labmax-pro pc software installation and quick start guide

Software Installation andQuick Start Guide

LabMax-Pro PC™

Software Installation and Quick Start Guide

LabMax-Pro PC

27650 SW 95th Ave.Wilsonville, OR 97070

LabMax-Pro PC Software Installation and Quick Start Guide

This document and software is copyrightedwith all rights reserved. Under the copyrightlaws, this document and software may not becopied in whole or in part or reproduced inany other media without the express writtenpermission of Coherent, Inc. Permittedcopies must carry the same proprietary andcopyright notices as were affixed to theoriginal. This exception does not allow copiesto be made for others, whether or not sold,but all the material purchased may be sold,given or loaned to another person. Under thelaw, copying includes translation into anotherlanguage.

Coherent, the Coherent Logo, LabMax, andPowerMax are trademarks or registeredtrademarks of Coherent, Inc. All othertrademarks or registered trademarks are theproperty of their respective owners.

Every effort has been made to ensure that thedata given in this document and software isaccurate. The information, figures, tables,specifications, part numbers, schematics andsoftware contained herein are subject tochange without notice. Coherent makes nowarranty or representation, either expressedor implied with respect to this document andsoftware. In no event will Coherent be liablefor any direct, indirect, special, incidental orconsequential damages resulting from anydefects in its documentation.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Signal Words and Symbols in this Manual ......... ivSignal Words .............................................. ivSymbols .......................................................v

Preface ............................................................... vii

Software Installation....................................... 1

Quick Start ............................................................ 3Initial Setup Instructions .......................................3Taking a Standard-Speed Measurement................6Taking a High-Speed Measurement....................10Taking a Snapshot Measurement ........................15Taking a Pyroelectric Energy Measurement .......25Setting up the Cursor Feature .............................29

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Signal Words and Symbols in this ManualThis documentation may contain sections in which particularhazards are defined or special attention is drawn to particular condi-tions. These sections are indicated with signal words in accordancewith ANSI Z-535.6 and safety symbols (pictorial hazard alerts) inaccordance with ANSI Z-535.3 and ISO 7010.

Signal WordsFour signal words are used in this documentation: DANGER,WARNING, CAUTION and NOTICE.

The signal words DANGER, WARNING and CAUTION desig-nate the degree or level of hazard when there is the risk of injury:

DANGER!Indicates a hazardous situation that, if notavoided, will result in death or serious injury.This signal word is to be limited to the mostextreme situations.

WARNING!Indicates a hazardous situation that, if notavoided, could result in death or serious injury.

CAUTION!Indicates a hazardous situation that, if notavoided, could result in minor or moderateinjury.

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The signal word “NOTICE” is used when there is the risk of prop-erty damage:

NOTICE!Indicates information considered important,but not hazard-related.

Messages relating to hazards that could result in both personal injuryand property damage are considered safety messages and not prop-erty damage messages.

SymbolsThe signal words DANGER, WARNING, and CAUTION arealways emphasized with a safety symbol that indicates a specialhazard, regardless of the hazard level:

This symbol is intended to alert the operator tothe presence of important operating and main-tenance instructions.

This symbol is intended to alert the operator tothe danger of exposure to hazardous visibleand invisible laser radiation.

This symbol is intended to alert the operator tothe presence of dangerous voltages within theproduct enclosure that may be of sufficientmagnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock.

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This symbol is intended to alert the operator tothe danger of Electro-Static Discharge (ESD)susceptibility.

This symbol is intended to alert the operator tothe danger of crushing injury.

This symbol is intended to alert the operator tothe danger of a lifting hazard.

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PrefaceThis guide includes:

• Installation instructions for the LabMax-Pro PC software and drivers—a program that provides an easy-to-use interface between a PowerMax-Pro or thermopile meter and a PC.

• A separate Quick Start section that explains how to connect the system components (sensor, meter, and PC) and begin taking measurements within minutes.

