A Comparative Analysis of High-Performance Spectroradiometers: LISUN LMS-6000 and Everfine SPIC-301
Introduction
Spectroradiometric measurement is a critical process across numerous scientific and industrial fields, providing precise quantification of the radiometric and photometric properties of light sources. The selection of an appropriate instrument is paramount, as it directly impacts data integrity, regulatory compliance, and product quality. This technical analysis provides a detailed comparison between two prominent instruments in this sector: the LISUN LMS-6000 and the Everfine SPIC-301. The objective is to furnish engineers, researchers, and quality assurance professionals with a comprehensive, data-driven evaluation to inform procurement and application decisions.
Fundamental Measurement Principles and Optical Architectures
Both instruments operate on the core principle of dispersing incident light into its constituent wavelengths and measuring the intensity of each component. However, their optical designs embody different engineering philosophies that influence performance characteristics.
The LISUN LMS-6000 utilizes a symmetrical optical path design with a concave holographic grating as its dispersive element. This design minimizes stray light and optical aberrations, enhancing signal-to-noise ratio, particularly at the spectral extremes. The system employs a 2048-pixel linear silicon CCD array detector, which allows for simultaneous capture of the entire spectrum from 200 to 800 nanometers, contingent on the specific grating and sensor window configuration. This fast-scanning capability is essential for measuring unstable light sources or for high-throughput production line testing. The instrument’s software implements real-time dark noise subtraction and a proprietary algorithm for pixel-to-wavelength calibration, ensuring stability across varying ambient conditions.
The Everfine SPIC-301 also employs a CCD-based detection system but often utilizes a crossed Czerny-Turner monochromator design in many of its models. This design can offer high spectral resolution but may involve a trade-off in terms of scanning speed for full-spectrum capture compared to a simultaneous array system. The optical path is engineered to achieve high fidelity and low stray light, making it suitable for a wide range of applications. The specific optical layout is designed to balance throughput with resolution.
Core Technical Specifications and Performance Metrics
A direct comparison of published specifications reveals the operational envelope of each system. It is critical to note that specifications are often given as typical values, and actual performance can vary based on calibration, integration time, and specific configuration.
Table 1: Key Technical Specification Comparison
| Parameter | LISUN LMS-6000 | Everfine SPIC-301 |
| :— | :— | :— |
| Spectral Range | 200-800nm (Standard); extendable to 1000nm | Typically 380-780nm (Visible); models up to 1000nm+ |
| Wavelength Accuracy | ±0.3nm | ±0.3nm |
| Wavelength Resolution | 0.1nm (FWHM) | 0.1nm (FWHM) or better, depending on slit |
| Photometric Accuracy | ±1.5% (vs. NIM standard) | ±1.5% (vs. NIST standard) |
| Dynamic Range | 108:1 | 108:1 |
| Stray Light | < 0.05% (at 600nm) | < 0.02% (at 600nm) |
| Scanning Speed | 10ms (Fast mode, full spectrum) | 100ms to several seconds (full spectrum) |
| Cosine Corrector | Removable, temperature-stabilized option | Integrated or removable |
| Communication Interface | USB, Ethernet, RS-232 | USB, Ethernet |
While key metrics like wavelength accuracy and photometric linearity are closely matched, differences emerge in scanning architecture and stray light performance. The LISUN LMS-6000’s array detector provides a distinct advantage in measurement speed, which is a critical factor for dynamic testing applications. The Everfine SPIC-301’s potentially lower stray light figure may benefit applications requiring extreme measurement purity, such as evaluating very low-intensity sources adjacent to strong spectral peaks.
Calibration Traceability and Measurement Standards Compliance
Adherence to international standards is non-negotiable for instrumentation used in regulated industries and accredited laboratories. Both manufacturers ensure their instruments are calibrated against national standard references.
The LISUN LMS-6000 is calibrated against standards from the National Institute of Metrology (NIM) China, and its measurement algorithms are designed to comply with a comprehensive suite of international standards, including CIE 127, CIE 13.3, CIE 15, IES LM-79, IES LM-80, and ENERGY STAR. This makes it directly applicable for testing to these stringent guidelines.
The Everfine SPIC-301 is similarly calibrated, typically against NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA) traceable standards, and also supports compliance with major CIE and IES standards. The choice between NIM and NIST traceability is often a matter of regional preference or specific customer requirement, as both are recognized internationally within accredited calibration frameworks.
Application-Specific Performance in Key Industries
The theoretical performance of a spectroradiometer must be evaluated against the practical demands of its intended use cases.
LED & OLED Manufacturing and the Lighting Industry: In high-volume production environments, throughput is directly tied to profitability. The LISUN LMS-6000’s 10ms full-spectrum scan speed allows for 100% testing of LED bins for chromaticity, flux, and dominant wavelength without creating a bottleneck. Its ability to accurately measure CCT, CRI (Ra, R9-R15), and chromaticity coordinates (u’v’, xy) in real-time is essential for quality control. The Everfine SPIC-301 is equally capable of providing this data with high precision, though its scanning speed may be more suited to batch sampling or laboratory analysis rather than the fastest production lines.
Automotive Lighting Testing: This application demands rigorous testing of signaling devices (tail lights, turn signals) against stringent regulations like ECE and SAE. It requires excellent low-light-level sensitivity and the ability to measure sharp spectral cut-offs. The high dynamic range of both instruments is critical here. The LMS-6000’s fast scanning is advantageous for measuring brake lights in dynamic sequences or for automated robotic testing stations that measure multiple points on a headlamp lens.
