Apacer Technology Ai101 User manual

Ai101 Spectral Irradiance Meter
User’s Manual
May 20, 2019
Version 1.3
Apacer Technology Inc.
1F, No.32, Zhongcheng Rd., Tucheng Dist., New Taipei City, Taiwan, R.O.C
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]
www.apacer.com

Ai101 Spectral Irradiance Meter
User’s Manual
© 2019 Apacer Technology, Inc.
Rev 1.3
1
Revision History
Revision
Date
Description
Remark
1.0
7/14/2017
Official release
1.1
8/6/2018
Official release
1.2
3/11/2019
Official release
1.3
5/20/2019
Official release

Ai101 Spectral Irradiance Meter
User’s Manual
© 2019 Apacer Technology, Inc.
Rev 1.3
2
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ............................................................................................ 3
2. Before You Start..................................................................................... 4
2.1 Package Contents .................................................................................................................................4
2.2 Spectral Irradiance Meter at a Glance...................................................................................................5
2.3 Safety Instructions.................................................................................................................................6
3. Getting Started with Spectral Irradiance Meter ................................... 7
3.1 Starting up and Calibrating Spectral Irradiance Meter ..........................................................................7
3.2 Viewing System Information..................................................................................................................9
3.3 Managing Settings...............................................................................................................................10
3.4 Viewing Measurement Data ................................................................................................................14
3.4.1 Info........................................................................................................................................14
3.4.2 CRI........................................................................................................................................16
3.4.3 CIE 1931/CIE 1976...............................................................................................................17
3.4.4 Rf/Rg.....................................................................................................................................17
3.4.5 Spectrum...............................................................................................................................18
3.4.6 Save......................................................................................................................................18
3.4.7 SD Card................................................................................................................................19
4. Using Spectral Irradiance Meter with ASI .......................................... 20
4.1 Installing ASI........................................................................................................................................20
4.2 ASI Interface........................................................................................................................................22
4.3 Measuring with ASI..............................................................................................................................24
4.4 Saving Measurement Data..................................................................................................................27

Ai101 Spectral Irradiance Meter
User’s Manual
© 2019 Apacer Technology, Inc.
Rev 1.3
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1. Introduction
Thank you for purchasing Apacer Ai101 Spectral Irradiance Meter! Apacer Ai101 Spectral Irradiance Meter
is a portable and compact instrument designed to measure luminous flux from 1 to 600,000 Lux per unit
area, including correlated color temperature (CCT), illuminance, dominant wavelength (λD), peak
wavelength (λP), color rendering index (CRI), CIE 1931, and CIE 1976, Rf/Rg, and spectrogram (330-850
nm) of a light source emitted by a luminous object, such as COB (chip-on-board) and LED light bulbs.
In addition to using Apacer Ai101 Spectral Irradiance Meter as a stand-alone instrument, Apacer’s ASI
desktop application specifically designed for Apacer Ai101 Spectral Irradiance Meter also allows you to
measure light level (illuminance) of a light source, view and save spectral data, and generate reports of
measurement data.
In the following chapters, the instructions will guide you through the steps to take light measurements with
Apacer Ai101 Spectral Irradiance Meter and ASI desktop application.

Ai101 Spectral Irradiance Meter
User’s Manual
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2. Before You Start
The following items are included with Ai101 Spectral Irradiance Meter. Please check the package contents
before using the device. If anything is missing or damaged, contact the dealer from whom you purchased
the instrument. Also, make sure you read the safety instructions thoroughly to avoid harming yourself or
damaging the instrument before, during, and after using this product.
2.1 Package Contents
Main unit x 1
Protective cap x 1
SD card x 1
Adapter1x 1
USB-Y cable x 1
A: Secondary connector
Used to connect to the USB port of the supplied
adapter for extra power supply.
B: Primary connector
Used to connect to computer USB port.
C: Mini USB connector
Used to plug into the USB port of the main unit.
1
Either type of the AC adapters comes included in the package depending on your country or region.

