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ramanPi - Raman Spectrometer

The open source 3D Printable Raman Spectrometer using a RaspberryPi and easy to find off the shelf components..

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The ORIGINAL open source 3D Printable Raman Spectrometer that uses a raspberryPi, a really bright laser and some parts you can grab from your favorite suppliers..!

BASIC DESIGN GOALS:
1. Make it Open.. Everything.. All of it..
2. Make it 3D Printable.
3. Make it modular and easy to upgrade.
4. Make it as easy to build as possible.
5. Make it easy to customize and open to improvement.
6. Use only commonly available off the shelf components whenever possible.
7. Have a remote interface that will allow it to be controlled and viewed from anywhere.
8. Compare the spectra to the online internet spectral databases.
9. Provide the capability to log data to remote databases, share with friends and colleagues..
10. Not be just another open source spectrometer..
11. Make it easy to use and intuitive.
12. Make it attractive with an elegant design..
13. Make it useful and just cool to have!

Welcome to the hackaday.io project page for the ramanPi! The ramanPi is a raman spectrometer that I decided to build back in April of 2014 because I needed one for another project and could not afford the tens of thousands of dollars a commercial product costs...and there are no DIY or open source systems in existence until now. I knew nothing about spectroscopy, let alone raman spectroscopy back then and everything here documents my learning process towards my goal.....A fully functional, and fairly high resolution raman spectrometer. When I started this project, I had wildly different ideas about how I was going to achieve my goal. The project logs begin very early in my design process and document how I changed my approach and what led to the form it is taking now. In the process of designing this system, and participating in TheHackadayPrize, I have learned a great deal.. Not just about spectroscopy and how raman systems work, but about how important it is to share your work with others..to contribute to the community and help others learn as well. Before I started this project, I had no idea I would later join the contest. I had started to post my project once...then deleted it because I didn't think anyone would be interested. I decided to post it after speaking to a friend who convinced me to go through with it. It wasn't long until Mike S. here at hackaday contacted me to do a Hacker Bio...apparently the first of it's kind on hackaday..! Of course I was interested and very grateful...Mike encouraged me to go further and really convinced me that this is important and sharing benefits everyone.. Boy did I learn how true that is.. In the journey so far, I have learned a tremendous amount, people have been wonderfully supportive and have offered some terrific advice! I want to thank everyone for everything! This is my first project that I've shared publicly, and I have not looked back..It's been one of the greatest experiences I've had the honor of to date.. I am determined to finish this project and make it the best it can be, because everyone has been so supportive and the interest it has generated has made me want to make it better..! Thank you to everyone who has been so great.!!

Be sure to check out the bio that Hackaday.com did on me!!

ST Micro gave me a shoutout on their Facebook page!

The great people over at RaspberryPi.org did a wonderful article on ramanPi!

Some kind words from the folks at 3ders.org too!

Thanks to Elecia and Chris White at embedded.fm for the great podcast interview!

Follow me on twitter too! I'll be tweeting on gitHub updates as well as from here!

Index of Instructions and Informational project logs:

THP Semifinals Video

You can also view the project log with this video that includes a full transcript HERE ...

THP Finals Video

A bench top, raman spectrometer constructed from very easy to source components and 3D parts printable on even entry level printers. My system is a completely unique innovative design in the world of raman spectroscopy and has many advantages beyond the fact it can be constructed for a tiny fraction of the cost of a used commercial system, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars! My system connects to multiple internet databases to retrieve spectral data to identify chemical compounds under test. It is completely scalable to fit almost any budget... Many of the components can be used for other purposes outside this system or project. It presents a great learning experience for anyone who is interested in electronics, science, physics, lasers, chemistry, and so on..!

Artists Rendition:

A description from Omega Filters ( http://www.omegafilters.com/Capabilities/Applications/Raman_Spectroscopy/Raman_General ) Describes raman spectroscopy as follows;

Raman spectroscopy provides valuable structural information about materials. When laser light is incident upon a sample, a small percentage of the scattered light may be shifted in frequency. The frequency shift of the Raman scattered light is directly related to the structural properties of the material. A Raman spectrum provides a "fingerprint" that is unique to the material. Raman spectroscopy is employed in many applications including mineralogy, pharmacology, corrosion studies, analysis of semiconductors and catalysts, in situ measurements on biological systems, and even single molecule detection. Applications will continue to increase rapidly along with further improvements in the technology. A Raman signature provides positive material identification of unknown specimens to a degree that is unmatched by other spectroscopy's. Raman spectroscopy presents demanding requirements for the detection and resolution of narrow-bands of light with very low intensity and minimal frequency shift relative to the source.

Raman spectroscopy is something very cool to behold, and imagine.. The idea that shining a light on a sample will yield data as to its composition and vibrational state is nothing short of amazing.. And this open source system delivers all of that within reach of whomever wants it now.. Something that was not possible before.

Imagine the keyboard in front of you... It is made of several elements...it's probably plastic, some metal, some silicon, and so on... Now imagine a glass of water, a tasty beverage or your favorite soft drink.. So now let's ask what's in that glass...you probably know there's a bit of water, and a lot of other components.. What if you look at that tasty beverage, and want to find out what chemical compounds are in it.. So take a sample of it, and put it into a 'cuvette' which is a fancy tiny test tube of sorts.. Then insert that into our Raman Spectrometer.. Then run an analysis on it and bam! You can see that your tasty beverage has C2H6O, carbon dioxide, water, etc..

Ethanol Spectra

Use it to determine any number of things.. Sort your sand collection based on the composition of silica (SiO2) and other materials(meant as a joke but you could if you really wanted to)! Or determine what kind of plastic or metal or ceramic or glue was used to make something... How fresh is your food? What happens to this material when I do this? Do a before and after analysis and find the raman shift!

You!! And literally everyone.. Schools, teachers, small businesses, hackers, hackerspaces, research scientists, chemists, biologists, cancer researchers, STEM advocates, average citizens who want to test their water, people who are interested in finding things out like what is in your favorite energy drink....people who have a taste for learning and experiencing the world! This is literally a tool that every hacker and hackerspace should have..

