The monochromator was purchased in 1996 with funds from the NSF-ILI program. The unit is controlled by a computer using the gpib and National Instruments LabView software, written primarily by Melinda Keller. The light source is a tungsten halogen bulb which, with appropriate filters and gratings, allows the monochromator to produce light for wavelengths ranging from 200 nm to 2000 nm.