Open-Source Spectrophotometer Architectures Trade Spectral Fidelity for Portability in Water Monitoring Tests

The study tested discrete multispectral sensing and continuous-spectrum imaging platforms for spectral agreement, power draw, build complexity, and total cost. All designs were released as open hardware, firmware, and software. Results indicated no architecture dominated; multispectral units prioritized low-power field deployment while imaging systems delivered closer spectral performance to the commercial reference. The authors propose a decision framework matching instrument type to application constraints such as water quality monitoring.

This evaluation extends prior open-source hardware efforts by quantifying explicit trade-offs rather than isolated performance claims. In resource-limited laboratories and citizen-science networks, the compact multispectral option could enable distributed sampling where benchtop instruments remain impractical, directly supporting real-time contaminant tracking in remote watersheds. The framework also highlights calibration stability and long-term drift as selection criteria often overlooked in initial prototypes.

The preprint lacks multi-month field durability data and cross-site reproducibility trials, limiting claims about sustained accuracy under variable environmental conditions. Independent replication with larger sample sets across humidity and temperature ranges would strengthen applicability. Future work should integrate these platforms with automated IoT pipelines to test end-to-end data quality for regulatory reporting.