MNL-1007 REV A
11
Performance Optimization
The performance of spectral sensors is commonly characterized by different parameters that are usually interdependent. The
software enables optimization of performance by allowing a set of values for some parameters to be changed and certain hardware
settings to be adjusted.
This chapter describes the effect of the different parameters on the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), as well as some advanced settings
that can be used to optimize the overall performance of the system.
Measurement Parameters
NanoQuest is based on FT-IR, so the dependencies between the different performance parameters are governed by the same
relationships as conventional FT-IR systems. Scan time and resolution are two parameters than can be set with the software to
optimize the performance of the system depending on target requirements. In this section, we summarize the main elements that
need to be considered when adjusting these two parameters.
Scan Time
Scan time is defined as the time taken by the interferometer to scan the input light signal. Higher scan time implies higher number of
scan cycles to be averaged, hence higher SNR.
The scan time can be adjusted by setting a value higher than 10 ms.
The Signal to Noise Ratio (
SNR
) of the system is directly proportional to the square root of the scan time (
t
s
) [
𝑆𝑁𝑅 ∝ √𝑡
𝑠
] [1].