Ai101 Spectral Irradiance Meter
User’s Manual
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2.2 Spectral Irradiance Meter at a Glance
No.
Item
Description
1.
Power
Long press to power on/off the device.
If the device fails to power off caused by an unknown reason, please
long press both Power and Measuring buttons on the unit to force
shutdown.
2.
Cosine corrector
Used to measure light level of an illuminating source.
3.
Strap hole
Install a strap which allows you to carry the device with you.
4.
Measure button
Press to take lighting measurements of an illuminating source.
5.
SD card slot2
Insert the supplied SD card here.
6.
Mini USB port
Connect mini USB connector of the supplied USB cable to the
device here, and plug the primary connector into an available port on
your computer.
7.
Fixture mounting hole
Used to mount the device on a fixture.
8.
Strap hole
Install a strap which allows you to carry the device with you.
2
For compatibility reasons, please use the SD card included in the package or others available on the market. Avoid using Micro SD
adaptor because Apacer does not guarantee its compatibility with Ai101 Spectral Irradiance Meter.

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User’s Manual
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Rev 1.3
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2.3 Safety Instructions
To fully enjoy the benefits of this product, please read the important information and instructions carefully
and keep it in an easily accessible place for future reference.
Power supply: Power can be supplied to the instrument via an AC adaptor or a computer connected
to the instrument via a USB cable. However, to make sure the unit runs smoothly, we recommend
using the AC adaptor that comes with the package.
Environment: Keep away from an area with a high dust or humidity level and corrosive gases. Make
sure the environment does not experience abrupt changes in temperature; otherwise, measurement
accuracy can be highly affected.
Vibration and collision: The instrument is equipped with highly sophisticated optical components. To
prevent it from falling or collision, do not place it near any moving objects while operating; keep it safe
in a box while carrying it around.
Dust ingression: Wipe off dust and dirt with towels or silica cloth. Do not use any chemicals, such as
diluents, acetone, or volatile solvents which may damage the instrument.
Storage: Place the instrument in a tool box under normal temperature. Do not put it in cars or expose
it to environment with high temperature, humidity, or dust.
Calibration: A measuring instrument like instrument may fail to produce valid data after being used for
a period of time. To ensure optimum accuracy, we recommend you send the instrument back to the
original manufacturer for calibration on a yearly basis. Please contact Apacer or your dealer for
detailed information.
Maintenance: Never dismantle the instrument by yourself. If encountering any breakdowns, please
contact the original manufacturer or dealer to arrange a product inspection. Any attempt to dismantle
the device may have an irrevocable impact on, or cause a loss of, the product’s original efficacy,
resulting in the immediate invalidation of Apacer’s warranty and additional cost of replacement parts..
Protective cap:After using the device, please cover the cosine corrector with the protective cap in
case of unnecessary scratch or damage to influence the accuracy.

Ai101 Spectral Irradiance Meter
User’s Manual
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3. Getting Started with Spectral Irradiance
Meter
This chapter explains how to calibrate your stand-alone Ai101 Spectral Irradiance Meter without being
connected to a computer via the supplied USB cable and ASI, desktop application designed for Ai101
Spectral Irradiance Meter, start up and zero calibrate the instrument, view system information, manage
settings, measure light level of an illuminating source, and view measurement data.
3.1 Starting up and Calibrating Spectral Irradiance Meter
To ensure measurement accuracy, we suggest you calibrate the instrument at the first-timed system
startup. Follow the steps below to start the calibration.
To start up and calibrate your instrument:
1. Long press the power button on the device to power on.
2. Cover the cosine corrector with the protective cap to start calibrating the device, and do either of the
following:
Tap Continue to calibrate the unit.
Tap Skip if you do not want to perform calibration now. You may calibrate the unit later by going to
Setting. See “3.3 Managing Settings”for more information.

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3. The gear icon will appear when the system begins calibrating. Depending on the calibrating
status, do either of the following:
Successfully calibrated: You can start taking measurements by tapping Measure on the device
screen or press the physical Measure button on the side of the unit. However, in case you want to
configure system settings before measuring in order to produce measurement data as accurately
as possible, tap Setting. See “3.3 Managing Settings”for more information.
Calibration failed: The calibration results can be affected by potential error sources such as
external lighting during a calibration. If ambient lighting is detected, the following error message
will appear. Please make sure the cosine corrector is covered with the protective cap, and tap
Continue to perform the calibration once again.

