TL;DR

Are there a mature DIY projet using Arduino for detecting the purity of street drugs on the spot?

Recently though, I've been told that Arduino, and it's various sensor packages, has matured to the point where it's a usable alternative. Now I realize that a cigarette pack-size device may be a little too much to hope for for street use, but has anyone heard of a project along those lines?

I doubt there's a patent waiting there but that is also not my intention. My intention is to save lives as easy as possible, and it seems to me that Arduino could be a viable alternative to the first clumsy attempt.

Building up a database of the real drugs will present no problem (I'm pretty well connected, and not in an Godfather way ), so essentially we're down to recognizing the individual drugs. For starters I'd be happy with a yes no for the various compounds. Purity might come down the line...

Also, both are mentioned in the reply that I posted. They are different modalities and need different hardware, yes.

This is seriously misleading as written.

Mass spectroscopy is a technique that involves evaporating sample in a vacuum, ionizing it, accelerating ions in an electric field, deflecting them in a magnetic field and finally detecting them afterwards so that they can be identified according to their mass/charge ratio.

Raman spectroscopy is a technique in which you shine laser at the sample and register scattered light. Trivial in principle, although challenging technically, as the scattered light is very weak compared with the exciting beam.

Both are valuable analytical techniques, but you can't do one using the other.

OP, here:

Mass spectroscopy is a technique that involves evaporating sample in a vacuum, ionizing it, accelerating ions in an electric field, deflecting them in a magnetic field and finally detecting them afterwards so that they can be identified according to their mass/charge ratio.

Raman spectroscopy is a technique in which you shine laser at the sample and register scattered light. Trivial in principle, although challenging technically, as the scattered light is very weak compared with the exciting beam.

Both are valuable analytical techniques, but you can't do one using the other.

“Spectrometer” then. Pure and simple.

Duly noted then. I stand corrected!

I doubt I'll arrive at a comparable result the first time around!

EDIT: So yeah, "thousands separator".

No. US $20.000 = $20. Cheap.

EDIT: Heh, but yeah: cheap indeed!

I'm really on a roll here!

One thing that perplexes me a little is that the few actual paper specs that are included mention power adapters, which in my mind, are gizmos looking this:

…but none such are included. I can probably reduce the output of that particular adapter from 12 to 5 V. I just want to make sure I’m not ignoring something obvious here.

Are these normally not included in the various “sets” or is there something more basic I’m overlooking (apart from the fact that I may’ve been “cheated” and adapters or yes, simple batteriets are something you’re expected to possess in abundance?

EDIT: Yeah, that’s theoretically only 3V but with a third I’ll get close enough…

EDIT2: Or 4 and a resistor if I remember any electronics…

EDIT3: [REDACTED]. The battery types got me confused.

Yes, you can produce lower voltage with resistors (using voltage divider), but it is not a reliable way of powering a device.

EDIT: Because as I'm sure you've deduced by now I'm in over my head. Learning as I go along.

Well I’m not going down on equipment anyway….

The fire extinguisher is a nice touch.

Although as long as I'm around 5-12V and 200mA I'm not afraid of getting electrocuted. You notice the laser protection goggles behind the Arduino? I'm not playing around. Also why I "blacked out" the windows. The real stuff is in the mail. Don't want to inadvertently blind my neighbors.

I've only started one fire at work and one fire working on a persona project at home, so I think that's a pretty good record.

Yes, low voltage is a nice luxury. Unfortunately I work with voltages up to 25kV pretty routinely, so that's why I wear a plastic watch and a silicone wedding ring.

EDIT: I guess you could say you're not well grounded! :)

EDIT2: Sneakers?

EDIT3: Or is the other way around? I guess you want the power to take the fastest way into the ground. Preferrably not through you.