A lot can be said in this section... I'll boil it down to this... Basically, it works by shining a really bright laser through some optics to focus down to a sample...That laser light then hits the sample, and depending on the molecules it hits, and what they're doing...the light can be shifted up or down in color.. Some of that light, and some of the laser light is reflected back into the optics and is reflected through a couple of filters that removes the laser light completely..leaving only the shifted light from the sample.. That light is bounced off of a 'diffraction grating' which is sorta like a prism.. The light is separated and projected onto a camera(ccd) which takes an 'image' of the spectra. The computer analyzes that and compares it to a couple of online databases, then comes back and tells you what's in your tasty beverage on a very easy to read and intuitive interface!

Lasers + tasty beverages = Fun....no?

This entire process is based on an open source concept that side steps the expensive optics normally required for raman spectroscopy. Ordinarily, an expensive notch filter would be used which is cost prohibitive for most average people. My system avoids this cost by using two less expensive edge filters which when combined in the correct manner provide the same benefit as the notch filter...at the minimal cost of a little extra computing time.

Start off by putting a sample in the cuvette.. Insert the cuvette into the DIY 3D Printable Raman Spectrometer, run the analysis.....the data is retrieved from the internet spectral databases, a match is found...that match is displayed on the users remote terminal... You can store that data in an external database, share it online, or do what you please with it..

An early laser alignment test.

The majority of the raman portion of the system. Includes the laser emitter, mirror, shutter, splitter, objective lens, and filter wheel assembly.. Missing are the spectrometer and beam dump.

The actual raman portion of the system.

The following is what happens at each point in the optical system.

1. The laser emits a 532nm (green) beam of light.

2. The 532nm Pass Filter only allows the 532nm (green) light to pass, and filters out anything else.

3. The Cube Beam Splitter passes half of the light on to the Objective Lens, and the other half into the Beam Dump.

4. The Objective Lens focuses the light down to a tiny point in the sample.

5. The light in the sample interacts with the molecules, and depending on vibrations, bond angles, etc. the light is shifted from 532nm (green) to other colors/frequencies.

6. Some of the shifted light and a lot of the original laser light is reflected back into the Objective Lens and is collimated back to the Cube Beam Splitter.

7. The Cube Beam Splitter reflects half of the light to the Filter Assembly and half back into the laser.

8. The Filter Assembly contains two Edge Filters which block the 532nm (green) laser light and allow the other colors to pass. Since this is a low cost system, two edge filters are used instead of one Notch Filter...and so two separate exposures are taken and the images are stacked.

9. The Vertical Aperture (slit) controls the amount of light that enters the spectrometer section, and is a determining factor in spectral resolution.

10. The light from the slit is reflected off the Collimating Mirror on its way to the Diffraction Grating.

11. The Diffraction Grating acts like a Prism and divides the light into separate colors. Since the light originated as 532nm (green), and the shift is typically fairly minor, this light may be close to the original color...but also may be red (lower frequency) or even blue (higher frequency).

12. The light reflected from the Diffraction Grating is reflected by the Imaging or Focusing Mirror onto the Detector Array..

13. The spectra derived from the above process is reflected by the Imaging Mirror onto the CCD Array where it is captured by the raspberryPi for processing.. One image is taken with the first Edge Filter, then another exposure with the next Edge Filter and then some software to stack the images is used together along with some signal processing and possibly multiple exposures to gain as much brightness as possible so the computer can correctly analyze the spectra...

Originally I started out with a different configuration for mounting the optics. Since then, I decided to go with a much better solution where the optics are enclosed in a contiguous structure that eliminates stray beams and keeps ambient light out. It is also easier to set up, and should stay aligned longer in addtion to being more shock resistant and will reduce resonance.. The system is comprised of a number of individual modules, most of which are based around the optics listed above.

The spectrometer portion uses the Crossed Czerny-Turner Configuration shown below.

Crossed Czerny-Turner

The full system with spectrometer installed.. These parts were all designed using openSCAD and printed in ABS on a daVinci 1.0 3D Printer. This section of the project contains the optics as described above in the optics section. To print them, it requires about 1800grams of filament and several days.

Here without the laser and the spectrometer..

The parts that make up the filter selector assembly..

The filter selector assembly with the front removed..

A closeup of the inside of the spectrometer.. The fins are light baffles that keep reflections inside the device to a minimum.

Another closeup detailing the collimating mirror mount inside the spectrometer..

A view from the outside... The whole thing fits in a Prodigy mini ITX case by BitFenix..

The electronics are centered around a raspberryPi. There are three microcontrollers tied to the raspi through rs-232.. The controlBoard, the interfaceBoard and the imagingBoard.. The controlBoard is also tied to the power control board... and at this time, the imagingBoard and the interfaceBoard may be living on the same PCB..

All three boards are based on the ST Microelectronics Nucleo F401RE STM32F401RE MCU and fit into what used to be hard drive trays that slide into the case..using a 3D printed adapter..

The Nucleo F401RE is just one of many platforms supported by mBed.. The boards shown below are prototypes, I'll be publishing the Eagle files for the new boards when I get the bugs worked out with these..

I am using the mBed online IDE to program them.. Say what you will, it works great.. gitHub to firmware..

controlBoard

Schematics, board information and firmware can be found here.

More can be found here.

  • Power Relay for Laser
  • TTL Control for Laser
  • Monitor Temperature for Laser using DS18B20 sensor
  • BMP180 Barometric Pressure Sensor for integration into compensations
  • HIH-4030 Humidity Sensor also for integration into compensations
  • Control L298 HBridge for Heating/Cooling of peltiers on CCD Array and Cuvette
  • PID Monitor and control Cuvette temperature using DS18B20 and L298 HBridge
  • Monitor current draw from peltiers on CCD Array and Cuvette using ACS712 current sensor
  • Control Beam Shutter using a standard 9gram hobby servo
  • Detect Laser Good (verify beam is reaching destination) using a TEMT6000 ambient light sensor
  • Open and close Cuvette Tray using stepper motors driven by ULN2003, with optical end stops
  • Rotate Filter Wheel Assembly to change from 522nmSP to 550nmLP filters using ULN2003
  • Detect Filter Wheel Assembly position using rotary encoder
  • Monitor Cuvette Holder for presence of cuvette in tray using a optical proximity sensor

Board information and schematics can be found here.