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3.2 Viewing System Information
You can view the following system information on the home screen.
Information
Description
Display
System date and time. Can be edited at Settings >
Date Time.
Firmware version.
Integration mode. Can be set at Settings > Auto Int.
Time. Options include manual integration (Off) and
auto integration (On).
Integration time. Can be adjusted at Settings > Auto
Int. Time.
Indicates the date and time a measurement is taken
and is used as directory name of the measured data
saved in the SD card. This can only appear when
an .sps file is selected to display. See “3.4 Viewing
Measurement Data”> SD Card for more information.
Power indicator.

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User’s Manual
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Rev 1.3
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3.3 Managing Settings
Apacer’s Ai101 Spectral Irradiance Meter provides a variety of settings that allow you to configure the
instrument to measure light level from 1 to 600,000 Lux with more ease, effectiveness, and efficiency.
On the home screen, tap Setting to configure settings for the device. Manage and modify the settings
options below with the three navigating buttons:
Done: Tap to save the settings when finished.
Return: Tap to exit the settings screen you are navigating and return to the previous page.
: Tap to see more settings options available on other pages.
Auto Int. Time
This option allows you to obtain the best exposure by turning on/off the setting depending on your need:
On (Auto Integration): When set to on, the instrument will take measurements of a light source
automatically at optimal timing when ambient environment provides appropriate lighting.
Off (Manual Integration): When set to off, you can take measurements whenever you want by
tapping the Measure button. Select the integration time with the + and –buttons. Maximum time
permitted can be up to 60,000 milliseconds.
Once finished, tap to return to the previous screen and tap Done to apply the setting.
Power Save
This option allows you to activate power saving mode by specifying the time for the screen to go off when
the instrument is not in use. When the mode is set to on, the screen will be off in a standby mode if you
have not used it for 120 seconds. After another 5 minutes, the device will be powered off automatically. If
you want to go back to the screen you were on before the device is off, press the physical power button on
the unit.
Screen Reverse 180°
Turn on the option to rotate the screen 180°. This allows you to adjust the orientation of the screen in
response to the direction of the light source.

Ai101 Spectral Irradiance Meter
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Language
Tap to select your display language among English, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese. Once
finished, tap Done and the setting will come into effect immediately.
Date Time
Tap Set to set the date and time. Then tap the date or time field you want to change. The selected field will
be highlighted. Tap + or –for changes, and tap Set when done. Once finished, tap to return to the
previous screen and tap Done to apply the setting.
Illuminant
An illuminant is a set of numbers (relative power versus wavelength) that represents the spectral quality of
a type of white light source. This option allows you to select one of the spectral power distributions,
referred to as CIE standard illuminants as follows while taking measurements of a light source. Illuminant
A is most commonly-used lighting for measuring light level.
Illuminant
Description
A
An incandescent or tungsten light source found in the home.
B
Direct sunlight at noon.
C
Average daylight.
D
Represents phases of daylight.
D50
Warm daylight at sunrise or sunset.
D55
Mid-morning or mid-afternoon daylight.
D65
Noon daylight.
D75
Overcast daylight.
E
Equal-energy illuminant.
F
Represents fluorescent lamps of various composition.
Standard Fluorescent Illuminants
F1
Daylight fluorescent.
F2
Cool white fluorescent.
F3
White fluorescent.
F4
Warm white fluorescent.
F5
Daylight fluorescent.
F6
Lite white fluorescent.
Broadband Fluorescent Illuminants
F7
D65 simulator, daylight simulator.
F8
D50 simulator, Sylvania F40 Design
50.

