Di Napoli Tomás, Bujjamer Juan M, Illescas Marcos, Barja Beatriz, Grecco Hernán E
Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Física Buenos Aires Argentina
CONICET - Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires (IFIBA) Buenos Aires Argentina.
Nanoscale Adv. 2025 May 27;7(13):4214-4220. doi: 10.1039/d5na00330j. eCollection 2025 Jun 24.
The obsolescence of proprietary, closed-source software and electronics renders high-quality scientific equipment inoperable, particularly affecting low-income countries where replacement costs hinder research and student training. Institutions often prioritize renewing equipment that addresses the needs of a larger user base, thereby limiting the emergence of research lines, such as up-conversion studies, that require more specific equipment. Refurbishing older equipment with open-source solutions offers a cost-effective way to extend its lifespan while introducing new functionalities. In this work, we present the refurbishment and enhancement of a 30 year-old Horiba PTI QuantaMaster 400 spectrofluorometer, retrofitted to perform not only steady-state, but also time-resolved spectral measurements. We replaced the outdated control system, which relied on proprietary ISA boards and closed-source FelixGX software running on Windows 95, with a modern Red Pitaya (RP) CPU and FPGA board running Linux. We developed a Python application that replicates the original functionality through both a graphical user interface (GUI) and an application programming interface (API). Additional improvements included replacing the monochromator motor driver with DRV8825 integrated circuits controlled by the RP's digital IO, as well as integrating photon counting through the RP's analog inputs. We added a computer controlled infrared laser to enable steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic measurements of the upconversion process. We demonstrate such extended system capabilities by characterizing β-NaYF:Yb, Er upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) in the millisecond range with microsecond resolution. The refurbished instrument now operates with open source software and hardware, offering enhanced functionality, programmability, and long-term sustainability, providing a cost-effective solution for advancing research in resource-limited settings.
专有的闭源软件和电子产品过时，导致高质量科学设备无法运行，这对低收入国家影响尤甚，因为更换成本阻碍了研究和学生培训。机构通常优先更新满足更多用户群体需求的设备，从而限制了诸如上转换研究等需要更特定设备的研究方向的出现。用开源解决方案翻新旧设备提供了一种经济高效的方法来延长其使用寿命，同时引入新功能。在这项工作中，我们展示了对一台有30年历史的Horiba PTI QuantaMaster 400荧光光谱仪的翻新和升级，使其不仅能进行稳态光谱测量，还能进行时间分辨光谱测量。我们用运行Linux的现代Red Pitaya（RP）CPU和FPGA板取代了过时的控制系统，该系统依赖专有的ISA板和在Windows 95上运行的闭源FelixGX软件。我们开发了一个Python应用程序，通过图形用户界面（GUI）和应用程序编程接口（API）复制了原始功能。其他改进包括用由RP的数字IO控制的DRV8825集成电路取代单色仪电机驱动器，以及通过RP的模拟输入集成光子计数。我们添加了一台计算机控制的红外激光，以实现上转换过程的稳态和时间分辨光谱测量。我们通过在毫秒范围内以微秒分辨率表征β-NaYF:Yb,Er上转换纳米颗粒（UCNP）来展示这种扩展的系统功能。翻新后的仪器现在使用开源软件和硬件运行，具有增强的功能、可编程性和长期可持续性，为在资源有限的环境中推进研究提供了一种经济高效的解决方案。
