NeoSpectra sensors are used to help solve the world's food demand problems

NeoSpectra Sensors Enable Accurate and Reliable Measurements to be made in the Field by Farmers

CAIRO, Egypt – Si-Ware Systems (SWS), a premier provider of IC- and MEMS-based solutions for industrial and consumer applications, has had its Prism award winning MEMS spectral sensors chosen by Dutch Sprouts for use in its Near InfraRed (NIR) portable analyzers that farmers can use for in-situ soil analysis.

SWS’ spectral sensors, newly branded as NeoSpectra™, deliver the same functionality as conventional bench top spectrometer instruments: quantification and identification of materials by measuring their spectral response.

NeoSpectra sensors are the most compact and the lowest cost Fourier Transform InfraRed (FT-IR) spectrometers in the market today. The first generation of NeoSpectra sensors operate in the NIR spectral range with three different configurations available between 1,150nm and 2,500nm, enabling material composition and/or identification in a wide range of application areas.

Dutch Sprouts, a group of companies devising innovative and cost-effective methods for assessing soil and crops, is taking advantage of NeoSpectra sensors for its SoilCares initiative. SoilCares is developing a small, portable, low cost NIR analyzer, which uses the NeoSpectra sensor, that farmers can use to measure soil samples in the field in real time. “Enabling farmers to make real time measurements of soil samples in the field is key to the SoilCares initiative of helping to create better and more sustainable harvests”, said Henri Hekman, CEO of Dutch Sprouts. “SWS’ NeoSpectra sensors are an enabling part of our NIR analyzer, allowing us to achieve a device that is small and cost effective.”

“SWS is excited that Dutch Sprouts has chosen our NeoSpectra sensors for use in a new and exciting application that can help to solve the world’s food demand problems,” said Bassam Saadany, Optical MEMS division manager at SWS. “We believe that we have the smallest and most cost effective spectral sensor solution on the market today that can enable many other applications where measurement and analysis can be done in the field in real time by the average consumer.”

The core technology behind NeoSpectra sensors is based on semiconductor Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology, which achieves high volume production with economies of scale. The sensor covers a wide spectral range, consumes very low power, and is about the size of a smartphone. Unlike existing miniaturized NIR spectroscopy solutions, NeoSpectra sensors are constructed from low cost, permanently aligned, and highly reproducible components.

SWS is now delivering evaluation kits for its first production NeoSpectra sensor, the SWS62221. The SWS62221 will be in full production in Q3 of this year. Contact SWS if you are interested in obtaining an evaluation kit or would like more information on its NeoSpectra sensors.

NeoSpectra – Analyze Anywhere. www.si-ware.com

About SWS

Si-Ware Systems (SWS) is an independent fabless semiconductor company providing a wide spectrum of product design and development solutions, custom ASIC development and supply, as well as standard products. SWS has three divisions: ASIC Solutions – interface ASICs; Timing Products – all silicon oscillators; and Optical MEMS Technology – MOEMS products. The ASIC Solutions division provides custom ASIC development and supply focusing in four main areas: sensor interfaces and MEMS, wireless, timing, and optical. The Timing Products division has developed a breakthrough technology in its silicon Self Compensating Oscillator (SCO™). The Optical MEMS technology division has developed the worlds’ first single-chip FT-IR spectrometer under the brand name NeoSpectra, using its unique platform – Silicon integrated Micro Optical Systems Technology (SiMOST™) that allows the creation of multiple optical components on silicon. For more information, please visit www.si-ware.com

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