A Novel Approach to Obtain PAR with a Multi-Channel Spectral Microsensor, Suitable for Sensor Node Integration

We propose a novel approach to measure photosynthetically active radiation (PAR ) in the form of photosynthetic photon flux density with an inexpensive, small multi-channel spectrometer sensor, with integrated optical filters and analog-to-digital converter. Our experiments prove that the combination of eight spectral channels with different optical sensitivities, such as the sensorchip in use (AS7341, ams), derive the PAR with an accuracy of 14 [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]. Enabled by the sensor architecture, additional information about the light quality can be retrieved which is expressed in the reduced light quality index. A calibration method is proposed, and exemplary measurements are performed. Moreover, the integration in a solar-powered wireless sensor node is outlined, which enables long-term field experiments with high sensor densities and may be used to obtain important indexes, such as the gross primary production.