Understanding Counts in Spectrometer

In summary, the conversation discusses the use of a spectrometer and software to measure the light emitted by lamps in aquariums. The speaker's goal is to determine the total light and its distribution in the aquarium. However, they are encountering problems with understanding the data provided by the spectrometer, which includes negative counts. They mention the need for a conversion factor to convert the counts into more useful units.
  • #1
Fpmagnani
7
0
Well, I'm not a physician so, maybe my doubt is a little fool. Well, I'm mapping the light emitted by some lamps in some aquariums. For that, I'using a spectrometer named Ocean Optics USB4000 and a software named SpectraSuite. My intention is to discover how much is the total light getting into the aquariums and haw is it distributed in the aquarium. After taking the measurements, i will interpolate the data in the software Voxler from goldensoftware.
Well, my problem is in the beginning of these processes: the data that the spectrometer take is given by counts in each kind of wave, like that:
Wave Counts
178,91 -30,32
179,13 -30,32
179,34 -30,32
179,56 -47,11
179,78 -52,23
180,00 25,59
180,21 -3,29
180,43 4,70
180,65 56,92
180,86 -16,19
181,08 4,13
181,30 6,32
181,51 10,22
181,73 13,86
181,95 18,10
182,17 22,35
182,38 22,55
182,60 23,71
182,82 24,45
183,03 21,25
183,25 23,55
183,47 23,24
183,68 25,75
183,90 26,41
184,12 26,91
184,34 26,41
184,55 29,11
184,77 29,52
184,99 30,15
185,20 31,23
185,42 31,96
185,64 31,48
(......)
880,40 239,06
880,57 228,80
880,74 222,27
880,91 213,25
881,07 207,39
881,24 199,64
881,41 191,34
881,58 185,91
881,74 182,21
881,91 176,63
882,08 170,85
882,25 165,77
882,42 163,48
882,58 161,57
882,75 159,43
882,92 158,30
883,09 158,19
883,25 156,41
883,42 155,53
883,59 154,07
883,76 150,13
883,92 149,86
884,09 150,75
884,26 147,37
884,43 148,47
884,60 147,10
884,76 147,05
884,93 147,07
885,10 145,44
885,27 145,20
885,43 144,78
885,60 145,16
885,77 143,63
885,93 142,32
886,10 142,19
886,27 143,42
886,44 142,82
886,60 142,32
886,77 143,33
886,94 143,85
887,11 142,79
887,27 146,86
887,44 148,05
887,61 148,53
887,77 153,58
887,94 157,17
888,11 145,19
888,28 145,60
888,44 154,82
888,61 164,44
888,78 136,79
888,94 203,56
889,11 196,60
889,28 169,77
889,45 229,98
889,61 215,23

As you can see, there are even negative counts and I'm not getting really well what is the meaning of these "counts" and how can i convert it to any optic unites.
 
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  • #2
That is something the manual should show. There should be some conversion factor between counts and some more useful unit.

Negative values suggest the device subtracts some background, if the result is negative some calibration might have gone wrong.
 

1. What is a spectrometer and how does it work?

A spectrometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the properties of light. It works by separating light into its individual wavelengths and then analyzing the intensity of each wavelength to determine the composition of the sample being tested.

2. Why is understanding counts important in spectrometer measurements?

Counts refer to the number of photons detected by the spectrometer, which directly relates to the intensity of the light being measured. Understanding counts is important because it allows for accurate and precise measurements of the sample's properties.

3. How are counts related to the sensitivity of a spectrometer?

The sensitivity of a spectrometer refers to its ability to accurately detect and measure low levels of light. Counts are directly related to sensitivity, as a higher number of counts indicates a more sensitive instrument.

4. Is there a standard unit of measurement for counts in spectrometers?

There is no standard unit of measurement for counts in spectrometers as the number of counts can vary depending on the type of instrument used. However, counts can be converted into other units such as photons or energy levels.

5. How can we optimize counts in spectrometer measurements?

To optimize counts in spectrometer measurements, it is important to understand the factors that can affect the number of counts, such as the sensitivity of the instrument, the intensity of the light source, and the sample's properties. Adjusting these factors can help increase or decrease the number of counts and improve the accuracy of the measurement.

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