SR-6500 and SR-6500A Ultra High Resolution Spectroradiometers

The SR-6500 and SR-6500A NIR spectroradiometers cover the UV/VIS/NIR range from 350-2500 nanometers. They feature ultra high resolution and very stable performance with three high density thermoelectrically cooled photodiode arrays. The SR-6500 and SR-6500A are also calibrated to NIST-traceable radiometric calibration standards.

Resolution at FWHM for the SR6500 and SR-6500A is:

  • 1.5nm @ 700nm
  • 3.0nm @ 1500nm
  • 3.8nm @ 2100nm

Resolution is achieved using three high density solid state thermoelectrically cooled photodiode arrays:

  • 1024 element TE-cooled silicon phtotodiode array detector (VIS-NIR)
  • 512 element TE-cooled InGaAs photodiode array detector (SWIR 1)
  • 512 element TE-cooled extended InGaAs photodiode array detector (SWIR 2)

The SR-6500 and SR-6500A feature the following Noise Equivalence Radiance (NER) performance with a 1.5 meter fiber optic:

  • 0.8x10-9 W/cm2/nm/sr @ 400nm
  • 0.3x10-9 W/cm2/nm/sr @ 1500nm
  • 5.8x10-9 W/cm2/nm/sr @ 2100nm

NER is a measure of instrument sensitivity. Other features of the SR-6500 and SR-6500A include:

  • All fixed optics – no moving parts for rugged reliability
  • Auto-exposure, auto dark current shutter
  • DARWin SP Data Acquisition software saves all scans as ASCII files for use with
    other software programs

The SR-6500  and SR-6500A include wireless Bluetooth and USB communications and have an operating range from 0-40°C. Physical parameters include:

  • Dimensions:

          12.4 x 8.7 x 4.4 inches (31.5 x 22.9 x 38.7 cm)

  • Weight:

          11 pounds (4.99 kg)

The SR-6500A offers unmatched drift stability

Using all thermoelectrically cooled photodiode arrays, the SR-6500A spectroradiometer is built specifically for the high performance that demands unsurpassed drift stability. With the SR-6500A, you can take the spectroradiometer where it’s needed and enjoy the following features:

  • Drift stability of ≤0.4% which delivers greater accuracy for long-term stability of integrating spheres
  • Stability is achieved through heating and cooling thermal management features
  • A temperature controller maintains the instrument housing at a stable temperature along with the individually temperature-stabilized detector arrays
  • All temperatures are integrated into DARWin software readout for monitoring

The SR-6500 can be used in the field for in situ mineral, vegetation and soil identification and analysis running off a 7.4 volt 94 Watt hours lithium-ion battery that weighs around 2 pounds. One lithium-ion  battery is provided and secured in the backpack with the SR-6500 for  approximately 3 to 4 hours of field use.

What kind of applications will benefit from the higher resolution?

  • Mineral identification and analysis where resolution can help to distinguish
    between minerals with very similar spectra or to unmix and identify minerals in
    trace amounts.
  • Soil studies for the identification of different soil characteristics, clay types,
    presence or absence of nutrients and moisture.
  • Vegetation studies for plant stress/health, over-fertilization, species
    identification and more.
  • Lab applications such as materials identification, etc.
  • Solar radiance and irradiance research.
  • Microbial diversity research
  • High resolution kaolinite scan

    The higher resolution of the SR-6500 allows you to see more features and more detail in your scans. This closeup shows the SR-6500 in blue versus a standard field spectroradiometer in green. The SR-6500 shows the additional features in the scan which can be used for more accurate mineral identification of this clay sample and better analysis of its components.

  • High resolution talc scan

    In this example, the talc sample shows an absorption feature at higher resolution with the SR-6500 (blue) that is completely missed with a high resolution standard field spectroradiometer (green).

SR-6500 highest resolution field spectroradiometer

SR-6500 can be used with a bare fiber or FOV fiber optic accessories such as the pistol grip.

SR-6500 for mineral identification

The SR-6500 can be also be used with the sample contact probe or Miniprobe for identification and analysis of minerals.

Click on image for larger view