  • Accepts power from main power supply and distributed it to other boards
  • Contains the L298 HBridge for the imaging and cuvette peltiers
  • Current Sensor monitors peltier current draw

Schematics, board information and firmware can be found here.

  • Arduino Pro Mini (for Adafruit RGB LED Ring which animates depending on activity)
  • ILI9341 2.2" TFT LCD Color Display
  • Capacitive Touch Panel with 12 'Buttons' using MPR121 touch controller
  • Displays system status and mini control interface
  • Accepts user input to open/close cuvette tray, etc..
  • LED Ring provides feedback regarding status, etc..

Current Schematics, Firmware and other details for the imagingBoard can be found in the project log located HERE.....or in the gitHub repository..

imagingBoard main board schematic

imagingBoard_ccd board schematic..

Schematics, board information and firmware can be found here.

  • Controls Toshiba TCD1304DG Linear CCD
  • Monitors Linear CCD Detector Array Temperature via DS18b20 temperature sensor
  • Monitors UV index and IR with a SI1145 UV Index Sensor to detect fluorescence and IR.
  • *Might, at least in future update control the Linear CCD sliding, which can be used to increase resolution.
  • Transmits CCD data to raspberryPi for processing

I will start by saying, there is no secret sauce to this project.. I am committed to sharing every detail of how this project works, how to build it and how to get it working...and hopefully how to modify it to suit your needs!

The entire system is based on a raspberryPi.. And uses 4 microcontrollers to accomplish its tasks.

Firmware for the controlBoard, interfaceBoard and the imagingBoard can be found either on the gitHub repo or directly at the mBed.org site...

controlBoard: http://mbed.org/users/flatcat/code/ramanSpectrometer_controlBoard/

interfaceBoard: http://mbed.org/users/flatcat/code/ramanSpectrometer_interfaceBoard/

imagingBoard: http://mbed.org/users/flatcat/code/ramanSpectrometer_imagingBoard/

The open source hardware information:

The open source software and library information:

For a more readable version of this, check the gitHub location.. I tried forever to figure out how to get this information on here in a readable format, but there just doesn't seem to be any way..

The device firmware for the controlBoard, interfaceBoard and imagingBoard are located in the gitHub under software and are in 4 formats..Three of which are zip files.. There are the actual C++ files and then the exports from the online compiler...which you should be able to import and compile without issue.. There is the Keil uVision4 .zip file, the mBed online IDE (mBed Tools) .zip file, and the zip archive (With Repositories) version.. As soon as I have some worthwhile code to share, I will start putting the pre-comiled .bin files on gitHub as well...that way you can just drag and drop them to your Nucleo board without concern..

The software consists of a server application that runs on the raspberryPi, the client software that runs on the remote machine you are using to perform tasks and view the spectra, and the firmware for the microcontrollers if you count that.. Above it the first version of the client software for the remote terminal...it is written in python and uses PyQt4 for the interface..It also uses matplotlib and numpy to plot the spectra.. It also uses the plot.ly API for posting the data to the internet for sharing... There will be a large amount of development with this soon.. Accessing the RRUFF online raman spectral database is coming, and many other features.. Since it's written in python, and uses PyQT4... it runs in linux and windows both.. Happy about that too..

Here's the plot.ly view of the same spectra shown above..this time from a web browser, which could be on your phone (I've tested it, works great), chromebook, tablet or whatever... This is something I wanted to include from day one..I'm very excited I was able to get this done so well. I plan on expanding to other data sharing sites too...

So, the process is pretty well explained above...in 'the process'.... But basically, the server software on the raspi doesn't really have a gui... it just runs and does what it needs to do.. The client connects via the IP network....you decide to take a sample...so you put your sample in..move over to your client machine...click 'get sample' it send a command to the raspberryPi across the network...the raspberryPi send various commands to the microcontrollers and begins the process of taking a sample... it might need to take several images, and process them, etc.... then it crunches some data... and sends it to your client.. now, before you clicked get sample.. the raspberryPi determined if you are on a PC or some other device... if you're on a PC it just spits the regular spectra to you and your client software goes out and does the spectral search through the databases, etc.. and obtains its match and displays it to you, etc... if you're on a less powerful device, say a smart phone.. the raspberryPi does the search and crunching, comparisons, etc. itself and spits out the resulting match to you...and a plot.ly graph.. How is that for simple?

Connectedness might be a subjective term.....but ramanPi meets or beats any expectation in this department... Being connected to the internet is central to the system.. Without internet access, ramanPi would not be able to identify the compounds under test as maintaining a local spectral database is hardly short of insanity. ramanPi also isn't a standalone device..it requires a workstation with client software which displays the spectra, etc.. In short, ramanPi is a lab instrument that analyzes samples of compounds in cuvettes inserted into the system through the cuvette tray...ramanPi can take commands through the integrated touch panel and display to do certain things like open and close the cuvette tray, configure some items, show system status, etc.. A remote workstation running the client software connects to ramanPi through the network and requests that it start the analysis, or a number of other tasks..the remote workstation is ultimately where the spectra is displayed...you can also send that data to plot.ly to share it on the internet either from the workstation or a smart phone or other portable device.. You can also configure ramanPi to tweet your latest data when you're done! If you're looking at ramanPi in the IoT (internet of things) perspective... then set up the system with a flow cuvette and set up a job to do a periodic sample of your homes incoming water supply, and then have it post that data to twitter and plot.ly when it detects abnormal levels of dangerous compounds! There's a ton of applications where you could configure ramanPi to monitor dangerous levels of certain compounds and alert you...how about a text message or email when your home brew is just right or has gone bad!?!?!

Please read more about how raman spectroscopy and this system works!

