DIGITAL RECORDING SYSTEM FOR THERMOLUMINESCENCE SET-UP FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS STUDIES

摘要

Digital logging systems provide a flexible method of acquiring the process data, performing simple data manipulations, reduction (if required) and subsequent recording of values on suitable storage media. The construction of a user-friendly data acquisition system coupled with the availability of signal conditioning modules for different types of sensors, enables the configuration of a data logger, suitable for the requirements of specific applications. Recently, a digital logging system has been designed and developed to acquire data from thermoluminescence set-up. This eliminates the need to record data on the strip chart recorder. Microcontroller based data converter, acquires thermocouple input and thermoluminescence signal in analog form and converts it to its digital equivalent, before transmitting it serially to the personal computer. The thermoluminescence pattern from photosynthetic membranes, has been under investigation for the past several decades, in the Bio-Medical Group of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. In 1971 Dr. V.G. Tatake had designed and built a special instrument using a variable temperature cryostat for the measurement of thermoluminescence (TL) (Tatake et al 1971). This TL set up provided accurate information on the temperature of the glow peaks because the thermocouple was located very close to the sample. Coupled with a suitable photomultiplier tube this unit among the best of its kind.