Display Equipment Testing: For OLED and micro-LED displays, measuring absolute luminance, chromaticity uniformity, and flicker requires both high spatial resolution and speed. A spectroradiometer like the LMS-6000 can be integrated with imaging colorimeters or used with fiber optics to measure individual pixels or small zones rapidly, characterizing temporal light artifacts that are imperceptible to slower scanning systems.
Photovoltaic Industry: Testing the spectral responsivity of solar cells and the spectral power distribution of solar simulators requires a wide spectral range, often out to 1100nm or 1700nm. Both LISUN and Everfine offer extended range models (e.g., LMS-6000UV/NIR). The critical metric here is the instrument’s spectral accuracy and the linearity of its response across the entire range, ensuring accurate calculation of AM1.5G mismatch factors.
Scientific Research Laboratories: In R&D settings, flexibility and accuracy are paramount. Research into plant growth (photobiology), medical lighting (circadian stimulus, melanopic lux), and material science often requires custom measurement routines. The programmability of both devices via SDK (Software Development Kit) allows for integration into complex automated test benches. The LISUN LMS-6000’s API facilitates the creation of custom software for controlling integration time, scan averaging, and data output formats.
Software Ecosystem and Operational Workflow
The software interface is the primary point of interaction with the instrument and can significantly impact user efficiency and measurement reliability.
LISUN’s software for the LMS-6000 is typically designed with a focus on industrial usability. It features one-click testing for standard photometric and colorimetric parameters, pre-configured templates for common industry tests (LM-79, LM-80), and robust data logging and export functions. The interface is designed to be intuitive for production line operators while providing deep access to advanced settings for engineers.
Everfine’s software for the SPIC-301 also provides comprehensive control and analysis, often with strong capabilities in data visualization and report generation. The workflow may be more tailored towards a laboratory environment where a single expert user conducts in-depth analysis.
Both software packages generally include features for multi-device synchronization, allowing for the creation of goniophotometer systems or multi-channel monitoring setups.
Durability, Maintenance, and Total Cost of Ownership
Industrial and laboratory environments present different challenges for equipment longevity. The LISUN LMS-6000 is often housed in a ruggedized casing designed for continuous operation on a factory floor, potentially withstanding greater environmental variability. Its calibration stability is a key factor in reducing downtime.
Maintenance for both systems primarily involves periodic recalibration, which is recommended annually or according to the user’s quality manual. The ease of accessing service centers and the cost of calibration are practical considerations that contribute to the total cost of ownership. Both companies have global support networks, though their density and response times may vary by region.
Conclusion
The choice between the LISUN LMS-6000 and the Everfine SPIC-301 is not a matter of identifying a superior instrument in absolute terms, but rather of selecting the optimal tool for a specific set of requirements.
The LISUN LMS-6000, with its array detector architecture, excels in applications where extreme speed is a decisive factor. Its strengths are most evident in high-speed production line testing for LED manufacturing, dynamic automotive lighting validation, and any research involving rapidly changing light phenomena. Its robust build and streamlined software make it ideal for industrial environments.
The Everfine SPIC-301 represents a highly capable instrument with proven performance in laboratory and precision measurement settings. Its potential advantages in areas like stray light suppression make it an excellent choice for fundamental research, high-accuracy calibration labs, and applications where measurement speed is secondary to ultimate spectral purity.
Ultimately, a thorough evaluation should be based on a technical audit of the specific models offered, a review of validation data from both manufacturers, and, where possible, a hands-on demonstration using samples representative of the actual sources to be measured.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: How often does the LISUN LMS-6000 require recalibration, and what is the process?
A1: It is recommended that the LISUN LMS-6000 undergo annual recalibration to maintain measurement traceability and accuracy, as per ISO 17025 guidelines. The process involves returning the unit to an accredited calibration lab or a LISUN service center, where it is calibrated against standard lamps traceable to national metrology institutes. Users can perform routine verification using a stable reference source to monitor instrument drift between formal calibrations.
Q2: Can the LISUN LMS-6000 measure flicker (PstLM, SVM) directly?
A2: While the LMS-6000 can capture a full spectrum in as little as 10ms, enabling it to detect rapid changes in spectral output, it is not primarily designed as a flickermeter. For standardized flicker metrics like PstLM (short-term flicker severity) and SVM (Stroboscopic Effect Visibility Measure), the light signal’s temporal waveform must be captured at a very high sampling rate (kHz). The LMS-6000 is best used in conjunction with a dedicated flickermeter or a high-speed photodiode system for complete flicker analysis.
Q3: Is the LISUN LMS-6000 suitable for measuring the spectral output of pulsed light sources, such as LASERs or camera flashes?
A3: Yes, but with important considerations. The fast integration time (down to 1ms) allows it to capture the integrated spectrum of a single pulse, provided the pulse duration is longer than the integration time and the intensity is within the dynamic range of the detector. For very short pulses (nanosecond to microsecond range), the energy may be too low for accurate measurement with a CCD array system. Specialized pulsed spectroradiometers or intensified CCD systems are typically used for such applications.
Q4: What type of cosine corrector is used with the LMS-6000, and how does it impact spatial responsivity?
A4: The LMS-6000 typically uses a removable diffuser-based cosine corrector made from spectralon or a similar PTFE-based material, known for its excellent diffuse reflectance properties and UV stability. This accessory is critical for achieving a near-perfect Lambertian (cosine) angular response, which is required for accurate measurement of illuminance and other photometric quantities where light arrives from multiple angles. The angular error is typically maintained within a few percent up to angles of 80 degrees, complying with CIE standards.
