Construction Guide Do-It-Yourself Spectrometer for 10 US $
A spectrometer for 10 US $? Impossible – after all, commercial spectrometers cost several thousand euros. And yet it can be done, as a project run by the organisation Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science (PLOTS) shows.
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Spectrometers are measuring instruments with which materials can be identified by their absorption properties, and are usually very expensive. But now PLOTS has published on its homepage a construction guide for a low-cost spectrometer: the components required cost not more than 10 US $. If HD resolution is desired, the material costs amount to around 30 US $
Open source software displays the spectrum on a PC
The PLOTS spectrometer covers a measurement range from 400 to 900 nm with a resolution between 5 and 10 nm and processes 20 to 30 samples/s. It consists mainly of a webcam, a no-longer-required DVD and the casing of a VHS video cassette. The open source software necessary for operating measuring instrument is likewise already available online. A kit for the spectrometer is offered by the BreadPig Shop for 30 US $.
The construction guide on video:
Download the Open-Source-Software zfor the Spectrometer
Buy the spectrometer kit from BreadPig Shop
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