Read more »

  • 1 × Raspberry Pi Model B+ 512MB RAM $39.95ea Adafruit Product ID: 1914
  • 1 × ARM Nucleo Board STM32F4 STM32F401RE 512K $10.33ea Mouser Part Numer:511-NUCLEO-F401RE
  • 1 × Tosbia TCD1304DG Linear CCD Array Detector $14.99ea eBay
  • 3 × Black Plastic 3D Printer Filament Cartridge (I used an XYZ daVinci v1.0 - 1.75mm 600grams per cartridge) $28.00ea Amazon
  • 1 × Set of ramanPi PCB Kit (3x prototype boards, some solder and a long weekend) $TBD - Probably around $20ea

View all 77 components

  • ramanPi is ON HOLD

    fl@C@03/02/2018 at 02:36 1 comment

    I just wanted to drop an update..                                        Thursday, March 1, 2018

    In case everyone didn't already notice....   My efforts for ramanPi are currently on hold.  =D

    I will be returning to the project once I have completed a number of other milestones in larger project(s).  When I return my efforts toward ramanPi, I will be completely redesigning the optics, electronics and software.  I still have a need for an inexpensive raman spectrometer, so this will happen.  

    If anyone would like to take a leading role in coordinating other developers, etc. in the interim....please let me know and we can talk about how that might work...as there still seems to be a lot of interest int this project..

    Also, I want to take this moment for the people who either haven't read thoroughly through this project, it's logs, etc..  This project is listed as 'work in progress'....meaning it is not a fully functioning raman spectrometer as yet.  Much development is still required.  If you want a completely functional raman spectrometer of this nature,  I'll urge you to contribute to this project!  

    Thanks!

    -fl@C@ 

  • moar of the things

    fl@C@03/10/2017 at 08:08 2 comments

    So, I thought I'd throw a couple of these in for inspiration.... I'm really enjoying Fusion360... Anyone interested in helping with creating these?

    This is the beamSplitterAssembly reborn into a simpler, and easier to print design.. No more of that tiny little carriage for the cube, this one is much more robust and a way simpler design..


  • And...I'm feeling productive..

    fl@C@03/09/2017 at 07:53 0 comments

    And, so the beginnings of the new beam splitter assembly... I'm enjoying fusion 360 so far.. Took me a minute to get the hang of it, but I'm progressing...

    So, again...comments, questions are all welcome!

  • First new part - a new objectiveLensMount!

    fl@C@03/09/2017 at 04:44 0 comments

    Well, here it is...! A new start and a new part... I'll be adding these parts to the gitLab Repo as I finish them.. If you'd like to contribute to the creation, let me know through a DM here! The collaborative features of fusion 360 should make it pretty easy.. As always, questions or comments are welcome!

  • Moving On...

    fl@C@03/08/2017 at 23:23 0 comments

    Ok, the gitlab repository has started ( https://gitlab.com/ramanPi ).. I'm basically giving up on the website for ramanPi.org... I don't have the time to try to keep it from the constant bot attacks or whatever...

    So, this brings me to the next point... I'm going to be starting an updated version of ramanPi in the new gitlab repo. I am interested in everyone's opinion on this, so if you have any.....let me know here...asap!

    The new design will be created in Autodesk Fusion 360. The releases will be housed in the gitlab repo, and collaboration will be through fusion360.. If you'd like to get in on it from the start, now is the time! I have a TON of people who've wanted to join the dev team through this website... I'm going to approve them all... If you are still interested, let me know through a DM here, same goes if you're not interested anymore..

    Optics will be fairly similar, electronics are going to be majorly different (and I am going to take my time this time, not being rushed with a contest)... and hopefully, the whole thing benefits from better design software, more expertise, more experience, more care and time taken, etc...etc..

    Let's get going, finally... I've had a few failed starts...but my plate is clear now...Proof is in the pudding.. =D

  • gitHub vs. gitLab and other exciting news.

    fl@C@10/12/2016 at 01:01 0 comments

    I'm thinking about moving the repo from gitHub...and over to gitLab.. GitLab seems to be a lot better suited to what I'm trying to accomplish.. I'll probably keep gitHub there, and maybe update it with major updates or at certain intervals...but it won't be the repository that gets the regular pushes, etc.. Any questions or comments about that are welcome!

    Also......I am directing some efforts towards a redesign of the electronics in ramanPi... Meaning the four boards (interface, control, imaging, and power boards) will narrowed down to a single board....and that board will have a connector for a raspberryPi zero to sit on... I haven't gone through the specifics of how the zero will connect completely since there's the business with the USB, etc. to deal with in order to get wifi/networking....but the significant cost savings warrants a close look...this redesign is an effort to cut costs and complexity...so.....hopefully that's exciting news..

    ramanPi.org is on it's way back to life, thanks to some help from a generous web developer! Looks like the bot attacks are no longer an issue...now it's just back to business..!

  • MagPi Issue 50 - ramanPi is #7 !

    fl@C@09/30/2016 at 11:13 0 comments

    So, to my amazement...ramanPi is reaching more and more people... this time it looks like the great people over at Raspberry Pi's MagPi magazine included ramanPi in it's "Top 20 RaspberryPi Projects" and the "MagPi Issue 50 - Top 50 Raspberry Projects".. And a while ago they wrote a great bit on ramanPi in their blog..!

    Thanks to them, and everyone for everything..!

  • Update.

    fl@C@05/08/2016 at 17:42 6 comments

    So.. I figured I'd consolidate the last few logs into this one to make it easier to follow what's going on...

    Hackers.. I moved ramanPi.org over to a new host...and it's helped with reliability... But it hasn't stopped the 1,004 malicious login attempts and constant bot traffic trying to overwhelm the site.. I don't have the resources, time or whatever to spend on mitigating the constant attacks...

    Soo..... Basically, as a result.. I can't seem to recover anyone's email addresses, etc. If you were interested in developing, or were participating... Contact me here, I know a lot of people have..and I'm trying to keep up.. I'll get to you soon! But I'm thinking of just forming the 'team' here at hackaday.io to make life easier. It's not as organized, and a little restrictive...but it's here.

