Analysis

Measuring Light With Maximum Precision

2nd October 2013
Jacqueline Regnier
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The GL Optic light measurement business unit was formed in 2009 for the purpose of developing user-friendly instruments for measuring light with maximum precision for every budget. GL Optic spectrometers are used around the world in demanding measurement applications.

LEDs bring radical change to the world of lighting

The lighting industry is currently going through a period of historic change. LEDs and in some cases OELDs are replacing conventional light sources. This naturally creates the need to develop new lighting products, and it also poses a new challenge for quality control. Reliable instrumentation is essential for both of these activities. Optical systems from GL Optic along with the electronic platform and the software have been designed to put instruments in the hands of users that feature extremely low stray light, low noise and good dynamic performance. In contrast to many attractively priced instruments in the market, each GL Optic instrument is manually optimized and passes through absolute calibration with optical probes prior to shipment. Calibration is performed with reference light sources and is traceable to internationally recognized standards bodies.

The customer base for GL Optic light measurement instruments includes lighting manufacturers, lighting designers, LED manufacturers, optical filter producers, light consultants, universities, development labs and many others. Most of the instruments are used to measure ambient light or for LED quality control and sorting. Unusual projects also capitalize on the outstanding features. NASA uses GL Optic instruments to cultivate plants in space. A well-known German producer in the aquarium industry uses GL Optic equipment in a totally different type of application to measure light spectra under water.

Product portfolio

The GL Optic product portfolio includes light measurement instruments, software and accessories. The measuring instruments range from pocket-size hand-held versions to lab spectrometers for maximum precision and versatility as well as a color-tunable LED light source for a wide range of calibration and color measurement tasks.

The GL SPECTIS 1.0 mini spectrometer is extremely handy but still offers all of the features needed for reliable spectral light measurement. To operate, the user connects the bus-powered instrument to a PC.

The Android-based GL SPECTIS 1.0 touch spectrometer is a reliable, high-precision spectral instrument featuring intuitive operation for mobile light measurement in the visible spectrum. It comes with a touch display and works without being connected to a PC. It supports state-of-the-art connectivity technologies such as WLAN and Bluetooth. An SD card slot and USB 2.0 port enable the spectrometer to interact with PCs and notebooks. In addition to the many performance features of previous models, the GL SPECTIS 1.0 touch also measures luminous flux (lumen) from LEDs and other light sources.

The GL SPECTIS 8.0 lab spectrometer is designed to take measurements for a variety of different light sources including CIE 127 measurement of LEDs and assessments of LCD displays. It combines the quality performance of a high-sensitivity back-thinned CCD sensor with the GL Optic’s revolutionary technique for reducing stray light. Spectral light measurement can now be performed with greater precision than was previously possible with a device in this class.

Users of the GL OPTI LIGHT 127 can select any color spectrum from a color space that is bigger than sRGB. This highly stable reference light source is ideal for measuring and evaluating displays, cameras and other optical instruments.

Software and accessories

GL Optic offers a large range of accessories and software, which is another advantage. Users can find just what they need to solve their measurement problems. In addition to standards such as chromaticity coordinates for 2° and 10° observers, color temperature and CRI, we also calculate the Metamerism Index, color dominant and color peak for narrow band light sources or the PAR value for light sources used for photosynthesis. Because all of the components as well as the software have been developed in house, GL Optic can accommodate special requests at a reasonable cost without long delays.

A good pedigree - Just Normlicht

Just Normlicht was founded in the 1970’s and has concentrated on the development and production of standardized lighting equipment for visual appraisal of colors and surfaces. Today, Just Normlicht is the world’s leading producer of standardized light technology. The measurement and appraisal of light spectra naturally play an important role in the production of viewing cabinets. This provided the motivation for the company to develop its own user-friendly solution for light measurement and colorimetry. In 2007, Just Normlicht entered into a partnership with the Polish physicist Jan Lalek and since then has been working with him on the development of innovative technology. One outcome has been the development of the world’s first LED viewing cabinet. Users can program many different types of light which conform to the applicable ISO standards.

Please visit us: LpS 2013 (Bregenz), Booth No. C3, C5!

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