Portable Alternative to FTIR Spectrometer

Portable spectrometer to perform inline, online or atline measurements

Trusted by 100+ industry leaders

What makes NLIR a great portable alternative to FTIR?

NLIR spectrometers offer cutting-edge technology for a faster, more sensitive and vibration-tolerant performance compared to conventional FTIR spectrometers, making our spectrometers ideal for a wide variety of industrial applications. Developers in both industry and research use NLIR’s mid-infrared spectrometers for molecular spectroscopy measurements instead of FTIR devices because of their portable design, ultra-fast spectral acquisition, and room-temperature operation capabilities.

Being a fast, portable, and versatile tool, NLIR’s MIDWAVE Spectrometer is ideal for measurements at the production line. Designed for applications requiring high-speed and accurate spectral measurements in 2.0 – 5.0 µm wavelength range, it captures full spectra in milliseconds, making it ideal for inline, online or atline measurements.

NLIR-spectrometers-have-significant-advantages-over-conventional-FTIR-spectrometers

High-Speed, Portable Design

NLIR’s MIDWAVE Spectrometer has has high sensitivity of 5 pW/nm, and the full-spectrum readout rate of 400 Hz! The spectrometer therefore enables the characterization of multiple gases simultaneously, time-resolved emission monitoring, light source characterization, measuring spectral content from chemical processes with a temporal resolution of 10 µs, amongst many other applications requiring real-time monitoring.

With millisecond acquisition times, it delivers the world’s fastest fiber-coupled molecular spectroscopy. Collect light from remote sampling points, harsh environments, or moving production lines – and analyze it instantly.

MIDWAVE Spectrometer comes with a free NLIzeR Software for easy spectral analysis.

Why choose NLIR?

With temporal precision, high sensitivity and portable design, our spectroscopy instruments offer instant measurements at your production line.

High Sensitivity

Detect the smallest changes in light

Live Monitoring

Measure in milliseconds

Portable Design

For direct integration to your production line

OEM Ready

No moving parts, no cryocooling needed

Specifications

MIDWAVE Spectrometer
Optical Bandwidth
2.0 – 5.0 μm
Resolution
2.4 – 15.0 nm
Exposure Time
0.0108 - 500 ms
Max. Readout Rate
400 Hz
Bit Depth
16
Sensitivity
130k counts/(ms μW)
Dark Noise Std.*
11 counts
Minimum Detectable Power in 100 ms
5 pW/nm
Optical Input
SMA-905 Fiber Connector
Operating Temperature
18 °C - 24 °C
No cryocooling needed
*At minimum exposure time
MIDWAVE Spectrometer
Optical Bandwidth
2000 - 5000 cm⁻¹
Resolution
6 cm⁻¹
Exposure Time
0.0108 - 500 ms
Max. Readout Rate
400 Hz
Bit Depth
16
Sensitivity
130k counts/(ms μW)
Dark Noise Std.*
11 counts
Minimum Detectable Power in 100 ms
5 pW/nm
Optical Input
SMA-905 Fiber Connector
Operating Temperature
18 °C - 24 °C
No cryocooling needed
*At minimum exposure time

Let's discuss your possibilities

NLIR’s MIDWAVE Spectrometer – a portable FTIR alternative. Bring your spectroscopy measurements to the production line for time-resolved online measurements.

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Improve your measurement capabilities

Compared to traditional FTIR spectrometers, NLIR’s MIDWAVE Spectrometer offers significant advantages in MIR spectroscopy detection. Whether you need to perform inline, online, or atline measurements, our spectrometer can be well-integrated into your process. Explore a few measurement examples below.

Multi-Gas Live Monitoring with NLIR'S MIDWAVE Spectrometer

The video demonstrates how a light source sends light through a gas-filled chamber, and a spectrometer captures the light absorbed by the gas. NLIR’s FIBER Light Source delivers light through a fiber to a simple gas cell, while another fiber guides the transmitted light to NLIR’s MIDWAVE Spectrometer. The spectrometer captures spectra every 20 milliseconds, clearly showing the transmission features on screen.