    So, hopefully some of you see this..and so on... Here's to picking up where we left off... :D I'll try to update here with what I can..

  • ramanPi and 3D Printing for the Citizen Scientist @localMotors

    fl@C@05/08/2015 at 15:26 0 comments

    Hey, short notice... But if you're going to be in the Phoenix area the week of the 14th, I will be in town at Local Motors to talk about ramanPi and 3D Printing for the Citizen Scientist..!

    Hopefully I can put up a video of the talk after if you missed out and are still interested!

    PM me if you're interested in more details!

  • Developer Developments

    fl@C@04/28/2015 at 23:04 0 comments

    So, it's been a great past couple weeks! I have had some really talented and incredibly smart people contact me and offer their help to contribute to ramanPi..!! I'm very excited about where this is going and I think by the end of it, we will have a very good system.

    We have a couple Python gurus, one of which has both PyQt4 and signal processing experience as well as being an electrical engineer with FPGA skills. Another being skilled with the various libraries we'll be using in addition to a multitude of programming languages and has a Masters in Physics. There's a couple people who have some in depth knowledge and experience with optics and lasers as well as raman systems, both in usage and design.. Another who is very skilled with FPGA design and will make the difference for the imagingBoard.. All of these people are being very gracious in offering their time, experience, knowledge and skills to work together to bring ramanPi to the next level and make it a system that can be used for serious science in the school, in the lab or at home!

    I'd really like to take a moment and thank everyone for all of this.. It's going to be very exciting!

    If you're interested in contributing as well, you can contact me at dev@ramanPi.org!

View all 88 project logs

  • 1
    Step 1

    Below is a list of build instruction logs that will instruct you on how to go all the way from sourcing your components to printing the parts, and constructing your very own raman spectrometer!

    To begin, you will need some tools..  Pretty much every section requires similar tools.  If a section requires a special tool not listed here, it will state that and show you which tool is appropriate.

    Tools Required:

    • 1. Needle Nosed Pliers
    • 2. 1.5mm Hex Driver
    • 3. 5/16 Hex Driver
    • 4. Philips Screw Driver
    • 5. Precision Tweezers
    • 6. Nitrile Gloves
    • 7. Cotton Gloves
    • 8. KimTech KimWipes

    3D Printed Part Guidelines:

    Printing the 3D Printable parts will take you probably about a week. The spectrometer portion alone took about 15 hours on my XYZ daVinci 1.0 printer.. The 5.25" Drive tray takes about 10, and most of the other parts are about 6 or 8 hours.. Print in high enough quality to make sure the parts end up solid enough that they won't crumble in your hands..use 30-50% density... Supports are a good idea and the spectrometer really should be printed with the inside facing the floor. I managed well with .2mm height, you might want to try .1 or whichever is best for your printer. All the parts have been designed for use with ABS plastic and I would recommend using black ABS filament.  For parts with beam paths, I am investigating different ways to coat the interior for reduction in reflections, etc. For now, if you like you can coat them with a flat black paint..this will help keep the noise floor down.

    All of the 3D Printable objects are located in the gitHub repository.  They have been created with openSCAD and can be modified, etc.  You can view the .STL files and you can download and edit / modify the .SCAD files as well.  

    Sections You Will Be Building and Configuring:

    Following Instructions:

    Each section of the raman spectrometer system is divided into separate build logs to make it easier to find a section and keep the flow.  You'll see each section has a "LET'S BUILD IT" graphic..

    You can click on that and it will take you to the appropriate instructional build log associated with that section!  At the end of the instructional build log, there will be a link to return here...or you can just close the tab and this tab should be here waiting!

  • 2
    Step 2

    Section: 1

    A Completed objectiveLens Mount

    Components Required:

    Click on the graphic above to open a new tab with instructions on how to build your objectiveLens Mount!

  • 3
    Step 3

    Section: 2

    A completed beamSplitter Assembly

    Components Required:

    Click on the graphic above to open a new tab with instructions on how to build your beamSplitter Assembly!

View all 13 instructions

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Discussions

jamoore6 wrote 03/24/2015 at 16:09 point

Hi!

I'm creating a Startup company here in North Carolina that will sell imaging and spectroscopic equipment to industry. We're working on a prototype to demonstrate our concept and found all of the awesome work you've done in this area.

Since we're low on cash, we can't afford to build one of these devices, but was wondering if there was anyone around who may be able to loan us their equipment for an upcoming pitch. 

Great work!

-Jordan







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zakqwy wrote 03/24/2015 at 17:20 point

I'll jump in on this one; @jamoore6, it's definitely worth scrounging enough cash to at least build-out your own proof-of-concept for a pitch if it's part of your core business offering. Beyond that, I'd imagine @fl@C@ is a bit hesitant to loan out his system for free, as he's (a) actively developing the platform and (b) likely doesn't want to risk shipping damage to a delicate instrument. 

Can you give us any more details on the system you're developing? Sounds interesting!

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jamoore6 wrote 03/24/2015 at 19:10 point

Thanks @zakqwy
We're planning on making a full prototype after the incorporation of our company, but are scrapping for any parts that can help us along the way :) I've asked around campus to see if anyone had any old machines lying around that I could repurpose, but I haven't gotten any nibbles lol

Unfortunately I can't give too much info on our current work, other than that we believe our technology will be a game changer in the field of spectroscopy. 

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zakqwy wrote 03/24/2015 at 19:20 point

Fair enough! In my experience, wandering around behind various science buildings at a university in mid-May is often a great way to find scrapped lab equipment. Most other sources (beyond auctions and truly local sales) are pretty well picked-over; you could probably find a few bits on eBay, but most stuff on there goes for market rate. Based on my understanding of spectroscopy, it's not worth skimping on things like the diffraction grating!

Either way, drop me a line when you're able to publish your project on this site. In my experience, you'll get a lot more out of sharing stuff early and getting feedback than you will from keeping everything locked down and working in isolation. This community is pretty amazing.

