ThetaMetrisis - FR-Monitor

_FR-Monitor

Description

FR-Monitor is a software tool developed by ThetaMetrisis and provided with every FR-tool (i.e. FR-Basic, FR-Liquid, FR-Thermal and FR-μProbe) and in all configurations. FR-Monitor is developed with Visual C++, and it is suitable for Windows operating systems (Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7).

FR-Monitor is designed as a general software platform to fully control all FR-tools subsystems: spectrometers, light sources, supporting electronics modules such as temperature controller, humidity sensors etc

.FR-Monitor supports various Modes of operation such as, Scope (raw measurement spectrum), Scope-Dark (raw measurement minus dark spectrum), Absorbance Mode, Transmittance Mode, Reflectance Mode. In all modes the following operations are supported a) spectra recording, b) specific wavelength(s) monitoring, c) integration of a specific part of the spectrum.

Fig.1. General View of FR-Monitor Software

The software includes the White Light Reflectance Spectroscopy (WLRS) state-of-the-art algorithm (ThetaMetrisisTM) for the accurate and real time characterization (both thickness and optical constants) of transparent or semi-absorbing films (single layer or multylayer films) and the recording of films' variations under dynamically change conditions, e.g. dissolution, temperature treatment, ambient changes etc. are implemented. A extended database of material's optical properties (refractive index n & absorbance coefficient k) are supplied with the software, while the user can easily extend the database with custom material's properties.


Fig. 2a. Material Database, refractive index n	Fig. 2b. Material Database, absrorbance coefficient k

Furthermore FR-Monitor supports varius Modes of operations such as, Scope (raw measurement spectrum), Sope-Dark (raw mesurement minus dark spectrum), Ansorbance Mode, Transmittance Mode, Reflectance Mode, while in all Modes are supported a) spectra recording, b) specific wavelenghts monitoring, c) integration of a specific region of the spectrum. Especially in the Scope, Scope-Dark and in Reflectance modes the WLRS algorythms, for the film layer or films layers stack are supported.

Fig.3. Fig.3. FR-Monitor ver.1.3 Pull down menus and Buttons bar. Description of the buttons bar (from left to right): Material Database, Configuration // Real Time View, Fit (Mode) View, Result View (real time processing) // Off Line and Real Time button pallete, Pause/Stop, back to First Spectrum, back one Spectrum, forward one spectrum, forward to last spectrum, record spectra // Zoom+, Zoom-, Pan left, Pan right // Capture reference spectrum, Capture dark spectrum // Scope Mode, Scope - Dark Mode, Absorbance Mode, Transmittance Mode, Reflectance Mode, 0-100% or 0-1 scale (for Transmittance & Reflectance modes) // Open/Close lamp shutter.

n Result View (fig.4b) varius mesurements parameters (fig.4a) can be calculated/monitoring at real time, while the acquared spectra can be saved in desirable rate.


Fig.4a. Varius Calculated/Measurement parameters can be added in Result View.	Fig. 4b. Result View screen for the real time calcalation of the thickness variations of the SiO2 film vs time. The vertical scale is in nanometer (nm).

In all Modes of operations the acquired/calculated parameters can be performed and recorded in Real Time, to monitoring dynamically change experiments, e.g. dissolution, temperature treatment, ambient changes conditions, bio-reactions etc. Except the Real Time processing, in which various parameters can be Calculated/Measured in real time, a Record feature is supported to record a full experiment (with the addition of the record log). The analysis of the recorded experiment can be made later. In the Off Line processing all FR-Monitor functions (including the Result View Mode described above) are available.

Finally FR-Monitor support any speciall Hardware module can be implements in a FR-Basic tool, such as temperature controll and measurement (eg. in FR-Thermal), humidity, gas inlet etc.

Periodic upgrades of FR-Monitor are scheduled withinQ2 and Q4 of each calendar year. New FR-Monitor versions will be available at ThetaMetrisis web-site for downloading after customer authorization.

A 3-years free-software upgrade period is included with the purchase of any FR-tool.

For more information, please, refer to the FR-Monitor manual in Download section.