Using Commodity Hardware in Laboratories?

PhysicsTom asks: "I am a Senior Physics student who's final year project is based upon using common, easily available technology to replace parts of the aparatus used in various departmental labs. Currently, my main area of interest is trying to integrate certain computer peripherals (such as scanners and digital cameras) into experiments at an earlier stage, so that images gained from the experiments (such as difraction patterns, etc) can be analysed in a program such as MathCAD straight off, rather than the much less efficient methods we're using at the moment. The problem is that I am having trouble finding out about the way in which scanners and digital cameras work, and how this would affect their accuracy with respect to what I am aiming to do." Basically, how do the various hardware aspects of such devices affect their ability to accurately measure or scan the subject of the experiment?

"The information I am looking for includes things like: the resolution of their grey-scales, what degree of accuracy the motor steps at, how uniformly distributed the CCDs are in the arrays, and other issues that might affect accuracy. Just so that I can know how close to the 'real' picture what I get out of the scanner/camera is. If anyone can tell me all these boring facts for any suchequipment (preferably solutions currently available in the UK) then I would be very appreciative."

Comments

Amateur Astronomy May Provide Some Hints

[an_art]

If your goal is to reduce the cost of automating experiments that require an optical sensor, then consider the imaging equipment being used by amateur astronomers. These imagers are less expensive than the "professional grade" units, and are much more adaptable to being attached to equipment than are consumer units. Most of the amateur astronomy magazines have an assortment of ads for these units. As indicated by other folks, you'll need to develop or acquire physical calibration standards for noise, linearity, sensitivity versus exposure time, resolution, dark response, pattern sensitivity, repeatability and temperature stability, to name a few. It sounds like fun. Good Luck, Art