Fiber Bragg sensor interrogation system based on a CCD spectrometer

The demand for a low cost, portable and accurate instrumentation system for structural monitoring is increasing as civil structures appear to be monitored for their lifetime. Face to conventional solutions, the issue can be handled as to develop an interrogation system based on a CCD spectrometer. A method pointing out to improve the instrumentation characteristics of the whole system was developed. The initial low wavelength resolution of the spectrometer (0.2 nm) is enhanced through a sub-pixel resolution algorithm. This algorithm, capable of a /spl ap/ 200 times improvement in the resolution, is presented in this work. Final characteristics are validated within the calibration process. It is made a comparison between the results obtained with the designed system and others reported, using similar models. As the measurement quality depends on the interrogation method and associated wavelength resolution, future developments are planned. They are described and analyzed in the final part of the paper.