Table of content

What is a Spectroradiometer? 

Usage of Spectroradiometer

Difference Between Spectroradiometer vs. Radiometer vs. Spectrometer

Radiometer

Spectrometer

Spectroradiometer

Difference Between Spectroradiometer vs Colorimeter

Spectrophotometer vs Spectrometer

Manufacturing and Sourcing Optical Devices

Conclusion 

There are several tools for measuring radiation and light properties, such as the radiometer, spectrometer, and spectroradiometer. These tools are necessary for professionals in various industries, so picking the right tool for the job is incredibly crucial.  

But all of those are optical measurement tools, and they seem to deal with similar data. So, many people get confused about what they should use for their project. Some people even confuse one tool with another because of their similar naming scheme. So, in this article, we will talk about what is a spectroradiometer and its usage.

What is a Spectroradiometer?

A spectroradiometer is a device that can measure wavelengths, irradiance, flux, and energy of a light source. This advanced optical instrument can measure the spectral power distribution of different light sources by capturing their intensity and wavelength composition.

Due to its ability to measure the quality of light sources, the commercial use of spectroradiometers has a broad range of applications, ranging from agriculture to astronomy. They are also used for UV, NIR, or VIS scans.

It's a powerful analytical tool for professionals in certain industries. Unlike a spectrometer, a spectroradiometer is a more compact unit that has much better portability. That being said, a spectroradiometer is much slower in its analysis because it needs to deal with a much larger bandwidth of data.

Spectroradiometers come in various shapes and sizes depending on industry requirements, but all spectroradiometers have a few fundamental components. Input lenses, diffusers, detector array, and light dispersing element.

Usage of Spectroradiometer

Various industries use spectroradiometers for their ability to measure light intensity and wavelength composition with high precision. The most widely known application for spectroradiometers is environmental monitoring, where they primarily use UV spectroradiometers to assess the soil condition.

They also use it similarly in agriculture to measure soil conditions to optimize crop growth and plant health. The lighting and display industry also usesspectroradiometers to test color accuracy, vibrancy, and other parameters.  

Due to their extreme accuracy in collecting radiometric data, spectroradiometers are indispensable in research, quality control, and other similar facets of various industries. You would typically see spectroradiometers in industrial settings or research work in controlled environments.

Difference Between Spectroradiometer vs. Radiometer vs. Spectrometer

While all three are optical measurement tools, they work under different parameters. Some of them are also quite dated, so they are somewhat obsolete in certain industries. So, it’s crucial to choose the right one for a specific task.  

1. Radiometer

A radiometer is a simple, low-cost tool that can measure the total intensity of light of a light source. It uses photodiodes to take measurements, but some new variants use dual-photodiodes for more accurate results.

Radiometers are incredibly useful in meteorology because of their ability to measure solar radiation and other meteorological phenomena without needing complicated spectral analysis.

It is much faster than a spectrometer in terms of calculating the overall intensity of a source rather than its composition. For some fields, that capacity is much more important.  

However, it is worth noting that the radiometer is a dated instrument. Modern researchers would much prefer to use a spectroradiometer, which is much simpler to use and offers more accurate data.

2, Spectrometer

A spectrometer can measure the wavelength of a spectral phenomenon like light. Spectrometers split the light being analyzed into smaller spectral components using a prism or diffraction grating. It then measures the wavelengths with its sensor array.

There are several types of spectrometers. Some utilize UV or VIS to analyze ultraviolet and visible light for scientific research. Some are calibrated for analyzing wavelengths beyond the visible spectrum.

Spectrometers are powerful tools, but they also require a lot of calibration and manual input to perform optimally. They are also not very portable and have complicated assembly requirements.

The constant need for manual calibration makes spectrometers unpopular among untrained individuals. But with the right configurations, you can set some very specific measurement parameters with this device.

3. Spectroradiometer

As the name suggests, a spectroradiometer has the capacity of both a radiometer and a spectrometer. Meaning it can measure both the intensity of the light or radiation source, and its spectral components.  

Other than a few highly niche situations, a spectroradiometer will outperform both a spectrometer and a radiometer. The best part about the spectroradiometer is that it can be scaled up and down based on the requirement.

There are industrial-grade spectroradiometers designed for high-precision analysis of meteorological phenomena, and there are also portable versions for measuring light intensity and wavelength of smartphones and TV screens. Spectroradiometers have the widest range of applications among all the optical measurement tools.

Difference Between Spectroradiometer vs Colorimeter

Spectroradiometer vs colorimeter is a well-known topic among people who routinely calibrate screens. Colorimeters are devices that use RGB to mimic how the human eye perceives color, much like most TV or monitor screens.

Spectroradiometer, on the other hand, can give a detailed analysis of the entire light spectrum, including the ones not visible to the naked eye. Now, both devices can give you an analysis of the intensity and color dynamics of the light source. You can easily calibrate your screens with both devices.

However, a spectroradiometer offers much more accurate information in that regard. Even so, many professionals will choose a colorimeter over a spectroradiometer for such applications due to several other factors. The first one is speed. A colorimeter is much faster than a spectroradiometer in its analysis.

Portability is also an issue. Even a handheld spectroradiometer is much larger and cumbersome than a standard colorimeter. Spectroradiometer price is also much higher than a colorimeter, so that's another reason why people choose one over the other.

Spectrophotometer vs Spectrometer

Spectrophotometer vs spectrometer is a longstanding debate among researchers. They are both optical measurement instruments, but they have different analytical and output units. Spectrophotometers analyze light intensity against wavelength, while spectrometers analyze the raw spectral data.

Spectrometers are great for measuring the concentration of substances in a controlled environment. A spectrometer is an instrument used to measure the variation of a physical characteristic(such as light intensity or wavelength) across a spectrum. Spectrometers are more useful for identifying unknown spectral compositions. Spectrometers provide both quantitative and qualitative data regarding how materials interact with electromagnetic radiation. By analyzing the spectra produced, spectrometers help scientists determine the chemical composition, structure, and properties of materials.

A spectrophotometer is a specific type of spectrometer that works in a very specific way: it measures how much light a chemical substance absorbs by passing light through the sample. So, spectrophotometers are usually more common for routine checkups, while spectrometers serve a more specialized purpose.

Manufacturing and Sourcing Optical Devices

Spectrometer, spectroradiometer, colorimeter, spectrophotometer, and similar optical measurement devices have stringent manufacturing requirements. They need precise components to produce flawless analytical data.

These devices also need silicon-based detectors that are hard to come by in most parts of the world. You need a high-tech manufacturing ecosystem to reliably manufacture such equipment efficiently, and China is one of the best options for that.

China spectroradiometer manufacturers dominate the global market by supplying a significant portion of the worldwide demand. China spectrophotometer manufacturers also have a similarly tight grip on the market. China has a thriving manufacturing ecosystem with several reliable sources for acquiring the raw materials needed for the manufacturing process.

Conclusion

Spectroradiometers are the standard for accurate light measurement in modern times. They offer very precise radiometric and spectral analysis, making them indispensable for researchers and industry professionals.  

Hopefully, that answers all your questions about spectroradiometers. Contact us to know more about spectroradiometers and other such devices.