software
Effective Integration Time	5 - 120,000ms
Operating Systems	Windows: XP, Vista (32-bit), 7 (32-bit)
Environmental
Operating Temperature	15°C - 35°C
Operational Relative Humidity	85% Noncondensing

Transmissive Cosine Receptor:

Equipped with a cosine corrective lens this spectrometer is irradiance calibrated against a NIST traceable tungsten light source.
Slit:

Determines the photon flux and optical resolution

Light entering into a spectrometer’s optical bench via a fiber or lens is focused onto a pre-mounted and aligned slit. This ultimately determines the optical resolution and throughput of the spectrometer after grating selection.

The SpectraRad comes with a 25μm slit.
Collimating Mirror:

Collimates and redirects the light beam towards the grating

Both mirrors are F# matched focusing mirrors coated with AlMg₂ which produces approximately 95% reflectance when working in the UV-Vis spectrum. Aluminum (Al) provides reflectance and Magnesium (Mg₂) protects the Aluminum from oxidation.
Grating:

Wavelength Range and Spectral Resolution

The groove frequency of the grating determines two key aspects of the spectrometer’s performance: the wavelength coverage and the spectral resolution. The higher the groove frequency the more resolution the instrument will achieve but the wavelength coverage will be less. Inversely, decreasing the groove frequency increases wavelength coverage at the cost of spectral resolution.

The blaze angle or blaze wavelength of the grating is also a key parameter in optimizing the spectrometer’s performance. The blaze angle determines the maximum efficiency the grating will have in a specific wavelength region.
Focusing Mirror:

Refocuses the dispersed light onto the detector

Both mirrors are F# matched focusing mirrors coated with AlMg₂ which produces approximately 95% reflectance when working in the UV-Vis spectrum. Aluminum (Al) provides reflectance and Magnesium (Mg₂) protects the Aluminum from oxidation.

Detector:

2048 Pixel Linear CCD Array Detector

The SpectraRad features a TE Cooled 2048 element linear silicon CCD array detector with a pixel format of 2048 x 1 elements @ 14μm per element with effective (active) pixels > 2000. Each pixel represents a portion of the spectrum and as the dispersed incident light strikes the individual pixels across the CCD the electronics can then translate and display the intensity using our BWSpec™ software.

The quantum efficiency (QE) and noise level of the array detector greatly influences the spectrometer sensitivity, dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratio. The spectral acquisition speed of the spectrometer is mainly determined by the detector response over a wavelength region.

Specifications
Wavelength Range	200nm - 1050nm
Pixels	2048
Pixel Size	14μm x 200μm
Well Depth	~90,000 e
Digitization Rate	500 kHz

Thermoelectric Cooler:

Reduces dark noise and increases the dynamic range

Cooling an array detector with a built-in Thermoelectric Cooler (TEC) is an effective way to reduce dark current and noise, as well as to enhance the dynamic range and detection limit. The graph below shows the dark current and noise for an uncooled vs. cooled CCD detector at an integration time of 30 seconds. When operating at room temperature, the dark current nearly saturates the uncooled CCD. When the CCD is cooled down to 14°C by the TEC, the dark current is reduced by four times and the dark shot noise is reduced by two times. This allows the spectrometer to operate at long integration times and detect weak optical signals.
Cylindrical Lens:

Increases intensity up to three times.
Auxiliary Port:

Wires for External Trigger (standard)
TTL Input & Output (optional)
USB 2.0 / 1.1:

Up to 180 spectra per second

Applications:

Illumination and color characterization
UV curing system QC
LED Characterization
Visible Spectroscopy / Spectroradiometry
WL Identification
Color Absorbance & Reflectance

The Advantage of Spectral vs. Filter

Although filter based instruments are desired for certain properties such as cost, speed and portability, they are not always the best choice for analytical measurements. Filter based instruments only acquire three data points across the entire spectrum of light to yield colorimetric values. This is accomplished by the use of filters corresponding to the normal human eye response. These filters can only be manufactured to a certain degree of accuracy. Due to these facts, filter based meters are susceptible to errors because of the deviation of the filter response from the ideal human eye response and the lack of resolution needed to accurately describe narrow bandwidth light sources.

The SpectraRad™ avoids these problems at a comparable cost, higher speed and small footprint because it acquires hundreds of data points across the visible spectrum. In addition, the 2048 pixel linear CCD array provides the precision required to accurately measure narrow bandwidth light sources or LEDs. Having multiple sensors also enables the unit to report spectral data and display spectral graphs, making it the ideal instrument for evaluating LEDs, which are today’s dominant light source.

BWSpec™ Color Software

BWSpec™ features a wide range of tools designed to perform complex measurements and calculations at the click of a button. BWSpec™ allows the user to choose between multiple data formats and offers automatic optimization of integration time. BWSpec™ color software graphically displays positioning in the CIE 1931 chromaticity chart and in Lab* space. BWSpec™ also provides tristimulus values (X, Y, Z), Correlated Color Temperature (CCT), Dominant Wavelength, Ev (lux), x, y, u`, v`, and many more radiometric and color metrics in an easy-to-follow display window.

SpectraRad™

TE Cooled Miniature Spectral Irradiance Meter

The SpectraRad™ is a miniature TE Cooled Spectral Irradiance Meter designed for industrial and lab applications with a USB 2.0 interface. The SpectraRad™ is equipped with a right angle, fiber-optically coupled cosine corrective lens, and is irradiance calibrated against a NIST traceable tungsten light source. BWSpec™ software is provided for characterization and measurement of many application lighting devices and systems. Standard software features include time line recording, data smoothing, illuminance (lux), chromaticity, color temperature, and other data-handling functions.

SpectraRad™ Specifications

Transmissive Cosine Receptor:

Slit:

Determines the photon flux and optical resolution

Collimating Mirror:

Collimates and redirects the light beam towards the grating

Grating:

Wavelength Range and Spectral Resolution

Focusing Mirror:

Refocuses the dispersed light onto the detector

Detector:

2048 Pixel Linear CCD Array Detector

Thermoelectric Cooler:

Reduces dark noise and increases the dynamic range

Cylindrical Lens:

Increases intensity up to three times.

Auxiliary Port:

Wires for External Trigger (standard) TTL Input & Output (optional)

USB 2.0 / 1.1:

Up to 180 spectra per second

Applications:

The Advantage of Spectral vs. Filter

BWSpec™ Color Software

SpectraRad™

Please fill out the information below to view the datasheet.

Wires for External Trigger (standard)
TTL Input & Output (optional)