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User’s Manual
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Rev 1.3
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Illuminant
Description
F9
Cool white deluxe fluorescent.
Narrow Triband Fluorescent
Illuminants
F10
Phillips TL85, Ultralume 50
F11
Phillips TL84, Ultralume 40
F12
Phillips TL83, Ultralume 30

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User’s Manual
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Rev 1.3
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Zero Calibration
Tap Set to calibrate the instrument. This option is the same function as system zero calibration which is
available when the instrument is powered on.
Low Light Mode
Turn on the option to extend the measuring time. When the light source is too low for measurements to be
taken with auto integration (3 seconds), you may need to consider allowing additional light to pass through
the lens, in order to ensure that optimum spectral data can be generated.
Tap On/Off to trigger or to leave the Low Light Mode. When the Low Light Mode is on, it’ll extend auto
integration time to another 60 seconds. Once finished, tap Off to leave the mode.
Please note that the low light mode can only be activated when the light source is extremely low and when
Auto Int. Time is set to on. Otherwise, measurements will be taken based on the time set for manual
integration by default. To avoid overexposure, this mode remains off when the light source is already
bright enough.
Backlight Adjust
Tap the number ranging from 1 to 5 to adjust screen brightness.
Average Times
In order to prevent the measured data from being biased, you may configure the instrument to produce an
average value of sets of data by taking multiple measurements of a light source. Options include 1, 4, 9,
16, and 25 times.
Please note that the measuring time increases with the number of average times.
Factory Default
Tap Set to restore to factory default settings, and tap Done to apply the setting.

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User’s Manual
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3.4 Viewing Measurement Data
Once the settings described in “3.3 Managing Settings”are completed, you
can do either of the following to take measurements:
Press the physical Measure button on the side of the instrument.
Tap Measure on the home screen.
While measuring, please position the cosine corrector directly under a distant
light source. Afterwards, follow the instructions below by tapping Info, CRI,
CIE1931/CIE1976, and Spectrum on the right to view the results which can be
saved into the SD card that accompanies the package.
Tap , it will start the second calculation after finishing the process of
tapping Measure. You’ll get data and diagram of Color Fidelity (Rf) and
Color Gamut (Rg).
Tap , it also can trigger second calculation after finishing the
process of tapping Measure. Then the data of TLCI, CQS and Purity are
revealed.
For the blue items in green frames, they both can do the second calculation after tapping Measure (Note:
the first calculation, which is triggered by tapping Measure, should always be done before the second
calculation. The measuring results of the first calculation can be viewed on the items in the red frame).
3.4.1 Info
Tap Info to display measurement data including the following:
(There’re two pages to be revealed for the items with the two dots at the upper-right side, such like ).

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User’s Manual
© 2019 Apacer Technology, Inc.
Rev 1.3
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Item
Description
Correlated Color Temperature
(CCT)
Tap or to switch measured data between CCT
and TLCI/CQS/Purity(Note: CCT can be viewed after the first
calculation but other three items can only be viewed after
finishing the second calculation).
Television Lighting Consistency
Index (TLCI)/
Color Quality Scale (CQS)/
Purity
Illuminance (Ev)/Irradiance (Ee)
Tap or to switch measured data between
illuminance and irradiance. Tap under
mode, it can switch measured data between general digits or
scientific ones.
Dominant Wavelength (λD)/
XYZ Tristimulus Values
Tap or to switch measure data between
dominant wavelength and tristimulus values.
Peak Wavelength (λP)/
Peak Wavelength Value (λPV)
Tap or to switch measured data between peak
wavelength and peak wavelength value.

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Rev 1.3
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3.4.2 CRI
Color Rendering Index (CRI) is a rating system that measures the accuracy of
how well a light source reproduces the (total) color of an illuminated object
(comparing to sunlight). General Color Rendering Index (Ra), which is an
average value based on R1-R8 and it is ranked on a scale from 0 –100. CRI
indicates how accurately a given light source renders colors in the space it
illuminates. The value 100 means that there is no difference in color rendition
between the color of the illuminated object under certain light source and
under sunlight.
Tap CRI to display color rendering index, in which R5, R9, and Ra values as
well as R1-R15 bar chart along with Ra will be displayed.
Ri
Appearance Color under
Daylight
Note
R1
Light grayish red
R2
Dark grayish yellow
R3
Strong yellow green
R4
Moderate yellowish green
R5
Light bluish green
R6
Light blue
R7
Light violet
R8
Light reddish purple
R9
Strong red
The ability to accurately reproduce the color red is key
for accurately rendering colors of displayed objects.
Lamps with high R9 value produce the most vivid colors.
R10
Strong yellow
R11
Strong green
R12
Strong blue
R13
Caucasian skin color
R14
Moderate olive green (leaf)
R15
Asian skin color
Ra
General Color Rendering Index
Average value based on R1 –R8.

