Spectral PAR Light & Color Meter

Gigahertz-Optik introduces an advanced technology Photosynthetically Active Radiation meter that provides PAR, illuminance, color and spectral data to fully analyze any type natural and artificial light sources including LEDs employed in plant growth applications. The hand-held BTS256-PAR meter is capable of measuring and recording lighting conditions in the field, greenhouse or lab based on plant science, photometric, radiometric and spectral parameters.

The BTS256-PAR measures PAR PPFD (µmol/(m²s) , R/FR red to far red irradiance ratio, DLI daily light integral (time resolved with data logger function), DIN ASY1, ASY2, ATP1, ATP2 irradiances and (5) UWF user weighting functions that allows the end-user to input up to five of his own spectral weighting functions. Plus the meter measures photopic and scotopic illuminance, S/P ratio, EVE factor, irradiance and spectral irradiance, color coordinates (x,y and u'v'), color temperature, deltaUV, CRI, CQS, color purity and complete spectral analysis.

Other high end features normally found in only laboratory level instruments include a built-in electro-optical shutter for dark-signal compensation that increases the highly linear dynamic range of the C-MOS diode array detector. A large area diffuser provides a precise cosine corrected measurement geometry (f2<3%), a basic requirement for accurate illuminance measurements. This is especially important when measuring oblique angle full immersion light as in a greenhouse and daylight illumination.

The BTS256-PAR is  powered by a rechargeable lithium battery and features a 60x52 mm large size 240x160 pixel resolution transflective display located on the same side of the housing as the input optic. Three front panel control buttons control all meter functions.

For full PC control, storing data and to recharge its battery a USB2 interface is standard equipment. The supplied S-BTS256-E software controls all functions necessary for measurement, display and data export in the lab, field or in fabrication.  The software offers different routines for data acquisition, a selection of numerical and graphical displays for data visualization and different file type export options such as ASCII format and Microsoft Excel.

For system integration SDK software development kits are available for National Instruments LabView, Microsoft .NET, C/C++. The software development kits make it easy for self-progammers to embed the BTS256-E LED-Luxmeter within their own software.