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A. M. Aitken wrote 03/24/2015 at 20:42 point

You have no prototype proof of concept or money for your idea which will change the field of spectroscopy for ever but you can't tell anyone what that is in case they steal it?  
I think you have bigger problems than borrowing props for your pitch, because even I've heard this a lot.
You want to borrow resources from an unfinished open source project to help launch your closed source incorperated buisness venture?
The good news is you've got balls that you'll need for your project to succeed but I predict a moderatly hostile atmosphere.

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jamoore6 wrote 03/25/2015 at 01:08 point

Hi Marvin!

I'm sure you've heard a lot of grand ideas in the open source community - you all are some of the best engineering minds around and that talent pool doesn't go unnoticed by industry. I just have a lot of respect for all of you, which is why I reached out in the first place!

-Jordan




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fl@C@ wrote 03/26/2015 at 19:16 point

Hi Jordan...

Thank you for the interest in my project..!  =)  I would have to say, Zach is right.. I am actively developing ramanPi and unfortunately only have the one prototype I am working with..  Shipping it would impact development as well as put it at risk, I know of a few people who are building their own..but they probably feel the same way I do.. I would encourage you to build one if you can though!  

Marvin and Zach also make a good point, it would be great to see your work shared with the community!  There are a lot of great minds as you mentioned, as I've learned with this project... sharing really does benefit everyone involved.. It has made ramanPi so much better, and continues to improve all the time..!  

If you'd like to contribute, the help is more than welcome!  dev.ramanPi.org is ready to go for developers to pitch in!  =D

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Rashi Nigam wrote 03/19/2015 at 14:40 point

Hi, loved your project and I'm thinking of building one. Please solve one query of mine, can we conduct experiments on  solid sample? For example, I want to conduct Raman spectroscopy on fingernail clippings.

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fl@C@ wrote 03/19/2015 at 23:39 point

Hi..! Thank you.. I always love to hear when someone is planning to build one!

Interesting you should mention this... a similar question was asked recently about soil samples.. I had originally answered by saying that the sample might need to be dissolved or integrating in a buffer solution, or something... since the laser from the objective will be focused on a single point in the sample, which would make it difficult to obtain more generalized readings from the sample.. 

However...I was speaking with someone recently who brought up the point that a nice feature would be to have a positioner allowing the system to move the sample so measurements could be made in multiple locations... 

I am in the process of redesigning the cuvette tray assembly anyway, to include the peltier which maintains the temperature of the sample...so I might add micropositioners in there too which will allow movement in this way.. I haven't had time to work it out yet...actually it was only brought up to me last night...but it will be a priority.....

Sooo... the short answer to your question is probably yes.. :)

And I'd love to hear about your build! Thanks!

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braniti wrote 03/16/2015 at 04:58 point

  Wonderfull  project . 

   Last year I run across old   sci.article: http://www.researchgate.net/publication/227816958_Urine_analysis_by_laser_Raman_spectroscopy

showing how Raman  can measure   molecule  in Urine (for my wife health needs) ...  crazy tech ...  then searching for DIY  Raman I run on your project at forum where people are thinkering how to build one cheap  : 

http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=23422&page=4

They mentioned your great project but someone stated that  you didn't provide  measurments  of some  compund  spectra.

so few questions :
1)  Can you please give feedback on their comment ?
2) I assume you compared it to some    commercial  device ... If yes , can you give some information?
3) Do you consider adding option for  Surface-enhanced_Raman_spectroscopy, might be needed  for my needs ? 

  If i can measure some molecules  in urine   I will  make  time  for the replication this summer assuming that the parts price is  roughly  600-1000$  ( as you said in the

http://publiclab.org/notes/flatCat/08-29-2014/ramanpi-the-3d-printable-raspberry-pi-raman-spectrometer  ...  lucikly 

3Dprinter  and hackerspace is in the neighbourhood )

 Btw today  I was at ki-cad workshop  ( at local hackerspace)  and there i heard about cheeper alternatives to OSHPark,  presentor was very happy with quality  of :  SeedStudio , Hackvana PCB ,  Smart protoyping, Dirt Cheap Dirty Boards   (free shipping, 15$ for  10 pcbs  )

All the best ,

p.s.   "24hours is never enough"  totaly with you on this one .

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fl@C@ wrote 03/19/2015 at 23:32 point

Hi..  I haven't seen the discussion on sciencemadness... I should start by saying, ramanPi is still under development.  I started the project in late last year...  It's quite an undertaking for one person :)  So, a lot of progress has been made...but there is work to still be done.

I am in the process of trying to get as many developers together as possibly to help bring everything together.. I'm working on getting a FAQ and list of work to be done on ramanPi.org so people can see what needs to be done still and where they can contribute...  

So, to answer the questions...

1- Assuming the comment is regarding that I didn't provide measurements of any compounds, etc..  Long story short as to what has been the limiting factor.... CCD integration times due to processor limitations. The stm32f401re I chose originally for the imagingBoard doesn't have quite enough power to pull off what I needed..  I tried many approaches and nothing quite did it.. That is changing very, very soon..  Without writing a book here, I decided to go with FPGA for the imagingBoard..  This will accomplish two things..It will make the spectrometer portion more capable of the longer integration times, and will allow for extra signal processing, etc... And the major other benefit will be that it will allow the spectrometer to fulfill my original goal of making it work as a completely independent spectrometer outside the raman system if someone wanted just a spectrometer.. It will be fully compatible with the Ocean Optics USB4000..  What this means is that the end goal of obtaining actual raman spectra is almost here.  There's a lot of posts in the link you gave, but I hope this helps.. If not, let me know and I can clarify... :)

2- I have no access to any commercial systems (which is why I built ramanPi) =) But I am working with a couple people who do have access, and hopefully will be able to provide something there soon as well.. What I can say is that the resolution will be relatively comparable. (depending on the options one chooses to build)

3- I currently have no plans for adding options on surface enhanced raman spectroscopy..  Possibly in the future, but for now... I will focus on completing the base system.. :)  Having said that, there are a number of options I have planned for the future, so this may become one as well.. but if I recall about surface enhanced, it might be a little tough to implement on a DIY level...

It is my goal to bring the kits and parts to where someone can build a system for the $600-$1000 range...depending on options, etc...