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Rev 1.3
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3.4.3 CIE 1931/CIE 1976
The Chromaticity diagrams CIE1931 and
CIE1976 show chromaticity of an illuminating
source which is an objective specification of
the color quality regardless of its illuminance.
The chromaticity of the illuminant is specified
by a point which has two coordinates on the
color spaces.
Tap CIE1931/CIE1976 to switch between CIE
1931 and CIE 1976 chromaticity diagrams, in
which (x, y) and (u’, v’) coordinates indicated
by “+”on the color space will be displayed
respectively.
3.4.4 Rf/Rg
The new standard developed by the Illuminating Engineering Society of
North America (IES) to replace CRI and is called IES-TM-30-15, or TM-30-
15 for short. IES-TM30-15 is a new system of several related measures and
graphics that can be used together to effectively evaluate and communicate
a light source’s color rendering properties. Two of the highest-level
components of the system are fidelity index (Rf) and gamut index (Rg).
Tap Rf/Rg to view color vector graphic which illustrates average hue and
saturation changes in each of 16 hue bins. The reference illuminant is
indicated by the black circle, whereas the test source is represented by the
red one.
Measure
Abbreviation
Description
Fidelity Index
Rf
Analogous to CRI (Ra). Characterizes the average color
shift of the 99 color evaluation samples to characterize the
overall level of similarity between the test source and
reference illuminant. Values range from 0 to 100.
Gamut Index
Rg
Compares the area enclosed by the average chromaticity
coordinates in each of 16 hue bins to characterize the
average saturation level of the test source compared to the
reference illuminant. A neutral score is 100, with values
greater than 100 indicating an increase in saturation and
values less than 100 indicating a decrease in saturation.
The range in values grows as fidelity decreases.

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Measure
Abbreviation
Description
Color Vector Graphic
-
Provides a visual representation of hue and saturation
changes based on the average rendering in each hue bin,
relative to the reference. The graphic provides a quick
understanding of how different hues are rendered in
different ways.
3.4.5 Spectrum
Tap Spectrum to display spectrum diagram, in which peak wavelength will be displayed. The spectral
response covers a wide wavelength range from 330 to 850 nm. Tap the value displayed on the upper-left
corner to view the following spectral information:
Light Signal Intensity (count): When photons
are captured during measurement, they are
converted to electrons and via CCD, the signals
in electrons are converted into voltage, which is
then digitized by an Analogue to Digital Converter
(ADC). Each Analogue to Digital Unit (ADU) is
called count in the signal intensity scale. Each
count corresponds to an exact number of
electrons. For the spectrum diagram at right, the
value of counts represents the highest point of
the wavelength on the diagram.
Power Density (μw/m2): Power Density is
calculated on light power per unit area. In the
rightist diagram, the value (20342) represents the
energy of light at the highest point in the
spectrum diagram.
Tap the value displayed on the upper-left corner of the
diagram in the red frame and it can switch from light
signal intensity to power density or vice versa.
Tap to display spectral data. You may view the data of different wavelengths by scrolling up or down.
Tap to lock the Y-axis. This function helps user to view the spectrum diagram from different light
sources under the same condition. When the Y-axis is locked, the icon will change to a red lock.
3.4.6 Save
Tap Save to save the measured data into the SD card inserted in the instrument as text files with .sps
extension. The files can be opened with ASI, the desktop application designed for Ai101 Spectral
Irradiance Meter, (see “4. Using Spectral Irradiance Meter with ASI”) or software which can support txt file.
By modifying file extension to .csv, the files also can be opened in the terms of excel files.

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3.4.7 SD Card
Tap SD Card to view the measured data saved in
the SD card. The root directory (indicated as .\) and
subdirectory (categorized by date) can display up
to 15 items per page. Tap / to navigate
through items and tap for selection.