Optical Coating Transmission Measurements with NLIR's MID-Infrared Spectrometer

In this video, we demonstrate how NLIR’s MIDWAVE Spectrometer, combined with FIBER Light Source, can measure transmission spectra of optical filters in real time. With an exposure time of just 2 ms, the spectrometer captures data from every filter on the rotating wheel during each full rotation.

High-Speed plastic foil characterization with MIR Spectrometer

The video demonstrates an example of a spinning sample wheel that rotates at the speed of 300 rounds per minute (RPM). This demonstrates how fast MIDWAVE Spectrometer is able to acquire spectral information of different plastic foils, showing the potential for in-line monitoring.

Measure reflection from (almost) any sample with MIDWAVE Spectrometer

The MIDWAVE Spectrometer is also very useful for reflection measurements due to its high sensitivity. The video demonstrates several reflection measurements on various materials using our TOUCH Interface.

Despite the sample’s curvature, the data displayed on the screen is of exceptional quality, thanks to the sophisticated internal design of the TOUCH Interface and the high sensitivity of NLIR’s MIDWAVE Spectrometer.

EXPERIENCE OUR BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY

The NLIR Spectrometers are based on a patented upconversion technology that converts MIR light to near-visible light. The VIS-NIR light can then be detected by silicon-based CMOS detector arrays. This approach brings endless MIR field measurement possibilities at your production line.

The NLIR spectrometer measures spectra in only milliseconds, providing faster data collection compared to FTIR spectrometers. The integration time can vary from 100s of ms down to 11 µs depending on the need. The external trigger can be used to capture data at the right time in order to optimize monitoring speed. 

NLIR spectrometers have no moving parts and are therefore tolerant to vibrations, making them suitable for harsh industrial environments.

By converting mid-infrared light to near-visible light, NLIR spectrometers utilize uncooled silicon-based sensors, eliminating the need for cryocooling systems. This approach mitigates the thermal noise that typically limits infrared measurements, enabling you to conduct a wide range of measurements with ease.

NLIR’s spectrometers are so fast because they use an array detector that can read out data with 400 Hz and even up to 130 kHz.

The uncooled NLIR detectors are at least as sensitive as cryocooled detectors but offers superior speed without the complexity and cost of cooling systems. Check out specifications of the MIDWAVE Spectrometer above for more details.

The absence of cryocooling detectors and fiber-coupled design makes our spectrometer a portable device, which you can bring to a production line to perform various inline, online, or atline measurements at any industrial environment.

Measuring-IR-batch-coatings-with-NLIR-spectrometer

Sense It!

Add you details below to download our white paper on NLIR’s upconversion technology’s advantages over FTIR spectroscopy.

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NLIR Upconversion Technology’s Advantages over FTIR Spectroscopy
CUSTOMER REVIEWS

Trusted by engineers across industries & fields

Our customers from different industries have already achieved breakthrough in online measurements with our mid-infrared spectrometer. Contact us today or read more about their success stories below.

Stas Zinchik, Ph.D.

Michigan Technological University
Customer Review

A primary instrument for our team’s fast, AI-based research activity

We have been using NLIR’s MIDWAVE Spectrometer for about two years now, successfully performing inline plastic characterization. The MIDWAVE Spectrometer has become a primary instrument for our team’s fast, AI-based plastic waste stream characterization research activity.

Would you also like to explore your opportunities?

Our dedicated spectroscopy and light detection experts are here to help.

Contact NLIR's Spectroscopy Experts Team
meet NLIR at SENSOR + TEST conference at MG Optical Solutions booth
9 - 11 of June, 2026

Booth 602/1

Meet our partner MG Optical Solutions to explore your Mid-IR application capabilities with NLIR!

meet NLIR at Analytica 2026 at MG Optical Solutions
24 - 27 of March, 2026

Booth A3.107

Meet our partner MG Optical Solutions to explore your Mid-IR application capabilities with NLIR!

20 - 22 of January, 2026

Booth 1157

Meet with our Optical Engineers to explore your application measurements capabilities!