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SOFTWARE INSTALLATION

To install the LabMax-Pro PC software and drivers:

1. Close all programs.

2. Insert the CD that shipped with the product into the CD-ROMdrive of your computer.

3. If Autorun is enabled on your system, installation willstart automatically; otherwise, double-click theLabMax-Pro_PC_Setup.exe file in the main folder onthe CD.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

For complete operating instructions, refer to the LabMax-Pro SIMMUser Manual (part number 1269224), available in Adobe® PDFformat on the CD-ROM that shipped with the product.

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QUICK START

In this section:

• Initial setup instructions (this page)

• Taking a Standard-Speed measurement (p. 6)

• Taking a High-Speed measurement (p. 10)

• Taking a Snapshot measurement (p. 15)

• Taking a Pyroelectric Energy measurement (p. 25)

• Setting up the Cursor feature (p. 29)

Initial Setup InstructionsComplete the following instructions before using any of the QuickStart tutorials presented in this section.

1. Install the LabMax-Pro PC software (p. 1).

2. Attach the PowerMax-Pro sensor to the LabMax-Pro meter byconnecting the DB-25 connector.

3. Attach the LabMax-Pro meter to the PC via a USB 2.0 High-Speed port.

4. Connect the power supply to the LabMax-Pro meter.

5. Turn on the meter.

6. Start LabMax-Pro PC.

7. If a dialog screen similar to theone shown at right appears, clickOK.

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8. [Main menu] Click Open Meter.

9. Select the COM port from thepopup screen. Click the Selectbutton to close the dialog.

10. View system information to confirm LabMax-Pro PC isdetecting the meter and the sensor.

WARNING!Follow all laser safety procedures. The lasermust be blocked or switched OFF beforestarting any of the tutorials described in thissection.

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WARNING!Power to the LabMax-Pro meter must be OFFbefore starting any of the tutorials described inthis section.

NOTICE!Do not exceed the power or energy densitylimits of the sensor.

The following illustration shows the areas of the graphical userinterface you will need to access while using the tutorials presentedin this section.

MainMenu

MeasurementsPanel

GraphicsPanel

StatisticsPanel

Quick AccessToolbar Tabs

Informationand Help

StatusBar

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Taking a Standard-Speed MeasurementThis tutorial describes how to take a standard (10 Hz sampling rate)power measurement.

Notes

• This mode is compatible with PowerMax-Pro, as well as ther-mopile and optical power sensors.

• Using a PowerMax-Pro sensor in this mode provides nearlyinstant average power readings. However, because data issampled every 100 milliseconds, temporal pulse information isnot displayed. Use High-Speed or Snapshot modes to viewtemporal information.

• Standard-Speed mode can be used for measuring the averagepower of CW or pulsed lasers. Use Standard-Speed mode whenmeasuring the average power of high repetition rate short-pulsed lasers, such as picosecond, femtosecond, and nano-second lasers. In this 10 Hz sampling mode, PowerMax-Proprovides extremely fast average power readings on these lasers.(Because Ultrafast and q-switched laser pulses are too fast forPowerMax-Pro to resolve temporal pulse information, andHigh-Speed and Snapshot mode sampling rates will alias withthe high kHz pulse repetition rates, it is best to operate in Stan-dard-Speed mode with these lasers.)

Procedure

1. Complete the “Initial Setup Instructions” (p. 3).

2. [Home tab] Verify the High-Speed Mode checkbox is notchecked.

3. Make sure either the laser is OFF or the beam is blocked.

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4. [Home tab] Press the Zero button to zerothe sensor. A dialogue will display thezeroing process, which will only take asecond or two.

5. [Measurement tab] Select yourlaser wavelength from the drop-down menu. If your laser wave-length is not available, choose theone closest to it or, alternatively,type in your specific wavelengthto add it to the Wavelength Table.

6. [Data Buffer tab] Enter a value inthe Capacity field that representsthe sample size you would like tocollect. This is also the samplesize used to calculate Statistics.Check the Continuous Modecheckbox if you want data collec-tion to continue until you stop it.Uncheck the checkbox to have data collection end after the Databuffer is full (which is when it reaches the value you entered inthe Capacity field).

7. [Data Buffer tab] Enter a value inthe Sample Count field. This valuerepresents how many samples aredisplayed in the Trending chart atone time.