Hope this helps!

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A. M. Aitken wrote 03/24/2015 at 20:59 point

"CCD integration times due to processor limitations. The stm32f401re I chose originally for the imagingBoard doesn't have quite enough power to pull off what I needed.."

I don't understand this.

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fl@C@ wrote 03/24/2015 at 22:08 point

HI Marvin..  I was driving the CCD clocks straight from the MCU.. I started with PWM, which I couldn't get to go more than about 500kHz.. tried using busout which was worse.  If I'm missing something, I'd love to hear it.. :)  I didn't add external hardware to drive the clocks mainly due to time constraints..  The FPGA redesign is already underway, thanks to some kind help.. 

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A. M. Aitken wrote 03/24/2015 at 23:25 point

You can toggle a GPIO pin every 2 clock cycles with the ST20F4 series so a (say) 1MHz read out even with math on the fly ought to be trivial on an 80MHz part.  Clocks up to 5MHz should be fine but much faster will start to smear the CCD and I'm not sure any application would benifit from the few ms savings in readout.  For integration, you should be reading out as few times as possible from the CCD until a bit below saturation.  For a Raman signal into the Toshiba CCD this could be 30secs while the MCU has no driving to do.  A slower chip could read into RAM and then compute the integration sums afterward but in this case you are probably ADC limited, 400ish ns if using the internal unit.  I've not looked at your design in some time, am I missing a part of your thought process?

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A. M. Aitken wrote 03/25/2015 at 00:57 point

I mean STM32F4 series of course, doh!

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fl@C@ wrote 03/25/2015 at 07:51 point

Marvin, sorry.. I think my memory failed..I think the PWM would actually allow around 1MHz..which I agree is still nowhere near what you'd think you could get. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe it to be a limitation of the mBed libraries.. There is a 'FastPWM' library but if I recall it didn't support the F401 at that time.  I tried several variations including using the 'busout' function but the timing was worse..   I have had success reading from the CCD, but the trouble was reading the ADC while trying to maintain the master clock.. The documentation for the 1304 isn't great, but my understanding was that you need to drive the master clock during integration? while in the 'electric shutter' mode you read one pixel per four cycles..and in the normal mode SH stays low during integration but the master clock keeps going....?  When I mentioned the trouble with integration times due to processor limitations, I was able to readout using both the busout and PWM methods running at around 500kHz using the firmware that is in the gitHub...which uses the 'electric shutter' in a FSM .. It was when I tried moving to the normal mode and lengthening the SH period I ran into the problems..

I have read the ADC in the F401 is quite fast..and I do store the values.. I tried using the CMSIS RTOS library to see if that would help to read the ADC while driving the clock..but it was actually worse.  I haven't worked with any of the STMicro tools, which is probably the best way to go when trying this kind of stuff.. but in the way things have come out, the FPGA seemed like a much better way to go.....the desire to make the spectrometer a device that can be used on it's own, outside the raman system if people want to build just that...and be compatible with the ocean optics usb4000...doing a continuous acquisition while streaming the data compressed through the usb serial interface and the other various functions...it seemed that trying to make the F401 do all of that was too much to ask without spending a lot of extra time trying to be clever with coding..  With the efforts ramping up in development, and people starting to contribute...the FPGA looks like it's solving all of these problems..and hopefully won't add any addition cost..

I am more than open to any ideas you might have..or any info regarding the CCD.. :)

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vazquez wrote 02/13/2017 at 13:44 point

fl@C@ the Ocean Optics HR2000 uses a Xilinx XCR3128XL CPLD to drive the CCD , a LTC1415 ADC and a Cypress EZ-USB controller. Have you considered using PL chips instead MCU at the CCD data acquisition level? 

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schiaucu wrote 02/02/2015 at 16:55 point

Hey, this is a fantastic job! When you will be decided to sell some kits, let me know, I want to buy one.

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fl@C@ wrote 02/06/2015 at 05:17 point

Hi..!! Will do..! They're in the works.. Hopefully in the following few months I will have some significant updates in that direction...!

Thanks!!

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leelsuc wrote 01/29/2015 at 19:07 point

I got a lot notes on how to calculate the spectrograph. I got many free articles from archive.org, very good website.

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leelsuc wrote 01/24/2015 at 20:51 point

Hey Fl@c@. THANK YOU SO MUCH for doing this great work.

one question, could you post the books or notes to calculate the czerny turner spectrometer? I 've been looking for a long time... thanks, or any online source or formula you can share with us?

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FrankenPC wrote 01/11/2015 at 00:05 point

Hey Fl@c@. THANK YOU SO MUCH for doing this complete build log. This is genius.

So, I WANT to build one really bad. I'm in need of this kind of technology right now and I have the money for the parts. I don't currently have a 3D printer though.

SO a couple of questions for you! There are 3D printer on demand sites on the web I'm sure. Do you recommend any? Never hunted for a service before. And you mention the PCB kits. You have any plans to sell them in the near future or should I just outsource some vendor who does Eagle? Can you recommend any prototype manufacturers?

Finally, your Eagle files are up to date? No dead bug mistakes or anything?

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fl@C@ wrote 01/11/2015 at 10:06 point

Hey FrankenPC.... So, thank you..! I am in the process of gearing up to offer kits.. I am planning on offering full kits, or parts.. I am also looking into offering either plastic parts (will probably be molded, or possible HDPE machined, etc..) and also aluminum parts.. The PCBs are current, but I will be updating them in the near future with more options... and I will be offering those as well. If you need something very soon, I've used OSHPark but they seem pricey to me..but the boards come out very nice. I don't know of any 3D Printer on demand sites...but I have seen a couple in shopping malls lately.. If you're not in a terrible rush, I am working very hard to get the site up and things in line to offer them... =)

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jgm.requel wrote 01/20/2015 at 19:43 point

Well you can count me as a purchaser when you do!
-James

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eichlerdr wrote 12/27/2014 at 01:53 point

I am a chemistry student at UIC and I have been working on some independent studies with spectroscopy, and I must say this is absolutely amazing. I was thinking of doing a basic visible light spectroscopy device with the raspberry pie, but now that I have seen this I may have found a new project to play around with. Please keep up the innovation!

