Introducing f.luxometer® (original) (raw)

One tool to measure screens, lights, and eyewear

If you want to measure how light can affect circadian rhythms, alertness, and mood, it’s best to use a spectrometer. To get results that you can see right away (and show to other other people), you need software that is designed for non-visual responses.

Melanopic measurements made easy, and more

With f.luxometer®, you can measure light spectra with a portable meter and see circadian quantities like melanopic irradiance (or melanopic lux) and M/P ratio instantly. Save the raw data and analyze it however you like. Or, when you want to, share your results online, in just one click.

Using the f.luxometer® software with x-rite’s hardware, there’s now a low-cost way to look at the spectrum a light makes.

A tablet PC measuring light with x-rite spectrometer and f.luxometer® software

i1Studio from x-rite

The meter we recommend is the i1Studio spectrometer from x-rite. This meter connects to your laptop via USB, and on its own, it’s great at calibrating your screen and measuring the reflectance of surfaces. It’s also a bargain for doing these kinds of measurements: a reference meter can cost $10,000, but this one gets awfully close for a lot less money.

1. Purchase a meter

If that's not available, you can get the older model here.

International customers: please look for EOSTUDIO or CMUNPH resellers in your local market.

2. Purchase a f.luxometer license

The f.luxometer system allows you to measure light and output the raw spectral data. It automatically computes circadian metrics as you measure (like Melanopic irradiance and M/P ratio). If you want to, you can easily share measurements via our cloud service.

This version is priced at $99 a year, which includes updates and as much cloud storage as you need. It's intended for one person to use on a couple machines, or for one meter on a shared machine.

Features (and Metrics)

• Melanopic quantitites (equivalent lux)
• CCT (color temperature), lux, and cd/m²
• Transmission measurement (for measuring filters and eyewear)
• Lucas photoreceptor responses for circadian research (all major photoreceptor responses that affect the ipRGCs)
• Spectral irradiance measurement (for general lighting, in uW/cm²/nm)
• Spot radiance measurement (from a screen or 10 degree patch, in uW/²/sr/nm)
• Saving data to the f.luxometer cloud service, with more analysis there, including advanced color metrics
• Optional saving of geo-location (e.g., to identify multiple buildings)
• Saving measurements to disk as CSV

Cloud-only features

• Ability to share and download measurements
• Color-related metrics including CRI, 10-degree observer, and CIE PO06
• Blue Light Hazard (IEC62471)
• PAR and some wildlife responses
• Several additional proposed circadian metrics
• Ability to view time-series measurements
• Capture can be done without a connection, and uploaded later

System Requirements

• macOS 10.8+ or Windows 7+ (Windows 8 for geo-location)
• Internet connection to activate and setup
• English language only

i1Studio/Colormunki capabilities

• 5 lux to 50,000 lux (ambient light)
• 0.2 cd/m2 to 1200 cd/m²
• CCT within about 300K
• x, y repeatability: ±0.002
• Fast measurement, 1.5 seconds per sample

Mobile use

• f.luxometer works well with Windows tablets like the Microsoft Surface.
• Inexpensive Windows 10 tablets (<$200) are available and are excellent for mobile use or remote monitoring of a building.

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