Diffuse reflection spectroscopy with spatial resolution is a promising direction of non-destructive control of the properties of a number of scattering fine-dispersed materials, including food products. It can find wide practical application only in the presence of compact, easy-to-use and inexpensive spectrophotometric equipment. The aim of the article is to investigate the possibility of creating portable spectrophotometers based on Hamamatsu mini-spectrometers, which work together with modern computing facilities.The schematics for connecting the C12880MA and C11708MA mini-spectrometers to portable computing devices are reviewed. Shows the feasibility of using a small-sized microprocessor board ARM STM32F103C8T6 (Blue pill) on the chip STM32F103C8T6. Its use in the connection scheme has simplified data exchange with the control computer via USB interface and the formation of all the signals that are needed to control the mini-spectrometer.Two experimental samples of spectrophotometers based on C12880MA and C11708MA mini-spectrometers and STM32 microprocessors were created and their characteristics were studied. The calibration procedure and features of the software for these spectrophotometers are presented. The described features ensure the efficiency of software modification for the spectrophotometric problem to be solved. The presence of distortions of the registered spectra in the short-wave part of the spectral range of C12880MA was revealed. They arise due to focusing by the concave diffraction grating of a part of the radiation scattered by it into zero order.Approbation of developed portable spectrophotometers based on Hamamatsu mini-spectrometers indicates the possibility of their use in portable spectrophotometric equipment and devices for spectral control of optical properties of scattering materials. The described calibration technique allows you to determine the range of the spectrum, in which the distortions of the recorded spectra are minimal. The proposed solutions significantly reduce the cost of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy devices with spatial resolution and expand the possibilities of their use in various branches of science and industry.

The article considers the potential applicability of C12880MA and C11708MA Hamamatsu microspectrometers, which are characterized by an extremely compact design, occupying a small volume of several cubic centimeters, in portable spectrometric equipment with spatial resolution for monitoring the optical properties of condensed scattering media. The development of methods for determining the reduced scattering and absorption spectral coefficients of radiation from various scattering materials and products allows us to speak about the possibility of real-time control of the volume concentration of optically active components included in them, for example, fat and water in dairy products. For this, it is necessary to provide sufficiently accurate spectra of diffusely reflected broadband light radiation at different distances between the points of radiation entrance and registration. The aim of the manuscript is to assess the possibility of using the considered microspectrometers in compact devices for optical diagnostics and control of the optical properties of condensed scattering media. The features of the connection diagram of these microspectrometers and the necessary methods for correcting the initially obtained spectral dependencies of diffusive reflection, which will be of interest to developers of spectral diagnostic equipment, are considered in detail. The need to eliminate the influence of the inhomogeneity of dark counts of a CMOS photodiode array is shown. The hardware functions of the C12880MA and C11708MA Hamammatsu microspectrometers, as well as the AvaSpec 2048L fiber-optic spectrometer, were experimentally measured and compared. Methods for correcting the nonlinearity of their reading scales and light characteristics, as well as improving their equivalent spectral resolution using digital Wiener filtering, are described. It is shown that the equivalent spectral resolution of C12880MA and C11708MA microspectrometers can be improved by about 40% when recording smooth spectra, subject to the condition that the resulting side oscillations are small. It is pointed out that in order to reduce the level of side oscillations in the corrected spectra with improved resolution, it is necessary to ensure the smoothness of the original spectra and a good signal-to-noise ratio. A conclusion is made about the possibility of using the considered microspectrometers in portable spectrometric equipment with careful consideration of their characteristics, the features of their switching circuit, and the necessary software.

The characteristics of modern portable spectrometers based on photodetector arrays make it possible to create on their basis a new class of devices for operational control of the optical properties of various media. The introduction into the practice of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy with spatial resolution is hampered by the lack of an analysis of the influence of the width of the spectral region used and other sources of measurement uncertainty on the unambiguous determination of the optical properties of finely dispersed scattering materials. This article describes a method of determining the coefficient of local diffuse reflection and calculating the spectral parameters of the reduced scattering and absorption of radiation based on the differences in their shape, which are clearly manifested in a wide range of the spectrum. This allows the reduction in the determination of the desired spectral dependencies to the formation of a residual function that requires varying the values of only two parameters. A method for normalising the recorded spectral dependencies is described, which makes it possible to minimise the influence of the spectral characteristics of the equipment used on the recorded spectral–spatial profiles. Approbation of the method was carried out on examples of processing spectral–spatial diffuse reflection profiles of four samples of finely dispersed scattering structural materials, as well as diffuse reflection profiles of living tissue in the palm thenar region. The sources of uncertainty that affect the uniqueness of the obtained solutions are found, and solutions are proposed to minimise their influence on the desired spectral dependencies. The results obtained indicate the prospects of using the described method for creating equipment for non-destructive control of the optical properties of finely dispersed materials and media, including living tissues and food products.