Cannonball Mold Makes a Dandy Integrating Sphere for Laser Measurements

Integrating sphere test setup

It’s an age-old riddle: if you have a perfect sphere with a perfectly reflective inner surface, will light bounce around inside it forever? The answer is pretty obvious when you …read more Continue reading Cannonball Mold Makes a Dandy Integrating Sphere for Laser Measurements

Coffee Cupping is a Grind — Spectroscopy Could Brew Better Beans

If you’ve ever bought whole coffee beans, chances are good that there was all kinds of information on the bag that led to your decision, like the origin, the roast …read more Continue reading Coffee Cupping is a Grind — Spectroscopy Could Brew Better Beans

Pi-Based Spectrometer Puts the Complexity in the Software

Play around with optics long enough and sooner or later you’re probably going to want a spectrometer. Optical instruments are famously expensive, though, at least for high-quality units. But a …read more Continue reading Pi-Based Spectrometer Puts the Complexity in the Software

High-Speed Spectrometer Built with Cheap Linear CCD

If you’ve ever dreamed of building a proper spectrometer, it looks like the ESPROS epc901 CCD sensor is absolutely worth your attention. It’s fast, sensitive, easy to interface with, and at just $24 USD, it won’t break the bank. There’s only one problem: implementing it in your project means either …read more

Continue reading High-Speed Spectrometer Built with Cheap Linear CCD

High-Speed Spectrometer Built with Cheap Linear CCD

If you’ve ever dreamed of building a proper spectrometer, it looks like the ESPROS epc901 CCD sensor is absolutely worth your attention. It’s fast, sensitive, easy to interface with, and at just $24 USD, it won’t break the bank. There’s only one problem: implementing it in your project means either …read more

Continue reading High-Speed Spectrometer Built with Cheap Linear CCD