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8. [Graphics panel] Click the Trending window.

9. Expose the sensor to the laser beam.

10. [Quick Access toolbar or Hometab] Start data collection bypressing the Start icon.

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During data collection, the data is visible in the Trending chart,statistics are updating in real time (based upon data entering thebuffer), and the Measurements panel displays a live reading. Here isan example output screen:

— End of tutorial. —

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Taking a High-Speed MeasurementThis tutorial describes how to take a high-speed (20 kHz samplingrate) power measurement.

Notes

• High-Speed mode is only compatible with PowerMax-Prosensors.

• A data point is sampled every 50 microseconds, making thismode very useful for real-time visualization of temporal shapeof modulated lasers with pulse lengths hundreds of microsec-onds or longer. This mode also provides fast feedback aboutchanges in power output from CW sources.

• High-Speed mode is also used to set up Snapshot mode—primarily by confirming the meter is accurately triggering onthe laser pulses before moving into Snapshot mode. Refer to“Taking a Snapshot Measurement” (p. 15).

• To avoid aliasing effects between the meter sampling rate andthe laser pulses, this mode cannot be used with lasers modulatedat over 2.5 kHz pulse repetition frequency.

Procedure


2. [Home tab] Verify the High-Speed Mode checkbox is checked.


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5. [Home tab] Click the Range drop-down menu and select one of thethree ranges that are available:AUTO (for auto-range), and twofixed ranges signified by powerlimits (High and Low).


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7. [Data Buffer tab] Verify that theEnable Snapshot Mode checkboxis not checked.

8. [Data Buffer tab] Enter a value inthe Capacity field that representsthe sample size you would like tocollect. This is also the samplesize used to calculate Statistics.Check the Continuous Modecheckbox if you want data collec-tion to continue until you stop it.Uncheck the checkbox to have data collection end after the Databuffer is full (which is when it reaches the value you entered inthe Capacity field).

Tip: If the application displays a “Missing” warning, it meansdata was lost while transferring the data in real time from themeter's buffer to the PC. This usually occurs because thecomputer is not able to keep up with the high rate of datacontinuously streaming from the meter. If this warning occurs,ensure the USB connection is a USB 2.0 High-Speed port andclose other open applications. Another option is to reduce theCapacity buffer size. You can also export the data file toexamine the error indicators to determine where and how muchdata was lost.

9. [Data Buffer tab] Enter a value inthe Sample Count field. Thisvalue represents the number ofsamples you want displayed in theTrending window at one time.

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12. [Quick Access toolbar or Hometab] Start data collection by pressingthe Start icon. Note the loading indi-cator ( )turns green while the data is loading.

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Taking a Snapshot MeasurementThis tutorial describes how to take a Snapshot (625 kHz samplingrate) power measurement.

Notes

• Snapshot mode is only compatible with PowerMax-Pro sensors.

• This is a special acquisition mode that captures high-speed dataat 625 kHz or 1.6 microseconds per sample (capture rate to theinternal buffer inside the meter). Due to the high rate of dataacquisition in this mode, it is necessary to temporarily store thedata in the instrument’s hardware buffer, as it is not possible toupload it in real-time via USB. Once the data acquisition iscomplete, the instrument uploads the data to the PC, where it isplaced in the Capture buffer and displayed in the software.

• To avoid aliasing effects between the meter sampling rate andthe laser pulses, do not use this mode with lasers modulated atover 80 kHz pulse repetition frequency.

Process

During Snapshot mode, the hardware waits for a trigger event beforeacquiring data. The process works like this:

1. You define the data acquisition settings (including triggersettings), enable Snapshot mode, and press Start.

2. The meter searches for a trigger and the user interface waits forthe meter to start sending data.

3. When a trigger is found, the meter starts filling its own Capturebuffer.

4. When the buffer is full, the data is sent to the user interface,which displays it.

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Procedure

The first part of the procedure is to define the data acquisitionsettings, including trigger settings. This is done in High-Speedmode.


2. [Home tab] Verify the High-Speed Mode checkbox is checked.



