Miniaturised spectral sensing system

Viavi Solutions and ESPROS Photonics have worked together to produce a miniaturised spectral sensing system on a chip. This combines Viavi’s 64-channel, micro-patterned bandpass filter array and ESPROS’ hybrid CCD-CMOS imager to make a spectral sensor that is less than 2.7 × 2.7 × 1.1 mm in size. The sensor will be produced in two versions: visible (385–900 nm) and NIR (775–1065 nm). The size and projected cost means that the device has potential application in consumer mobile devices such as smartphones. A developer kit, the SPM64 Developer Kit, is available which includes a prototype sensor mounted on a USB dongle-style circuit board with a microcontroller and several light sources. When the board is connected via USB to a computer running the supplied software, it sends pre-processed spectral information to the GUI and optionally a data file. An API allows customers to write their own software to control the sources and sensor, and to acquire and analyse data.