Ocean Optics USB2000 - Manual (Page 23)

Sample Experiments
USB2000 Operating Instructions 18
5 Sample Experiments
The following sections contain information on conducting sample experiments using the USB2000 and
OOIBase32. For information on experiments with OOIPS2000, consult the OOIPS2000 Operating Instructions.
Preparing for Experiments
Follow the steps below to configure the USB2000 and OOIBase32 for experiments:
1. Double-check that you have correctly installed the USB2000, installed OOIBase32, and configured the
light source and other sampling optics.
2. Open the OOIBase32 application, select Spectrometer | Configure from the menu bar, and double-
check that A/D Interface settings are correct.
3. Check your spectrometer setup configurations in OOIBase32:
Locate the Wavelength Calibration Data sheet that came with the USB2000. Select Spectrometer |
Configure from the menu and choose the Wavelength Calibration page. For each spectrometer
channel in the system, enable the channel and make sure the First Coefficient, Second Coefficient, Third
Coefficient and Intercept correspond to those of the system.
4. Adjust the acquisition parameters using the Acquisition Parameters dialog bar or select Spectrum |
Configure Data Acquisition from the menu.
If you have followed the previous steps and started OOIBase32, the spectrometer is already acquiring
data. Even with no light in the spectrometer, there should be a dynamic trace displayed in the bottom of
the graph. If you allow light into the spectrometer, the graph trace should rise with increasing light
intensity. This means the software and hardware are correctly installed.
Once you install the hardware, configure the software, and establish your sampling system, you are ready to take
measurements.
There are four basic optical measurements from which to choose:
• Absorbance
• Transmission
• Reflection
• Relative irradiance
The type of measurement you will take determines the configuration of the sampling optics for your system.
Furthermore, your choice of reference and data analysis determines how the OOIBase32 presents the results.
Note: For each measurement, you must first take a reference and dark spectrum. After you take a reference
and a dark spectrum, you can take as many measurement scans as needed. However, if you change any
sampling variable (integration time, averaging, smoothing, angle, temperature, fiber size, etc.), you must
store a new dark and reference spectrum.