Les Wright's DIY Raspberry Pi Spectrometer
The PySpectrometer allows users to measure homemade dye lasers’ wavelength and perform spectroscopy on the cheap.
Les Wright developed PySpectrometer, a Python (OpenCV and Tkinter) implementation of an optical spectrometer. The device enables users to measure the wavelength of homemade dye lasers and perform spectroscopy at an affordable cost.
The device’s front end contains a commercial diffraction-grating spectroscope, demonstrating varying light sources’ special characteristics. It also features a Raspberry Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi M12 thread camera attached to a CCTV M12 lens that operates together, allowing users to view the spectrum generated from the diffraction grating. This is configured in a way so that the camera provides data to the Pi. From there, a Python program converts the spectrum to data. All of this is placed on top of an aluminum base.
Everything can be seen on a graphical representation that displays the spectral data. The software uses Linux Video Driver, which can work with some webcams on any Linux box. Wright tested this on Debian with a random webcam. He also calibrated by beaming 532nm (DPSS) and 633nm He-Ne at a piece of card in his demonstration.