5. [Home tab] Click the Range drop-down menu and select one of thetwo fixed ranges (which signifythe maximum power limits foreach range).Note: Snapshot does not supportAuto ranging.

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7. [Data Buffer tab] Verify that theEnable Snapshot Mode checkboxis not checked.

8. [Data Buffer tab] Verify that theContinuous Mode checkbox is notchecked, and then enter a value inthe Capacity field (20,000represents one second of datacollection, which should beadequate to set up Snapshotmode). The purpose of this step isto confirm good data collection and proper pulse triggering.

9. [Data Buffer tab] Enter a SampleCount of 1500 and an UpdatePeriod of 0.5. These are goodvalues with which to start.

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10. [Trigger tab] Entera Level setting inWatts that representsa level approxi-mately 50% between zero and the peak power you expect eachpulse to have. If you do not know peak power, enter a Levelsetting between zero and the average power. Verify that Sourceis set to Internal, Edge is set to Positive, and Delay is set to 0(zero).

11. [Trending window] Make sure the Show Trigger Markerscheckbox is checked (Settings dropdown menu, under theViews tab). This allows you to confirm the meter is auto trig-gering on the pulses, which is required before entering Snapshotmode.



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14. [Trending window] After data collection is complete, confirmthat each pulse has a trigger marker, represented by a redvertical line plotted at each trigger event. The green linerepresents the trigger threshold level. If the red trigger markersare not visible, or are not consistently triggering on each pulseevent, go back and adjust the Trigger Level setting in theTrigger tab. Keep repeating this process until trigger events areoccurring as expected.

Now that trigger events are occurring and pulses are properlydisplaying, it’s time to move into Snapshot mode.

The laser does not need to be firing onto thesensor during the next several steps of thistutorial. You will be asked to fire the laseragain in step 20.

15. [Data Buffer tab] Check theEnable Snapshot Mode checkbox.

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16. When Snapshot mode is activated, a warning dialog such as theone shown below will appear if particular settings (such asRange and Data Buffer) are not set up correctly. If this happens,click the Confirm Changes button and the application will auto-matically adjust those settings for you.

17. [Data Buffer tab] Click theChange Settings button.

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18. [Data Buffer tab] Adjust the capacity up or down by typing ina new value or using the slider. How long a Snapshot you wantto use depends on the laser pulse length and how many pulsesyou want to capture.

In this example, the default setting is the maximum capacity of240,000 samples, which is collected in 384 milliseconds. If youwant to capture the portion of the first pulse before the triggerevent, add in some pre-trigger samples. (If this is 0 (zero), Snap-shot will begin at the time of the trigger event, which occursafter the first pulse begins.) Click the Save button to close thedialog.

Tip: Reducing the number of samples allows pulses to be viewedwith higher resolution in the trend chart. If you do not see ashigh a resolution as desired, try setting the capacity durationmuch lower, such as ten times the pulse repetition period.

19. [Quick Access toolbar or Hometab] Start data collection by pressingthe Start icon. A Snapshot Mode icon( )will appear in the Status bar at thebottom of the application and displaya red oscillating bar until the laserfires and a trigger event is detected.

20. Fire the laser. If no trigger event is detected, the Snapshot iconwill remain in the red waiting mode. If this happens, there aretwo options: 1) Press the Force Trigger button (to the right of the

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red oscillating bar). This will force the meter into collectingSnapshot data, regardless of whether or not it finds a trigger.2) Press Stop and readjust the trigger settings in High-Speedmode. If a trigger event is detected, the Snapshot Mode icon( ) will turn green and activelydisplay the progress of loading the data from the internal Snap-shot buffer in the meter to the PC application. This can takeseveral seconds, depending upon the size of the SnapshotCapacity setting.

After the Snapshot data is loaded, the result is plotted in theTrending window. Zoom in to observe detailed temporal pulse infor-mation, as shown in the examples below.

There are three ways to zoom a view:

1. Drag the mouse to define a portion of the display.

2. Use the mouse wheel to zoom in or out.

3. Use the scroll bar to define a portion of the display (by draggingeither the left or right handle of the scroll bar) or scroll thedisplay (by dragging the scroll bar to the left or right).

