The Pritchard Optical System, after more than three decades. is still widely accepted as the most accurate and versatile in use today. As shown in the diagram, the objective lens forms an image at the Pritchard mirror. The light being measured passes through the selected aperture and the filter turrets to the photomultiplier tube. The balance of light at the Pritchard mirror surface is reflected into the patented, variable magnification viewing system. The operator sees a bright, erect magnified image in the centre of which is a black dot. The dot is created by the hole in the mirror. and since only light passing through the hole is being measured, the dot accurately and unambiguously defines the measuring field within the viewing field. The measuring and viewing system is self-aligning. There are no mirrors, fibre optics or other optical impediments in the measuring path, so no polarisation error is introduced. A metallic mirror fabricated with as many as 6 apertures is the heart of this unique system. Rotating the mirror places a different size aperture on the boreal axis, which changes the angular coverage of the measuring field. Five different angular measuring fields from 2 minutes (2') to 3 degrees (3°) are standard, and are available merely by turning a knob An optional sixth aperture such as a slit aperture is available as well as numerous optical accessories covering a wide range of light measurement applications. For example. see the patented MicroScanner Spatial Scanning Attachment.
The PR-1980B family of Pritchard Tele/Micro Spectroradiometers is available in a wide variety of configurations to meet your specific spectral, spatial or spectral/spatial requirements. The standard spectral range of the PR-1980B Extended Spectral Range Options are 360-830nm, 290-830nm or with special selection, 360-860nm or 290-860nm.
Spectral Scanning System Control Console/Computer Options include the /SC, /USC-1 and /USC-2. The same Console/Computer Options are available for the Spectral/Spatial Scanning System with the SC-80A MicroScanner Linear Spatial Scanner.
For added versatility, all PR-1980B Pritchard SpectraRadiometers retain all the basic capabilities of the PR-1980A Prichard Photometer when operated in "A" (Photometer) mode.
Typical Applications
- QC of colour CRTs
- Colour Temperature of CRTs
- QC of colour panel displays
- Radiance and colourimetry of light sources.
- Primary instrument standard for MIL Spec colour
- Colour matching
- LED sorting by colour and/or intensity
- Colour-related human factors studies
- Metameric studies
- Spectral transmission studies
- Spectral reflectance studies
- MTF/contrast measurement of displays
- Automotive lighting
- Airport/aircraft lighting
- Spectrophotometry/colourimetry
- Visual task studies
- Roadway lighting
- Ground truth studies
- Colour and intensity distribution of flat panel displays
- Automatic test and evaluation of displays
- QUAL testing

