theramino software for spectrometer … Advice please

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

[ With apologies for the typo in the Topic Title ]

Now that I have a 3D printer, I have a resurgence of interest in building a Spectrometer, of the webcam and diffraction-grating variety.

There are several good published designs, and I foresee no great difficulty with construction.

The software of choice appears to be theremino and that’s where I’m struggling

Every time I go to the project page:

https://www.theremino.com/en/

my eyes glaze-over !

 

Is anyone familiar with ‘theremino’ and if so, could they kindly give me a nudge in the right direction ?

MichaelG.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

I’ve never come across this before but I see what you mean from that page you link to!  Part of the problem is that it is written in florid Italian-English.  But typing spectrometer into the search box gives at least one useful looking document:

and there may well be more.  I think, just like Arduino, maybe the way to learn is to puzzle through the examples.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Thanks, John

… we were in sync !

I had just found that document when I saw your post.

MichaelG.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

This, from 2014, might be the best place to dive-in:

https://www.theremino.com/wp-content/uploads/files/Theremino_Spectrometer_Construction_ENG.pdf

MichaelG.

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

Take away an O and it should be able to play music as well.

Sorry that was just too tempting!

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

This was ten minutes well-spent:

https://youtu.be/oJWVmdjvNA4?feature=shared

MichaelG.

.

 

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

A scary page for this predominantly  Mac user … but it includes some very interesting snippets about Windoze 11

https://www.theremino.com/en/downloads/notes-on-software

MichaelG.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

A more technical review of the commercial unit that featured in the video

https://goughlui.com/2025/03/08/quick-review-the-little-garden-spectrometer/

MichaelG.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

In the cold light of day … I am beginning to see evidence of the close relationship between genius and madness !

https://www.theremino.com/en/downloads/automation

MichaelG.

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

I’m aware of the use of the Theramino system and have used it for spectrometry. However it was Gamma spectrometry for mesuring the energy spectrum of gamma radiation and identfication of radioactive materials. This is not optical spectrometery. As Theramino is well known for Gamma spectrometry I wonder if you have been mislwad by web content.

There are basically two ways of making an optical spectrometer with a diffraction grating. You can have a single point detector and scan tha spectrum by relative movement of the grating and detector. Commonly the angle of the grating is changed. This is clearly an mechanical system. The other method is to have a multiple element detector with fixed optics. In professional instruments they use a 1D line array of detection elements. Normally silicon photodides but some low cost ones use mass produced CCD or CMOS sensors designed for document scanners and electronic photocopiers. DIY ones of this type tend to use 2D arrays in the form of webcam sensors. This is the type you mention in the opening post.

As Theramino is mainly a hardware platform I don’t see much alignment with a webcam based system where the sensor plugs directly into the USB port. There is also less mecanical “content”.

One single point system I have an example of has a rotating grating with a trigger signal at the start of the scan. This is used to trigger an oscilloscope with the signal from the detector on the Y input. While this was designed years ago for conventional ‘scopes and works even better with a PC based digital scope adaptor.

Robert.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Thanks for your thoughts, Robert … But yes, I am explicitly interested in visible light spectroscopy, and the theremino software is widely used for webcam-based spectroscopes.

Although I have not yet built the hardware, I am just about to try installing this on my PC

https://www.theremino.com/wp-content/uploads/files/Theremino_Spectrometer_V3.1.zip

MichaelG.

.

Ref. [one of my favoured search engines]

https://eric.ed.gov/?q=spectrometer

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Installed smoothly, and it recognised a Trust HD 720P webcam … so I guess we’re good to go.

MichaelG.

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