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Taking a Pyroelectric Energy MeasurementThis tutorial describes how to take an energy reading with a pyro-electric sensor.

Procedure1. Complete the “Initial Setup Instructions” (p. 3).

2. [Home tab] Select Energy JoulesMode and the energy range (typi-cally the next higher range thanthe expected energy level beingmeasured).



5. [Data Buffer tab] Enter a value inthe Capacity field that representsthe sample size you would like tocollect. This is also the sample sizeused to calculate Statistics. Checkthe Continuous Mode checkbox ifyou want data collection tocontinue until you stop it.Uncheck the checkbox to have data collection end after the Databuffer is full (which is when it reaches the value you entered inthe Capacity field).

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Tip: If the application displays a “Missing” warning, it means datawas lost while transferring the data in real time from the meter'sbuffer to the PC. This usually occurs because the computer is notable to keep up with the high rate of data continuously streamingfrom the meter. If this warning occurs, ensure the USB connection isa USB 2.0 High-Speed port and close other open applications.Another option is to reduce the Capacity buffer size. You can alsoexport the data file to examine the error indicators to determinewhere and how much data was lost.

6. [Data Buffer tab] Enter a value inthe Sample Count field. This valuerepresents the number of samplesyou want displayed at one time inthe Trending window.

7. [Trigger tab] Set an appropriate Trigger Level (based on eitherunits of joules or percent) and also set the Source to Internal.

Tip: If the energy level being measured is known, you can enter thetrigger level as a joules value that is lower than the expected energylevel to be measured. You can also set the trigger level as a percentof the currently-selected energy range. The trigger level is athreshold used to determine which signals will be collected asenergy measurements and which signals will be ignored as noise.Setting the trigger level too high can result in actual energy pulsesbeing missed. Setting the trigger level too low can result in noisebeing picked up as readings. Set the trigger level at a thresholdbelow the energy being measured and above the noise level of thesensor. To view the acceptable limits for the trigger level settings,hover the cursor over these settings in the software.

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Tip: Monitor both the energy level being measured and the rep ratecalculation to determine if the meter is triggering appropriately. Ifthose readings do not match the readings expected from the laser,readjust the trigger level setting until the energy level and the reprate fall within an acceptable range.

— End of tutorial —

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Setting up the Cursor FeatureThis tutorial describes how to set up the Cursor feature within theLabMax-Pro PC software.

The Cursor feature is a powerful tool for analyzing pulses that havebeen captured in the LabMax-Pro software. You can use it eitherafter stopping live data collection or after importing a saved data fileinto the software.

Procedure

1. [Graphics panel] Right-click in the Graphics panel to open theTrending Window Options menu.

Right-click in this generalarea to open the Trending

Window Options menu.

Trending WindowOptions menu

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2. Click the Show Selection Bounds Cursors checkbox in thedrop-down menu.

Cursors can be dragged within the trend screen to fit around certainpulse shapes or features.

Selection Boundcursors

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Based on the region of the plot selectedby the cursors, the Selection Boundsstatistics automatically update.You canuse the Time Axis - Width measure-ment to determine pulse width, rise-time, or fall-time of a pulse in the plot.The software also shades the areaunder the curve within the cursors andcalculates the energy of a pulse orpulses within that region.

The Energy Baseline setting can be used to determine if the pulseenergy calculation is based on the 0 mW baseline level or the lowercursor level.

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The Snap To Triggers setting can be used to set the cursors to thetrigger point at the beginning of successive pulses. Then the TimeAxis - Width measurement can be used to determine the periodbetween pulses.

To reset the cursors to their original positions, make sure Snap ToTriggers is not checked, then uncheck and recheck the Show Selec-tion Bounds Cursors checkbox. This will reset the cursors in theTrend display.

— End of tutorial —

Trigger points

Original position of cursors

uncheckuncheck/recheck

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LabMax -Pro PC Software Installation andQuick Start Guide

©Coherent Inc., 3/2015, printed in the USAPart No. 1269225 Rev. AC

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labmax-pro pc software installation and quick start guide

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