A company developing a handheld, battery-operated spectrometer for analyzing the visible spectrum of liquids.
Develop the electronics and firmware for a portable spectrometer device using a custom imaging chip, along with a supporting PC application for uploading and analyzing spectral data.
The client required a miniaturized full-spectrum measurement system that was cost-effective, had strong battery life, and was suitable for manufacturing. The system needed to be compact, user-friendly, and compliant with regulatory standards to obtain CE marking.
Impact ES–Rhode Island developed the Azimuth Setting Tool (AST), which uses a single-axis fiber optic gyro (FOG) to sense the relative azimuth between two objects or features. The AST allows a technician to measure the azimuth of an existing feature, carry that measurement to another location, and align an object to the original azimuth reading within 0.5 degrees.
Impact ES–Rhode Island collaborated with the client and an industrial design partner to define product requirements, including cost and battery life targets. The design included:
A custom ARM7-based processor board with a custom LCD, membrane keypad, and USB full-speed interface
A separate custom optics board
A full user interface developed by Impact ES–Rhode Island
Complete firmware design, coding, and testing
Impact ES–Rhode Island supported all regulatory activities for CE marking and oversaw the transition to manufacturing. This included the design of test firmware, a PC-based test fixture using National Instruments TestStand, and development of the user manual.
They were also responsible for creating and executing the full product and application system test plan.
The client received a fully integrated, CE-compliant handheld spectrometer system ready for manufacturing and market launch. The device delivered reliable spectral data that could be uploaded to a custom PC application for further processing and analysis.
Custom ARM7 architecture enabled miniaturization and performance
Integrated optics, electronics, and UI in a user-friendly handheld design
Full support through CE regulatory approval and manufacturing readiness
Delivered a complete solution: firmware, testing tools, and user documentation