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fl@C@ wrote 01/07/2015 at 07:36 point

Hi eichlerdr, thank you..! Maybe start out with just the spectrometer portion! Keep my updated on your build!

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bootdsc wrote 12/09/2014 at 20:58 point
This is the single most complicated and impressive build to ever cross HaD, how it ended up in 5th place is some kind of conspiracy. Beat out by a handheld spectrum analyzer, really? Come on i can go on amazon and buy one so who cares. I hope you bring this to kickstarter and have lots of success.

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fl@C@ wrote 01/07/2015 at 07:34 point

Hi bootdsc..! Hey, thank you.. I am just glad to have been a part of the whole thing, there were a lot of great projects.. I hope I can get to that point soon!

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admin wrote 11/30/2014 at 05:05 point
I would just like to congratulate you with regards to your project, i have no previous knowledge of Raman or much else, but you have sparked my interest and i have been studying like no tomorrow, i have started to order parts and i am going to build it.
i will have of course lots of questions and hope you don't mind me asking (don't want to be a pain)
again congrats
David

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fl@C@ wrote 12/04/2014 at 04:11 point
I'm always open for discussion! Thanks for the interest and I wish you the best of luck..! Keep an eye out, I will be doing some possible design updates in the next few weeks.. I will do my best to keep the component list the same though :)

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gabriel.goetten wrote 11/27/2014 at 13:28 point
Hey man! Your project is freaking amazing! However, the signal seems too weak right? Maybe it is because the intensity of the laser... Anyway, are you planning to sell this as a full ramanpi where we can buy it fully? Because it seems very good =D

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fl@C@ wrote 12/04/2014 at 04:09 point
Thanks.. If the signal you're referring to is indicated in the posting titled 'Raman' ... I should probably have spent more time on that post.. It's probably misleading in that I think it indicates my attempt of obtaining a raman signal over testing the RTOS implementation of the imagingBoard firmware.. Where I say that the raman signal is incredibly weak is reference to the fact that raman signals are incredibly weak in contrast to the rayleigh light in return... I was sleep deprived and generally worn down by the contest deadlines...... A week or two more and I will be back on track and clearing up my intentions with this device....which will in fact probably include a kit and possibly pre-built version for sale.. I have had a lot of inquiries regarding that, so here is hoping!
Thanks again.. I'd like to hear your opinion or anyone else's if you/they have any requests for functions or features...!

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Neil Jansen wrote 11/13/2014 at 22:09 point
This just once again proves the judges weren't doing their jobs. Very sorry you didn't win first place, and I'm sorry that they thought a sensor breakout board and some pcv pipe antennas were cooler than your project. You deserved to win, your work and dedication towards this project has been amazing.

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Christian Lerche wrote 11/15/2014 at 08:18 point
I disagree with you on that point Neil, the judges did what they were asked to do. You and I as well, have different opinions on who should win the prize, but you can't say the judges didn't do their jobs.

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fl@C@ wrote 12/04/2014 at 04:14 point
Thanks for the kind words Neil..! I'm just happy that I was a part of the whole thing.. I never even expected to make the final 5.. I totally thought you'd beat me there..! I'm very sorry btw...I love your project and will definitely be building/buying one..!

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airbuckles wrote 11/12/2014 at 17:56 point
THIS IS AWESOME!!!

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matt wrote 11/11/2014 at 06:23 point
So far how much success have you had in identifying compounds using this instrument? I understand that you are still working on the software. Can you post some example spectra with a database spectra to show how your results compare?

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fl@C@ wrote 12/04/2014 at 04:12 point
I'll be re-writing the firmware for the imagingBoard in the next few weeks.. expect lots of updates from that..!

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Dmitri wrote 10/29/2014 at 11:15 point
Love this project!
A couple questions:
1. Why did you decide to go with crossed Czerny-Turner configuration? Aberration corrected concave holographic gratings clearly offer some advantages. Was the price point too prohibitive?
2. Why not do away with just one edge filter? You probably don't care about anti-Stokes scattering. Removing 522nm Short Pass Filter would simplify the design.

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fl@C@ wrote 10/29/2014 at 21:19 point
Hi, thanks Dmitri...
Yes, number one is about cost.. The concave holographic grating was considerably more expensive.. It might be something I consider later though..
I actually do want information on the anti-stokes as much as stokes in my other project.. The beauty is that if people aren't interested in the cost or complexity, an adapter can be made to replace the filter selector assembly..!

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vazquez wrote 03/08/2016 at 01:11 point

The filters are not symmetrical around 532. The short WL filter cuts up to 360 cm-1 from the laser line, this is good. The Stokes filter, otoh, cuts up to 615 cm-1, this limits the "good" side (most intense) of the scattering to higher vibrational frequencies only. Did you consider using a second gratting instead of filters to remove the laser exciting line?

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Jrsphoto wrote 10/29/2014 at 05:00 point
Congrats fl@C@ Glad to see you made it to the final 5!

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fl@C@ wrote 10/29/2014 at 21:20 point
Thanks!! I'm still looking at those libraries when I get around to the version for the raspi camera!

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radiusmike wrote 10/25/2014 at 04:10 point
Superb. This is most impressive. You have my vote for Best in Class and the Hackaday Prize. Wow!

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fl@C@ wrote 10/29/2014 at 21:21 point
Thank you..! I'm happy people like it!

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carrigan90 wrote 10/18/2014 at 20:37 point
Awesome!

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fl@C@ wrote 10/29/2014 at 21:22 point
Thanks!

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WestInSide wrote 10/15/2014 at 08:15 point
Nice!!!! Congrats!

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fl@C@ wrote 10/15/2014 at 19:47 point
Thank you!

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spacedoudou wrote 10/14/2014 at 12:08 point
you're in the top 5 !!! congrats !!

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fl@C@ wrote 10/15/2014 at 19:46 point
Hey thanks spacedoudou! =D Lots to do now..!

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